Detained at Farree.--No news from Ankobar.--Fear all is
not right.--Escape from my confinement.--Reach Garcia
Mulloo.--Followed by officers of Wallasmah.--Compromise
matters.--Return to Farree.--Brutality of Wallasmah.--
Planning escape to the coast with Hy Soumaulee.--Arrival
of Mr. Scott from Ankobar.--Chief cause of my detention.
I stayed in Farree anxiously awaiting some news from the embassy, until
the 25th; but neither note nor messenger came to relieve the suspense
I was in. The night before, Ohmed Medina, however, had called upon me,
and told me that all was right as regarded their personal safety, but
informed me that my note from the Dinnomalee had been intercepted by
the Wallasmah, and that none of the English in Shoa knew that I was in
the country. I made up my mind, on hearing this, to attempt getting
to Ankobar the next morning, if it were possible; and accordingly,
before it was light, opened the little wicket that served for the door,
passed unobserved the two sentinels who lay wrapped up in their body
cloths fast asleep, and was soon some distance on the wrong road; that
is to say, the most circuitous one to Ankobar. I thought that I was
not exactly right, and meeting some labourers going into the fields
to work, I asked the way, by repeating the word, Ankobar. They were
too much surprised to speak, but pointed in the direction of the road,
and I left them staring after me with a wondering look, as if to ask
what would come next. Having reached a village about five miles to the
north-west of Farree, I found it impossible to go on, it having been
one continual ascent along the roughest and most winding path that can
well be imagined. Oppressed with difficulty of breathing, fatigued, and
foot-sore, I turned toward the door of the first house, and sitting
down on a stone, made signs that I wanted some water. Hereupon such a
screaming was set up by the only inmates, two naked children, that it
could not have been exceeded if I had intimated that they were about
to be devoured. Their cries brought two other little girls, who came
running round the house, but seeing me, promptly turned back, tumbling
over each other to get out of the way, contributing as they lay not a
little to the frantic roaring of the children inside.
The noise soon brought all the disposable people, men and women of all
ages, who had not left the village for their labours in the fields, who
soon recognised in their visitor a Gypt or Egyptian, as the Abyssinians
call all white men. I was glad to find that the character seemed to
be a very respected one, although the first evidence I had of it,
was the numerous beggars for articles, the names of which I did not
understand. They invited me into the house out of the sun, and a large
wooden mortar was laid on its side for me to sit upon, whilst several
women employed themselves scorching some coffee beans, in a coarse
earthenware saucer over a little wood fire in the centre of a circular
hearth, that occupied the middle of the room. The whole house consisted
of this one apartment, the surrounding wall being composed of sticks
placed close together, and about four feet high, upon which rested a
straw thatched roof frame of light bamboo, well blackened with the
smoke.
I had not long arrived at Garcia Mulloo, the name of the village,
before I was followed by a large body of men armed with spears and
staves, and dragging along with them, most unwillingly, my old grey
mule. The misselannee of Farree, whom I knew, was at the head of the
party, and appeared very well pleased to see me, addressing me with
great politeness, though I could not understand a word that he said.
I took care, however, in Arabic, to charge him and the Wallasmah with
incivility, and want of hospitality, for detaining me so long in Farree
against my will, and also with having, like a thief, stolen the note I
had sent to Ankobar. As we had been now joined by a man named Brekka,
who understood what I said, he interpreted for us, and afforded the
misselannee an opportunity in reply, of throwing the whole blame upon
the Wallasmah, whose servant he was, at the same time begging me to
return with him, for which purpose, and for my accommodation, he had
brought my mule along with him. I positively refused, on the plea, that
their King had promised mine, that Englishmen were to travel unmolested
through the country, alluding to the treaty, and that, accordingly,
if they now used force to take me back to Farree, it would bring the
matter to an issue, and my people would then see the real value of
the word of Sahale Selassee. Seeing I was determined not to return
with them they agreed to compromise the matter, upon my promising to
remain at Garcia Mulloo, and not attempt to proceed farther towards
Ankobar, until the King’s pleasure respecting me should be known. This
I was induced to do by the misselannee’s pacific appeal that I would
not do anything which would occasion him to be imprisoned, and all his
property confiscated.
Our interpreter, Brekka, was a scamp of a renegado, who had been a
Christian, but was converted to the Islam faith, by the promise of a
situation under the Wallasmah, whose district, the province of Efat, is
inhabited chiefly by Mahomedans. The contiguity of the two faiths among
a people of one origin, affords an interesting opportunity of examining
the first effect of differences in religious belief, and which leads,
in the course of time, to the division of one family of man into two
distinct nations, differing in customs, pursuits, and even, after a
lapse of time, in physical features.
The same dispersing operation of opinion, but more advanced, is to be
observed in the separation, at the present day, of the Dankalli and
Soumaulee tribes, and to any zealous student of the science of all
sciences, humanity, or the natural history of man, it is indispensably
necessary that he should visit the countries of Abyssinia, of Sennaar,
and Adal, where he will find collected, as at a centre, the originals
of all the different varieties into which physiologists have divided
the human race; and where, at this moment, the principal causes of
the great moral change in the condition of man, consequent upon the
flood, may be observed in full operation, and producing the same
effects of dispersion. Christian civilization, which points to a future
union, is the antagonizing principle to the opinion disturbing one,
which, I believe, alone separates and divides mankind; and I could
wish to see, here, in intertropical Africa, a Mission of enlightened
ministers of the Gospel, whose object should be simply to spread the
easily understood doctrine of one God, and that love and truth are the
redeeming principles in the character of man, to restore him to that
state of excellence from which he has fallen.
It being arranged I should stay at Garcia Mulloo, a supply of bread and
beer was ordered by the misselanee, who had been sent for to see after
this duty; the same officer of the town of Farree, returning there
with his party, taking my mule along with them, and leaving Brekka and
another man to keep me company, as was said, but in fact, to keep guard
over me. A disjointed conversation with the former served to amuse me
during the rest of the day. He gave me some information respecting
the Embassy, and of the dislike entertained by Sahale Selassee to the
English; which surprised me considerably, nor would I at first believe
it, but ascribed the statement to the ill feeling and jealousy with
which the visit of our Political Mission to the Court of Shoa, was
viewed by the Mahomedans of Efat.
In the afternoon, Brekka walked down to Farree, and when he returned,
told me he had seen a letter for me, and a messenger from Ankobar, and
that if I wished to see them I must go to that town. I did not hesitate
a moment, but was now as anxious to be off, as I was before obstinately
bent upon remaining. The news of Brekka being confirmed by the arrival
of a messenger from the Wallasmah, with the same information, I started
immediately. I conceived that the not sending the letter to Garcia
Mulloo, was perhaps intended as a kind of punishment for my breaking
prison in the morning.
In about an hour and a-half, we were again crossing the little stream
which flows at the base of the hill on which Farree stands; and I was
soon seated in my old quarters, whilst Brekka went to obtain for me
the expected note. When he returned, he brought me an order to go
to the Wallasmah myself, as he wanted to see me; and who occupied a
house upon one of the little eminences opposite to mine. I was not
long in presenting myself in obedience to this summons, and found that
gentleman sitting upon a large oxskin spread upon the ground, paring
his toe nails with an old pocket knife. As I came round the low stone
fence against which he leaned, he cast his eyes upon me, and growled
a very sinister kind of salutation, asking me in broken Arabic how I
did. I now requested him to give me the letter from Ankobar, but he
only shook his head. I asked to see the messenger, and with a chuckle
of triumphant cunning, he pointed with the open knife to the fastened
door of an outhouse, an action which I readily interpreted to mean,
“He is there, in prison.” I did not say a word more, but walked away
in high dudgeon, overturning a rude Abyssinian who, with spear and
shield pushed against me, as if to prevent my exit when I made my way
out through a little wicket in the stick enclosure that surrounded the
house.
The worst of my situation was, that I had no friends near, all the Hy
Soumaulee and Tajourah people being according to custom, obliged to
locate themselves during their stay in Shoa, in a little town called
Channo, situated about two miles to the north-east of Farree, where
they are compelled to leave their shields and spears when they go
farther into the interior of the country. I had to send for any of
these to come to me, but either it was too late in the day, being after
sunset, or orders had been issued to the contrary, for I could induce
no one to take a message from me either to Ohmed Medina or Carmel
Ibrahim. I was obliged, therefore, to remain quiet for the night, being
determined, however, on the morrow to escape into the Adal country, and
carry the news back, which otherwise might be a long time in reaching
Aden, of the actual condition of things in Shoa; where, instead of the
English being courted and caressed, as was believed to be the case when
I was in Tajourah, they were, in fact, the objects of the most jealous
suspicion, and subjected to the most tyrannical surveillance, if not
actually in prison.
The early part of the morning of the 26th of May was occupied in
projecting the plan of my escape with Carmel Ibrahim and Adam Burrah,
the latter of whom having assisted Lieut. Barker in getting through the
Adal country after that gentleman had left the Hurrah Kafilah, I could
the more confidently rely upon, although I had not the least doubt of
the fidelity or trustworthiness of the former. These two had come with
Allee the First to laugh with me at my attempt of getting to Ankobar
the day before, and endeavoured to soothe and interest me, as they
thought, by showing how they would disembowel the old fat Wallasmah
if they had him in their country. My proposal to go back was met with
their decided approbation. It was accordingly arranged that Carmel and
Adam should accompany me in the evening, whilst the rest of the escort
were to remain, and during the night manage to steal my mule, and as
many more as they could, and join us at the little Wahama town Dophan,
beyond which they knew very well no attempt would be made to pursue us.
I was in the act of making a few cartridges for my anticipated return
journey, when I heard a loud cry of “Commander, Commander,” an English
word, by which the Abyssinians had been taught to designate the head
of the Mission. Two or three of the inhabitants of Farree came also in
a great hurry to call me out of the house, and tell me that some Gypt
or other was approaching. I was equally eager, and even ran in a most
undignified manner to meet this messenger of light, who, mounted on
a mule, now appeared upon the summit or crest of the road before it
descends into the little hollow where stands the market-place. There
was a great air of civilization about him. He wore a broad-brimmed hat,
somewhat like my own, covered with white cotton cloth, a sailor’s large
pea-jacket belted round his waist, an old pair of grey check trowsers,
and came with a sober steady pace along the narrow path.
I met him as he dismounted beneath the few mimosa-trees, and after
a hearty shake of the hand, invited him to my _hotel_. He then
introduced himself as Mr. R. Scott, the surveying draughtsman attached
to the Mission.
His first explanation was the cause of his non-arrival sooner, which
was owing to the utter ignorance of my arrival on the part of Captain
Harris, the chief of the Embassy, until the night but one before, when
the King had forwarded by one of his pages two notes, which I had
endeavoured to send to him, the last one dated from Dinnomalee. The
other was the one which had been sent by Esau Ibrahim, who, it will be
remembered, was despatched from Mullu, on the other side of the Hawash,
with a note to Ankobar, informing Captain Harris of my being on the
road with stores. Both these letters had been intercepted and detained,
until public rumour spreading, the King could not have kept the Embassy
much longer ignorant of my being in the country; and he therefore made
a virtue of necessity, and sent the letters before they were demanded.
An answer had been sent to me by Capt. Harris the day before by the
messenger now in prison, confined by the Wallasmah for having brought a
letter for me, after the King had issued orders that all correspondence
between the English already in the country and those arriving should
be prevented. Mr. Scott was not at all surprised when I informed him
of the circumstance, though I certainly considered such a proceeding
to be very much at variance with the conditions and stipulations I
was given to understand were contained in the commercial treaty. I
could not help remarking this, and Mr. Scott then candidly admitted
the King did not know the character or purport of the paper he had
signed; and had only been made aware of the new responsibilities he
had incurred, by a sharply worded expostulatory letter, written by
Mr. Krapf, in accordance to the dictation of Captain Harris, on an
occasion subsequently to the signing of the treaty, when despatches and
letters coming up from the coast were intercepted and detained for some
time by the orders of the King. Singularly enough, this information
was corroborated by Ohmed Medina, who told me that my letter from
Dinnomalee had not been carried to Captain Harris, but to the King, who
wanted to find out whether the English were his friends or not, and
was trying my disposition and that of the Commander (Captain Harris)
by this harsh treatment of me; a kind of experiment, in fact, to see
what would be borne by us, and how far he had limited his authority
by attaching his signature to the treaty. Any idea of granting public
benefit, at the expense of his prerogative was never entertained for a
moment, the intentions of the King being limited to shewing personal
favour alone, which he is ever ready to concede even now to English
travellers, much as he complains of the conduct of the Mission in Shoa
as regards their political misdoings; more especially of the great
insult offered to him by the unfortunate letter before alluded to, and
which was worded so unguardedly, that the King, on receiving it, might
well, considering his great regard for Mr. Krapf previously, turn to
him and say, in a tone that implied more of sorrow than of anger, “Did
you write that, my father?”