BERBER AND SHENDY.--HUNTING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.--TERRIBLE REVENGE OF AN
ETHIOPIAN KING.
The adventure with the crocodile had consumed the entire forenoon, and
the boys were ready for a well-earned rest of a couple of hours. In the
afternoon they crossed the Nile to the island of Mokrat, which lies
opposite Aboo Hamed, and is about twenty miles long. The fields of
cotton, beans, dourah, and other Egyptian products were in marked
contrast to the desert, and the dark-green foliage of the palm and
sycamore trees were a grateful sight to the eyes of the young travellers
after their eight days' travel where no verdure could be seen. Frank
said the only green things in the desert were themselves, but the Doctor
told him the joke was old enough to be allowed to rest. "Bayard Taylor
made it in 1851," he remarked, "and nearly every traveller since his
time has repeated it."
While they were crossing the stream on their way to the island a
crocodile showed his head close to them, but immediately disappeared
from sight. Fred thought he must have heard of their slaughter of one of
his kindred, and therefore showed prudence in going away. He was in no
danger, as they had left their rifles at Aboo Hamed, and were quite
without the appliances for capturing a fresh prize.
Abdul said they might possibly see a hippopotamus, and, in the hope of
finding one, he took them to a part of the island where these amphibious
beasts are said to come ashore. There were several broad tracks in the
sand, and one of the natives showed where his field had been seriously
injured by these disagreeable visitors.
The visit to the spot naturally led to stories of the chase of these
animals. Doctor Bronson had never hunted the hippopotamus, but he
informed the boys concerning the character of the beast and his place in
natural history. "He is a curious product of nature," said the Doctor,
"and his name comes from two Greek words meaning 'river-horse.' The name
describes him very fairly, though not accurately. He makes his home in
the river, but can hardly be ranked with the horse. His head reminds
one of the hog, while the body resembles, to some extent, that of the
ox. His motions are generally sluggish, but he possesses great strength,
which he is not slow to use.
[Illustration: THE HOME OF BEHEMOTH.]
"He lives upon vegetable food, and his feet are provided with toes
instead of hoofs. In the daytime he remains concealed in the water, or
among the reeds, and his depredations in search of food are committed at
night. He is the 'behemoth' of the Bible, and his common name among the
people where he abounds is 'sea-cow.'"
"He is more valuable than the crocodile," continued the Doctor, "and
likewise he is more dangerous to pursue. The crocodile is harmless,
unless you come within reach of his tail or jaws, and when attacked, his
whole effort is to get away. The hippopotamus will show fight when
attacked, particularly if it happens to be a mother with young."
"I'll tell you about a fight with one," said Abdul, "as soon as the
Doctor has finished with his description of the animal."
"The flesh of the sea-cow resembles pork," Doctor Bronson continued.
"The skin is tough and thick, and is made into those terrible whips
which are called _courbashes_ by the Arabs, and are used all over
Africa. It can also be used for the soles of sandals and boots, and for
helmets, shields, and other defensive things. It is not easy to send a
bullet through it, and an old hippopotamus is nearly as impenetrable as
the side of a locomotive engine. The teeth are valuable, as they are an
excellent ivory, and for some purposes surpass the tusk of the elephant.
So much for the value of the hippopotamus; and now for the story of
Abdul's fight with one."
[Illustration: AN AFRICAN RIVER SCENE.]
"Twenty years ago," said the dragoman, "there were more of these animals
here than now, and there were also more crocodiles. In the neighborhood
of Khartoum the river was full of them, and if you went out just at
daybreak, in certain localities, you might see dozens of them in a
single morning. The crocodile and the hippopotamus do not get along well
together, and sometimes they have savage fights; but more frequently
they mind their own business, and you may see them swimming peaceably
side by side. Where both are so well able to take care of themselves
they are not very likely to quarrel.
"The river full of these animals and the air full of birds made a very
lively picture. Anybody who was fond of hunting could get all the sport
he wanted.
"One morning I went out with an English gentleman whom I had accompanied
from Cairo. He was an excellent shot, and on his way up the river had
killed no less than seven crocodiles, which he secured, in addition to
at least a dozen that had escaped into the water after being mortally
wounded. He was anxious to kill a hippopotamus, and I promised to give
him the opportunity.
"We went quietly along till we reached one of their haunts, where we
brought the boat to land. Creeping through the reeds, I caught sight of
a large sea-cow eating her breakfast and quite unconscious of danger. I
beckoned to the gentleman, who came forward cautiously to get a good
position for firing.
"He worked around till he thought he had the proper aim and then fired.
His shot was not fatal, and she turned with a roar that was something
like the squeal of a hog, though much deeper and louder.
"At the same moment I saw her calf, which had been lying on the ground,
and then I knew she would face and fight us. If she had been without
young, her first move would have been to rush for shelter in the water.
"I stumbled and fell, but was up again in an instant. Luckily for me the
hippopotamus is clumsy on land though quite agile in the water, and I
was getting nicely out of the way when my foot caught in a tangle of
reeds and I was down again.
[Illustration: A NARROW ESCAPE.]
"This time the animal reached me, and opened its great jaws as if to
swallow me at one gulp. I thought I was lost, but at that moment another
bullet from the gentleman's rifle called her attention the other way.
"Another bullet followed, and then the beast turned toward the water;
but she had been struck in a vital part, and fell before getting to the
river. The calf did not run away, but stayed by its mother. It was too
large for us to capture alive, and so we killed it, or rather the
Englishman did. We had a good deal of trouble getting the boatmen to
help us carry the prizes to the bank, as they were all afraid of being
attacked if they ventured away from the water.
"At another time two Englishmen went out in a boat with a negro who was
to ferry them over the river. While they were crossing they wounded a
calf. The little fellow bellowed at the top of his voice and his mother
made a rush at the boat, dragging the stern under water and giving them
a narrow escape from drowning; but in attacking the boat she raised
herself half out of water, so that they had good aim at her at very
close range. A couple of bullets made her loosen her hold on the boat
and drop again into the river.
"In the interior of Africa," Abdul continued, "the natives hunt the
hippopotamus in two or three ways. They set pitfalls for him so that a
heavy spear falls on his back when he is travelling along a path in
search of food. When he has found a good feeding-ground in somebody's
field, and has spent the night there, he is liable to come again the
next night, and so the natives feel pretty certain of securing him when
they set a trap. But it has to be arranged very skilfully, as he is a
cautious brute, and very apt to discover the disturbance of the bushes
or trees.
[Illustration: HIPPOPOTAMUS SPEARS.]
"Another mode of hunting them is with the spear, and for this purpose it
is made with a very strong barb that will hold in the skin, and has a
handle eight or ten feet long. Three or four of the natives get on a
raft of reeds and float slowly along in perfect silence till they reach
the spot where the hippopotamus is supposed to lie.
"The animal when undisturbed is generally found with his nose just
above the water, while his body is concealed beneath it and resting on
the bottom of the river. The raft drifts along till it touches the nose
of the sleeper; he rises up and brings his back above the surface, so
that his assailants have good aim at it.
[Illustration: SPEARING THE RIVER-HORSE.]
"Down come the heavy spears into his thick hide; the barbs get good hold
under the skin, and then the natives paddle the raft to land, and fasten
the ropes of the harpoons to the nearest trees or to a strong stake
hastily driven into the ground.
"The animal is their prize, as he cannot tear out the harpoons or break
the ropes, and his enemies are out of his reach. They sit down and wait
for him to exhaust his strength by struggling, and then he can be
finished with spears and knives, as they are unprovided with fire-arms.
I have seen several of these animals captured in this way; the only
danger is that he may upset them before they have taken the ropes to
land and made them fast."
By the time Abdul's story was ended the boat was back at the
landing-place in front of Aboo Hamed, and in a few minutes the boys were
once more in their tents. Their excursion had given them a keen relish
for supper, which consisted of a stew of mutton from a sheep which Abdul
had bought before they started for Mokrat. Whenever it was possible to
obtain food by purchase they did so, and preserved their canned
provisions against such times as they should need them in the heart of
Africa.
They had expected to go by river from Aboo Hamed to Berber, but
unfortunately there was no boat to be hired, and therefore a new bargain
was made with the camel-drivers to continue the journey by land. The
boys had become accustomed to the Arab mode of travel, and did not
particularly regret the absence of a boat. The dragoman told the Doctor
that they would get along faster and cheaper with the camels than with a
boat, as there was a cataract to be passed about half way on the route,
where they would be subject to delay and the inevitable demand of the
natives for backsheesh. The day's halt had refreshed the camels and
their riders, and early the second morning the procession wound along
the road as gayly as it had departed from Korosko.
Much of the way the route was along the bank of the Nile, sometimes in
the desert sands, and sometimes among rich fields where the natives were
at work attending to their crops, or lying idle in the warm sun.
Occasionally a bend of the stream caused the caravan to take a short cut
of several hours among rocky ridges or over stretches of yellow sand
that reflected a painful glare to unprotected eyes. The camp was made
each night on the bank of the Nile, and generally in the neighborhood of
a village. The inhabitants were miserably poor, and it was difficult to
buy anything more than a few vegetables and eggs, and possibly a lean
and unattractive chicken. The natives are heavily oppressed with
taxation, and frequently their goods are taken from them by the Egyptian
officials, and they receive no payment in return. Several times they
fled as our friends approached, and it was not an easy matter to assure
them they would not be harmed.
Several times the party had glimpses of gazelles that abound in this
region, but have been hunted so much that they are very shy. Frank and
Fred were eager for a gazelle hunt, but it was not deemed advisable to
halt the caravan sufficiently long to accommodate them. Their chances of
success were very slight, from the wildness of the game and their
inexperience, and a very little argument induced them to postpone the
chase till they were more certain of bringing something home that would
make a good dinner. Abdul told them there were formerly wild asses in
the Wady El-Homar; they subsisted on the hard, thorny grass that grows
there, but were very fleet and shy, so that they were rarely caught
except by stratagem. The wady, or valley, is a pass among the hills
which come down to the river in long ridges, and are destitute of water
except in the season of rains.
As they approached Berber the sterility of the scene diminished, though
the travellers were not out of the desert until near the city. On the
other side of the river the fields stretched away for a long distance,
and Frank remarked that the picture reminded him of the delta of the
Nile in the neighborhood of Cairo. They met or passed crowds of people
going between Berber and the surrounding villages, many on foot, and
others mounted on camels and donkeys, the latter being the most
numerous. As they passed the mud walls and entered the city, the
attention of our youthful friends was centred on the people rather than
on the architecture of the place. The houses were not unlike those of
the towns of Lower Egypt, but the inhabitants were quite different in
appearance, and both Frank and Fred remarked that they were in a new
country.
[Illustration: A BERBER ARAB.]
The people were of a darker color than those they had seen farther down
the river. Three-fourths of them were Nubians and Ethiopians of various
tribes and kinds, and the remainder included Arabs from the desert,
soldiers from Cairo and Alexandria, a few Copts and native Egyptians,
and a small number of individuals whom it was very difficult to
classify. Berber is the centre of a considerable trade with the Lower
Nile and the coast of the Red Sea on one hand, and the Upper Nile and
Central Africa on the other; consequently, its streets are the
meeting-place of many tribes that roam over a large extent of country.
Abdul told the boys that Berber had a population of about twenty
thousand, and was formerly the capital of the Ethiopian kingdom of the
same name. It is an important military point, and the government
generally keeps a garrison of not less than a thousand soldiers in the
fort which commands the town. These troops are intended less for the
protection of the place than as a terror to the surrounding tribes, who
sometimes show signs of insubordination, and are kept in order by the
military presence.
Frank thought the fort was not of much consequence, as its walls were of
mud and brick, and could be battered down in a short time by a small
army with artillery. Doctor Bronson said there was little probability
of an army coming against it, as it was in the hands of the only
military power in all that part of Africa. The fort was intended as a
defence against the natives, and the few cannon they possessed were of
antiquated pattern, and no match for the modern weapons of the Egyptian
army.
[Illustration: SHEEP OF BERBER.]
Outside the walls were several encampments of caravans from Suakim, on
the Red Sea, and from the country to the southward. The bank of the Nile
was lined with boats, some loading or unloading their cargoes, and
others lying idle and waiting for patrons or crews. Negotiations were
opened with the owner of one of the largest boats for the transportation
of Doctor Bronson's party to Khartoum. Before any conclusion was reached
the business was brought to an end by the arrival of a steamboat from up
the river, and the announcement that she would return a couple of days
later.
"For once we have found the Oriental policy of delay in our favor," the
Doctor remarked, when telling the boys of the arrival of the steamer.
"If the owner of that boat had been an Englishman or an American he
would have closed the transaction in an hour or so, and we should have
been obliged to go with him, or pay for breaking the contract. But he
sat down and smoked his pipe, on the first interview and the second,
without saying a word about business, and by the time he was ready for a
third consultation I knew all about the steamboat, and had no farther
need of his services."
The steamer belonged to the Egyptian government, and before the Doctor's
party could be allowed to travel by it the permission of the Governor
of Berber was necessary. Fortunately, they were provided with letters
from the high authorities at Cairo, and the permission was easily
obtained.
The baggage had been stored in the warehouse of a French merchant, to
protect it from weather and thieves. As soon as the arrangements were
completed for passage up the river the boxes and bales were taken to the
steamboat and snugly stowed in the hold. As was naturally expected in
this land of delays, the boat did not leave until a day after the
appointed time, and the Doctor considered himself fortunate to get away
so soon.
Aided by the wind from the north she breasted the current of the Nile,
and very soon the mud walls of Berber were left behind. The banks of the
river showed signs of greater fertility than our friends had seen on
their ride from Aboo Hamed; groves of palm-trees were numerous, and
there were many fields of grain, cotton, and other growing things. Abdul
said there had been great suffering in this region at different times,
owing to bad government. At one time the Governor-general of the Soudan
had caused the natives to be plundered, in order that he might secure a
larger taxation than usual. Many villages were abandoned, the people
fleeing to the interior to escape persecution, and neglecting
agriculture altogether. When he passed up the river with Baker Pacha's
expedition the country was almost destitute of inhabitants, and for
miles and miles where formerly were prosperous villages not a native
could be seen.
The land here, like that lower down the Nile, is kept fertile by
irrigation. The sakkiehs, or water-wheels, are turned by oxen, and their
creaking is the reverse of musical. In some places they seem to form a
continuous line along the banks, and in a distance of less than a mile
Frank counted thirty-seven sakkiehs at work, besides nearly as many more
lying idle. This part of the Nile might be made one of the most
productive parts of Egypt, and it is to be hoped that a better
government will control it than has been its ill-fortune since the days
of Mohammed Ali to the present time.
[Illustration: VIEW IN THE ATBARA VALLEY.]
Abdul called the boys to look at the Atbara River.
"It is noticeable," said the Doctor, "as the first tributary of the Nile
above its entrance into the Mediterranean. For fifteen hundred miles
this great river does not receive so much as the tiniest brook, a
condition of things without parallel with any other river of the world."
"The Atbara rises in Abyssinia," said Abdul, "near the base of two lofty
mountains called Abba-Jaret and Amba-Hai. They are not far from the
coast of the Red Sea, and one of the head streams of the Atbara is said
to start as though intending to reach the coast, when it suddenly turns
and flows toward the Nile. It is called Atbara only in the lower part of
its course; higher up it is known as the Tacazze, and it runs through a
country that would be very productive if it contained people to
cultivate it."
A short distance above the mouth of the Atbara they passed Damer, a town
situated on the point of land between the Nile and its tributary stream.
Abdul said it was not unlike Berber, but smaller, and they were not
losing much in passing it without stopping.
They stopped a couple of hours at Shendy, to take in fuel for the
steamboat, and the delay was utilized by our friends to obtain a glimpse
of the town. As they walked through the streets, formed by rows of mud
houses, with here and there a building of more pretentious character,
the Doctor told his young companions of a terrible incident in its
history.
"Shendy was formerly the capital of the Soudan country," said the
Doctor, "and had an important trade with Darfoor and other countries of
Central Africa. After the conquest of Egypt Mohammed Ali sent his son,
Ismail Pacha, to demand the submission of Mek Nemr, the King of
Ethiopia, who ruled at Shendy, and had received the nickname of 'The
Leopard,' on account of his ferocity.
"Ismail Pacha made his camp outside the walls of Shendy, and sent for
the king to come to see him. He demanded hay for his horses and camels
and food for his troops. The king said it was impossible to meet the
demand, as his people were poor and the season had been very bad.
"The Egyptian became angry and struck the king over the head with the
stem of his chibouk. The king bowed his head, as if frightened, and said
his people should bring all that was asked for, and more besides.
"All night long the king's people were busy bringing hay for the horses
and camels and piling it around the camp. The largest heaps were in
front of the tents of the Pacha and his officers, and they remarked that
the Ethiopian king had evidently been thoroughly frightened into
submission, and would hereafter be obedient to his rulers.
"At daybreak there was a change of the scene.
"Suddenly the whole circle of forage was in a blaze. Ismail Pacha and
his officers and soldiers attempted to save themselves by flight. As
they ran from the flames that threatened them they were met by the
lances of hundreds of Ethiopian warriors, who gave them the alternative
of being speared or roasted.
"Not one of all the party escaped. When Mohammed Ali heard of the death
of his son he sent an army to destroy Shendy, and not leave one stone
standing on another. The town was razed to the ground, but 'The Leopard'
was not seized; he fled into the interior, and never fell into the hands
of the Egyptians. This happened in 1822. A new town was started on the
site of the old one, but it has never gained its former greatness. The
capital of the country was moved to Khartoum, and that place has become
the centre of trade on this part of the Nile."
The spot where Ismail Pacha met his death at the hands of the ferocious
King of Ethiopia was pointed out by Abdul. The boys looked in vain for
any traces of the camp, but the dragoman assured them there could be
little doubt of the locality, and none as to the correctness of the
story.
[Illustration: AN ETHIOPIAN KING.]