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He says, "If the people hear of this money, they will all come down upon me for a portion; and if I do not comply with their wishes they will abandon us, and not go with us to Zinder, and I want as many of them to go with me as possible." Our wealth is still noised abroad! The people believe all our boxes to be full of gold and silver.
He is a man of light complexion; but his two companions are dark as thorough negroes. These individuals, Dedee and Feraghe by name, are great beggars, and by no means scrupulous in their conduct. I steadily resist their demands. En-Noor manages to preserve his dignity by their side. He tells me he will go along with us as far as Zinder.
The greater part of the interview was thus occupied by a little oration on the part of this respectable Sultan, who wound up by saying that he hoped, if it pleased God, that we should now enjoy some repose, and afterwards be conducted safely to Zinder and Soudan. Observing that the dialogue was flagging, I caused the presents we had brought with us to be laid out.
They levy contributions on the caravans, and on the settled people when they can venture. This is the oasis of Janet, mentioned previously. The valley, which embraces Seloufeeat and Tintaghoda, is said to extend, by a series of connexions, as far as Zinder, probably a fanciful connexion of the people.
I gave the mother of Mohammed, who commanded our escort, a handkerchief. This young man has, we are told, gone out this morning alone to search for our lost camels. Meanwhile, in the hope that our property may be restored to us, I propose to write to Zinder for an escort. It is better and more agreeable to pay escorts than robbers in these countries. But I must wait for the recovery of En-Noor.
Evidently many of the unfortunate Arabs have been surprised, and many of them slaughtered; but I cannot believe in their total annihilation. We shall be better informed at Zinder and Kuka. Sept. 1st. We started late, on account of our things being all wet. The morning was as favourable for drying as the day before had been for wetting, there being a high wind with sunshine.
We shall greet this dwarf-cousin of our old friend with pleasure. We are on our way to meet the Kailouee Tuaricks, with whom we have arranged in Ghât to conduct us by Aheer to Zinder a service for which we have already paid a hundred dollars of the money of Ghât.
They consist of a very rough species of salt, like so many big round grains of the coarsest sandstone. One that I saw was of a dark brown colour, extremely dirty, about half-a-foot in diameter. Apparently these lumps are very compact; they serve as money both in Soudan and Tintalous. The greater part of the revenue of Aheer is derived from this salt carrying between Bilma and Zinder. 10th.
Nothing is now said of Zinder, although the first arrangement was from Aheer to Zinder. Such are the people we have to deal with in Africa. But could we not find similar extortion amongst the innkeepers and the conductors of carriages on the highways of Europe?
He says he has been to his own town, and promises us better fortune higher up towards Soudan than we have hitherto had. He is himself about to start with a large caravan for Zinder, in about twenty days. Among other news, he tells us of the progress of the insurrection. The tribes passed some distance to our right a few days ago, moving towards Asoudee and Aghadez, to instal a new Sultan.
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