The methods of treatment, customary among the natives of Kordofan, are various, and consist in the employment of the common domestic quack-remedies of Europe, in addition to the above-mentioned superstitious aids. Thus, those attacked with fever, after the amulets and other mystic charms have proved useless, drink, for three or four days, a cup containing about a pound of melted butter daily, or a large quantity of milk, in which sandal-wood has been steeped during twenty-four hours. Both these remedies produce a powerful alterative effect, and I saw several persons cured of fever by them. For allaying dysentery, they make use of sour milk, in which dabaldia, the fruit of a tree, causing constipation, has been steeped over night. The same fruit, taken in small quantities, acts as a gentle purgative; but these modes of treatment are only adapted to the natives, and always prove fatal to Europeans. For dropsy they know of no remedy, and persons attacked with this disease die, with but few exceptions.
As soon as the jiggers show themselves, the part inflamed is burnt with a red-hot iron, and a small opening made, when the worm immediately presents itself. The treatment is now the same as that of tapeworm: thus the natives seize the portion of the animal protruding through the opening, wind it carefully round a small piece of wood, and proceed in this manner until they have gradually extracted the whole. If it tear before it is entirely eradicated, the disease is reproduced. When attacked with small-pox, the natives rub their whole body with earth, or roll in the sand, until the pustules are broken, and the entire surface is covered with an incrustation, which they allow to remain adherent until the period of desiccation. A negro, who has suffered from small-pox, presents a very ridiculous appearance when the scabs fall off, for his body is speckled with white spots, which gradually become red, but resume, subsequently, the original black colour,—he is, in fact, for the time being, pie-bald. They suffer greatly with this disease, for they cannot keep themselves warm for want of clothing, or other covering, and are thus put to inconceivable torture. A great number of natives fall victims to this complaint, but the majority are cured. The form of disease presenting itself with abscesses about the neck, named durore, is indigenous to the country, and frequently shews itself during the rainy season; it is said by the natives to originate in colds. In the treatment of this affection, they open the abscesses with the potential cautery, and when the matter is discharged, dress the wound with an ointment prepared of butter and clay. Syphilis was totally unknown in these regions during the preceding century, and the natives have only been inoculated within recent years, through the intermediation of the Egyptian troops quartered in the province. It may be easily imagined what ravages this disease commits, as these simple people, unacquainted with its nature, frequently neglect it for a considerable time. They are certainly at present rather more enlightened on the subject, and resort to a few remedies, which, however, prove of slight avail, and, during the rainy season more especially, all endeavours to arrest its progress are in vain. The disorder assumes a very obstinate character in this country; for though cured in the dry season, it generally presents itself again at the period of the rain,—a circumstance very easily explained, if we consider that the cure, what with their inacquaintance with the nature of the disease, and defective treatment, is generally palliative, or temporary, and never radical; hence many of these patients remain cripples for life. They mostly employ in the treatment an earth, named traiba,[50] which has a purgative action. The lavements are administered in the following manner:—They take the thighbone of a fowl, and clearing away the marrow, fasten it to a portion of the intestines of a sheep, into which they pour a decoction of garra,[51] and then insert the pipe into the anus, compressing the gut until the whole of the contents pass into the abdomen. If to the want of medical men, and scarcity of remedies, we add the state of uncleanliness in which these people live, we may form some slight idea of the sufferings they endure in sickness. It is, in fact, impossible to form a conception of the misery to be met with in their hovels, which are sometimes crowded with patients; nursing and all attention is out of the question; every man is left to himself, hence many of course perish, who, with but slight care, might easily have been saved, but—Allah Kerim!
There are no prophylactics against all these diseases, and I know of no better advice to give to Europeans travelling in this country than to caution them against drinking new milk or water; the latter they should always boil, and ought moreover to be careful to keep themselves, and more especially their feet, warm during the rainy season; they should further use a large quantity of pepper with their food, and rather eat too little than too much. In cases of dysentery, for which rice and gum-water are generally prescribed in Egypt, the traveller should by all means avoid these same remedies, for he would only debilitate his digestive organs the more. For my own part I resorted latterly to the shells of the pomegranate steeped for a few hours in cold water, and found this remedy very successful. It is quite a mistake to imagine the use of spirituous liquors pernicious in tropical climates, for I convinced myself, but unfortunately too late, of the contrary. On my own personal experience I can assert that a moderate quantity of brandy (in defect of wine) or Merissa taken daily is an excellent prophylactic. All those natives, moreover, who possess the means of procuring it, enjoy health, and are not so easily attacked with fever or dysentery; it will of course be understood that every excess is hurtful.
CHAPTER XII.
THE TROOPS.
The military force stationed in Kordofan consists of three battalions of the first regiment of the line, each battalion being composed of 1000 men, further of 800 Bedouin horsemen, called also Mogghrebeen, and of about 40 artillery men to serve the few guns employed in the slave-hunting expeditions; to this number about 200 men of the irregular Turkish cavalry were added, in the commencement of the year 1839. The latter troops were removed from Dongola to Kordofan, but for an indefinite time only; they were, indeed, expecting orders shortly to return to their former quarters. The staff is stationed at Lobeid, and the colonel of the regiment (the Bey) whom we have before mentioned, is both civil and military governor of the province. Two companies of the same regiment are quartered in Sennaar. This regiment was originally the first which Mehemed Ali formed of Negroes at Assuan in Egypt, and placed on European footing; hundreds of Egyptians have, at various times, been drafted into this corps, but they mostly fell victims to the climate, or perished after a few years’ service in the razzias or slave-hunts. The entire garrison consists of blacks: it is, in fact, indispensably necessary that it should be so; for the white men cannot accommodate themselves to the climate. Among all Mehemed Ali’s troops, numbers of which I have seen in various parts of his dominions, I never met with a regiment so wretchedly equipped, so badly drilled, and so utterly deficient in discipline as the one in question. The soldiers wear only a white cotton uniform, and it would be injudicious indeed to clad them in cloth in this hot climate; but when we come to consider that the negroes, by nature not over addicted to cleanliness, do not trouble themselves with washing, and are not even provided for this purpose with soap, an expense they feel no inclination to defray from their own purses, and add to this that they are in the habit of anointing their bodies frequently with butter as a means for preserving their health, a pretty correct idea of a trooper of Kordofan may be formed. On meeting one of these foot-soldiers without his accoutrements a stranger is really at a loss how to classify him, and before he has thoroughly accustomed himself to the sight he would rather take him for a scarecrow than a soldier.[52] The accoutrements, like the regimentals, are not in the very best state; while the drill sergeants are as ignorant as the recruits, and quite inadequate to their task, with the exception that the latter have no conception of fire-arms; thus muskets may be seen on which Time has set his tooth in the literal sense, so weak in the barrel, not with over cleaning, but with over rust, that they would never stand a charge. Instead of a flint a piece of wood is frequently screwed into the lock, the soldier finding it far more judicious to sell the former to enable him to buy a little tobacco. To prevent desertion as far as it is possible, the government encourages the soldiers in marrying; they do not then live in barrack, but in separate huts of their own without the precincts. It must not, however, be imagined that there are barracks in Kordofan like those in Europe, or even in Egypt. Those at Lobeid consist of about fifty detached huts built irregularly, but surrounded with a fence of thorn; in the latter an aperture is left, guarded with the branch of a tree, which forms the gate. The interior arrangements correspond with the external appearance; beside the angarebs and the knapsacks of the men, there is not a single article of barrack furniture to be seen. There are three infantry barracks of this description in Lobeid. When the men mount guard, the women accompany them, or, if they happen to be unmarried, some of their comrades follow, carrying the straw mats and pipes of the detachment; for it is the first maxim among them to make their visit to the guard-room as pleasant and comfortable as possible. This rule extends even to the very sentry, who makes his duties as easy as he possibly can; he does not stand sentry, but sits down whilst on duty, and that the musket may not inconvenience him by its weight during this important time, he lays it down at a few paces distance. If an officer happen to pass by, the occurrence by no means disturbs his equanimity; the sentinel at the most rises, but shouldering or presenting arms is a mark of respect never heard of. In relieving guard they do not wait for orders or other arrangements, but as soon as the fresh detachment arrives, and the various posts have been relieved, every man walks quietly home with his straw mat and pipe under one arm, and his musket on the other, leaving it to his superior officers to manage every thing else.
Their drill and exercise is at the same low ebb as their garrison and field service. The recruits are drilled during a few weeks only; they are quick of conception, and with the exception of the Shilluks, very soon learn, but they as readily again forget what they have acquired, for they do not consider it worth their while to keep themselves in practice by repeated exercise. The drill is generally performed singly, they very seldom exercise in large detachments, and scarcely ever in companies. It is, therefore, not astonishing, that a battalion cannot execute the most simple movement with precision. I have seen the commanding-officer on a field-day not even able to bring his battalion to form a square; he had, in fact, to take each separate man by the arm, and lead him to the place where the square was to be formed, and yet this is the only manœuvre to which they are obliged to pay attention, because frequently put in practice in skirmishes, in warfare with their neighbours, or on those barbarous expeditions of slave-hunting. The intention of this quarré is to place the troops in readiness to receive their enemy, who always attacks suddenly, sword in hand, because it was found by experience that single detachments sent in advance were literally cut up, notwithstanding the advantage Mehemed Ali’s regular troops enjoy in the possession of fire-arms. According to the present system, when an attack is expected, the troops form a quarré, and prepare to receive cavalry; sometimes the square is hollow, and all non-combatants, ammunition, and baggage, and frequently also the cavalry, are enclosed within its precincts. When the first shock has been sustained, and the enemy retreats in disorder, they deploy and pursue. The nature of the attack of the negroes has therefore induced the officers to have this manœuvre principally practised. Of other movements, such as advancing in column, marching in sections, wheeling to the right or left, forming detachments, defiling, or other necessary manœuvres, be they ever so simple, these soldiers have no conception, and should it ever enter the head of the inspector at a review to order one of them, it is executed with so much confusion, that the officer commanding has the greatest trouble in re-forming his battalion from the confused chaos. It is incredible how soon they forget every thing, for this regiment formerly had an excellent French preceptor, as lately even as the middle of the year 1837, at which period he was obliged to leave the country on account of ill health. The troops learn to shoot well; it is not, however, to be wondered at, considering the wretched state of their muskets, if the best shot frequently miss his aim. Ball practice, so essential a branch of service, is but rarely resorted to, and in this country, indeed, the soldier is treated more like a policeman than a military man, for his services are required for enforcing the payment of taxes, the arrest of prisoners, and for other duties generally devolving upon the constabulary.
It would, moreover, prove a very dangerous experiment to trouble the troops much with exercising and other matters of duty, and would be attended with an incurrence of the very worst of hazards. An officer dare not even venture to enforce his orders with the common rigidity of discipline; they would not only not be obeyed, but the officer offending in this manner must expect the worst. With kindness every thing may be effected with these semi-barbarians, whilst with harshness nothing is to be done; and to obtain obedience to an order in which their services are required, it is necessary either to rouse their ambition, or to persuade them by soft words. There is, therefore, a wide difference between these negro soldiers and the Egyptian troops. The latter, accustomed from infancy to be driven with a stick to their duties, cringe before an officer, like a worm upon the ground, in presentiment of the punishment they are to undergo; whereas the negro who has been reared in liberty boldly faces his superior, whilst awaiting his command. When he has received his orders, provided his sense of dignity or freedom be not impeached, the officer may rely upon their being punctually executed. But woe betide the martinet who should venture to force a soldier by harsh words or ill-treatment to the performance of his duty! His life would be endangered from that moment, and a revolt amongst the whole troops might prove of the most serious consequence, as has already been the case. The Turkish officers are well aware of this, and are very careful not to say or do anything that might irritate the negro soldiers.
The pay is the same as that of all other Egyptian troops, namely, twenty paras (two-pence) per diem, and a ration consisting of bread, meat, and butter in abundance; but for their actual pay they have to wait frequently a whole twelvemonth, and their arrears are then liquidated with slaves or camels.
It frequently happens on these occasions that a son receives his father or his brother instead of payment. It might be imagined that this would be considered a fortunate occurrence by both parties, and that the slave would, as a natural consequence, be liberated; but this is by no means the case, for the soldier has usually incurred a debt on his arrears, and in the distribution of pay two troopers very often become co-proprietors of one full-grown slave. Thus little regard can be paid to filial or fraternal affection; the soldier can only delay the sale of his father or brother for a few days, but it must eventually take place. Officers themselves have told me, that these scenes are of frequent occurrence, and that it would move the heart of the most unfeeling man to pity, to behold a son or brother concluding the bargain with the Djelabi for his near relative, when they are forced to part for ever.