11 4. Of other Negro states nominally or really dependent
on the empire of Bornu, viz; Mobba or Bergti, Begharmeh,
and Borgho.
Several states in the interior of Africa of considerable extent
are said to be dependent on Bomu, and the people of
some of them are reported to be colonies of Bornoui.
To the eastward of Bomu is the region of Mobba,-termed
also Bergu or Dar Szaleih: to the South-eastward , of Lake
Tsehad is Begharmeh : to the south-westward of. Borah and
duesouthward of Hausa is the cluster of states termed Borgho.
All of these^are said to have owed allegiance .to, Bornu.
Burckhardt and Seetzen have contributed information respecting
Mobba and Begharmeh.
pB l Bergu,” says Burckhardt, “ is the most important
country next to Darfur and Bomu, in Eastern Sudan. It is
divided into many provinces. Wara is the capital, or perhaps,
the principal state, the sultan of which has rendered himself
master of many neighbouring countries, among which is
Baghermeh or Baghirmah.” A more detailed account of the
region of Mobba was obtained by Dr. .Seetzen from some
intelligent natives of that country, with whom he conversed
at Cairo. This was published by Baron Von Zach, in the
Monathliche Correspondenz, from which I shall extract a
few particulars. Seetzen obtained his information from two
natives of Mobba, named Hassan and Abdallah. According
to these persons, „Mobba, termed by the Arabs Dar gzaleih,
and by the inhabitants of Darfhr, Bergh, is governed
by a sultan, who is 'subject to the more powerful sultan
of Bomu. BornA is distant from Mobba a journey of
sixty days. Three days’ journey westward of Mobba is a
great river, broader than the Nile, which flows from south to
north. Hassan described the course of pilgrimage from Mobba
towards Mecca'; mentioned deserts of fifteen days, termed
Dar Kuh, which he traversed before arriving at Kordofan,
the sultan of which resided in the town of Ibjbhjid (Ob^id.j
Thence he passed the Bahr-el-Abiad in small boats kept by
the Negro Shilukh, who are naked and pagan savages.
Mobba or Dar Szaleih lies .1.0 the south-eastward of Bornu.
Hassan gave a particular account of the plants, animals, and
mineral productions of Mobba. The inhabitants, according to
himi are chiefly Negroes, who are all Moslemm: there are
likewise many Arabs. The language of which Hassan gave
Dr. Sefetzen a specimen is spoken through, the whole country:
there are besides, other languages, of which the following are
the names : Kadschenj ah, Upderrak, Alih, MingOn, Mara-
rit, Massalit, SzongOr, Kuka, D&dscKu, Bandalah, Mhsmajhh,
Njorga, Dembe, Malanga, Mimi, Kornbeih, Dschellaba, Go-
nuk, Kabka and Ghrranguk. Hassan likewise gave an account
of the conquest of Begharmeh, b^. the sultan of Mobba, who
wa^ incited to"the undertaking by the sovereign of Bornu.*
2. Begharmeh is. a country of considerable extent, subject
to the sultan oT Wara and Mobba. Its inhabitants are said
to be the cotton-manufacturers of Sudan. Several different
languages are spoken in this kingdom,
:3. Borgho or Borgoo is a confederacy or cluster of states
to the southwestward of Borah. We might be' tempted to
imagine that this reduplication' of almost tbeij same name
among the dependencies of Bornu has arisen from inaccuracy
in the accounts obtained by travellers ; but if this be the fact
we have fro means of correcting!: the error. The western Bor-
gho has been traversed by Clapperton, and was twice visited
by Lander. The eastern is only known from the preceding
accounts given by native Africans.
S ec tio n III.—Of the People of Borgho and Yarriba.
To the southward of Hausa, and between that country and
the mountains of Kong, is the empire so termed, or the assemblage
of Negro states distinguished by the name of Borgho. By
Clapperton we are informed that the chain of Kong.rises in the
Borgho country, which is behind Ashanti and Dahomeh, and
runs thence in a direction E. S. E. through Borgho, Yarriba,
and Laboo, into Benin, the chain being about eighty miles
in breadth, and in altitude two thousand five hundred feet.
Another mountain-chain, which is perhaps a branch Of the
Kong, passes through Yarriba, Yuri, Zamfra, Guari, and
Zega zega .
i 2
* Monathliche Corresp. Februar. 1810.