THE KASSALA MOUNTAIN.
On the 19th we made the usual march, encamping at Ashberra. The general character of the country has now become much more varied and interesting. This day we travelled through tall grass, about 10 feet high, for a long time—perhaps an hour. When we got out of this we found ourselves encountering the prickly thorns of the mimosa and kittar bushes. We had now done with caravan routes entirely, and my camel-riding capabilities were fully tested as I go up and down hill; now over rocky hills, down steep banks and across dry river-courses, then through a forest of dhoum palms, dodging as I go the great projecting strong branches, which appear strong enough almost to decapitate or sweep me off my camel. Then, by way of variety, we pass through a mile or two of the horrid cruel thorns of the mimosa and kittar trees, which every now and then bury themselves in my flesh, and tear my clothes and helmet as I duck my head to avoid having my face lacerated. The camel, of course, walks on in the most unconcerned manner, just as if he was on open ground, taking no notice whatever of these obstructions, but brushing past them as if they were twigs or straws. Everything, even the smallest of the mimosa tree, is armed with long, strong, very sharp thorns. Each thorn is as sharp as a needle and about an inch long; indeed, the native women use them as a cobbler does his awl, and I have often seen a woman using the thorn to pierce a girba and shreds of the palm leaf to sew it up with. The thorns of the kittar bushes are quite semicircular in shape, very near to each other, not long but very strong, and each successive thorn crooks in a different direction to its predecessor—one crooks up and the other down. When they catch hold of anyone they stick to him as close as a brother. If my clothes get entangled, I must stay and pick myself out, or if I elect to go on without doing so, I must submit to having my clothes, and perchance my flesh, effectually torn across. We saw en route a great many baboons, vultures of course always, eagles, thousands of doves, guinea-fowl, and recent tracks of elephants, lions, and leopards. Mr. Phillipps and I, whilst stalking some gazelles in a large palm-grove, lost the caravan for hours, and just as we emerged from it on to the wide river-bed of the Mareb we came upon a large number of the Beni-Amir tribe in that semi-nude condition, which is so fashionable amongst them, watering their goats and cattle. We dismounted and joined the sable throng, made them understand that we should like some goat’s milk, which they gave us, after which we showed them our pocket and hunting knives, revolvers, and watches. We were at once surrounded by an admiring throng of our new acquaintances, who seemed greatly pleased with what they saw, but when I applied my watch to the ear of one his surprise and delight was immense, for he had never in his life seen a watch before. The ticking tickled him greatly, so much so that he pushed all his friends forward one after the other to participate in his joy. However, as the long bushy hair of these fellows was streaming with fat, I observed caution.
January 20th.—We were off at 9.30, and had not far to go ere we reached Heikota, where the Beni-Amir tribe then lived. This was the shortest march we ever made, for we arrived there at 11 a.m., amongst the most luxuriant vegetation, encamping just by a huge baobob tree (Adamsonia digitata), 51 feet in girth. Large as this may seem, it is not by any means as large as they grow—they are frequently 60 to 85 feet in girth. The trunk is not above 12 feet high ere the branches are put forth. The flowers are in proportion to the size of the tree, and followed by a fruit about 10 inches long. This looks like a greenish pod or capsule, having a bloom on it such as we see on a plum; on breaking the capsule we find a large number of granular-like substances very much resembling pieces of white starch packed closely together, which have an agreeable sub-acid flavour. When this white substance, which is very thin, is dissolved, and it does so readily in the mouth, we came to a dark, brownish little stone, very much like a tamarind stone in appearance, but smaller. When dry, the pulp, by which the seeds are surrounded, is powdered and brought to Europe from the Levant, under the name of terra sigillata lemnia—the seeds are called goui.
CHAPTER XIV.
ENCAMP AT HEIKOTA—SHEIK AHMED—HERR SCHUMANN AND HIS ZAREEBA—WE MAKE A ZAREEBA—THE MAHDI—EXCITEMENT IN THE VILLAGE—HORRIBLE TRAGEDY—SHEIK AHMED DINES WITH US—THE MAGIC LANTERN—LIONS VISIT US.
Ere we could pitch our tents we had to cut down a number of young palm trees, and clear away a quantity of tall grass, &c. Whilst doing so Sheik Ahmed, of the powerful Beni-Amir tribe, who paid us a visit, gave us a good deal more of manual labour by advising us to make a zareeba (a fence of prickly trees), assigning as a reason, and a very substantial one, the fact that lions came down every night, and often made such a noise as to disturb his slumbers, but that we had nothing to fear from his tribe. He said further that boa-constrictors and scorpions were very common, leopards also. We found traces of the latter whilst clearing. Sheik Ahmed, or Achmet, is said to be one of the most powerful Sheiks in the Soudan; he certainly was far and away the best sample of a Sheik that I have seen anywhere. His head was kept shaved; on it he wore a tight-fitting white skull-cap. He was almost black, and of a determined aspect, but his features were good, and his teeth white, sound and regular; his eyes were keen, black and glittering as a hawk’s; he was dressed in spotless white and scrupulously clean; quick in action, thought, speech, and appearance. One might almost say really that he was an educated man, for he could both write and read, and certainly looked a remarkable, shrewd, and intelligent man. During the piping times of peace he could be a merry fellow of infinite jest; and he and I cracked many a joke together by the aid of an interpreter. He could also be a fierce warrior when necessary, and bore marks, some deep ones, too, of many a skirmish he had been engaged in. “Beware of entrance to a quarrel, but being in at it, bear thyself, that thine opponent may beware of thee.” The latter half of this proverb, I think, would be quite applicable to our friend, Sheik Ahmed, as all his wounds were in front; the first part, I fear, he would be rather regardless of, probably, indeed, more of the temper of an Irishman handling a shillelagh at Donnybrook fair, exclaiming—“Will ye jist thread on the tail of me coat, now?” And I assure you, reader, that had you known Sheik Ahmed you would hesitate ere you trod on his caudal appendage, if you discovered it. I have heard that he is one of the most powerful vassals under the Khedive, and that should occasion require he could put in the field about 10,000 horsemen and tribesmen.
These people, over whom the Sheik seemed to possess great control and authority, are quite pastoral in their pursuits, and own such enormous flocks and herds as would astonish any ordinary mortal. These are every night driven in from grazing to a large zareeba on the river-bed. I was irresistibly reminded here of the patriarchs of old. Here was this Sheikh with four wives and I don’t know how many children, the leader or petty sovereign of a large and powerful tribe, over whom he possessed absolute power, and, as I said before, owning these flocks and herds. On the river-bed of the Mareb the tribe, or a part of it rather, lived, their dwellings simply consisting of a few stakes driven into the sand, over and around which is a covering of tall grass and matting made from the palm leaves. They live in this neighbourhood as long as there is anything for their flocks and herds to eat; when there is not, like locusts, they move off a few miles to pastures new. Then, when the wet season commences, they clear off to the mountains or desert, else the tetse fly would destroy the animals. They seem a contented lot, and may truly say, as a deceased M.P. once said, “My riches consist, not in the vastness of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants.”