Abu Bukeree was an old man, and, rather a curious circumstance for a Bedouin, had a clean tobe upon his shoulders, which, to give me a hint, he told me had been presented to him by Mahomed Allee, when he was coming down from Shoa. He asked after the Kapitan, but without the least idea, I think, of a present being due to him from that gentleman. He also invited me to his house, or wigwam, an incident that, like the fowl brought me by Moosa’s wife, was the only instance of the sort I met with whilst in this country. From the novelty of the invitation, and the good character of the man I had received from Lieut. Barker, I felt inclined to accept it; and we got out of my retreat to look how far distant he lived, as he pointed to a patch of low green trees, among which the stone kraals and mat-huts were plainly visible. I told Zaido and Allee to come with me, but just as we were starting, Ohmed Mahomed sent for the chief to transact business, and he, therefore, left us to join a calahm of the Tajourah people.
In about an hour, the council having broken up, I sent to Ohmed Mahomed, desiring him to bring Abu Bukeree again to receive his reward for the kindness he had shown to Lieut. Barker. He came, however, alone, and wanted me to allow him to reward the old man. This I would not consent to, but told him I intended to give Abu Bukeree ten dollars in cash, for Lieut. Barker had desired me, not to give it to him in the blue sood currency. Ohmed Mahomed looked quite alarmed when I said, “Ten dollars.” “No, no, no,” he burst out, “bad, very bad; two dollars are enough, or every Tajourah Kafilah that comes up will always afterwards be made to pay the same sum.” I saw that my proposition was too extravagant, but as I thought two dollars disproportionate for the services performed, I concluded that five dollars would, perhaps, be a just recompence. Accordingly, a little before sunset, when Abu Bukeree came to bid me good-night, I slipped into his hand that sum, and feeling the weight of the dollars, he went away without even thanking me, such was the hurry of delight with which he sought some retired spot to examine to what extent he had been rewarded so unexpectedly.
He soon returned profuse in his acknowledgments, and bade Allee, who was a great favourite of his, to tell me how much he was my friend, and that if I ever came in that country again, no one of his tribe would molest or injure me, but that they and all English for the future should be brothers. I do not know what he would have done, had I carried out the generous intentions of Lieutenant Barker, who requested me to give him twenty dollars. Such a sudden acquisition of wealth, would have turned his brain.
Abu Bukeree was not undeserving of the money, for the grateful old fellow went to his kraal, and in about an hour he and his son drove to my hut one of the finest bullocks I had yet seen, which he presented to me as a proof of the regard and respect he had, not only for me, but for all the English. Not to be outdone in generosity, and having this evening to purchase some animal of the kind, I insisted upon paying for this; but instead of three, the usual price paid to Ohmed Mahomed for a bullock, I gave the value of one in Adal, two dollars, which required very little pressing to induce the old man to take.
It now seemed as if there were a trial between us, of who should be the kindest to the other; but he certainly beat me, for in a very short time after he left me on this occasion, he returned with one of his daughters, a girl about fourteen years old, and wished me to receive her either as a temporary or a permanent wife; but as I had no idea of marriage even with royalty, I waived the honour intended, making a very good excuse, that having refused the daughter of the Sultaun of Tajourah under similar circumstances, I could not, without offending him, contract any engagements of the kind with other princesses on the road. Although this was not actually the fact as regarded myself, still, as it occurred to my companion, Mr. Cruttenden, to whom the Sultaun of Tajourah had offered his daughter for one hundred dollars, I did not hesitate to make use of the circumstance, to assist me in the dilemma I was in, of having to refuse the hand of a native, so highly connected with the rank and fashion of the country. Abu Bukeree was satisfied with my explanation, and the young lady herself was delighted, at her narrow escape from an introduction into civilized life.
There can be no doubt that the Dankalli Bedouins, especially the younger of both sexes, live in common. With this division of the Debenee, from some unexplained reason, we lived upon the most friendly terms; communication with each other was as free and as unreserved as if in Tajourah, and I had opportunities of observing, that not only the other women of the kraal, but even the wife of Abu Bukeree and his daughters, were the handmaids of the whole Kafilah, during the time we remained in his district.
May 7th.—On awaking this morning, I was not surprised at seeing no symptoms of a start. Calling Zaido, I learnt from him we were to remain here several days, for the road now before us was so beset with Gallas, that we could not proceed until several Kafilahs, which had been obliged to stay here for some weeks past, should join us, and we should then be able to force our way together across the disturbed country. Whilst he was speaking, Abu Mahomed Allee, on his mule, rode up and asked me to accompany him to view the property of the mission which had been left by his son, in a kraal about four miles to the south. Zaido, on hearing this request, went immediately for Ohmed Mahomed, who soon came up and objected to my leaving the Kafilah.
Ohmed Medina and Ebin Izaak, hearing of the matter, also joined us, and protested against my going out of their sight, as in case of my death they would be made answerable to Captain Haines at Aden. Seeing the opposition, and thinking it was exerted for my benefit, I did not persevere in my wish to accompany the old man, especially as Ohmed Mahomed assured me that the seventeen packages, or boxes, should be brought into camp to-morrow. They then took away Abu Mahomed Allee, and after a long discussion among themselves, they all again returned to my hut, and sitting down round the entrance, said they had come to have a calahm, to consider what sum of money they should receive in Shoa for taking up the abandoned property with us. I could promise them nothing more than the hire of the camels, which should be paid at half the rate given for those, which were engaged in Tajourah, as I understood that there was still to be performed, about the same distance as we had already come. This did not satisfy them at all; two hundred dollars they demanded as a present for themselves, independent of the camels’ hire, and unless I promised that, they said they would not interfere in the matter at all, or exert themselves to procure the restoration of the property. This I refused at once, and as I felt it to be another attempt at extortion, I threatened in return, that I would not stir from the halting-place we were at, until the boxes were given up, and if they chose to proceed without me, I would go and live at Errur with Abu Mahomed Allee, in whose kraal I should be as secure as I was with the Kafilah.
This determination had its weight in their deliberations, and they never alluded to the present again, but insisted upon receiving in Shoa, and not in Tajourah, the ten dollars per camel required to carry this addition to my charge. I agreed to this without further discussion, as it would have been absurd to hesitate under the circumstances, especially as I did not know, but that many valuable and necessary articles, might be amongst the recovered property.
All the day long Ohmed Mahomed was absent on this business, and I heard or saw nothing of him until the evening, when he came to congratulate me on the success of his labours, saying the boxes were on the road to the camp, and would arrive during the night.