We again invited Sheik Ahmed and Herr Schumann to join us at the festive board at 7 p.m.; we also told the former to let his people know that at about 8.30 p.m. there would be what they call a fantasia. Just before 7 p.m. the Sheik arrived and behaved himself in quite a gentlemanly manner. He was dressed in spotless white, and was so particular as to borrow a pen-knife from me to clean his nails with (a great instance of the civilizing effect of Englishmen). Although we drank iced champagne and claret, he stuck to raspberry vinegar and water, which he consumed with great relish. He was rather clumsy with a knife and fork; indeed, almost the only breach of manners that he perpetrated was to finish up the repast (just before coffee was brought) by plunging the teaspoon into the preserve, scooping out as much as it would conveniently hold, conveying it to his mouth and replacing the spoon in the preserve; this mode of eating has its inconveniences.
Another peculiarity of his was a singular habit that one requires to get thoroughly accustomed to to really appreciate; he generally indulged in it largely at meal times when conversing, and having his face directed to the object of attack. I scarcely know how to describe it, and perhaps ought not to do so in polite society, but that I wish to tell my readers exactly what kind of a man this was. It was a method (not unfamiliar even to English ears) of producing a peculiar vibration or concussion of the atmosphere by a noise proceeding from the mouth; some polite people would call it an eructation, but that is not sufficiently explanatory. It is familiarly and vulgarly known as “belching,” and so frequently did it occur at meal times that it became known amongst ourselves as “the genial belch of the Sheik.” I suggested that probably it was a complimentary proceeding on his part, but I must say if it was so we could readily have forgiven this too frequent formality. After dinner a great many of his people assembled (no women, and very few children) to witness the mysteries and wonders of the magic lantern, or fantasia. Would that I had the pencil of an artist to delineate the picture which the Graphic or any other illustrated paper would have been glad to have reproduced. Here we were encamped in equatorial Africa; we had five tents pitched amongst waving dhoum palms, tamarisk, and tamarind, nebbuck, baobob, hegleek, ebony, and other trees, and the usual luxuriant growth of tall grass and young palms. About three hundred of these dusky-skinned, almost black, agile-looking fellows, wearing simply the tope or loin-cloth, the foremost squatting on their haunches, the rest standing behind, the Europeans in white clothing, and the picturesquely-dressed Sheik in his white turban and robes. It was a weird, wild scene, when viewed by the flickering light of the lanterns as they moved about the camp, but when the moon shone out, shedding a soft, bright light on the scene, it certainly was a most charming and interesting picture. Amidst it all could be seen three hundred glittering spear-heads, making the picture complete. How easily, had they been so disposed, could these wild sons of the Soudan have made an end of us, but I am happy to say this ceremony was not included in the evening’s programme. We placed a wet sheet across the entrance to one of the bell-tents, and as the Queen (whom they called the Sultana) the Prince and Princess of Wales, the elephant, lion, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, giraffe, ostrich, crocodile (snapping his jaws together), and other animals with which they were familiar, appeared on the canvas, the delight of these grown-up children was manifested by loud expressions of approval. When the Sheik, his retinue and people took their departure, we further astonished them by letting off rockets and illuminating their way with red and blue fire. If I went out there again I should certainly take out a galvanic battery, which I am sure would astonish and amuse immensely. We here engaged fresh camel-men, huntsmen, horse-boys, and servants, at rather high wages, on account of the rumoured ferocious character of the Basé, the Sheik taking a pretty good share of the wages himself. All camels were bought, not hired; when we wanted to hire we were cheerfully assured by the owners that we should very likely all be killed by the Basé or Kunama people, and they would lose their camels. The Sheik was presented with a capital bell-tent, a rifle, and a good musical-box, which played six airs, others, with razors, butchers’ knives in sheaths, topes, beads, knives, scissors, small portable looking-glasses, &c., all of which were productive of great wonder and joy. Sheik Ahmed, in return, sent us a present of ten sheep and ten milk-giving goats, so that now we had sixteen goats, which furnished us with plenty of milk every morning to our porridge. As we intended resuming our journey on the morrow, we were all busy writing letters to England, which Herr Schumann engaged to forward to Kassala.
CHAPTER XV.
PATIENTS AT HEIKOTA—LEAVE HEIKOTA—GAME IN THE BASÉ COUNTRY—SEE OUR FIRST LION—A LION INTERVIEWS THE AUTHOR—TETÉL, NELLUT, AND OTHER GAME KILLED ON THE MARCH.
On the 22nd January we were up in good time, as there was a good deal to be seen to ere we continued our march. We intended to return to Heikota after exploring the Basé country, which we thought would occupy about four or five weeks. It would not, therefore, be necessary to take all our baggage with us; accordingly, a considerable quantity was left behind in Herr Schumann’s zareeba until our return—assuming that we should do so. I was, as usual, busily occupied after breakfast in attending to my patients, who not only came from close by, but from long distances on camels. It had got noised abroad from Kassala that there was a “Hakeem Ingelese” travelling with these gentlemen, and whenever we encamped anywhere for a day or two many patients came to visit me. They appeared inordinately fond of my pills, and would swallow them with as much avidity as boys in our country swallow lollipops. To judge from what was expected of me, they must have thought that I was endowed with almost supernatural powers. One boy was brought to me whose hip had been dislocated a year or so before; another person who had been positively blind from ophthalmia two years, hoped I could let in a stream of welcome light: Alas! poor fellow, I could not make the blind see, or the lame walk, under such circumstances. However, I was often able to effect cures in some and relief in other cases, and when we returned to Heikota many grateful patients came to thank me; one would give me some dhurra, another a skin of milk, an Arab knife, a spear, a sheep, and so on. Gratitude even is pleasing to a doctor, although sometimes a scarce commodity. We did not succeed in making a start until 4 p.m.; halted at six. The Sheik, who came part way with us, on returning to his tribe, said he would join us in the morning, and see us well on the way ere he interviewed the Basé at Sarcella, whom he had an account to settle with. During our various conversations with him he informed us that we should find abundance of shooting of every kind in the country—elephants, lions, leopards, porcupines, wild cats, hyænas, buffaloes, jackals, giraffes, ostriches, rhinoceros, antelopes of different kinds, gazelles, oterops, ariels, maarifs, mehedehét, tetél, nellut, dick-dick, baboons and monkeys; all kinds of birds; falcons, Egyptian hawks, rollo-birds, paroquets, eagles, vultures, doves, quail, partridges, sand-grouse, guinea-fowl, and I don’t know what besides—all of which was quite true; there was really enough of shooting of every description to satisfy the most ardent sportsman. He also advised us, when we got into the Basé country, not to have our guns, rifles, and revolvers in cases, but ready at a moment’s notice, night and day, and this advice we strictly followed during the whole of our journey.
On the 23rd we marched nine hours, encamping at a place called Toodlook. Our sleep was rather disturbed in the night by the noise of lions and hyænas, which came very near the camp. We marched to-day through varied scenery and pretty country—now along the Mareb, then for two hours across country, through jungle, again coming on to the Mareb, across it, and over a plain studded with trees and shrubs, finally encamping by the side of the Mareb. Whilst our tents were being pitched, Messrs. A. and W. James and I reconnoitred, soon coming near to a place where there was some water. Suddenly we discovered, about two hundred yards from us, a fine lion lying down on a little elevated land, no doubt on the look-out for some unsuspecting antelope coming to drink. Mr. A. James ran back to camp for his rifle, crept up, without arousing the suspicion of the noble beast, and fired, but not being near enough, missed him. The lion simply got up and calmly turned off into the jungle, where it was deemed unadvisable to follow him. On our way back to camp we saw one place where there had evidently been a desperate struggle between a lion and his prey; the former evidently had the best of it, as we saw a long trail, he having dragged his supper into some long grass and young palms.
On the 25th we were up and off in good time, leaving Suleiman and the English servants to follow in charge of the caravan. Last night a rather curious adventure occurred to me, which might have had a curious termination. When we arrived at a camping-ground I usually selected the spot for my tent, quite regardless of where the others were going to be pitched. On this occasion I had done so, and ordered it to be pitched under some trees close to young palms and tall grass, some distance from the others. Suleiman remonstrated with me for doing so, saying that the Basé or lions might come down in the night. However I would have it so. Every day whilst we dined a large camp-fire was lighted, as the nights were very chilly, although the heat was so great in the daytime. Around this we smoked and chatted over politics, English friends and the events of the day, and plans for the future, skinned birds or animals, wrote letters, or posted up diaries. At half-past nine or ten o’clock we gradually melted away one by one to bed. On this night I was the last, having stayed to have an extra pipe. At last I lighted my lantern, was walking off to, and had nearly reached, my tent, when I was startled by a low growl issuing from a thick growth of young palms, about a dozen yards from my tent; there was no mistaking the nature of the growl, and I rapidly executed a retrograde movement, poked my head into the nearest tent, calling out to the semi-sleeping occupants thereof, “I say, did you hear that salutation just as I was going to my tent?” Answer by Mr. F. L. James and Mr. Phillipps, “No; what was it, doctor? We were just going to sleep.” “Why, it is a lion close to my tent, and there is no mistaking it.” They laughed immensely, and seemed to think it a good joke, but jumped up and came with me towards my tent, I think slightly incredulous. Their incredulity was, at all events, quickly dispelled, as the lion, by another louder expression of opinion, gave us distinctly to understand that he was not only in unpleasant proximity to, but had his eye on us. Again an extremely rapid retrograde movement by the trio ensued, and a joking remark from Lort Phillipps, “Doctor, you will be dragged off to-night, as sure as fate,” and a consoling remark from Mr. F. James that the lion was perhaps hungry. We seized some burning brands from the fire, and piled on a large number of dried palm leaves in front of my tent. I then retired to rest in peace, and when I arose in the morning my friends were, I hope, pleased to find I was not in pieces. We heard both lions and panthers in the night pretty near to us, but so long as they did not visit the camp we did not care. In the morning at breakfast the Sheik was highly amused by an account of my night’s experience, and extremely jocular over it. This day we killed two tetél on the march, and caught fifty-seven sand-grouse in a net, but only kept sufficient for dinner and luncheon. One of our courses at dinner was an omelette of ostrich eggs.