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Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton - Culture - Nairaland

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Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by GorkoSusaay: 8:56pm On Dec 31, 2015
First chat between Sultan Bello (1781-1837) and the Scottish explorer [url]Clapperton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Clapperton[/url] (1788-1827). We get to discover a glimpse of his character

March 17. After breakfast the sultan sent for me; his residence was at no great distance. In front of it there is a large quadrangle, into which several of the principal streets of the city lead. We passed through three coozees, as guardhouses, without the least detention, and were immediately ushered into the presence of Bello, the second sultan of the Felatahs [Arabic name for Fulani]. He was seated on a small carpet, between two pillars supporting the roof of a thatched house, not unlike one of our cottages.

The walls and pillars were painted blue and white, in the Moorish taste; and on the back wall was sketched a fire-screen, ornamented with a coarse painting of a flower-pot. An arm-chair, with an iron lamp standing on it, was placed on each side of the screen. The sultan bade me many hearty welcomes, and asked me if I was not much tired with my journey from Burderawa. I told him it was the most severe travelling I had experienced between Tripoli and Sackatoo, and thanked him for the guard, the conduct of which I did not fail to commend in the strongest terms.
He asked me a great many questions about Europe, and our religious distinctions.

He was acquainted with the names of some of the more ancient sects, and asked whether we were Nestorians or Socinians. To extricate myself from the embarrassment occasioned by this question, I bluntly replied we were called Protestants. “What are Protestants?'' says he. I attempted to explain to him, as well as I was able, that having protested, more than two centuries and a half ago, against the superstition, absurdities, and abuses practised in those days, we had ever since professed to follow simply what was written " in the book of our Lord Jesus," as they call the New Testament, and thence received the name of Protestants. He continued to ask several other theological questions, until I was obliged to confess myself not sufficiently versed in religious subtleties to resolve these knotty points, having always left that task to others more learned than myself.

He now ordered some books to be produced which belonged to Major Denham, and began to speak with great bitterness of the late Boo-Khaloom, for making a predatory inroad into his territories; adding, in his own words, "I am sure the Pasha of Tripoli never meant to strike me with one hand, while he offers a present with the other: at least it is a strange way for friends to act. But what was your friend doing there?” he asked abruptly. I assured the sultan, that Major Denham had no other object than to make a short excursion into the country. The books being brought in, proved to be the Nautical Almanack, two Reviews, Lord Bacon's Essays, and Major Denham's Journal; all which the sultan returned to me in the most handsome manner. Before taking leave, however, I had to explain the contents of each, and was set to read them, in order to give him an opportunity of hearing the sound of our language, which he thought very beautiful. The sultan is a noble-looking man, forty-four years of age, although much younger in appearance, five feet ten inches high, portly in person, with a short curling black beard, a small mouth, a fine forehead, a Grecian nose, and large black eyes. He was dressed in a light blue cotton tobe, with a white muslin turban, the shawl of which he wore over the nose and mouth in the Tuarick fashion.

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Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by GorkoSusaay: 8:57pm On Dec 31, 2015
In the afternoon I repeated my visit, accompanied by the gadado [Waziri Gidado], Mahomed El Wordee, and Mahomed Gumsoo, the principal Arab of the city, to whom I had a letter of introduction from Hat Salah at Kano. The sultan was sitting in the same apartment in which he received me in the morning.
I now laid before him a present, in the name of His Majesty the King of England, consisting of two new blunderbusses highly ornamented with silver, the double-barrelled pistols, pocket-compass, and embroidered jacket of the late Dr. Oudney ; a scarlet bomouse trimmed with silver lace, a pair of scarlet breeches, thirty yards of red silk, two white, two red, and two Egyptian turban shawls, the latter trimmed with gold ; four pounds each of gloves and cinnamon ; three cases of gunpowder, with shot and balls ; three razors, three clasp knives, three looking-glasses ; six snuff-boxes, three of paper and three of tin ; a spy-glass, and a large English tea-tray, on which the smaller bvnarticles were arranged. He took them up one by one. The compass and spy-glass excited great interest; and he seemed much gratified when I pointed out that by means of the former he could at any time find out the east to address himself in his daily prayers. He said, “Every thing is wonderful but you are the greatest curiosity of all!” and then added, “What can I give that is most acceptable to the King of England?"
I replied, “The most acceptable service you can render to the King of England is to co-operate with his Majesty in putting a stop to the slave trade on the coast: as the King of England sends every year large ships to cruise there, for the sole purpose of seizing all vessels engaged in this trade, whose crews are thrown into prison; and of liberating the unfortunate slaves, on whom lands and houses are conferred, at one of our settlements in Africa.'”
“What!” said he, “have you no slaves in England?”
“No. Whenever a slave sets his foot in England, he is from that moment free."
“What do you then do for servants?”
“We hire them for a stated period, and give them regular wages: nor is any person in England allowed to strike another; and the very soldiers are fed, clothed, and paid by government.”
“God is great!" he exclaimed ; “you are a beautiful people.”

I next presented the sheikh of Bornou's letter. On perusing it, he assured me I should see all that was to be seen within his dominions, as well as in Youri and Nyffee [Nupe], both of which, I informed him, I was anxious to visit. He expressed great regret at the death of Dr. Oudney, as he wished particularly to see an English physician, who might instruct his people in the healing art. In the evening I made a present to the gadado of a scarlet bornouse, a pair of scarlet breeches, a red Turkish jacket, two white, and one red turban shawls, three razors, three knives, three paper snuff-boxes, and three of tin, three looking-glasses, two pounds of cloves, and two pounds of cinnamon. The gadado is an excellent man, and has unbounded influence with the sultan, to whose sister he is married.

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Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by omarithmetics: 1:15am On Jan 01, 2016
This is really good, exhilarating piece of history

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Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by tpiar: 2:57am On Jan 01, 2016
Obviously there was quite a lot of interaction between northern nigeria and northern africa.
Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by 2prexios: 11:17pm On Jan 01, 2016
Great piece Gorkasossay.
One thing I've learned,
clove came from elsewhere to Hausa land, probably from England.
Thus, 'kanafuru' is hausanized word for clove, its amazing.
Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by GorkoSusaay: 11:53pm On Jan 01, 2016
tpiar:
Obviously there was quite a lot of interaction between northern nigeria and northern africa.
Yes, it is not without fondation that the Sahel was considered as the gateway between North Africa and the Guinean regions.
2prexios:
Great piece Gorkasossay.
One thing I've learned,
clove came from elsewhere to Hausa land, probably from England.
Thus, 'kanafuru' is hausanized word for clove, its amazing.

Thanks buddy.
No ideas about the cloves though. Not proficient at all in Hausa. Is "Kanafuru", the name for cloves in Hausa?
Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by 2prexios: 6:53pm On Jan 02, 2016
GorkoSusaay:

Yes, it is not without fondation that the Sahel was considered as the gateway between North Africa and the Guinean regions.

Thanks buddy.
No ideas about the cloves though. Not proficient at all in Hausa. Is "Kanafuru", the name for cloves in Hausa?

Yes partner,

Hausa is one beautiful language.
Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by itstpia8: 3:43am On Jan 03, 2016
GorkoSusaay:

Yes, it is not without fondation that the Sahel was considered as the gateway between North Africa and the Guinean regions.

Thanks buddy.
No ideas about the cloves though. Not proficient at all in Hausa. Is "Kanafuru", the name for cloves in Hausa?

according to wiki, cloves are found in India, Tanzania, the Middle East, etc.
Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by 2prexios: 5:40am On Jan 03, 2016
Good to know that, India and spices. •I'm talking about the word 'clove'.

•Shrugs•

•You don't wanna know what bipolar threads that may spawn from that.

op, pan the story, what you think was the ulterior mission of the visit?

•edited.
Re: Sultan Bello's Curiosity Through The Journal Of Major Hugh Clapperton by tpiah2: 6:43am On Jan 03, 2016
2prexios:
Good to know that, India and spices. I'm talking about the word 'clove'.


smh.



You don't wanna know how I'm bipolar.

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