Chapter I: Front Matter

TIMBUCTOO
THE MYSTERIOUS

BY

FELIX DUBOIS

Translated from the French by

DIANA WHITE

With One hundred and fifty-three Illustrations from
Photographs and Drawings made on the spot
and Eleven Maps and Plans

LONDON
WILLIAM HEINEMANN
1897

_All rights reserved_

CONTENTS

I FROM PARIS TO THE NIGER, 1

II THE NIGER, 18

III THE VALLEY OF THE NIGER, 40

IV THE TOWNS OF THE NIGER, 56

V JENNE, 80

VI THE SONGHOIS, 89

VII THE MOORS IN THE SUDAN, 122

VIII JENNE--YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY, 143

IX FROM JENNE TO TIMBUCTOO, 189

X TIMBUCTOO, 208

XI TIMBUCTOO ACROSS THE CENTURIES, 223

XII THE COMMERCE AND LIFE OF TIMBUCTOO, 250

XIII THE UNIVERSITY OF SANKORÉ, 275

XIV POLITICS AND LITERATURE, 297

XV EUROPE AND TIMBUCTOO, 321

XVI THE FRENCH CONQUEST, 352

INDEX, 373

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

A Train in the Sudan: Native Passengers, 3

A Railway Station, 4

On the Road: Dioulas Halting, 10

On the Road: Europeans Travelling, 11

A Commissariat Transport, 12

The Commissariat: in Fort Bammaku, 13

Bammaku, 16

The Niger at Koulikoro, 17

A Fishing-Village on the Banks of the Niger, 19

Scene on the Niger, 20

My Yacht, 24

On the Banks of the Niger: The Venus
Anadiomenes, 25

The Military Salute, 26

Pasture on the Shores of the Niger, 27

The Shores of Lake Debo at Gourao: Gunboat
Station, 29

Mount St. Charles, at the Entrance to Lake
Debo, 30

Mount St. Henri, 31

Oyster-Beds at Segu, 32

Through the Sea of Grass, 33

The Ferry-Boat, 35

Going Ashore in the Evening, 37

The Valley of the Niger’s Source, 43

The Tembi in the Sacred Wood, 46

A Waterfall in the Valley of the Niger’s
Source, 48

‘Prepare to receive Cavalry,’ 56

The Rocky Barrier at Sotouba, 61

A Workshop on the Banks of the Niger, 62

Cotton in the Sudanese Markets, 64

Weavers on the Banks of the Niger, 66

Segu, 67

Segu: The Ancient Palace of Ahmadou transformed
into a Fort (Exterior), 68

The Fort of Segu: View of the Interior, 69

Arrival of the Courier: Segu, 70

Postal Canoe on the Niger, 71

Bearer of an Urgent Message, 72

Entrance to Mademba’s Palace, 73

A Courtyard in Mademba’s Palace, 74

Fama Mademba, 75

Sansanding: Corner of the Market, 77

‘The Bosos in the bow abruptly ceased plying
their bamboo poles,’ 79

Jenne, 80-81

Boats on the Niger, 82

Jenne: A Corner of the Town, 83

House in Jenne, 84

A Street in Jenne, 85

House in Jenne, 86

A Street in Jenne, 87

A Passenger on the River, 88

Houses in Jenne, 92

Jenne: A Corner of the Town, 101

Jenne: The Fishing Port, 105

A House in Jenne, 108

View of Jenne, 111

A Corner in Jenne, 119

Native Child, 121

A Street in Jenne, 132

Jenne, 134

Jenne, 139

A Square in Jenne, 142

Brick-making, 149

House in Jenne, 151

The Old Mosque restored, 157

The Ruins of the Old Mosque, 161

The Cemetery in the midst of the Ruins, 162

View of the Interior of Jenne and the Old
Mosque, 164

Building a Large Boat, 167

Jenne: A Corner of the Quay, 169

The Chief of the Town of Jenne, 173

Market in the Streets, 174

Precincts of the Dwellings of the Great
Merchants, 175

The Commercial Harbour, 176

Shops of Itinerant Merchants, 177

Women selling in the Streets, 178

The Great Market of Jenne, 179

The Money-Changer, 180

The Butcher, 181

Corner of the Market, 182

Jenne: The Hairdresser, 183

Jenne: The Barber, 185

A Commercial Fleet upon the Niger, 190

On the Niger, 192

The Fort of El Oual Hadj, 194

The Arrival at Kabara, 197

The Quays of Kabara, 198

Kabara: The Graves of the Aube Expedition, 199

On the Quays of Kabara, 200

Scene at Kabara, 201

The Fort of Kabara, 202

The Convoy, 203

The Dwarf Forest, 204

Fording the Stream on the way to Timbuctoo, 205

‘Our’ Oumaira,’ 206

Inscription on Cross, 207

Distant View of Timbuctoo, 208-209

A Street at the Entrance to the Town, 210

Timbuctoo: The Great Market, 212

A Large House, 214

The Straw Huts, with Straw Enclosures, 215

Timbuctoo: A Street, 216

Timbuctoo: A Corner of the Town, 217

My Courtyard at Timbuctoo, 220

Scene in Timbuctoo, 221

Moors in the Neighbourhood of Timbuctoo, 224

Moorish Women, 225

Moorish Encampment, 226

School in a Moorish Encampment, 227

Moorish Flocks in the Neighbourhood of
Timbuctoo, 228

Touareg with ‘Nicab’ and ‘Litham,’ 229

Touaregs and their Flocks, 230

A Pool at the Gates of Timbuctoo, 233

Panorama of Timbuctoo, 240-241

‘A Veiled Man in Sombre Garments,’ 242

A Thoroughfare in Timbuctoo, 245

Sudanese wearing the ‘Dissa,’ 247

Timbuctoo: A Corner of the Town, 248

A Caravan, 250-251

A Block of Salt, 253

A Salt Merchant, 254

Retailing Salt, 255

Caravan, 256

The Port of Timbuctoo, 258

Halt of a Caravan, 259

Unloading Camels, 260

The Gardens of Timbuctoo, 262

Traders from the Country of Mossi, 264

Street in the Arabian Quarter, 265

Gold Merchants, 267

A Lady of Timbuctoo, 271

A Bakehouse in the Street, 273

Musician, 274

The Mosque of Sankoré, 279

The Tombs Surrounding Timbuctoo, 284

Tomb of a Saint, 286

A School at Jenne, 290

A School in the Street, 291

A Schoolmaster, 293

A Sewing-School in the Sudan, 296

The Grand Mosque of Timbuctoo, 300

Behind the Mosque of Sankoré, 305

Oratory of Sidi Yaia, 311

A Sudanese Scene: A Reading in the Street, 317

Cross raised to one of the Companions of Mungo
Park, 324

Laing’s House, 326

Caillié’s House, 335

Barth’s House, 344

View taken from the Terrace of Barth’s House, 347

Tail-piece, 351

General View of Fort Bonnier, 356

Entrance to Fort Bonnier, 361

Fort Philippe, 363

Colonel Bonnier’s Tomb at Timbuctoo, 367

A House: Typical of Timbuctoo Restored, 369

The Policeman at Timbuctoo, 370

MAPS AND PLANS

The Sources of the Niger Tembi, 44

Map of the Nigerian Regions as far as Timbuctoo, 49

The Region of the Three Deltas, 52

Map of the Songhoi Emigration, 94

The Early Songhoi Empire, 98

The Songhoi Organisation, 113

Map of Jenneri, 144

The Island and Town of Jenne, 146

Plan of the Old Mosque, 155

Timbuctoo and Kabara, showing Inundations, 196

Plan of Timbuctoo, 341