Abu Bukeree’s daughter brought some milk he had promised me, and begged hard for a dollar in silver. I referred her to Ohmed Mahomed, who, at my request, gave her, but very unwillingly, a head-covering of blue sood, and sent her away.
Our camp was about half a mile from the village of Durtee Ohmed, who was, as I was told, then on an expedition against the Alla Gallas, assisting a party of Wahama, who had gone to retaliate for some recent outrages committed by that people. In accordance with the request of Lieut. Barker, I intended to have given him a present, on being introduced to him, similar to the one I gave Abu Bukeree, and had provided five dollars for that purpose; as he was from home, however, I fancied they were so many dollars saved, put them up again, and thought no more of the matter.
In the evening Ohmed Medina left us, going with Garahmee and Moosa, nearly all the way back again to Herhowlee, as they heard that an elephant had been recently killed at Dowaleeka; and with the hope of being able to purchase the ivory from the hunters, this party started intending to travel the whole night.
Plenty of women thronged the camp, and the men of the tribe, were particularly friendly and quiet. I soon found that family connexions between several of the principal Tajourah people and the elders of the Sidee Ahbreu occasioned the good feeling that existed between us. During our stay at Murroo, a regular fair was held, and at night, singing, dancing, and clapping hands, kept us up until a very late hour. Every day we were receiving fresh accounts of the inroads of the Alla and Hittoo Gallas from the south, who were driving off cattle, and carrying away the younger women of the Dankalli tribes in their immediate neighbourhood. This, however, did not interfere with the festivity of the camp, for other Kafilahs came in to join us from every side, and by the third day of our stay, we had in company more than one thousand camels, and could muster above five hundred fighting men. The different Kafilahs kept to themselves, each taking up such a position as was most convenient, but never at a greater distance from each other than two hundred yards.
The next day after we arrived, much to my surprise, for I thought him far enough away, Durtee Ohmed reported himself, and looked somewhat the better for the late stirring business he had been upon; for, instead of having but one eye, according to the description I recollected to have been given by Lieut. Barker, he had two quite as good as my own. I mentioned this to Ebin Izaak who had accompanied him, as he then explained, for fear any mistake might arise from this circumstance, and that I should refuse to give him the present, on account of the discrepancy in the appearance of the claimant, from what had been represented to be the case. He was also ready to swear on the Koran as to the identity of the man, and although not perfectly satisfied, still, as I had not been cheated extraordinarily by Ebin Izaak, I thought I would receive his testimony on this occasion, so gave the man three dollars, with which he went away perfectly satisfied.
Several messengers arrived from other Kafilahs on the road, all desiring us not to move until they had joined us. I was not sorry for the detention, having derived much benefit in my health since we reached Murroo. I was also nearly naturalized among the Dankalli, who had become accustomed to my complexion, and as for my clothes, they were not very different, either in hue or condition, from theirs. My yellow Arab frock was no novel thing to the Tajourah people, and a few days’ journey through the thorny jungle, and a few nights’ repose upon the ground, soon took the respectability out of it, and I was as ragged as any lover of freedom, or of nature, would ever desire to be. My broad-brimmed hat was considered a great curiosity, and greasy heads of males and females, would frequently try it on to see how it would fit. One of the old women too, pulled on my boots, the tops of which scarcely came up to the bottom of her skin petticoat. A chase was made after her, for she started off with them, and so long was she in returning, that I began seriously to think, she had run away with them under pretence of sport.
The Sidee Ahbreu were certainly the most lively and least quarrelsome of any of the tribes I had yet seen. Neither was this friendship purchased, for having disposed of everything I could well part with, I took care that they should know it by oft-repeated assertions that I had given all away upon the previous march. The good resulting from this was, that I had fewer beggars to satisfy in this place than anywhere else.
My stay with these people, led me to form a much better opinion of the character of the Dankalli, than I previously had done. Whether I had become accustomed to my situation, or really liked the life I was leading, I do not know; but, for one or the other reason, I enjoyed myself more here than anywhere else, during the long period I had been absent from England.