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Syphilis is common throughout the country, and there are several
varieties of food that are supposed to effect a cure. A sheep is
killed, and the entire flesh is cooked with the fat, being cut
into small pieces and baked in a pot; several pounds of butter or
other grease are then boiled, and in that state are poured into
the jars containing the baked meat; the patient is then shut up
by himself in a hut with this large quantity of fat food, with
which he is to gorge himself until the whole is consumed. Another
supposed cure for the same disease is a pig dressed in a similar
manner, which meat, although forbidden by the Koran, may be taken
medicinally. The flesh of the crocodile is eaten greedily, being
supposed to promote desire. There are few animals that the Arabs
of the Nubian provinces will refuse; the wild boar is invariably
eaten by the Arab hunters, although in direct opposition to the
rules of the Koran. I once asked them what their Faky would say
if he were aware of such a transgression. "Oh !" they replied,
"we have already asked his permission, as we are sometimes
severely pressed for food in the jungles; he says, 'If you have
the KORAN in your hand and NO PIG, you are forbidden to eat pork;
but if you have the PIG in your hand and NO KORAN, you had better
eat what God has given you.'"

This is a charming example of simplicity in theological
discussion that might perhaps be followed with advantage in
graver questions; we might cease to strain at the gnats and
swallow our pigs.

I had an audience of a party of hunters whom I had long wished to
meet. Before my arrival at Sofi I had heard of a particular tribe
of Arabs that inhabited the country south of Cassala, between
that town and the Base country; these were the Hamrans, who were
described as the most extraordinary Nimrods, who hunted and kiled
all wild animals, from the antelope to the elephant, with no
other weapon than the sword; the lion and the rhinoceros fell
alike before the invincible sabres of these mighty hunters, to
whom as an old elephant-hunter I wished to make my salaam, and
humbly confess my inferiority.

From the manner in which their exploits had been hitherto
explained to me, I could not understand how it could be possible
to kill an elephant with the sword, unless the animal should be
mobbed by a crowd of men and hacked to death, but I was assured
that the most savage elephant had no chance upon good riding
ground, against four aggageers (as the hunters with the sword are
designated). I had determined to engage a party of these hunters
to accompany me throughout my exploration of the Abyssinian
rivers at the proper season, when I should have an excellent
opportunity of combining sport with an examination of the
country. My intentions had become known, and the visit of the
hunters was the consequence.

The Hamran Arabs are distinguished from the other tribes by an
extra length of hair, worn parted down the centre, and arranged
in long curls; otherwise there is no perceptible difference in
their appearance from other Arabs. They are armed, as are all
others, with swords and shields; the latter are circular, and are
generally formed of rhinoceros hide. There are two forms of
shields used by the various tribes of Arabs: one is a narrow
oval, about four feet in length, of either bull's or buffalo's
hide, stiffened by a strong stick which passes down the centre;
the other is circular, about two feet in diameter, with a
projection in the centre as a protection for the hand. When laid
flat upon the ground, the shield somewhat resembles an immensely
broad-brimmed hat, with a low crown terminating in a point. In
the inside of the crown is a strong bar of leather as a grip for
the hand, while the outside is generally guarded by a strip of
the scaly hide of a crocodile.

The skins most prized for shields are those of the giraffe and
the rhinoceros; those of the buffalo and elephant are likewise in
genera] use, but they are considered inferior to the former,
while the hide of the hippopotamus is too thick and heavy.

The hide of the giraffe is wonderfully tough, and combines the
great advantage of extreme lightness with strength. The Arabs
never ornament their shields; they are made for rough and actual
service, and the gashes upon many are proofs of the necessity of
such a protection for the owner.

Although there are two patterns of shields among the Arabs, there
is no difference in the form of their swords, which simply vary
in size according to the strength of the wearer. The blade is
long and straight, two-edged, with a simple cross handle, having
no other guard for the hand than the plain bar, which at right
angles with the hilt forms the cross. I believe this form was
adopted after the Crusades, when the long, straight,
cross-handled blades of the Christian knights left an impression
behind them that established the fashion. All these blades are
manufactured at Sollingen, and are exported to Egypt for the
trade of the interior. Of course they differ in quality and
price, but they are of excellent temper. The Arabs are extremely
proud of a good sword, and a blade of great value is carefully
handed down through many generations. The sheiks and principal
people wear silver-hilted swords. The scabbards are usually
formed of two thin strips of elastic but soft wood, covered with
leather. No Arab would accept a metal scabbard, as it would
destroy the keen edge of his weapon. The greatest care is taken
in sharpening the swords. While on the march, the Arab carries
his weapon slung on the pommel of his saddle, from which it
passes beneath his thigh. There are two projecting pieces of
leather, about twelve inches apart, upon the scabbard, between
which the thigh of the horseman fits, and thus prevents the sword
from slipping from its place. Carried in this position at full
speed, there is an absence of that absurd dangling and jumping of
the sword that is exhibited in our British cavalry, and the
weapon seems to form a portion of the rider. The first action of
an Arab when he dismounts at a halt upon the march, and sits
beneath a tree, is to draw his sword; and after trying both edges
with his thumb, he carefully strops the blade to and fro upon his
shield until a satisfactory proof of the edge is made by shaving
the hair off his arm, after which it is returned to the sheath.
I have measured these swords; that of a fair average size is
three feet in the length of blade, and one inch and seven-eighths
in breadth; the hilt, from the top of the guard to the extremity,
five and a half inches. Thus the sword complete would be about
three feet five or six inches. Such a weapon possesses immense
power, as the edge is nearly as sharp as a razor. But the Arabs
have not the slightest knowledge of swordsmanship; they never
parry with the blade, but trust entirely to the shield, and
content themselves with slashing either at their adversary or at
the animal that he rides; one good cut delivered by a powerful
arm would sever a man at the waist like a carrot. The Arabs are
not very powerful men; they are extremely light and active, and
generally average about five feet eight inches in height. But
their swords are far too heavy for their strength; and although
they can deliver a severe cut, they cannot recover the sword
sufficiently quick to parry, therefore they are contented with
the shield as their only guard. If opposed to a good swordsman
they would be perfectly at his mercy, as a feint at the head
causes them to raise the shield; this prevents them from seeing
the point, that would immediately pass through the body.

Notwithstanding their deficiency in the art of the sword, they
are wonderful fellows to cut and slash; and when the sharp edge
of the heavy weapon touches an enemy, the effect is terrible.

The elephant-hunters, or aggageers, exhibited their swords, which
differed in no respect from those usually worn; but they were
bound with cord very closely from the guard for about nine inches
along the blade, to enable them to be grasped by the right hand,
while the hilt was held by the left; the weapon was thus
converted into a two-handed sword. The scabbards were
strengthened by an extra covering, formed of the skin of the
elephant's ear.

In a long conversation with these men, I found a corroboration of
all that I had previously heard of their exploits, and they
described the various methods of killing the elephant with the
sword. Those hunters who could not afford to purchase horses
hunted on foot, in parties not exceeding two persons. Their
method was to follow the tracks of an elephant, so as to arrive
at their game between the hours of 10 A.M. and noon, at which
time the animal is either asleep, or extremely listless, and easy
to approach. Should they discover the animal asleep, one of the
hunters would creep stealthily towards the head, and with one
blow sever the trunk while stretched upon the ground; in which
case the elephant would start upon his feet, while the hunters
escaped in the confusion of the moment. The trunk severed would
cause an haemorrhage sufficient to insure the death of the
elephant within about an hour. On time other hand, should the
animal be awake upon their arrival, it would be impossible to
approach the trunk; in such a case, they would creep up from
behind, and give a tremendous cut at the back sinew of the hind
leg, about a foot above the heel. Such a blow would disable the
elephant at once, and would render comparatively easy a second
cut to the remaining leg; the arteries being divided, the animal
would quickly bleed to death. These were the methods adopted by
poor hunters, until, by the sale of ivory, they could purchase
horses for the higher branch of the art. Provided with horses,
the party of hunters should not exceed four. They start before
daybreak, and ride slowly throughout the country in search of
elephants, generally keeping along the course of a river until
they come upon the tracks where a herd or a single elephant may
have drunk during the night. When once upon the tracks, they
follow fast towards the retreating game. The elephants may be
twenty miles distant; but it matters little to the aggageers. At
length they discover them, and the hunt begins. The first step is
to single out the bull with the largest tusks; this is the
commencement of the fight. After a short hunt, the elephant turns
upon his pursuers, who scatter and fly from his headlong charge
until he gives up the pursuit; he at length turns to bay when
again pressed by the hunters. It is the duty of one man in
particular to ride up close to the head of the elephant, and thus
to absorb its attention upon himself. This insures a desperate
charge. The greatest coolness and dexterity are then required by
the hunter, who now, the HUNTED, must so adapt the speed of his
horse to the pace of the elephant, that the enraged beast gains
in the race until it almost reaches the tail of the horse. In
this manner the race continues. In the meantime, two hunters
gallop up behind the elephant, unseen by the animal, whose
attention is completely directed to the horse almost within his
grasp. With extreme agility, when close to the heels of the
elephant, one of the hunters, while at full speed, springs to the
ground with his drawn sword, as his companion seizes the bridle,
and with one dexterous two-handed blow he severs the back sinew.
He immediately jumps out of the way and remounts his horse; but
if the blow is successful, the elephant becomes disabled by the
first pressure of its foot upon the ground; the enormous weight
of the animal dislocates the joint, and it is rendered helpless.
The hunter who has hitherto led the elephant immediately turns,
and riding to within a few feet of the trunk, he induces the
animal to attempt another charge. This, clumsily made, affords an
easy opportunity for the aggageers behind to slash the sinew of
the remaining leg, and the immense brute is reduced to a
standstill; it dies of loss of blood in a short time, THUS
POSITIVELY KILLED BY ONE MAN WITH TWO STROKES OF THE SWORD!

This extraordinary hunting is attended with superlative danger,
and the hunters frequently fall victims to their intrepidity. I
felt inclined to take off my cap and make a low bow to the
gallant and swarthy fellows who sat before me, when I knew the
toughness of their hearts and the activity of their limbs. One of
them was disabled for life by a cut from his own sword, that had
severed the knee-cap and bitten deep into the joint, leaving a
scar that appeared as though the leg had been nearly off; he had
missed his blow at the elephant, owing to the high and tough
dried grass that had partially stopped the sword, and in
springing upon one side, to avoid the animal that had turned upon
him, he fell over his own sharp blade, which cut through the
bone, and he lay helpless; he was saved by one of his comrades,
who immediately rushed in from behind, and with a desperate cut
severed the back sinew of the elephant. As I listened to these
fine fellows, who in a modest and unassuming manner recounted
their adventures as matters of course, I felt exceedingly small.
My whole life had been passed in wild sports from early manhood,
and I had imagined that I understood as much as most people of
this subject; but here were men who, without the aid of the best
rifles and deadly projectiles, went straight at their game, and
faced the lion in his den with shield and sabre. There is a
freemasonry among hunters, and my heart was drawn towards these
aggageers. We fraternised upon the spot, and I looked forward
with intense pleasure to the day when we might become allies in
action.

I have been rewarded by this alliance in being now able to speak
of the deeds of others that far excel my own, and of bearing
testimony to the wonderful courage and dexterity of these
Nimrods, instead of continually relating anecdotes of dangers in
the first person, which cannot be more disagreeable to the reader
than to the narrator.

Without inflicting a description of five months passed in Sofi,
it will be necessary to make a few extracts from my journal, to
convey an idea of the manner in which the time was occupied.

"August 7, 1861.--There is plenty of game on the other side of
the river, but nothing upon this; there are no means of crossing,
as the stream is exceedingly strong, and about two hundred yards
in width. We felled a tree for a canoe, but there is nothing
worthy of the name of timber, and the wood is extremely heavy.

"There are several varieties of wild spinach, and a plant that
makes a good salad, known by the Arabs as 'Regly;' also wild
onions as large as a man's fist, but uneatable.

"Angust 8.--I counted seventy-six giraffes on the opposite side
of the river. This magnificent sight is most tantalizing. The
sheik made his appearance to-day with a present of butter and
honey, and some small money in exchange for dollars that I had
given him. The Austrian dollar of Maria Theresa is the only large
coin current in this country; the effigy of the empress, with a
very low dress and a profusion of bust, is, I believe, the charm
that suits the Arab taste. So particular are these people, that
they reject the coin after careful examination, unless they can
distinctly count seven dots that form the star upon the coronet.
No clean money will pass current in this country; all coins must
be dirty and gummy, otherwise they are rejected: this may be
accounted for, as the Arabs have no method of detecting false
money; thus they are afraid to accept any new coin.

"Auqust 16.--Great failure! We launched the canoe, but although
it was carefully hollowed out, the wood was so heavy that it
would only carry one person, and even then it threatened to
become a bathing-machine; thus nine days' hard work are lost.
Florian is in despair, but 'Nil desperandum!' I shall set to work
instanter, and make a raft. Counted twenty-eight giraffes on the
opposite side of the river.

"August 17.--I set to work at daybreak to make a raft of bamboo
and inflated skins. There is a wood called ambatch (Anemone
mirabilis) that is brought down by the river from the upper
country; this is lighter than cork, and I have obtained four
large pieces for my raft. Mahomet has been very saucy to-day; he
has been offensively impertinent for a long time, so this morning
I punched his head.

"August 18.--Launched the raft; it carries four persons safely;
but the current is too strong, and it is therefore unmanageable.
In the afternoon I shot a large crocodile on the other side of
the river (about two hundred yards) with the little Fletcher
rifle, and after struggling for some time upon the steep bank it
rolled into the water.

"The large tamarind trees on the opposite bank are generally full
of the dog-faced baboons (Cynocephalus) in the evening, at their
drinking-hour. I watched a large crocodile creep slyly out of the
water, and lie in waiting among the rocks at the usual
drinking-place before they arrived, but the baboons were too wide
awake to be taken in so easily. A young fellow was the first to
discover the enemy; he had accompanied several wise and
experienced old hands, to the extremity of the bough that at a
considerable height overhung the river; from this post they had
a bird's-eye view, and reconnoitred before one of the numerous
party descended to drink. The sharp eyes of the young one at once
detected the crocodile, who matched in colour so well with the
rocks, that most probably a man would not have noticed it until
too late. At once the young one commenced shaking the bough and
screaming with all his might to attract the attention of the
crocodile, and to induce it to move. In this he was immediately
joined by the whole party, who yelled in chorus, while the large
old males bellowed defiance, and descended to the lowest branches
within eight or ten feet of the crocodile. It was of no use--the
pretender never stirred, and I watched it until dark; it remained
still inn the same place, waiting for some unfortunate baboon
whose thirst might provoke his fate; but not one was sufficiently
foolish, although the perpendicular banks prevented them from
drinking except at that particular spot.

"The birds in this country moult twice during the year, and those
of the most brilliant colours exchange their gaudy hues for a
sober grey or brown. Several varieties sing beautifully; the
swallow also sings, although in Europe I have never heard it
attempt more than its well-known twitter.

"One of the mimosas yields an excellent fibre for rope-making, in
which my people are busily engaged; the bark is as tough as
leather, and forms an admirable material for the manufacture of
sacks. This business is carried to a considerable extent by the
Arabs, as there is a large demand for sacks of sufficient size to
contain two hundred and fifty or three hundred pounds of gum
arabic (half a camel load). Thus one sack slung upon each side
can be packed easily to the animal.

"August 19.--A dead elephant floated down the river to-day: this
is the second that has passed within the last few days; they have
been most probably drowned in attempting to cross some powerful
torrent tributary to the Atbara. As usual, upon the fact becoming
known, the entire village rushed out, and, despite the
crocodiles, a crowd of men plunged into the river about a quarter
of a mile below Sofi, and swimming out they intercepted the
swollen carcase, which was quickly covered with people; they were
carried several miles down the river before they could tow the
body to shore, by ropes fastened to the swimmers. Afterwards,
there was a general quarrel over the division of the spoil: the
skin, in sections, and the tusks, were brought home in triumph.

"The country being now bright green, the antelopes are distinctly
visible on the opposite side. Three tetel (Antelopus Bubalis)
graze regularly together in the same place daily. This antelope
is a variety of the hartebeest of South Africa; it is a
reddish-chestnut colour, and is about the size of an Alderney
cow.

"One of the mimosas (Acacia Arabica) produces a fruit in
appearance resembling a tamarind: this is a powerful astringent
and a valuable medicine in cases of fever and diarrhoea; it is
generally used by the Arabs for preparing hides; when dry and
broken it is rich in a hard gum, which appears to be almost pure
tannin.

"August 20.--Close, hot, and damp weather; violent rain about
sixteen hours out of the twenty-four. When the hot season sets
in, the country will almost boil. This morning I counted 154
giraffes in one herd on the other side of the river; there were
many more, but they passed each other so rapidly that I could not
reckon the entire troop.

"August 21.--I counted 103 giraffes. There is literally no game
upon this side (west) of the Atbara, as the country for twelve
hours' journey from Sofi is thronged with Arabs during the dry
season.

"All my people are more or less ill; I am not very well myself;
but I have staved off an attack of fever by preventive measures.

"August 25.--Such a magnificent sunset I have never seen! From
all quarters were gathering storms of the blackest description,
each cloud emitting lightning without intermission, and as the
sun touched the horizon upon the only clear point, it illumined
like a fire the pitch-black clouds, producing the most
extraordinary effect of vivid colouring, combined with lightning,
and a rainbow.

"Rain in torrents throughout the night. It is now impossible to
walk on the flat table land, as the soil is so saturated that it
clings to the feet like birdlime, in masses that will pull the
shoes off unless they fit tight. All this immense tract of rich
land would grow any amount of cotton, or wheat, as in this
country the rain falls with great regularity--this might be sent
to Berber by boats during the season of flood.

"August 27.--My antelope skins are just completed and are
thoroughly tanned. Each skin required a double handful of the
'garra,' or fruit of the Acacia Arabica. The process is simple:
the skin being thoroughly wetted, the garra is pounded into a
paste; this is rubbed into the hide with a rough piece of
sandstone, until it becomes perfectly clean, and free from
impurities; it is then wrapped up with a quantity of the paste,
and is deposited in a trough and kept in the shade for
twenty-four hours. It should undergo a similar rubbing daily, and
be kept in the trough to soak in the garra for four or five days.
After this process it should be well rubbed with fat, if required
to keep soft and pliable when wetted. If soaked in milk after
tanning, the leather will become waterproof. The large tanned
ox-hides used by the Arabs as coverlets are perfectly waterproof,
and are simply prepared with milk. These are made in Abyssinia,
and can be purchased at from ten piastres to a dollar each. The
Arabs thoroughly appreciate the value of leather, as they are
entirely dependent upon such material for coverlets, watersacks,
travelling bags, &c. &c. The sac de voyage is a simple skin of
either goat or sheep drawn off the animal as a stocking is drawn
from the leg; this is very neatly ornamented, and arranged with
loops which close the mouth, secured by a padlock. Very large
sacks, capable of containing three hundred pounds of corn, are
made in the same manner by drawing off entire the skins of the
larger antelopes--that of the tetel is considered the most
valuable for this purpose. The hide of the wild ass is the finest
of all leather, and is so close in the grain that before tanning,
when dry and hardened in the sun, it resembles horn in
transparency. I have made excellent mocassins with this skin,
which are admirable if kept wetted.

"August 28.--Sofi being upon the frontier, the laws are merely
nominal; accordingly there is an interesting mixture in the
society. Should any man commit a crime in Abyssinia, he takes
refuge over the border; thus criminals of the blackest character
are at large. One fellow who has paid us daily visits killed his
brother with a knife a few months since. I have excluded this
gentleman from the select circle of our acquaintance.

"The Arab women are very clever in basket-work and matting--they
carry their milk in baskets that are so closely fitted as to be
completely water-tight; these are made of the leaves of the dome
palm, shred into fine strips. In addition to the coarse matting
required for their tents, they manufacture very fine sleeping
mats, curiously arranged in various coloured patterns; these are
to cover the angareps, or native bedsteads, which are simple
frameworks upon legs, covered with a network of raw hide worked
in a soft state, after which it hardens to the tightness of a
drum when thoroughly dry. No bed is more comfortable for a warm
climate than a native angarep with a simple mat covering; it is
beautifully elastic, and is always cool, as free ventilation is
permitted from below. I have employed the Arab women to make me
a hunting-cap of the basket-work of dome palm, to my old pattern.

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