Pl. 39.THE HASSANYEH TRIBE.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.CHAPTER XIV.MARRIAGE AND OTHER CEREMONIES OF DONGOLAH. — CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE, THEIR HABITATIONS. — WOMEN, THEIR AMUSEMENTS. — ARAB TALE. — GOVERNMENT OF DONGOLAH.Anaccount of the ceremonies of marriage, &c. in this part of the interior of Africa may not be uninteresting to the reader, as differing much from those we are accustomed to, and elucidating the manners of the present inhabitants of Ethiopia. Though I travel for the purpose of studying the remains of the ancient grandeur of these realms, I omit no opportunity of observing the customs of the present inhabitants, their condition and government.The ceremonies of marriage vary in a slight degree in almost every district of the valley of the Nile; but in no place are they more curious than in the province of Dongolah. The nuptial ceremony of every country appears singular in another. The Arab would be astonished at the solemnity of our weddings, particularly at the weeping which sometimes takes place, although, perhaps, he would have no objection to the plum-cake; and, if impatient to possess his treasure, would not dislike the marriagesans façonby the blacksmith at Gretna Green. Our customs would appear as strange to him as even the following description of an Arab wedding to a British reader.As soon as a Dongaloue has collected a small sum, sufficient, according to his condition, to defray the expenses of the fête, he looks out for a girl suited to his taste. Having fixed his choice, he sends two persons to make his proposals to her father, or whatever relation has charge of her. When he is accepted, and the friendson both sides agree to the wedding, he sends his intended bride a variety of presents; thegourbab, or drapery of linen which they wear around their waists, and also other pieces of wearing apparel, shawls, and linen; and, besides these gifts, he sends her also money, wood, and, according to his fortune, from four to forty ardebs of grain. Accompanied by his friends, he then goes to the house of the bride; her father meets him at the door, and in the presence of the cadi, and of the relations and friends of both parties, and of the fakeers of the village (men who can read and write a little, and have the reputation of being pious Mahometans), the father gives away his daughter, and the bridegroom receives the gift. “I give you my daughter for wife:”—“I take your daughter for wife,” is all that passes; the cadi and other witnesses of the contract then invoke God and the Prophet to bless their union. In the mean time the girls and matrons of the village are inside the house with the bride.The cadi having witnessed the agreement and taken his departure, the father of the girl invites the bridegroom into the house. A curious scene then commences, which baffles description: the female friends of the bride, having hid her in some secret room, as soon as the bridegroom enters, rush upon him, and begin pulling him about, and pinching him, often not in the gentlest manner. The husband hunts in every direction for his bride; but her friends, first drawing him on one side, and then on the other, and pinching him unmercifully, fully occupy his attention, and prevent his making the discovery. At length, worn out with fatigue, and having supported his character by fighting as good a battle as he was able, he gives them a handsome present of money to inform him where she is. Then commences another ceremony—the tearing of the rat, or cincture, as I have already mentioned. The rat, on this occasion only, is protected and covered with folds of linen, tied and knotted in the most complicated manner. The bridegroom endeavours to undo this Gordian knot,amidst the laughter of the bride and her friends: but the latter are not merely idle spectators; they commence again pulling him about, and pinching him most maliciously. The bride also does not omit the opportunity of giving him slily an affectionate pinch or two. At last, he is obliged to purchase again the assistance of the girls; and they generally make him pay dear. If his first present is not sufficiently liberal, they continue tormenting him until he has satisfied their expectations.The women having taken off the covering that protected it, the bridegroom seizes the rat, and tears it in pieces; the bride, on this occasion only, has a piece of linen underneath; yet it sometimes happens that the wicked bridegroom succeeds also in snatching away this under-covering, and turns the laugh against his bride; this, however, is considered here little more than a harmless jest.For seven days they continue feasting and dancing. The bride generally keeps her face covered during this time, but the bridegroom is permitted to laugh and practise with her what we should call rather rough jokes, as their chief amusement seems to be pinching. On the seventh evening, the bridegroom conducts his bride to his house, and another curious custom is practised. The male friends of the husband and the female friends of the bride assemble around a large board, on which a great quantity of grain or dates is placed. When the signal is given, the parties commence a scramble, each striving most earnestly to collect the largest quantity. If the women succeed, the wife is to rule her husband; if the contrary, the husband is to be master of his own house. If this ceremony took place in Europe, the men, through indolence and politeness, and being engrossed in various pursuits, not to say deference for the good sense and peculiar talents of the fair sex in managing domestic affairs, might gladly cede the greater quantity to the women; but here it is considered too great a disgrace for a man to relinquish any portion of his authority to his wife, to admit of such courtesy.When they name their children, there is very little ceremony: four days after the birth the name is given, and a sheep is killed for the fête.The ceremony of the circumcision of the male is also curious: it takes place when the child is about four or six years of age. All the friends and relations of the family assemble at the house of the father, bringing with them presents according to their means,—horses, oxen, cows, corn, money, &c. After partaking of some refreshment, they walk in procession to the river, and all the males bathe together. On their return to the house, the child is placed on an angoureeb, and the ceremony performed. A bunch of flowers is then placed in his hand, with scents, and the relations and friends pass the one after the other, kiss and smell the bouquet, and give the child as liberal a present as they can afford. There is, generally, so great a mixture of persons on these occasions, that these gifts vary from upwards of two pounds to one penny: all, however, are expected to give as much as they can afford. In Egypt they often postpone this ceremony until the child is twelve or fourteen years of age; but in this country the family gain so large a sum by it, that they seldom if ever delay it so long. For the girls there is no fête: at most they merely kill a sheep. This ancient ceremony probably had its origin in this country. Herodotus, after mentioning that the Phœnicians and Syrians derived the custom from the Egyptians, seems to doubt whether the Egyptians had it from the Ethiopians, or the Ethiopians from the Egyptians.I described a funeral at Gibel el Birkel in Dar Shageea. Here, also, they sometimes dance on these occasions, but not often. It is an old custom, and not considered strictly Mahometan. Both sexes are buried on the very same day that they die, generally a few hours afterwards.The contests which took place between the Arabs of the mountains and the Berberene peasants, cultivators of the land, aresuppressed by the authority of the Turkish rulers; but their contempt for each other is often displayed. When an Arab of the desert is oppressed by a soldier, his first exclamation is, “Do you take me for a Berberene?” The latter, in return, pride themselves on not being obliged to lead the vagrant lives of the wandering Arabs. The peasants of Dongolah are extremely honest: no bar nor lock is necessary, to secure the door against the thief; nor is falsehood known among them. They are always hospitable to the extent of their means. I never saw a peasant sit down to eat, without inviting all that were near him to take a share; and the poor and fatigued traveller is never refused a night’s lodging and an evening meal.Pl. 36.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.EXTERIOR OF A DONGOLAH COTTAGE.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.The inhabitants of Upper Nubia have been so many years accustomed to the Turks, that white men are now no longer looked upon with horror. Burckhardt tells an amusing tale, that, in the bazaar at Shendy, he raised his turban, and showed his white shorn head to a peasant girl, who, I suppose, had never seen flesh so white before, and, terrified at the sight, exclaimed, “Um del Allah min Shatan!”—“May God preserve me from the Devil.” This is one of their favourite expressions; but the white man now incurs no risk of having it so peculiarly applied to himself.Most of the houses of the peasants are of mud, that is, the alluvial soil of the Nile, mixed with cow and horse manure; the latter is much used: straw is rarely added. Many of the houses in the country, built of dourah straw, are extremely picturesque. The two views (PlatesXXXVI.andXXXVII.), taken from nature, will give the reader a good idea of their construction, and also their inhabitants. The lordly Turk is smoking on the only angoureeb in the house; one man is grinding on a stone, for his lazy wife, whose business it is considered to be, merely as much dourah as will suffice for their mid-day and evening meal; and others are occupied in making and drinking their favourite beverage the bouza. I have already noticed the gracefulstyle of the costumes both of the men and women; the latter are often handsome, having fine forms and a good expression.The wives are generally virtuous and gay: the dance is their favourite amusement, but not so much indulged in here as in the province of Dar Shageea. Their greatest delight is listening to the tales of the country, which, though simple, are full of imagery, and have, in the Arab language, a peculiar charm. A translation, I fear, cannot give a full idea of their beauty. The following is a tale I heard related by a little Ababde girl of thirteen; and even at an earlier age their memories are stored with similar stories, which, if any one had the disposition and the leisure to collect them, would form a considerable and not uninteresting supplement to the Thousand and One Nights.DONGOLAH TALE.“Amnah was the most lovely of the daughters of the Nile: fair as the sand of the desert, the gazelle was not more elegant in form, or more graceful in its movements. Her bust was beautiful, and her skin soft and pliant to the touch. Her face was as the light of day; her eyes were bright as the stars; her teeth whiter than the polished ivory; and a lovely and ever-constant smile illumined her countenance. Nature had done her utmost; Fortune equalled her rival in loading her with its favours. Her necklaces were numerous, and of the finest gold; and great was the weight of gold on her wrists and ankles. Her hair was beautifully plaited, and decorated with the largest and rarest pearls, and broad plates of gold above her forehead; and two large and most precious ornaments set with diamonds hung gracefully from her ears. Her rat (cincture) presented every variety of colour; the skin of the hippopotamus was never cut so fine: it was ornamented with the most curious shells and pieces of goldand silver attached coquettishly in the most becoming manner; and the border of the rat around her waist consisted of coral and pearls. From her waist to her knees, only, this graceful ornament skreened her form; and there was not one of the youths of the village and of the neighbourhood, who had ever seen Amnah, who did not sigh and regret bitterly his being unworthy that her rat should be broken for him. ‘The houries of the paradise of the prophet cannot,’ said they, ‘be more enchanting, endowed with such ravishing beauty, or such extraordinary talents.’Pl. 37.On stone by J. Hamerton from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.INTERIOR OF A DONGOLAH COTTAGE.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.“She was, at the same time, the gayest of the gay, and also acquainted with all the learning of her tribe. Her father and other travellers had related to her the history and customs of other countries, and from them she had learnt the traditions and wars of her native land. Every passage of the Koran was familiar to her; and it was whispered she had devoted herself secretly to the study of astrology (el ahlem el felek), and the more hidden sciences of the Arabians. At midnight she was often seen alone, gazing at the heavens; and for this reason the nomage she received for her beauty and understanding was blended with a certain feeling almost approaching to fear. Too beautiful, pure, and learned to be of this world, she was considered by the ignorant peasants more as an angel of light (melik e’ nour), than a frail inhabitant of earth.“At the death of her father, after she had accompanied his remains to the grave, and for some time had lamented his loss, Amnah, weary of the constraint to which her sex subjected her, and anxious to visit those scenes which she had so often heard described, left her native village. The morning after her departure, at the entrance of a small town, she observed an old man covered with vermin. ‘My father,’ said she, ‘let me free you from those tormentors;’ and she began killing the animals, until suddenly the man fell dead at her feet. ‘It is the will of God!’ she exclaimed,and immediately dressed herself in his clothes, and pursued her journey.“Thus disguised, and safe by the power of magic from detection, she procured a dromedary swift as the wind, and visited the different regions she had heard described; sometimes joining one caravan, and sometimes another. The immense treasures on her person were little diminished by this expense; when, one day, the people of the caravan with which she travelled perceived a cloud of sand approaching them, and shortly afterwards distinguished a troop of horsemen at full gallop. Amnah and her companions urged on their camels, but, finally, finding flight useless, they endeavoured to hide themselves in a large well, which the heat of the summer had dried up. But the horsemen had seen them enter, and, delighted to have their prey secured, they offered to the young leader of their band his choice, whether he would have for his portion the first or the last of the persons whom they should find in the well.“Their chief, named Mustapha, was only twenty-one years of age, but renowned for his skill in the use of the matchlock, the sabre, and the lance. His shield, of the hide of the hippopotamus, was almost useless; for with his sabre he parried the blows of his enemies; with a slanting cut of his Damascus blade, which his father, who had travelled far towards the north, had brought him, he separated the limbs of his foes, and even severed the iron chain. At the shake of his lance all fled before him; and never was a matchlock in more skilful hands. In form, he was the perfection of manly beauty and vigour, and his mind was richly endowed, displaying a judgment beyond his years, and greater presence of mind in danger than the oldest warrior. The Koran he knew by heart, and his chief delight was in listening to the traditions of his country. Young and generous, he could never repress his indignation at the recital of the evil deeds of the tyrants whohad reigned over the land: his eyes kindled with enthusiasm, and his cheeks glowed with pleasure and emulation when they told him of the valorous exploits of his ancestors, their generosity and hospitality. Like the rest of his race, much of his time was spent in excursions against the tribes with whom they were at war.“Perceiving where the caravan had taken refuge, Mustapha, having the first choice allowed to him, said, ‘I will take for my share the captive at the extremity of the well: he who has most to lose will have fled the farthest.’ His companions cast lots for their portions. Some had young women, others young active male slaves; all with some treasure. None were apparently so unfortunate as Mustapha, who found at the extremity of the well Amnah disguised as an old man, miserably clad, the picture of poverty. His companions, with the freedom of friends, rallied him on the wisdom of his choice, in the following lines, which one of them sang, and the others joined in chorus[41]:—‘Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!God has blessed him with great judgment.O, what a prize he has gained!So young and so active a slave;So splendid and costly his dress;So sweet the scent of his body!Our chief,’ &c.‘He will lead your horse to the field;Give you your lances in battle,And ward off the treacherous blow.Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!God has blessed him with great judgment.O, what a prize he has gained!’“Mustapha bore good-naturedly the jests of his companions, and, not wishing to appear to despise the gift of Providence,although apparently useless, he led to his castle, as prisoner, the disguised Amnah. On his arrival, he asked her what she could do: ‘Can you cut wood?’ said he. ‘No,’ replied Amnah, ‘I have no strength: see you not that my arm is shrivelled up with age?’ ‘Can you carry it?’ said the chief. ‘No,’ she said, ‘my back is already double; I should sink under the lightest weight.’ ‘Can you guard the cows, or sheep?’ ‘Alas, no!’ replied Amnah, ‘they walk too fast and far for me.’ ‘Can you clean the horses?’ ‘I know not how.’ ‘Can you wash the sand for gold-dust?’ ‘My eyes are not good enough.’ ‘You are too dirty to make bread. Can you attend the geese?’ ‘I think I can,’ said Amnah; ‘at all events, I will try.’“Mustapha gave her for her companion a dumb youth, called Yabebe. After some days, when Yabebe was bathing in the river, Amnah took off her disguise, and showed herself, to the astonished peasant, as the perfection of beauty, covered with gold and precious stones, her hair ornamented with fine pearls and plates of gold, and her earrings studded with diamonds: laughing, she sang to him the following lines[42]:—‘Open your eyes, Yabebe:See! I am young and lovely,Covered with gold all over;My necklace of gold,My earrings of gold,My bracelets of gold,And gold round my arms,And gold round my legs,Gold on my forehead,And gold on my rat;Pearls and silver also.Open your eyes, Yabebe;See, I am young and lovely,Covered with gold all over!’“The astonished peasant left the river, and Amnah, laughing,resumed her disguise. On his return to the castle, the dumb youth made signs to his chief that Amnah was a woman, beautiful, and covered with gold. They surveyed her, and, not finding out her disguise, beat the boy for his improbable falsehood.“The day afterwards they were at the same river: Amnah threw aside her disguise, put her ornaments together, and bathed herself, with the lad, in the shaded stream. The peasant went first out of the water, and unobservedly stole one of her rings. Amnah, having counted them, found one missing. Yabebe denied having taken it. Amnah beat him, but still he denied, and, escaping from her, fled to his master, and gave him the ring, describing, by signs, that she had similar ones on all her fingers, and was covered with gold and precious stones; that she was a woman, and that her beauty was, as the mid-day sun (jemeel mittel e’ shamps fel dohr), too powerful to gaze at. Mustapha sent for Amnah, and, flying suddenly upon her, tore open the rags that covered her, but fell senseless at the sight of such exquisite beauty.“Great was the fête of the marriage, countless the camels and sheep that were killed. The music was incessant for seven days and seven nights, and they danced until they could dance no more. None, for many years, saw the brilliancy of her face, being ever in her harem, or closely veiled, when, occasionally, she appeared in public. The fame of her beauty, knowledge, and goodness was spread through all lands; the learned were anxious to converse with her; but none, except her husband, had seen her face.“One day her dearest son fell from a tree that he was climbing. His cries reached the ears of his anxious mother. Without a veil, without a garment, she rushed forth. The crowd, on seeing her, fell as dead. They knew not if the effect was produced by magic, or by the power of her exquisite beauty. At her touch her son was restored; and, having clothed herself with a gourbab, and thrown a veil over her head, the crowd recovered; but the treewithered from that day: the branches decayed fast; the leaves fell on the ground, and it no longer afforded shade.”THE ANCIENT GOVERNMENT OF DONGOLAH.The Meleks who formerly reigned here were of the Zebain, to which tribe belong almost all these rulers, including Melek Tumbol, Melek Nazr e’ Deen, and, in fact, all those from Sennaar to Wady Halfah, with the exception of the meleks of the Shageea tribe. The peasants under these chiefs were generally called by the names of their villages, as those of Dongolah, Dongoloue, Korti, Kortie: but, since the conquest of the Pasha, they are called Berberene; a name derived from Berber. Sheakh Muktah[43], the most intelligent Arab I have ever met with, being, like several in Upper Nubia, of the race of cadis,—son after son the chief cadi,—and, therefore, as pure a source of information as by tradition can be obtained, informed me that all these peasants are of the great tribe of Ababja from the Yemen, who came here in the reign of the fourth caliph after Mahomet, and, finding the country inhabited by infidels, drove some out, but forced the greater number to become Mussulmen; and that thus the former inhabitants became blended with the Arabs, and have not been distinguishable from them for ages. This is a curious and highly interesting tradition, proving, historically, almost, what might naturally be supposed: but I will say more on this subject in myHistorical Appendix.The king of Sennaar held a doubtful and precarious rule over this country, receiving, according to the character of her monarchs,more or less tribute. The brave Shageea, alone, never bent the knee to this king. Two hundred years ago, the Sultan of Sennaar, as some call him, sent here a detachment of the tribe called the Funge, to which he belonged, to keep this country under his subjection. A great many of this race are still here, and they are considered to be inferior only to the Shageea in courage. They are supposed to be originally a colony of pagans, from the Bahr el Abiad, but they have nothing of the appearance of negroes. They ruled over the country 150 years. Ibrahim was the first, and he was succeeded by his son Musnet: their united reigns lasted eighty years; they sent considerable quantities of corn, oxen, and horses to Sennaar. The descendants of Musnet enjoyed less authority over their subjects, and the tribute to Sennaar was less regularly paid.In the year 1782 the Shageea overthrew the government of the Funge, and reigned peaceably in their stead, under three meleks,—Melek Shouish, Melek Omar, and Melek Zebair. The account Burckhardt gives of the treacherous conduct of the Mamelukes towards Mahmoud el Adalenab is very correct, as far as it goes. Hadji Mahmoud Sheakh received them with every mark of hospitality, ministered to all their wants, and was in return barbarously murdered at Maraka, this very place which is now called El Ourde, or The Camp. The following particulars of this circumstance, which I received from the best sources at Dongolah, may not be perhaps uninteresting to the reader. The Mamelukes arrived at Captot; and Sheakh Mahmoud, the chief of the Shageea, descended the river on the opposite side, with a numerous suite. He bade the Mamelukes welcome to his kingdom, and informed them that, if they wished for grain, he would furnish them gratis with any quantity they desired. He told them, also, that whatever they asked for, which he possessed, should be immediately sent to their camp; and if they were anxious, as they professed to be, to proceed up the country to Sennaar, he would supply them withprovisions for the journey, but if they chose to remain at Captot Marabat, they were welcome.Four days afterwards, fifteen Mamelukes, or katshefs, as they are called, rode up and stopped at the door of the house of the grand Cadi Mahomet, having learnt that the Sheakh Mahmoud was with him. The sheakh having come out to salute them, they complained that they had no grain for their horses. The sheakh sent immediately for a bag for each horse, and ordered his people to fill a boat with grain, and convey it to the camp. The Mamelukes appeared still dissatisfied, and would not dismount whilst their horses were feeding. But their object was soon accomplished; for, as the sheakh approached the horse of one of them, to arrange the bag of corn it was eating, and said, “This is sufficient for your horses now, and I will send you as much as you desire,” the Mameluke, who had his carabine on one side of his saddle, without putting it to his shoulder, pointed it at the sheakh, pulled the trigger, and wounded him in the breast. The sheakh had scarcely drawn his sword a few inches from the scabbard, when another fired a blunderbuss at him, containing six balls, and he fell dead: another instantly separated his head from his body, and they afterwards mangled the corpse in a horrid manner with their sabres. The Cadi Mahomet, who was with him, was killed also by a blow of a sabre, and a black slave, who was in attendance, met a similar fate. Ten of the Shageea peasants, his servants, were present at this murder, but being unarmed they could not attempt to revenge the death of their chief, and therefore fled.The Mamelukes remained nine years masters of the country. Including the servants, they were about 600 in number. Many died here; the remainder, on the invasion of the Pasha, went to Shendy, whence they passed to Darfour, and thence to Bornou, Baghermi, Fezzan, and Tripoli. Adouram Bey, one of their leaders, was killed near the latter place; but their other leader, Marfou Bey, arrived in safety at Tripoli.I received the greater part of this account from the most authentic source, Sheakh Muktah, my informant, being the son of the Cadi Mahomet, who perished with the unfortunate Mahmoud. I ought to mention, as some palliation of this treacherous breach of hospitality, that it is said that the Berberene, weary of the Shageea, represented to the Mamelukes that Sheakh Mahmoud was devising some plan to destroy them, and therefore they may be said to have murdered him in self-defence. The object of the Mamelukes was to possess the country; and they were glad to avail themselves of this feeble excuse to break the laws of hospitality. Great praise is due to the few who accomplished the courageous and immense undertaking of crossing the centre of Africa. Such a journey would immortalise any European, but who would attempt it? At Darfour, Brown was detained a prisoner; and in the kingdom of Bornou or Fezzan Hornemann lost his life.CHAPTER XV.DEPARTURE FROM DONGOLAH. — NUMEROUS VILLAGES. — ISLAND OF ARGO. — RESIDENCE OF THE MELEK. — ARAB ACCOUNTANTS. — MELEK TUMBOL. — EXTENT OF HIS TERRITORY. — ARAB MANNERS COMPARED WITH EUROPEAN. — PHILOSOPHY OF THE ARABS. — THE MELEK’S DINNER. — MILITARY FORCE. — GARDEN. — VISIT TO THE ANTIQUITIES. — NUMEROUS VESTIGES OF ANCIENT TOWNS. — COLOSSAL STATUES. — REMAINS OF A LARGE TEMPLE. — NAME OF SABACO, THE CONQUEROR OF EGYPT. — ENTERTAINMENT OF AN ARAB SHEAKH. — RICHNESS OF THE ISLAND. — INDIGO. — ETHIOPIAN FORT. — CATARACT OF TOUMBOS. — MUTILATED COLOSSAL STATUE. — HOSPITALITY OF AN ARAB SHEAKH. — CHARACTER OF THE INHABITANTS. — HIPPOPOTAMUS. — ALARMING INTELLIGENCE. — REVOLT OF THE MAHAS. — DREADFUL CONSEQUENCES. — OUR PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. — ARAB STORIES OF TRAVELLERS.April16. We left Dongolah at three this afternoon, and, after three hours’ march, stopped at Mecaurat. Our route has been on the skirt of the desert, about half a mile from the river. I ought to acknowledge here the civilities which we received from M. Martin, a French apothicaire, in the employ of the Pasha, who showed us every attention in his power, allowing to us a part of his house. I must not forget, also, the kind attentions of his lady, an Abyssinian girl; pretty, and, at the same time, kind and affectionate. In return for a small mirror, which I gave her, she presented me with a Sennaar dagger, with an ebony handle, ornamented with silver. I keep it as a remembrance of “la bella Maria.”April17. An hour and a half after starting, we arrived at a government store-house: adjoining it were several cottages in ruins. After ten hours’ journey, we arrived at Haffeer. The following is a list of villages and islands between New Dongolah and the province of El Mahas:—East.Islands.West.MeegasseerKaptotArgo IslandGeradaWady SaisIrseMecauratBinneBinniAffidabMerouertiQuayBoulinartiMusteBourgosBadeen.AttikarhaHaffeerSelinartiSerogMagassarCobanAshlianDakartiAkkidiToumbosToumbosHannek.In the desert, at a distance, there are isolated hills, apparently of sandstone. On arriving, we visited the katshef of Haffeer, who received us very politely; the Mahmoor having spontaneously furnished me with different letters for the officers in his government: one for the melek of Argo and the katshef of Solib, &c.At my request, the katshef immediately ordered a boat to be prepared to convey us to the Island of Argo, which I was anxious to examine, not only on account of its great extent, and the antiquities it contained, but also because it is the only place in Upper Nubia under the government of its rightful owner, who alone, of all the meleks, possesses now a shadow of his ancient authority.April18. An hour’s sail, with a fair wind, brought us to the northern extremity of the island, where the village is situated in which the melek resides. I went to his castle, which is fortified with towers (seevignette), and protected on one side by a high wall. It is capable of making some defence against an insurrection of the natives.FORTIFIED HOUSE OF THE MELEK OF TUMBOL.[Illustration]The court we entered first was filled with slaves of the melek,who, I was informed, including male and female, amounted to upwards of 200, living either in or around his residence. I ascended from the court, by ill-constructed steps, similar to, but not quite so good as, those we have in England for granaries, and entered into a divan, or audience-room, which had quite the appearance, and was about the size, of a small English barn. Around a part of the room was a divan of earth, besides which there were four angoureebs, or cord divans, covered with carpets and cushions. The roof is of a slanting form, resembling that of a barn: the wooden logs of which it is made are blackened by the smoke of the fires. The beams consist each of two pieces of timber, which are supported and kept together, at their junction, by a rough pillar that stands in the centre of the room. To retain this in its place, and bind it to the beam, there are slips of wood, about one foot long, on each side of the pillar, under the beam; and on these the ancient Egyptian and Ethiopian ornament of the globe and feathers is carved. It is more rudely executed than the ancient, but still it is curious to find even a vestige of this ornament in a modern Ethiopian habitation.The doorway, and, indeed, the house altogether, is rudely constructed, but much stronger and better than Arab houses in general. The appearance of the outside is superior to that of the interior.The melek was out when we arrived. The brick divan already mentioned was partly occupied by his Arab accountants. In almost every village there is a little school, or rather, I should say, hut, which is used as such, and there are few of the peasants who have not made an attempt to learn to read and write; but, to use their own estimate, there is not one in a hundred whose knowledge extends beyond the alphabet, and putting together a few words. There are very few who can write, and none who know any thing of arithmetic. There are, however, some few of the sheakhs and others, who, from their learning, are called fakeers, and who are good Arabic scholars.When we entered, the melek’s cash-keepers were counting the money they were receiving from the peasants, and settling their accounts with the assistance of their strings of beads. In this room, also, besides the servants, there were several relations, brothers and nephews, of the melek’s, but not distinguishable by their dress from the other Arabs.After we had waited a short time, Melek Tumbol arrived, attended by about twenty of his people on horseback. The meleks whom I have hitherto seen have been generally fine tall men, having often an appearance really noble, and sometimes even majestic. The melek of Argo, on the contrary, is the most diminutive personage I have seen in the country: he has a good-tempered countenance, but, on close examination, something cunning in his expression, and nothing noble or imposing in his appearance. He was dressed simply as an Arab sheakh, except that his clothes were of a finer quality. He wore a long white fine cotton shirt, covering him from the neck to the feet, with very long and wide sleeves. He had a fine white Souakim shawl, with the usual red border hanging over his shoulder.His head-dress consisted of the red cloth cap (tarboush), with one of the silk Turkish handkerchiefs around it. He received us with the usual Arab politeness, read the Mahmoor’s letter, and entreated me to make his house my own. They presented us with coffee and pipes, in the Turkish fashion, and also with sherbet.The islands and villages on the eastern side of the Nile are under his dominion; having belonged, according to his own account, from time immemorial to his family. He has within his territory, 925 water wheels, besides the land on the banks, which is cultivated after the inundation, and irrigated by hand labour.When Ismael Pasha invaded this country, Melek Tumbol immediately joined his party, and furnished him with provisions for the army. In consequence of his services on that occasion, the Pasha has allowed him to remain in the command of his territories, and given to him the rank and pay of a katshef; and I am told he expects to be made a mahmoor: he is rich in dromedaries, horses, and slaves, and allowed to have ten water wheels gratis. His subjects have heavier taxes to pay than formerly, but they may consider themselves fortunate in not having inflicted on them the presence of their rulers. Not one Turk or Arab soldier resides on his territory.Before the arrival of the melek, I was amused with the conversation of his servants. They spoke of his generosity as that of the greatest prince; stating, that, when a peasant gave him a sheep or a goat, he immediately presented in return a camel or a cow; and they added numerous similar instances of generosity, which with the Arabs is the noblest of virtues.We told the melek that we wished to see the antiquities on his island. He expressed his willingness to forward our views; but, as they were four hours distant, and it was then late, he hoped we would delay our visit until the morning. I was not sorryto be thus obliged to pass the night with this chief, as I am always glad of an opportunity of making myself better acquainted with the Arab customs. There is something so simple and sincere in their hospitality and manner of living, that, unintellectual as their society is, I must confess it is not without its charm. The luxurious divan; the tranquillising pipe; the grateful sherbet and delicious coffee; and the ease and quiet of Oriental society, are not trifling enjoyments in this clime, the scorching heat of which alone inclines man to repose.This is not a country for brilliant conversation and animated discussion: the former would be too great mental fatigue; and the warmth and excitement which the latter sometimes occasions, if not positively fatal, would certainly be extremely prejudicial to health, when the thermometer is above 100° in the shade. The Turks sit on their divans, and the Arabs on their angoureebs, and smoke the whole of the day. There is not the slightest obligation to converse; they sit and look at each other, and amuse themselves with their pipes, thoughts, castle-building, or business.Unless you keep them occupied with your enquiries, long pauses often occur in the conversation, as if they were reflecting on what you had said. One advantage of their society is, that the conversation flows naturally, for not even the host considers any effort necessary to keep it up. A man in this country is not considered stupid because he has the sense not to talk nonsense. When any of them tell a tale, or make an assertion, however improbable they may be, politeness, aversion to discussion, and perhaps indolence, generally prevent the others from disputing, or making any remarks upon it. When a council is held upon subjects of importance, and each person is asked for his opinion, greater harmony could not exist in any assembly: the highest in rank expresses his sentiments on the subject first, and the others almost invariably coincide with him.If a peasant had enough to support himself and family, evenin a miserable manner, he would never labour to make himself more comfortable, but spend his time in the enjoyment of idleness, sleeping and smoking; he would, as the Berbers have been described as doing, sit for hours together in the shade, in the same position, without thought or care, with few ideas, and no wish to obtain more.Their philosophy, however, is remarkable: scarcely an hour of their lives is embittered with useless regrets. They are totally free from that anxiety for the morrow which agitates Europeans, and prevents the enjoyment of the present good, by their insatiable thirst after greater happiness. An Arab never distresses himself, as we too often do, with imaginary evils; he is the child of destiny, and never torments himself with the apprehension of a misfortune which, if it is really approaching, he believes it out of his power to prevent. Niebuhr gives an extraordinary instance of their philosophy.[44]This temperament is certainly more suitable to the climate, than the feverish anxiety, the angry passions, and restless ambition, which drive content from the abodes of so many Europeans. It is true, the Arabs are ignorant of the high intellectual enjoyments of literary and scientific pursuits, and of the pleasures, luxuries, and refinements of polished life; yet few, perhaps, will deny, that the man who is contented under any circumstances, who immediately becomes resigned to the caprices of fortune, who scarcely knowsthe meaning of the words worldly care, and is unagitated by any regret for past pleasures, or aching desire to obtain additional enjoyments, is possessed of a certain degree of practical, and not useless, philosophy.Pl. 33.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by G. A. Hoskins Esqr.Printed by C. Hullmandel.COLOSSAL STATUE IN THE ISLAND OF ARGO.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.At twelve o’clock dinner was served up; and as the style was different from any I had hitherto seen, and is that usual with the kings of this country, a short description may not be uninteresting. Two mats were laid on the floor, on which we were invited to seat ourselves: they were rather hard, and not excessively clean. The dinner was served in six large wooden bowls, and the bread, which is made into thin light cakes, in elegant baskets of coloured straw, manufactured in Sennaar. The dinner consisted of mutton, fowls, bamia (Hibiscus esculentus), and an excellent omelet in a smaller dish, prepared expressly for myself by the wives of the melek. Raw onions, which are considered particularly healthy in this climate, and which, being much milder than ours, are not unpalatable, particularly after they have been soaked in water, were presented to each of us. I dined on the omelet, the other dishes being liquid, and so exceedingly hot, that I burnt my fingers in attempting to taste them.The melek sat down with us, but did not eat much; he dines always in his harem. Of the latter I should say somethingen passant. I was informed elsewhere that he has had twenty-one, or, as some said, thirty-two, wives, all daughters or relations of other meleks. He is said now to have only three. He has no sons, but two beautiful daughters, unmarried, who, however, already take a share in the government. My servant saw one of them on an adjoining small island, where she resides with her slaves, and sends the produce to her father.After we had dined, and quitted the mats, my servants and his cash-keepers sat down; and what they left was cleared by the servants of the melek. After washing, we had sherbet, coffee, and pipes. The melek then went to sleep, according to the Arab andTurkish custom. In the afternoon we walked about the place, and saw the ruins of the ancient village. The inhabitants of this island suffered severely from the inroads of the Shageea, with whom they were almost always at war. The Melek of Argo was able to collect a force of 700 men, many of them armed with coats of mail, of German manufacture. I wished to see these; but he said they were all in the possession of the Pasha of Egypt. This may be true of some of them; but, no doubt, the greater part he had secreted, aware that the day may arrive when he may require them.The present melek has a small plantation of vines and pomegranates, which flourish luxuriantly in this country. He procured the plants a few years ago from Egypt; and seems to be prouder of his little garden than of any thing else he possesses. We had a supper in the same style as the dinner; and our beds were the angoureebs on which we had been sitting all the day, with a carpet for a mattress, and no other covering than our cloaks.Island of Argo.—April18. The melek, perceiving my impatience to visit the antiquities, provided my artist and myself with excellent horses, while my dragoman, and our guide, his nephew, accompanied us on dromedaries. We rode through the centre of the island, which is entirely uncultivated, but planted with acacias, like a shrubbery. The soil is capable of cultivation; and only a more extensive knowledge of hydraulics appears required to enable the people to irrigate and cultivate the whole of the island.We set out at five o’clock, and, after two hours’ ride (about ten miles), reached the site of a small town or village, with merely a few bricks remaining. An hour afterwards we arrived at a similar place, and in ten minutes more at a third. Twenty minutes from the latter, being three hours and a half from the time that we started, we arrived at the antiquities which were the object of our excursion. The distance, from the rate we travelled, may be about eighteen miles.
Pl. 39.THE HASSANYEH TRIBE.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
Pl. 39.THE HASSANYEH TRIBE.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
Pl. 39.
THE HASSANYEH TRIBE.
On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.
Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
MARRIAGE AND OTHER CEREMONIES OF DONGOLAH. — CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE, THEIR HABITATIONS. — WOMEN, THEIR AMUSEMENTS. — ARAB TALE. — GOVERNMENT OF DONGOLAH.
Anaccount of the ceremonies of marriage, &c. in this part of the interior of Africa may not be uninteresting to the reader, as differing much from those we are accustomed to, and elucidating the manners of the present inhabitants of Ethiopia. Though I travel for the purpose of studying the remains of the ancient grandeur of these realms, I omit no opportunity of observing the customs of the present inhabitants, their condition and government.
The ceremonies of marriage vary in a slight degree in almost every district of the valley of the Nile; but in no place are they more curious than in the province of Dongolah. The nuptial ceremony of every country appears singular in another. The Arab would be astonished at the solemnity of our weddings, particularly at the weeping which sometimes takes place, although, perhaps, he would have no objection to the plum-cake; and, if impatient to possess his treasure, would not dislike the marriagesans façonby the blacksmith at Gretna Green. Our customs would appear as strange to him as even the following description of an Arab wedding to a British reader.
As soon as a Dongaloue has collected a small sum, sufficient, according to his condition, to defray the expenses of the fête, he looks out for a girl suited to his taste. Having fixed his choice, he sends two persons to make his proposals to her father, or whatever relation has charge of her. When he is accepted, and the friendson both sides agree to the wedding, he sends his intended bride a variety of presents; thegourbab, or drapery of linen which they wear around their waists, and also other pieces of wearing apparel, shawls, and linen; and, besides these gifts, he sends her also money, wood, and, according to his fortune, from four to forty ardebs of grain. Accompanied by his friends, he then goes to the house of the bride; her father meets him at the door, and in the presence of the cadi, and of the relations and friends of both parties, and of the fakeers of the village (men who can read and write a little, and have the reputation of being pious Mahometans), the father gives away his daughter, and the bridegroom receives the gift. “I give you my daughter for wife:”—“I take your daughter for wife,” is all that passes; the cadi and other witnesses of the contract then invoke God and the Prophet to bless their union. In the mean time the girls and matrons of the village are inside the house with the bride.
The cadi having witnessed the agreement and taken his departure, the father of the girl invites the bridegroom into the house. A curious scene then commences, which baffles description: the female friends of the bride, having hid her in some secret room, as soon as the bridegroom enters, rush upon him, and begin pulling him about, and pinching him, often not in the gentlest manner. The husband hunts in every direction for his bride; but her friends, first drawing him on one side, and then on the other, and pinching him unmercifully, fully occupy his attention, and prevent his making the discovery. At length, worn out with fatigue, and having supported his character by fighting as good a battle as he was able, he gives them a handsome present of money to inform him where she is. Then commences another ceremony—the tearing of the rat, or cincture, as I have already mentioned. The rat, on this occasion only, is protected and covered with folds of linen, tied and knotted in the most complicated manner. The bridegroom endeavours to undo this Gordian knot,amidst the laughter of the bride and her friends: but the latter are not merely idle spectators; they commence again pulling him about, and pinching him most maliciously. The bride also does not omit the opportunity of giving him slily an affectionate pinch or two. At last, he is obliged to purchase again the assistance of the girls; and they generally make him pay dear. If his first present is not sufficiently liberal, they continue tormenting him until he has satisfied their expectations.
The women having taken off the covering that protected it, the bridegroom seizes the rat, and tears it in pieces; the bride, on this occasion only, has a piece of linen underneath; yet it sometimes happens that the wicked bridegroom succeeds also in snatching away this under-covering, and turns the laugh against his bride; this, however, is considered here little more than a harmless jest.
For seven days they continue feasting and dancing. The bride generally keeps her face covered during this time, but the bridegroom is permitted to laugh and practise with her what we should call rather rough jokes, as their chief amusement seems to be pinching. On the seventh evening, the bridegroom conducts his bride to his house, and another curious custom is practised. The male friends of the husband and the female friends of the bride assemble around a large board, on which a great quantity of grain or dates is placed. When the signal is given, the parties commence a scramble, each striving most earnestly to collect the largest quantity. If the women succeed, the wife is to rule her husband; if the contrary, the husband is to be master of his own house. If this ceremony took place in Europe, the men, through indolence and politeness, and being engrossed in various pursuits, not to say deference for the good sense and peculiar talents of the fair sex in managing domestic affairs, might gladly cede the greater quantity to the women; but here it is considered too great a disgrace for a man to relinquish any portion of his authority to his wife, to admit of such courtesy.
When they name their children, there is very little ceremony: four days after the birth the name is given, and a sheep is killed for the fête.
The ceremony of the circumcision of the male is also curious: it takes place when the child is about four or six years of age. All the friends and relations of the family assemble at the house of the father, bringing with them presents according to their means,—horses, oxen, cows, corn, money, &c. After partaking of some refreshment, they walk in procession to the river, and all the males bathe together. On their return to the house, the child is placed on an angoureeb, and the ceremony performed. A bunch of flowers is then placed in his hand, with scents, and the relations and friends pass the one after the other, kiss and smell the bouquet, and give the child as liberal a present as they can afford. There is, generally, so great a mixture of persons on these occasions, that these gifts vary from upwards of two pounds to one penny: all, however, are expected to give as much as they can afford. In Egypt they often postpone this ceremony until the child is twelve or fourteen years of age; but in this country the family gain so large a sum by it, that they seldom if ever delay it so long. For the girls there is no fête: at most they merely kill a sheep. This ancient ceremony probably had its origin in this country. Herodotus, after mentioning that the Phœnicians and Syrians derived the custom from the Egyptians, seems to doubt whether the Egyptians had it from the Ethiopians, or the Ethiopians from the Egyptians.
I described a funeral at Gibel el Birkel in Dar Shageea. Here, also, they sometimes dance on these occasions, but not often. It is an old custom, and not considered strictly Mahometan. Both sexes are buried on the very same day that they die, generally a few hours afterwards.
The contests which took place between the Arabs of the mountains and the Berberene peasants, cultivators of the land, aresuppressed by the authority of the Turkish rulers; but their contempt for each other is often displayed. When an Arab of the desert is oppressed by a soldier, his first exclamation is, “Do you take me for a Berberene?” The latter, in return, pride themselves on not being obliged to lead the vagrant lives of the wandering Arabs. The peasants of Dongolah are extremely honest: no bar nor lock is necessary, to secure the door against the thief; nor is falsehood known among them. They are always hospitable to the extent of their means. I never saw a peasant sit down to eat, without inviting all that were near him to take a share; and the poor and fatigued traveller is never refused a night’s lodging and an evening meal.
Pl. 36.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.EXTERIOR OF A DONGOLAH COTTAGE.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
Pl. 36.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.EXTERIOR OF A DONGOLAH COTTAGE.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
Pl. 36.
EXTERIOR OF A DONGOLAH COTTAGE.
Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
The inhabitants of Upper Nubia have been so many years accustomed to the Turks, that white men are now no longer looked upon with horror. Burckhardt tells an amusing tale, that, in the bazaar at Shendy, he raised his turban, and showed his white shorn head to a peasant girl, who, I suppose, had never seen flesh so white before, and, terrified at the sight, exclaimed, “Um del Allah min Shatan!”—“May God preserve me from the Devil.” This is one of their favourite expressions; but the white man now incurs no risk of having it so peculiarly applied to himself.
Most of the houses of the peasants are of mud, that is, the alluvial soil of the Nile, mixed with cow and horse manure; the latter is much used: straw is rarely added. Many of the houses in the country, built of dourah straw, are extremely picturesque. The two views (PlatesXXXVI.andXXXVII.), taken from nature, will give the reader a good idea of their construction, and also their inhabitants. The lordly Turk is smoking on the only angoureeb in the house; one man is grinding on a stone, for his lazy wife, whose business it is considered to be, merely as much dourah as will suffice for their mid-day and evening meal; and others are occupied in making and drinking their favourite beverage the bouza. I have already noticed the gracefulstyle of the costumes both of the men and women; the latter are often handsome, having fine forms and a good expression.
The wives are generally virtuous and gay: the dance is their favourite amusement, but not so much indulged in here as in the province of Dar Shageea. Their greatest delight is listening to the tales of the country, which, though simple, are full of imagery, and have, in the Arab language, a peculiar charm. A translation, I fear, cannot give a full idea of their beauty. The following is a tale I heard related by a little Ababde girl of thirteen; and even at an earlier age their memories are stored with similar stories, which, if any one had the disposition and the leisure to collect them, would form a considerable and not uninteresting supplement to the Thousand and One Nights.
“Amnah was the most lovely of the daughters of the Nile: fair as the sand of the desert, the gazelle was not more elegant in form, or more graceful in its movements. Her bust was beautiful, and her skin soft and pliant to the touch. Her face was as the light of day; her eyes were bright as the stars; her teeth whiter than the polished ivory; and a lovely and ever-constant smile illumined her countenance. Nature had done her utmost; Fortune equalled her rival in loading her with its favours. Her necklaces were numerous, and of the finest gold; and great was the weight of gold on her wrists and ankles. Her hair was beautifully plaited, and decorated with the largest and rarest pearls, and broad plates of gold above her forehead; and two large and most precious ornaments set with diamonds hung gracefully from her ears. Her rat (cincture) presented every variety of colour; the skin of the hippopotamus was never cut so fine: it was ornamented with the most curious shells and pieces of goldand silver attached coquettishly in the most becoming manner; and the border of the rat around her waist consisted of coral and pearls. From her waist to her knees, only, this graceful ornament skreened her form; and there was not one of the youths of the village and of the neighbourhood, who had ever seen Amnah, who did not sigh and regret bitterly his being unworthy that her rat should be broken for him. ‘The houries of the paradise of the prophet cannot,’ said they, ‘be more enchanting, endowed with such ravishing beauty, or such extraordinary talents.’
Pl. 37.On stone by J. Hamerton from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.INTERIOR OF A DONGOLAH COTTAGE.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
Pl. 37.On stone by J. Hamerton from a Drawing by L. Bandoni.Printed by C. Hullmandel.INTERIOR OF A DONGOLAH COTTAGE.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
Pl. 37.
INTERIOR OF A DONGOLAH COTTAGE.
Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
“She was, at the same time, the gayest of the gay, and also acquainted with all the learning of her tribe. Her father and other travellers had related to her the history and customs of other countries, and from them she had learnt the traditions and wars of her native land. Every passage of the Koran was familiar to her; and it was whispered she had devoted herself secretly to the study of astrology (el ahlem el felek), and the more hidden sciences of the Arabians. At midnight she was often seen alone, gazing at the heavens; and for this reason the nomage she received for her beauty and understanding was blended with a certain feeling almost approaching to fear. Too beautiful, pure, and learned to be of this world, she was considered by the ignorant peasants more as an angel of light (melik e’ nour), than a frail inhabitant of earth.
“At the death of her father, after she had accompanied his remains to the grave, and for some time had lamented his loss, Amnah, weary of the constraint to which her sex subjected her, and anxious to visit those scenes which she had so often heard described, left her native village. The morning after her departure, at the entrance of a small town, she observed an old man covered with vermin. ‘My father,’ said she, ‘let me free you from those tormentors;’ and she began killing the animals, until suddenly the man fell dead at her feet. ‘It is the will of God!’ she exclaimed,and immediately dressed herself in his clothes, and pursued her journey.
“Thus disguised, and safe by the power of magic from detection, she procured a dromedary swift as the wind, and visited the different regions she had heard described; sometimes joining one caravan, and sometimes another. The immense treasures on her person were little diminished by this expense; when, one day, the people of the caravan with which she travelled perceived a cloud of sand approaching them, and shortly afterwards distinguished a troop of horsemen at full gallop. Amnah and her companions urged on their camels, but, finally, finding flight useless, they endeavoured to hide themselves in a large well, which the heat of the summer had dried up. But the horsemen had seen them enter, and, delighted to have their prey secured, they offered to the young leader of their band his choice, whether he would have for his portion the first or the last of the persons whom they should find in the well.
“Their chief, named Mustapha, was only twenty-one years of age, but renowned for his skill in the use of the matchlock, the sabre, and the lance. His shield, of the hide of the hippopotamus, was almost useless; for with his sabre he parried the blows of his enemies; with a slanting cut of his Damascus blade, which his father, who had travelled far towards the north, had brought him, he separated the limbs of his foes, and even severed the iron chain. At the shake of his lance all fled before him; and never was a matchlock in more skilful hands. In form, he was the perfection of manly beauty and vigour, and his mind was richly endowed, displaying a judgment beyond his years, and greater presence of mind in danger than the oldest warrior. The Koran he knew by heart, and his chief delight was in listening to the traditions of his country. Young and generous, he could never repress his indignation at the recital of the evil deeds of the tyrants whohad reigned over the land: his eyes kindled with enthusiasm, and his cheeks glowed with pleasure and emulation when they told him of the valorous exploits of his ancestors, their generosity and hospitality. Like the rest of his race, much of his time was spent in excursions against the tribes with whom they were at war.
“Perceiving where the caravan had taken refuge, Mustapha, having the first choice allowed to him, said, ‘I will take for my share the captive at the extremity of the well: he who has most to lose will have fled the farthest.’ His companions cast lots for their portions. Some had young women, others young active male slaves; all with some treasure. None were apparently so unfortunate as Mustapha, who found at the extremity of the well Amnah disguised as an old man, miserably clad, the picture of poverty. His companions, with the freedom of friends, rallied him on the wisdom of his choice, in the following lines, which one of them sang, and the others joined in chorus[41]:—
‘Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!God has blessed him with great judgment.O, what a prize he has gained!So young and so active a slave;So splendid and costly his dress;So sweet the scent of his body!Our chief,’ &c.‘He will lead your horse to the field;Give you your lances in battle,And ward off the treacherous blow.Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!God has blessed him with great judgment.O, what a prize he has gained!’
‘Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!God has blessed him with great judgment.O, what a prize he has gained!So young and so active a slave;So splendid and costly his dress;So sweet the scent of his body!Our chief,’ &c.‘He will lead your horse to the field;Give you your lances in battle,And ward off the treacherous blow.Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!God has blessed him with great judgment.O, what a prize he has gained!’
‘Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!God has blessed him with great judgment.O, what a prize he has gained!So young and so active a slave;So splendid and costly his dress;So sweet the scent of his body!Our chief,’ &c.
‘Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!
God has blessed him with great judgment.
O, what a prize he has gained!
So young and so active a slave;
So splendid and costly his dress;
So sweet the scent of his body!
Our chief,’ &c.
‘He will lead your horse to the field;Give you your lances in battle,And ward off the treacherous blow.Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!God has blessed him with great judgment.O, what a prize he has gained!’
‘He will lead your horse to the field;
Give you your lances in battle,
And ward off the treacherous blow.
Our chief, what wisdom he has shown!
God has blessed him with great judgment.
O, what a prize he has gained!’
“Mustapha bore good-naturedly the jests of his companions, and, not wishing to appear to despise the gift of Providence,although apparently useless, he led to his castle, as prisoner, the disguised Amnah. On his arrival, he asked her what she could do: ‘Can you cut wood?’ said he. ‘No,’ replied Amnah, ‘I have no strength: see you not that my arm is shrivelled up with age?’ ‘Can you carry it?’ said the chief. ‘No,’ she said, ‘my back is already double; I should sink under the lightest weight.’ ‘Can you guard the cows, or sheep?’ ‘Alas, no!’ replied Amnah, ‘they walk too fast and far for me.’ ‘Can you clean the horses?’ ‘I know not how.’ ‘Can you wash the sand for gold-dust?’ ‘My eyes are not good enough.’ ‘You are too dirty to make bread. Can you attend the geese?’ ‘I think I can,’ said Amnah; ‘at all events, I will try.’
“Mustapha gave her for her companion a dumb youth, called Yabebe. After some days, when Yabebe was bathing in the river, Amnah took off her disguise, and showed herself, to the astonished peasant, as the perfection of beauty, covered with gold and precious stones, her hair ornamented with fine pearls and plates of gold, and her earrings studded with diamonds: laughing, she sang to him the following lines[42]:—
‘Open your eyes, Yabebe:See! I am young and lovely,Covered with gold all over;My necklace of gold,My earrings of gold,My bracelets of gold,And gold round my arms,And gold round my legs,Gold on my forehead,And gold on my rat;Pearls and silver also.Open your eyes, Yabebe;See, I am young and lovely,Covered with gold all over!’
‘Open your eyes, Yabebe:See! I am young and lovely,Covered with gold all over;My necklace of gold,My earrings of gold,My bracelets of gold,And gold round my arms,And gold round my legs,Gold on my forehead,And gold on my rat;Pearls and silver also.Open your eyes, Yabebe;See, I am young and lovely,Covered with gold all over!’
‘Open your eyes, Yabebe:See! I am young and lovely,Covered with gold all over;My necklace of gold,My earrings of gold,My bracelets of gold,And gold round my arms,And gold round my legs,Gold on my forehead,And gold on my rat;Pearls and silver also.Open your eyes, Yabebe;See, I am young and lovely,Covered with gold all over!’
‘Open your eyes, Yabebe:
See! I am young and lovely,
Covered with gold all over;
My necklace of gold,
My earrings of gold,
My bracelets of gold,
And gold round my arms,
And gold round my legs,
Gold on my forehead,
And gold on my rat;
Pearls and silver also.
Open your eyes, Yabebe;
See, I am young and lovely,
Covered with gold all over!’
“The astonished peasant left the river, and Amnah, laughing,resumed her disguise. On his return to the castle, the dumb youth made signs to his chief that Amnah was a woman, beautiful, and covered with gold. They surveyed her, and, not finding out her disguise, beat the boy for his improbable falsehood.
“The day afterwards they were at the same river: Amnah threw aside her disguise, put her ornaments together, and bathed herself, with the lad, in the shaded stream. The peasant went first out of the water, and unobservedly stole one of her rings. Amnah, having counted them, found one missing. Yabebe denied having taken it. Amnah beat him, but still he denied, and, escaping from her, fled to his master, and gave him the ring, describing, by signs, that she had similar ones on all her fingers, and was covered with gold and precious stones; that she was a woman, and that her beauty was, as the mid-day sun (jemeel mittel e’ shamps fel dohr), too powerful to gaze at. Mustapha sent for Amnah, and, flying suddenly upon her, tore open the rags that covered her, but fell senseless at the sight of such exquisite beauty.
“Great was the fête of the marriage, countless the camels and sheep that were killed. The music was incessant for seven days and seven nights, and they danced until they could dance no more. None, for many years, saw the brilliancy of her face, being ever in her harem, or closely veiled, when, occasionally, she appeared in public. The fame of her beauty, knowledge, and goodness was spread through all lands; the learned were anxious to converse with her; but none, except her husband, had seen her face.
“One day her dearest son fell from a tree that he was climbing. His cries reached the ears of his anxious mother. Without a veil, without a garment, she rushed forth. The crowd, on seeing her, fell as dead. They knew not if the effect was produced by magic, or by the power of her exquisite beauty. At her touch her son was restored; and, having clothed herself with a gourbab, and thrown a veil over her head, the crowd recovered; but the treewithered from that day: the branches decayed fast; the leaves fell on the ground, and it no longer afforded shade.”
The Meleks who formerly reigned here were of the Zebain, to which tribe belong almost all these rulers, including Melek Tumbol, Melek Nazr e’ Deen, and, in fact, all those from Sennaar to Wady Halfah, with the exception of the meleks of the Shageea tribe. The peasants under these chiefs were generally called by the names of their villages, as those of Dongolah, Dongoloue, Korti, Kortie: but, since the conquest of the Pasha, they are called Berberene; a name derived from Berber. Sheakh Muktah[43], the most intelligent Arab I have ever met with, being, like several in Upper Nubia, of the race of cadis,—son after son the chief cadi,—and, therefore, as pure a source of information as by tradition can be obtained, informed me that all these peasants are of the great tribe of Ababja from the Yemen, who came here in the reign of the fourth caliph after Mahomet, and, finding the country inhabited by infidels, drove some out, but forced the greater number to become Mussulmen; and that thus the former inhabitants became blended with the Arabs, and have not been distinguishable from them for ages. This is a curious and highly interesting tradition, proving, historically, almost, what might naturally be supposed: but I will say more on this subject in myHistorical Appendix.
The king of Sennaar held a doubtful and precarious rule over this country, receiving, according to the character of her monarchs,more or less tribute. The brave Shageea, alone, never bent the knee to this king. Two hundred years ago, the Sultan of Sennaar, as some call him, sent here a detachment of the tribe called the Funge, to which he belonged, to keep this country under his subjection. A great many of this race are still here, and they are considered to be inferior only to the Shageea in courage. They are supposed to be originally a colony of pagans, from the Bahr el Abiad, but they have nothing of the appearance of negroes. They ruled over the country 150 years. Ibrahim was the first, and he was succeeded by his son Musnet: their united reigns lasted eighty years; they sent considerable quantities of corn, oxen, and horses to Sennaar. The descendants of Musnet enjoyed less authority over their subjects, and the tribute to Sennaar was less regularly paid.
In the year 1782 the Shageea overthrew the government of the Funge, and reigned peaceably in their stead, under three meleks,—Melek Shouish, Melek Omar, and Melek Zebair. The account Burckhardt gives of the treacherous conduct of the Mamelukes towards Mahmoud el Adalenab is very correct, as far as it goes. Hadji Mahmoud Sheakh received them with every mark of hospitality, ministered to all their wants, and was in return barbarously murdered at Maraka, this very place which is now called El Ourde, or The Camp. The following particulars of this circumstance, which I received from the best sources at Dongolah, may not be perhaps uninteresting to the reader. The Mamelukes arrived at Captot; and Sheakh Mahmoud, the chief of the Shageea, descended the river on the opposite side, with a numerous suite. He bade the Mamelukes welcome to his kingdom, and informed them that, if they wished for grain, he would furnish them gratis with any quantity they desired. He told them, also, that whatever they asked for, which he possessed, should be immediately sent to their camp; and if they were anxious, as they professed to be, to proceed up the country to Sennaar, he would supply them withprovisions for the journey, but if they chose to remain at Captot Marabat, they were welcome.
Four days afterwards, fifteen Mamelukes, or katshefs, as they are called, rode up and stopped at the door of the house of the grand Cadi Mahomet, having learnt that the Sheakh Mahmoud was with him. The sheakh having come out to salute them, they complained that they had no grain for their horses. The sheakh sent immediately for a bag for each horse, and ordered his people to fill a boat with grain, and convey it to the camp. The Mamelukes appeared still dissatisfied, and would not dismount whilst their horses were feeding. But their object was soon accomplished; for, as the sheakh approached the horse of one of them, to arrange the bag of corn it was eating, and said, “This is sufficient for your horses now, and I will send you as much as you desire,” the Mameluke, who had his carabine on one side of his saddle, without putting it to his shoulder, pointed it at the sheakh, pulled the trigger, and wounded him in the breast. The sheakh had scarcely drawn his sword a few inches from the scabbard, when another fired a blunderbuss at him, containing six balls, and he fell dead: another instantly separated his head from his body, and they afterwards mangled the corpse in a horrid manner with their sabres. The Cadi Mahomet, who was with him, was killed also by a blow of a sabre, and a black slave, who was in attendance, met a similar fate. Ten of the Shageea peasants, his servants, were present at this murder, but being unarmed they could not attempt to revenge the death of their chief, and therefore fled.
The Mamelukes remained nine years masters of the country. Including the servants, they were about 600 in number. Many died here; the remainder, on the invasion of the Pasha, went to Shendy, whence they passed to Darfour, and thence to Bornou, Baghermi, Fezzan, and Tripoli. Adouram Bey, one of their leaders, was killed near the latter place; but their other leader, Marfou Bey, arrived in safety at Tripoli.
I received the greater part of this account from the most authentic source, Sheakh Muktah, my informant, being the son of the Cadi Mahomet, who perished with the unfortunate Mahmoud. I ought to mention, as some palliation of this treacherous breach of hospitality, that it is said that the Berberene, weary of the Shageea, represented to the Mamelukes that Sheakh Mahmoud was devising some plan to destroy them, and therefore they may be said to have murdered him in self-defence. The object of the Mamelukes was to possess the country; and they were glad to avail themselves of this feeble excuse to break the laws of hospitality. Great praise is due to the few who accomplished the courageous and immense undertaking of crossing the centre of Africa. Such a journey would immortalise any European, but who would attempt it? At Darfour, Brown was detained a prisoner; and in the kingdom of Bornou or Fezzan Hornemann lost his life.
DEPARTURE FROM DONGOLAH. — NUMEROUS VILLAGES. — ISLAND OF ARGO. — RESIDENCE OF THE MELEK. — ARAB ACCOUNTANTS. — MELEK TUMBOL. — EXTENT OF HIS TERRITORY. — ARAB MANNERS COMPARED WITH EUROPEAN. — PHILOSOPHY OF THE ARABS. — THE MELEK’S DINNER. — MILITARY FORCE. — GARDEN. — VISIT TO THE ANTIQUITIES. — NUMEROUS VESTIGES OF ANCIENT TOWNS. — COLOSSAL STATUES. — REMAINS OF A LARGE TEMPLE. — NAME OF SABACO, THE CONQUEROR OF EGYPT. — ENTERTAINMENT OF AN ARAB SHEAKH. — RICHNESS OF THE ISLAND. — INDIGO. — ETHIOPIAN FORT. — CATARACT OF TOUMBOS. — MUTILATED COLOSSAL STATUE. — HOSPITALITY OF AN ARAB SHEAKH. — CHARACTER OF THE INHABITANTS. — HIPPOPOTAMUS. — ALARMING INTELLIGENCE. — REVOLT OF THE MAHAS. — DREADFUL CONSEQUENCES. — OUR PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. — ARAB STORIES OF TRAVELLERS.
April16. We left Dongolah at three this afternoon, and, after three hours’ march, stopped at Mecaurat. Our route has been on the skirt of the desert, about half a mile from the river. I ought to acknowledge here the civilities which we received from M. Martin, a French apothicaire, in the employ of the Pasha, who showed us every attention in his power, allowing to us a part of his house. I must not forget, also, the kind attentions of his lady, an Abyssinian girl; pretty, and, at the same time, kind and affectionate. In return for a small mirror, which I gave her, she presented me with a Sennaar dagger, with an ebony handle, ornamented with silver. I keep it as a remembrance of “la bella Maria.”
April17. An hour and a half after starting, we arrived at a government store-house: adjoining it were several cottages in ruins. After ten hours’ journey, we arrived at Haffeer. The following is a list of villages and islands between New Dongolah and the province of El Mahas:—
In the desert, at a distance, there are isolated hills, apparently of sandstone. On arriving, we visited the katshef of Haffeer, who received us very politely; the Mahmoor having spontaneously furnished me with different letters for the officers in his government: one for the melek of Argo and the katshef of Solib, &c.
At my request, the katshef immediately ordered a boat to be prepared to convey us to the Island of Argo, which I was anxious to examine, not only on account of its great extent, and the antiquities it contained, but also because it is the only place in Upper Nubia under the government of its rightful owner, who alone, of all the meleks, possesses now a shadow of his ancient authority.
April18. An hour’s sail, with a fair wind, brought us to the northern extremity of the island, where the village is situated in which the melek resides. I went to his castle, which is fortified with towers (seevignette), and protected on one side by a high wall. It is capable of making some defence against an insurrection of the natives.
FORTIFIED HOUSE OF THE MELEK OF TUMBOL.
FORTIFIED HOUSE OF THE MELEK OF TUMBOL.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
The court we entered first was filled with slaves of the melek,who, I was informed, including male and female, amounted to upwards of 200, living either in or around his residence. I ascended from the court, by ill-constructed steps, similar to, but not quite so good as, those we have in England for granaries, and entered into a divan, or audience-room, which had quite the appearance, and was about the size, of a small English barn. Around a part of the room was a divan of earth, besides which there were four angoureebs, or cord divans, covered with carpets and cushions. The roof is of a slanting form, resembling that of a barn: the wooden logs of which it is made are blackened by the smoke of the fires. The beams consist each of two pieces of timber, which are supported and kept together, at their junction, by a rough pillar that stands in the centre of the room. To retain this in its place, and bind it to the beam, there are slips of wood, about one foot long, on each side of the pillar, under the beam; and on these the ancient Egyptian and Ethiopian ornament of the globe and feathers is carved. It is more rudely executed than the ancient, but still it is curious to find even a vestige of this ornament in a modern Ethiopian habitation.The doorway, and, indeed, the house altogether, is rudely constructed, but much stronger and better than Arab houses in general. The appearance of the outside is superior to that of the interior.
The melek was out when we arrived. The brick divan already mentioned was partly occupied by his Arab accountants. In almost every village there is a little school, or rather, I should say, hut, which is used as such, and there are few of the peasants who have not made an attempt to learn to read and write; but, to use their own estimate, there is not one in a hundred whose knowledge extends beyond the alphabet, and putting together a few words. There are very few who can write, and none who know any thing of arithmetic. There are, however, some few of the sheakhs and others, who, from their learning, are called fakeers, and who are good Arabic scholars.
When we entered, the melek’s cash-keepers were counting the money they were receiving from the peasants, and settling their accounts with the assistance of their strings of beads. In this room, also, besides the servants, there were several relations, brothers and nephews, of the melek’s, but not distinguishable by their dress from the other Arabs.
After we had waited a short time, Melek Tumbol arrived, attended by about twenty of his people on horseback. The meleks whom I have hitherto seen have been generally fine tall men, having often an appearance really noble, and sometimes even majestic. The melek of Argo, on the contrary, is the most diminutive personage I have seen in the country: he has a good-tempered countenance, but, on close examination, something cunning in his expression, and nothing noble or imposing in his appearance. He was dressed simply as an Arab sheakh, except that his clothes were of a finer quality. He wore a long white fine cotton shirt, covering him from the neck to the feet, with very long and wide sleeves. He had a fine white Souakim shawl, with the usual red border hanging over his shoulder.His head-dress consisted of the red cloth cap (tarboush), with one of the silk Turkish handkerchiefs around it. He received us with the usual Arab politeness, read the Mahmoor’s letter, and entreated me to make his house my own. They presented us with coffee and pipes, in the Turkish fashion, and also with sherbet.
The islands and villages on the eastern side of the Nile are under his dominion; having belonged, according to his own account, from time immemorial to his family. He has within his territory, 925 water wheels, besides the land on the banks, which is cultivated after the inundation, and irrigated by hand labour.
When Ismael Pasha invaded this country, Melek Tumbol immediately joined his party, and furnished him with provisions for the army. In consequence of his services on that occasion, the Pasha has allowed him to remain in the command of his territories, and given to him the rank and pay of a katshef; and I am told he expects to be made a mahmoor: he is rich in dromedaries, horses, and slaves, and allowed to have ten water wheels gratis. His subjects have heavier taxes to pay than formerly, but they may consider themselves fortunate in not having inflicted on them the presence of their rulers. Not one Turk or Arab soldier resides on his territory.
Before the arrival of the melek, I was amused with the conversation of his servants. They spoke of his generosity as that of the greatest prince; stating, that, when a peasant gave him a sheep or a goat, he immediately presented in return a camel or a cow; and they added numerous similar instances of generosity, which with the Arabs is the noblest of virtues.
We told the melek that we wished to see the antiquities on his island. He expressed his willingness to forward our views; but, as they were four hours distant, and it was then late, he hoped we would delay our visit until the morning. I was not sorryto be thus obliged to pass the night with this chief, as I am always glad of an opportunity of making myself better acquainted with the Arab customs. There is something so simple and sincere in their hospitality and manner of living, that, unintellectual as their society is, I must confess it is not without its charm. The luxurious divan; the tranquillising pipe; the grateful sherbet and delicious coffee; and the ease and quiet of Oriental society, are not trifling enjoyments in this clime, the scorching heat of which alone inclines man to repose.
This is not a country for brilliant conversation and animated discussion: the former would be too great mental fatigue; and the warmth and excitement which the latter sometimes occasions, if not positively fatal, would certainly be extremely prejudicial to health, when the thermometer is above 100° in the shade. The Turks sit on their divans, and the Arabs on their angoureebs, and smoke the whole of the day. There is not the slightest obligation to converse; they sit and look at each other, and amuse themselves with their pipes, thoughts, castle-building, or business.
Unless you keep them occupied with your enquiries, long pauses often occur in the conversation, as if they were reflecting on what you had said. One advantage of their society is, that the conversation flows naturally, for not even the host considers any effort necessary to keep it up. A man in this country is not considered stupid because he has the sense not to talk nonsense. When any of them tell a tale, or make an assertion, however improbable they may be, politeness, aversion to discussion, and perhaps indolence, generally prevent the others from disputing, or making any remarks upon it. When a council is held upon subjects of importance, and each person is asked for his opinion, greater harmony could not exist in any assembly: the highest in rank expresses his sentiments on the subject first, and the others almost invariably coincide with him.
If a peasant had enough to support himself and family, evenin a miserable manner, he would never labour to make himself more comfortable, but spend his time in the enjoyment of idleness, sleeping and smoking; he would, as the Berbers have been described as doing, sit for hours together in the shade, in the same position, without thought or care, with few ideas, and no wish to obtain more.
Their philosophy, however, is remarkable: scarcely an hour of their lives is embittered with useless regrets. They are totally free from that anxiety for the morrow which agitates Europeans, and prevents the enjoyment of the present good, by their insatiable thirst after greater happiness. An Arab never distresses himself, as we too often do, with imaginary evils; he is the child of destiny, and never torments himself with the apprehension of a misfortune which, if it is really approaching, he believes it out of his power to prevent. Niebuhr gives an extraordinary instance of their philosophy.[44]
This temperament is certainly more suitable to the climate, than the feverish anxiety, the angry passions, and restless ambition, which drive content from the abodes of so many Europeans. It is true, the Arabs are ignorant of the high intellectual enjoyments of literary and scientific pursuits, and of the pleasures, luxuries, and refinements of polished life; yet few, perhaps, will deny, that the man who is contented under any circumstances, who immediately becomes resigned to the caprices of fortune, who scarcely knowsthe meaning of the words worldly care, and is unagitated by any regret for past pleasures, or aching desire to obtain additional enjoyments, is possessed of a certain degree of practical, and not useless, philosophy.
Pl. 33.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by G. A. Hoskins Esqr.Printed by C. Hullmandel.COLOSSAL STATUE IN THE ISLAND OF ARGO.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
Pl. 33.On stone by W. Walton, from a Drawing by G. A. Hoskins Esqr.Printed by C. Hullmandel.COLOSSAL STATUE IN THE ISLAND OF ARGO.Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
Pl. 33.
COLOSSAL STATUE IN THE ISLAND OF ARGO.
Published by Longman, Rees & Co. April 6th. 1835.
At twelve o’clock dinner was served up; and as the style was different from any I had hitherto seen, and is that usual with the kings of this country, a short description may not be uninteresting. Two mats were laid on the floor, on which we were invited to seat ourselves: they were rather hard, and not excessively clean. The dinner was served in six large wooden bowls, and the bread, which is made into thin light cakes, in elegant baskets of coloured straw, manufactured in Sennaar. The dinner consisted of mutton, fowls, bamia (Hibiscus esculentus), and an excellent omelet in a smaller dish, prepared expressly for myself by the wives of the melek. Raw onions, which are considered particularly healthy in this climate, and which, being much milder than ours, are not unpalatable, particularly after they have been soaked in water, were presented to each of us. I dined on the omelet, the other dishes being liquid, and so exceedingly hot, that I burnt my fingers in attempting to taste them.
The melek sat down with us, but did not eat much; he dines always in his harem. Of the latter I should say somethingen passant. I was informed elsewhere that he has had twenty-one, or, as some said, thirty-two, wives, all daughters or relations of other meleks. He is said now to have only three. He has no sons, but two beautiful daughters, unmarried, who, however, already take a share in the government. My servant saw one of them on an adjoining small island, where she resides with her slaves, and sends the produce to her father.
After we had dined, and quitted the mats, my servants and his cash-keepers sat down; and what they left was cleared by the servants of the melek. After washing, we had sherbet, coffee, and pipes. The melek then went to sleep, according to the Arab andTurkish custom. In the afternoon we walked about the place, and saw the ruins of the ancient village. The inhabitants of this island suffered severely from the inroads of the Shageea, with whom they were almost always at war. The Melek of Argo was able to collect a force of 700 men, many of them armed with coats of mail, of German manufacture. I wished to see these; but he said they were all in the possession of the Pasha of Egypt. This may be true of some of them; but, no doubt, the greater part he had secreted, aware that the day may arrive when he may require them.
The present melek has a small plantation of vines and pomegranates, which flourish luxuriantly in this country. He procured the plants a few years ago from Egypt; and seems to be prouder of his little garden than of any thing else he possesses. We had a supper in the same style as the dinner; and our beds were the angoureebs on which we had been sitting all the day, with a carpet for a mattress, and no other covering than our cloaks.
Island of Argo.—April18. The melek, perceiving my impatience to visit the antiquities, provided my artist and myself with excellent horses, while my dragoman, and our guide, his nephew, accompanied us on dromedaries. We rode through the centre of the island, which is entirely uncultivated, but planted with acacias, like a shrubbery. The soil is capable of cultivation; and only a more extensive knowledge of hydraulics appears required to enable the people to irrigate and cultivate the whole of the island.
We set out at five o’clock, and, after two hours’ ride (about ten miles), reached the site of a small town or village, with merely a few bricks remaining. An hour afterwards we arrived at a similar place, and in ten minutes more at a third. Twenty minutes from the latter, being three hours and a half from the time that we started, we arrived at the antiquities which were the object of our excursion. The distance, from the rate we travelled, may be about eighteen miles.