CHAPTER XXIX.
Journey from Mullu to Annee, general direction, W.S.W., time marching, six hours.—Proceed over Plain of Mullu.—Halt in sight of Berdudda.—Muditu kraal and funeral.—Hare hunt.—Arrive at Annee.—Muditu visitors.—Moonlight scene.—May 19th, Staying at Berdudda.—Visit to camp of Hittoo Galla women.—Attack of formidable caterpillar.—Situation of halting-place at Annee.
May 17th.—We started before sunrise, still keeping in the van of the immense Kafilah, that, by a passive kind of physical force movement, was forcing a passage through an enemy’s country. We soon left the grassy plain of Mullu, and entered upon an undulating country, dotted with dwarf mimosas. Numerous antelopes, their fore feet resting upon the lower branches, were feeding upon the green leaves and clustered curling seed-pods; whilst the surface of the ground was black with numerous flocks of guinea-fowl, that tempted me frequently to turn some yards from the road, and add a few of these finely-flavoured birds to our other provisions.
We halted for a short time in sight of a large kraal, until the several Kafilahs whom we had preceded had come up, and after allowing them to pass us, we recommenced our march in the rear. This was owing to the bad character of the inhabitants of the village, who belonged to the Assa-hemerah Muditu, and as a good many of my companions kept calling my attention to them by repeating their name, and adding, with the usual oath, “Whalla (by God), they are bad men!” we may safely conclude they were no better than the other Dankalli tribes.
We very soon came upon a party of the tribe, who were employed in burying a dead man. The grave was about one hundred yards from our road, but the two men who appeared to have been making it by their soiled skins, approached us in a very respectful manner, and told us how they were engaged. The Kafilah people, as they came up, generally went a short distance in the direction pointed out, and, with faces turned towards Mecca, appeared to offer up a prayer. Ohmed Medina, to whom, a few mornings previously, I had been talking upon the subject of burying the dead among the Dankalli, took hold of my mule’s bridle, and led me to the grave, which was being filled up by four or five other men. Ohmed Medina muttered a prayer, and I also added a short one for the repose of the soul of the deceased.
It was the usual mode of burial practised among the Mahomedans, except that the grave was nearly circular. The diameter was so short, that I asked if the body were buried sitting, and was told that it was not, but that a low excavation on one side, at the bottom, received it in a kind of tomb. Near this were other graves, all marked by a little conical heap of loose stones five or six feet high, the top being finished off by two small upright stones placed about a foot apart. Some of these little pyramids, in other situations, I have seen exceeding ten or fifteen feet in height; and one, a prominent landmark for several days’ journey, situated upon the eastern extremity of the ridge of San-karl, to the south of the valley of Gobard, must be at least one hundred feet high.
As we passed in front of the village, which consisted of not less than fifty huts, a numerous assembly of the Muditu came out, the chiefs of whom saluted us in gloomy silence with a passing slide of the hand. As I rode on my mule, I kept giving my hand, letting it slip gently off theirs, and keeping a sharp look-out that they did not take the opportunity of pulling me off the mule, which many of them seemed inclined to do. Never did I see such a suppressed feeling of animosity so apparent in the scowling look and silent salute of both parties; whilst sundry nods and winks of the eye exchanged by many of my escort, and by nearly all the Tajourah people, told their quiet enjoyment of the great disappointment of these fellows, in not having a chance of obtaining even a present for their chief from us; a fact made very evident by the saucy look of confidence assumed by our Ras, Ohmed Mahomed, secure in the number of supporters whom he mustered around him.
The country we marched through to-day was called Berdudda. Towards the end of the journey, we passed an elevated plateau of no great height or extent, apparently of an upheaved alluvial stratum similar to that beneath our feet, but altered in its geological character by the action of heat. Birds of every hue abounded, brightly reflecting the sun’s rays from their bronzed or golden plumage; whilst the most beautifully painted butterflies added their kaleidoscopic colouring to the more immediate vicinity of our path.
Hares also were so numerous that they seemed to spring out of every bush and tuft of grass we came near. The Dankalli profess not to eat them, but this is a prejudice, I think, that has been introduced with the Mahomedan religion, the laws of which, respecting clean and unclean meats, are the same with those of Moses. That they kill hares, and take some little trouble to do so by running them down, I had frequent proofs. One to-day was put up, unfortunately, in such a situation, that in whatever way she ran, she was headed by some party or other of the Kafilah men. Though so insignificant an animal, the excitement of the chase she occasioned spread along the whole line of march, and men and boys, I, as well as the rest, were soon in hot pursuit of puss. She gave some excellent sport of the kind, doubling under the feet of one man, starting up suddenly behind another who had overrun her, and now leaping right into the face of a third, upsetting him by the suddenness of the shock, among his laughing companions. Her moments were, however, numbered, an unlucky stone thrown by a boy, struck her upon the head, and extended her upon the ground, where she lay for some minutes, throwing out her legs convulsively in vain struggles to escape from us and death. Having two fine guinea-fowls suspended from my saddle, I had so much consciousness of what was due to humanity as to feel some sorrow for this unnecessary destruction of life; for, after all our exertions to kill it, unless I made my supper of the hare, we should have been obliged to have left it to become the prey of some prowling beast or bird. Accordingly, I determined to bury my conscience in my stomach, bestowed the guinea-fowls upon my companions, and picking up the hare, inserted my knife between the back tendons of one hind leg, pushed the other through the orifice, and by the loop thus formed, suspended it from the bow of my saddle in regular sportsman-like manner.