“I am sorry I cannot answer your questions. Nobody knows when we are to go: Hámed says, it is not the Sheïkh’s fault; that the times are difficult. His father will be here to-morrow or the day after; and we shall start the next day. If he comes to-night, we shall be off to-morrow. I have sent Abú to see about some cakes from the Jews. The letters to England must have miscarried, as there were some private ones of mine that would certainly have been answered.
“I have been obliged to coin an answer to the Sheïkh, and telling him that it will be time enough to think of commercial intercourse, as soon as he should have performed his engagements with me, and for the execution of which he had been paid before hand. He begins to feel alarmed, and is half ashamed of himself. I cannot write now what he has disclosed; but I shall be at him again before the messenger departs.
“Friday night.—I am much better, although I do not consider myself quite out of danger. I was obliged to make four incisions in the throat by the knife, before I could obtain relief. I will go to-morrow, if the people come, of which there appears but little chance. I would readily step into the grave to get away from this place; the thought of dying here, to be plundered by the Sheïkh and his crew of vagabonds, annoys me more than my bodily sufferings. Abú is quite useless: his fear makes him totally helpless; but this only serves to rouse me. Hájí Abíb’s servant, Fahir, has certainly saved me for the present. This strange fellow wants to leave his master, and come to me. I do not think this would be fair on my part; I shall, however, sound his master on the subject, who first made the offer for me to take him: but I believe the wretches here do not wish the boy to go back to Súdán, as he knows too many of their dirty tricks. One circumstance alone keeps up my spirits; all my predecessors started in good health and failed. Bruce, in whose career and my own are many singular coincidences, started in nearly the same shattered state of health, after a detention in Abyssinia of six months, as I do now, and yet he succeeded; and so, perhaps, may I; but my hopes are very faint.
“Saturday, four P.M.—I have this day spoken again to the Sheïkh; but he fights shy of every question. I shall, therefore, tell Abíb to-night, that I cannot stand this trifling any longer, and that on Monday I expect to have my money returned. It is all nonsense that I cannot get through Súdán before the rainy season commences, and it would be certain death in my state of health to think of braving them out. I have been shamefully used. The Sheïkh and Majíbí have played this game to suit their own views, without caring a straw for you or me: the former came snivelling about his expectation of a ship arriving, and that traders would be glad to come here. I told him that nobody believed in his power, and that the best proof of his weakness was his inability to send me on. I perceive that you have a great idea of his influence; but a week’s residence here would convince you, that with the exception of his own immediate dependants, not a soul would go out of the way to serve him; he is a mean, low, avaricious, and crafty savage; an arrant coward, and one who grudges even the barley that is daily served out for brute and beast. There is often more disturbance about overfilling the measure, than would take place in England if the Bank had failed. You seem to think there is some danger in his taking offence: you need not fear on that head, as he knows that he would then have to give the money back again.
“Sunday, P.M.—I have told the Sheïkh, that as the 15th October is now past, my orders were to wait no longer; and that as the Taghakánths had not made their appearance, I expected he would either return the money, or send me on, or let me take my own steps for proceeding to Tumbuktú. I had just laid down, after having read the prayers, and while Abú was at the market, when I heard some high words outside of the door, and in came the Sheïkh, Abíb, and Hámed. The first was foaming with rage; the second blushing up to his turban; while Hámed was sinking to the ground, like one doomed to die. All were talking, and in my weak state it was too much for me: being, however, an old soldier in argument, and finding all the party in anger, I kept myself more than ordinary cool. As soon as I could get them to speak one at a time, I found that some reports from Suweïrah had reached this place, accusing the Sheïkh of having played the rogue, and of having kept half the money of the Taghakánths for himself; and that the scandal had even extended to Fez. The Sheïkh asked, in a threatening manner, if Hámed had told me so. Perceiving that the doom of the poor lad would be fixed, if I told the truth, I was obliged to deny it. Had I not done so, the Sheïkh, I am certain, would have killed the lad on the spot. The Sheïkh then broke out in no measured terms against all of us; and though he confessed I had good reason to complain, he swore he had not taken a single morznum for himself; and that he would not allow his character to be trifled with. He said tauntingly, that all he had of mine was a gun, a caftan, and three suílhams; and he would give them back, and I might make out my bill for the other things, and he would pay for them. At this juncture Abú returned, and I requested him to tell the Sheïkh, that I was not a merchant, and knew nothing about bills; that if he found any difficulty in fulfilling his engagements, my bill was a very simple one; he had only to return the 1,000 dollars in pesetas, and the 350 paid to Hámed, and to send me back to the place from whence he brought me; that I did not care to go on, as it was plain he could not insure my safety. This quite cooled him; and he turned round to poor Hámed, and bade him get his horse; ride to the tents; bring his father and people, and let them answer me. The poor fellow was shipped off by Abíb, who now took up the subject, and stated that the Sheïkh’s character had been injured by a report, said to have come from you, that he has taken the Taghakánths’ money, and was now unwilling to send me on. Upon this there was lots of swearing, &c., and the Sheïkh became so warm, that he drank about a gallon of water, and left us, saying that, if the Taghakánths did not come in ten or fifteen days at farthest, he would take me back to Agadír. As soon as he was gone, I told Abíb that, from the size of the parcels given me to keep by Mohammed El Abd and Hámed Mulid, I did believe they had received one-half of the amount, and that you were to send the second half to me and not to the Sheïkh, and I would pay it over to the Taghakánths, or to him, if they stated they had received the whole sum. At this moment the Sheïkh returned, and muttered something about the Taghakánths owing him money, and that if he had paid himself, it was the same as paying it to them. This is probably what led Hámed to believe and say that the Sheïkh had paid only half, and had kept the remainder for himself. Hámed was now left alone with us. He said the Sheïkh would murder him, if he knew that it was he who had spread the report. He then left me to get his horse; but the order was countermanded, and he is now with me eating some bread, and watering it with his tears. Abíb says, he does not know what to do; but hopes that I will wait the fifteen days. Sídí Alí Ben Ilft told Abú in the market to-day, that if we get away in less than a month, he would give me leave to cut off his head. There is certainly some by-play here. This Sídí Alí has been using every means to dissuade me, and there is no doubt that his going is connected with my movements. I am sorry I can give you no certain news about the Spanish slaves. The man left here nearly a month ago, and seemed very careless about the matter, when he found that he was not to have a present or money before starting. I am making Abú collect whatever information he can pick up. News has just been brought that the Taghakánths are moving their tents, as the Ergebats have threatened to fall upon the káfilah as soon as it starts, to wreak their vengeance for the last attack. I am happy to tell you I am much better; but this blow of the Simúm, with which, it appears, I have been struck, has been very serious. I have a low ague; but feel too much pain in the chest when I cough to venture upon quinine. Between ourselves I have reason to be glad of this delay. I have had a little cake made by the Jews, but very indifferent and dear; I hope I shall now get the bread.”
The next letter, which is the last that was written from Wád Nún, relates some of the circumstances to which allusion is made by Mr. Willshire, and which have been already printed in the Journal of the Geographical Society. It is dated
“Saturday, Nov. 5, 1836.
“My pen almost refuses to write Wád Nún. Your kind letter reached me this morning, and I can answer it in better spirits, because I am happy to say my health is improving fast; but I cannot say much about my confidence in the success of the enterprize. The start is to be on Monday; although I do not go on that day. Every thing is now packed up, and ready to be placed upon the camels, with which Abú starts at day-break on Monday. I am to be left here, as if I had sent him on; Mohammed El Abd remains behind. On Wednesday or Thursday, according to the distance made by the camels the first day, we start on horseback, accompanied by the Sheïkh Berúk, and about a half-dozen horsemen, and we are to make Yeist, if possible, in one day. There I leave the district of Wád Nún; and to that place is a three days’ journey for loaded camels. I there leave my horse, and mount my camel, and we push on to the tents. It has been positively stated to the Sheïkh, that we are to stop only the night at the tents; but this is false: I have become so used to the language of the Taghakánths, that I understand more than they think; and I heard that we should be there two or three days at least, if not more. The journey is to be made in the shortest time possible. Berúk says thirty days; my conductor, however, adds five or six; to this, he says, that we shall go as a post, and form a party of only five, including Abú and myself.
“Mohammed El Abd came again at night, and there was again a sort of grumbling about the expense. I asked why I was to pay 230 mithkáls for a camel, when the usual hire for a káfilah was only from ten to twelve? This was a silencer. Instead of being the lions of the desert, they are only the jackals, and pay tribute to even a single Arab, who happens to cross them on the route. The Woobd Allah (Zeïn’s people) are the persons with whom I ought to have gone: they are still waiting here, and Zeïn has started this morning for Akka, to know the reason. I have at last got the account of the things I have purchased here, and which I have signed, requesting you to pay the amount to Abíb. It is fifty-one and a-half dollars, to which will be added the price of a thick haïk, if one can be procured.
“Night.—Mohammed El Abd has been here again, and I have read to him what I have written to you, and added, that all will now look to him, not only to protect me, but to send me on. He shewed me his letters to the two principal persons, and one of them is the great Marabout, whose word alone is enough to protect me. His letters state, that I am an Englishman; that the English have been always the friends of the Mussulman; that they are all their support; for they buy all the produce, and furnish all the things that are consumed in this country.