Encampments of the Bisharye are found on the northern frontier of Abyssinia; and the sea-coast from Suakin to Massuah is peopled by their tribes, the most noted of which are, Hammedab, Batra, Alyab, Amerab, Kamhetab, Hamdora, Eryab, Hazz, Modourab, Kameylab, el Amarer, all of whom live in separate encampments, and are often at war with each other. They have no fire-arms; towards the frontiers of Abyssinia some of the tribes use the bow and arrow, and, as I was informed, speak the Abyssinian language, or rather understand the Abyssinians, who are said to have greater difficulty in comprehending the Bisharye. The two languages are probably derived from the same source, like many others of the numerous dialects which prevail towards the northern frontiers of Abyssinia.
The Bisharye are kind, hospitable, and honest towards each other; their women, who are said to be as handsome as those of Abyssinia, mix in company with strangers, and are reported to be of very depraved habits. After long and fruitless enquiries for a Bisharye Arab, I at last met with a youth who had come to Esne to sell leather thongs, for the manufacture of which these Bedouins are famous. I enticed him to my dwelling by bargaining for his goods, and made him breakfast with me; but when I began to question him about his language he would stay no longer, although I offered him a shirt as a present. He imagined that I dealt in spells, which I meant to put in practise to the injury of his nation; he forced his way out of the court-yard of my house, and I could never afterwards prevail upon him to return. The words in the annexed vocabulary,i[71] were procured from a Negro slave who had been educated among the Bisharye, and sold by them to the chief of a village near Esne.
FOOTNOTES:
[1]Single men are always easily found, to act as guides, but few are willing to expose their own beasts to the chances of a dangerous journey.
[2]The different items of expense during my journey were as follow:
| Piast. | Par. | |
|---|---|---|
| To the guide from Assouan to Derr | 6 | 20 |
| Present to him | 0 | 10 |
| Dhourra, bought at Assouan | 1 | 30 |
| Bread and onions, bought at Assouan | 0 | 25 |
| Present to the servant of the governor, at Derr | 1 | 0 |
| Present to the secretary, for writing a letter to Sukkot, which induced him to recommend me in strong terms | 1 | 0 |
| Provisions of Dhourra from Derr to Mahass | 6 | 0 |
| Tobacco bought at Derr | 1 | 0 |
| Shoes repaired at Derr | 0 | 5 |
| Paid on the way to my guide to Mahass | 1 | 0 |
| Paid wages to my guide on my return to Derr | 6 | 20 |
| Present to my guide | 2 | 0 |
| Paid to Nubians, for shewing me the ruins, on the road from Derr to Assouan | 1 | 10 |
| Ferry-boat at Debot | 0 | 10 |
| To the guide from Derr to Assouan | 6 | 20 |
| Present to him | 0 | 20 |
| 36 | 10 |
or, £1. 15s. sterling.
[3]Anas el Wodjoud; i. e. “the social pleasures of Wodjoud.” Wodjoud, say the Arabs, was the name of the mighty king who built the temples of Philæ.
[4]There are two species of Holcus cultivated in Egypt, nearly resembling one another in appearance before they ripen, but bearing a very different kind of grain, the one being that which we commonly call Maize or Indian corn, the other a small grain like millet, the same which is known in the West Indies by the name of Guinea corn. Maize being suited to a more northerly climate, is little grown in Upper Egypt, where it is known by the name of Dhourra es-Shamy (Syrian Dhourra). In Nubia the millet-grained Dhourra is exclusively cultivated.
[5]Since the Mamelouks have retired to Dóngola, Mohammed Aly, the Pasha of Egypt, has prohibited the sale of gunpowder in every part of Upper Egypt. He has thus cut off his enemies’ ammunition, who pay at present, in Dóngola, one slave for every six dozen of musquet cartridges.