Leave Gobard for Arabderah.—View of Lake Abhibhad from the ridge of
San-karl.—General direction of march south, time occupied two and
a-half hours.—March to Saggagahdah, general direction S.W., time
marching an hour and a-half.—Meet Kafilah of Mahomed Allee.—Halt for
the night.
_April 18th._—We were on our march again by sunrise, Lohitu accompanying
the party of the non-interested in the care of the camels, and who
generally preceded them half an hour. Of this party, Ohmed Medina had
assumed the leadership from the first day of his having joined, and I
took care always to accompany him. We made a short bend towards the
south, along a narrow water-cut channel, dark from the trees on every
side closing their tops over our heads, and then ascended diagonally the
steep, loose, stony face of the ridge of San-karl, forming the southern
bank of the valley of Gobard. Having reached the top, Lohitu stopped
suddenly to inform me that this height was the general place of assembly
for all the tribes of the Dankalli, when combined in some military
operation, against the Issah Soumaulee to the east, or the Assa-hemerah
Muditu to the west. We were continuing our journey along the plain on
the summit of this ridge, when the loud voice of Ohmed Mahomed calling
after us, caused us to stop until he came up. On his near approach, he
turned round, and with his hand directed my attention to a division very
visible in the flat country to the north-west, which marked the course
of the stream of the Hawash, and the valley of which, seemed to be not
more extensive than that formed by the stream of the Gobard. I was,
however, informed, that it was really much more extensive, and that an
immense number of Bedouins inhabited the fertile district on each side
of the river, for nearly two days’ journey before it bends round to the
north of Owssa.
The precipitous termination of the flat country to the west of the Lake
Abhibhad, was also very plainly seen over the tree-covered expanse, that
marked the entrance of the Gobard, into that general recipient of the
waters of Adal. A prominent feature of the scene also, on the opposite
bank, of this stream, and to the immediate north-east of the lake, was
the ridge of yellow gravelly soil, divided into numerous small denuded
hills, that I passed along the morning before. On the south and west,
the surrounding country was one wide stony plain, through which
protruded numerous low dykes of lava, and at the distance of about
twenty miles could be observed the summit of a single cone, called Jibel
Obinoe, whilst in the opposite direction, towards Zeila and Tajourah,
were a range of peaked hills, that formed the barrier between the Hawash
and the sea, and the western face of which formed the water-shed of the
Gobard river, flowing into Lake Abhibhad.
From the appearance and general character of the surrounding country, I
concluded that the Abhibhad Lake occupied one of those numerous and
extensive depressions, which, like large fissures, here intersect the
otherwise level country of Adal, many of which are now filled up with
the detritus of the ridges around, and the marly deposition from water,
which, during the rains, collects in them. These fissures are in
variable magnetic directions, but they never cross each other, and I saw
evidence sufficient to satisfy myself, that at least in this
neighbourhood, they form rays diverging from one common centre, which is
very well marked by the severed summit of Obinoe.
After satisfying my curiosity with the excellent view of the country
afforded by my situation, we proceeded on our journey. We soon descended
into the bed of a small stream running into the Gobard, along the bottom
of which the heavily-laden camels were now slowly winding their way,
among numerous sweetly-smelling, white-blossomed mimosas, which scented
the whole valley, and afforded a delicious banquet to the busy
inhabitants of a natural bee-hive, so situated that to all honey-eating
animals, save man, it was inaccessible. It occupied a small cave on the
steep face of one of the precipitous cliffs which bounded the stream. In
this narrow valley we passed several watering-places, where I would
gladly have drank, but that every pool was occupied by two or three
dirty Dankalli, who were busily washing and bathing themselves in the
cool and refreshing water. No observation was made by our party at this
pollution, for as there was here an extensive supply, my companions
thought there was as much room for them, as for the numerous camels
which now came up, and made their way into it, not so much to satisfy
thirst, as to enjoy the walk through the water, and which they soon
rendered a very thick solution of mud. This, however, was not
undrinkable, as I found when, after a tiresome march over the
stone-covered plain of Arabderah for at least three hours, we came to
our halting-ground, and found all the pools dried up, so that the few
skins which had been filled at Gobard and at this place were our only
supply for the day, and for the first time during the journey, was I put
upon an allowance of one saucepanful, which I had to divide with a
number of thirsty companions.
During this march I became great friends with the Debenee Chief. Upon my
giving a small paper packet, containing needles, to one of the Bedouins,
in exchange for a dried goat-skin, Zaido asked me to purchase, to place
under the saddle of my mule, Lohitu took the packet from the man, and
opening it, looked at me with surprise for having paid such a great
price for my bargain. After saying a few words to the man, he only gave
him three of the needles, and distributed what remained, by giving one
each to the rest of the party, about a dozen being around us at the
time. He kept three himself, placing them in the sheath of his very old
and worthless dagger, among the ornaments of which, I noticed an old
rusty pair of scissors, which he had thrust in between the thongs that
secured it to his belt.
Lohitu was a very handsome man, with a high, noble forehead, well-formed
nose and mouth, and but for a heavy look, occasioned by his thick, bushy
eyebrows, would have realized my idea of a savage chief with whom I
could have associated, honour and generosity; and even with the
prejudice against the Bedouins I entertained, occasioned by the
evidences of their sanguinary and deceitful character, which had come
under my own notice, I still could only think well of this generally
acknowledged brave and respected man, who was, without any qualification
or jealousy of his excellence whatever, admitted to be the first man of
all the combined tribes. Heaven only knows, how much blood it had been
necessary to shed to produce this unanimity, but the tale of his having
saved the life of the only Muditu who was spared in a recent engagement,
was the solitary instance of the sort I ever heard of; for on occasions
of their warfare, every conquered man, who is not able to save himself
by flight, is most ruthlessly massacred by the victors, on purpose to
add to the boasted numbers of slain, the grand total of which,
constitute the only claim to individual eminence among the Dankalli
tribes.
On the march to-day I gave Lohitu a ring, which I had put on my finger
the first morning after our arrival at Ramudalee, for the purpose of
presenting to this noted chieftain. It consisted of one large red
cornelian, which had been cut by an Indian mechanic in Calcutta, where I
purchased it, into a thick, showy ring, one well suited to the taste of
such people of eminence among the savage tribes with whom I was now
sojourning. Lohitu was exceedingly pleased with it, and wore it for that
day, but whether he was really superior to the common feeling in such
matters of adornment, or preferred the convenience of a little cash
which Ohmed Mahomed offered to him for it, I do not know; but I heard
after he had left us, that Ohmed Mahomed had the ring in his possession,
and that he had given to Lohitu in exchange for it four dollars, or
eight cubits of the blue Surat cloth. This latter is the only money
current in Adal, one cubit in length of this Surat cloth, the full width
of the piece, being in value half a dollar. It is neatly folded into a
three-cornered packet, and the outer extremity is tucked into the
middle, in such a manner as to secure the whole in that form.
Our halting-place was bare of everything but large flat stones of lava,
that had evidently formed originally one thin but entire stratum, which,
on exposure to the atmosphere, had separated into loose stones. These
had become partially rounded at the edges, by continual denudation of
wind and water, assisted by the alternation of heat and cold, arising
from the different temperature of the several winds, which traverse this
height, from the hot sandy plains of Zeila to the east, or the cooler
surface of Lake Abhibhad to the west.
The curiously divided summit of Jibel Obinoe, a slight elevation above
the generally very level table-land, was now visible in the south-west,
and the hills which at Gobard bore towards the north, were now
considerably more towards the north-east. The scene otherwise was
similar to the one from San-karl, consisting of dark yellow plains, with
black ridges of lava breaking through the surface, and no vegetation,
except the dry unyielding grass, and a small prickly plant with blue
flowers, which was the only food for the camels, this arid and stony
country had to offer.
No Bedouins disturbed us here, nor was my evening’s meal of tasteless
rice improved by presents of milk, and in desperation at such poor fare,
I determined to have recourse to my cheese and sea-biscuit, upon which,
after some time and difficulty, I managed to make my supper. Zaido and
Allee joined me in this as in more tempting viands, and found some
amusement in the excessive hardness of the biscuit, actually fracturing
a long and dry leg-bone of a camel, plenty of which always marked the
usual caravan halting-places, by employing it as a geological hammer to
break what they called my “stone bread.”
A council was held during the whole day, a busy subject of discussion
having apparently arisen, and I soon found, by Allee’s information, that
a Kafilah of no friendly character was approaching, and that probably we
should meet it to-morrow. As it was exceedingly strong, and its Ras had
been very ill-treated and imprisoned when last in Tajourah, the leaders
of our Kafilah were anxiously deliberating upon the probable
consequences of a meeting, and were very earnest, I could see, in their
endeavours to secure Lohitu to their cause. Ohmed Mahomed also in the
evening came to see me, and asked if I would give Lohitu five dollars,
to get some boxes belonging to the Embassy, that he asserted were
detained in a neighbouring kraal. What with the information I had
received from Allee, that the Ras of the Kafilah coming down was the
Mahomed Allee who had taken the stores with Messrs. Bernatz and Scott to
join the Political Mission in Shoa, and being aware also of the
treatment, that division of the Embassy received in Tajourah, three of
the servants being murdered in one night, I knew very well that the
object of Ohmed Mahomed’s request for money, was not to get the boxes,
but to bribe Lohitu to declare himself our friend, and reject
accordingly any offer of the same kind that might be made by Mahomed
Allee, who, it was expected, would take this opportunity of retaliating.
I, of course, consented, and this being accomplished, Ohmed Mahomed, to
ingratiate himself also with the attendants of Lohitu, had a camel, that
had been ailing many days, slaughtered, and a feast of raw meat, for
want of water to cook it in, terminated the day. One party of the
revellers who sat near my hut, I observed rolling up strips of the
flesh, and stowing them away in their affaleetahs for a feast at the
next halting-place, as the Dankalli certainly prefer the flesh of
animals cooked, excepting the liver and other viscera, which are almost
always eaten raw. This same party had also come in for the backbone in
their share, and after the fleshy parts had been stript off and
preserved for a better opportunity of cooking, the assembled circle very
fairly, and with much brotherly love, sent the raw juicy bone round,
each one taking a fair chop at it with his heavy dagger, and then making
a good strong pull at the almost detached piece with his teeth. In this
manner they soon cleared and divided the bone, and each one then
possessed himself of a single vertebra to look over, and finish his
repast, which did not conclude until every bit of the cartilage had been
torn off and eaten.
_Tuesday, April 19._—Started at sunrise, and left Arabderah with Lohitu,
Moosa, Adam Burrah, and a number of others. Ohmed Medina and Garahmee
were absent, having returned to Gobard in search of the mule belonging
to the former, which had strayed during the night. The western portion
of the plain of Arabderah is much less stony than the eastern, and the
ground was covered with little shallow depressions of dried clay, the
residium of evaporated water. The country of Owssa is visible from that
point, where we leave the elevated plateau, and descend into the
valley-plain to the south. The prolongation of the height of Arabderah
towards the north-west is called Dulhull, and forms the southern border
of the Abhibhad Lake.
This morning I rode upon my mule, as my boots were getting much the
worse, for walking over the rough and stony road we had travelled along.
Lohitu was very reserved, walking nearly all the way by my side without
speaking a word, except in answer to me, when I sought to know the names
of different places we passed. However, on the other side of me there
was plenty of noise, for the Bedouins who accompanied us were walking in
two lines of five or six in a row, and amusing themselves with singing
alternately extempore stanzas, in which my name, “Ahkeem,” and that of
Lohitu very frequently occurred. One or two of them occasionally, broke
out of the line to touch my knee with the butt-end of their spears, when
they wished me to listen, more particularly to something or other that
related to myself, and that I might be aware that what they were saying
was a compliment. Simple-minded people! to what excellence might not
education raise them! Their great natural abilities, now only developed
in the commission of crime, if only properly cultivated, would, I am
convinced, lead to a national character as extreme for good as it now
is, unfortunately, for evil.
We thus marched for about two hours, having descended, almost
immediately after the start, a rough, stony, but gentle declivity from
the lava-strewn plateau of Arabderah, to the wide and extensive
fissure-plain of Sagagahdah. We were now suddenly halted by a gesture of
Lohitu, who pointed with his spear into the mirage, that seemed to fill
with water the whole upper or western end of the plain, on the edge of
which, but on the distant opposite side, we could see two horsemen
coming at full speed towards us. We had stood but a very few minutes,
when Ebin Izaak, on his mule, came gallopping up, and calling to me, as
I thought, to follow him, passed us as fast as he could go in the
direction to meet the new comers. Just as I was pushing my slow mule
into an attempt to gallop, Ohmed Mahomed, who came running up, called
out to me to remain, and, as I did not exactly understand him, Lohitu
caught hold of my bridle and made signs for me to dismount. I soon
learnt that our halting-place for the day had been determined upon,
immediately the approaching Kafilah had come into sight, and already, a
little in the rear, our camels were being unloaded.
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