Chapter 11
Section 11 of Celebrated Travels and Travelers, Volume 3. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Michelle Fry, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Celebrated Travels and Travelers, Volume 3.
The Great Explorers and Travelers of the Nineteenth Century by Jules Verne. First Part, Chapter 2, Part 2, The Exploration and Colonization of Africa 4. Lander entered Cano on the 25th May and after a short stay there started for Funda on the Niger, whose course he proposed following to Benin. This route had much to recommend it, being not only safe but new, so that Lander was enabled to supplement the discoveries of his
master. Kanfu, Karifo, Gauji, and Gates were visited in turns by Lander, who says that the people of these towns belong to the Husa race and pay tribute to the Folatas. He also saw Damoy, Dremelik, and Kodonia, past a wide river flowing towards the Kuara, and visited Katop, a huge slave and cattle market, Kuji and Dunrora, with a long chain of lofty mountains running in an easterly direction beyond. At Dunrora, just as Lander was superintending the loading of his
beasts of burden, four horsemen, their steeds covered with foam, dashed up to the chief, and with his aid forced Lander to retrace his steps to visit the king of Zegzeg, who, they said, was very anxious to see him. This was by no means agreeable to Lander, who wanted to get to the Niger, from which he was not very far distant, and down it to the sea. He was, however, obliged to yield to force. His guides did not follow exactly the same route as he had taken on his way to
Dunroura, and thus he had an opportunity of seeing the village of Agibi, governed by one of the chief of the warriors of the sovereign of Zegzeg. He paid his respects as required, excusing the small value of the presents he had to give on the ground of his merchandise having been stolen, and soon obtained permission to leave the place. Yowri, Wamba, Colfu, Busa, and Wawwau were the halting places on Lander's return journey to Bedagery, where he arrived on the 22nd of November,
1827. Two months later he embarked for England. Although the commercial project, which had been the chief aim of clapperton's journey had fallen through owing to the jealousy of the arabs who opposed it in their fear that the opening of a new route might ruin their trade a good deal of scientific information had rewarded the efforts of the english explorer in his history of maritime and island discovery desborough coolly thus sums up the results obtained by the travelers whose
work we have just described. Quote, the additions to our geographical knowledge of the interior of Africa, which we owe to Captain Clapperton, far exceed in extent and importance those made by any preceding traveler. The limit of Captain Leon's journey southward across the desert was in latitude 24 degrees, while Major Denham, in his expedition to Mandara, reached latitude 9 degrees 15 minutes, thus adding 14.75 degrees, or 900 miles, to the extent explored by Europeans.
Hornman, it is true, had previously crossed the desert and had proceeded as far southwards as Nefe, in latitude 10 degrees, 30 minutes, but no account was ever received of his journey. Park, in his first expedition, reached Scylla, in longitude 1 degree, 34 minutes west, a distance of 1,100 miles from the mouth of the Gambia. Denham and Claperton, on the other hand, from the east side of Lake Chad in longitude 17 degrees
to Saketu in longitude 5 degrees 30 minutes, explored a distance of 700 miles from east to west in the heart of Africa, a line of only 400 miles remaining unknown between Scylla and Saketu. The second journey of Captain Claperton added tenfold values to these discoveries, for he had the good fortune to detect the shortest and most easy road to the populous countries of the interior, and he could boast of being the first who had completed an itinerary across the continent of Africa from Tripoli to Benin. end quote we need add but little to so skillful and sensible a summary of the work done the information given by arab geographers especially by leo africanus had been verified and much had
been learnt about a large portion of the sudan although the course of the niger had not yet been actually traced that was reserved for the expeditions of which we are now to write it had been pretty fairly guessed at. It had been finally ascertained that the Kuara or Jaliba or Niger or whatever else the great river of northwest Africa might be called and the Nile were totally different rivers with totally different sources. In a word, a great step had been gained. In 1816, it was still
an open question whether the Congo was not identical with the Niger. To ascertain the truth on this point an expedition was sent out under captain tucky an english naval officer who had given proof of intelligence and courage james kingston tucky was made prisoner in 1805 and was not exchanged until 1814 when he heard that an expedition was to be organized for the exploration of the zayar he begged to be allowed to join it and was appointed to the command two able officers
and some scientific men were associated with him. Tucky left England on the 19th March, 1816, with two vessels, the Congo and the Dorothea, a transport vessel under his orders. On the 20th June, he cast anchor off Malambe,
on the shores of the Congo, in latitude 4 degrees, 39 minutes south. The king of that country was much annoyed when he found that the English had not come to buy slaves and spread all manner of injurious reports against the europeans who had come to ruin his trade
on the 18th july tucky entered the vast estuary formed by the mouths of the zare on board the congo but when the height of the river banks rendered it impossible to sail farther he embarked with some of his people in his boats on the 10th august he decided on account of the rapidity of the current and the huge rocks bordering the stream to make his way partly by land and partly by water. Ten days later, the boats were brought to a final stand by an impassable
fall. The explorers therefore landed and continued their journey on foot, but the difficulties increased every day, the Europeans falling ill and the Negroes refusing to carry the baggage. At last, when he was some 280 miles from the sea, Tucky was compelled to retrace his steps. the rainy season had set in the number of sick increased and the commander miserable at the lamentable result of his trip himself succumbed to fever and only got back to his vessel to die
on the fourth october 1816 an exact survey of the mouth of the congo and the rectification of the coastline to which there had previously been a considerable error were the only results of this unlucky expedition in 1807 not far from the scene of clapperton's landing a few years later a brave but fierce people appeared on the gold coast the ashantes coming none knew exactly whence flung themselves upon the fontes and after horrible massacres in 1811 and 1816 established themselves
in the whole of the country between the kong mountains and the sea as a necessary result this led to a disturbance in the relations between the Fontes and the English, who owned some factories and counting houses on the coast. In 1816, the Ashante king ravaged the Fante territories in which the English had settled, reducing the latter to famine. The governor of Cape Coast Castle therefore sent a petition home for aid against the fierce and savage conqueror. The bearer of
the governor's dispatches was Thomas Edward Bodich, a young man who, actuated by a passion for traveling, had left the parental roof, thrown up his business, and having married against the wishes of his family, had finally accepted a humble post at Cape Coast Castle, where his uncle was second in command. The English minister at once acceded to the governor's request, and sent Bodich back in command of an expedition, but the authorities at Cape Coast considered him too young
for the post, and superseded him by a man whose long experience and thorough knowledge of the country and its people seemed to fit him for the important task to be accomplished. The results showed that this was an error. Bowditch was attached to the mission as scientific observer, his chief duty being to take the latitude and longitude of the different places visited. Frederick James and Bowditch left the English settlement on 22nd August 1817 and arrived at
Kumasi, the Ashante capital, without meeting with any other obstacle than the insubordination of the bearers. The negotiations, with a view to the conclusion of a treaty of commerce and the opening of a road between Comercy and the coast, were brought to something of a successful issue by Bowditch, but James proved himself altogether wanting in either the power of making or enforcing suggestions. The wisdom of Bowditch's conduct was fully recognized, and James was recalled.
It would seem that geographical science had little to expect from a diplomatic mission to a country already visited by Bosman, Lawyer, Desmarchais, and many others, and on which Meredith and Dalzell had written. But Bowditch turned to account his stay of five months at Kumase, which is but ten days' march from the Atlantic, to study the country, manners, customs, and institutions of one of the most interesting races of Africa. We will now briefly describe the
pompous entry of the English mission into Kumase. The whole population turned out on the occasion, and all the troops, whose numbers Bowditch estimated at thirty thousand at least, were under arms. Before they were admitted to the presence of the king, the English witnessed a scene well calculated to impress upon them the cruelty and barbarity of the Ashantes. A man with his hands tied behind him, his cheeks pierced with wire, one ear cut off, the other hanging by a bit of skin, his shoulders
bleeding from cuts and slashes, and a knife run through the skin above each shoulder blade, was dragged by a cord fastened to his nose through the town to the music of bamboos. He was on his way to be sacrificed in honor of the white men. Our observations on passant, says Bowditch, had taught us to conceive a spectacle far exceeding our original expectations, but they had not prepared us for the extent and display
of the scene which here burst upon us an area of nearly a mile in circumference was crowded with magnificence and novelty the king his tributaries and captains were resplendent in the distance surrounded by attendance of every description fronted by a mass of warriors which seemed to make our approach impervious the sun was reflected with a glare scarcely more supportable than the heat from the massive gold ornaments which glistened in every direction more than a hundred
bands burst at once on our arrival into the peculiar airs of their several chiefs the horns flourished their defiances with the beating of innumerable drums and metal instruments and then yielded for a while to the soft harmonious breathings of their long flutes with which a pleasing instrument like a bagpipe without the drone was happily blended at least a hundred large umbrellas and canopies which could shelter thirty persons were sprung up and down by the bearers with
brilliant effect being made of scarlet yellow and the most showy cloths and silks and crowned on the top with crescents pelicans elephants barrels and arms and swords of gold the king's messengers with gold breastplates made way for us and we commenced our round preceded by the canes and the english flag we stopped to take the hand of every cabosier which as their household suites occupied several spaces in advance delayed us long enough to distinguish some of the ornaments in the general
blaze of splendor and ostentation the cabosiers as did their superior captains and attendants wore ashante cloths of extravagant price from the costly foreign silks which had been unraveled to weave them in all the varieties of color as well as pattern they were of an incredible size and weight and thrown over the shoulder exactly like a roman toga a small silk fillet generally encircling their temples and massy gold necklaces intricately wrought suspended moorish charms
enclosed in small square cases of gold silver and curious embroidery some wore necklaces reaching to the navel, entirely of agare beads. A band of gold and beads encircled the knee, from which several strings of the same depended. Small circles of gold, like guineas, rings, and casts of animals, were strung round their ankles. Their sandals were of green, red, and delicate white leather. Manilas and rude lumps of rock gold hung from their left wrists, which were so heavily laden
as to be supported on the head of one of the handsomest boys gold and silver pipes and canes dazzled the eye in every direction wolves and ram's heads as large as life cast in gold were suspended from their gold-handled swords which were held around them in great numbers the blades of which shaped like round bills and rested in blood the sheaths were of leopard skin or the shell of a fish like chagrine. The large drums, supported on the head of one man and beaten by
two others, were braced around with the thigh bones of their enemies and ornamented with their skulls. The kettle drums, resting on the ground, were scraped with wet fingers and covered with leopard skin. The wrists of the drummers were hung with bells and curiously shaped pieces of iron, which jingled loudly as they were beating. The smaller drums were suspended from the neck by scarves of red cloth the horns the teeth of young elephants were ornamented at the mouthpiece with
gold and the jaw bones of human victims the war caps of eagle's feathers nodded in the rear and large fans of the wing feathers of the ostrich played around the dignitaries immediately behind their chairs which were of a black wood almost covered by inlays of ivory and gold embossment stood their handsomest youths with corslets of leopard skin covered with gold cockle shells and stuck full of small knives sheathed in gold and silver and the handles of blue agate
cartouche boxes of elephant's hide hung below ornamented in the same manner a large gold handled sword was fixed behind the left shoulder and silk scarves and horses tails generally white streamed from the arms and waist cloth their long danish muskets had broad rims of gold at small distances and the stocks were ornamented with shells finely grown girls stood behind the chairs of some with silver basins their stools of the most laborious carved work and generally with
two large bells attached to them were conspicuously placed on the heads of favorites and crowds of small boys were seated around flourishing elephants tails curiously mounted the warriors sat on the ground close to these and so thickly as not to permit of our passing without treading on their feet to which they were perfectly indifferent their caps were of the skin of the pangolin and leopard the tails hanging down behind their cartouche belts composed of small gourds
which hold the charges and covered with leopards or pigskin were embossed with red shells and small brass bells thickly hung to them on their hips and shoulders was a cluster of knives iron chains and collars dignified the most daring who were prouder of them than of gold their muskets had rests affixed of leopard skin and the locks of a covering of the same the sides of their faces were curiously painted in long white streaks and their arms also striped having the appearance of
armor we were suddenly surprised by the sight of moors who afforded the first general diversity of dress there were seventeen superiors arrayed in large cloaks of white satin richly trimmed with spangled embroidery their shirts and trousers were of silk and a very large turban of white muslin was studded with a border of different colored stones their attendants wore red caps and turbans and long white shirts which hung over their trousers those of the inferiors were of dark
blue cloth they slowly raised their eyes from the ground as we passed and with a most malignant scowl the prolonged flourishes of the horns a deafening tumult of drums and the fuller concert at the intervals announced that we were approaching the king we were already passing the principal officers of his household the chamberlain the gold hornblower the captain of the messengers the captain for royal executions the captain of the market the keeper of the royal burying ground
and the master of the bands sat surrounded by a retinue and splendor which bespoke the dignity and importance of their offices. The cook had a number of small services, covered with leopard skin, held behind him, and a large quantity of Massey's silver plate was displayed before him, punch bowls, waiters, coffee pots, tankards, and a very large vessel with heavy handles and clawed feet, which seemed to have been made to hold incense. I observed a Portuguese inscription
on one piece and they seemed generally of that manufacture the executioner a man of immense size wore a massive gold hatchet on his breast and the execution stool was held before him clotted in blood and partly covered with a call of fat the king's four linguists were encircled by a splendor inferior to none and their peculiar insignia gold canes were elevated in all directions tied in bundles like faces the keeper of the treasury added to his own magnificence by the
ostentatious display of his service the blowpan boxes scales and weights were of solid gold a delay of some minutes whilst we severally approached to receive the king's hand afforded us a thorough view of him his deportment first excited my attention native dignity in princes we are pleased to call barbarous was a curious spectacle his manners were majestic yet courteous and he did not allow his surprise to beguile him for a moment of the composure of the monarch
he appeared to be about 38 years of age inclined to corpulence and of a benevolent countenance end quote this account is followed by a description extending over several pages of the costume of the king the filing past of the chiefs and troops the dispersing of the crowd and the ceremonies of reception which lasted far on into the night reading bodich's extraordinary narrative we are tempted to ask if it be not the outcome of the traveler's imagination for we can scarcely credit
what he says with the wonderful luxury of this barbarous court the sacrifice of thousands of persons at certain seasons of the year the curious customs of this warlike and cruel people this mixture of barbarism and civilization hitherto unknown in africa we could not acquit bodich of great exaggeration had not later travelers as well as contemporary explorers confirmed his statements we can therefore only express our astonishment that such a government
founded on terror alone could have endured so long. End of Section 11
