The halting-place was called Dulhull, although I found afterwards that this, properly speaking, was the name of the ridge to the north, which alone separated us from the Lake Abhibhad. From one informant I received the name Mokoito as that of the plain, and the ridge under which our encampment lay was still called Mahree.
Ohmed Medina had so much to tell the chief people of the Kafilah, about the business which had taken him to Owssa, that I did not have much of his conversation during the day, or any opportunity of taking him to task, for giving me the slip at Arabderah, for I now perceived, that what I heard in that place of him and Garahmee returning to Gobard, was a fiction of convenience, to avoid any importunity on my part to accompany them. Ohmed Mahomed, in a better humour than I expected, after my morning’s speech to Lohitu in favour of Mahomed Allee, came and sat with me an hour or two, endeavouring to convince me that he had done everything for the best, and that Mahomed Allee was a great scoundrel. He also attempted to give me some information respecting Owssa and Hurrah, the latter being a celebrated city, once the capital of the large kingdom of Adea, situated about four days’ journey directly to the south. Owssa, also, it should have been observed before, was formerly the seat of the Government of the kingdom of Adal, but for the last three centuries, these former Amahra or Abyssinian monarchical divisions of the country of Adgem, Adea, and Adal, have given way to the more numerous subdivisions required by the system of patriarchal authority, which alone is recognised among the present barbarous Dankalli occupants. Ohmed Mahomed failed to enlighten me, on the subject of the relative geographical position, of these still important emporiums of the produce of this country, for unfortunately he did not possess, like Ohmed Medina, that generalizing talent of taking, as it were, a bird’s-eye view of the intervening country in his mind, and then depicting a transcript readily upon the sand, to convey at once a correct idea of the whole to a stranger.
Towards evening, all who had been, during the heat of the day, basking and sleeping under the cool shade of the bushes, now took up their wooden pillows, and with mats hanging down from their shoulders, proceeded to the camp, within the limits of which it is usual for all to sleep.
April 21st.—On our starting this morning, I again offered thirty dollars to induce the Hy Soumaulee to accompany me to Owssa, as Ohmed Medina said, if they consented, he would also go with us. I received the usual pantomimic reply of pointing first to their knives, and then to their throats, with an expressive twist of their features that said how sorry they should be for such a misfortune to befall us, and Garahmee, to make the scene still more impressive, holding his spear by its lower end, and extending it at arm’s length, pointed to the tops of all the ridges around, as he slowly moved on his heel, and repeated the alarm cry of “Ko! ko! ko!” telling me as plainly as possible, that our advance would be the signal for the whole country to be up in arms. I told Ohmed Medina over and over again, that I might have accompanied him and Garahmee from Arabderah, but he swore by the Prophet and the name of Allah that it was quite impossible; for if I had it would have occasioned the death of the whole party. As it was, they had been obliged to take the most precipitous roads, and travelled only in the darkest hours of the night, which, he said, I could not have done, or he would himself have proposed my going, as he wished me to see and know everything about the country. I at length dropped the subject, for how could I disbelieve him in this, who on all other occasions had shown himself ready to give me every information I required, and frequently volunteered a great deal more; always valuable when coming from a man of his good sense and observation.
During the march, passing by some kairns, we began a conversation upon the Kafirs who formerly occupied this country. Of the ancient religion Ohmed Medina knew nothing, but he thought it probable, when I pointed out the constant compass bearing of the graves, and its reference to the rising sun, that the former inhabitants might have worshipped that luminary. On asking him what was the belief of the present Soumaulee, he called them “Monahfuk,” that is, people who knew Allah by name, and who acknowledged the Prophet, but could not pray, their knowledge of Islamism extending only to the two expressions of “Ahum d’Allah!” (“Thanks be to God!”), and “Mahomed Abdurasuel!” (“Mahomed, slave of the Most High!”)
Ohmed Medina did not deny that the Dankalli and Soumaulee were formerly one people, although he seemed to admit this with reluctance; but after I had told him, as he said, a great deal more than he knew previously, and now learnt for the first time, that differences in the knowledge of the Mahomedan religion, had been the occasion of their modern separation; he then confessed, that even at the present day, the division between the Dankalli and Soumaulee Bedouin tribes was scarcely recognisable. To illustrate this remark, he informed me, that a great portion of the Issah Soumaulee acknowledged Lohitu as their Chief, and bore the Debenee mark upon their breasts. This was the reason that the man belonging to the Issah, I had seen yesterday speaking to Lohitu, bore that symbol, or arms of the tribe as it may be called, and for which I could not before account. Ohmed Medina went on to say, that my friends the Hy Soumaulee were “Affah,” as much so, as the other Dankalli, and that the half of the Wahama tribe, to which Mahomed Allee belonged, were actually Issah Soumaulee. This last observation also assisted me to explain a plea urged by the Sultaun of Tajourah to exclude this obnoxious person from that town, it being asserted whilst I was there that he was an Issah Soumaulee, and consequently ought to take his Kafilah to Zeila.
After a short journey of three hours we arrived at Ahmahguloff, a halting-place in the plain, exactly similar to the one of yesterday. The same narrow tract covered with stones which had fallen from the edge of the wall-like cliff adjoining, and another little stream brawling down its narrow ravine, and hiding itself in a tortuous green line of bushes as it traversed the plain. The banks of this stream, however, were too soft and marshy, to tempt us to seek our retreat from the sun, among the bowers formed by its overhanging shrubs. My fortalice of boxes was therefore erected amidst the stores and piles of salt, which, connected by far-spreading camel saddles, and covered with mats, gave to the camp the character of a large caravansary. At this place I became acquainted, very disagreeably, with one of the most noisome of vermin, and which afterwards I found abounded in the neighbourhood of Kafilah stations. It was a round flat tic, the size of a split pea, and of a dark red colour. It attacked indiscriminately men and beasts. No sooner was the mat laid down, and I had composed myself for rest, than from all quarters I saw these dirty-looking squat-made insects crawling towards me, converging, as it were from the circumference of everywhere, to an unfortunate centre. They most assuredly smelt blood, and that at immense distances. For this purpose, I suppose, as also for their feeding apparatus, they were furnished with long pipe-like snouts, some lines in length, with which, after making a lodgment upon the body, they made their attack. Six short legs carried the body along at an extraordinary pace, when aware of the presence of blood in their neighbourhood. The worst was, there was no way of getting rid of them; and it would have been a long and tiresome job to have killed all that were seen. My naked companions protected me in a great measure, for to these the insects directed their chief attention, whilst upon the first intimation of the presence of the few, that did venture upon my legs, I pulled up the bottoms of my trowsers, and with the sharp point of my knife dislodged the little vampires very quickly. The favourite locality of these pests appears to be beneath trees where cattle have recently been. The numbers that may be seen in such situations are incredible, and they very soon drive the tired traveller from the shelter, where he had hoped to find a friendly shade from the burning sun. The natives call them “killem,” and a somewhat similar insect, though much larger, preys exclusively upon the camel, where their presence is believed by the owner, to indicate health in the animal.
In this situation I also observed numerous large ant-hills, some of which were conical-formed eminences, at least six feet high, with a circumference of several yards. Himyah having fired his matchlock, at a vulture perched on the top of one of these insect edifices, missed the bird, but buried the ball deep into the interior. I walked up to examine the injury done to the walls of clay, and was surprised to find the work of restoration already commenced, and busily going forward. Had the little animals the power of speech, I question much if such unanimity of purpose would have determined the energies of the whole community, so immediately to the repair of the injury. Had a corresponding one been committed on a Dankalli kraal, as I observed to Himyah, they would have had a month’s calahm about it; to which my companion, turning up the end of his nose, gave an affirmative jerk of the head, at the same time ejaculating, “Whalla,” “by God,” as if he had never heard a truer thing than that, in the whole course of his life.
We both stooped over the hole to watch the progress of the work. Short-legged thick-bodied labouring ants, already bore masses of moistened earth several times their own weight to close up the orifice made by the ball; whilst on all sides the easily distinguished soldiers, were, running about in great numbers, apparently on the look-out for the fierce invader, who had made such an onslaught on their castle.
We did not remain at Ahmahguloff for the night, but after “asseir,” or afternoon prayer, the camels were again loaded, and we moved to another halting-place about six miles farther to the west, but still in the plain. A Bedouin who had come into the camp during the day, reported that abundant forage would be found there. Where we were, the circumstance of the Kafilah of Mahomed Allee having halted here two evenings before, had caused a great scarcity of vegetation; their camels, in fact, had eaten up everything in the shape of leaves and grass.