Magic — Public Opinion — Story of an Elephant — A bold Orator
— Too much of a Good Thing — Anecdote — Three Presents —
A huge Pipe — Milk-drinking — Dress of the Wadaïans — Music
— Frontlets — Amchinga — Dress — Duties of Women — Love
— A Turguenak and a King’s Slave — Intrigues — Their cause
— A Story of Passion — Unfaithful Women — Afrits or Devils
— A violent Lover — Morals in Soudan.
As in Darfur, hunters and blacksmiths in Wadaï form the lowest
classes of the population. If a Shereef passes by a blacksmith’s
shop, he has the privilege of taking away any object he pleases. The
origin of this custom was, that a Shereef once rubbed his hands with
an incombustible unguent and carried a piece of red-hot iron, ever
since which they have been thought to possess a magical power. I
have been told in Wadaï that fire does not burn Shereefs, but I
have never seen an example of this.
In Wadaï the Sultan has a discretionary power over individuals,
but he cannot change the established custom. The slightest innovation
might cost him his life. Sultan Saboun once wished to alter the grain
measure; but the people refused to comply, and my father was deputed
to set forth before the Sultan the danger of an insurrection. Another
time Saboun wished to coin money, and established a mint; but it
was represented to him that the same proposition had been made,
but had been rejected, for fear that it might destroy the simple
customs of the country. Saboun abandoned his project. The Sultans of
Soudan affect an imposing and terrific appearance, so that no one
unaccustomed to address them can speak without fear. It is related
that Sultan Tyrab, of Darfur, once sent to some Bedawin Arabs an
elephant to feed and bring up. This huge animal committed great
destruction, but no one dared to interfere with it. At last, however,
the people went to the Sheikh and complained, saying,—“What an
enemy we have here in this elephant! Why, when the Sultan sent it
to thee, didst thou not observe that we were poor people, unable to
bring up such a monstrous beast? Thou hast received this parasite
without saying a word. He devours our provisions and destroys
everything. Get rid of the accursed brute, or we will kill it.”
“But,” replied the Sheikh, “I should not dare to say these
things to the Sultan.”
“Take me with thee,” quoth a Bedawin; “if thou art afraid,
I will speak. I only ask one thing, that thou shouldst begin by
saying, ‘The elephant!’ Then the Sultan will ask, ‘What of the
elephant?’ and I will reply, the elephant behaves in such wise.”
The Sheikh accordingly went one day with the Bedawin, and entered
the Fasher on a Friday. On coming to the gate of the palace, they
saw a personage ride out on horseback, with tambourines beating
and trumpets sounding.
“Is that the Sultan?” said the bold Bedawin to his companion.
“No, it is one of his viziers.”
Then the orator began to tremble, and to say,— “How, then,
is the Sultan?”
Immediately afterwards another personage came forth, surrounded
by soldiers, dressed in brilliant garments, preceded by horsemen,
and accompanied by music.
“That, at least, is our master!” quoth the Bedawin, stupified.
“No, it is only one of the grand viziers.”
The poor man then began to understand the danger of his position. His
heart leaped, and he was afraid. At this moment the Ab galloped into
the Fasher, surrounded by a crowd of horsemen, and with prodigious
pomp. The roaring of the tambourines was deafening.
“How terrible is the Sultan!” exclaimed the Bedawin, who,
on learning that he was still mistaken, wished the earth would
open and swallow him up. Then the Sultan himself came forth amidst
the crash of cymbals, the roaring of drums, and the trampling of
horses. It seemed as if heaven and earth were coming together. The
Sultan halted, and the soldiers ranged themselves in two lines. Then
the Bedawin Sheikh advanced, and exclaimed aloud,— “May God
protect our master, and make him victorious over his enemies!—The
elephant!”
“What of the elephant?” said the Sultan.
The Sheikh winked at his companion, and whispered, “It is now
thy turn to speak.” But the unhappy orator had not a word to say.
“Why,” exclaimed the Sultan, in a terrible voice, “what of
the elephant?”
The Sheikh, seeing that he was to have no assistance, and fearing
punishment, replied,—“The elephant—why, the elephant is unhappy
because he is alone. We wish thee to give us another elephant to
keep him company.”
“Let them have another elephant,” said the Sultan; and they
accordingly departed, and returned to their tribe with a huge brute,
bigger than the former one.
“What is this?” said the people; “we sent you to get rid of
one nuisance, and you bring us another.”
“Ah! my friends,” said the orator, who now at length found his
tongue, “there never was a man who has such presence of mind and
neatness of expression as your Sheikh. Thank God, who has given
you such a blessing!”
The second elephant was accepted, and no more was said.
Some poor devils of Wadaïans heard one day that honey was a
marvellously sweet thing, and agreed to go to the Sultan and ask
for a taste. They accordingly went to Warah, and, waiting till the
prince came out, prostrated themselves, and explained the nature of
their visit. The Sultan flew into a passion, and exclaimed,—“Do
you mean to make fun of me by coming to talk of a thing of so little
importance? Let a whole skinful be brought.” He was obeyed, and the
poor fellows were ordered to eat the whole on pain of death. They
soon began to be disgusted; their stomachs heaved; they could not
go on. Then the Sultan ordered them to be shut up with the skin,
and given nothing to eat until they had swallowed the whole.
Formerly the Sultans were equally simple with the peasants. Three
men once raised three crops of onions, of red pepper, and of garlic,
and each went with a camel-load to make a present to the Sultan. The
latter, who did not know these vegetables in their natural shape,
being told that they were condiments, was charmed with the handsome
colour of the pepper, and put some into his mouth. He instantly felt
a burning sensation, and exclaimed: “These people are rascals,
and have come to poison me! let them be put in prison until they have
eaten all that they have brought, and nothing else.” The order was
executed, and the three peasants were kept in confinement for three
years, when they were let out; two of them afflicted with dreadful
diseases, and the third, who had fed on garlic, in good health.
Some insatiable smokers, who had no money left to buy tobacco,
determined to go and ask the Sultan for some. The prince was angry,
and ordered a huge pipe-bowl to be made, three cubits in height,
and filled with tobacco, with ten tubes—the number of the beggars
attached; and ordered them to smoke the whole. After a few whifs,
however, they all fainted, and were sent away with a warning not
again to make such absurd requests.
Formerly the Sultan of Wadaï was not allowed to drink milk;
for, said the Wadaïans, if the Sultan drinks milk, what shall his
subjects drink? At length, however, the prince took it into his head
to have a milch cow; the people rose in insurrection and ordered
him to get rid of it, and he was compelled to obey. This custom,
however, is now abolished.
In great ceremonies the Wadaïans wear ample turbans, but the
common head-dress is the tarboosh. Their chief garment is a
loose gown, generally of black stuff, made of narrow stripes sewed
together. Nearly every one carries a short sword, and a dagger tied
to the arm above the elbow. When a man is appointed to any high post,
the Sultan himself places a turban on his head.
In Wadaï the people do not enliven their amusements by music;
the drums, tambourines, and trumpets are only used in public
ceremonies. I have already mentioned the use of frontlets for the
horses. These ornaments are much better worked in Darfur than in
Wadaï. Indeed, all the trades have an inferior development in
the latter country. The lances used are much less handsome; on the
other hand, the Wadaïans are much braver than the Forians.
The costume of the women of Wadaï resembles that of the Forian
women; but they do not wear rings in their noses, replacing them by
pieces of coral or wood. Their handsomest ornament is the amchinga,
elegantly made of a number of crescents of silver, with coral
and amber.
The Wadaïan women have nearly always a toothpick in their hands,
and scarcely ever leave off using it except during sleep. Their teeth
are beautifully white, and their mouths deliciously sweet. They
wear a cloth tied round their loins, and a kind of cape made of a
piece of cloth, with a hole in the middle to cover their shoulders
and their bosom.
In general the Wadaïan men are robust, but not so black as the
Forians and Bagirmians. They do not disdain, as do the Forians,
the white colour, although the European complexion is not to their
taste. The whole nation is large and well developed. Young girls are
obliged to abstain from much food, for fear of acquiring too great
_embonpoint_. The women perform the greater part of the fatiguing
labour. They go to the market with two baskets, which they carry
poised on their shoulders like a pair of scales. They work in
the fields, fetch wood or water, and gather rice, tamarinds, and
karobs. It is the duty of the men to make war, to weave and spin,
and deal in the larger articles of trade, as cattle and slaves.
In Darfur and Wadaï the men mix freely night and day with
the women. Girls and married women do not scruple to pass their
nights with those who please them. Nothing can prevent lovers from
meeting. A Turguenak became enamoured of one of the concubine slaves
of Sultan Saboun, and was beloved by her also; yet the Sultan was
so fond of her that he had taken her with him on the Tamah war. She
corrupted the slaves, men and women, who served and surrounded
her, and escaped from the tent of the Sultan at night to meet her
lover. But this came to the knowledge of Saboun, who put her to
death, and gave to his Viziers and Ulemas all her accomplices, who
were very beautiful. My father received two. “When,” he used
to say, “Saboun told me to take my choice, I did not know which
to prefer; as each passed before me she seemed more beautiful than
the former. I was embarrassed; but, fearing to appear ridiculous
by my indecision, I shut my eyes, and advancing thus, seized two at
haphazard.” My father afterwards learned that one of these girls
had long been in love with the Kamkolak Kidermy, and accordingly
sold her to him for a horse worth four slaves, ten young girls of
six spans, and a magnificent camel. The other, called Zoheirah,
was beloved by my father for some time; but he sold her at Tunis
because she misbehaved herself.
I have already related how the old women in Darfur introduce youths
dressed as girls into harems. These intrigues, in my opinion, are
caused by the system of having so vast a number of women as the
property of one man. Evidently there is disproportion in this; and
we must not be surprised if the women, under these circumstances,
in the fullness of youth, undergo all kinds of dangers. It is
customary in Wadaï not to force the affections of women. If
a girl attaches herself to any one, her choice is left free;
and if, out of ten suitors, one is distinctly chosen, the nine
others are forbidden ever afterwards to address her, except as
“my sister,” to which she replies, “my brother.” But if,
after her first choice, she transfer her affections to any other
of the nine, then is the beginning of jealousy and enmity. Now,
it happened that two friends became enamoured of a beautiful girl,
and requested her to choose between them. She did so, and the other
said to her, “Thou art now my sister.” But, some time afterwards,
she became weary of her first lover, and desired the other, whose
passion also revived. But he feared, if he confessed his sentiments,
to incur the reproaches of his friends and the hatred of his rival,
and to be the cause of misfortune. He therefore took his friend
apart, and said to him,—“Thou knowest that women are the causes
of collision and struggles between men; learn that thy mistress
wishes to separate from thee, and throw herself into my arms;
but I fear to accept her, lest we should become enemies. If thou
wishest to know the truth, I will seek an interview; and thou shalt
hide thyself, and afterwards thou shalt be free to choose whether
thou wilt abandon her with reproaches, or whether I shall go away
and remain absent until she has forgotten me.” This plan was
agreed upon, and the interview took place in the hearing of the
first lover. The girl did not scruple to avow her new affection,
declared that she repented of her first choice, said that love was
replaced by hatred, and showed herself willing to abandon herself to
new caresses. Upon this the hidden lover, unable to contain himself,
rushed forward and stabbed her. Then the two friends agreed to cut
her in pieces and bury her, which they did; and no one knew the
truth until after the death of the murderer. Ah! how perfidious
are women! May Heaven never, never forgive an unfaithful woman! The
mercy of God be on the author of the following words:—
“Of women there are certainly some that are worth eighty
she-camels; but there are others not worth the skin of a foal. May
God, in his goodness, burn all unfaithful women in hell for
ever!”[54]
I have already said that the Wadaïans are brave. This character is
more strongly developed, of course, in the young men, when their
heads are heated with inebriating drinks. Their conversation, at
such times, becomes often coarse and brutal, and quarrels, in which
blood is shed, often arise. Those who are especially distinguished
for courage and pride are called Afrits, or devils. These men at
once render themselves terrible by their murders and robberies. They
frequently exercise their violence near the wells of Saboun, which
are not far from the Fasher, and in more distant places their
boldness is still greater. Whenever one of these Afrits loves
a woman, he marries her in spite of all opposition. One of them
declared his love for a young girl, and asked her in marriage; but
she detested and refused him. He persisted, and went every evening,
killing the suitors he found there. He thus frightened every one
away, but without succeeding in winning her affections. She almost
passed the marriageable age. However, one day, a stranger beheld her
at the market-place, and loved her, and followed her, and accosted
her, declaring his sentiments.
“In truth,” said she, “thou art a handsome fellow, and I love
thee already; but, as the proverb says, ‘there is an obstacle in
the way of the ass.’”
“Art thou married?”
“No.”
“What withholds thee, then?”
“What? why, one of those savage Afrits has forbidden any one to
approach me.”
“Why does he not marry thee?”
“I do not love him, and will not have him.”
“Is he related to thee?”
“No! by Heaven!”
“Well, then, fear nothing, and I will release thee from him.”
“That is not so easy,” said she; “and yet, by Heaven, I am
not a coward, and do not fear the Afrit! It is for thee that I fear,
lest he assassinate thee.”
“Be easy on that point,” replied he; “but only show me thy
dwelling.”
She did so; and at nightfall the stranger came, and they sat down,
and began to talk quietly together, he sitting with his leg over
that of the young girl. The Afrit soon came in, and saw them sitting
together. The girl wished to move away, but her new lover kept her
in her position, and continued the conversation. The Afrit then
exclaimed, “Who allowed thee to come here?” but obtained no
answer. He spoke twice more, and then, rushing forward, stabbed the
stranger through the thigh, until he reached that of the girl. She
tried to escape, but could not; and the Afrit, struck dumb by the
phlegm of his rival, who still did not move, drew forth his weapon,
and wished to escape. But he was now seized and cast to the ground,
and humiliated, and compelled to swear that he would never again
interfere with the girl, who was soon afterwards united in marriage
with her deliverer. Similar adventures are of frequent occurrence
in Wadaï.
A singular feature in the character of the Wadaïans is, that they
are jealous of a mistress, but take no care to interfere with
the conduct of their sisters or daughters. They even often seek
to bring admirers to their sisters, by praising their beauty and
physical qualities. And if any one is thus incited to come forward
as a suitor, the brother pleads for him, and is angry if he be
rejected. Sometimes the Wadaïans carry their complaisance so far,
that they take friends to their wives, and leave them with them. The
women themselves are licentiously inclined, and often have many
lovers. In fact, throughout all Soudan, love seems to be the great
occupation. It runs fiery through the veins of the blacks, as sap
runs through the veins of trees. No one thinks it a duty to conceal
the object of passion, except when danger may arise. Otherwise,
he goes about publishing the name of her he loves, and shouting it
in every ear. But let us now pause, for if we dwell too long upon
one subject we shall engender weariness.