It became known in camp that we purpose to-morrow cutting across country for the river Settite, or Tacazze, amongst the Hamran or sword-hunting Arabs, viâ Sarcella. In consequence of this we were told (just before dinner) that after that meal we should receive a deputation of camel-drivers and horse-boys to enter a protest against this plan. Accordingly, just after dinner they came in a body, saying that nothing would induce them to pass the village of Sarcella, as the Basé there were bad people, and they had just heard that they had sworn to spear every man, woman, or child of the Beni-Amirs that they encountered, on account of the raid which Sheik Ahmed had made on them the other day, just after he left us on our march into their territory. This was the first news we had of his performances there. They said that after making “aman” with the Basé, he speared three or four hundred of the men and took all the women and children as slaves. We reproved them for their cowardice, saying that they were not old women or children, they had their spears and shields, whilst we had rifles and revolvers, and were strong enough to make a two days’ march through their territory, instead of one day. Our arguments were fruitless; they were quite willing to go with us from Hiekota to the Settite, but they would not, on any account, pass by Sarcella. We, therefore, made a virtue of necessity, and gave up the idea.
February 25th.—To-day we encamped at Toodloak, having made a journey of seven and a half miles. I captured a chameleon on the road. Panthers rather disturbed us last night, and at 4 a.m. a hyæna close to my tent exercised his risible faculties so much that I, not seeing exactly where the laugh came in, got up and saluted him with a shower of stones. About 5 a.m. lions were heard; some of us got up and went in quest of them, came within about 40 yards of one, but he turned off into the jungle when he caught sight of us. However, during our stay in the Basé country 18 buffalos and about 60 antelopes, besides other game, were shot by members of the party. We could easily have secured elephants had we remained long enough and followed them up, and many more buffalos and antelopes had we remained longer in the country, and, of course, giraffes and ostriches. The only rhinoceros, or tracks of one, we did not find until we reached Abyssinia. I have not enlarged much on hunting scenes, fearing that my book would become bulky, and that the generality of my readers would scarcely care to read a repetition of such scenes.
February 26th.—Heat getting great, 94° in shade to-day. Another 7½ hours brought us to Heikota. There we found quite a heap of letters, papers, and periodicals from England.
The contents of the letters were, of course, greedily devoured by us all, and as for the newspapers and periodicals, they furnished enough of news for days. Although many of them were fully two months old, the contents were new to us.
About an hour after our arrival Sheik Ahmed appeared and received us literally with open arms, at the same time kissing us on either cheek. This I could have put up with under different circumstances, but I must say this mode of salutation is not acceptable to me. We found from Herr Schumann that the wildest rumours respecting us had reached them—five had been killed by the Abyssinians, two taken prisoners and put in irons, all our men killed, whilst our camels and everything else had been annexed. The Sheik says that had he known of the attack in time he would willingly have put 1,400 men in the field at once to assist us. He gave us an account of his revenge on the Basé at Sarcella after he left us, but there were some unpleasant little details which he prudently omitted, thinking probably that they would shock our English susceptibilities. The particulars Herr Schumann furnished us with.
His tale was this—When the Sheik left us to join his men at Sarcella they had about 500 of the Basé in a cave; the Sheik arrived there quietly, beseiged them for about 10 days, of course cutting them off from water and food.
During this time they ate their goats and sheep raw, quenching their thirst with the blood of these animals. Finally the only course left open to the beseiged was to place themselves at the mercy of their merciless conquerors; so, driven by hunger, thirst, and the smell of their dead, they crawled out, weakened by want, in threes and fours. All the men to the number of about 300, were speared on the spot, whilst about 200 women and children were taken into captivity and sold as slaves, realizing 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 dollars each. About 30 remained unsold on our arrival; these I saw next day. All the cattle, sheep, goats, dhurra, and everything else the Beni-Amirs could lay their hands on were seized. Now we could understand why the idea of passing through or by Sarcella was so repugnant to our men. I have many patients to attend to, who literally appear to hunger and thirst after my pills and medicine.