Description of the plain of Sagagahdah.—Dowaleeka Lake.—Effects of
mirage.—Slave Kafilah.—Write letters to Aden.—Retire from camp with
Lohitu.—Interview with Mahomed Allee.
THE plain of Sagagahdah is of considerable extent. It stretches in one
straight line from the country of the Issah Soumaulee, in the
south-east, to Jibel Obinoe, in the north-west, a distance of more than
thirty miles, with a uniform width of between five and six miles. The
sides are flat-topped parallel ridges, from four to five hundred feet
high, being the abrupt termination of elevated volcanic plateaus. That
to the north is called Dulhull, and separates the plain of Sagagahdah
from the one of a somewhat similar character, occupied by the Lake
Abhibhad. The ridge to the south is called Mahree. During the season of
the greatest rains, the plain of Sagagahdah is a complete morass, or
shallow lake, collecting the waters that flow over the Dulhull and
Mahree ridges. These numerous little streams seem constantly to be
forming new channels, for but a few yards from a deeply-cut and
apparently very convenient watercourse, the traveller sometimes
observes, the torrent rushing down a precipitous and evidently a very
recent one. This interesting geological phenomenon is to be attributed
to the occurrence of frequent earthquakes in this situation, which have
the effect of altering the previous level of the country. Another
striking evidence of this was pointed out to me by Ohmed Medina, whose
naturally inquiring mind, led him to ask of me a solution of that which
to him and to others also who mentioned it, was a very remarkable
circumstance. A large lake, it appeared, had come into existence within
the last six years, in an adjoining plain, called Dowaleeka, similar to
the one of Sagagahdah, and a constant sheet of water which abounded in
leeches now occupied its upper end, where previously a regular Kafilah
route had existed to Shoa.
The sides of these fissured plains, I think, at a certain depth, must
meet in a synclinal axis; but time has nearly filled the valley between,
to their present level, with the detritus of the rocks around, and the
marly deposition from the evaporated water, collected in them during the
season of the rains. In the plain of Lukhee, a day’s journey more to the
west, this operation of filling up has proceeded, even to the forming of
one general level of the country, and the alluvial soil of the former
valley is now continuous, with the stony summits of the bounding ridges.
Coming from the opposite side, diagonally across to our station, could
be now seen the stranger Kafilah, camel after camel, emerging from the
mirage in a long-extended line. The effect of this natural phenomenon,
the mirage, was greater than I expected. The very perfect and natural
resemblance it bears to water, the reflection even of the adjoining
ridges as perfectly distinct as from the surface of a lake, contributing
very much to the illusion. To ascribe to any traveller the originality
of the beautiful expression, “ships of the desert,” as applied to that
useful animal the camel, is an injustice to the simple elegance of
natural ideas. Not one, but half a dozen of the Bedouins, came to me in
succession, and directed my attention to the broad and enlarged figure
of the camel with its burden, as it appeared through the medium of the
mirage, and all expressed themselves exactly in the same terms, that it
was the ship of their country, and any one who has seen the camel in
such a situation would have immediately suggested to his mind, a distant
vessel sailing end on before a breeze, with all its studding sails set,
so exact a resemblance is observed between it and the distorted image of
the laden camel.
The merry sound of the laughing, chatting, singing, infant children, who
formed the bulk of a Kafilah of at least two hundred slaves, now
gradually reached us, increasing, as they approached, into the buzzing
hubbub of a crowd of people, who at length passed us, and halted for the
day, at the distance of about half a mile from our camp, eastward.
The people of both Kafilahs soon mixed with each other with the best
feeling imaginable, interchanging salutes and repeating to each other
the most important news from their respective starting-places. The
new-comers had been thirty-eight days from Shoa, and at a day’s journey
on this side of the Hawash, had been attacked by the Hittoo Galla, who
had killed two of the Kafilah men, and seven of the smallest children of
the slaves, for these unfortunates are always murdered, if their captors
in such forays find it impossible, as in this instance, to carry them
away. Several of the Galla were also slain. News of the British Embassy
I could not obtain, except that the last detachment of stores had got
safely up, and that the Ras ul Kafilah on that occasion, Mahomed Allee,
was now at the head of the present return one. I was also told that
forty of the slaves belonged to him, and that they had been given to him
by our Ambassador in Shoa. Such was the report, but of course I
understood this properly, that the money Mahomed Allee had received for
his services he had laid out in the purchase of slaves, in the like
manner that Ohmed Mahomed and Ebin Izaak, were taking up with me to
Shoa, the dollars paid to them in Tajourah by Mr. Cruttenden, to invest
in the same revolting merchandise.
The principal men of either Kafilah were now sitting in two adjoining
circles, whilst Lohitu sat apart with a stranger who had joined us from
a direction exactly opposite to that in which the new arrivals had come.
As they sat within a few yards of me, I perceived that he bore on his
breast the “Arriah,” or incised figure of the Debenee tribe; and I
concluded, therefore, he was some member of the family of the Chief;
Zaido, however, who had a very acute eye to perceive any threatened or
rather suspected danger, whispered to me, as he pushed my breakfast of
rice into my hut, that an Issah Soumaulee was talking to Lohitu. As I
could not understand how it happened that one of this hated tribe dare
venture alone among the Debenee, I set the man down to be a half-blood,
which would also account for his being marked with the peculiar symbol
of that tribe.
These two were soon joined by a third, another stranger to me, who came
from the calahm circle of the Shoa Kafilah, and brought with him a small
coil of brass wire, weighing, perhaps, one ounce or so, which Lohitu
received in his usual silent manner, and deposited beneath his tobe. I
had promised Mr. Cruttenden to write to Aden by every opportunity, and
as I considered this an admirable one, from the previous connexion of
Mahomed Allee with the English, I sent to Ohmed Mahomed to request that
he would bring him to me, that besides the letter I intended to send, I
might also give him some verbal message to Capt. Haines or Mr.
Cruttenden. Ohmed Mahomed immediately appeared, but refused to let
Mahomed Allee come to receive the letter, adding, that the latter would
not be allowed to take it to Aden, even if I gave it to him, as the
Sultaun of Tajourah would not permit him to enter that town. As,
however, I persisted in my desire to employ Mahomed Allee, whom I knew
to be well thought of by the authorities in Aden, Ohmed Mahomed at
length consented to bring him, and went away for that purpose. In about
half an hour he returned, and having introduced Mahomed Allee to me, I
gave him my letters for Capt. Haines, and one for home, informing him
that on their delivery in Aden he would receive a boxeish or present, as
usual, for his trouble.
After concluding this business to my satisfaction, I went with Lohitu,
at the request of Ohmed Mahomed, some distance from the camp, and we sat
down amidst the ruins of some loose stone walls, where formerly a large
kraal had been. This move was suggested, I thought, by a desire to save
me from the pestering applications of the Bedouins of Mahomed Allee’s
Kafilah, who had previously surrounded my hut in crowds, begging for
everything that could enter into the mind of a Dankalli as constituting
riches, such as needles, buttons, paper, gunpowder, and brass wire.
For two hours did the mighty Chief of the Debenee and I sit in gloomy
silence, both building little walls and pyramids of the loose stones
that lay within our reach, until we had cleared the whole neighbourhood
of all but the larger ones. As I now got rather tired of my occupation,
I made one or two attempts to get up, as hints to my companion that we
should be going. Each time, however, he laid hold of my Arab frock, and
pointing again to my place, he intimated that I was in his charge, and
that until the sun was down I must stay with him. Being particularly
quiet when I cannot help myself, I made a virtue of necessity, and took
up my old position, and for occupation proposed to fix around the head
of Lohitu’s spear, the brass wire which I had seen given to him in the
morning. By the time that business was completed to the satisfaction of
the Chief, who in return gave me a whip made of the hide of the
hippopotamus, the sun had set, and we returned to the camp; I retiring
to my hut, and Lohitu to a group of Tajourah people, with whom he soon
squatted in an earnest calahm.
No sooner had I taken my seat and called to Zaido about getting me some
supper, than a fierce-looking stranger forced aside the mat, which
depending from the roof of the hut, overhung the entrance. My usual
exclamation of “Cutta,” “Cutta,” Go away, Go away, on such occasions of
intrusion, was unheeded, and without any ceremony, and quite undeterred
by the pistol I had already seized, the man took his seat on my mat, and
putting his hands to his breast, with a kind of salutation and a smile
of introduction, said, “Mahomed Allee,” and then in Arabic asked me if I
had no letters to send down to the Commander at Aden, for by that name
is Capt. Haines generally known among the Dankalli merchants. Zaido at
this moment making his appearance, I appealed to him, if this were
Mahomed Allee, and Zaido, who looked anything but comfortable,
reluctantly admitted that it was, stammering out at the same time, that
“Mahomed Allee had better go away.” The latter, however, did not
understand this, but laughed most sneeringly, as he said, “Cutta,” with
a contemptuous wave of the hand, that made Zaido back expeditiously out
of the hut, carrying on his shoulders the hanging door mat.
Being determined not to allow myself to be so imposed upon as I had
evidently been by Ohmed Mahomed, I tore a leaf out of my note-book,
having exhausted all the paper I had taken out in the morning, except
that on which I wrote my letters, in presents to the begging Bedouins.
Upon the abstracted leaf I wrote a hasty note, telling Capt. Haines of
the deception practised upon me, and recommending that no present should
be given to the counterfeit Mahomed Allee, as a punishment for his
impudence. This being made up into a note, was carefully deposited by
Mahomed Allee, between the double fold of ox-skin which formed the
scabbard of his knife, and which is made a convenient receptacle by the
Dankalli, for many trifling articles, such as needles, snuff, or thread.
Mahomed Allee now informed me, that he had got letters to Aden from the
Political Mission in Shoa, and also desired me to write down in my
note-book the name of a kraal, where were deposited seventeen packages
and boxes, he had been obliged to leave on the road, when in charge of
the last English Kafilah that had gone up to Shoa. He attributed this
abandonment to the numbers of his camels that had died upon the march
from the scarcity of water. He also said that no difficulty would be
incurred, for the Bedouin who had them in charge, was a relation of his
own, and would himself take them along with the present Kafilah to Shoa.
After this Mahomed Allee retired, asking me only for a handful of
tobacco, which I bade Zaido to give him, but was afterwards obliged to
increase the niggardly bestowal of my servant, by taking the skin bag
from him, and shaking its contents into the open tobe of my new
acquaintance.
I should not have slept well that night, if I had not told Ohmed Mahomed
of the deception he had practised upon me, and as he came to my hut a
few moments after Mahomed Allee had left, I took care to mention it. He
excused himself very coolly by saying, that Lohitu had promised to cut
the throat of Mahomed Allee, before he reached Gobard, suiting the
action to the word, by sawing away at his own throat with the edge of
his open hand, and adding, “that then all the letters given to him by
the Embassy in Shoa, would be taken from him and carried to Aden by
Mahomed Murkee,” the man whom he had passed upon me, for Mahomed Allee.
It was certainly not very agreeable, to be thus made the confidant of an
intended murder, especially when the victim was a man I was inclined to
think well of, not judging from the little I had seen of him myself, but
from the recommendations he had received from the missionaries, Messrs.
Isenberg and Krapf, whom he took up on their first visit to Shoa, and
also from the commendations I had heard bestowed upon him by Mr.
Cruttenden in Tajourah. I determined therefore that, at all risks, I
would exonerate myself from becoming an accomplice before the fact,
should the assassination take place, by revealing the whole design to
Mahomed Allee, and also exert my influence with Lohitu to procure for
him a safe passage through the country of the Debenee. It was too late
to do anything this night, although Mahomed Allee and his friends were
still squatting, a very few yards in front of my hut. Fearing, however,
that some attempt was about to be made upon the party by the friends of
Ohmed Mahomed, who were also gathering into a calahm, I was obliged to
call out to him to go away, which I did, in a tone that he understood
very well to be intended as a warning; and he and his three or four
friends accordingly got up, and retired to their own Kafilah.
During the afternoon of to-day, whilst I sat with Lohitu at the ruined
kraal, I could not help observing the innocent curiosity, not unmixed
with fear, with which the little slave-girls came to have a peep at me.
Lohitu himself could not resist smiling, at the occasional hasty retreat
of those who happened to come near me, before they were aware of their
situation. They were employed in collecting for fuel, dried camel’s
dung, and the little rotten sticks that had floated with the last rains
into the plain. Their ages varied from eight to fourteen years. I saw no
slaves in this Kafilah who exceeded those years, and I was given to
understand that most of them were Gurague Christians. A few boys were
also to be seen amongst them who ran stark naked; or else with only a
bit of old ragged cloth, tied by the two ends under the chin, and
hanging behind upon their neck and shoulders. The girls wore a chemise
of the same dirty description, gathered around the waist by a piece of
plaited or twisted palm-leaf rope. They were, without exception, most
interesting and sharp-looking little things, and did not appear to be
fatigued by their long journey, or ill-used by their masters. The
necessities of a licentious religion is pandered to by the slave-trade
carried on between the sea-coast and the interior of Africa; and no
greater blow could be struck at Mahomedanism than by putting an end to
this anti-human traffic.
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