CHAPTER IV.
KING LÀKONO’S PRIDE. — BEER KNOWN TO THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. — BAR OF ROCKS. — WAR-DANCE OF THE NATIVES. — DETERMINATION OF THE TURKS TO RETURN, AND DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE AUTHOR. — COMMENCEMENT OF THE RETURN VOYAGE. — REPUBLICANS IN THE KINGDOM OF BARI. — VISIT OF THE FRENCHMEN TO MOUNT KORÈK. — REASON OF THE AUTHOR’S AVERSION TO ARNAUD. — CONDUCT OF VAISSIÈRE AND SCENE IN HIS DIVAN. — CULTIVATION OF COTTON AT BARI. — APATHY OF FEÏZULLA-CAPITAN AND THE CREW. — SUPERIORITY OF MAN TO WOMAN IN A NATIVE STATE. — WATCHHOUSES.
26th and 27th January.—King Làkono, notwithstanding his complaisance in other respects, is proud in this single instance: he will not go on board any other vessel than that of Selim Capitan’s, much as Arnaud wishes it, who promises us a great fête when we shall bring this to pass. Selim Capitan passes with him for a matta enjoying the same privileges as himself, because he has our treasures, glass ornaments, and clothes, in his keeping, and distributes them ad libitum, with the consent of Suliman Kashef.
The island of Tshanker, called also Riëm to Selim Capitan in my presence (perhaps the name of the second and smaller island), has become, since our abode here, a market for barter. A great crowd of people is always collected here, and Selim Capitan considers it advisable to give them a taste of the effect of a gun. He therefore shot a bull while running, twice in the head; unfortunately the balls did not pierce through, and therefore the beast staggered, but did not fall. Hereupon Selim held the barrel behind the animal’s ear, and the bull fell; the people, indeed, drew back astonished, but the excessive fear of fire-arms appears, since our short stay, to be at an end in the more civilised state of Bari.
I was the cause of presents being made to Làkono, for future sowing of maize, and a better kind of durra, Ommòs (Egyptian peas), and the so-called horse-beans, (called by the Arabs, Ful, and a very nourishing favourite food of theirs,) beside many other fruits. He seemed to me to be a man who would take care to sow them, for he planted even the stones of the dates which he had eaten with us. If the dates in these warmer regions should ever come up, the whole crew, without meaning it, have contributed to plant them, because they threw away the stones of the dates they ate on all the landing-places. I doubt, however, if dates will ever thrive, because the doum-palms have a very stunted appearance in the lower countries of the White Stream, and for a long time have entirely disappeared.
As the vine thrives in Sennaar, it might grow also here, and I should have gained immortal fame if I had not unfortunately forgotten, in Khartùm, the layers of vines I had determined to take with me. Merissa is also not unknown here, as the black soldiers told me, who had drank it, and found it equally good as that of Sennaar. Beer was known even to the ancient Egyptians: what is now prepared in Egypt under the name of Busa, from wheat (kamm) is bad and pappy; in Nubia, Belled-Sudàn, we get it of better quality, made from durra, and called generally merissa: the same is also quite a common drink in this country. Beer appears, consequently, to be generally indigenous where agriculture takes place, and where wine has not received the preference due to it.
28th January.—Nature has drawn here a real bar of rocks through the White Stream, which we dare not venture to surmount; for the water has fallen, for some days, as is quite evident, and the vessels could only, by taking out all their freight, pass the defile near the large rocks, which is called on this account, bab, or gate. The river-bed beginning from hence, appears to be generally of a more rocky nature, for we perceive, even from the rocks on the Island of Tshanker, breakers in the stream up the river: however, there is no doubt, that we might sail away victoriously over these obstacles at the time of the inundation, for the river here rises to about eighteen feet high. The main thing would be, then, for north winds to blow exactly at this period, strong enough to withstand the pressure of water rising in this mountain-land; for I am still of opinion that the rapidity of the current increases from hence in such a manner, that we could not advance by the rope even with the best will. We have remained here at the island three entire days, and the ne plus ultra is not so much inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules in the water, as desired in the hearts of the whole expedition.
The war-dance, which the blacks performed yesterday, has contributed certainly to the final determination to return. Even I thought yesterday that I heard and saw in the fearful battle-song, a declaration of war, and a challenge to the contest. It was almost impossible to persuade oneself that it was merely a mark of honour. The natives marched up and down the island, in columns, brandishing their lances in the air, sang their war-songs with threatening countenances and dreadful gestures, then fell into still greater ecstasy, ran up and down, and roared their martial chant. Nevertheless I altered my opinion that this was done with hostile views, for the native interpreters remained quietly with us on board the vessel; and when we sent them to request that this honour might not be paid to us, they returned, though not having effected our object.
It was thought advisable that we should leave the shore, for the natives had only need spring down to be on board our vessels. There were certainly too many black people, and a warlike rapacious enthusiasm might easily, it was true, possess their minds, inflamed as they were by the military manœuvres. It was well, therefore, that a reiterated request on our side was answered, and an end put to the warlike ceremony, without our having betrayed our fear, by pushing off from the shore.