CHAPTER XV.
Journey from Sagagahdah to Mokoito, general direction W.S.W., time marching four hours.—Meet old friends.—Conversation upon origin of the Dankalli people.—Journey from Mokoito to Ahmahguloff, general direction W.N.W., time marching three hours.—Description of halting-place.
April 20th.—On getting ready to start this morning, I found all had been arranged for the immediate return of Lohitu, evidently, as had been intimated by Ohmed Mahomed, for the purpose of interfering with the peaceable progress of the Kafilah of Mahomed Allee through the country of the Debenee. The latter, fortunately, came up to bid me farewell, as I was superintending the saddling of my mule. He had taken the precaution to bring with him a number of his friends. I took the opportunity of a single moment when I saw that I was not watched, to say to him one word, “Lohitu!” at the same time drawing my hand across my throat, with a look that sufficiently told him the whole conspiracy. His reply was merely the same word, “Lohitu?” as if to ask me if I were quite sure; and taking my nod in the proper sense, he shook hands with me, English fashion, saying, “Tihebe,” (good) and away hehurried with his friends, who, if they were as brave as himself, would, with the others of his Kafilah to aid them, I had no doubt, prove more than a match for even the daring Lohitu and his numerous tribe.
Having mounted my mule, I rode up to Lohitu, and taking out my only remaining spoon, which I knew he coveted, I gave it to him, with two dollars I had ready for the purpose. As I presented them I pointed to Mahomed Allee, mentioning his name, and putting my hand to my breast, said, in the Dankalli language, “Occo,” (friend). Lohitu, with the quick perception characteristic of the whole nation, comprehended me at once, and receiving my present, put his hand to his breast in the same manner he had seen me do, and repeated the same word, “Occo,” in a tone of sincerity that at once removed my fears for Mahomed Allee. The pleasure I felt in consequence, at having thus frustrated the infamous design of my Tajourah friends, who stood scowling by, enabled me to return with interest their looks of disdain, as I rode alone for above an hour afterwards, before any of them chose to come up and speak to me. At last Ebin Izaak trotted his mule up to my side, and after riding a little time in silence, produced from beneath his shield, which hung as usual over the left knee from the bow of his saddle, the three bones of a leg of a sheep, united by the ligaments of the joint, and with scarcelyany meat upon them. Pushing one extremity of the continuous bones towards me, he said very abruptly, “Yarcul” (eat). I could not help smiling at the scanty appearance of the repast, but immediately assented to the proposal, and catching hold of my end, we began twisting and pulling to separate the bones, till at last when they did go, and I got possession of the thigh bone for my share, both of us nearly lurched over on opposite sides of our mules, and we had each to grip fast hold of the mane, with the hand that was at liberty, to retain our seats in the saddle. What little meat was on the bones was soon stript off with our teeth, during which time Ebin Izaak accounted for his possession of the treat, no sheep having been killed in our Kafilah, by saying that it was the generous gift of some valued friend, belonging to the Kafilah of Mahomed Allee.
Our road lay along a smooth level plain of yellow marl, cracked in every direction by the baking heat of the sun, whilst the mirage before us mocked the dryness of the soil, by the affectation of the appearance of nature’s most refreshing gift, either to animals or to the equally thirsty earth.
The distortion of all objects that could be perceived in the mirage was very remarkable; small stones became huge rocks, and thin tufts of grass assumed the figure of ostriches; and I was taken in most certainly, much to the amusement of EbinIzaak, who told me as I went after them that they were nothing but grass; yet so distinct was the appearance, and so natural the motion given to their well-defined image by the flickering of the vapour, that I did not hesitate to go in pursuit, feeling convinced that he must be mistaken.
Izaak, after stripping everything eatable off the bones, very carefully deposited them again in the hollow of his shield, observing, at the same time, they would do for a boxeish for some of the camel-drivers. We now proceeded in very friendly conversation, respecting the likelihood of a marriage taking place between my Queen and Salie Selasse, the King of Shoa, which some of the wiser people of Tajourah could alone surmise, as the probable cause of the numerous valuable presents, which had been sent up to that monarch. Whilst I was endeavouring to explain the impossibility of such a thing, and turning in my mind to what reasonable object I could attribute our present intercourse with Shoa, we were suddenly hailed by a voice I knew, and looking in the direction from whence it proceeded, saw before us, in a low jungle, the slave-boy of Ohmed Mahomed, who was evidently on the watch for our approach.
At his request we dismounted, and leaving the mules in his charge, we pushed aside the strong thorny boughs of myrrh and young mimosa-trees, and made our way to the edge of a small stream that crept along, shaded from the sun by thegrateful bushes it nourished. Here, in a natural arbour, we found fast asleep our two friends, Ohmed Medina and Garahmee, each with his tobe wrapped closely around the body, and also covering the head, which was supported upon a small wooden pillow. Their spears lay upon the ground close to their right hands, and their shields were suspended amidst the bending boughs of the rude bower, which concealed them from the observation of any passing native. The boy, as I supposed, had been posted to watch for our arrival.
The noise we made awakened Garahmee, who, after the usual lengthened salutations, gave Ebin Izaak an account of their journey to Owssa, from whence it appeared they had travelled during the last night, having arrived where we found them some hours before us. Others of the Kafilah now joining us, Ohmed Medina was roused from his slumbers. Finding Lohitu not accompanying us, I could hear him making some inquiries respecting that chief; and not being satisfied with the information he obtained, as soon as he had arranged his dress, he entered into conversation with me, wanting to know what present I had given to Lohitu, and if I were pleased with him. He then directed my attention to a new shield he had, and which he told me had been given to him by the generous Chief, whose many excellent qualities were now his theme for some time. Among other things, he said, improving upon the idea of Ebin Izaakrespecting the Queen and Salie Selasse, that the best thing she could do was to marry Lohitu; and the English, and the Dankalli would then be one people. I smiled at the honour so seriously intended, but I laughed outright, when Ohmed Medina, pointing to the slave-boy, to whom Ebin Izaak as a mark of favour had given the two bones, asked me if my lady Queen smoked like that. Only imagine a thin bushy-headed black, whose entire dress consisted of a narrow strip of dirty cloth thrown across the shoulders, sitting apart, that he might not be importuned to share with others, the luxury he was indulging in. His pipe, the long shank bone of a leg of mutton, having the smaller end broken off with a stone, whilst the broader extremity was bruised into a concavity, that admitted a small portion of tobacco to be lodged in its cellular structure. Through this novel meerschaum was the fragrant weed being inhaled, and to the appearance of this party I was referred in order to understand fully the question, “Does your Queen smoke like that?” said in a manner, too, that intimated such an accomplishment on her part would be a great recommendation to the Dankalli, in case of the wedding. I was obliged to say she did not, and looked as if I thought the country, hardly worth the trouble of learning to smoke out of a sheepshank, on purpose to obtain possession of it. Observing, or suspecting this, Ohmed Medina rather sharply closed theconversation, by remarking, “Ah, I see, she does not want a country of stones like this.”
The Kafilah halted for the day close under the southern bank of the plain, a precipitous cliff of an easily disintegrated volcanic stone, the debris of which, from detached rocks of several tons weight to small angular fragments, were strewed along its base some distance into the plain. A little stream was the chief agent of denudation; in a very serpentine course, it flowed towards the other side, each bank fringed with dwarf shrubs, and its crystal waters set in a bright enamel of a most delicate kind of grass, which, like a bed of green soft moss, extended along its borders. It burst through a narrow and very recently formed channel from the lava-strewn plateau of Mahree above, and in the rear of our camp passed with a rushing impetuosity, which gradually decreased into the gentlest ripple, as it flowed over its pebbly bed near to the spot where, on our first arrival, we found our friends Ohmed Medina and Garahmee.
Here, among the thick bushes, I took up my residence for the day, surrounded by the Hy Soumaulee, whose heavy war-knives I had undertaken to improve in outward appearance, by fixing a bright dress naval button into a hollow piece of brass, usually placed as an ornament upon the end of the scabbard, but which, without the button to cover the otherwise bare extremity, presented an appearance that was not satisfactory to my educatedBirminghamideas of what constituted elegance. When I pointed out the defect, and suggested the improvement, it was surprising to observe the numbers who applied for the decoration. The order of the button, in fact, became quite the rage, and it was not until it had become very general indeed, that I lost the popularity which its first establishment had occasioned. Like knighthood, to have been respected, it ought to have been kept select, and the braves alone should have been thus rewarded; but when, moved by selfish considerations, I bestowed it upon Zaido, whose cowardice was the laugh of the whole Kafilah, I found the moral of my influence gone, and the previously much-prized button became valued only as an article of commerce. But the mean in spirit have no idea of personal distinction, as I confessed to myself when I heard, that Zaido had sold honour’s bright badge, for a small bag of tobacco.
The halting-place was called Dulhull, although I found afterwards that this, properly speaking, was the name of the ridge to the north, which alone separated us from the Lake Abhibhad. From one informant I received the name Mokoito as that of the plain, and the ridge under which our encampment lay was still called Mahree.
Ohmed Medina had so much to tell the chief people of the Kafilah, about the business which had taken him to Owssa, that I did not have much of his conversation during the day, or any opportunityof taking him to task, for giving me the slip at Arabderah, for I now perceived, that what I heard in that place of him and Garahmee returning to Gobard, was a fiction of convenience, to avoid any importunity on my part to accompany them. Ohmed Mahomed, in a better humour than I expected, after my morning’s speech to Lohitu in favour of Mahomed Allee, came and sat with me an hour or two, endeavouring to convince me that he had done everything for the best, and that Mahomed Allee was a great scoundrel. He also attempted to give me some information respecting Owssa and Hurrah, the latter being a celebrated city, once the capital of the large kingdom of Adea, situated about four days’ journey directly to the south. Owssa, also, it should have been observed before, was formerly the seat of the Government of the kingdom of Adal, but for the last three centuries, these former Amahra or Abyssinian monarchical divisions of the country of Adgem, Adea, and Adal, have given way to the more numerous subdivisions required by the system of patriarchal authority, which alone is recognised among the present barbarous Dankalli occupants. Ohmed Mahomed failed to enlighten me, on the subject of the relative geographical position, of these still important emporiums of the produce of this country, for unfortunately he did not possess, like Ohmed Medina, that generalizing talent of taking, as it were, a bird’s-eye view of the interveningcountry in his mind, and then depicting a transcript readily upon the sand, to convey at once a correct idea of the whole to a stranger.
Towards evening, all who had been, during the heat of the day, basking and sleeping under the cool shade of the bushes, now took up their wooden pillows, and with mats hanging down from their shoulders, proceeded to the camp, within the limits of which it is usual for all to sleep.
April 21st.—On our starting this morning, I again offered thirty dollars to induce the Hy Soumaulee to accompany me to Owssa, as Ohmed Medina said, if they consented, he would also go with us. I received the usual pantomimic reply of pointing first to their knives, and then to their throats, with an expressive twist of their features that said how sorry they should be for such a misfortune to befall us, and Garahmee, to make the scene still more impressive, holding his spear by its lower end, and extending it at arm’s length, pointed to the tops of all the ridges around, as he slowly moved on his heel, and repeated the alarm cry of “Ko! ko! ko!” telling me as plainly as possible, that our advance would be the signal for the whole country to be up in arms. I told Ohmed Medina over and over again, that I might have accompanied him and Garahmee from Arabderah, but he swore by the Prophet and the name of Allah that it was quite impossible; for if I had it would have occasioned the death of the whole party. As it was,they had been obliged to take the most precipitous roads, and travelled only in the darkest hours of the night, which, he said, I could not have done, or he would himself have proposed my going, as he wished me to see and know everything about the country. I at length dropped the subject, for how could I disbelieve him in this, who on all other occasions had shown himself ready to give me every information I required, and frequently volunteered a great deal more; always valuable when coming from a man of his good sense and observation.
During the march, passing by some kairns, we began a conversation upon the Kafirs who formerly occupied this country. Of the ancient religion Ohmed Medina knew nothing, but he thought it probable, when I pointed out the constant compass bearing of the graves, and its reference to the rising sun, that the former inhabitants might have worshipped that luminary. On asking him what was the belief of the present Soumaulee, he called them “Monahfuk,” that is, people who knew Allah by name, and who acknowledged the Prophet, but could not pray, their knowledge of Islamism extending only to the two expressions of “Ahum d’Allah!” (“Thanks be to God!”), and “Mahomed Abdurasuel!” (“Mahomed, slave of the Most High!”)
Ohmed Medina did not deny that the Dankalli and Soumaulee were formerly one people, althoughhe seemed to admit this with reluctance; but after I had told him, as he said, a great deal more than he knew previously, and now learnt for the first time, that differences in the knowledge of the Mahomedan religion, had been the occasion of their modern separation; he then confessed, that even at the present day, the division between the Dankalli and Soumaulee Bedouin tribes was scarcely recognisable. To illustrate this remark, he informed me, that a great portion of the Issah Soumaulee acknowledged Lohitu as their Chief, and bore the Debenee mark upon their breasts. This was the reason that the man belonging to the Issah, I had seen yesterday speaking to Lohitu, bore that symbol, or arms of the tribe as it may be called, and for which I could not before account. Ohmed Medina went on to say, that my friends the Hy Soumaulee were “Affah,” as much so, as the other Dankalli, and that the half of the Wahama tribe, to which Mahomed Allee belonged, were actually Issah Soumaulee. This last observation also assisted me to explain a plea urged by the Sultaun of Tajourah to exclude this obnoxious person from that town, it being asserted whilst I was there that he was an Issah Soumaulee, and consequently ought to take his Kafilah to Zeila.
After a short journey of three hours we arrived at Ahmahguloff, a halting-place in the plain, exactly similar to the one of yesterday. The same narrow tract covered with stones which had fallenfrom the edge of the wall-like cliff adjoining, and another little stream brawling down its narrow ravine, and hiding itself in a tortuous green line of bushes as it traversed the plain. The banks of this stream, however, were too soft and marshy, to tempt us to seek our retreat from the sun, among the bowers formed by its overhanging shrubs. My fortalice of boxes was therefore erected amidst the stores and piles of salt, which, connected by far-spreading camel saddles, and covered with mats, gave to the camp the character of a large caravansary. At this place I became acquainted, very disagreeably, with one of the most noisome of vermin, and which afterwards I found abounded in the neighbourhood of Kafilah stations. It was a round flat tic, the size of a split pea, and of a dark red colour. It attacked indiscriminately men and beasts. No sooner was the mat laid down, and I had composed myself for rest, than from all quarters I saw these dirty-looking squat-made insects crawling towards me, converging, as it were from the circumference of everywhere, to an unfortunate centre. They most assuredly smelt blood, and that at immense distances. For this purpose, I suppose, as also for their feeding apparatus, they were furnished with long pipe-like snouts, some lines in length, with which, after making a lodgment upon the body, they made their attack. Six short legs carried the body along at an extraordinary pace, when aware of thepresence of blood in their neighbourhood. The worst was, there was no way of getting rid of them; and it would have been a long and tiresome job to have killed all that were seen. My naked companions protected me in a great measure, for to these the insects directed their chief attention, whilst upon the first intimation of the presence of the few, that did venture upon my legs, I pulled up the bottoms of my trowsers, and with the sharp point of my knife dislodged the little vampires very quickly. The favourite locality of these pests appears to be beneath trees where cattle have recently been. The numbers that may be seen in such situations are incredible, and they very soon drive the tired traveller from the shelter, where he had hoped to find a friendly shade from the burning sun. The natives call them “killem,” and a somewhat similar insect, though much larger, preys exclusively upon the camel, where their presence is believed by the owner, to indicate health in the animal.
In this situation I also observed numerous large ant-hills, some of which were conical-formed eminences, at least six feet high, with a circumference of several yards. Himyah having fired his matchlock, at a vulture perched on the top of one of these insect edifices, missed the bird, but buried the ball deep into the interior. I walked up to examine the injury done to the walls of clay, and was surprised to find the work of restoration alreadycommenced, and busily going forward. Had the little animals the power of speech, I question much if such unanimity of purpose would have determined the energies of the whole community, so immediately to the repair of the injury. Had a corresponding one been committed on a Dankalli kraal, as I observed to Himyah, they would have had a month’s calahm about it; to which my companion, turning up the end of his nose, gave an affirmative jerk of the head, at the same time ejaculating, “Whalla,” “by God,” as if he had never heard a truer thing than that, in the whole course of his life.
We both stooped over the hole to watch the progress of the work. Short-legged thick-bodied labouring ants, already bore masses of moistened earth several times their own weight to close up the orifice made by the ball; whilst on all sides the easily distinguished soldiers, were, running about in great numbers, apparently on the look-out for the fierce invader, who had made such an onslaught on their castle.
We did not remain at Ahmahguloff for the night, but after “asseir,” or afternoon prayer, the camels were again loaded, and we moved to another halting-place about six miles farther to the west, but still in the plain. A Bedouin who had come into the camp during the day, reported that abundant forage would be found there. Where we were, the circumstance of the Kafilah ofMahomed Allee having halted here two evenings before, had caused a great scarcity of vegetation; their camels, in fact, had eaten up everything in the shape of leaves and grass.
The road lay along the base of the bounding ridge to the south of the plain. As during the morning’s march we took care to choose our path outside of the fallen fragments of rock, and upon ground where scarcely a stone the size of a bean could be found, except such as had been thrown by the hand of some idler passing by. It seemed, indeed, to be the dried bottom of a muddy lake, the waters of which had been recently evaporated, for not a green leaf could I see upon it during the two hours we marched across the parched surface, until we arrived at our halting-ground, where there certainly were a few patches of coarse grass; and the sloping sides of the ridge on our left, were more overgrown with myrrh and other bushes, the small twigs and young foliage of which, the camels are very fond of. The name of Ahmahguloff was still retained, and I was given to understand, that all the country until we turned out of the plain was now so called. The hill of Obinoe was in our front, not more than five or six miles distant, and I could now plainly perceive the extremities of several other plains terminating at that height, as at a centre.