Thus ended this expedition, which opened to us a slight glimpse into the richly watered zone of the equatorial regions, which had been supposed to form an insurmountable barrier of a high mountain chain, and brought us into contact with tribes whose character has been represented as almost approaching to that of wild beasts. We had certainly not entered those regions under such circumstances as were most desirable to us; but on the contrary, we had been obliged to associate ourselves with an army whose only purpose was to spread devastation and misery over them. Nevertheless, situated as we were, while we could not prevent this mischief, we were glad that we had been enabled to see so much. We were without any means, no further supplies having arrived; but I did not despair, and in order still to be able to try my fortune once more in another direction before I returned home, besides other articles, I even sold my large tent, and employed part of the proceeds to line my small tent, which was fast wearing out, and neither excluded rain nor sun.
FOOTNOTES
[1] “ʿAbd el Kerím,” meaning “Servant of the Merciful,” was the name which I thought it prudent to adopt.
[2] p, ph, f, in many African languages, are constantly interchanged, the same as r and dh, r and l.
[3] No distinction has been made between the different sounds of j.
[4] Mr. Overweg, who made a hypsometrical observation by boiling water, found the elevation of this spot just the same as that of Mount Tekút, viz. 2,800 feet.
[5] In el Bekri’s time (eleventh century) all these Roman monuments hereabout were still the objects of adoration.
[6] Unfortunately the minimum and maximum thermometers were so deranged that Mr. Overweg was unable to repair them. We had no barometer, and the only aneroid barometer with which we had been provided, and which had been under the care of my companion, was damaged on our first excursion; so that nothing was left to us but to find the elevation of places by the boiling-point of water.
[7] Hatíta told us expressly that if any of the Imghád should trouble us we should say, “Bábo.” Now “Bábo” is neither Arabic nor Temáshight, but the Háusa word for “There is none.”
[8] At the moment I am revising this I am happy to state that the slave-trade is really abolished.