Ohmed Mahomed was very ill this morning, and obliged to ride his mule. Another awkward circumstance upon the march was a camel, subject to epileptic fits, falling, was obliged to be unloaded. The Kafilah people all attributed it to Jinn, and as the animal stumbled as if he were drunk, it was not a bad cause to assign for his complaint, especially as he was laden with a few dozens of choice Geneva going up for the use of the Mission in Shoa. This, by the bye, had got the name of “hubble-bubble,” from the rattling of the stone bottles against each other, as the husks of some kind of seed, in which they were first packed, got shaken out of the boxes. One of the great complaints brought against Mahomed Allee by the Tajourah people was, his having “shrab hubble-bubble,” drunk all the gin that had been entrusted to his care as Ras ul Kafilah. Whatever spirit, however, possessed the camel, I was applied to, to exorcise it. To do this I took a large lump of myrrh I had just gathered from the tree, and a piece of opium I happened to have with me. These I rolled up in paper like a horse ball, and having seen something of the sort in farriery, when giving medicine to cattle, I caught hold of the camel’s tongue with one hand, and passed the other, arm, elbow, and all, far down his throat, so that the animal could not get his physic back again any how; a mode of medical treatment that delighted the Dankalli exceedingly; and, had they been governors of an hospital, they would have been unanimous in appointing me physician, on the ground of my merits alone. My success, too, was surprising, for the camel recovered for the time, and this addition to my fame, increased the confidence of Ohmed Mahomed, in the efficacy of the remedies I had also given to him. Had this latter been treated properly he ought to have been bled, as he was evidently labouring under a determination of blood to the head.
I was prevented performing this little operation by recollecting the case of an unfortunate Armenian doctor, who, in Suikin, two years before, had been sacrificed by the populace on account of the death of a patient whom he had thus treated. The Turkish Governor of the town, before whom the complaint was made of this treatment, in vain interceded in behalf of the doctor; his expostulations had no effect, and he was obliged to permit that which he was unable to prevent, and the accused was taken from his presence to the outside of the walls of the town, where he was barbarously executed in the usual manner, by the weapons of the friends and relations of his deceased patient. I heard of this in Aden, the fact having been reported by the European Consuls in the neighbouring ports to their respective Governments, and, in consequence, a representation was made to the Porte upon the subject. In such countries if a traveller be requested to afford assistance to sick persons, for whom no hope of recovery exists, his best practice will be to recommend the friends of the patient to pray a certain number of times to Allah, or if he finds he must do something himself, let him give them some written charm or other, but never by any means administer medicine or perform the least operation. In cases when active measures are adopted, and the patient, to the surprise of himself and others, does get well, the cure is always ascribed to Allah alone; but should he die, the doctor is considered responsible for his death, which is certain to be attributed to him or his medicines. To show how careful a person ought to be, I shall relate a little incident that occurred to me whilst we were staying at our last halting-place. A woman came for some medicine for her husband, who was said to be very ill indeed. I could not go to see him as he lived ten or twelve miles from the Kafilah. As the woman was very importunate for medicine, which, having no knowledge of the case, I at first refused, to get rid of her, I opened a package of tea, and giving her a small spoonful, wrapt it up in a bit of old newspaper, and sent her away, with directions how to use it. The next morning, however, I found her, making a terrible noise at the entrance of my hut, saying that her husband was a great deal worse, and all owing to the medicine he had taken. No one could understand the simple character of the remedy I had sent him, so all my explanations went for nothing, until I happened to see, sticking between her skin petticoat and her own black hide, the identical paper I had put the medicine in; and snatching it from her waist, I found the tea still in it, actually untouched. This evidence of the woman’s imposture was conclusive, and she was taken away by those of her friends, who just before were making loud demands of compensation, for the injury they asserted I had done.
In simple cases of temporary disordered functions, or when medicine could be demonstrated to possess specific effects upon the seat of some organic disease, I always gladly availed myself of the opportunity of displaying the advantages and power, derivable from the knowledge of the medical properties of natural substances. In fact, I always pleaded to the more intelligent of my companions, that the desire to obtain an increase of knowledge, as an Ahkeem, was the principal reason why I had left my country to expose my health and life in a country like Adal, among a people so barbarous as even the Dankalli acknowledged themselves to be.
The Kafilah halted at Kuma, and a few camels were already unloaded, when it was determined by Ohmed Medina and Ohmed Mahomed, that we should proceed at once to Murroo, the residence of a tribe called Sidee Ahbreu, to the chief of which, one Durtee Ohmed, I had a kind of introduction from Lieutenant Barker, similar to the one I had to Abu Bukeree. Of this latter chieftain I had lost sight for several days, although his wives and children often visited me, bright with smiles, sometimes bringing me little skins of milk, or a large German-sausage-looking affair, consisting of a portion of the dried intestine of a cow filled with ghee. The absence of Abu Bukeree was occasioned by the presence of Abu Mahomed, the father of Mahomed Allee, who was still with the Wahama Kafilah which preceded us about two miles, and who would often visit me in our camp. Two suns at a time are allowed to be too many by the Dankalli; and so, with a becoming politeness, these old gentlemen had agreed to divide my attentions and presents, the father of Mahomed Allee to have the benefit of my acquaintance to Kuma, where the undisputed territory of Abu Bukeree commenced, and this latter was then to take his turn to Murroo. I do not think that when this arrangement was made between them, Abu Bukeree said anything about the present I had already given him. At all events, our Ras ul Kafilah had been no party to this negotiation, and his determination to proceed without halting at Kuma quite deranged their plan; Ohmed Mahomed conceived that it would be more profitable for him to continue the day’s journey on to Murroo, to avoid any more demands from Abu Bukeree for presents, on the plea of halting in his territory. Instructions were accordingly given to the Kafilah not to unload here. A short explanatory calahm with the Debenee chief, who was already on the ground to receive us, occasioned a little detention, but, as already observed, as he had received other presents at Hiero Murroo besides those I had given to him, he was obliged to be satisfied.
I did not like to see the old man treated in this manner, especially as I thought advantage had been taken of the peaceable character of himself and his tribe; so when he came to pay his respects to me as I sat under a tree, waiting with Zaido until the numerous camels had again gone some distance a-head, I promised him if he would accompany us to Murroo, to give him the old Arab frock I then wore. He accordingly accompanied us to our encamping ground, and received the almost worn-out garment with many thanks, as he held it up before him, like a Jew calculating the probable value of an old coat. After examining its novel cut and character, the venerable chief at last made up his mind what to do with it, for, nodding to his wife, who was in, what is called, a delicate situation, he intimated his idea that it would very well become her, and bestowed it accordingly.
Two little boys were now ordered to drive back a fine bullock, which had evidently been intended as a return present, for those which Abu Bukeree had expected from us. The old gentleman then bowed his salams, and mounted his mule; stooping, as he rode away, over the neck of the animal; the long bent back of age, strikingly contrasted with the straight shaft of the spear he carried on his shoulder.
Our halting-place, Murroo, was a natural park, in which small green savannahs were surrounded with tall, flat-topped mimosa-trees, the trunks of which were hidden, by an interlaced thicket of the ascending and descending runners of some luxuriantly growing climber. An immense number of sparrow-like birds, with their noisy chirrupings, seemed to raise great objections to our occupation of their favourite resort. The little woodland scene was altogether very pretty; but I was too tired after our long journey of five hours, to have any eye for the beautiful, and was glad to lie down in my hut immediately it was announced ready, bid Zaido place a mat over the entrance, and go to sleep at once.
At sunset, I awoke; Zaido bringing a large bowl of boiled wheat and clouted cream for my supper, and under the influence of an excellent appetite, I soon lessened its contents. A strange kind of humming now attracted my attention, and, getting out of my hut, I observed, at no great distance, a small circle of Tajourah people, who, neither in calahm nor zekar, seemed still to be occupied in the performance of some ceremony, each of the six persons engaged, taking his turn to repeat a short sentence or so, in a low murmuring tone, and then giving way to the next. Going nearer, to see what they were about, I was joined by Allee, who informed me they were doctoring Ohmed Mahomed, in their own fashion, by offering up prayers to Allah, and asked if I thought he would recover. As I had already given to him three strong cathartic pills, and his case was not a desperate one, I held out hopes to the distressed Allee, that probably the next morning his master would be quite well. Having approached the circle, and dropt upon my heels, close behind them, I watched the proceedings of these devotee practitioners in medicine, and noticed that each one, in succession, recited in a low voice, the first chapter of the Koran, and then spit upon the patient, who, wrapt up in a black Arab cloak, was lying at full length upon a mat, in the midst of them. Every one having duly performed this ceremony, the circle broke up, and coffee being brought, the good effect of the combined praying and spitting was acknowledged by all, when Ohmed Mahomed sat up, and called for the first cup.
This kind of medical treatment is not confined to the diseases of mankind, for on more than one occasion I have seen them adopt the same means of relief for a sick camel. When one of these animals lies down for the night, without performing a little necessary act, it is always considered a certain symptom of ill-health. The owner in this case, procures a piece of string long enough to go round the body of the camel, in which he ties seven knots, at nearly equal distances from each other. As he does this, at each knot, he stops and recites the Fahtah, or first chapter of the Koran, and should he not be able to do this himself, he procures the assistance of some learned friend, who performs that part of the duty for him. At the end of each Fahtah, the knot is spit upon. The string being thus duly consecrated, is then passed under the animal’s belly, and tied upon the back, and during the night, generally produces the diuretic effects desired.
May 14th.—Staying at Murroo. The first thing I did to-day was to get out some paper I intended to distribute among the members of the Sidee Ahbreu tribe, whom I expected to come begging. The first thing Allee the First did, was to steal the said paper, whilst I was busy packing up the box again. This he accomplished by putting his hand and arm between two boxes that formed part of my hut, and reaching from behind me the paper, which he then conveyed away beneath his tobe. I did not know who to charge with the robbery, but upon complaining to Ohmed Medina, he made some inquiries about it, which led to the detection of Master Allee, who, on being brought before me, retorted by charging me with having stolen his fedeenah, or wooden pillow. However innocently on my part, such being the actual case, I consented to a compromise. I was to receive back my paper, and Allee again into favour, without prejudice to his boxeish in Shoa, for his falling off in this instance, from the strict path of duty and honesty. It must be told how he came to know, that I had had possession of his fedeenah during the time he had lost it, and had not, as he at first supposed, procured its return to him by magical incantations. Whilst sitting the evening before with the praying party, after their curious ceremony was over, I was questioned as to my power over the inhabitants of the nether world. I denied any such power, stating that the spell I employed to dispossess the devil, or Jinn, from the sick camel, was a piece of myrrh, and not the paper it was wrapt up in. Then came the question how had I been able to procure the return of the wooden pillow; for Allee, as soon as I had given it to him, changed his previous tale of its having been stolen, and asserted he had left it behind at a halting-place, some days’ journey distance, from whence my familiar spirit had brought it at my command. This I satisfactorily explained by relating the whole circumstances; and Allee being laughed at for his credulity, now fell back upon the circumstance of my keeping the fedeenah, without any inquiry as to whom it belonged, to excuse his theft of the paper.