"At This Period, Travellers, And The Persons
Employed In Watching The Harvest, Often Fall Victims; Nay, The Hyenas
Have Been Known To Carry Walled Towns By Storm, And Devour The Herds
Which Had Been Driven Into Them For Shelter."
The soil of Bornou is fertile, and though only turned up by the hoe,
yields pretty good crops of the small grain called _gussub_.
Vast herds
of cattle abound. The only manufacture in which the people can be said to
excel, is that of cotton cloth died blue with indigo; pieces of which
constitute the current coin. The natives have the negro features in their
full deformity; they are simple, good-natured, ignorant, and fond of
wrestling and gaming. The military force is almost entirely composed of
cavalry, many of whom are well mounted, and defended by coats of mail.
Boo Khaloom had brought with him an extensive assortment of goods, which
he found he could not sell at Bornou. He therefore wished to dispose of
them at Soudan; but his followers were most anxious that he should make a
warlike excursion to the south, for the purpose of driving in a large
body of slaves. He reluctantly, and against his better judgment,
consented to proceed to the mountains of Mandara, and Major Denham,
against the advice of the sheikh, resolved to accompany the party, whose
numbers and strength were augmented by a large body of Bornou cavalry,
under the command of Barca Gana, the chief general.
They set out along an ascending road, which wound through a fertile
country, and passed several populous towns.
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