menu_book Chapter 12

celebrated travels and travellers volume three the great explorers and travellers of the nineteenth century by jules verne first part chapter two part two the exploration and colonization of africa v it is a pleasure to us frenchmen when we can quote the name of a fellow countryman amongst the many travelers who have risked their lives in the cause of geographical science without abating our critical acumen we feel our pulse quicken when we read of the dangers and struggles of such travelers as molien calier de calio and le torzac gaspard moulin was nephew to napoleon's minister of the treasury he was on board the medusa but was fortunate enough to escape when that vessel was shipwrecked and to reach the coast of the sahara in a boat whence he made his way to senegal The dangers from which Moliens had just escaped would have destroyed the love of adventure and exploration in a less ardent spirit. They had no such effect upon him.

He left St. Louis as soon as ever he obtained the assent of the governor, Fleurieu, to his proposal to explore the sources of the great rivers of Senegambia and especially those of the Jaliba. Maudin started from Jeddah on the 29th January 1818, and taking an easterly course between the 15th and 16th parallels of north latitude, crossed the kingdom of Dommel, and entered the districts peopled by the Yaloufs. Unable to go by way of Wuli, he decided in favor of the Futa-Toro route,

and in spite of the jealousy of the natives and their love of pillage, he reached Bandu without accident. It took him three days to traverse the desert between Bandu and the districts beyond the Gambia, after which he penetrated into Neocolo, a mountainous country inhabited by the all but wild Pules and Jalans. Leaving Bandia, Molien entered Fauta Jalan and reached the sources of the Gambia and the Rio Grande, which are in close proximity. A few days later he came to those of

the Falamé, and in spite of the repugnance and fear of his guide, he made his way into Timbo, the capital of Fauta. The absence of the king and most of the inhabitants probably spared him from long captivity abbreviated only by torture. Fauta is a fortified town. The king owns houses with mud walls between three and four feet thick and fifteen high. At a short distance from Timbo, Mollien discovered the sources of the Senegal at least what were pointed out to him as such by the

blacks but it was impossible for him to take astronomical observations the explorer did not however look upon his work as done he had ever before him the still more important discovery of the sources of the Niger but the feeble state of his health the setting in of the rainy season the swelling of the rivers, the fears of his guides, who refused to accompany him into Korenko and Sulemano, though he offered them guns, amber beads, and even his horse, compelled him to give

up the idea of crossing the Kong Mountains and to return to St. Louis. Moliath had, however, opened several new lines in a part of Senegambia not before visited by any European. it is to be regretted says monsieur de la renardiere that worn out with fatigue scarcely able to drag himself along in a state of positive destitution molien was unable to cross the lofty mountains separating the basin of the senegal from that of the joliba and that he was compelled to rely upon native information respecting the most important objects of his expedition it is on the faith of the assertions of the natives that he claims to have visited the sources of the rio grande falamay gambia and senegal if he had been able to follow the course

of those rivers to their fountain heads his discoveries would have acquired certainty which is unfortunately now wanting to them however when we compare the accounts of other travelers with what he says of the position of the source of the bafing or senegal which cannot be that of any other great stream we are convinced of the reality of this discovery at least it also seems certain that the two last springs are higher up than was supposed and that the joleba rises in

a yet loftier locality the country rises gradually to the south and southeast in parallel terraces these mountain chains increase in height towards the east attaining their greatest elevation between latitude 8 degrees and 10 degrees north, end quote. Such were the results of Mollien's interesting journey in the French colony of Senegal. The same country was the starting point of another explorer, René Callier. Callier, who was born in 1800 in the department of the Sene-Oise,

had only an elementary education, but reading Robinson Crusoe had fired his youthful imagination with a zeal for adventure, and he never rested until, in spite of his scanty resources, he had obtained maps and books of travel. In 1816, when he was only 16 years old, he embarked for Senegal in the transport ship Le Loire. At this time, the English government was organizing an inland exploring expedition under the command of Major Gray. To avoid the terrible

al-Mame of Timbu, who had been so fatal to Paddy, the English made for the mouth of the Gambia by sea. Wuli and the Gabun were crossed, and the explorers penetrated into Bandu, which Molien was to visit a few years later, a district inhabited by a people as fanatic and fierce as those of the Fauta Jalan. The extortions of the al-Mame were such that under pretext of there being an old debt left unpaid by the English government, Major Gray was mulched of nearly

all his baggage and had to send an officer to the Senegal for a fresh supply. Callier, knowing nothing of this disastrous beginning, and aware that Gray was glad to receive new recruits, left St. Louis with two Negroes and reached Gorey. But there some people, who took an interest in him, persuaded him not to take service with Gray and got him an appointment at Guadeloupe. He remained, however, but six months in that island, and then returned to

Bordeaux, whence he started for the Senegal once more. Parterieu, one of Gray's officers, was just going back to his chief with the merchandise he had procured, and Callier asked and obtained leave to accompany him without either pay or a fixed engagement. The caravan consisted of seventy persons black and white and thirty-two richly laden camels it left gandio in k r on the fifth february 1819 and before entering jaloof a desert was crossed where great suffering

was endured from thirst the leader in order to carry more merchandise had neglected to take a sufficient supply of water at bulibaba a village inhabited by fula shepherds the travelers were enabled to recruit and to fill their leathern bottles for a journey across a second desert avoiding foe to toro whose inhabitants are fanatics and thieves parter you entered bondu he would gladly have evaded visiting bulibanay the capital and residence of the almame but was compelled to

do so owing to the refusal of the people to supply grain or water to the caravan and also in obedience to the strict orders of Major Gray, who thought the Alma-Mae would let the travelers pass after paying tribute. The terrible Alma-Mae began by extorting a great number of presents, and then refused to allow the English to visit Bacol on the Senegal. They might, he said, go through his states, those of Cairta to Clego, or they might take the Fout-to-Toro route. Both these alternatives

were equally impossible, as in either case the caravan would have to travel among fanatic tribes the explorers believed that alma may's object was to have them robbed and murdered without incurring the personal responsibility they resolved to force their way preparations were scarcely begun for a start when the caravan was surrounded by a multitude of soldiers who taking possession of the wells rendered it impossible for the travelers to carry out

their intentions at the same time the war drum was beaten on every side to fight was impossible a palaver had to be held in a word the english had to own their powerlessness the alma may dictated the conditions of peace mulched the whites of a few more presents and ordered them to withdraw by way of food to toro yet more and this was a flagrant insult to british pride the english found themselves escorted by a guard which prevented their taking any other route when

night fell they revenged themselves by setting fire to all their merchandise in the very sight of the faulas who had intended to get possession of them the crossing of the food to toro among hostile natives was terribly arduous the slightest pretext was seized for a dispute and again and again violence seemed inevitable food and water were only to be obtained at exorbitant prices at last one night parterriou to disarm the suspicion of the natives gave out that he could

not carry all his baggage at once and having first filled his coffers and bags with stones he decamped with all his followers for the senegal leaving his tents pitched and his fires alight his path was strewn with bales arms and animals thanks to this subterfuge and the rapidity of their march the english reached baccal in safety where the french welcomed the remnant of the expedition with enthusiasm callier attacked by a fever which nearly proved fatal returned to st

louis but not recovering his health there was obliged to go back to france not until 1824 was he able to return to senegal which was then governed by baron roger who was anxious paris Passu to extend our geographical knowledge with our commercial relations. Roger supplied Callier with means to go and live among the Brachnas, there to study Arabic and the Muscleman religion. Life amongst the suspicious and fanatic Moorish shepherds was by no means easy. The traveler,

who had great difficulty in keeping his daily journal, was obliged to resort to all manner of subterfuges to obtain permission to explore the neighborhood of his house. He gives us some curious details of the life of the brackness of their diet which consists almost entirely of milk of their habitations which are nothing more than tents unfitted for the vicissitudes of the climate of their guareuse or itinerant minstrels their mode of producing the excessive en bon point

which they consider the height of female beauty the aspect of the country the fertility and productions of the soil etc the most remarkable of all the facts collected by callier are those relating to the five distinct classes into which the moorish bracknas are divided these are the hossains or warriors whose idleness slovenliness and pride exceed belief the marabouts or priests the xenogues tributary to the hossains the laritines and the slaves the xenogues are a

miserable class despised by all the others but especially by the hossains to whom they pay a tribute which is of variable amount and is never considered enough they do all the work both industrial and agricultural and rear all the cattle in spite of my efforts says callier i could find out nothing about the origin of this people, or ascertain how they came to be reduced to pay tribute to the Moors. When I asked them any questions about this, they said it was God's

will. Can they be a remnant of a conquered tribe? And if so, how is it that no tradition on the subject is retained amongst them? I do not think they can be, for the Moors, proud as they are of their origin, never forget the names of those who have brought credit to their families, and where such the case the xenogues who form the majority of the population and are skillful warriors would rise under the leadership of one of their chiefs and fling off the yoke of servitude end quote

laritin is the name given to the offspring of a moor and a negro slave although they are slaves the laritins are never sold but while living in separate camps are treated very much like the and agus those who are the sons of hossains are warriors whilst the children of marabouts are brought up to the profession of their father the actual slaves are all negroes ill-treated badly fed and flogged on the slightest pretext there is no suffering which they are not called upon to

endure in may 1825 callier returned to saint louis baron roger was absent and his representative was by no means friendly. The explorer had to content himself with the pay of a common soldier until the return of his protector, to whom he sent the notes he had made when amongst the Brachnas, but all his offers of service were rejected. He was promised a certain sum on his return from Timbuktu, but how was he even to start without private resources? The intrepid Callier was not,

however, to be discouraged. As he obtained neither encouragement nor help from the colonial government, he went to Sierra Leone, where the governor, who did not wish to deprive Major Lange of the credit of being the first to arrive at Timbuktu, rejected his proposals. In the management of an indigo factory, Callier soon saved money to the extent of two thousand francs, a sum which appeared to him sufficient to carry him to the end of the world. He lost no time in purchasing

the necessary merchandise, and joined some mandingos and Sarah Collette's, or wandering African merchants. He told them, under the seal of secrecy, that he had been born in Egypt of Arab parents, taken to France at an early age, and sent to Senegal to look after the business of his master, who, satisfied with his services, had given him his freedom. He added that his chief desire was to get back to Egypt and resume the Mohammedan religion. On the 22nd of March,

1827, Callier left Freetown for Caconde, a village on the Rio Nunez, where he employed his leisure in collecting information respecting the Landamas and the Nalus, both subject to the Foulas of Fautajalan, but not Mohammedans, and as a necessary result, both much given to spiritous liquors. They dwell in the districts watered by the Rio Nunez, side by side with the Bagos, an idolatrous race who dwell at its mouth the bagos are light-hearted industrious and skillful tillers

of the soil they make large profits out of the sale of their rice and salt they have no king no religion but a barbarous idolatry and are governed by the oldest man in their village an arrangement which answers very well on the 19th april 1827 callier with but one bearer and a guide at last started for Timbuktu. He speaks favorably of the Fulas and the people of Foute-Gelan, whose rich and fertile country he crossed. The Ba Fing, the chief affluent of the Senegal,

was not more than a hundred paces across, and a foot and a half deep where he passed it, but the force of the current and the huge granite rocks encumbering its bed render it very difficult and dangerous to cross the river. After a halt of nineteen days in the village of Kambaya, the home of the guide who had accompanied him thus far, Callie entered Cancan, crossing a district intersected by rivers and large streams, which were then beginning to

inundate the whole land. On the 30th May, the explorer crossed the Tankiso, a large river with a rocky bed belonging to the system of the Niger, and reached the latter on 11th June at Kuranasa. even here says callier so near to its source the niger is nine hundred feet wide with a current of two miles and a half before we enter can can with the french explorer it will be well to sum up what he says of the foulas of fuota they are mostly tall well-made men with chestnut brown complexions curly hair lofty foreheads aquiline noses features in fact very like those of europeans they are bigoted mohammedans and hate christians unlike the mandingos they do not travel but love their home they are good agriculturalists and clever traders warlike and patriotic and they leave none but their old men

and women in their villages when they go to war the town of cancan stands in a plain surrounded by lofty mountains the bombbacks baobab and butter tree also called the say and the shea of mungo Park are plentiful. Callier was delayed in Can Can for twenty-eight days before he could get on to the Sembaticala, and during that time he was shamefully robbed by his host, and could not obtain from the chief of the village restitution of the goods which had been stolen. Can Can,

says the traveller, is a small town near the left bank of the Milo, a pretty river, which comes from the south and waters the Kissi district, where it takes its rise, flowing thence in a northwesterly direction to empty itself into the niger two or three days journey from cancan surrounded by a thick quick set hedge this town which does not contain more than six thousand inhabitants is situated in an extensive and very fertile plain of gray sand on every side are pretty

little villages called warundas where the slaves live these habitations give interest to the scene and are surrounded by very fine plantations. Yams, rice, onions, pistachio nuts, etc. are exported in large quantities. Between Can Can and Wasolo, the road led through well-cultivated and at this time of year nearly submerged districts. The inhabitants struck Callie as being of a mild, cheerful, and inquiring disposition. They gave him a cordial welcome.

several tributaries of the niger including the serrano were passed before a halt was made at segala the residence of baronusa the chief of wasolo he was of slovenly habits like his subjects and used tobacco both as snuff and for smoking he was said to be very rich in gold and slaves his subjects paid him a tribute in cattle he had a great many wives each of whom owned a hut of her own, their houses forming a little village with well-cultivated environs. Here, Callie for the

first time saw the Ramos lotus mentioned by Park. On leaving Wissolo, Callie entered Fulu, whose inhabitants, like those of the former district, are idolaters of slovenly habits. They speak the Mandingo tongue. At Sambatacala, the traveller paid a visit to the Almame. we entered he says a place which served him as a bedroom for himself and a stable for his horse the prince's bed was at the further end it consisted of a little platform raised six inches

from the ground on which was stretched an ox hide with a dirty mosquito curtain to keep off the insects there was no other furniture in this royal abode two saddles hung from stakes driven into the wall. A large straw hat, a drum only used in wartime, a few lances, a bow, a quiver, and some arrows were the only ornaments. A lamp made of a piece of flat iron set on a stand of the same metal stood on the ground. This lamp was fed by a kind of vegetable matter not thick enough to be

made into candles." The Almame soon informed Callie of an opportunity for him to go to Timma, whence a caravan was about to start for Jenna. The travelers then entered the province of Bambara and quickly arrived at the pretty little village of Timma, inhabited by Mohammedan mandingos, and bounded on the east by a chain of mountains about 350 fathoms high. When he entered this village at the end of July, Callie little dreamt of the long stay he would be

compelled to make in it. He had hurt his foot, and the wound became very much inflamed by walking in wet grass. He therefore decided to let the caravan for Jena go on without him, and remain at Temma until his foot should be completely healed. It would have been too great a risk for him in this state to travel through Bambara, where the idolatrous inhabitants of the country would be pretty sure to rob him. The Bambaras, he says, have few slaves, go almost naked, and are always

armed with bows and arrows. They are governed by a number of petty independent chiefs, who are often at war with one another. They are in fact rude and wild creatures as compared with the tribes who have embraced Mohammedanism. End quote. Callie was detained at Timah by the still unhealed wound in his foot until the 10th November. At that date he proposed starting for Jenna, but to quote his own words, I was now seized with violent pains in the jaws,

warning me that I was attacked with scurvy, a terrible malady, all the horrors of which I was to realize. My palate was completely skinned. Part of the bone came away. My teeth seemed ready to fall out of the gums. My sufferings were terrible. I feared that my brain might be affected by the agony of pain in my head. I was more than a fortnight without an instant sleep." To make matters worse, the wound broke out afresh, and he would have been cured neither of it nor of the

scurvy had it not been for the energetic treatment of an old negress who was accustomed to doctor the scorbutic affections so common in that country.