Among other visitors, were six Wahamas, who came to make some proposition of peace to the Hy Soumaulee people, and on whose account a long calahm was held, for three or four hours during the day. One of them had relations with us, an old man and his son, the wife of the former being the aunt of one of the Wahama, and after the calahm, the family party retired together to the shade of a large mimosa-tree, a few hundred yards from the camp, where they sat for some time in friendly conversation.
About four o’clock, a sudden commotion among the Kafilah men, all rushing to spears and shields, and loud shouts of “Ahkeem! Ahkeem!” awoke me from my siesta. Jumping up from my mat, I seized my firearms, and ran towards the place where Ohmed Medina and Ebin Izaak were beckoning me to come. In front, was a crowd of some twelve or fourteen men fighting in the greatest desperation, and so near to us, that the spears that were thrown almost struck the shields of those with whom I was sitting. About thirty yards beyond the combatants, who, in close fight, were yelling, struggling, and falling, another line, consisting chiefly of my Hy Soumaulee escort, sat with their shields before them, in the same quiet spectator-like fashion as ourselves. I must observe, however, that Adam Burrah and Moosa, as soon as they saw me in the line with the Tajourah people, came from the opposite side, and sat close in front of me. Ohmed Medina told me not to fire, or take any part in the business except to take care of myself, as the quarrel was a private one, and that no one would attack us, if we did not commence hostilities. To make more secure against an accident, Ebin Izaak kept his hand on my right arm all the time, to prevent me taking up either of my guns that lay upon the ground on each side of me.
During the fight I noticed, that occasionally one of the Kafilah men would spring up from his sitting posture, and with a loud shout run towards the combatants. He was invariably answered by one of the Hy Soumaulee opposite, who rushed to meet him; so that in a short time, more than double the number of the original fighters were engaged.
The contest which was now taking place in my sight was an actual representation, on a small scale, of the mode of fighting practised by the Dankalli tribes. When two hostile bodies of these people meet, it is not usual for the whole to engage, but sitting down in two opposite lines at the distance of sixty or eighty yards from each other, they await the result, produced by the yelling, jumping, and speechifying of their leaders, who for this purpose stand up immediately in front of their men.
At the intended attack upon our Kafilah at Wadalissan, by the Bursane Bedouins, Garahmee, in addition to his duty of keeping the people squatting upon their heels, evidently recited some martial song, or speech, which at intervals, was responded to with loud yells, and shaking of the spears in the direction of the enemy.
A few becoming sufficiently excited by these means, they rush from either side into the intervening space. The combat then commences, by each of these singling out his opponent and squatting opposite to him, in their usual attitude, at the distance of a few yards. Balancing their spears in a threatening manner, they spar at each other for several minutes, until one conceives he has a favourable opportunity of launching his spear, when, springing to his feet, he darts it with great force and precision. Seldom, however, any injury is thus produced, for his wary antagonist, with his shield, dashes it aside, and then endeavours to break by jumping and stamping upon it, as it lies upon the ground. He, in his turn, threatens with his weapon, his spearless opponent, who, bounding from side to side, in a stooping posture, endeavours to cover with his shield his whole body, save the head, and thus gives no steady object for the aim of the coming missile. At length, the spear being thrown, probably with the same harmless effect, both snatch their knives from their girdle, and rush with great impetuosity upon each other, throwing their shields to the ground to admit of their grappling with their left hands, whilst with the right they strike swift and heavy blows at the neck and into the left side. A few moments decide the murderous conflict, and the loud shout of the victor, as he pushes from his front the heavy corpse of the slain, proclaims his success in the gladiatorial combat.
During the fight, continual shouts of encouragement, or of derision, are raised by the non-combatants, who are waiting only the stimulus of revenge, on seeing a friend or leader killed, or to be prompted by the desire to assist some wounded companion, when they then rush into the conflict, from their previous couchant position, in the rear. No sooner, however, does any one spring forward for this purpose, than he is met by some brave of the opposite side, who runs to encounter him. Sometimes two or three, or even more, hasten for the same purpose; but corresponding opponents leap forward to engage hand to hand in a succession of duels, with those who shew this anxiety to mingle in the fray. In this manner the excitement spreads, pair after pair enter the ensanguined lists, and new comers continue to lengthen out the contest, until one side exhausts its warriors, and the weak and cowardly of that party alone are sitting in the rear. The victors now joined by their reserve friends rush forward to attack these, and kill whoever resists, while the rest, throwing aside their spears and shields, fly for their lives. Thus terminates a sanguinary affair, for of the number of warriors actually engaged, one half, on the side of the defeated party, must be slain; sometimes, with very little loss on the part of the victors.
To return to the little battle in our front, I soon observed, that part of the latter comers up, instead of joining in the fight, were throwing their twisted tobes across the arms of the combatants, and dragging them, one by one, out of the mélée, some being thrown violently to the ground, in the efforts made by their friends to separate them. In a few minutes afterwards, four men burst from the crowd, threw away their shields, their spears had been broken previously, and ran at the top of their speed, in a direction towards the south. No one followed after to molest them, or to prevent their retreat, and the remaining combatants, who were able to walk, returned to their respective sides, where they fell into line as before. No attention, at the time, being paid to the deep gashes, and bleeding wounds, every one of them exhibited on some part of their bodies.
The cause of the quarrel had been the attempt of one of the Wahamas, who had retired with two of our Kafilah men to some little distance from the camp, to appropriate to himself the shield of the old man, when the son of the latter had returned on some errand to the camp. The old man, however, still retained somewhat of the spirit of youth, and after a vain struggle to retain possession of the shield, suddenly let it go, but seizing a spear, hurled it at the thief, just as he was making off with his prize. It was fortunate for him that the weapon was thrown with the trembling hand of age; for as it was, it inflicted a severe wound a little below the hip, and hung trailing a moment or two before it fell out.
The man thinking himself more grievously hurt than he was, dropt the shield, and began calling out “Wahama, Wahama,” rushing at the same time with his drawn knife upon the old man. The son of the latter, who had returned on the first alarm, ran to the rescue of his father, whilst the Wahama people hastened to the assistance of their friend. A number of the Kafilah people, Hy Soumaulee and half-bloods, now mingled in the fray, whilst those who knew nothing of either party, or were not relations, took no part beyond looking after their own safety. My escort, not knowing how the affair would terminate, sat prepared for any emergency on one side, whilst the Kafilah people formed another semicircular line opposite. It was evident, however, that both the Hy Soumaulee and the Tajourah people were afraid of the consequences that might arise from any of the Wahama negotiators being killed; and at length, after a message from Ohmed Mahomed, in which he promised a tobe to the Chief of the Hy Soumaulee, and some blue sood to his men, several of them laid aside their arms, and with their twisted tobes managed, by main force, to drag asunder the contending parties, and in this manner restored peace.