April 7th.—We marched from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., a distance of about 30 miles. At noon we passed a place where some thousands of camel, cattle, sheep, and goats were being watered. Of course, at this time of the year, all the river-courses are dry, and the water has to be drawn up from deep wells. The Beni-Amirs, and other neighbouring tribes, are a pastoral people, and owners of enormous herds, on which they wholly subsist. They produce nothing, and seem to require nothing, except a few yards of cotton. Their mode of watering the herds is a very laborious one. On this sandy river-bed I observed about 20 very large but shallow mud-basins, and close to each basin a well. At the top of each well is an Arab, provided with a large antelope skin (dressed), fastened around the sides, and attached to a long rope. This skin he drops into the well, and hauls up, hand-over-hand, full of water, which he tips into the mud-basin until it is full. With such insufficient means, of course, a long time is occupied in filling the basins.
In the afternoon George, who had gone on ahead, came back much excited, saying there was a young elephant in a wood which could be easily shot, adding that if he had had an elephant rifle with him he should have been tempted to let fly. It was fortunate that he had not, for presently we met the owner of this captured elephant, accompanied by a number of natives. They had halted for a short time, and had secured the elephant to a tree by a rope round the neck and leg. He had been captured at Forfar. His tusks were just protruding. Just as I approached him a native ran up, saying, “Batal, batal howaga” (bad, bad, sir). The man was right, for this infant had already wounded five men severely. I, therefore, kept a respectful distance. The country through which we travelled to-day was very mountainous, and here and there big plains covered with bushes; still nothing like so bad as the road before we got to Amadeb.
April 8th.—Marched from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., encamping at Gargee, situated on Khor-Baraker. We stay here to-night, hoping to secure another lion. Just after dinner we heard jackals barking very much like dogs.
CHAPTER XXIV.
A LION NEAR THE CAMP—THE MONKS OF CHARDAMBA—WE MEET ALI DHEEN PASHA, GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE SOUDAN—ARRIVAL AT KEREN, OR SANHÎT—THE PRIESTS AT KEREN—ACCOUNT OF KEREN—MERISSA—DRA, A DOMESTIC SLAVE, MADE FREE—DESCENT FROM SANHÎT TO THE ANSEBA VALLEY—THE BIRDS THERE—ALONG THE RIVER-BED OF THE LABAK—A BIG MARCH—MASSAWA—FAREWELL TO CAMELS—MASSAWA TO SOUÂKIN—TAKE IN CARGO—FAREWELL TO THE SOUDAN—ARRIVAL AT SUEZ.
April 9th.—About 9 o’clock we were off again, halting at 5.30 p.m. at Adatur, on the River Bogoo. A fine leopard and hyæna were shot last night. About 9 p.m., whilst I was writing my diary, alone in camp, the others having gone out in search of lions, a native came up to me, whispering, “Asset, asset, howaga” (a lion, a lion, sir). It was a lovely moonlight night, so light that I could see to read or write distinctly. I looked on to the river-bed in the direction indicated by the Arab, and there, 40 yards off, I plainly saw a noble-looking lion. I was not long in obtaining a rifle from my tent, and following him up the river-bed; but to no purpose, as he was too far off to risk a shot at him. Finally he turned off into a large palm grove on the opposite side, where, of course, I did not follow him. I am told that about 14 years ago all this neighbourhood belonged to Abyssinia, but now belongs to Egypt. From this spot, not very far off, we noticed a most precipitous mountain, called Chardamba, in Abyssinia; it is almost inaccessible, and can only be ascended by taking off one’s shoes and stockings, on account of the smoothness of the stones, at least, so Mr. Phillipps says. He and some of his party had the curiosity to climb it last year, and nearly got killed by stones being rolled down on them, for on the very summit of this mountain dwell some monks who have quite eschewed the pomps and vanities of this world. Many of them are withered, shrivelled old fellows who have lived there without once coming down for the space of 30 or 40 years, and, to all appearance, are one or two hundred years old. They possess a deep well, a chapel, each one a separate apartment or den, and they grow a little dhurra.
The next day we marched from 7.30 a.m. until 5.30 p.m., encamping at Ashdera. On the road we met, about 1 p.m., Ali Dheen Pasha, the Governor-General of the Soudan (who succeeded Ali Riza Pasha, a most unpopular governor). He was coming from Massawa, and, I believe, going on to Kassala. We had a very long pow-wow with him. He informed us that our Abyssinian affair had created quite a sensation in Cairo, that the Minister of the Interior had telegraphed to him asking if we were safe, and that the Mudir of Kassala had been dismissed for not sending soldiers with us, which, by the way, was not his fault, for we would not have them. The palace at Massawa was built by Gordon Pasha when Governor of the Soudan. This Ali Dheen kindly placed at our disposal, until a boat could take us to Suez.
On the 10th April a march of about 10 miles only brought us to Keren, or Sanhît. Soon after our arrival Réschid Pasha sent an officer, whom Ali Dheen Pasha had sent on, to inquire if we had arrived safe, and were comfortable. From here we sent telegrams to Massawa respecting boats to Suez. Although our journey was a short distance, it took us a considerable time to accomplish it. I should think, for about the distance of a mile, we traversed a most precipitous ascent in a zig-zag fashion; this was not far from Keren. On reaching the summit we found ourselves in quite a different kind of country. We soon paid a visit to the priests at Keren, who have an excellent garden. They kindly sent us some fine cabbages leeks, carrots, potatoes, and lettuce. As we had not seen anything of this kind for months they were, of course, a great luxury for dinner in the evening. In the afternoon the army doctor (who could speak French tolerably well) called on me, and as I had almost finished my campaign I gave him the greater part of the contents of my medicine chest. In the afternoon the tom-toms were set going, accompanied by the peculiar trilling note of the women, to express their joy at our arrival. They had heard that we had all been killed by the Abyssinians, our men also, many of whom came from here—Ali Bacheet, Dra, Girgas, and Mahomet Zanzimeer. The latter was thus called because he generally attended to our zanzimeers when we arrived in or started from camp. Pere Picard and another priest dined with us in the evening. After dinner about 60 children, well clothed, nice and clean, from their schools, came to witness the mysteries of the magic lantern; not only they, but Réschid Pasha, with a number of officers, came also, and were much pleased. When they took their departure rockets, together with red and blue fires, were let off.