A long afternoon was occupied discussing this subject, and during the conversation, my Islam friends exhibited the greatest politeness, never interrupting me as I stammered away in bad Arabic, until some one of them, comprehending my meaning, immediately interpreted it more fully to the rest; and as I understood a good deal more than I could speak, I was always able to know whether they had caught my idea or not. Neither proud intolerance, or obstinate bigotry, occasioned one hasty or disparaging expression. All sat in their usual silent manner whilst another spoke, squatting upon their heels, which, in order to be more comfortable, as it was a lengthy debate, were raised a little by two small stones, placed for that purpose beneath them. The same courtesy marked all the friendly conversations I had with them. During this morning’s march, Ohmed Medina, in a joking manner, said, that the English were not a nation of men like themselves, but a nation of women, because they allowed themselves to be governed by a Queen. I retorted by saying, that the fact was, “that the English women were as strong as the Dankalli men.” A remark which Ohmed Medina immediately translated into their language, much to the amusement of the Hy Soumaulee around, who did not seem in the least annoyed by the freedom of the comparison.
May 2d.—A slight shower fell, not sufficient to come through the roof of my hut, but it rendered the ground so muddy that we were obliged to remain where we were for this day. Another large herd of cattle had passed us during the night, going to Killaloo, and their footmarks contributed in a great measure to the bad condition of the ground. Several of the women belonging to the herd had staid behind, and brought into our camp some skins of milk for sale, receiving tobacco in exchange. An old man also arrived early in the morning, having travelled all night, hearing that we were in the neighbourhood, to obtain some information respecting his two daughters, who, six months before, had gone with a Kafilah down to Tajourah. Not hearing anything to his satisfaction from my companions, he came to me, dragging with him a kid, which he presented to me, begging that I would look into my book, and give him some account of his missing daughters. He had heard, he said, that they had been very ill, and he only desired to know if they were dead or had got better. The old man, savage as he was, did credit to our nature, from the anxiety and love he evinced for his offspring; and the sorrow he showed was an anomaly to me I could not understand, for I had made up my mind, that the Dankalli could not be charged with any constitutional weakness, as regards the influence of domestic attachments or family ties; here was an evidence to the contrary, and I record it for the benefit of any one, who may be better able than myself, to reconcile such differences of character among these interesting people.
Many of the Dankalli Bedouins do certainly sell their female children. Garahmee, as I have before observed, had thus disposed of three, and Moosa of two daughters, and on more than one occasion I had offered to me for sale, girls from ten to fourteen years old, at the price of about four or five dollars each. In merchandise, the value of a really handsome slave girl, appears much more trifling than when paid for in hard dollars, as six or seven cubits of blue sood, worth about two shillings in England, is a more than sufficient temptation to induce even a mother to part with her child. These bargains, I observed, were always transacted with the female relatives, but the returns, I was told, were generally handed over to the fathers or brothers. The girls were frightened to death at the idea of being sold to me, but seemed happy enough to leave their desert homes in search of fortunes elsewhere, with masters of their own colour; and both parents and children, in these business transactions, supported themselves most stoically, although on the eve of being separated for ever.
With respect to the old man’s daughters, Ohmed Mahomed, who acted as interpreter between us, practised a somewhat similar trick upon me as he did at Sagagahdah, when he passed Mahomed Murkee upon me for Mahomed Allee. Whilst I was in Tajourah, I was frequently called in to people who were sick, and, among others, to a number of young slave girls belonging to Abu Bukeree, one of the chief men of the town. These children were suffering from an epidemic that took off a great number, and Ohmed Mahomed asserted that two of them were the children of the old man; and at the moment, forgetting his duplicity on the former occasion, I added my testimony to the fact of their illness and death, and the old man turned away in tears. After he was gone, and I was again alone, Zaido, in this triumph of the deceitful policy of his master, now came, and expecting me to express my approbation of the cleverness displayed, told me that the girls were quite well, and perhaps sold at Mocha by that time. I now saw the little trick that Ohmed Mahomed had again practised upon me, and feeling exceedingly annoyed at having been so impudently made the tool of an unprincipled slave-dealer, I was almost inclined to go after Ohmed Mahomed, and, in despite of all consequences, tell him to his face he was a dishonest man; but, on second thoughts, considered it would be a more prudent course, as I could not remedy the injury done, to let things remain as they were; especially, as the old man would probably be more contented with the idea of their death, than if he were made aware of the real truth of the matter.
CHAPTER XXI.
Purchase of some tobacco, with remarks on its use among the Dankalli.—Make cover for hat.—Conversation with Ohmed Mahomed.—May 3, Journey from Hasanderah to Bundurah.—General direction, S.W. by W.—Time marching seven hours.—Singular effect of refraction.—Joined by party of Issah Soumaulee; description of their appearance and arms.—Affectionate inquiries of Kafilah friends.—Description of halting-place and country around Bundurah.
Several applications for tobacco to-day determined me to purchase from Ohmed Medina three pounds, for which I gave only three dollars, the most reasonable price that was ever asked me, for any commodity I required during the journey. Over the presents intended for the road I had no command whatever, they having been placed in the charge of Ohmed Mahomed before we left Tajourah; and he took such especial care of them that the three skin bags full of handkerchiefs, coloured cottons, and white calico cloth, were untouched when we arrived in Shoa. All the presents required, were supplied from a stock of blue cloth and tobes, he had purchased at Berberah, and which he took care to charge to the Commander in Shoa (the British Ambassador) at the price of three dollars each tobe, and of ten dollars the piece of blue sood, much to his great gain and emolument. At the same time, the cunning fellow expected at the end of our journey, to have given to him all the original and much more valuable presents, as a kind of perquisite belonging to his office as Ras ul Kafilah.
Tobacco, in all its forms, is eagerly sought for by the Dankalli; their constant asking for it is one of the principal annoyances a traveller experiences in passing through Adal. A very little, however, sends the sturdy beggars away quite satisfied, and if it were not for the numbers of them, their moderate expectations would be a source of amusement, for a thimbleful is received with a great deal more thankfulness than a handful, which, if bestowed, they look at with a kind of feeling, that if you can afford to give so much, there is no harm done in asking you for a little more.
The sort of tobacco I saw most general among these people was the dried leaf, unprepared in any other manner than by mere exposure to the sun after being gathered. The Bedouins used it rudely crushed between the fingers, and well mixed up with an equal quantity of fine wood ashes. This rough powder is placed between the cheek and the lower jaw, where it forms a large lump, which is allowed to remain until all the bitter or active principle of the mass is extracted. It makes a most unsightly protuberance, just above and on one side of the chin, and occasions a continual ejection of saliva, which, as it is cast only upon the earth, is less objectionable than a similar indulgence when committed in the more civilized resorts of men, as, for example, in the drawing-rooms of the less fastidious of our Transatlantic brethren.