I experienced a little surprise myself in the evening of the same day, when the camels were brought into camp for the night. These animals are driven out every day, in charge of one or two individuals, to browse, principally on the green leaves and large clusters of curling pods of the mimosa-trees, which abound in this neighbourhood. A little before sunset, their owners and the slaves proceed in all directions to bring them in, and although sometimes a circuit of at least eighteen miles has been cleared of what little vegetation it boasts of, yet it is very seldom a camel is ever lost, unless actually driven away by some robber lurking on the outskirts of their feeding-ground. On this evening, two or three men drove the numerous herds of camels before them, and came into camp on one side of a low hill, whilst on the other the remainder of the men who had assisted in collecting them came in a body, exactly like the Muditu the preceding day. At a short distance before them, pirouetting in a succession of bounding leaps, his body bent towards the ground, whilst the knees were being continually brought up nearly to his chin, the man whom I had seen punished the day before for being drunk led them on. All chanted a low, moaning song, and came pressing hard against each other’s shoulders, with their shields advanced, presenting a very compact front. Having reached the camp, and paraded past my hut in this manner, their song ceased, the capering buffoon suspended his dance, and the party dispersed to assist in securing the camels for the night, and whose number had been greatly increased by arrivals during the day.
In the course of the last night, we remained at Allulee, twenty-eight more camels joined us with salt, and nearly as many men; for besides the drivers, two extensive slave merchants, had hurried from Tajourah after us with five or six attendants and a mule. The principal of this party, Ohmed Medina, was a fine tall athletic man, about forty years of age, with a mild and very pleasing expression of countenance. He was considered to be the richest slave merchant of the southern Dankalli tribes; and, in the opinion of his countrymen, with whom he was a great favourite, was, besides, a very courageous and successful warrior. Instead of assuming the poor garb, and pretending great poverty, as did Ohmed Mahomed, and the other chief people of the Kafilah, he affected a very superior style of dress, wore an Indian finely wove check fotah, a very large tobe, and a splendid dagger, the sheath of which was more than one half of it overlaid with thin plates of silver. He evidently cared very little for the reported character of the Bedouins, as regarded their rapacity, and felt quite equal to a contest with them on any disputed question that might arise. He attended very strictly to his religious duties, but was far from being a bigot, excepting in always expecting the coffee to be first handed to him on occasions of drinking it with me, and as I was indebted to his presence for that real enjoyment of travelling, which can only arise from a consciousness of security, I was very willing to make even greater concessions, than in this simple act, to secure his friendship and good will. As with him no treachery could be suspected, I have frequently, without any other companion, traversed for hours the sandy plains, or stone-covered flat-topped ridges that constitute almost the whole country between Tajourah and the Hawash. He was particularly quick in comprehending my ideas, clothed as they were in very bad Arabic, and as we soon got accustomed to a short vocabulary of the most useful words, and resorted to familiar comparisons, when we wished to convey abstruse ideas, we talked away for hours together; he amusing me by the simplicity of several of his remarks respecting European politics and customs; and I giving him long accounts of our wars, our commerce, and our religion. His extensive knowledge of the whole country of Adal and of Abyssinia, I found very useful, and he was ever ready to give me accounts of the places he knew, of the roads, of the halting-grounds, and of the trade. He would sometimes dwell with considerable interest upon the great wealth that formerly characterized the commerce of Abyssinia, and indulged in hopes that he should live to see it restored again, now that the English had come into the country. He admitted that the Dankalli tribes themselves, by their violence had depopulated and destroyed the once extensive and powerful kingdom of Adal.
Ohmed Medina had visited Bombay and Aden, and had the most exalted ideas of our wealth, and the political power of England; he often declared his admiration of our laws and customs, and said that he should come and live in one of our “belladee” or towns, and become an Islam Feringee.
Garahmee saw that his supremacy in the Kafilah was now impossible, and with his usual tact, sunk into an obsequious follower, where he could not dictate as an arrogant chief. For my own part, I now felt easy, and secure from the fate which I felt convinced I should have met with had not Ohmed Medina joined our Kafilah; as it was, had I been travelling in a well-ordered country, my personal safety could not have been better assured, and many a pleasant hour’s sleep have I enjoyed after a long day’s journey, confident in his watchful care, for he always ordered his servants to build his shade of mats, and salt-bags, but a few yards from the entrance of my own hut.
I was first introduced to Ohmed Medina, during the march on the morning of the tenth of April, when we again resumed our journey. We travelled not more than three miles from our last halting-place, amongst little denuded hills of a reddish porphyritic stone before we came to an open plain of no very great dimensions. Passing out of the gorge of a small stream running through banks which were covered with tamarisks, and mimosa shrubs; we came suddenly upon a large shallow lake of fresh water, which prevented us from continuing the march for that day. We accordingly returned to the little wood-enbosomed plain called Gurguddee, and which appeared to be a favourite burial-place for the tribes in the neighbourhood. Among a vast number of others, two large kairns, or heaps of stones, were pointed out to me, as being the tombs of two great chiefs, one of which, however, appeared to command no respect; or, in fact, only excited a contrary feeling, several stones being cast upon it in contempt. A legend connected with it, reminded me forcibly of the tale of Myrrha and her father. The other was the tomb of a Sheik, celebrated for his piety, and was strewed over by palm branches, and the decayed foliage of other trees. Many of the Kafilah men, amongst whom I noticed Ohmed Medina, added each a tribute of green leaves, and repeated a short prayer near to it.
A Kafilah of donkeys laden with salt, going to Owssa, came up with us this day, and although the marshy lake before us seemed to lie direct in their way, they would not halt, but taking a long circuit around its border, went on their way, thus avoided any chance of collision with any individuals of our party, which appears is always to be expected on occasions of two Kafilahs coming together, and the greatest caution marks the conduct of people who thus happen to meet. This cautious suspicion of intention is also the sole cause of the great politeness, which, it cannot help being observed, marks all their intercourse with each other. One of the last traits I should have expected to find amongst a people so lawless, and otherwise so savage in their manners and customs.
We rested here the whole day. Zaido having been sent back to the last halting-place, on some errand, by Ohmed Mahomed, returned in a very short time running at the top of his speed, without spear or shield, and panting with excitement and fear, as he came in. All our people turned out from under the trees with their usual impetuous rush to seize spears and shields. Ohmed Medina, Garahmee, and some few others, as they got armed, went with me in the direction of the pursuing party who came in sight on a distant height, but on seeing our approach they retreated very quickly behind the hill again. After a short search, we returned into camp, without the arms thrown away by Zaido in his flight, and which we could not find. When quiet had been again established, and I was sitting in my hut, I could not help laughing at Zaido’s grimaces, as he endeavoured to tell me the jeopardy he had been in, concluding his relation with a pathetic appeal to my feelings, wishing to know what indeed the “Ahkeem” (myself) would have done had he been killed, and trusting that I would supply him with a new shield and spear, in return for his great attention and care of me.
This accident was the topic of conversation all day, and in consequence of it a great zekar was held in the evening, similar to those I had seen performed in Tajourah, and which was kept up until the middle of the night. All their praying, however, had no effect in withholding the arm of the assassin, for that very night, shortly after all parties had retired to their mats, the devotees sleeping perhaps more soundly from their exertions, the whole camp were suddenly awakened by a loud shriek, followed by a sudden burst of clamouring voices, and a confused rush to arms, during which several stumbled over my hut in their hurry. Ohmed Medina was shouting, “Ahkeem, ahkeem.” Zaido was pushing to get into my hut as I was trying to get out, and if his voice had not told me who it was that was thus intruding, it would have been rather a dangerous retreat for him. I got out at last, and made the best of my way, for it was a very dark night, in the direction that the voices seemed to be, and I soon met Ohmed Mahomed, who took me to the place of slaughter; but I was of no service, the man was quite dead, and no art of mine could close again the deep gash in his throat, that had terminated so suddenly his existence. He was the slave of one of the camel-owners, and it was supposed had been murdered by one of the Muditu, who had crept unobserved among the camels, and had thus revenged the recent murder of one of their tribe that had occurred in Tajourah.
April 11th.—The catastrophe of last night, and the evident hostility of the tribe we were among, induced Ohmed Mahomed, despite the bad state of the road, to hasten on another day’s journey to reach a country inhabited by the Debenee tribe, the chief of whom, Lohitu, a brave and generous warrior, was a great friend of Ohmed Medina.
It was a very long march of nearly seven hours, for we had to go round the shallow, muddy, but extensive Lake of Gurguddee, which occupied a portion of a vast plain, lying nearly north and south, as far as the eye could reach either way. It was bounded east and west, by long low ridges of loose lava cinders, at the distance of about five miles from each other. In a direction nearly due north-west, I was shown the high hills across which I was told one road to Owssa passed.