Allee the First, now came into my hut to claim damages, showing a bruise upon his face, which he asserted had been inflicted by the mule, whilst catching her to bring her back to the camp. I said it was no such thing; for ever since her back had been almost broken by the butt-end of the spear of a fat Dankalli, whom she kicked in the belly, I observed she had improved very much in her disposition, and was very cautious how she attempted anything of the sort. However, I told him I would look in my book and see if his tale were correct. Opening, with a very grave countenance, Mr. M‘Queen’s Survey of Africa, which I had just been consulting, I looked up, after having examined it, and said, “Allee, Allee, you are a story-teller, for Ohmed Mahomed hit you that blow in your face.” I never shall forget the consternation that appeared in his face, as ejaculating “Whallah!” (By God), he backed out of my hut, thinking, I really believe, that I should metamorphose him into something or other before he could get away, for his attempted imposition. Having got safe out of my hut, however, he recovered from his fright, and, as if recollecting himself, said, “Ahkeem, will you tell me who stole my fedeenah?” alluding to the wooden prop or pillow for the head, I have before observed, as being so generally used by these people. By a singular accident this very fedeenah had been placed under my head by one of the Hy Soumaulee, as I slept out upon the hillside amongst them at Kuditee, whilst expecting the Wahama would attack us. When I was awakened by Ohmed Mahomed in the middle of the night, and told to return to my hut, the man who carried my mat for me brought away the pillow; whose it was I did not know, but as no inquiries were made about it, I always afterwards rolled it up in my Arab cloak for myself, as I found it very comfortable after a little use. I instantly suspected that this was the one respecting which Allee wanted information, and so, affecting to know all about it, I told him I would not tell him who the thief was, for the sake of peace, but that if he came in the evening I would return it myself to him. This, of course, I did, and quite convinced Allee of my immense power over the Jinn. The evil that resulted from this was, that a rumour was spread among the Kafilah that I had dealings with these spirits of fire, Allee swearing positively I carried one with me confined in a bottle, and that he had frequently seen me consulting it. The simple fellow meant my thermometer.
After sunset a large drove of camels, sheep, and goats, were seen moving towards the Assa-hemerah village behind the ridge, but we saw nothing more of the inhabitants. They were evidently influenced by some hostile feeling towards us, for on every other occasion of being in an inhabited neighbourhood, the women, or at least the children, would bring in milk or young kids as presents, or for sale.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Journey from Mettah to Murroo, general direction, W.S.W., time marching, three hours and a-half.—Remarks upon the climate of Adal.—Pass some small extinct volcanoes.—A little farriery.—Cautions for practitioners of medicine resident among the Dankalli.—Halt for a short time at Kuma.—Second visit of Abu Bukeree.—Proceed to Murroo.—Halt near kraal of Durtee Ohmed, Sheik of the Sidee Ahbreu tribe.
May 13th.—Up at sunrise, and soon after the party of pedestrians followed the camels, proceeding along the plain in a west-south-west direction. The hills of Affrabah to the south-west, the terminal peak of the same range to the south-east, with the Hyhilloo mountain to the north, formed a well-defined triangular space of flat open country, which admitted the eye to range over an unbroken view of about ten miles on every side. Nor was this a sterile tract, but covered with a jungle of young mimosa trees, and plenty of excellent grass. Numerous dry watercourses presented themselves as we marched along, and in some, the yet soft clayey soil intimated the recent evaporation of the water. I should have observed, that slight showers of rain, of not longer than two or three minutes’ duration, occurred during every night of our stay in Hiero Murroo. These were the last sprinklings of the wet season, if the country of Adal may be said to have such distinctions in the unfixed character of its climate. The squally thunder-storms of February, and the great heats of August, constitute the extremes of annual difference, but the persistence in the character of even these months cannot be assured, and from what I observed myself, the reverse of these conditions are just as likely to happen. The same vicissitudes, I was told, characterize every month, and in different parts of Adal these states of the atmosphere exist at the same time. In such an irregular and uncertain climate, the presence of the cloud of fire by night, and the pillar of sand by day are invaluable, as guides to the Bedouin in search of water for his flocks, and natural history does not contain a more striking illustration of the benevolent purposes of God towards man, even in his most evil condition, than these phenomena present.
The singular position of the country of Adal is probably the cause of this irregularity in the seasons. Islands that are surrounded by seas are acknowledged to have their climates modified by the circumstances of their situation; and differing in kind, but exactly analogous, is the effect which is produced by the low position of Adal, surrounded on all sides, except towards the east, by elevated table lands. A reference to the map appended to this volume illustrates my idea better, perhaps, than I can describe it. It will be there seen, that to the north a water-shed directs the course of the river Takazza to the Nile, whilst to the south, an oppositely correspondent water-shed is drained by the river Whabbee, emptying itself into the Indian Ocean at Juba. Instead of a mountain range, which usually marks the separations of different watersheds, we here have a huge fissure of habitable land, drained by its own particular water system. To the west, the high plateau of Abyssinia closes the excavated plain of Adal, but it will be perceived that in that direction the progress of extension is rapidly going on, by the denuding agency of the river Hawash, which is annually removing its courses farther to the west, by the vast amount of the Abyssinian highland, it carries away during the rainy season in that country.
To this peculiar situation of Adal, therefore, I attribute the great irregularity in the season of the rains, generally so periodical in other intratropical districts. Opportunities of observation have been only afforded me, of becoming acquainted with the fact, but the character of the surrounding countries being known, and the relative position of Adal with these, being borne in mind, I have no doubt meteorologists will be able to account, for the irregularity and vicissitudes of the climate.
To the left of our road, a lake called Iruloff was reported to exist, which contained water all the year round. It communicates with the river of Killaloo. My attention was directed to the subject, by seeing in that direction a cloud of some thousands of the white ibis moving along the horizon. They were much smaller than the Egyptian ibis, and more like the paddy bird of India.
Towards the latter end of our march to-day the field of extinct craters again appeared, the cones much larger, and increasing in height as they approached the base of Hyhilloo and Abhidah. The trees and shrubs clothing their sides seemed thicker and more luxuriant; and the ground over which we marched was covered with light green grass, a small lemon-flavoured fragrant mint, and the little blue-flowered thorny-leaved plant of which the camels appear to be so fond. This latter grows about four or five inches high, the numerous flowerets growing along a spike like an ear of wheat, and when the seed is ripe it is not unlike, in form or size, shrivelled corn.