The sun was just about setting, when, by the reflection of its rays (for in this country the sun sets every day in a red sky), we discovered tents scattered up and down upon a little eminence, and flocks which had come there for pasturage.
The inhabitants of the village came out in throngs to meet us; but in place of showing us any of the pleasant duties of hospitality, they loaded us with injuries, and made us suffer very inhuman treatment. Two of my comrades were brought into a very pitiable situation. The women particularly, much more fierce than the men, took delight in tormenting us. Our masters could not make any great resistance; they appeared; on the contrary, much better pleased that they should teaze us, than meddle with the lading of the camels.
While I was at some little distance from mine, I suddenly noticed a man, who aimed a blow at me with a double-barrelled gun.[22] I presented him my breast, and desired him to strike. The firmness of my countenance, with which he had been doubtless little accustomed, astonished him. This served the more to strengthen my opinion, that one might impose on these people, by assuming an undaunted appearance. As I approached to this man, a stone thrown from an unknown hand, but which I supposed to be that of a woman, struck me on the head. I lost recollection for a little; but when I recovered, I exclaimed in a very violent rage, and demanded satisfaction with vehement cries. I found this method very serviceable in striking terror among these children. The savages who were gathered around us, not knowing the cause of my exclamations, began to run away. Meantime one of them, before he went off, gave me a blow with the butt-end of a gun, which made me vomit blood. If I could have discovered the fellow who struck me, I should certainly have avenged myself. Reduced to complaining, I did it with such vehemence that I raised the curiosity of many of the monsters. They inquired of my master who I was? "He is," answered he, "a very rich Christian, and possessed of a great quantity of guns, balls, flint-stones and scarlet cloth.[23] That you may understand, what a man of consequence he is, we had access to see that he was very richly clothed, and that his linen was perfumed with a very agreeable odour;[24] and to know, that Prince Allicoury and all his retinue had paid him a visit."
[22] Several years since, some vessels were lost upon this coast, which were engaged in a treaty with the Negroes. The Arabs carried off the cargoes, so that we need not be surprised that they had guns of different kinds among them.
[23] He believed that all the provisions which were in the King's magazine belonged to me.
[24] This odour was nothing more than lavender-water, with which my linen had been sprinkled.
I believe I escaped much bad usage from his saying that Prince Allicoury had paid me a visit. To enforce this idea still more, I counterfeited his buffoons, whom they called Egeums. This kind of farce so much pleased my master, that he made me repeat it as often as he found opportunity. He made use of this stratagem to divert those among them, whom he suspected as inclined to pilfer, and thus cunningly occupied their attention. No sooner did he make known my talent for imitating the Egeums, than I was surrounded by men, women, and children, who constantly bawled out to me ganne, (sing then). I had no sooner finished, than I was obliged to begin again; and this I was constrained to do, not only to amuse them, but (why should I not own it?) to procure a tasting of camel's milk—as a reward for this my mean buffoonery.
We rested one day in this village, where the inhabitants, however ill they behaved at first, did not fail to give us provisions for three or four days. The plains which we passed over in proceeding towards the east country, were covered with small stones as white as snow, round and flat as a lentil. As we proceeded, we perceived a dull sound under our feet, as if the earth had been dug out below us. This country presented no variety to us; the ground was a continued plain, without producing even the smallest plant. The atmosphere was loaded with a reddish vapour. The whole country appeared as if filled with flaming volcanoes. The small stones pricked us, as if they had been sparks of fire. Neither birds nor insects were to be seen in the air. The profound silence which reigned was something frightful. If at any time a gentle breeze arose, the traveller immediately found himself affected with an extreme languor, the lips with chopping, the skin with a burning heat, and the whole body covered with small pimples, which occasioned a very sharp and disagreeable smarting. Our guides, who had gone far up into the country, to shun some tribes whom they had much cause to fear, were not luckier than we in escaping these disagreeable inconveniences, which we suffered in this part of our journey, where the fiercer animals would not enter. The rays of the sun darted upon the stones, and I feared, every minute, that their scorching reflection would have finished me.
We passed through this vast plain into a second, where the winds had furrowed the sand, which was of a reddish colour, at little distances. A few sweet smelling plants grew on the top of the furrows, which were immediately devoured by our camels: they were no less famished than ourselves. We had the happiness, on quitting this sandy plain, to enter into a valley surrounded with mountains, where the soil was white and slimy. At the foot of some tall shrubs, of which the branches were artfully formed into an arbour, we found some water, of which we stood in great need. We therefore drank of it with much pleasure, although it was very bitter, covered with green moss, and of a noxious smell.
We found some compensation however, in the evening, by falling in with a horde, which was encamped at some leagues distance. They received us very kindly, and pointed out to us some villages, where they informed us we could receive all necessary assistance for prosecuting our journey to the residence of our patrons. This was an event particularly fortunate for us, as our guides had lost the way.