BORNOU, an extensive empire in the interior of Africa, situated to the south-east of Fezzan, and bounded on the north by the desart of Bilma ; on the west by Nubia, Kuka, and Tagua ; on the south by Kanga and Begermee ; and on the east by Cassina, Zegzeg, and Zanfara. This country, which ex tends from the 26° to the 22° north latitude, is num bered by the Mahometans among the four most pow erful monarchies in the world,—the other three are Turkey, Persia, and Abyssinia. Bornou is the name by which it is known among the natives, but it is called by the Arabs, Bernou, or Bernoah, the land of Noah, because they believe that it was on the mountains of this country that the ark rested after the deluge.
The climate of Bornou, as might be expected from the position of the country, is excessively, though not uniformly, hot. The year is divided by two sea sons, the first of which, commencing about the mid dle of April, is introduced by.violent winds from the south-east and south, bringing with them an intense heat, a deluge of sultry rain, and tempests of thunder and lightning, which destroy multitudes of the cattle, and not a few of the people. The rainy period con tinues from three to nine successive 'days with short intervals, from the occasional shifting of the wind to the north or west. During this 'period, the inha bitants confine themselves closely to their dwellings ; but the rest of the first season, however sultry or wet, does not suspend the labour of the fields. With the commencement of the second season towards the end of October, the ardent heat subsides ; the air be comes mild ; the weather continues serene ; and, as the year declines, the mornings, before sunrise, are unpleasantly cool.
The soil of Bornou is, in general, amazingly fer tile, though frequently interrupted by stripes of bar ren sand. The grain, which is principally cultivated there, is the Indian corn, of two different kinds, dis tinguished by the names of the gassob, and the gam phuly. The gassob, which, in its general shape, re sembles the common reed, is of two species ; the first grows with a long stalk, that bears an ear from eight to twelve inches long, and containing, in little husks or cavities, from 300 to 500 grains,.of the size of
small pease. The second species, which is common in Tripoli, differs from the first only in the shorter size of its ear." The stalk of the gamphuly is much thicker than that of the gassob ; its ears are more nu merous, for it has several on the same reed, and the size of its grain is considerably larger. This is the same kind of corn which is frequent seen in Spain, and which is there called maize. Wheat and barley are not raised in Bornou ; but the horse-bean of Eu rope, and the common kidney-bean, are cultivated with much assiduity, as they are used for food both to the slaves and to the cattle. Gum trees are thin ly scattered throughout the country. Cotton, hemp, and indigo, are produced in great abundance. In the agriculture of Bornou, the plough is unknown, and 'diet hoe is the only instrument employed. In the labour of husbandry, the men are always assisted by the women. 'While the former open the ground with their hoes, and form the trenches in straight parallel lines, the women follow and throw in the seed, and as soon as the weeds' begin to rise where the grain has been sowed, it is their business to root them up with the hoe. The sowing season commences when the periodical rains of April have ceased ; and so rapid in that climate is the vegetation, that the gassob is reaped early in July ; but the gamphuly, of slower growth, is seldom cut down till the month of Au gust or September.
Besides the vegetable productions already mention ed, two species of roots are used by the inhabitants of Bornou, which constitute a wholesome. and sub stantial food. The one called •dondoo, produces a low plant, with branches that spread four or five feet upon the ground, and leaves resembling those of the garden-bean. In five months, after it has been planted, the leaves fall off, and the root is taken from the ground, and being cut into small pieces, is dried in the sun, in which state it maybe kept for two years. Before being used as food, it is reduced to a line powder, and mixed with palm oil till it assumes the consistency of paste. The other root is that of a tree, with the name of which we are unacquainted. It is prepared for use by boiling, without any further process.