a brief note on European and African perspectives in travel literature
A Hausa explorer of western Europe.
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====================================================================== ### A Hausa explorer of western Europe. ( Feb 18, 2024 22 The study of written history is in many ways, a study of perspectives. In the parts of Africa where the most accessible accounts about the region’s past used to be the travel literature of European visitors, the study of African history was a study of European perspectives of Africa. The Eurocentric perspective of travelers such as James Bruce in 18th century Ethiopia, and Heinrich Barth in 19th century West Africa, informed much of their understanding of African societies. However, there are a few sections in these European travelogues in which the African perspective of their guests is reproduced, revealing how the Europeans were seen by their hosts. The Scottish traveler James Bruce, who visited Ethiopia in order to find the source of the Nile, was hospitably received by the ruling Empress Mentewwab at her palace in QwesQwam near Gondar. But the empress found Bruce's reasons for travel to be rather odd; remarking to Bruce that **"life furnishes us with the perverseness and contradiction of human nature!, You have come from Jerusalem, through vile Turkish governments, and hot, unwholesome climates, to see a river and a bog, no part of which you can carry away."** _**Ruins of Empress Mentewab's QwesQwam complex near Gondar, Ethiopia.**_ It’s interesting that Mentewwab's critique of the main objective of James Bruce's entire adventure was retained. The queen wished to visit Jerusalem, which Bruce and many Ethiopian pilgrims had been to, but the Scottish traveler only wished to see the source of the Nile, which from Mentewwab's perspective was a frivolous goal. While the opinions of the African hosts about the European travelers were mostly positive, such as Heinrich Barth's stay in the west African states of Bornu and Sokoto, some instances of conflict blighted African perceptions of the European visitors, and by extension, of European society. During his stay in Timbuktu around 1851, Heinrich Barth was not so hospitably received by the Fulbe authorities of the (
, whose control over the city was contested by the Tuaregs. One Massina officer repeatedly pestered the German traveler with "insulting language". Barth writes that this Massina officer **"Spoke of the Christians** \ **in the most contemptuous manner, describing them as sitting like women in the bottom of their steamboats, and doing nothing but eating raw eggs; concluding with the paradoxical statement, which is not very flattering to Europeans, that the idolatrous Bambara** \ **were far better people and much farther advanced in civilization than the Christians."** The conflict between Massina and the Tuaregs near Timbuktu who protected Barth, likely influenced the Massina officer's negative opinion of European society, which he ranked lower than his 'pagan' rivals, the Bambara of Segu. Barth also blamed Mungo Park for propagating the stereotype that Europeans were fond of raw eggs, something that was disliked by their West African guests. _**Colorized engraving of Heinrich Barth's arrival at Timbuktu in 1853**_ Just like most European writers had formulated their perspective of Africa without actually traveling to the continent, similar perceptions about European society were mostly made by Africans who hadn't been there. Fortunately, a number of African travelers who had been visiting Europe began documenting their accounts in the 19th century, forming a more accurate perspective of European society. One such remarkable account was left by the (
, providing both an African perspective of Europe, and his European hosts' perspective of their African guest. For example, Selim notes that after refusing to order wine and pork, the servants of the Hotel where he was staying in st. Petersburg revealed that they were also Muslims to the astonishment of Selim, who wrote of the encounter; **"I remained silent! So in the countries of the whites, there were such Muslims!."** Traveling across the Russian countryside, he encountered people in Kalmykia who revered him as one of their spirits **"who had landed from his mountain,"** He met people in Samara who fled from him **"thinking he was the devil,"** and people in Semipalatinsk who **"acclaimed him as a King"** and thought he was the leader of his white companions. Selim's account is one of a handful of travelogues by Africans who visited Europe, but it’s mostly concerned with northern Europe. A few decades before Selim embarked on his journey, an adventurous African visitor from the Hausalands traveled to England and Germany, providing a rare description of Western European society by an African. The account of this Hausa traveler in Western Europe and his observations of European society are the subject of my latest Patreon article, Please subscribe to read about it here: ( * * * Thanks for reading African History Extra! for free to receive new posts and support my work. 22 Likes 22 Comments Top Latest Discussions ( ( Sep 4, 2021 • ( 30 ( ( Apr 9, 2023 • ( 17 ( ( Apr 7 • ( 48 See all Ready for more?
### A Brief Note on European and African Perspectives in Travel Literature

#### Introduction
- Travel literature has historically captured varying perspectives on societies.
- In Africa, much of the prior historical understanding stemmed from European travel accounts.

#### European Perspectives on Africa
1. **Eurocentric Travel Accounts**: 
   - European travelers, such as James Bruce (18th century) and Heinrich Barth (19th century), documented their experiences in Africa.
   - Their accounts reflected their perceptions, often shaped by preconceived notions and limited understanding of African cultures.
  
2. **James Bruce in Ethiopia**:
   - Bruce sought the source of the Nile and was received by Empress Mentewwab in 18th century Ethiopia.
   - Mentewwab expressed confusion over Bruce’s motivations, critiquing his goal as frivolous:
     - **Quote**: "Life furnishes us with the perverseness and contradiction of human nature! You have come from Jerusalem... to see a river and a bog, no part of which you can carry away."
   - This interaction highlights how Bruce’s quest was viewed as trivial from an Ethiopian perspective.

3. **Heinrich Barth in West Africa**:
   - During his stay in Timbuktu, Barth faced hostility from local authorities, which reflected broader tensions between local groups.
   - A Massina officer insulted Barth, depicting Christians derogatorily and claiming that the Bambara were superior:
     - **Quote**: "Spoke of the Christians in the most contemptuous manner... that the idolatrous Bambara were far better people and much farther advanced in civilization than the Christians."
   - This underscores the negative perceptions some Africans held about European travelers, influenced by local political conflicts.

#### African Perspectives on Europe
1. **Emergence of African Travelers**:
   - In contrast to European narratives, a number of African individuals began to document their travels to Europe in the 19th century, providing authentic insights into European society.

2. **Selim's Journey to Russia**:
   - An African traveler, Selim, shared his experiences in St. Petersburg, noting the surprise of discovering Muslims among the European population:
     - **Quote**: "So in the countries of the whites, there were such Muslims!"
   - His encounters in various Russian towns revealed diverse perceptions of him, such as being revered in Kalmykia or feared in Samara.

3. **Hausa Traveler's Account**:
   - A notable account by a Hausa traveler to England and Germany provides a rare African description of Western Europe.
   - Although details are sparse, this account complements other African perspectives and emphasizes the importance of these narratives in understanding historical interactions.

#### Conclusion
- The travel literature from both European and African explorers offers a complex interplay of perceptions.
- While European accounts often portrayed Africa through a biased lens, emerging African narratives began to provide a more nuanced perspective on European societies, contributing to a richer understanding of cross-cultural encounters.