Chapter I: Front Matter

These curious veiled people of the Sahara are said to have been driven out of North Africa many centuries ago. They were forced south into the desert, where they have ever since remained, seemingly preferring this lonely existence to contact with a more civilized world. The “litham,” or veil, covering the face is primarily designed to keep out the choking desert sand.]

THROUGH TIMBUCTU
AND
ACROSS THE GREAT SAHARA

AN ACCOUNT OF AN ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY OF
EXPLORATION FROM SIERRA LEONE TO THE
SOURCE OF THE NIGER, FOLLOWING ITS
COURSE TO THE BEND AT GAO AND
THENCE ACROSS THE GREAT SAHARA
TO ALGIERS

BY
CAPTAIN A. H. W. HAYWOOD, F.R.G.S.
Royal Artillery

WITH 45 ILLUSTRATIONS & A MAP

LONDON
SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED
38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET
1912

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I PAGE

Reasons for the journey — Selecting a servant — Preparations
— The Sierra Leone Railway 17

CHAPTER II

Bush scenery — A night at Bo — The Frontier Force at Daru —
Mendi and Kissy carriers — Cotton-growing — Secret societies
— Poro and Bundu societies — Marriage customs — The Liberian
frontier 23

CHAPTER III

Shooting in the grass-country — An unfortunate mishap —
Doubtful pleasures of a journey — Sources of the Niger — A
curious frontier rock — Bush fires — Bird life 34

CHAPTER IV

The Harmatan — Native burial rites — Koranko superstitions
— The Anglo-French frontier — Solitude of a Customs post —
A change of scenery — Smuggling — A change of carriers —
Intoxicating liquor — The Upper Niger — A splendid spectacle
— A good highway — Native music 42

CHAPTER V

Faranah — The Malinkés — Castes — Big game on the Mafou
River — Native methods of hunting — Trapping — Ground nuts
— The native trader — Kouroussa — Native types — French
gardens — Native dances — Beehives — Fruit 55

CHAPTER VI

Samory and the Sofas — The Sofa wars — Desertion of my “boy”
— Kouroussa and Kankan — Native horses — An inhospitable
reception — Kankan — Trade at Kankan — The rubber vine —
Native telegraphy — Personal adornment 67

CHAPTER VII

Hippopotami — Game in the Wasulu country — Lazy carriers — In
pursuit of elephants — Fetish haartebeest — “Red” elephants
— A fetish altar — Braimah’s juju — Charms and tests 78

CHAPTER VIII

Mamadu’s new hat — Tribal marks — Unreliable guides — A
lonely prospector — Bolting carriers — A local chief — More
trouble with carriers — Hunting eland — Sand-flies and mosquitoes
— The headman’s duty — Undesirable presents — Jomongonas
— A magnificent view — Jilingé — Gold — Superstition of
the River Fie — A Niger ferry — An unappreciated delicacy —
Fishing on the Niger 89

CHAPTER IX

Kob — A West African road — Characteristics of the Moors — The
influence of Islam — The French Soudan — Kangaba — Hospitality
— A picturesque market — Vexatious delays — African punctuality
— A new acquaintance — Uncomfortable marching — Shea-butter
— Its uses — A native toothbrush — Arrival at Bamako 106

CHAPTER X

Bamako — The Bambaras — An animated scene — The Kati Plateau
— Dinner with the Governor — Government House — Game in the
“Bend” of the Niger — The Senegal-Niger Railway — Bamako
market — The hotel 120

CHAPTER XI

Koulikoro — Niger Navigation Service — Rapids on the Niger —
The Hourst Expedition — An explorer’s death — Horse-breeding
133

CHAPTER XII

On a river launch — Salutations — Crocodiles — An evening
halt — Camping on the bank — Tobacco-growing — Cotton-growing
— Garrison mess life — Irksome travelling — An enlightened
ruler — An excellent shooting-ground — A holy city — Kadis
— Architecture — Sails of grass — Picturesque pilots — A
strike in the engine-room — Flat country 143

CHAPTER XIII

A land of inundations — River transport in the Macina Province
— The “King of Mopti” — Mopti — Prospects of the rice
trade — Shooting wart-hog — Native huts — The protection of
egrets — A lion as a pet — A dangerous joke — Scarcity of
wood — The white ant — The driver ant 157

CHAPTER XIV

Fulani cattle — Lake Dhebo — Duck shooting — Teal — A tough
bird — The Niger River winds — Towing a barge — Niafounké
— The edge of the Sahara — Stalking birds — Sheep-farming —
Developing the wool trade — Raided by a leopard — Ostrich-farming
171

CHAPTER XV

Game on the Issa-Ber — Hiring a canoe — A leaky craft — Borgou
grass — Fish tanks — Sebi — Tracks of lions — Good wildfowl
shooting — Tortures of a native saddle — Mamadu’s horsemanship
— A flat country — Fulani villages — Saraféré — Desert
winds — Niger canoes — Hardy hunters — Ancient fire-arms —
Lion shooting — The Fulanis 184

CHAPTER XVI

Land near the Bara-Issa — Tuaregs — A salt caravan — Stalking
hartebeest — Lake Niangaye — The village of Kanioumé — My
runaway horse — Tracking elephants — Elephants bathing — A
stampede of elephants — A wounded elephant — Cave dwellers —
Sandstorms and rifles 201

CHAPTER XVII

Bullocks — Pelicans on Lake Niangaye — Stalking ostriches —
Friendly Tuaregs — Lakes and swamps — By canoe to Timbuctu — An
intricate route — Horses of the Sonrhais — Kabara — Timbuctu
— A quaint desert city — A change of route — A steel canoe
— Yakubu — Explorers — Réné Caillé — Barth — Scenes
in Timbuctu — The Sonrhay empire — Mosques — Salt trade —
Saharan sirocco — Desert caravans 217

CHAPTER XVIII

Preparing to cross the desert — Articles for barter - My barge -
My new “boy” — My crew — Stranded — A miserable people —
“Cram-cram” — Borgou — Bamba — Under sail — A variety
of game — The defile of Tosaye — The “Oued Telemsi” — A
curious coloured clay — Gao — A lazy class — Mosques at Gao
— A perilous journey — Giraffe 233

CHAPTER XIX

Loading a camel — Water vessels — My camels — My caravan —
Nomads of the Sahara — Vegetation of the desert — Country of
the Kountahs — Line of wells — Rainfall — My tent — Gazelle
— Fowls of the desert — A trying march — Ill-used animals
— How to mount a camel — Moroseness of the camel — Vagaries
of the camel — An unpleasant feature — Uncomfortable riding
248

CHAPTER XX

An unreliable guide — Relief — Typical scenery — Game in
the “oueds” — A dreary scene — The effect of the sun — A
breakdown — Kidal — Reorganization — A veiled people — The
Iforas — Tuaregs and Iforas — Iforas as camel-masters — Adrar
— I abandon my bath — The value of dates — French couriers
— A solitary post — Relics of the Stone Age — Relics of
former nations 263

CHAPTER XXI

The camel’s reserve store — Variations of temperature — The
Sahara by moonlight — Halley’s Comet — Wells of Abeibera —
Tea in the desert — Difficult bargaining — Enduring donkeys —
Saharan game — A dry well — Missing camels — In Ouzel — An
indifferent boundary — Unpleasant recollections — A change in
the desert — Saharan shrubs — Welfare of the camel 279

CHAPTER XXII

The dreaded Tanezrouft — Camel saddles — The wells of Timissao
— A valuable plant — A night march — An improvised shelter
— Sandstorms — Enemies to sleep — Gloomy scenery — The
water supply — An exhausting struggle — The wells of Ahnet —
Instinct of the guides — Protecting the water-skins 294

CHAPTER XXIII

The Ahnet or Western Hoggar — A bad reputation — Tuareg
highwaymen — A salt well — A barren region — We reach Insalah
— A dramatic entrance — Colonel Laperine — Insalah — Its
importance — Resources — Artesian wells — Varieties of dates
— Pasturage — The streets 310

CHAPTER XXIV

Disturbing news — _En route_ for Algiers — A remarkable man —
Horses at Insalah — Hospitality of French officers — Slavery
amongst the Arabs — An unusual sight — A pathetic story — My
own valet and cook — A precipitous track — The “Great Erg”
— Hassy Inifel — An incompetent guide — Lost — A useful
camel-driver — A hospitable Arab chief — An unappetizing menu —
The dates of Ouargla — Touggourt — A ramshackle coach — Biskra
322

CHAPTER XXV

By rail to Algiers — A difficult project — The resources of
the Sahara 338