CHAP. III.
From Tcherkin to Hor-Cacamoot, in Ras el Feel—Account of it—Transactions there.
On the 15th of January, at a quarter past eight in the morning, we left Tcherkin, and entered immediately into thick woods; but proceeded very slowly, the road being bad and unknown, if it could be called a road, and our camels overloaded. About an hour afterwards we passed a small village of elephant hunters on our right, and our course was straight north, through dark thick woods, overgrown with long grass, till at half an hour past ten we came to another small village close on our right. We then turned N. W. and continued in that direction, passing several villages, all of elephant hunters, and mostly Mahometans. At three quarters after twelve we came to a small river which runs W. N. W. and falls into the Germa; here we rested. At ten minutes past one we set out again, thro' the thickest and most impenetrable woods I ever saw; and at half past four we encamped about two miles west of Amba Daid, a small village of elephant hunters, often destroyed by the Shangalla, but now lately rebuilt, and strengthened by Agageers and their families under protection of Ayto Confu. We went not to the village, for the sake of a small brook which we had found here, running north, and falling into the Angrab.
On the 16th, at half after seven in the morning we resumed our journey, going westward; about an hour and a half afterwards we arrived at the Germa, a large river which runs N. N. W. and falls into the Angrab; and a quarter after nine we passed the Germa, and going N. W. through the very thickest woods, came to Dabdo, a hill almost deserted, its inhabitants having been so frequently destroyed by the Pagan Shangalla.
At twenty minutes past ten, still going through the thickest woods, and ground all opened by the heat of the sun, we found, in a grassy marsh, a pretty abundant spring of foul water. This is the resort of the hunters of the elephant, as also of their rivals and enemies the Shangalla; and here much human blood has been shed by people whose occupation and intention, when they went from home, were that of slaying the wild beasts only. The Baasa or Dobena Shangalla, possess the country which lies about four days journey N. E. from this.
At a quarter past eleven we came to the river Terkwa; which, after running N. W. falls into the Angrab; it then flood in large deep pools; the banks were covered with tall green grass; the taste of the water foul, and earthy. At twelve we passed the river Terkwa; and going north, about an hour after we came to the Dongola, running east and west; and an hour after that to Jibbel Myrat river, which, running east and west, was once the boundary between Sennaar and Abyssinia. History does not tell us when these boundaries were altered, or upon what occasion. It was probably upon the first invasion that new ones were settled. It should seem that the Abyssinians had then the better of Nubia; for a large accession of territory was ceded by the latter to the former. A few minutes after we came to the river Woodo, larger than the last. It has a rocky bottom, and is full of small fish of a brownish and silver colour. Where we crossed, it runs from west to east, and falls into the Angrab. There we passed the night, not without alarms, as fresh footsteps in the sand were very plainly discovered, which, by the length of the foot, and the largeness of the heels, our people pronounced were surely Shangalla; but nothing disastrous appeared all night.
On the 17th, before seven in the morning we were again upon our journey, our direction N. and N. W. winding to due West. Andoval mountain stood W. N. W. distant from us four miles. At forty minutes past eight, going due west, Andoval mountain lay to the north of us; and Awassa mountains to the south. This is a ridge which, coming from the north, stretches south to Dabda, and Abra Amba. Andoval mountain is a small pointed peek, which constitutes the north end of them. We halted here a few minutes, and resumed our route to the westward, and N. W. till we came to Sancaho, at half an hour past one, and there we rested.
Sancaho is an old frontier territory of Abyssinia. The town may consist of about 300 huts or houses, neatly built of canes, and curiously thatched with leaves of the same. It rises in the midst of a plain, and resembles in shape Tcherkin Amba, though much larger; a considerable district all around belongs to it, of wilds and woods, if such as these, abandoned entirely to wild beasts, can be said to belong to any man. The east end slopes with rather a steep descent into the plain; and through that is a narrow winding road, seemingly the work of art, being obstructed at turns by huge stones, and at different stages, for the purpose of defence by guns or arrows; all the other sides of the rock are perpendicular precipices. The inhabitants of the town are Baasa, a race of Shangalla, converted to the Mahometan religion; it is an absolute government, has a nagareet or kettle-drum for proclamations, yet is understood to be inferior to Ras el Feel, and dependent on it; and always subject to that nobleman, who is Kasmati of Ras el Feel, such as Ayto Confu then was, after he had resumed his government at my departure, though during my stay in Abyssinia it had devolved upon me by his surrendering it.
Gimbaro, the Erbab or chief of Sancaho, was the tallest and stoutest man of his nation; about six feet six inches high, and strongly made in proportion; hunted always on foot; and was said, among his people, to have singly killed elephants with one blow of his spear. The features of his face might well be called hideous; he paid his part of the revenue in buffaloes hides, of which the best shields were made; and with elephants' teeth, and rhinoceros's horns, used for the handles of the crooked knives, which the Abyssinians carry at their girdles. All the inhabitants of Sancaho are hunters of elephants. It is their principal food. Erbab Gimbaro came with Yasine, and brought more than a hundred of the Shangalla to the king's army at Serbraxos, where the Moors alledged he did not any way distinguish himself. I had, however, taken considerable notice of him; and at his earnest desire carried him into the tent, and shewed him the king.