WE REACH THE ROYAN.
HAVING explored the Settite into the gorge of the mountain chain
of Abyssinia, we now turned due south from our camp of
Delladilla, and at a distance of twelve miles we reached the
river Royan. The intervening country was the high and flat
table-land of rich soil, that characterises the course of the
Settite and Atbara rivers; this land was covered with hegleek
trees of considerable size, and the descent to the Royan was
through a valley, torn and washed by the rains, similar in
appearance to that of the Settite, but upon a small scale, as the
entire width did not exceed a mile.
Descending the rugged ground, we arrived at the margin of the
river. At this season (February) the bed was perfectly dry sand,
about ninety yards from bank to bank, and the high-water mark
upon the perpendicular sides was a little above nine feet deep.
The inclination was extremely rapid: thus the Royan during the
rainy season must be a most frightful torrent, that supplies a
large body of water to the Settite, but which runs dry almost
immediately upon the cessation of the rains.
We descended the bank in a spot that had been broken down by
elephants, and continued our course up stream along the sandy
bed, which formed an excellent road. The surface was imprinted
with the footsteps of every variety of game, and numerous holes
about two feet deep had been dug in the sand by the antelopes and
baboons to procure water. Great numbers of the oterop, a small
reddish-brown antelope without horns (Calotragus Montanus) were
drinking at these little watering-places, and did not appear to
heed us. We disturbed many nellut and tetel upon the banks, and
after having marched about four miles along the river's bed, we
halted at a beautiful open forest of large trees at the junction
of Hor Mai Gubba. This was a considerable torrent, which is
tributary to the Royan; at this spot it had cut through a white
sandstone cliff, about eighty feet perpendicular: thus upon
either side it was walled in. The word Gubba is Abyssinian for
the nabbuk, therefore the torrent was the Nabbuk River: this
flowed past the village of Mai Gubba, which is the head-quarters
of Mek Nimmur, from which we were not twenty-five miles distant.
We camped in a forest of the largest trees that we had as yet
seen in Africa, and as we had observed the fresh tracks of
horses, on the sand, some of my Arabs went in search of the
aggageers of Taher Sheriff's party, whom they had expected to
meet at this point. While they were gone, I took a few men to
beat the low jungle within the forest for francolin partridge,
numbers of which I had seen running through the covert. I went up
the dry bed of the river at the junction of the Hor Gubba, while
they drove towards me, and I was compelled to fire as fast as I
could load, as these beautiful birds flew across the ravine. I
shot five brace almost immediately. There is no better game bird
than the francolin: the flesh is white, and of a most delicate
and rich flavour. My shots had attracted the aggageers, and
shortly after my return to camp they arrived with my Arabs, as
they had been stationed on the opposite side of the Royan in a
forest within a quarter of a mile of us. Taher Sheriff was
delighted to see us free from the company of Abou Do. His party
had killed several elephants, and had captured two young ones;
also, two young rhinoceroses, three giraffes, and several young
antelopes; these were to be sold to Johann Schmidt, who
contracted to supply the Italian agent at Cassala. I agreed to
have a long day's hunt with Taher Sheriff; we were to start
before sunrise, as he wished to ride to a spot about twenty-five
miles distant, up the course of the Royan, that was a favourite
resort for elephants.
That evening we had a delicious dinner of francolin partridges.
This species is rather larger than the French partridge: it is
dark brown, mottled with black feathers, with a red mark around
the eye, and double spurs.
There was a small but deep pool of water in the bed of the river,
beneath the high bank about two hundred paces from our camp; this
was a mere hole of about twenty feet square, and I expected that
large game might come to drink during the night. Accordingly, I
determined to watch for elephants, as their tracks were numerous
throughout the bed of the river. My wife and two gun-bearers
accompanied me, and we sat behind an immense tree that grew on
the bank, exactly about the drinking place. I watched for hours,
until I fell asleep, as did my men likewise: my wife alone was
awake, and a sudden tug at my sleeve attracted my attention. The
moon was bright, and she had heard a noise upon the branches of
the tree above us: there were no leaves, therefore I quickly
observed some large animal upon a thick bough. My Tokrooris had
awoke, and they declared it to be a baboon. I knew this to be
impossible, as the baboon is never solitary, and I was just
preparing to fire, when down jumped a large leopard within a few
feet of us, and vanished before I had time to shoot. It must have
winded our party, and quietly ascended the tree to reconnoitre.
Nothing but hyaenas came to the pool, therefore we returned to
camp.
According to my agreement, I went to the aggageers' camp at 5
A.M. with Hadji Ali and Hassan, both mounted on my two horses,
Aggahr and Gazelle, while I rode Tetel. Taher Sheriff requested
me not to shoot at anything, as the shots might alarm and scare
away elephants; therefore I merely carried my little Fletcher, in
case of meeting the Base, who hunted in this country. The
aggageers mounted their horses; each man carried an empty
water-skin slung to his saddle, to be filled at the river should
it be necessary to quit its banks. We started along the upward
course of the Royan.
For seven hours we rode, sometimes along the bed of the river
between lofty overhanging rocks, or through borders of fine
forest-trees; at other times we cut off a bend of the stream, and
rode for some miles through beautiful country diversified with
hills, and abounding in enormous baobab-trees (Adansonia
digitata). At length we entered the mountains at the foot of the
great chain. Here the views were superb. The Royan was no longer
a stream of ninety or a hundred yards in width, but it was
reduced to a simple mountain torrent about forty yards across,
blocked in many places by masses of rock, while at others it had
formed broad pools, all of which were now perfectly dry, and
exhibited a bed of glaring sand. Numerous mountain ravines joined
the main channel, and as the inclination was extremely rapid,
there could be little doubt that the violent storms of the rainy
season, descending from the great chain of mountains, would, by
concentrating in the Royan, suddenly give birth to an impetuous
torrent, that would materially affect the volume of the Settite.
The entire country bore witness to the effect of violent rains,
as the surface was torn and water-worn.
We had ridden nearly thirty miles, having seen large quantities
of game, including antelopes, buffaloes, giraffes, and
rhinoceroses, none of which we had hunted, as we were in search
of elephants. This was the country where the aggageers had
expected, without fail, to find their game.
They now turned away from the Royan, and descended a sandy valley
at the foot of the mountains, the bottom of which appeared to
have been overflowed during the wet season. Here were large
strips of forest, and numerous sandy watercourses, along the dry
bed of which we quickly discovered the deep tracks of elephants.
They had been digging fresh holes in the sand in search of water,
in which welcome basins we found a good supply; we dismounted,
and rested the horses for half an hour, while the hunters
followed up the tracks on the bed of the stream. Upon their
return, they reported the elephants as having wandered off upon
the rocky ground, that rendered further tracking impossible. We
accordingly remounted, and, upon arrival at the spot where they
had lost the tracks, we continued along the bed of the stream. We
had ridden about a mile, and were beginning to despair, when
suddenly we turned a sharp angle in the watercourse, and Taher
Sheriff, who was leading, immediately reined in his horse, and
backed him towards the party. I followed his example, and we were
at once concealed by the sharp bend of the river. He now
whispered, that a bull elephant was drinking from a hole it had
scooped in the sand, not far round the corner. Without the
slightest confusion, the hunters at once fell quietly into their
respective places, Taher Sheriff leading, while I followed
closely in the line, with my Tokrooris bringing up the rear; we
were a party of seven horses.
Upon turning the corner, we at once perceived the elephant, that
was still drinking. It was a fine bull; the enormous ears were
thrown forward, as the head was lowered in the act of drawing up
the water through the trunk; these shaded the eyes, and, with the
wind favourable, we advanced noiselessly upon the sand to within
twenty yards before we were perceived. The elephant then threw up
its head, and, with the ears flapping forward, it raised its
trunk for an instant, and then slowly, but easily, ascended the
steep bank, and retreated. The aggageers now halted for about a
minute to confer together, and then followed in their original
order up the crumbled bank. We were now on most unfavourable
ground; the fire that had cleared the country we had hitherto
traversed had been stopped by the bed of the torrent. We were
thus plunged at once into withered grass above our heads, unless
we stood in the stirrups; the ground was strewed with fragments
of rock, and altogether it was ill-adapted for riding. However,
Taher Sheriff broke into a trot, followed by the entire party, as
the elephant was not in sight. We ascended a hill, and when near
the summit, we perceived the elephant about eighty yards ahead.
It was looking behind during its retreat, by swinging its huge
head from side to side, and upon seeing us approach, it turned
suddenly round and halted. "Be ready, and take care of the
rocks!" said Taher Sheriff, as I rode forward by his side. Hardly
had he uttered these words of caution, when the bull gave a
vicious jerk with its head, and with a shrill scream it charged
down upon us with the greatest fury. Away we all went, helter
skelter, through the dry grass, which whistled in my ears, over
the hidden rocks, at full gallop, with the elephant tearing after
us for about a hundred and eighty yards at a tremendous pace.
Tetel was a sure-footed horse, and, being unshod, he never
slipped upon the stones. Thus, as we all scattered in different
directions, the elephant became confused, and relinquished the
chase; it had been very near me at one time, and in such ground
I was not sorry when it gave up the hunt. We now quickly united,
and again followed the elephant, that had once more retreated.
Advancing at a canter, we shortly came in view. Upon seeing the
horses, the bull deliberately entered a stronghold composed of
rocky and uneven ground, in the clefts of which grew thinly a few
leafless trees, the thickness of a man's leg. It then turned
boldly towards us, and stood determinedly at bay.
Now came the tug of war! Taher Sheriff came close to me and
said, "You had better shoot the elephant, as we shall have great
difficulty in this rocky ground:" this I declined, as I wished to
end the fight as it had been commenced, with the sword; and I
proposed that he should endeavour to drive the animal to more
favourable ground. "Never mind," replied Taher, "Inshallah
(please God) he shall not beat us." He now advised me to keep as
close to him as possible, and to look sharp for a charge.
The elephant stood facing us like a statue; it did not move a
muscle beyond a quick and restless action of the eyes, that were
watching all sides. Taher Sheriff and his youngest brother
Ibrahim now separated, and each took opposite sides of the
elephant, and then joined each other about twenty yards behind
it; I accompanied them, until Taher advised me to keep about the
same distance upon the left flank. My Tokrooris kept apart from
the scene, as they were not required. In front of the elephant
were two aggageers, one of whom was the renowned Roder Sheriff,
with the withered arm. All being ready for action, Roder now rode
slowly towards the head of the cunning old bull, who was quietly
awaiting an opportunity to make certain of some one who might
give him a good chance.
Roder Sheriff rode a bay mare, that, having been thoroughly
trained to these encounters, was perfect at her work. Slowly and
coolly she advanced towards her wary antagonist, until within
about eight or nine yards of the elephant's head; the creature
never moved, and the mise en scene was beautiful; not a word was
spoken, and we kept our places amidst utter stillness, which was
at length broken by a snort from the mare, who gazed intently at
the elephant, as though watching for the moment of attack.
One more pace forward, and Roder sat coolly upon his mare, with
his eyes fixed upon those of the elephant. For an instant I saw
the white of the eye nearest to me "Look out, Roder! he's
coming!" I exclaimed. With a shrill scream, the elephant dashed
upon him like an avalanche!
Round went the mare as though upon a pivot, and away, over rocks
and stones, flying like a gazelle, with the monkey-like form of
little Roder Sheriff leaning forward, and looking over his left
shoulder as the elephant rushed after him.
For a moment I thought he must be caught. Had the mare stumbled,
all were lost; but she gained in the race after a few quick
bounding strides, and Roder, still looking behind him, kept his
distance so close to the elephant, that its outstretched trunk
was within a few feet of the mare's tail.
Taher Sheriff and his brother Ibrahim swept down like falcons in
the rear. In full speed they dexterously avoided the trees, until
they arrived upon open ground, when they dashed up close to the
hind-quarters of the furious elephant, who, maddened with the
excitement, heeded nothing but Roder and his mare, that were
almost within its grasp. When close to the tail of the elephant,
Taher Sheriff's sword flashed from its sheath, as grasping his
trusty blade he leapt nimbly to the ground, while Ibrahim caught
the reins of his horse; two or three bounds on foot, with the
sword clutched in both hands, and he was close behind the
elephant; a bright glance shone like lightning, as the sun struck
upon the descending steel; this was followed by a dull crack, as
the sword cut through skin and sinews, and settled deep in the
bone, about twelve inches above the foot. At the next stride, the
elephant halted dead short in the midst of its tremendous charge.
Taher had jumped quickly on one side, and had vaulted into the
saddle with his naked sword in hand. At the same moment, Roder,
who had led the chase, turned sharp round, and again faced the
elephant as before; stooping quickly from the saddle, he picked
up from the ground a handful of dirt, which he threw into the
face of the vicious-looking animal, that once more attempted to
rush upon him. It was impossible! the foot was dislocated, and
turned up in front like an old shoe. In an instant Taher was once
more on foot, and again the sharp sword slashed the remaining
leg. The great bull elephant could not move! the first cut with
the sword had utterly disabled it; the second was its death blow;
the arteries of the leg were divided, and the blood spouted in
jets from the wounds. I wished to terminate its misery by a
bullet behind the ear, but Taher Sheriff begged me not to fire,
as the elephant would quickly bleed to death without pain, and an
unnecessary shot might attract the Base, who would steal the
flesh and ivory during our absence. We were obliged to return
immediately to our far distant camp, and the hunters resolved to
accompany their camels to the spot upon the following day. We
turned our horses' heads, and rode direct towards home, which we
did not reach until nearly midnight, having ridden upwards of
sixty miles during the day.
The hunting of Taher Sheriff and his brothers was superlatively
beautiful; with an immense amount of dash, there was a cool,
sportsman-like manner in their mode of attack, that far excelled
the impetuous and reckless onset of Abou Do; it was difficult to
decide which to admire the most, whether the coolness and courage
of him who led the elephant, or the extraordinary skill and
activity of the aggahr who dealt the fatal blow.
On the following day, the hunters started to the dead elephant
with camels and sacks, but they returned at night thoroughly
disgusted; the nimble Base had been before them, most probably
attracted to the carcase by the cloud of vultures that had
gathered in the air. Nothing remained but the bones and skull of
the elephant, the flesh and the ivory had been stolen. The tracks
of a great number of men were left upon the ground, and the
aggageers were fortunate to return without an attack from
overwhelming numbers.
After hunting and exploring for some days in this neighbourhood,
I determined to follow the bed of the Royan to its junction with
the Settite. We started at daybreak, and after a long march along
the sandy bed, hemmed in by high banks, or by precipitous cliffs
of sandstone, we arrived at the junction; this was a curious and
frightful spot during the rainy season. The entire course of the
Royan was extremely rapid, but at this extremity it entered a
rocky pass between two hills, and leapt in a succession of grand
falls into a circular basin of about four hundred yards diameter.
This peculiar basin was surrounded by high cliffs, covered with
trees; to the left was an island formed by a rock about sixty
feet high; at the foot was a deep and narrow gorge through which
the Settite river made its exit from the circle. This large river
entered the basin through a rocky gap, at right angles with the
rush of water from the great falls of the Royan, and as both
streams issued from gorges which accelerated their velocity to
the highest degree, their junction formed a tremendous whirlpool:
thus, the basin which was now dry, with the exception of the
single contracted stream of the Settite, was in the rainy season
a most frightful scene of giddy waters. The sides of this basin
were, for about fifty feet from the bottom, sheeted with white
sand that had been left there by the centrifugal force of the
revolving waters; the funnel-shaped reservoir had its greatest
depth beneath the mass of rock that formed a barrier before the
mouth of the exit. From the appearance of the high-water mark
upon the rock, it was easy to ascertain the approximate depth
when the flood was at its maximum. We pitched our camp on the
slope above the basin, and for several days I explored the bed of
the river, which was exceedingly interesting at this dry season,
when all the secrets of its depths were exposed. In many places,
the rocks that choked its bed for a depth of thirty and forty
feet in the narrow passes, had been worked into caverns by the
constant attrition of the rolling pebbles. In one portion of the
river, the bottom was almost smooth, as though it had been paved
with flagstones; this was formed by a calcareous sediment from
the water, which had hardened into stone; in some places this
natural pavement had been broken up into large slabs by the force
of the current, where it had been undermined. This cement
appeared to be the same that had formed the banks of
conglomerate, which in some places walled in the river for a
depth of ten or fifteen feet, with a concrete of rounded pebbles
of all sizes from a nutmeg to a thirty-two pound shot.
I fired the grass on the west bank of the Royan, and the blaze
extended with such rapidity, that in a few hours many miles of
country were entirely cleared. On the following morning, the
country looked as though covered with a pall of black velvet.
To my astonishment there were the fresh tracks of a rhinoceros
within a quarter of a mile of the camp: this animal must have
concealed itself in the bed of the Royan during the fire, and had
wandered forth when it had passed. I followed up the tracks with
Bacheet and two of my Tookrooris. In less than half a mile from
the spot, I found it lying down behind a bush, and creeping under
cover of an ant-hill, I shot it through the shoulder with a
Reilly No. 10; it immediately galloped off, but after a run of a
couple of hundred yards it lay down on the edge of thick thorny
jungle that bordered the margin of the Royan. I waited, in the
expectation that it would shortly die, but it suddenly rose, and
walked slowly into the thorns. Determined to cut off its retreat,
I pushed through the bushes, intending to reach the dry bed of
the Royan and shoot the rhinoceros as it crossed from the narrow
belt of the jungle, into which it had retreated; but I had hardly
reached half way, when I heard a sound in the bush upon my right,
and I saw the wounded beast coming straight for our position, but
evidently unconscious of our presence, as we were to leeward. I
immediately crouched down, as did my men likewise, lest the
animal should observe us. Slowly, but surely, it came on exactly
towards us, until it was at last so near as to be unpleasant: I
looked behind me, and I saw by the expression of my men that they
were thinking of retreat. I merely shook my fist, and frowned at
them to give them confidence, and I waited patiently for my
opportunity. It was becoming too ridiculous; the rhinoceros was
within five or six yards, and was slowly but steadily advancing
direct upon us. At the next step that he made, I raised my rifle
gently to my shoulder, and whistled sharply: in an instant it
tossed its head up, and seeing nothing in front, as my clothes
matched with the leafless bushes, it turned its head to the left,
and I immediately pulled the trigger. It fell as though smitten
by a sledge hammer, and it lay struggling on the ground. Bacheet
sprang forward, and with an Arab sword he cut the hamstring of
one leg. To the astonishment of us all, the rhinoceros jumped up,
and on three legs it sprang quickly round and charged Bacheet,
who skipped into the bushes, while I ran alongside the rhinoceros
as it attempted to follow him, and, with Fletcher No. 24, I fired
through the shoulder, by placing the muzzle within a yard of the
animal. It fell dead to this shot, which was another feather in
the cap of the good little rifle. The skull of the rhinoceros is
very curiously shaped; I had fired for the temple, and had struck
the exact point at which I had aimed, but, instead of hitting the
brain, the bullet had smashed the joint of the jaw, in which it
stuck fast. I never have been able to understand why that
powerful rifle was thus baffled, unless there had been some error
in the charge of powder. This rhinoceros had no ears, they had
been bitten off close to the head by another of the same species,
while fighting; this mutilation is by no means uncommon.
From this point I traversed the country in all directions; upon
one occasion I took a large supply of water, and penetrated into
the very heart of the Base, half way between the Settite and the
river Gash or Mareb, near the base of the mountain chain; but,
although the redoubtable natives were occasionally seen, they
were as shy as wild animals, and we could not approach them.
Having explored the entire country, and enjoyed myself
thoroughly, I was now determined to pay our promised visit to Mek
Nimmur. Since our departure from the Egyptian territory, his
country had been invaded by a large force, according to orders
sent from the Governor-General of the Soudan. Mek Nimmur as usual
retreated to the mountains, but Mai Gubba and a number of his
villages were utterly destroyed by the Egyptians. He would, under
these circumstances, be doubly suspicious of strangers.
My camel-men had constantly brought me the news on their return
from Geera with corn,* and they considered that it was unsafe to
visit Mek Nimmur after his defeat, as he might believe me to be
a spy from the Egyptians; he was a great friend of Theodorus,
king of Abyssinia, and as at that time he was on good terms with
the English, I saw no reason to avoid his country.
* Among other news I was glad to hear that my patient
Jali could walk without difficulty.
We arrived at Ombrega, but, instead of camping among the thick
jungle as formerly, we bivouacked under four splendid tamarind
trees that formed a clump among the rocks on the left bank of the
river, and which shaded a portion of its sandy bed; this was a
delightful resting-place. We were now only one day from Geera,
and we sent a messenger to the sheik of the Hamrans, who shortly
returned with a young girl of about seventeen as a corn-grinder
in the place of Barrake; she was hired from her owner at a dollar
per month.
My camel-men had determined not to proceed to Mek Nimmur's
country, as they were afraid that their camels might be stolen by
his people; they therefore came to me one evening, and coolly
declared that they should return to Geera, as it would be folly
to tempt Mek Nimmur. It was in vain that I protested, and
reminded them that I had engaged them to accompany me throughout
the exploration. They were afraid of losing their camels, and
nothing would satisfy them; they declared that they required no
wages, as the meat and hide, &c. they had received were
sufficient for their services, but through Mek Nimmur's country
they were determined not to go. Taher Noor was the only man who
was willing, but he had no camel. We had constructed a fence of
thorns around our camp, in which the camels were now reposing,
and, as the argument had become hot, the Arabs expressed their
determination of starting homewards that very instant, and we
were to be left alone, unless they could persuade other men of
their tribe to join us with their animals. Accordingly, they at
once proceeded to saddle their camels for an immediate start.
Without saying another word, I quietly took my little Fletcher
rifle, and cocked both barrels as I sat within ten yards of the
exit from the camp. The men were just ready to depart, and
several had mounted their camels. "Good bye," I said; "give my
salaams to the sheik when you arrive at Geera; but the first
camel that passes the zareeba (camp) I shall shoot through the
head." They had heard the sharp click of the locks, and they
remembered the firing of the grass on a former occasion when I
had nearly burnt the camp;--not a camel moved. My Tokrooris and
Taher Noor now came forward as mediators, and begged me not to
shoot the camels. As I had the rifle pointed, I replied to this
demand conditionally, that the Arabs should dismount and unsaddle
immediately: this led to a parley, and I agreed to become
responsible for the value of the camels should they be stolen in
Mek Nimmur's country. The affair was settled.
On March 16th, the day following this argument, as we were
sitting in the evening beneath our trees in the river's bed, I
suddenly heard the rattle of loose stones, and immediately after,
a man on a white hygeen appeared from the jungle on our side of
the river, followed quickly by a string of Arabs, all well
mounted, who silently followed in single file towards the ford.
They had not noticed us, as we were close to the high rocky bank
upon their left, in the deep shade of the tamarind trees. I
counted twenty-three; their shields and swords were slung upon
their hygeens, and, as their clothes were beautifully clean, they
had evidently started that morning from their homes.
The leader had reached the ford without observing us, as in this
wild spot he had expected no one, and the whole party were
astonished and startled when I suddenly addressed them with a
loud "Salaam aleikum" (peace be with you). At first they did not
reply, but as I advanced alone, their leader also advanced from
his party, and we met half way. These were a troop of Mek
Nimmur's people on a foray. I quickly explained who I was, and I
invited him to come and drink coffee beneath the shade in our
camp. Taher Noor now joined us, and confidence having been
established, the leader ordered his party to cross the ford and
to unsaddle on the opposite side of the river, while he
accompanied me to our camp. At first he was rather suspicious,
but a present of a new tarboosh (cap), and a few articles of
trifling value, quickly reassured him, and he promised to be our
guide to Mek Nimmur in about a couple of days, upon his return
from a marauding expedition on the frontier; his party had
appointed to unite with a stronger force, and to make a razzia
upon the cattle of the Dabaina Arabs.
During the night, the marauding party and their leader departed.
There was no game at Ombrega, therefore I employed the interval
of two days in cleaning all the rifles, and in preparing for a
fresh expedition, as that of the Settite and Royan had been
completed. The short Tatham No.10 rifle carried a heavy cylinder,
instead of the original spherical ball. I had only fired two
shots with this rifle, and the recoil had been so tremendous,
owing to the heavy weight of the projectile, that I had
mistrusted the weapon; therefore, when the moment arrived to fire
off all the guns preparatory to cleaning, my good angel whispered
a providential warning, and I agreed to fire this particular
rifle by a long fishing-line attached to the trigger, while the
gun should be fastened to a tree. It blew all to pieces! The
locks were blown entirely away, and the stock was shattered into
fragments: nothing remained but the thick end near the
shoulder-plate. I had received a mysterious presentiment of this;
had I fired that rifle in the usual manner, I must have been
killed on the spot. The charge was five drachms, which was small
in proportion to the weight of the cylindrical projectile. This
may be a warning to such sportsmen who adopt new-fashioned
projectiles to old-fashioned rifles, that were proved with the
spherical bullet, which in weight and friction bears no
proportion to the heavy cylinder; nevertheless, this rifle should
not have burst, and the metal showed great inferiority, by
blowing into fragments instead of splitting.
The leader of Mek Nimmur's party returned, as he had promised, to
be our guide. I extract from my journal, verbatim, my notes upon
that date.
"March 19, 1862.--Started at 1.30 P.M., and halted at 5 P.M.
There is no water for about thirty miles; thus we had watered all
the animals at the usual hour (noon), and they will accordingly
endure until to-morrow evening. Upon ascending the slope of the
Settite valley, the country is an immense plain of fertile soil,
about two hundred feet above the river. While on the march, I
espied a camel wandering without an owner; this was inmmediately
secured as a lawful prize by our guide. This fellow's name is
Mahomet; he is, doubtlessly, an out-and-out scoundrel; he is
about five feet ten inches in height, and as thin as a live man
can be; he is so crafty-looking, and so wiry and eel-like, that
if I were to lock him up I should secure the key-hole, as he
looks capable of squeezing through anything. We slept on the
plain.
"March 20.--Started at 5 A.M., and in three hours we reached the
chain of lofty wooded hills that bound the plain. In a march of
four hours from this point, we arrived at a hor, or ravine, when
we halted beneath a large tamarind tree, and pitched the tent
according to the instructions of our guide. The plain from the
Settite to the base of the hilly range that we had crossed, is
about twenty-two miles wide by forty in length, and, like all the
table-land in this country, it is well adapted for cotton
cultivation. Were the route secure through the Base country,
loaded camels might reach Cassala in six days and from thence to
Souakim. All this country is uninhabited. On arrival at the base
of the first bill, a grove of tamarinds shades a spring, at which
we watered our horses, but the water is impregnated with natron,
which is common throughout this country, and appears in many
places as an efflorescence on the surface of the ground. From the
spring at the eastern base of the hills, we ascended a rugged
pass, winding for some miles among ravines, and crossing elevated
shoulders of the range. Upon the summit we passed a rich mass of
both rose-coloured and white limestone, similar to that we had
seen at Geera; this was surrounded by basalt, and the presence of
limestone entirely mystifles my ideas of geology. Immense
quantities of very beautiful spar lay upon the surface in all
directions; some of this was perfectly white, and veined like an
agate--I believe it was white cornelian; other fragments, of
sizes equalling sixty or seventy pounds weight, were beautifully
green, suggesting the presence of copper. Large masses of
exquisite bloodstone, the size of a man's head, were exceedingly
numerous. Having crossed the hills, we descended to a rich and
park-like valley, covered with grass, and ornamented with fine
timber. Much dhurra was cultivated, and several villages were
passed, that had been plundered by the Egyptians during the
recent attack. This country must be exceedingly unhealthy during
the rainy season, as the soil is extremely rich, and the valleys,
surrounded by hills, would become swamps. From the Settite river,
at Ombrega, to our halting-place beneath the tamarind-tree, at
this spot, is about thirty-five miles south, 10 degrees east."
Our camp was in a favourable locality, well shaded by large
trees, on the margin of a small stream; this was nearly dry at
this season, and the water was extremely bad, having a strong
taste of copper. I had remarked throughout the neighbourhood
unmistakeable evidences of the presence of this metal--the
surface of the rocks was in many places bright green, like
malachite, and, upon an exploration of the bed of the stream, I
found veins of a green substance in the perpendicular cliffs that
had been cut through by the torrent. These green veins passed
through a bed of reddish, hard rock, glistening with minute
crystals, which I believe to have been copper. There is no doubt
that much might be done were the mineral wealth of this country
thoroughly investigated.
The day following our arrival was passed in receiving visits from
a number of Abyssinians, and the head men of Mek Nimmur. There
was a mixture of people, as many of the Jaleen Arabs who had
committed some crime in the Egyptian territory, had fled across
the country and joined the exiled chief of their tribe.
Altogether, the society in this district was not creme de la
creme, as Mek Nimmur's territory was an asylum for all the
blackguards of the adjoining countries, who were attracted by the
excitement and lawlessness of continual border warfare. The troop
that we had seen at Ombrega returned with a hundred and two head
of camels, that they had stolen from the west bank of the Atbara.
Mounted upon hygeens, Mek Nimmur's irregulars thought nothing of
marching sixty miles in one day; thus their attack and retreat
were equally sudden and unexpected.
I had a quantity of rhinoceros hide in pieces of the size
required for shields; these were much prized in this fighting
country, and I presented them to a number of head men who had
honoured us with a visit. I begged them to guide two of my people
to the presence of Mek Nimmur, with a preliminary message. This
they promised to perform. Accordingly, I sent Taher Noor and
Bacheet on horseback, with a most polite message, accompanied
with my card in an envelope, and a small parcel, carefully
wrapped in four or five different papers; this contained a very
beautiful Persian lance-head, of polished steel inlaid with gold,
that I had formerly purchased at Constantinople.
During their absence, we were inundated with visitors, the
Abyssinians, in their tight pantaloons, contrasting strongly with
the loosely-clad Arabs. In about an hour, my messengers returned,
accompanied by two men on horseback, with a hospitable message
fronm Mek Nimmur, and an invitation to pay him a visit at his own
residence. I had some trifling present ready for everybody of
note, and, as Taher Noor and my people had already explained all
they knew concerning us, Mek Nimmur's suspicions had entirely
vanished.
As we were conversing with Mek Nimmur's messengers through the
medium of Taher Noor, who knew their language, our attention was
attracted by the arrival of a tremendous swell who at a distance
I thought must be Mek Nimmur himself. A snow-white mule carried
an equally snow-white person, whose tight white pantaloons looked
as though he had forgotten his trousers, and had mounted in his
drawers. He carried a large umbrella to shade his complexion; a
pair of handsome silver-mounted pistols were arranged upon his
saddle, and a silver-hilted curved sword, of the peculiar
Abyssinian form, hung by his side. This grand personage was
followed by an attendant, also mounted upon a mule, while several
men on foot accompanied them, one of whom carried his lance and
shield. Upon a near approach, he immediately dismounted, and
advanced towards us, bowing in a most foppish manner, while his
attendant followed him on foot with an enormous violin, which he
immediately handed to him. This fiddle was very peculiar in
shape, being a square, with an exceedingly long neck extending
from one corner; upon this was stretched a solitary string, and
the bow was very short and much bent. This was an Abyssinian
Paganini. He was a professional minstrel of the highest grade,
who had been sent by Mek Nimmur to welcome us on our arrival.
These musicians are very similar to the minstrels of ancient
times; they attend at public rejoicings, and at births, deaths,
and marriages of great personages, upon which occasions they
extemporize their songs according to circumstances. My hunting in
the Base country formed his theme, and for at least an hour he
sang of my deeds, in an extremely loud and disagreeable voice,
while he accompanied himself upon his fiddle, which he held
downwards like a violoncello: during the whole of his song he
continued in movement, marching with a sliding step to the front,
and gliding to the right and left in a manner that, if intended
to be graceful, was extremely comic. The substance of this
minstrelsy was explained to me by Taher Noor, who listened
eagerly to the words, which he translated with evident
satisfaction. Of course, like all minstrels, he was an absurd
flatterer, and, having gathered a few facts for his theme, he
wandered slightly from the truth in his poetical description of
my deeds.
He sang of me as though I had been Richard Coeur de Lion, and
recounted, before an admiring throng of listeners, how "I had
wandered with a young wife from my own distant country to fight
the terrible Base; how I had slain them in single combat; and how
elephants and lions were struck down like lambs and kids by my
hands; that during my absence in the hunt, my wife had been
carried off by the Base; that I had, on my return to my pillaged
camp, galloped off in chase, and, overtaking the enemy, hundreds
had fallen by my rifle and sword, and I had liberated and
recovered the lady, who now had arrived safe with her lord in the
country of the great Mek Nimmur," &c. &c. &c.
This was all very pretty, no doubt, and as true as most poetical
and musical descriptions, but I felt certain that there must be
something to pay for this flattering entertainment; if you are
considered to be a great man, a present is invariably expected in
proportion to your importance. I suggested to Taher Noor that I
must give him a couple of dollars. "What!" said Taher Noor, "a
couple of dollars! Impossible! a musician of his standing it
accustomed to receive thirty and forty dollars from great people
for so beautiful and honourable a song."
This was somewhat startling; I began to reflect upon the price of
a box at Her Majesty's Theatre in London; but there I was not the
hero of the opera; this minstrel combined the whole affair in a
most simple manner; he was Verdi, Costa, and orchestra all in
one; he was a thorough Macaulay as historian, therefore I had to
pay the composer as well as the fiddler. I compromised the
matter, and gave him a few dollars, as I understood that he was
Mek Nimmur's private minstrel, but I never parted with my dear
Maria Theresa* with so much regret as upon that occasion, and I
begged him not to incommode himself by paying us another visit,
or, should he be obliged to do so, I trusted he would not think
it necessary to bring his violin.
* The Austrian dollar, that is the only large current
coin in that country.
The minstrel retired in the same order that he had arrived, and
I watched his retreating figure with unpleasant reflections, that
were suggested by doubts as to whether I had paid him too little
or too much; Taher Noor thought that he was underpaid; my own
opinion was, that I had brought a curse upon myself equal to a
succession of London organ-grinders, as I fully expected that
other minstrels, upon hearing of the Austrian dollars, would pay
us a visit, and sing of my great deeds.
In the afternoon, we were sitting beneath the shade of our
tamarind tree when we thought we could perceive our musical
friend returning. As he drew near, we were convinced that it was
the identical minstrel, who had most probably been sent with a
message from Mek Nimmur: there he was, in snow-white raiment, on
the snow-white mule, with the mounted attendant and the violin as
before. He dismounted upon arrival opposite the camp, and
approached with his usual foppish bow; but we looked on in
astonishment: it was not our Paganini, it was ANOTHER MINSTREL!
who was determined to sing an ode in our praise. I felt that this
was an indirect appeal to Maria Theresa, and I at once declared
against music. I begged him not to sing; "my wife had a
headache--I disliked the fiddle--could he play anything else
instead?" and I expressed a variety of polite excuses, but to no
purpose; he insisted upon singing; if I "disliked the fiddle, he
would sing without an accompaniment, but he could not think of
insulting so great a man as myself by returning without an ode to
commemorate our arrival."
I was determined that he should NOT sing; he was determined that
he WOULD, therefore I desired him to leave my camp; this he
agreed to do, provided I would allow him to cross the stream, and
sing to my Tokrooris, in my praise, beneath a neighbouring tree
about fifty yards distant. He remounted his mule with his violin,
to ford the muddy stream, and he descended the steep bank,
followed by his attendant on foot, who drove the unwilling mule.
Upon arrival at the brink of the dirty brook, that was about
three feet deep, the mule positively refused to enter the water,
and stood firm with its fore feet sunk deep in the mud. The
attendant attempted to push it on behind, at the same time he
gave it a sharp blow with his sheathed sword; this changed the
scene to the "opera comique." In one instant the mule gave so
vigorous and unexpected a kick into the bowels of the attendant,
that he fell upon his back, heels uppermost, while at the same
moment the minstrel, in his snow-white garments, was precipitated
head foremost into the muddy brook, and for the moment
disappearing, the violin alone could be seen floating on the
surface. A second later, a wretched-looking object, covered with
slime and filth, emerged from the slough; this was Paganini the
second! who, after securing his fiddle, that had stranded on a
mud-bank, scrambled up the steep slope, amidst the roars of
laughter of my people and of ourselves; while the perverse mule,
having turned harmony into discord, kicked up its heels and
galloped off, braying an ode in praise of liberty, as the "Lay of
the last Minstrel." The discomfited fiddler was wiped down by my
Tokrooris, who occasionally burst into renewed fits of laughter
during the operation; the mule was caught, and the minstrel
remounted, and returned home completely out of tune.
On the following morning, at sunrise, I mounted my horse, and,
accompanied by Taher Noor and Bacheet, I rode to pay my respects
to Mek Nimmur. Our route lay parallel to the stream, and, after
a ride of about two miles through a fine, park-like country,
bounded by the Abyssinian Alps about fifteen miles distant, I
observed a crowd of people round a large tamarind tree, near
which were standing a number of horses, mules, and dromedaries.
This was the spot upon which I was to meet Mek Nimmur. Upon my
approach the crowd opened, and, having dismounted, I was
introduced by Taher Noor to the great chief. He was a man of
about fifty, and exceedingly dirty in appearance. He sat upon an
angarep, surrounded by his people; lying on either side upon his
seat were two brace of pistols, and within a few yards stood his
horse ready saddled. He was prepared for fight or flight, as were
also his ruffianly-looking followers, who were composed of
Abyssinians and Jaleens.
I commenced the conversation by referring to the hospitality
shown by his father to my countryman, Mr. Mansfield Parkyns, and
I assured him that such kind attentions were never forgotten by
an Englishman, therefore I had determined to visit him, although
the Egyptian authorities had cautioned me not to trust myself
within his territory. I explained that I was bound towards an
unknown point, in search of the sources of the White Nile, which
might occupy some years, but that I wished to perfect the
exploration by the examination of all the Abyssinian Nile
affluents: and I concluded by asking for his assistance in my
journey to the Bahr Angrab and the Salaam. He replied very
politely, and gave me much local information; he said that the
Egyptians gave him no peace, that he was obliged to fight in
self-defence; but that, if I could make overtures on his part to
the Egyptian authorities, he would engage never to cross the
Atbara, provided they observed a similar condition. I promised to
represent his offer to the Governor-General on my arrival at
Khartoum. He agreed to give me a guide to the rivers Angrab and
Salaam, that were not far distant, and he at once pointed out to
me the two dark gorges, about twelve and sixteen miles distant,
in the chain of precipitous mountains from which they flowed. He
described the country upon the other side of the mountains to be
the elevated plateau of Abyssinia, and he advised me to visit the
king before my departure from his territory; this I could not
conveniently accomplish, as my route lay in an opposite
direction. He begged me for a telescope, so that he should be
able to see the approach of the Turks (Egyptians) from a great
distance, as he explained that he had spies upon all the mountain
tops, so that no stranger could enter his country without his
knowledge. He confessed that my movements while in the Base
country had been watched by his spies, until he had felt assured
that I had no sinister motive. I laughed at the idea; he replied,
that we were most fortunate to have escaped an attack from the
natives, as they were far worse than wild beasts, and he
immediately pointed out several Base slaves who were present in
the crowd, who had been captured when children; they appeared to
be the same as the woolly-headed natives of the south bank of the
Blue Nile, and not at all peculiar in appearance. He cautioned me
against bathing in the stream, or drinking the water in the
neighbourhood of our camp, as it was extremely poisonous, and
would produce an irritation of the skin. I told him that I had
discovered copper, and that I attributed the poisonous quality of
the water to the presence of that mineral. This announcement was
received with a general expression of approbation. "That is very
curious," he said, "that we who live in this country are
ignorant, and that you, a stranger, should at once explain the
cause of the poison." He at once agreed to the suggestion, as he
said, that during the rains, when the torrents were full, the
water was not unwholesome, but in the dry weather, when the
supply was scanty, and the stream feeble, the strength of the
poison was necessarily increased. He assured me that, although
the pasturage was excellent, all cattle that drank in that hor or
stream became as thin as skeletons.
Mek Nimmur had been ignorant of the existence of copper, but he
informed me that gold dust was common in the sand of most of the
ravines, and that, if I would remain in his country, I might
discover considerable quantities. I informed him that I had
already discovered the existence of both gold and lead. He
requested me to give him every information respecting the lead,
as he should prefer it to gold, as he could manufacture bullets
to shoot the Turks (as the Egyptians are called by the
neighbouring tribes). After a long and satisfactory conversation,
I made my salaam, and retired. Immediately on my arrival at the
camp, I despatched Wat Gamma on horseback with Taher Noor, in
charge of a pair of beautiful double-barrelled pistols, with the
name of Tatham as the manufacturer; these were loaded, and I sent
a polite message, begging Mek Nimmur's acceptance of the present;
they were accompanied by a supply of ammunition.
In the evening Wat Gamma returned with the pistols; --they had
BURST! Mek Nimmur had requested him to fire at a mark, and one
barrel of each pistol had given way; thus, the double rifle and
the pistols of the same name "Tatham" had all failed; fortunately
no one was injured. I was afraid that this would lead to some
complication, and I was much annoyed; I had never used these
pistols, but I had considered that they were first rate; thus I
had given them to Mek Nimmur as a valuable present, and they had
proved their utter worthlessness. I immediately mounted my horse,
and with my revolver in my belt, and my beautiful single Beattie
rifle in my hand, I galloped off to Mek Nimmur; he was seated in
the same spot, watching the harvest of dhurra, enormous piles of
which were being thrashed by a number of Abyssinians. The instant
that I arrived, I went straight to him, and explained my regret
and disappointment at the failure of the pistols, and I begged
him to take his choice between my rifle and revolver. He behaved
remarkably well; he had begged my messenger to leave the broken
pistols with him, and not to mention the circumstance to me, as
he felt sure that I should feel even more annoyed than himself;
he now declined my offer, as he said I should require the weapons
during my proposed journey up the White Nile, and he could not
deprive me of their use. He was afraid of the revolver, as it was
too complicated, but I tore from my note-book a small piece of
paper, which I requested one of his people to stick upon a rock
about ninety yards distant. I took a steady shot with the single
rifle, and was fortunate enough to hit the paper exactly. This
elicited general applause, and Mek Nimmur called one of his
people, an Abyssinian, who he declared to be a celebrated shot,
and he requested that he might be allowed to fire the rifle. I
placed a similar mark upon the rock, and the Abyssinian fired
from a rest, and struck the stone, in a good line, about six
inches below the paper. The crowd were in raptures with the
rifle, which I at once insisted upon Mek Nimmur accepting. I then
made my salaam, and mounted my horse amidst general expressions
of approval.
On the following morning, Mek Nimmur sent us two camel-loads of
corn; a large gourd of honey, weighing about fifty pounds; and
four cows that must have been a detachment of Pharaoh's lean
kine, with a polite message that I was to select the FATTEST.
These cattle were specimens of the poisonous qualities of the
water; but, although disappointed in the substance of the
present, my people were delighted with the acquisition, and they
immediately selected a cow; but just as they were licking their
lips at the prospect of fresh meat, which they had not tasted for
some days, the cow broke away and made off across country. In
despair at the loss, my men followed in hot pursuit, and two of
the Tokrooris overtook her, and held on to her tail like
bull-dogs, although dragged for some distance, at full gallop
through thorns and ruts, until the other men arrived and
overpowered the thin, but wiry animal. When slaughtered, there
was a great squabble between my men and the Abyssinians, who
endeavoured to steal the meat.