from all parts of the Ottoman empire, their own country is and ever will
be the favourite theme of all. We feel this also, and our old Rhine
songs make us now gay, now sad. For some days I had been sick of fever.
Omar Kaschef sent me some lemonade with orange juice in it; I fancied I
was drinking our favourite May-drink, and that I was in Konigswinter on
the Rhine, and, in spite of the fever’s violence, I was happy.
Unfortunately we have had latterly to give up the chase, as from behind
almost every bush peep out hostile lances, and horrible murders daily
occur. I lie all day on my angareb, constantly smoking, and, like a
dreamer, keep my eyes fixed on the dusty partition of our hut, scarce
hearing the dull words of the ignorant Turks, and allowing the time to
pass on in idle listlessness. Thus do men alter; I am vexed with myself,
but the unendurable heat soon changes my anger against myself, into
curses at this broiling, monotonous life, the camp, and all in it. But I
cannot venture outside the seriba without running the risk of being
massacred, and the life and doings inside the fence are all too familiar
to me. On all sides are heard nothing but grumblings about want of
money, food, and everything else; then, each abuses the other, the
Pascha comes in for his full share, and all round are complaints of the
present, and praises of past times under Churschid Pascha. Only a small
German country town could show dulness similar, and there other things
would be better. The few books I carry with me I have read over a dozen
times, and all that remains for me is thought, though my mind is so
dulled and worn, that I almost at once fall into dreamy fancies and
castle-buildings;—gigantic plans! immense fortune,—careless, luxurious
old age,—purchase of landed estates in some happy, fair land,
improvement of them,—family happiness, &c. These coloured and handsome
women are not calculated, even for a short time, to afford amusement to
an educated man; one can indeed only look on them as dumb conductors, as
no one spark of feeling seems to be ever drawn from them. They
themselves are unconscious of their unhappy lot, to be thus throughout
all these lands condemned to slavery. All feelings here die away and
become blunted, save only the remembrances of earlier life in one’s
native country, and especially the joys of one’s student years and
intercourse with youthful friends. Then come the thoughts of wine, beer,
and clear cold water, and the food of home, not delicacies, but the
plainest fare. How often do we talk over the sauer-kraut, potatoes,
hams, sausages, and pork and broad beans! These may all be trifles, but
if a man wants them for many years, and is exposed to all the annoyances
of such a climate, he will soon feel how dear such things will become. I
have now been more than half a year from Chartum, and constantly in the
field, and not once have I enjoyed the great luxury of reposing
undressed between clean-washed linen sheets, but have invariably slept,
full dressed, on the ground, or on the angareb. Our best linen soon
vanishes, as the constant perspiration spoils its purity, the chalky
dust burns into it, and the servants know nothing of washing; near their
black skin all seems to them white; and, alas! for three months we have
had no soap. In the midst of such a lazy, idle life, creeping on like a
slow fever, all at once one hears the cry of “Jalla!” and one hangs for
four or five days, eighty or a hundred leagues on a camel’s back, shaken
and rubbed till sore in body and bones, with a glowing sun, or sudden
cold, and constant thirst and hunger as embellishments. But a man can
bear much; I have held out through what I never would have believed. In
violent fever, mounted on a dromedary, in midday sunbeams, more dead
than living, held on by others,—and yet I recovered. To remain behind
was certain death from the hand of the enemy, or the teeth of wild
beasts. I have experienced what necessity will force a man to bear. In
this monotonous state of existence and uniform manner of life, I
compared myself to the camels picketed outside our tent, under the
burning sun, now perfectly quiet, now lazily stretching themselves,
undisturbed, though crows and ravens walk about on their backs, ever
chewing the cud, or, as a change, seizing a blade of grass, and never
showing the slightest sign of joy or curiosity.
* * * * *
CHAP. XIV.
Advance against the Enemy. — Retreat. — Omar Kaschef. — Great Cavern of
the Kassela-el-Lus. — Baobab Trees. — Hunting. — Birds.—Beasts. —
Pascha’s Plans. — Quit the Camp for Chartum. — Conclusion.
The Haddenda continue shooting our camels, although these are sent out
to feed under military escort. We, ourselves, have during this campaign
lost in all five and twenty camels and six dromedaries by such
robberies,—a loss that falls on our own purse, as we could not bring
ourselves to ask the Pascha for any share of the plundered camels taken
by our troops. Quite close to the camp the Haddenda, or, as is likely,
the Hallenga, have with their broad lance heads pierced through and
through three Mograbins, who defended themselves and their camels
against them. My brother, who, at the first glance, gave up the wounded
as hopeless cases, now says, it is a wondrous chance that these three
men have ever recovered so far as they have; they are now out of danger.
Sobi Aga, a leader of the Mograbins, had presented us for these cures,
or rather that we might speak well of him before the Pascha, a truly
handsome dromedary. For the latter reason also another chief officer,
Soliman Aga, left behind him, on visiting us, 400 piastres, which we
sent back to him by a servant, to whom, however, he maintained that the
money was none of his. On our telling this to the Pascha, he rejoiced at
our prize, and, laughing heartily, advised us to keep our consciences
quiet, as in this land a man must take all he could get.
At last it was resolved to advance against the Haddenda in their Chaàba
with the whole army: which caused a precious confusion in the camp. The
camels, laden with the ammunition, set out, but ran away, and threw it
off when but a short way from the camp: the latter was fired at all
corners, that the enemy might not throw themselves into it. The march
was continued in a north-westerly direction, on the before-mentioned
village of Dabab, till late in the night. Next day, about noon, we found
ourselves on the Gohr-el-Gash, and had to undergo an awful scorching. On
the following morning the camp was pitched an hour’s journey beyond
Dabab, where the deep, grassy soil and heavy dews caused much illness,
and many of the sick died. The poor Schaigies had day and night to
gallop round the camp, and for three days had not been off horseback.
After a rest of two days the march further into the Chaàba was made for
some two miles, and, as usual, without any order, as every one had to
find his way as he best could over the yet undried morass. The Black
Sheiks are in their suits of armour, and have their helmets hanging at
the saddle-bow. So also have Mohammed Ehle and Achmed Scheriff, though
they are much in terror of being shot by our soldiery (Askari), but
must, such being the Pascha’s express orders, accompany us, that so we
may have in our power hostages for the Hallenga’s good behaviour. The
Pascha had a great square formed, as the Arabs began to show on all
sides. The few Hallenga who are with us have stuck pieces of white paper
in their hair, not to be taken by our soldiery for the enemy (Haddenda).
The Arabs, by fearful howlings, challenged us to commence the battle;
these were replied to by a perfectly useless fire from our soldiers,
without aim and at too great a distance. The Pascha galloped about like
a madman, but would not move his force. The cannons were moved about
from side to side and fired off, so as to astound the foe by their
thunders and grape-shot, and make them keep a respectable distance from
us. At last the cavalry took a breathing and charged; but, from the
trees and some huts that had been fired, effected little. One of the
Schaigies and four Koschafs (sing. Kaschef) fell, horses and men. After
this the enemy became again quiet, and made no more attacks. The Pascha
took particular pleasure in riding here and there against a single foe,
and in shooting them down, as these, after having thrown all their
lances, remained fixed as Achu-el-Bannat, to show their scorn for death.
The Schaigies made a fearful howling as they attacked, and as the foe
approached them, the blacks of Mohammed Defallah danced about on one leg
and beat on their shields with their swords, now crouching low down, now
springing up into the air. The village of Dabab was burnt down, although
it is in the Hallenga country, and the powder was moved on close by, and
passed not ten paces from the burning houses. At midday the triumphant
Achmet Pascha, to whom I certainly had ascribed higher leader’s talent,
retreated to his camp, which had in the meantime been left in charge of
Abdin Bey. Here there was now no end of all kinds of boastings. Each
proclaimed his great deeds, and according to all, an immense number of
Arabs must have been slain. Friday arrived, and we should have again
marched out, but the great Kadi Salani of Chartum, who had been for some
time in camp, and to whom the Pascha had presented a beautiful female
slave, although he brought two wives with him, advanced out of his tent
and spoke with some of the upper officers. This did not continue long,
till the Pascha came from his tent, and we soon observed what had been
the tenor of the sly priest’s words. All the soldiers rushed one after
the other to the Pascha’s feet, praying that this day no blood might be
shed, as it was Chumna, a holy day or festival. This great Kadi is a
hypocritical but intelligent Mograbin, drinks stoutly his wine in
private, especially when he gets it for nothing, and, as I afterwards
learnt from my brother, during Ramazan, when even the poor half-starved
soldiers fasted, openly set them the fine example of eating and drinking
before his tent, nor allowed himself to be annoyed by the displeasure of
the other holy Sheiks, who during that period abstained from all food or
indulgences. The Sheik of the Bischari, Wod-Naga, who, as well as the
other Sheiks, have no wish to see the complete subjection of the
Haddenda, has disappeared with his people from the camp to arrange with
them a secret treaty, to which the Pascha has in private given his
consent. The latter, who did not, nor dared not, trust to this, has
during the negotiation caused the great Sheik Mohammed Din, his nephew,
and the Sheik of Mitkenab, to be placed on camels, loaded as they were
with the chains they all along had worn, and conveyed back to Chartum
under a strong escort. In spite of the negotiations going on for a
peace, many expeditions were made from the camp, but without any
success, as the herds that were here and there seized on, at the fearful
howls of the Arabs were scattered in all directions, upsetting infantry
and cavalry, and rushing back into the forest to their fellows. The
Haddenda declared themselves defeated by a deputation of a Sheik and
three of themselves, but they would pay no tulba, unless the Pascha
retired to the Kassela. The retreat to Kassela was made in a single day.
Thirty men perished from fatigue, and 370 asses, and many horses and
camels. Among the wounded was Omar Kaschef, to whom the Pascha paid
every attention, and specially recommended him to my brother’s care. His
horse had been killed under him by a lance-thrust, and he had received
six deep wounds in the neck from the Handschar. The poor man had the
night before lost an amulet, and all, even the free-thinking Sali
Effendi, are firmly convinced that some evil spirit had during the night
stolen it, so to effect his death. My brother who, after the Pascha had
marched off with the great part of the troops, had been left behind with
the sick, has completely cured the Kaschef. From this and the cure of
the three Mograbins, Joseph’s fame rose so high, that men believed he
could revive the dead, but would not, as he dared not contend with the
will of God.
The camp was now close to the village of Kadmin, behind which in a
ravine started up a beautiful rock-spring, the only one of its kind we
saw in Africa; and near this we were again fenced and pallisaded. No
sooner did the Pascha again find himself in security here, than at the
instigation of Mohammed Ehle he openly exposed for sale in the camp the
three sons of the Sheik Auet, the true head of the Hallenga, who will
not surrender, and this he did on purpose to insult the father. The
price asked for these youths was so high that no one would buy them.
Mohammed Ehle alone bid for them with looks bent on the ground, as his
countrymen round loured with furious eyes on him, it being against all
custom, and contrary to the Koran, to buy a true Believer.
From the village being so near us we had much better opportunity of
coming into communication with the natives, among whom my brother made
various medical observations. The women, especially the female slaves,
have beautifully turned strong arms, a full upper body, and this
principally from working at the murhaka; the under part of the body and
limbs are not so fully developed. All are rather slender than stout;
whereas most of the blacks, the Dinka excepted, exhibit a good deal of
such beauty as the Cape Venuses boast of. The body is free in all its
movements, and the ankles and wrists are fine and the feet small. The
hair is thick, bushy, and stiff.
Here the people, on the death of a Faki, or rich man, beat the nagara,
and sing to it a monotonous song of a very few words. After burials the
howlings are continued in the houses of the dead for from seven to
fourteen days, and longer by the women. In the graveyard stands a kind
of catafalque, a low scaffold, overhung by coloured mats; at the head is
erected a post ornamented with shells and ostrich feathers, round which
the women stand, stretching up their arms in the air, singing, and
dancing. Here, too, are Faki, to whom on the night of Thursday and
Friday the Nebi come. Ere a Faki can become famous he must be very aged,
or have distinguished himself by much fasting and self-denial, but
chiefly by much dissimulation and hypocrisy.
On the south-east side of the main ridge of the Kassela-el-Lus is to be
seen, low down between blocks of rocks, the entrance to an extremely
large cavern (Mogara, here Charr), which, according to the tales of the
older men, is exceedingly high and roomy, runs under the whole hill, and
contains water, which afterwards comes out at the north-west side of the
hill in a rock-spring. Accompanied by our friend the Faki Misaur, who
had, as before told, entertained us so splendidly with merissa, and,
betrayed by it, revealed to us the priests’ gunpowder plot, we made a
hunting excursion to that side, thus, unobserved by the inhabitants, to
reach the cave; we having always received evasive or negative answers,
when we requested to be shown the entrance to this place of retreat in
pressing dangers. The entrance is round, and only by bending low under a
mass of rock can one get in; inside all was dark. We had no torches. Our
timid guide called our attention to the fresh bones and traces of blood,
which, though they might not foretell a Polyphemus, still hinted at
unpleasant four-footed inmates. We did not push far in, but resolved to
purchase wax, make large torches, and with a larger party repeat the
visit, as it was said that high pillars, probably stalactites, were to
be found in the interior; but of such we saw as little sign at the
entrance, as of inhabitants. It is probable that there are here about
many such caves, and all connected with each other. In the hill of Abd
Chammel, which rises like a sugar loaf at the distance of some miles to
the south-south-east of Kassela, and which is to be seen from the
Gisser, there are many such caves, which, holding water, are used by men
as dwellings. If one considers this, together with the caves of the
neighbouring hills, being used as dwellings, while such in other places,
_e.g._ in Basa, serve only for places of refuge in times of danger, one
might justly hold this land to be that of the Troglodites—the race of
Troglodytica of olden geographers. It is worthy of remark, that all
these “people of nature” bear no bows or arrows, nor even “poisoned”
lances, as those on the hills behind Sennaar, Kordofan, and the White
Nile. The distant weapons are held unworthy of a man, but are not on
that account the less feared.
The present inhabitants, though otherwise good Mussulmen, as little
reject the flesh of the tortoise as of the wild hog, which they look on
as a delicacy, and the fat of which they form into sausages and roast on
a hot stone. Their other food is milk, lochma, durra bread, which is
often as fine and white as the wheaten wafer of the Host; meat,
generally stinking or that of sick cattle, always eaten without bread,
the more fat and butter the better, as they never look on any dish as
good that is not swimming in grease. Like the Schaigies, they leave on
the bones not the smallest bit of flesh, sinew, or muscle, and even with
their sharp white teeth grind down the smaller bones. Their only
relishes are salt and red pepper, which they bear about them in large
horns. In general, they are very moderate and easily satisfied; but when
they can light on anything gratis, they prove themselves real gluttons,
but never seem to suffer from their gorgings. When starting on foraging
expeditions, which they carry on far and wide into the Haddenda country,
they merely take with them a little durra, a small quantity of flesh
dried in the sun, and each a small water-skin; on such expeditions the
leader lives no better than his meanest follower. The main object of
these forays is cattle. To somewhat relieve the stench of their pomatum,
they strew highly-scented powder over the hair, and so give it a golden
red tinge. Blood revenge is here, as on the island, imperative; but
commonly 1000 piastres will be accepted as blood-money; this is also the
usual sum demanded as a prisoner’s ransom. Blood is here not avenged
solely on the person guilty of shedding it, but, as in Russia and
Greece, on his family and relatives. The women of the better orders work
at making fine cotton cloths and handsome mats, but not for sale, merely
for the use of their husbands and selves. Such mats are often cheap at
ten or twelve reals. These people are in the habit of holding snuff
mixed with ashes between their teeth and lower lip, partly as a
delicacy, partly as a preventive against scurvy in the wet season. Musk
and all such strong scents are highly admired. The large raised angareb
or marital couch stands in the background of the tokul, and is shut off
by coarse woollen cloths (schamla) and straw mats (birsch); before it
stands the usual angareb for the husband. The armlets and foot-rings
(anklets) of the women of the Djalin, who fled from the Nile on account
of Defterdar Bey’s cruelties, were made most neatly out of dollars
slightly alloyed with copper; and it was these fugitives who introduced
among these tribes some culture, and civilisation, and also cotton and
onions. Besides the Theresa dollars, one also meets here thalers of the
Emperor Francis, which from the eagle, or rather from its feathers, are
called Abu Risch, but these are not so well liked as the former.
In spite of the Haddenda hovering about the camp, we went to a gisser,
an hour’s journey south from here, to look at a Baobab. On a small hill,
where a large ravine touches on the Gisser, there is one towards the
south-south-east, and some others about the edge of the Gohr at the foot
of the hills; but neither here nor in Sabderath nor Gedèhn, do they
reach the size we had seen them elsewhere, in higher regions. We had
never before heard that these giant-trees were to be found here,
although my brother had often sat under the shadow of a fallen one, of
which the stem had a circumference of eighteen feet, and was thirty feet
to the branches. Its bark is like that of our birch; outside it has a
fine white rind peeling off in strips; beneath this, the real nourishing
brown bark, and below that the substance of the tree, fine nets of
fibres, that lie on one another in lamina the thickness of a finger. The
marrow-reed of it is very large, and when fresh and green makes a good
salad. The stem suddenly ceases, and finishes off in small horizontal
branches; the fingerlike leaves are all small, and the crown poor
compared to the stem. The bright green woolly fruit resembles longish
gourds, the shell of which is easily broken, and the interior is filled
with brownish beans, as hard as stones, which lie imbedded, without any
regular order, in a white substance. This white substance melts in the
mouth, and has a pleasant sourish taste. The fruit is more than a foot
long, and half as thick. The older trees are generally rotten at heart,
but, from their cork-like elasticity, not easily felled, and difficult
to burn. From the fibres of the wood are made rahat, baskets, and ropes.
From the White Nile I brought with me a sample of these fibres prepared
for use, which in fineness did not yield to the best flax, and in
durability far exceeded it. The gazelles have incredibly increased; on
his return to the camp my brother shot three, but the Otru (Antelope
saltiana) seems to have completely vanished. Formerly here, in Taka,
hyenas were so numerous, that they broke into houses, and attacked full-
grown men. Sobi Aga in one night’s ride shot thirteen of these
marauders, as his people assured us.
Snakes’ bites and scorpions’ stings grow more common. Although men have
repeatedly been brought to us who had been found delirious, and with all
their limbs greatly swollen, still until now my brother has succeeded in
saving all by administering sal-ammoniac inwardly, and washing the wound
with it, without having to apply fire, as is the usual habit here, and
which is also the custom in cases of poisoned lance wounds in Kordofan.
There are some other good remedies in use among the natives themselves,
as _e.g._ fresh pounded ricinus seed mixed in butter quickly cleans the
ulcer; and they have also some singular remedies, as, for instance, for
colds and sore throats, the cutting of the uvula.
Although we have everywhere inquired after, and looked about on all
sides for, old remains, we have not as yet fallen in with even a single
stone which is either hewn or marked with figures; however, Achmet
Scheriff tells us (and he it was who first gave us tidings of the great
Queen Kahua who ruled up in the mountains), of a part of the Beni-Amer
country, where the city of Eidip stands at the head of the Gohr of
Baraka, called Assaramm Dehera, a day’s journey from the Red Sea, where
there are scattered about seven pyramids and many great stones, and that
at the foot of the hills of Kostahn, Habab, and Mària are also many
remains of ancient buildings of great extent.
A main source of amusement has been, and will be, during all this
campaign, hunting, or rather shooting; and, on the whole, we have
succeeded well, as not only have gazelles and antelopes, but also hares,
bustards, guinea fowls, wild geese, and ducks, kept our kitchen pretty
well supplied. The neighbouring forest affords here and there sufficient
shade for us to rest under, and in early morning or late of an evening
listen to the song of the birds, who by their songs often make us forget
we are in the centre of Africa. The first of these is a kind of thrush,
with fire-red breast and black wings (Lanius barbatus, _Afr. spec.
nov._) which has the song of our blackbird, and first showed itself in
numbers in the rainy season. These mostly frequent the higher trees,
while other kinds of thrush with black or white heads [Turdus (ixos),
leucocephalus (Crateropus), and xanthopygus (Arsinoe)], which crowd in
flocks the lower bushes, by their chatterings, curious notes, and
mocking songs remind us of the starling. The Marabous (Leptoptilus, here
called Abu seïn), has also become plentiful. The Schaigies take great
delight in chasing these birds, (that have a difficulty in rising from
the ground) on horseback, and even on dromedaries, either overriding
them or knocking them down by throwing a stick, and then, without
killing them, pull out the feathers under the tail and set them at
liberty; these feathers they sell to us for some trifle or other. Our
collection increases, and we rejoice in the prospect of at a future time
seeing them in the Berlin Museum, for which we intend them. The animals
now in that museum sent by us will be found enumerated in the
_Appendix_. One bird, most plentiful in Chartum, the small red house-tit
(Fring. Senegal _L._), we have never seen here.
Of living animals, we have a young animal of the lynx species, here
called fagged; but, although we have had him many months by us, he is as
little tamed as any weasel. Against my brother, though he has never
beaten him, the beast has a peculiar spite, and he cannot pass near him
without being in danger of feeling his sharp claws driven into his feet.
Besides, we have a young lion (the male lion here has no mane), and a
kind of panther (here sometimes called nimr, tiger, a vague designation
of all larger animals of the feline species, and sometimes, fagged),
which has all the way along its back a whitish mane, as broad as one’s
hand, under which, however, its peculiar spotted skin is observable;
especially when, as it grows older, this mane thins off, seeming to be
peculiar to the animal in its younger state. Further, we have a kind of
squirrel, with a silver grey tail (Sciurus brachyotus _Ehrenb._), which
has become perfectly tame, and lives in strange intimacy with the lynx.
Of these squirrels there seems to be plenty here, but never have I seen
them on the trees, as with us; they dig and grope about the ground,
especially where the natives have their corn pits. Of birds, we have
only the Secretary, or snake-eater; and a Horn-bird (Buceros nasutus
_L._), which was winged by a shot. The first is very handsome, and has
the peculiarity that in the upper part of him he resembles an eagle,
while his legs are those of a wader. The Arab who sold him to us,
asserted he had brought him down from the nest where he bred. The Horn-
bird has a very short tongue, in a very crooked bill, and over the
latter an evident horn, the point of which seems blunted off. From his
short tongue, and projecting horn, he is obliged to seize his pieces of
flesh by the tip of his bill, throw them up in the air, and catching
them, thus bring them within reach of his tongue, to settle them for
swallowing. The Pascha had received two young dwarf antelopes (here,
Otru, springing bucks), which he presented to us. We bought a goat in
milk, to give suck to these little creatures. One night I heard a
peculiar noise, and I foreboded some mischance had happened to one of
the little ones. I kindled a light, and saw that another, to me unknown
beast, had one of the antelopes in its jaws. Without thinking long over
it, I seized the robber in the act, and then discovered that it was a
jackal. My brother, from being ill, could not aid me; but our servants
had heard my calls, and, to save the skin, a cord was at once procured,
and the spoiler strangled with it. Men called it Badschum, but it had a
short tail, and the Arabs said it was a Kelb-el-Galla (wild dog).
Finally, we have a Civet-cat (here, Kediss-el-Sabat). Numbers of these
cats are kept here in cages, to procure from them the much-loved musk or
civet, which is contained in glands behind. Of the great brown apes,
which are represented among the hieroglyphics with torches in their
hands, as executioners (a species of Kynocephalus), we could procure no
specimen, and Mohammed Ehle would not sell us his, that was quite tamed,
and generally sat on his house’s roof. As these hideous apes fight among
each other with sticks and branches, and know how to defend themselves
with stones, as we ourselves had experience of, perchance they may be
some species of the far-famed Chimpanzee, which in size exceed the
Ourang-outang.