Journey from Barradudda to Thermadullah, general direction south by
west, time marching three hours and a-half.—Quarrel with Ras ul
Kafilah.—Cooking scene.—Dankalli improvisatore.—_April 29th._ Staying
at Thermadullah.—Camel saddles.—Stung by scorpion.—Cure.—Account of
some neighbouring hot springs.
_April 28th._—We started from Barradudda by sunrise, travelling nearly
due south for the first two hours, and south-west for the remainder of
to-day’s journey. The road was all the way excellent, being over a dry
hard clay covered with high coarse grass, which was alive with hares,
floricans, and guinea-fowl. To the north and east were long continuous
lava plateaus, one portion of which formed the western boundary of Lake
Abhibhad, and beyond which Owssa was said to be at the distance of
twenty miles. In a wide fissure plain of this table-land, about fifteen
miles to the westward of Abhibhad, another long and narrow lake, called
Killaloo, terminated the river Wahahumbilla coming from the south, part
of which, in the direction of the lake, was visible from some situations
during our march this morning.
I took the opportunity when I saw Ohmedu and Ohmed Medina together, to
ask the latter if he had crossed over any stream when he went to Owssa
from Arabderah. As he replied that he had not, I recalled to Ohmedu’s
recollection that, when at Gobard, he said the river Wahahumbilla went
into the Hawash, just before this latter entered lake Abhibhad, but
which could not be the case, for if so, Ohmed Medina must have observed
it on the occasion of his late journey to Owssa. Ohmedu readily admitted
that he might be wrong, and I have therefore represented in my map the
river Wahahumbilla as terminating at Killaloo, although it is probable
that during very great floods that lake may overflow, and then
communicate with the river Hawash.
After travelling nearly four hours we arrived at a tree-covered valley
called Thermadullah, where we halted for the day. On our march I had an
opportunity of observing a family of Bedouins moving with all their
property, houses included, towards Killaloo in search of water. Seven
camels were laden with mats and the bamboo frames of the native wigwams.
The roof canes belonging to these rose, on each side of the animals,
with a long tapering curve behind, and high above them into the air. The
imagination easily furnished these with some light gossamer structure,
and in this manner suggested to itself a new poetical flying-machine,
vieing with the Pegasus of mythological fable. Besides the hut, each
camel bore a considerable amount of household furniture. Black
earthenware pots, contained in a kind of cage protectors made of some
flexible shrub; the family store of palm-leaves for the industrious
housewife to weave into mats, or to make the native rope; a few
handsome-looking baskets hung round with shells suspended from thongs;
and a child or two placed amidst the whole, or perched upon the top;
sometimes holding in its arms a noisy bleating kid or lamb that was too
young to walk with its dam. Some older children, boys and girls, quite
naked, assisted their mothers in driving before them the flocks of sheep
and goats. No men accompanied this party, but their absence was
accounted for, by their being engaged in tending a herd of some
thousands of oxen, whose dusty track I observed like a low red cloud
some miles in extent, about a league to the west of us.
We had ourselves three cows and several sheep and goats, the returns of
some little trading with the people of Herhowlee, who having bought from
different persons in the Kafilah a small quantity of tobacco, and a few
cubits of blue sood, had paid in kind for their purchases.
When Ohmed Mahomed engaged the Hy Soumaulee escort, he did not tell me
that part of the agreement was that they should have a bullock, or its
equivalent in sheep or goats, every second day. This I learnt from the
men themselves, who to-day came annoying me a great deal for the
performance of this part of the stipulation. On applying to Ohmed
Mahomed for an explanation, he said that they were justified in claiming
it, not from any promise he had made, but because the men of the
additional escort, the British Embassy had been necessitated to engage
on the road, always received a bullock to regale themselves with every
other day. He was exceedingly impertinent in reply to my observation
that I had no authority to incur such an additional expense, and which
might probably be considered to have been incurred unnecessarily on our
arrival in Shoa. He turned upon his heel, saying, loud enough to be
heard by the Hy Soumaulee, that I must pay for the bullocks, and was a
fool to raise a question about such a trifle, and that where I spent one
dollar the Embassy had expended one hundred; concluding, as he retired
beneath his shielding of mats, “Go away, go away, give the dollars, if
the English want the road the English must pay for it.” It was no use
quarrelling with him, to do which I felt exceedingly inclined, and it
would have been some satisfaction, to have discharged the shot of one
barrel of my carbine, into the bare posteriors of this black rascal,
exposed as he was whilst creeping into his retreat. My situation however
did not admit of such a display of feeling, and I retired to my hut to
consider upon some plan to prevent the extortion, which, under colour of
payment for these cattle, I considered at the time was being levied, to
make up for the heavy expenditure incurred, by the consequences of the
quarrel of yesterday. I never doubted but that his comparison, between
my expenses and those of the Embassy, was like his usual statements,
founded upon untruth. I was determined, therefore, not to be imposed
upon by Ohmed Mahomed, without letting him know that in the end, he
would be a much greater loser by his present system of extorting a few
dollars from me, by my withholding all commendation for care and
attention upon our arrival in Shoa.
Accordingly, towards evening, when the men came again demanding the
bullock, I accompanied them to the hut of Ohmed Mahomed, and asked him,
as if I had consented to their demand, what was the price of the animal.
As I expected, he asked a most unreasonable sum, no less than nine
dollars, two being the fair market price. I told him in reply, very
quietly, that he was no friend to the English, and that I should
consider him, therefore, no longer my Ras ul Kafilah, but that for the
future Ebin Izaak alone should transact all business with me; I also
gave him to understand that I should represent to the proper quarter the
treatment I had received, which would occasion a considerable diminution
in the amount of boxeish, or present, he would receive in Shoa. On
hearing this, he got immediately into a dreadful rage, stormed away, and
pushed by me out of the hut, as if bent “on purpose dire;” but hearing,
as I also jumped to my feet, the repeated warning click of both locks of
my carbine, he replaced his seized spear against the heap of salt-bags,
loudly complaining in his own language to Ohmed Medina and a crowd of
the Kafilah people, who, hearing words running very high, had come, all
armed, to hear what could be the matter. They kept at a very respectful
distance from me, some of them calling out they were my friends, for two
or three of the boldest had at first threatened me both by shouting and
shaking their spears; but, having taken on the first alarm a good
position among the camels, I managed to enact a sufficiently bold
bearing to deter them from a nearer approach, although my hopes just at
that moment were most recreant indeed.
After a little consultation, seeing I would not leave my camel-battery
to come to them, Ohmed Medina and Ebin Izaak left the crowd, and walking
some distance on one side, squatted down as they do in a calahm,
beckoning me to go to them. As these two were men, of whose friendly
intentions I could have no doubt, I joined them immediately, and we sat
talking and explaining matters for nearly an hour, when it was arranged,
that peace between Ohmed Mahomed and myself should be made in the usual
manner, and that we must both be good friends. For this purpose Ebin
Izaak brought Ohmed Mahomed into the little circle, the Fahtah, or
opening chapter of the Koran, was recited, and shaking hands, we each
repeated “Y’Allah abbi!” (God bless you!) and thus ended very
satisfactorily, an affair, which at one time had rather a serious
aspect.
We now entered upon the subject of providing food for the Hy Soumaulee.
I complained of the exorbitant price asked for the bullocks, and
proposed that I should give three dollars each, for those that would be
required. Ohmed Medina said, it was enough; so that business was also
settled. A laughing proposal was then made, to tie Ohmed Mahomed, during
the night, but I replied, that I had nothing to fear from him after the
Fahtah had been read, and with this compliment to the sacred character
of their oath, I got up, and retired to my hut.
In a very short time, my escort had slaughtered and flayed the bullock;
and, in expectation of a hearty meal, were quite happy. One half of them
lay in a line upon the ground, at the back of my hut, whilst the
remainder were busily employed, boiling the meat, at numerous little
wood fires, which occupied shallow holes, scraped with their fingers, in
the soil. Three stones, around each of these, supported large
earthenware pots; and the bubbling contents, and the sharp crackling
fuel told, that things were going on as satisfactorily as possible. Some
of the cooks, sitting on their heels, were amusing themselves, during
the process of the boiling, by picking the bones, from which the meat in
the pots had been cut. Their long knives, held close on one side the
face, as, with both hands, the bone was held most lovingly to the mouth,
glistened frequently in the blaze of the fires, when, with sudden
snatches, they detached with their teeth, the raw remnants of flesh that
still remained.
Somewhat amused with the scene, I took a stroll among the cooking fires,
and the recumbent escort; as I came near one of them, he, without
raising his head from the wooden pillow on which it rested, reached his
arm out, and rolling a stone nearer to him, patted it with his hand, and
calling out, “Ahkeem,” very politely invited me to take a seat by his
side. Here our conversation stopt; for, besides “How do you,” I did not
understand a word scarcely of their language. However, my presence was
the signal for a song; Carmel Ibrahim, my present entertainer, and chief
man of the Hy Soumaulee escort, commencing. An improvisatored chant, of
which, of course, I was the subject, was sung in alternate stanzas by a
noisy chorus, who followed Carmel’s dictation, something like a country
congregation, when, from the scarcity of books, the clerk, to
accommodate them, gives out two lines of the hymn at a time. I awaited,
very patiently, the termination of the song, which only ended when
supper was reported ready; music that moment lost its charm, and the
savage, good-humoured choristers bounded to their feet, and thronged
around the respective fires. The meat was taken out of the seething
pots, and placed in the dirty tobe of one of the party upon the ground,
and every one then helped himself. The supply of provisions being
plentiful, they had no fear that their appetites would not be satisfied,
so the best feeling prevailed amongst the party, each taking what he
thought sufficient for himself, and the greatest unanimity, as to eating
as much as ever they possibly could, characterized the entertainment.
Zaido, in an agony of mind at not finding me in the hut, now came
shouting in the dark for me, and on relieving his anxious fears about my
safety by reporting myself present, he quickly placed before me a bowl
heaped up with pieces of meat, placed upon a quantity of boiled wheat,
soaking in ghee. I made haste to do justice to his care; and in a short
time afterwards, he and the two Allees were finishing what remained.
Before I close the account of this day, I must observe, that the burn in
the palm of my hand troubled me very little indeed; the thick compact
skin having only been superficially scorched, and the slight
inflammation it excited, having quickly subsided, I felt but little
inconvenience from the wound.
_April 29th._—No start this morning, two camels being very ill,
according to Ohmed Mahomed’s account, who asserted, they would not be
able to proceed until the next day. Another name for our halting-place
was Alee-bakalee. In a retired spot, surrounded by trees, I found a
large sheet of water, which, according to all accounts I received, is to
be found here during the whole year. Returning after a very refreshing
bathe, I gathered a quantity of the Indian vegetable, and as all my rice
and biscuit were expended, this addition to my present meat diet was
very agreeable. Here I also shot a large adjutant bird, exactly similar
to those I have seen in Calcutta. In the afternoon, I employed myself
repairing the shattered boxes, which had not proved equal to the
continual knocking about they were exposed to, and to which the numerous
loadings and unloadings of the camels during the long march, contributed
not a little. Small barrels, with shut-up tops, would be best adapted
for the packing of stores so conveyed, and would suit much better the
ingenious, but simple camel-saddle used by the Dankalli.
This saddle consists of four strong staves, about four feet in length,
and as thick as a man’s wrist. Two of these are intended for each side
of the camel. At the distance of one-third from the upper end are fixed
small round pads of matting, stuffed with strips of the palm leaf. These
rest on the sides of the hump, and relieve this rather tender part from
the pressure of the load. The lower ends of the two staves on each side,
are bound together, but the upper extremities, above the pads, diverge
to the distance of a foot or eighteen inches; the staves of either side
are connected together by ropes carried over the pads.
A quantity of palm-leaf mats, six feet long, and three feet broad, are
first placed upon the back of the camel, and across these is thrown the
saddle. The two conjoined ends on either side are now fastened
underneath the belly, by a rope passing directly from the one to the
other, in a straight line. No girding, similar to the manner in which we
saddle horses is resorted to. The saddle being thus fixed, from the
projecting extremities of the staves, on one side is suspended the
burden that hangs upon the other, and thus, when properly adjusted, the
weight of the two burdens tends to tighten the rope beneath the belly of
the animal, and prevents the whole from shifting during the journey.
Another advantage derived from this kind of saddle is, that when the
camel lies down, the whole weight of the burden is lifted up from the
back, for the lower extremities of the staves come upon the ground
before the belly of the animal, and thus support the loads, whilst it
remains in that position. If proper attention be paid to the equal
distribution of weight on each side, when first loaded, the camel
marches the whole day without any danger of casting its burden, unless
the rope should happen to break, which connects the lower ends of the
staves of either side. Too frequently, the slaves of the owner neglect
this important duty, and I have observed with what difficulty, the
narrow body of the camel has been able to contend, against the unequal
pressure upon its sides. In such cases, if attention be not paid to its
loud moanings, and the restless movements of its head, when vainly
endeavouring to lift off the load from its back, the animal soon falls
to the ground, unwilling or unable to proceed farther, without a
readjustment of the loads.
The numerous ropes required in loading camels with the long narrow
salt-bags, are generally made of two plies of the thin portion of the
doom palm leaf, twisted in contrary directions with the hands, and then
allowed to twine naturally upon each other. Hempen ropes are preferred,
when they can be obtained; and several specimens were shown to me; that
had been manufactured by some Galla people to the south of the Hawash,
in the neighbourhood of Shoa.
I continued nailing the boxes, teaching Zaido the use of a hammer and a
nail-passer, when attempting to lift over one of the packages, I placed
my hand under its lower edge, and was suddenly made aware, by a severe
sting in the ball of my thumb, that some reptile had located itself
beneath. In an agony of anxious curiosity, I pushed over the box, and
then exposed to view a large scorpion, at least an inch and a-half in
diameter. The pain for the moment was intense, shooting rapidly along my
arm into the shoulder and neck, and as I had been taught to believe,
that the most serious consequences would arise from a wound of such a
description, I looked at it very seriously for a few moments, with all
the contentment of despair; the loss of all hope had made me more
tranquil than in my moral philosophy I had ever conceived would have
been the case. The pain, however, like sharp rheumatic touches, soon
called me back to reasonable expression, and excessive suffering made me
stamp again, causing Zaido and the others to laugh immoderately. They
made chase, however, after the reptile, which was hastily running off,
with his tail curved high over his back, and sting displayed, in a high
state of irritation, no doubt. It was very soon stopped by one of the
Allees dropping, after several attempts, the butt-end of his spear upon
it, and holding it down till Zaido, with the nail-passer, had amputated
the last joint of the tail, which supported the sting. He then took the
animal up, tore it ruthlessly into two pieces, and began to rub the
wound in my hand, with the ichorous-looking juice which, instead of
blood, appears to circulate through the animal. I was also comforted in
my mind by assurances that all would be well in an hour, for the knife,
as my friends called the sting, was a very small one.
I learnt from this occurrence, that the Dankalli do not consider the
sting of the scorpion of their country dangerous, and it is well that it
is not so, for they are found in any quantity underneath every large
stone. Sometimes on rolling one over, in the shallow depression of the
ground, I have noticed the entrance to a nest of these nauseous-looking
reptiles; and on removing a little of the soil, perhaps I should unearth
an old one as large as a crown-piece, semi-transparent, of a dirty,
mottled yellow colour, with about ten or a dozen young ones, like so
many huge spiders, running about in all directions, as if fully aware of
their situation, and that no endeavours would be spared to destroy the
whole family party.
As it is useful to observe coincidental ideas upon subjects somewhat
related, which are entertained by very different and distinct nations, I
may be allowed to remark the resemblance between the remedy on this
occasion, and which was quite sufficient for the cure, and that which is
adopted by the lower orders in Scotland at the present time, to
counteract the effects of the bite of a viper. It is usual among them to
kill and flay the reptile, and the moist inner surface of the skin is
then well rubbed over the wound, as were the separated portions of the
scorpion in my case by the Dankalli.
The pain in my hand not subsiding immediately, I thought it prudent to
retreat into my hut, bidding Zaido to bring my gun, hammer, nails, &c.
Ohmed Medina came to amuse me, and told some long tales of the numerous
Jinn that haunted the country, which, however, must be understood to
mean the volcanic phenomena, which are continually altering the surface
level of the country of Adal. A very famous residence of a large
community of these Jinn, Ohmed Medina stated to be about two days’
journey towards the north-east, before we came to the river Hawash in
that direction. The name of the place was Ta’hou, and the caravan route,
from Owssa to Gondah, passed close to the neighbourhood of this evil
spot, the principal features of which, I was given to understand, were,
several boiling springs, a few yards distance from each other, that
threw up columns of hot water and vapour, several feet high. Around the
borders of these steam fountains a large quantity of a very white stone
is found. From this circumstance, I inferred, that they were of the same
character as the geysers of Iceland, depositing, like them, a thick bed
of silex around their apertures.
Ohmed Medina left me, to perform the usual vesper adorations before and
after sunset. By the time he had finished, and returned to ask how the
wound in my hand felt, I had almost forgotten the circumstance, for the
pain had subsided, and the sting had left no trace of a wound.
When I retired to rest, the remainder of the bullock left uncooked the
evening before, was being prepared by my hungry escort. The Dankalli, as
far as I could observe, make but one regular meal a day, and that after
sunset. They eat, certainly, at any other time, when anything is put
before them, but this is very irregular, and considered only as an
extraordinary indulgence.
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