1 Translator’s italics.
2 It ought, perhaps, to be pointed out that many authorities would object
to classifying Bushmen and Hottentots with the African Negrillos.
3 A “click” is a sound produced by the play of the organs of speech
accompanied by an inspiration of air instead of an expiration.
4 The translation cited is that of Larcher, revised by Emile Pessonneaux
(Paris, 1883, pp. 508, 509).
5 Translator’s italics.
6 Translator’s italics.
7 Essai sur la litterature des Berberes, Alger, 1920.
8 The word mara means a region without permanent water courses but
provided with ponds; the Mandinka word bagarna, which became
bakhu-nu in certain dialects, and the Sarakolle word waga-du both
signify Us, country of herds, region of cattle raising.
9 In accordance with the facts given by Arab authors of the middle
ages, as well as by local traditions, it has been agreed to place the
site of the city of Tekrur not far from Podor in the province of the
Senegalese Futa (or ‘area’) called Toro. In the course of time the name
Tekrur was applied by Muslim writers to the whole of the Negro
country at the southern border of the Sahara, in great part Islamised;
thus it became almost synonymous with “Sudan” and it is with this
meaning that it has long figured on our maps.
10 Bekri, after having recounted in detail the conversion of the
Mandinka King Baramendana, adds that the mass of his subjects
remained pagan.
11 The word joli-ba in the Malinke dialect and jeli-bain the Bambara
dialect signifies “river of blood.” This name has been given to the
Niger because of the bloody sacrifices which took place and still
take place on its banks or on the waters themselves, at various points
in its course, on the occasion of certain seasonal festivals. It is in
error that “river of the griot” or “river of the griots” has been
proposed and accepted as the etymology of this name, for it would
have been pronounced jeli-ba –and not jeli-ba – in all the dialects
and could never have given place to the reading joli-ba. Blood is
pronounced jolior juliin Malinke, jeliin Bambara, juri, jorior jeriin
Jula, and the name of the river is actually Joli-baor Juli-bain the first
of these dialects, Jeli-bain the second, Juri-baor Jeri-bain the third.
12 Ed-dehebi signifies in Arabic “the gilded one” or the “master of
the gold”.
13 Certain authors give 1625 as the date of the foundation of
Dahomey. Others such as M.A. Le Herisee, would not place this
event further back than the reign of the prince Wagbaja, between
1650 and 1680, under whom should have appeared, according to
them, for the first time the name of Dahomey or better Danhome.
Now, the map of Joannes Jans Bonius, published in Amsterdam in 1627,
entitled Guinea, shows the country and the city of Dauma to the
north of the Arder (Ardra) and to the east of the Volta, that is to say,
there where the Dahomey that we know is situated; moreover, Leo
the African, who lived between 1491 and 1540 and who
travelled in Sudan around 1507, also mentioned the kingdom of
Dauma, which, to be sure, he situated much to the East of
Dohomey, but which might very probably be the same as the
Dauma of Joannes Jansoonius.
14 Whence his Hausa name Ousman-dan-Fodio, that is, “Ousman, son
of Fodio”.
15 There are a certain number of Arabs scattered to the east of Chad.
Some of them, sedentary, coming from Arabia by way of Abyssinia,
are called Shoa. Others, nomads, coming from Tripolitania, are
known by the name of Oulad-Sliman.
16 I employ the word Darfur to conform to accepted tradition; in
reality, the name of the country and its inhabitants is Fur or For
and the expression dar-Fur, employed by the Arabs, signifies
“habitat of the Fur”.
17 And not Priest-John [in French Prêtre-Jean] as has been incorrectly
written. This appellation came from the Latin translation of the title of
belut“precious,” that was borne by a negusby the name of John.
On a map of Abyssinia dating from 1627, mention is made of
Abissinorum sive Pretiose Ioannis Imperiumand the text imprinted on
the reverse side says: “The princes are called by the Moors
Asiclabassi, in Ethiopia Ioannes Belut, that is, high, or precious;
commonly Prete-Iean.”
18 A translation of the rather vague term collectivité.
19 The first travellers who heard the Bayaka speak called them Iaca or
Jaga, which was the true name of this people when separated from
the prefix of plurality ba. Certain authors have wished to relate these
Jaga to the Masai and others to the Galla, having them accomplish
across all Africa wanderings which seem to be purely imaginary.
20 Exception to this view is taken in some English historical studies.
21 The Arabs preferred the name of Zendfor the Negro populations
with which they were in relation and from which they drew their
slaves and that of Kafir(pagan) for those who lived outside of their
zone of action. As for the denomination of Makua, it applies,
properly speaking, to a tribe of Mozambique.
22 p. 218.
23 During a sojourn in Liberia from 1897 to 1899, I personally
gathered several manuscripts in the Vai language and characters.
Unfortunately all were destroyed soon after in the course of a fire
and since then I have not had occasion to procure others.
24 For fuller discussion see M. Delafosse, Les Nègres.