PATIENTS ARRIVE FROM ALL PARTS—ROUGH JOURNEYS—ARRIVE AT THE HAMRAN SETTITE—MAHOMET SALI DECEIVES US—CROCODILES, TURTLE, AND FISH—WE MOVE ON TO BOORKATTAN, IN ABYSSINIA—NEXT DAY WE MOVE OFF, AS ABYSSINIANS APPROACH—WE CATCH ENORMOUS QUANTITIES OF FISH WITH THE NET—NARROW ESCAPE FROM A WOUNDED BUFFALO—THE COORBATCH ADMINISTERED—SCORPIONS AND SNAKES—HAMRANS VISIT US—HAMRAN MODE OF HUNTING AND SNARING—HAMRAN AND BASÉ—THE HAMRANS THREATEN TO FIRE ON US—AGAIN RETURN TO THE HAMRAN SETTITE—ENCAMP AT OMHAGGER.
February 27th.—I was well employed at my medicine chest again this morning. Amongst some of my patients was a man who had followed us about for weeks from Kassala, but had always arrived too late to come up with us. Many others whom I had attended before we entered the Basé country also visited me, expressing their thanks for what I had done for them, and presenting me with a spear, a shield, an Arab knife, a gourd of wild honey, a sheep, and other things; indeed, I met with more gratitude amongst those poor Arabs than I have in much more favoured climes where people are well educated, and where the sentiment often is very scarce, as well as the money.
February 28th.—This morning, about seven o’clock, a great number of women and children came close to camp making a great noise with the accompaniment of the tom-toms and that peculiar trilling note to which I have before alluded. It seems that this was a complimentary serenade, and that they were rejoicing at our deliverance from the hands of the Philistines.
Yesterday was occupied a good deal in making arrangements with Sheik Ahmed for a march on to the Basé Settite. Mahomet Sali, who knows the country well, will be our principal guide there. We have not seen a flowing river since we left Kassala; we hope soon to do so, and are told that we shall find any number of nellut, gazelles, tetél, buffalos, giraffes, hippopotamus, lions, leopards, crocodiles, and plenty of fishing, besides monkeys, baboons, golden-crested and toke or fish eagles, paroquets; rollo-birds, and grouse, doves, guinea-fowl, partridges, king-fishers, &c., surely a sufficient assortment of sport to satisfy the most ardent sportsman.
A start was not effected until two. Sheik Ahmed, with some minor chiefs and a number of his people, accompanied us a part of the way, which was an uninteresting monotonous journey of about 10 miles over a dry, dusty plain, the only vegetation being a great number of mimosa bushes, not trees. The only game observed on the way was a few gazelles. Encamped at Falookoo, in Basé territory, at 5.30 p.m.
February 29th.—Marched from 10 to 4; encamping on a wretched plain, where the fine dust was about an inch thick, pitched our tents near to a deep well at Sogoda. Several Basé came to salute us. They do not seem quite so wild as those we have lately been amongst, and most of them wear a tope. This was not by any means an enjoyable journey, as the roads were bad and mountainous, and covered with intensely prickly trees, through which my camel rushed me, and which lacerated my poor face, legs, arms, clothes, and helmet in a dreadful manner. Needles and thread were in great request after dinner to repair the damage done to clothes.
March 1st.—This has been a long, tedious march from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. All the discomforts and thorn-scratchings of yesterday intensified six fold; frequently men had to go on in front and cut down trees to enable the caravan to proceed. At 5 p.m. we arrived at a river-bed, dug a well, filled our barrels with water and resumed our journey. It was past 12 at midnight ere we dined, and 2 a.m. before we retired to our much-needed rest, which we had very little of, as we were up at 6 a.m.
March 2nd.—Feeling stiff, sore, and tired. A bath would have been most refreshing, but this morning we were obliged to deny ourselves the luxury because all the water obtainable was in our barrels. Although our clothes and flesh have not been so lacerated to-day, the march has been tedious and very monotonous. For nine successive hours our route lay through an immense forest of young mimosa trees; these and a quantity of dry, withered grass was all that we saw during the time, except a few wild hogs, one of which was chased and speared by a native. By 5 p.m. all our water was gone, and the thirst of every one was excessive, the heat being so great, 94° F. in the shade. After travelling 13 hours, we encamped at 9.30 p.m. by a broad, noble-looking river, the Tacazze or Settite which lay like a lake in front of our camp, either side being fringed with shrubs and trees of all kinds, amongst the branches of which brilliant plumaged birds unsuspiciously roosted, little thinking that I should be looking after them on the morrow.
This river was to us a most refreshing sight after travelling hundreds of miles over burning deserts and khors or dry river-courses, never seeing water except by digging for it. It was 12 o’clock this night ere we got our dinner. All are very angry with Mahomet Sali, our guide, who professed, and no doubt does know, the whole of this country and neighbourhood well, for he has brought us, not to the Basé, but the Hamran Settite, where there is not very much game, as the Hamrans, or sword-hunters, have destroyed it. This fellow told us on the way that he would take us to the Basé Settite, within two days or less of Abyssinia, where there would be plenty of game of all kinds, and here he brings us about three days out of the way. An unpleasant interview and discourse will ensue with Mahomet Sali on the morrow. Mr. F. L. James thinks, rightly or wrongly I don’t know, that Sheik Ahmed has instructed Mahomet Sali and Beyrumfi not to take us to the Basé Settite, fearing we might get into trouble, either with them, or, what was more likely, with the Abyssinians. This place is called Geebau.