CHAP. V.

A Pilgrim Town. — Nimr the Tiger. — Character of the French. — Blood Feud. — Excursion from the Camp. — Arab Infants. — Medical Advice. — El Soffre. — Interview with Mohammed Din.

1st May.—How often have the Germans sung the praise of lovely May! But here all is hot, brown, and scorched; and day by day these horrors increase; our wines and spirits are dwindled away under this heat to two bottles of Geisenheimer, which certainly will not be too liberally sacrificed. All is quiet, as before. We remain here awaiting the Tulba, and while doing so seek amusement in converting our straw huts into large mansions, as no one now can exist under a tent. At times it thunders, a sign the rainy season is within a month or two, and no very pleasant look-out. Yesterday evening, when with us, Topschi Baschi perpetrated the bad joke, after sundry glasses of araki, of sending his Mameluke to fetch to our Recuba the dancing girls (Guawasi), who are also the women of the camp; nor did he trouble himself that, it being evening and the hut lighted up, it could be seen into from all sides. Ere long we beheld two brown nymphs enter, who would have entertained us with dancing and moving songs; these, though lost on us, gave him such exquisite delight, and put him into such boisterous spirits, that he commenced a series of personal jokes with the frail ones, thus in his turn affording amusement to the Arabs and soldiers gazing in at the door and other openings. That an European officer of like rank (major) would, for a moment, think of thus joking in public with such women no one will suppose; but Topschi Paschi had, doubtless, intended amusing and affording us pleasure by calling these young dames to our tent, as he afterwards insisted on paying them himself. Moral, and truly Turkish! In Chartum no feast, public or private, is considered complete if these women are not present to dance and sing, and there the almost naked Bajazzo (procurers) never fail to carry on the lewdest jokes with them. Any day one may see even the most respected Turks talking with these girls in the bazaars, as also with well-known procuresses; standing and doing this before the coffee-houses where these girls principally resort; and no one looks on it as improper, or any breach of decorum. In Cairo and Alexandria these dancing girls are forbidden even to practise their public trade, and all procuresses and brothels strictly forbidden; and most roughly, indeed, are any young Arab girls there handled, who may be caught in any such practices, or in houses of ill-fame—floggings, imprisonments, banishment—nay, even being drowned in a sack with a cat—are the punishments for such doings.

To-day the Schukurie and Haddenda Arabs have had a slight quarrel, during the fetching in of the durra-stalks, much to the Pascha’s annoyance; but some well-administered bastinadoing brought all again into political equipoise. These two tribes dwell next to each other, and are at continual feud, on account of mutual robberies. The Schukurie and Kabbabee Arabs, on the left bank of the Nile, and on the White River, are held to be the most numerous, powerful, as well as the most rich in herds, of all the tribes of Bellad-Sudan, and are only equalled in these points by the Beni-Amer tribe, that extends up to the Abyssinian frontiers. The small country, also on those frontiers, and called Kalabat, with its little town (Helle), is curious from being solely inhabited by black or negro pilgrims (the Tokruri) from Darfur and the neighbouring lands, who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. A number of these settled down in Kalabat, who had either fled out of their own country, or, from its being very distant, did not desire to revisit it, and their numbers were increased more and more by other pilgrims, who here meeting with friends and relations, settled down among them. But notwithstanding their holy journey, their prayers in the Chubba at Mecca, and on the prophet’s grave at Medina; in spite of their washings in the well Semsem,—which was called into existence by Allah, when Hagar and Ishmael, driven away by Abraham, were nearly perishing for want of water in the desert; in spite of all these high merits, the Tokruri are looked on as the worst and most faithless of men, a race that no one will or can trust. Under their lately-deceased Sheik Myri, who possessed more than ninety suits of chain armour (Labbis), and other equipments for man and horse, as also an equal number of strong Dongola steeds to mount his heavy-armed followers on, the Tokruri enjoyed a pretty considerable power, highly dangerous for their frontier neighbours, as they had also for warfare about a hundred muskets, a large number for these lands; but since Sheik Myri’s death, they have sadly declined in power and force.

Arabs are now and then at length seen in our bazaar, and various goods are brought in for sale, but the Arab sellers are yet very few. The Okka (2¾ lbs.) of beef costs twenty paras, about one penny farthing, and the same weight of mutton about double, or one piastre. A whole ox of the better kind could have formerly been bought here for fifty piastres, nine or ten shillings, and government (Bilik) gave forty. In general, the cattle are not large, but strong-built, with high withers and flanks, and large fat folds about the belly; the cows are larger, but not so comely to look on as the Swiss breed. The beef, from the better pasturage here, is far tenderer and better flavoured than in Sennaar, where it is generally tough and hard of digestion, trying both teeth and stomach.

Mussa, Mohammed Din’s young son, a sad and silent lad, who seems, while now a hostage in our camp, to pine for his home, paid us a visit to-day; but we unfortunately could do little to cheer or amuse him, as, from his ignorance of Arabic, all our intercourse had to be carried on by signs and gesticulations. When this lad waits on the Pascha, his short, curly, but not woolly hair is whitened with camel-fat; he is ever closely and carefully guarded, and never moves without an escort; but that this escort is furnished from Defalla’s followers, the Pascha having given that Sheik the special charge of the lad, surprises us, as Defalla has already given many causes for suspecting his fidelity, and both his own and father’s names are too often connected with that of Nimr (tiger). The Pascha wishes to send the lad to Cairo (this being the best thing for his country), to receive a Turkish education. May this education be better conducted than usual!

Mohammed Nimr, called Sedab by his own people, from the village in which he usually dwelt, was Melek of the Gallihn; or Djalin, a numerous, far-spreading Arab tribe, which chiefly frequented the eastern bank (Scherk) of the Nile and Blue River (Bachr asrek), from Abu Hammet to Abu Harrasch; many also of them were to be found on the western banks (Garb), in Metemma, Omdurman, &c. From him Ismail Pascha, son of the Viceroy of Egypt, demanded a monstrous tribute, to be paid in three days, treating, at the same time, this far and widely-respected Sheik with harshness and contempt, and went so far, it is said, as to strike him over the face with his pipe-stem, as he knelt asking some abatement of the tribute, or longer time to collect it. Nimr gasped for revenge. Under pretence of collecting fodder for the camels he had to contribute, he surrounded the residence of the Pascha in Schendy with durra-straw, and firing this at night, burnt it down, and with it Ismail and his attendants. At the same time, the father of our Defalla, Mohammed Adlan Defalla, Great Sheik of the Fungh, on the Gesira, murdered all the Turkish soldiers to be found in his countries. Soon after this, appeared in these lands the bloody Defterdar Bey, to bathe himself in the blood of the inhabitants of it, and especially in those of Schendy, which place and race he totally destroyed, and proceeded burning and slaying all that came in his way, men, women, and children, with such cruelty and barbarity, that men of the present day shudder as they relate his deeds. Melek Nimr, however, had, in the interim, escaped with the greater part of his tribe to the land of Raujahn, at the foot of the Abyssinian mountains, between the two small rivers Bassalahm and Settiet, which afterwards flow into the Atbara, and settled in the neighbourhood of Sofie. After a while the ever restless and discontented Gallihn joined him, some, however, remaining in Taka, and with them came the Angareb into this country, which, without any reference to the length of the person, is made as small and short as possible, so as to be the easier transported with the owners on the camels during their constant moving and shifting of residences and wandering journeys.

The now aged Nimr did not in his new country forget his old, so gave to the new villages he found names that reminded him of his old fatherland, as Schendy, Damer, &c. Every now and then he heads plundering forays against his neighbours the Schukuri, Beni-Amer, and others, carrying off their camels, cattle, and other possessions, while his many sons, principally borne him by his Abyssinian wife, a daughter of a Sultan, or Ras, of that land, are his constant guards and attendants. He is now in possession of many stands of fire-arms, and his troops are similar to the Schaigies, being mounted on camels or horses, and armed with muskets, pistols, swords, or lances. His followers, like his people, increase daily, for now, as at all times, numbers of the Djalin tribe are driven away from the banks of the Nile. This is the reason also why that land seems so ill peopled and badly cultivated, and displays so many Sagies in ruins; and perhaps more now than before, as the Pascha’s oppression in taxes, levies of recruits, &c., cause the people to fly in hundreds, most of whom join Nimr, as well as many more from Schendy, Damer, and other places, as with him they live in content and security. If a Turkish force prepares to take the field against him, he has instantly notice of it, either from some of his own widely-scattered tribe, from the people of the island, who, as is natural, have a better feeling towards him than towards their oppressors, or from his spies, and is then at once off with his people and possessions to the neighbouring Abyssinian mountains, which afford him secure shelter, and where, from his connection by marriage with many of their chiefs, as well through his friend Wood Auet, Sheik of the Dabaina-Arabs, he can be ably protected and supported. Besides, what can be won by warring on such races? Their only wealth, their herds, they ever drive away before them; their huts are of no consequence to them,—destroyed one day, they are rebuilt the next; means of existence in food and forage no enemy will find, and how, under such circumstances, can war be carried on or continued?

Mohammed Adan Defalla had also fled from the Gesira, and, according to report, died in Habesch. When his father cleared the island of the Turkish troops, our fat friend Defalla, though not then grown up, had done his best, slaying many of the enemy. Whether this, easily excusable from love of country and hatred of the foe, be now forgotten, or Achmet Pascha only pretends it is so, we know not, but at present he bestows on this man, his companion and auxiliary with 150 men in this Chasua, many marks of full confidence. But the other Turks see in Defalla a faithless, false man (Ragil batal, misaur), whose heart is as black (Kelbe assuet) as his face. Even the negro says of a man whom he would designate as false, that his heart is black.

The form of countenance of the Fungh does not seem to us to be so similar to that of the negro, as to that of the Barabra, although the skin is certainly much darker than that of the latter. They wear their hair long and loose, though some plait it into knots; their arms are small oval shields,—which they procure by barter from the Kabbabee Arabs, and these are made from the hide of the wild buffalo,—and the usual sword or lance. They are a strong, well-built race; are yet in considerable numbers located on the Gesira, between the Blue and White Nile, and though much mixed up with other tribes, are to be met with all the way from Damer to Gos Rajeb; they still possess their old pride of race and country, and do not wish to be looked on as genuine Arabs. Of a national language we found no trace; but after they were subdued by the Arabs, this may have vanished before that of the conquerors. As a matter of course, they have no love for the Arabs, and less for the Turks, who suck the very marrow from their bones; but their chiefs, who lately have been taking a greater interest in politics, than formerly, hope that, with a change of rule in Egypt, their own lot will also alter, as they are now better acquainted with the use of fire-arms, and they trust that the forcibly raised black regiments in the Turkish service, will, on the first opportunity, disband themselves, deserting their Turkish masters, and all connected or concerned with them. And this we fully believe. According to their own tale, the Fungh descend from races of inhabitants of the Defafonj of the lands of the Dinka and Schilluk, where yet their forefathers’ race may be found. [No such land is now known, but there is a hill of the name, an extinct volcano, in the land of the Dinka, about 11° N. lat., which I afterwards ascended. Had I followed my own ear I would have written the name Defafaungh, although the Funghs themselves pronounce their race’s name so feebly, that one might almost suppose Fonj with an hardly audible e or i was the correct pronunciation of it.] Near this hill live now no people of the name but the tribe of the Dinka, though in their traditions this hill plays so great a part, that it looks as if round and behind it had been the gathering of the whole race, which may have descended from the high lands along the Sabat, and, after delivering battle to the Arabs, poured down on or by the White Nile for 300 years into Sennaar, and there founded an empire. Burckhardt holds, that they had, as a savage race, burst down from the great mountain range. Six hours’ journey above Fazogl there is, among populous and large hills of the Tabi, (who can turn out 100,000 men able to bear arms, and have 500 villages, which the Turks have not, as yet, ventured to approach,) a hill of considerable size and many people, called Fungh; but it is not inhabited by the race of that name, but by the Hammeghs.

The chief country of these Hammeghs extends from the Blue Nile, above Sennaar, from Sero to Rossères, but they also have settlements higher up. The head Sheik was the old famed Soliman, whose name was held in the utmost reverence all over the Gesira, and a single word from whom was sufficient to set it all in uproar. He numbered some eighty or ninety years, had been in his youth a man of wondrous strength, and even in his old age this mummy, for he is nothing but skin and bone, still displays remarkable power. Scars cover his body over and over, the remains of fifty battles, before each of which, knight-like, he measured himself in single combat with the leader of the adverse force. The ability and sly wisdom with which he managed his own people, and also the Turks, is the more remarkable, as he was thus ever fighting and totally uneducated. His honesty, openness, and bold bearing, called forth like qualities in others; and his meeting with Mehmet Ali, when that ruler travelled, in 1838, into Sennaar, and summoned Soliman, as head Sheik, before him, was characteristic of both. It is well known, that the former Mudir of the Berbers, Abbas Aga, who by all kinds of ruinous imposts had gathered up large sums of money, was, by orders received from the highest authority, poisoned by a Copt, his secretary, and all his wealth seized on by government. This Copt, now the renegade Challill Effendi, was rewarded for the crime by being appointed Sheik of Metemma and Schendy! Formerly, this Abbas Aga had caused the Kalif of the Wells of Atmur (the desert between Korusko and Abu Hammet), who was very wealthy, to fall under the suspicion of the ruling powers, who without further to do, at once sentenced him to be hung, and drew in his riches, at least all of them that Abbas Aga had left. The brother of the latter, Soliman Aga, set out for Cairo, but was, at Atmur, set on by the Bischari Scheik, Barakan, brother of the murdered Kalif, and, along with nine of his companions, fell a sacrifice to the revenge of blood. Barakan seized on every thing save the dead man’s harem; this he allowed to go free, with all its property, and also all who had not raised weapons against him. He then, with his own large means, and 1000 purses he had spoiled the dead man of, fled on his way to the Red Sea, probably intending to take shelter in India; but, owing to his provisions falling short, he and his party lost time on their flight, and this enabled the Ababde Sheik Soliman to overtake him while resting on a hill two days’ journey from the Red Sea. After a desperate resistance, Barakan and seven of his followers were slain by Soliman, who afterwards brought his head to Chartum, where, after it had been publicly displayed in the streets by a crier, we were shocked to again behold it borne before Sheik Soliman, a sly and ever-smiling smooth-countenanced rascal, at his triumphal entrance into the Pascha’s divan; there, held up by the bloody hair, it was exposed to the latter’s inspection, who gazed on it with a truly bloodthirsty look. Some of the Bischari, tribe-fellows of Barakan, such as Sheik Mohammed, Issa of Elbe, on the Red Sea, &c. had united with Soliman in the pursuit of the fugitive, and they and their people, from their dexterity in slinging stones, had been the main cause of the victory. But what would not the treacherous Bischari do to gain the Pascha’s favour? Between Sheik Soliman and Barakan there were, on the contrary, old feuds and hatreds; as, in earlier days, the family of the former had had the charge of the wells, and the supply of camels, but had been deprived of these profitable resources by the family of the latter. To turn the tide in his own favour, and regain these privileges, was the aim of Soliman’s pursuit of Barakan, and in this he succeeded, for, on his return to Chartum, he was named Grand Sheik of the Wells, and presented with a dress and sabre of honour. During this pursuit he had followed Barakan for twelve days, without giving himself or dromedaries more than two hours’ rest during the whole time, or ever lying down to sleep! And still the Pascha was not satisfied; the man was dead, but where were his treasures?—for these are ever the main point—and Soliman had received the strictest orders to produce these also. We were in the divan when Barakan’s brother, the Kalif Hassan, took his leave to set out for Berber. The Pascha was violent, harsh, and rude towards this young man, and told him, in the plainest language, he would have the money, or it would go very ill with him (Hassan), as he knew well where this was to be found, and if he did not produce it, he would sell him and all his family to indemnify himself for the great loss. Such is Turkish justice—and enough of it.

A few days ago the Pascha issued orders that all fires in the camp should be extinguished at evening’s gun-fire,—a most wise and proper order, as the carelessness, and want of caution of the soldiery was now doubly dangerous, the huts having become much more inflammable, from the straw they are formed of being thoroughly dried; and at length it was found proper to collect all the supply of powder into one hut, dig round it a wet ditch, and surround all by a wooden fence, near which all fires were strictly forbidden. But now again there burns, not fifteen paces from this fence, one of the largest fires; nor is much watch kept over it, even in the windiest days, and of an evening, one sees fires in the camp as numerous and late as ever. So it is ever with the Turks. An order is issued, and no sooner is it so than it is forgotten, nor is it recalled to mind till some smart bastinadoing in consequence of some misfortune caused by the breach of it, thus forcibly awakens the memory. Carelessness and dependence on a merciful Providence are here equal, and go hand-in-hand. When on the Nile, we often fell in with vessels loaded with dried straw, and heaped so that the crew had barely room to work them, but this did not by any means prevent a roaring fire from being kept up between the piles of straw for cooking, and other purposes.

Every day the soldiers bring to myself and brother numbers of dead snakes, but, unfortunately, so mangled as to be useless as specimens; the soldiery not fancying we merely want the skins, but believing our wish to be the flesh to prepare medicines from. Some of the men have confidently assured us, that, in a thicket, they came on a snake some twenty-feet long, and as thick as a man’s thigh. A kind of boa, probably; pity they could not kill him. The great number of snakes hereabouts, almost all very venomous, make our living in the open air and on the ground very unsafe, and it is by no means a matter of indifference here under what bush, or among what long-grass one sits down: a loose stalk touched, or the bite of an insect, immediately calls up one’s fears that it is a snake or scorpion; and when out shooting we move with eyes bent on the ground, more anxiously looking out to prevent ourselves treading on any venomous reptile, than gazing about for our game. However, during such excursions, we have fallen in with many nebbek-trees; and, during the rainy season, the plants and herbage must be full and numerous, as even now there is much verdure, though the soil is covered with withered grasses and herbs. There are also many cotton plantations that seem to have been tended with care, all being hedged round and cleared of weeds. In this neighbourhood the durra grows to an astonishing height; on one field it had an average height of four or five times the length of our double rifles, and stood so close that it was with difficulty we could force our way between the stalks.

6th May.—Early this morning we mounted our dromedaries and, attended by a servant and guide furnished by Mohammed Defalla, took our way to (the two hours and a half distant) El Soffrè, where at present Mohammed Din and most of his people reside. The Pascha very reluctantly granted his permission; and it was in truth an adventurous enterprise, thus, without any protecting escort, to place oneself in the power of these faithless Haddenda. But we were safer all alone, than if accompanied by the few soldiers the Pascha offered us as escort. Our course was eastward: for the first half hour it lay through large durra fields, in which the heads of the grain were cut off from the tall stems, for it was free to any one in the camp to provide himself and beasts with as much of this as he pleased, these Arabs not having as yet shown any great inclination to follow the Pascha’s orders of forming a grain magazine, as they put no faith in his promises of payment for their trouble. The greater part has, or will be gathered by the Arabs, who hang about here in troops, and this is hidden by them in their secret stores, so as to render the stay of the army here impossible, for want of this necessary bread stuff. The Arabs (Haddenda) met us often when some little distance from our camp, and, at last, in large numbers; and the whole path from these durra fields to El Soffrè was one procession of people, camels, and asses laden with durra. Among the former were many crowds of women, but all old and ugly, who sweating under their loads, trotted behind the beasts, while the men, armed with lance and shield, rode or walked proudly and burdenless in rear of all. Most of the burden of labour seems here to fall on the women, and it is plain they hold no high place, as they are not allowed to anoint their hair. It was soon evident that large bodies of Arabs were assembled somewhere near, and that the population of Taka was greater than given out,—a suspicion much strengthened by such extensive durra fields, and by the many wells sunk; as also by the extent of ruined huts and enclosures within our camp, where, ere we came, the Arabs had had their abodes. All we met were most civil, “Mirhababa” being shouted to us by almost all. After the first half hour’s ride we came to a wood, but were much surprised to see only young trees, and not, as we had hoped, old and venerable timber. But we soon discovered the cause, in fires still glimmering in different parts around, so placed, that it was evidently the inhabitants’ intention to burn down the trees to manure the ground, and also thus to gain clear ground for fresh fields of grain, and better pasturage for their herds. To a great distance round their camping places, which, like all Nomadic tribes, they frequently change, these new copses are found in large quantities.

Incredibly rapidly does all herbage spring up here, called forth by the great warmth, and the regular tropical rains, from the rich fruitful earth, and especially where subterraneous water affords moisture, even to the surface soil. This was here evidenced, by the patches of green grasses, the trees, and especially the durra, which now, under the glowing heat, not only sent out from the under joints of the stem beautifully fresh and vigorous shoots, but, from the tops, where the heads had been cut off, a verdant crown of graceful sprouts. Most of the copse, besides some nebbek-trees, mimosas, &c., consisted of a species of tree that sends out from the root many stems and branches, with leaves small as needlewood, and much resembling the cypress. The wood is very weak, excessively light, gives little charcoal, and is very pithy and brittle. If these trees are deprived of their leaves by fire, or have got no water for a year, they wither and die away; they give little shade, and our people called them Aetle. Some quarter of an hour ere we reached Mohammed Din’s abode, the trees seemed far larger and of considerable age; the woods also were thicker, as the fires had not, seemingly, raged so furiously here. But the older trees looked most mournful; the tops and upper branches were withered, without foliage, and not seldom were the under ones in the same state.

Much to our vexation, we learned that Mohammed Din had gone with fifty Schaigies, to a camp of his nephew, Sheik Mussa, some two hours and a half further distant; and his absence was all the more annoying to us, as it nullified our purpose of alighting at his tent, partly to gain a better knowledge of this far-famed man in his own household, and of the manners and habits of his tribe, and partly to fill our empty and craving stomachs. His absence, therefore, caused us to dismount at the entrance to the village, at the hut of Jusbaschi (Captain) Sali Effendi, where he and the liquor-loving Sheik Ali were making very slow progress in arranging and collecting the tribute. We had intended remaining with them till four o’clock P.M., when the worst part of the day’s heat would have been over; but we soon perceived remaining here was out of the question, as the small hut afforded no protection from the sun, and was constantly crowded with Arabs delivering cattle, who never ceased wrangling and disputing among themselves, as well as with the tribute-gatherers. We therefore resolved, in spite of the sun, to push on and reach the village of Mitkenab, two hours and a half distant. Another reason, too, urged us to move, viz., to regain our liberty; for hardly had we dismounted at El Soffrè, when my brother was recognised by some Arabs as a Hakem, and was instantly mobbed by real and fancied sick in such numbers, that ere long we had half the village round us, demanding medicines and medical advice, and both gratis. Great patience is required here by any one acting the part of Doctor, as all directions must be repeated over and over again, and after all, it is more than probable, these are neither understood nor followed, and the parties return again and again to ask questions, and torment the prescriber. The people here not understanding us, an Arabian interpreter was necessary, and this made matters worse, as he could not convey medical directions. Here, too, a sick man never comes alone, but ever accompanied by six or eight relations or friends, every one of whom must interfere, and give his opinion as to the illness, and, as may be easily imagined, all this severely taxes the medical man’s patience and temper. All Arabs and Turks long and beg for medicines, and with the dose the illness must at once vanish, or else both doctor and medicine are held valueless. To repay the doctor for advice or medicine, never, by any chance, enters their heads; they hold the furnishing of the one as the other to be only the doctor’s duty, before both man and Allah.

After we were thus for some time pestered, we again mounted our dromedaries, and left the Arabs to their own devices, who gazed after us with no pleased eyes, and showered curses on us, as we would not remain and serve out medicines to them; although not one of them would, on being asked, procure us even a little milk, but slunk away behind his companions on our requesting it, and pointed to his neighbour as better able to furnish it than he. For more than half-an-hour we rode on through the far scattered village, nor even then did we see any thing like the half of it, as most of the huts lay off the main path, concealed among bushes and trees; and great numbers of the tribe, also, had no huts at all, but lived under the forest’s shade. All the huts we saw were composed of palm mats, circular and kiln-shaped, high behind, but so low in front, that one has to stoop much to enter them. The interior arrangement is most simple; a raised sleeping-place, called an angareb; a few stakes driven into the ground, or a low bench covered with mats, woven of reeds of dried twigs, form the whole furniture. If the owner is well to do, the sleeping-place is covered or surrounded with a great coarse grey woollen cloth, to keep off wind and weather. A murhaka (two stones to grind grain with), and earthen pot are all the moveables, as these, with a girbe (leathern water-bucket) are all required for Arab housekeeping; so that, without any great preparation or loss, they can desert the birsch (huts), and proceed on their constant wanderings. Some twenty or forty huts, inhabited by families related to each other, are generally surrounded with an enclosure or thorn fence, called a seriba; and so a settlement or village is made up out of a number of these smaller squattings. Each of such family seribas has the most respected or oldest of its occupiers as its head or Sheik; and this dignity is often even hereditary, so that the children frequently have a wokil. In the evenings a fire burns before each tent, on each of which may be seen, in every position and posture, the earthen pots, filled with durra; and as every pot is, more or less, cracked and broken, considerable ingenuity is required so to place them, as to only expose to the fire such parts of them as remain sound, and capable of holding in the contents while the cooking is going on. Round these pots crowd the women, occupied in preparing the food; all of those we saw were old and ugly; but, by all accounts, there is no want of young and pretty girls here, and such are also in much request as female household slaves in Bellad-Sudan. Of these, however, we saw none, as all held their faces closely muffled up in their dirty and torn ferdas; and all the young-looking women we came upon ran off sideways into the bushes, or hid behind trees to avoid our gaze. Almost all the women wore a skin round the hips, which reached down to the knee, and was lapped over in front. On the march they let it hang down behind like a tail, and when they sit down, they draw the part hanging down behind in between the legs and up in front, fastening it to the girdle. Some of the men were also thus dressed. Two men from the hill regions we fell in with had a similar skin round the hips, and, in addition, a sheepskin, wool inwards, hanging over the shoulders: this was the whole dress; and when to it were joined their long hair and fierce wild faces, they were excellent specimens of truly savage life.

In the centre of these family divisions there is always an open space, on which the children, always numerous, play and amuse themselves, all naked as when born, under the burning sun. Their activity and rapidity of motion joined to their dark colour and grinning faces, give them much resemblance to what we would picture a parcel of young devils to be; even such small children as with us would be in the cradle or nurse’s arms, roll and tumble about in the sand, without any one heeding them, but left to look out for themselves. Nothing is more amusing than to watch these young imps, only a few days old, as they crawl and roll about, for in these warm climes development is rapid. Clothes they have none to dirty or spoil, and mixed up among them may be seen cattle of all kinds; and the lambs and goats jump over and play among and with the merry little black creatures.

As we all alone rode on through the village, the men gazed most savagely and angrily at us, and as they certainly took us for Turks, did not bestow the kindest or most friendly wishes on us. All the natives of these lands have a wild and defiant physiognomy, and, with their long black hair and fiery eyes, are by no means unlike their companions the beasts of blood and rapine of the shaaba. At home here, among their own settlements, no man moves unarmed, their round shields and lances are never for a moment out of reach. He who has no iron-headed lance or javelin, is sure to have a long slender staff, of some hard wood, pointed at the end, which, against a naked foe, is little inferior to a more finished lance; the higher orders wear swords in no way differing from those in common use in Bellad-Sudan. Their build is generally tall and slender, but powerful, and a proud feeling of self-reliance and self-esteem is plainly displayed in all their movements and gestures. In colour most are dark brown or brown-black, but many, especially the women we saw, are brown-yellow, or even yellow itself. Some few Negro slaves we saw were perfectly black. Their manner of dressing their hair is similar to that of the Bischari. They have on the crown a toupé, on the sides and behind the long hair is laid in small round twists or curls, first plaited and intertwisted and then frizzed out, so that a strong head of hair makes the head itself seem more than double the usual size, and when beheld from behind, gives the wearer the appearance of having no head, but an immense pyramid of hair rising direct from the shoulders. Thick beards they cannot boast of, and as little of thick calves. Water and wells were in plenty; the latter, holes of twenty or thirty feet deep, going down into a clay subsoil; from these the water is drawn by the women and poured into great circular flat troughs, made by a low small surrounding wall of clay or mud, for the cattle to drink from. The keeping these troughs full, as well as fetching all water for household purposes, falls on the women; these, as we passed, were standing in crowds round the wells, drawing water or filling the skins which were enclosed in a kind of cord net-work. Some bore off these to the huts, some loaded the many asses with them, while the men sat looking calmly on, nor did one of them stir to aid or assist the women in any way. The asses here, as well as the camels, are all trained to lie down, so as to be more easily loaded. Herds of cattle we saw every where, and often remarked how these were being driven off by their owners into concealment in the forest.

The number of huts and tents we beheld were some 1500 or 2000, but far the greater number we did not see, and many, very many of the natives have no fixed dwelling. At all events, from the numbers of men, women, and children we met, double the number of huts we saw would have been necessary to house them. In the present critical times, doubtless many natives from other places (such as the settlements of Issi and Teschum, nearer our camp) have joined Mohammed Din, but it is equally certain that a greater number (30,000 or 40,000, according to Sali Effendi) have, from terror of the Pascha, or to conceal their herds and other goods, fled to the chaaba, to which wilds Mohammed Din himself has sent off 6000 camels, that they might be out of the way of the Turks. On reaching the centre of the village, our path led up a gohr some twelve or fourteen feet wide, which must at times contain a large body of water, and which runs from east to west. In it, and on both sides along its course, were the greater number of the wells. It seems as if here, either a subterraneous stream ran, or that some sunken supply of water filtered up to the surface through the clay subsoil, as at all seasons of the year, water is to be had here in plenty. In the country of the Haddenda is one spring, which supplies nearly the half of it; there one can plainly observe how the water runs strongly below the surface, and the land of Taka is also full of such underground watercourses. But, perhaps, after all it is a mere gathering of water caused by the soil some twenty or thirty feet down being a stiff clay through which water cannot penetrate. However, in the gohr of the hills, even where the ground slopes, and a constant dropping of water must be going on, this element can every where be found. From this under stratum of clay, the inhabitants procure the material from which they form the burnt red earthenware water jugs, which they use in their washings before prayer and at other times.

In this gohr we came upon a great mass of men and beasts, and much surprised the former seemed at our appearance. We now understood our guide’s anxious hurry to get us on to where Mohammed Din was. He believed us not to be in safety among these people, and he was in the right, for as Mohammed Din was not at hand, who alone could answer for our lives, it were better we hastened to him; though it was highly improbable he would neglect to provide for our security, as his only son Mussa was a hostage in our camp. We kept up this gohr some half hour, having all the time many wells and springs on our right and left, and meeting many Arabs. Our way lay north-east, and all through bush that often compelled us to lie flat along our dromedary’s back, not to be left suspended on some tree, although no old or high trees were to be seen among it, from the constant devastations of the burnings. Ere long the wood became thinner, the trunks of numbers of trees, withered and uprooted by the heavy mass of the flood, lay scattered on the ground far and wide, in many places blocking up the path, and every where annoying to the rider and dangerous to the legs of his animal. In many places the water had dug out large hollows in the soil, and here the ground had fallen in, as if the under soil had been carried away by the waters.

These continued for an hour of our way, and the grey soil uncovered by a single green stem, with its holes thus excavated, and small gohrs, devastations, leafless dead trees standing erect or thrown to the earth, and covered with slime and mud, with no bird or beast visible on or near it, showed out most mournfully and disheartening. But these holes, sinkings, lifeless and uprooted trees, bore strong testimony to the great gatherings and deep floods of waters, the more so as the ground is level, and so no great stream can be looked for. From all appearance, the mountains of Abyssinia must shed down much water on to these lands.

One hour before we reached Mitkenab, the country altered. The trees again showed green leaves, and were enlivened by some long tailed birds, which we did not venture to pursue, but remained sitting quietly on our beasts, as the glowing sun shone directly down on our skulls, and no refreshing breeze made its way in among the trees. We caught sight also of some antelopes, vanishing like lightning in the distance. The whole way now showed one uninterrupted stream of people and beasts, and great numbers of persons on camels, horses, and asses. Some few women and girls we got a peep at might be called pretty; they much resembled those of the island, and had, as all women in Bellad-Sudan, large black though not fiery eyes, round faces, small rather stumpy noses, and thick though not blubber lips. Their greatest beauty was small very white teeth. All gazed with angry and hostile eyes on us, taking us for Turks, as we were the only Franks that had as yet found their way into these lands.

Again, ere we reached Mitkenab, the country altered, and for the better, becoming almost beautiful, at least beautiful as far as any scenery can be without hill or water. All was now bright green; older and finer trees were in numbers on the edge of the chaaba (bruch, thick jungle or bush). We were most particularly pleased by the great nebbek-trees, forming bowers and halls, which were overgrown, and joined together by a bright green creeper till complete roofs were formed, affording perfect shelter from the hottest sun. The under branches of many of these trees were cut half through, and their ends being trained down to the ground, thus formed an enclosure for cattle, the entrances to which were stopped up with thorny bushes. In all these lands the trees in general afford but a poor shade, and one can easily conceive how gladly we availed ourselves of such perfect camping places as these bowery trees offered. In their branches cooed thousands of doves. We met hereabouts a large number of camels loaded with salt, which is procured in masses by evaporation of the waters of the Red Sea (Bachr male); and brought from thence by Sauakin, and sent even to India; packed up in pear-shaped basket-work cases.

Mitkenab at last came into sight through the trees, offering us an asylum from the burning midday sun. On our halting outside the village under some shady trees, numbers of Arabs as usual gathered round us, curiously inquiring who we were, but it never occurred to any one of them to offer us, thirsting as they must have seen us to be, either milk or water. Ere long the two Sheiks of the village appeared, but evidently regarded us as very suspicious characters; they did certainly give us their hands in sign of welcome, but did not invite us to enter the village. Soon after one of them sent us a present of a fat sheep, but we declined accepting it, as we expected food would be provided us, and we saw no means of carrying the animal away with us. In its stead we begged some milk, though in vain. It was joyful news to us, to learn that some Schaigies had arrived at the wells near, belonging to the village of Sheik Mussa, Mohammed Din’s nephew, under the command of their Melek Mammud, and in company with Mohammed Din himself; and immediately, in spite of sun and heat, we were on our way to their camping place, some 300 yards from us. This settlement of Mitkenab is in every way perfectly alike to El Soffrè, both as to huts and inhabitants; the latter are also numerous, and their lands lie towards the S.E. The village is large, the huts many and running along the edges of the forest, but it seemed smaller than El Soffrè. Of its political importance nothing can be said, for here, as in all Taka, as well as neighbouring, nay, even distant lands, there is but one Mohammed Din, who is lord of all, and his word an oracle for and to all. It is true, the Haddenda, like all the tribes, have Sheiks of their own, but all are subordinate to this great Sheik Mohammed Din. In Mitkenab were many Sheiks, having equal authority to each other: among the Hallenga, the head Sheik is Mohammed Ele, who bears the character of a bold warrior and honest man.

The wells in Mitkenab are few, and not sufficient for the population, which causes a continued unbroken train of women, camels, asses, &c., between the two not very distant villages, employed in the transport of water. We found Melek Mammud encamped under an ancient and large tree, his fifty mounted Schaigies round him. He himself had just arrived, so had nothing save water to offer us, but we were only too well pleased to find ourselves once again on angarebs, under a cool shade. After a short rest, a pillau of dates, with some roasted gazelle venison we had been provident enough to bring with us from the camp, tasted to us right well, but still more did we relish after it, a large cup-shaped gourd full of merissa, refreshing and pleasant to our palates, as the best beer. Better merissa than this, I never drank in Bellad-Sudan; it was almost white, had a slight sourish flavour, similar to light hock, and the mealy taste was not perceptible in it. Much to our satisfaction there was plenty of it, so we sent the cup merrily round, persuading ourselves we were quaffing the loved beer of our Fatherland.

Shortly after appeared Mohammed Din, who had also camped under an adjoining tree, to pay us a visit. A train of at least fifty men accompanied him. The Great Sheik, whose bravery we as highly honoured as his own people did, could not be prevailed on by us to seat himself on an angareb, but would use only a palm-mat on the earth, giving us to understand, while scorn curled his lip and glanced from his eye, that this was the position that now best became him.

We now had an opportunity of closely inspecting the physiognomy of this Sheik, whom every Arab from Atbara to the Red Sea honours as a demi-god, and of whom they say “Ragil, taib schatter mafish seie di” (A brave man, full of courage, there is no other like him). His face is round and full, with small hazel eye, sly and crafty, and well denoting his cunning, treacherous, but persevering mind; his nose is proportionate to his face, but slightly retroussé; his mouth small and ever curled with a satirical contemptuous smile. Were it not for this feature, and his false glance, he might easily pass for a well fed common-place monk, and his bald head would well become the hood. His manner and demeanour were but too evidently intended to impress all beholders with his importance. His movements are slow, measured, and dignified, while his train, ever composed of the first in the land, and many of it his own relations, follow him at a respectful distance. His bald head was uncovered; he wore a white cotton shirt and ferda, with sandals on his feet; his colour is brown. He did not speak Arabic, as few of these people can, though of Arab origin, but only Aggem (a mixture of Arabic and the dialect of the present natives), such as, with few exceptions, is spoken by the original race of Bischari, and also by the Arab-descended races of Schukurie, Hallenga, &c. With smiling face he asked us, through one of his train, who spoke Arabic, how the country pleased us, and with much irony added the question, if we had noted down the number of trees we had passed on our journey. He seemed to know we took notes, but could not comprehend we merely did this for our own amusement, but seemed to hold us as spies of the Pascha. After asking us a few more questions as to our own country, and remarking that we should not make notes, as it was neither fair nor handsome, Mohammed Din took his leave.

Some hours afterwards we went to pay our return visit to him. He lay sleeping on an angareb, while his whole train, lance in hand, stood as body-guard round him, speaking seldom and then in low tones; on his waking, all still remained reverently standing, nor did they seat themselves, till he requested it. He was again all smiles and most friendly, but did not offer us any refreshment. He, like all Sheiks of high rank and Faki, neither smokes nor drinks any kind of spirituous liquors, not even merissa, but yet takes snuff in large quantities. He examined most closely our basket-hilted dragoon swords, and said they were good. We complimented him on being known everywhere as a warrior, even by the Franks; he shook his head, said, he had seen on the Salt Sea, near Sauakinn, large ships with cannons, but that he did not desire aid from the Ingleb (English), and added some more words that were not translated to us. I unthinkingly asked, how many his people might number. “Count the trees!” he replied, looking proudly round him. Our talk having to be carried on through an interpreter soon wearied us, and we took our departure.