Extensive morasses, environing the sedge-grown borders of the Muttahara
water, proved it to be far below its wonted boundaries, and precluded
all access to Fantali, even had the timidity of the guides been
sufficiently overcome to induce them to acquiesce in a visit; but the
non-existence of any active volcano for more than thirty years was
confirmed by all. The Kobedemtoo and the Gobakoobee districts form the
limit of His Majesty's Karaiyo possessions, within a few miles of the
Hawash, and thither we proceeded in the morning. Arriving near the
mountain Sadeka, one of the outposts of the Aroosi, whence the wooded
line of the river could be traced for miles through the naked plains, I
took the bearings of the conical peak of Serie, and of other conspicuous
landmarks. But the appearance of a small party of armed savages in the
distance soon induced precipitate retreat on the part of our escort, who
by no means relished the delay. A band of treacherous barbarians had
only a few weeks previously made a descent upon the Karaiyo cattle, and
after putting all the herdsmen to the spear, were hurrying off with the
booty, when they were pursued in force, and put to flight with the loss
of twelve of their number. Another predatory visit was daily
anticipated; and the caution was in every mouth, "If two warriors be
perceived upon the same horse, ask no questions, but shoot them without
mercy."
Sahela Selassie has never yet attempted an expedition in person against
these war-hawks, nestled in the lap of the mountains, who fight stark
naked, and are besmeared with lard from head to foot. Merciless, and of
predatory habits, they are represented as extremely powerful in battle,
and are the terror of every surrounding tribe--two warriors usually
bestriding the same steed, and aiding each other with barbed lances
jagged like the teeth of a saw, and with bucklers manufactured to
imitate the shell of the tortoise. Subsisting entirely by plunder, the
cultivation of their high cold hills is but little attended to; salt,
which forms the principal article of barter with Gurague, and other
inland bordering countries, being obtainable in unlimited quantities
from the lake Laghi, two days' journey from Serie, one of the principal
market towns. Noora Hoossain is the capital of the Aroosi Galla, who
are all followers of the Prophet; and the principal towns of their
adjacent neighbours the Ittoo, a race of mixed Mohammadans and Pagans,
are Chercha and Metokoma.
The rhinoceros was said to abound in the Karaiyo neighbourhood; but
Habti Mariam would consent to no further sojourn on this dangerous
border with so limited an escort, and at noon retraced his steps to the
village of Inkoftoo. Here all the braves and principal men of the tribe
were gathered to recount their recent exploits with the predatory
Aroosi, as well as the particulars attending the slaughter of an
elephant's calf that had fallen under their united lances a few weeks
previously. A spear wound having stupified the beast, hundreds of
warriors rushed in and overwhelmed it. Every participator in this
notable achievement, which is one of extremely rare occurrence, now
displayed on his person some distinguishing ornament or feather, whilst
the doughty hero who claimed first blood, strutted about under a perfect
load of sable and green plumes, brass chains, and massive ivory armlets,
precisely similar to those worn by the ancient Egyptians. Not quite
satisfied as to the object of the visit, the Karaiyo had collected the
whole of their great droves of cattle in the precincts of the hamlet.
Amongst them were many splendid _sanga_, with wide-spreading horns
upwards of six feet in length; under which they moved as majestically as
the stag "proud of his twelve tynes."
A heavy storm of dust obscured the entire face of the landscape in the
direction of Saboo; arriving near to which, a path struck off to the
westward to the encamping ground on the side of the Kozi mountain, above
a snug Karaiyo hamlet, whence provisions were obtained. The Amhara
followers, although still restricted by the fast of Hodadi from
participation in animal food, were fain to encase their naked and
blistered feet in portions of the hide of an ox slaughtered for the
entertainment of the more fortunate Mohammadans; the fields of lava
lately traversed, like the "iron stones" celebrated in the travels of
the Jesuit fathers of old, being "like the dross that cometh from the
furnace, and so sharp-pointed withal, that they spoiled a pair of new
shoes in a day."
The next object was to visit the far-famed volcanic well of Boorchutta,
on the frontier of Mentshar, bordering upon the wilderness of Taboo,
which was to form the limit of our wanderings. Shortly after gaining
the summit of the Kozi mountain, the road wound along the very brink of
the crater of Winzegoor, from whose monstrous chasm the entire adjacent
country has been recently overflowed; and three miles beyond it we
halted preparatory to the passage of a dangerous defile, said to teem
with the execrated Aroosi hordes, and to form their favourite ambuscade.
A council of war was held. The troops being formed into a dense body,
a _woho_ was appointed to prevent straggling, and to command the
rear-guard. Scouts proceeded in advance to reconnoitre, and the
strictest silence having been enjoined, the order was for once obeyed.
Dismounted men and grazing horses descried on the impending heights of
Boobisa soon caused dire alarm; and consternation reached the climax
when, on gaining the gorge of the hills overlooking the wilderness of
Taboo, the scouts ran in breathless, with intelligence that a large body
of cavalry occupied a rising ground not two miles from the van. The
jingling bells around the necks of the mules having been muffled, the
party, drawn up in battle array, advanced with the utmost caution, until
the gleaming of the white garments and cross-emblazoned shields of the
fancied foes proved them to be none other than the Mentshar detachment
of horse under Ayto Nigdoo, who had been expressly called out to
reinforce the Amhara in event of the Aroosi being abroad on a foray.
Having joined the allies, who had in their turn been equally
disconcerted at the appearance of the forces of Habti Mariam, we
proceeded to cross the valley of Jiggra Mulkinia, "the place where the
guinea fowls feed." This fine level plain, hemmed in by high hills,
presented a perfect garden of wild flowers blossoming amid a most
luxuriant second crop of grass, the result of a late conflagration.
Many hundreds of the white-rumped _mhorr_ browsed on it undisturbed, and
the pintado and the partridge seemed to be without end. A belt of
dog-rose bushes, camel-thorns, and a highly aromatic undergrowth which
bordered the base of the range styled Jujjuba Kulla, harboured a small
herd of elephants, and they were soon perceived luxuriating among the
young juicy reeds. But the retinue contrived as usual to put the whole
to flight; and under a furious thunder-storm, which in ten minutes
covered the plain with pools of water, the cavalcade, drenched to the
skin, arrived at a late hour on the skirts of the Boorchutta water,
where the night was to be passed.
This singular well, which wears the semblance of the crater of a
gigantic mine, is situated in the bosom of the almost perpendicular
mountain of Jujjuba Kulla. One narrow passage, of barely sufficient
width for an elephant, leads to the water, which lies at the bottom of a
deep narrow gully with inaccessible banks. Rising to the height of two
hundred feet, they are crossed by vermilion bands of lava, honeycombed
with a thousand cavities and fissures, and overgrown in parts with the
most brilliant vegetation. Enormous blocks of black rock, which choke
this channel for the last hundred yards, form a sort of parapet to the
front of the pool, which measures sixty feet in diameter, and gives "no
bottom." The still, brimstone-coloured waters were glassy smooth, and
not a breath stirred within the deep suffocating crater, where the fall
of a pin produced an echo like that of a whispering gallery. Black
martins wheeled over-head--pigeons cooed amid the clefts and crannies--
and hairy baboons grimaced and chattered on the impending cliffs, from
which trailed numberless fantastic roots, laid bare by the torrent that
at certain seasons pours into the well from the ravine above.
There being no other water for many miles around this reservoir, it
forms the resort of all the numerous wild animals in the neighbourhood;
and the narrow passage bore ample testimony to the nocturnal visits of
the elephant and rhinoceros. The inhabitants of all the adjacent
hamlets deriving their supply hence, the Aroosi frequently lay in ambush
to cut off their watering parties. Boorchutta is, in fact, the arena of
constant conflicts; and not a month had elapsed since the ruthless
barbarians slaughtered thirty-three Moslems, losing four of their own
number in the skirmish. Bowers of green boughs were constructed for the
accommodation of the two governors; and the whole of the retainers,
standing to their arms with loins girt, danced and sang throughout the
night around blazing watch-fires, which threw great masses of light into
the shadowy abyss, and imparted the wildest effect to the scene of
blood.
The night passed without any alarm, whether from assassin or wild beast;
and in order to complete the tour of the eastern frontier, an excursion
was made at early dawn through the wilderness of Taboo to the Bosut
hills; the rich meadows which intervene, being tenanted by the Gamoo
Galla, a pastoral tribe, beyond whom are the rebel Loomi. On terms of
friendship with Sahela Selassie, and even acknowledging a sort of
nominal fealty to Shoa, we did not anticipate that our appearance would
have caused alarm; but the natives believing the party of five hundred
horse and foot to denote an irruption of the Aroosi, drove off their
cattle with all expedition to the summits of the fastnesses, and
abandoning their villages, were to be seen clustering on the heights in
momentary expectation of attack. Nothing could exceed the luxuriance of
the shady forests of Taboo, which bore evidences throughout of the
presence of the elephant, and abounded in the pie-bald oryx, the agazin,
the hartebeest, and the mhorr--clamourous troops of guinea fowl, which
covered every open glade, completing the contrast to the silent regions
of Shoa, so generally destitute of animal life.
Several splendid antelope had fallen to Graham's rifle and my own,
before the impatient entreaties of the governor compelled us to set out
on our return. We arrived before sunset at the village of Adelada,
which occupies the summit of a steep saddle-backed hill, and is under
the control of Ayto Nigdoo. Near it is the well of Wulawula, which,
although smaller, is not very dissimilar from that of Boorchutta, a
sleepy, funnel-shaped hollow, likewise owing its existence to igneous
agency. Crossing the Koorkuru, the Gubraiyo Sagur, and the Cosso
rivulets, which are severally dissipated in the plain of the Karaiyo, we
re-ascended to Wolagur, and returned the following day to Dummakoo,
laden with numerous valuable accessions to natural history, and in
possession of as much information as our opportunities enabled us to
collect relative to this interesting but unsettled border.
Volume 3, Chapter XXXI.