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Samuel Butler - "The Iliad of Homer"

Jerome K. Jerome - "The Master of Mrs. Chilvers"

John Dewey - "Democracy and Education"

George Bernard Shaw - "Dark Lady of the Sonnets"

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This striking similarity to the descriptions of the Old Testament
is exceedingly interesting to a traveller when residing among
these curious and original people. With the Bible in one hand,
and these unchanged tribes before the eyes, there is a thrilling
illustration of the sacred record; the past becomes the present;
the veil of three thousand years is raised, and the living
picture is a witness to the exactness of the historical
description. At the same time, there is a light thrown upon many
obscure passages in the Old Testament by the experience of the
present customs and figures of speech of the Arabs which are
precisely those that were practised at the periods described. I
do not attempt to enter upon a theological treatise, therefore it
is unnecessary to allude specially to these particular points.
The sudden and desolating arrival of a flight of locusts, the
plague, or any other unforeseen calamity, is attributed to the
anger of God, and is believed to be an infliction of punishment
upon the people thus visited, precisely as the plagues of Egypt
were specially inflicted upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

Should the present history of the country be written by an Arab
scribe, the style of the description would be purely that of the
Old Testament; and the various calamities or the good fortunes
that have in the course of nature befallen both the tribes and
individuals, would be recounted either as special visitations of
Divine wrath, or blessings for good deeds performed. If in a
dream a particular course of action is suggested, the Arab
believes that God has spoken and directed him. The Arab scribe or
historian would describe the event as the "voice of the Lord"
("kallam el Allah"), having spoken unto the person; or, that God
appeared to him in a dream and "said," &c. Thus much allowance
would be necessary on the part of a European reader for the
figurative ideas and expressions of the people. As the Arabs are
unchanged, the theological opinions which they now hold are the
same as those which prevailed in remote ages, with the simple
addition of their belief in Mahomet as the Prophet.

There is a fascination in the unchangeable features of the Nile
regions. There are the vast Pyramids that have defied time; the
river upon which Moses was cradled in infancy; the same sandy
deserts through which he led his people; and the watering-places
where their flocks were led to drink. The wild and wandering
tribes of Arabs who thousands of years ago dug out the wells in
the wilderness, are represented by their descendants unchanged,
who now draw water from the deep wells of their forefathers with
the skins that have never altered their fashion. The Arabs,
gathering with their goats and sheep around the wells to-day,
recall the recollection of that distant time when "Jacob went on
his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
And he looked, and behold a well in the field; and, lo, there
were three flocks of sheep lying by it, for out of that well they
watered the flocks; and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.
And thither were all the flocks gathered; and they rolled the
stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the
stone again upon the well's mouth in his place." The picture of
that scene would be an illustration of Arab daily life in the
Nubian deserts, where the present is the mirror of the past.


CHAPTER VII

THE DEPARTURE.

ON the morning of the 25th July, 1861, Abou Sinn arrived at our
tent with a number of his followers, in their whitest apparel,
accompanied by one of his grandsons, Sheik Ali, who was to
command our escort and to accompany us to the frontier of the
Dabaina tribe, at which spot we were to be handed over to the
care of the sheik of those Arabs, Atalan Wat Said, who would
conduct us to Sofi. There were two superb hygeens duly equipped
for my wife and myself: they were snow-white, without speck or
blemish, and as clean and silk-like as good grooming could
accomplish. One of these beautiful creatures I subsequently
measured,--seven feet three and a half inches to the top of the
hump; this was much above the average. The baggage-camels were
left to the charge of the servants, and we were requested to
mount immediately, as the Sheik Abou Sinn was determined to
accompany us for some distance as a mark of courtesy, although he
was himself to march with his people on that day in the opposite
direction towards Gozerajup. Escorted by our grand old host, with
a great number of mounted attendants, we left the hospitable
camp, and followed the margin of the Atbara valley towards the
south, until, at the distance of about two miles, Abou Sinn took
leave, and returned with his people.

We now enjoyed the contrast between the light active step of
first-class hygeens, and the heavy swinging action of the camels
we had hitherto ridden. Travelling was for the first time a
pleasure; there was a delightful movement in the elasticity of
the hygeens, who ambled at about five miles and a half an hour,
as their natural pace; this they can continue for nine or ten
hours without fatigue. Having no care for the luggage, and the
coffee-pot being slung upon the saddle of an attendant, who also
carried our carpet, we were perfectly independent, as we were
prepared with the usual luxuries upon halting,--the carpet to
recline upon beneath a shady tree, and a cup of good Turkish
coffee. Thus we could afford to travel at a rapid rate, and await
the arrival of the baggage-camels at the end of the day's
journey. In this manner the march should be arranged in these
wild countries, where there is no resting-place upon the path
beyond the first inviting shade that suggests a halt. The day's
journey should be about twenty-four miles. A loaded camel seldom
exceeds two miles and a half per hour; at this rate nearly ten
hours would be consumed upon the road daily, during which time
the traveller would be exposed to the intense heat of the sun,
and to the fatigue inseparable from a long and slow march. A
servant mounted upon a good hygeen should accompany him with the
coffee apparatus and a cold roast fowl and biscuits; the ever
necessary carpet should form the cover to his saddle, to be ready
when required; he then rides far in advance of the caravan. This
simple arrangement insures comfort, and lessens the ennui of the
journey; the baggage-camels are left in charge of responsible
servants, to be brought forward at their usual pace, until they
shall arrive at the place selected for the halt by the traveller.
The usual hour of starting is about 5.30 A.M. The entire day's
journey can be accomplished in something under five hours upon
hygeens, instead of the ten hours dreary pace of the caravan;
thus, the final halt would be made at about 10.30 A.M. at which
time the traveller would be ready for breakfast. The carpet would
be spread under a shady tree; upon a branch of this his
water-skin should be suspended, and the day's work over, he can
write up his journal and enjoy his pipe while coffee is being
prepared. After breakfast he can take his gun or rifle and
explore the neighbourhood, until the baggage-camels shall arrive
in the evening, by which time, if he is a sportsman, he will have
procured something for the dinner of the entire party. The
servants will have collected firewood, and all will be ready for
the arrival of the caravan, without the confusion and bustle of
a general scramble, inseparable from the work to be suddenly
performed, when camels must be unloaded, fuel collected, fires
lighted, the meals prepared, beds made, &c. &c. all at the same
moment, with the chance of little to eat. Nothing keeps the
camel-drivers and attendants in such good humour as a successful
rifle. While they are on their long and slow march, they
speculate upon the good luck that may attend the master's gun,
and upon arrival at the general bivouac in the evening they are
always on the alert to skin and divide the antelopes, pluck the
guinea-fowls, &c. &c. We now travelled in this delightful manner;
there were great numbers of guinea-fowl throughout the country,
which was the same everlasting flat and rich table land,
extending for several hundred miles to the south, and dotted with
green mimosas; while upon our left was the broken valley of the
Atbara.

The only drawback to the journey was the rain. At about 2 P.M.
daily we were subjected to a violent storm, which generally
lasted until the evening; and although our guides invariably
hurried forward on the march to the neighbourhood of some
deserted huts, whose occupants had migrated north, our baggage
and servants upon the road were exposed to the storm, and arrived
late in the evening, wet and miserable. There could be no doubt
that the season for travelling was past. Every day's journey
south had proved by the increased vegetation that we were
invading the rainy zone, and that, although the northern deserts
possessed their horrors of sandy desolation, they at the same
time afforded that great advantage to the traveller, a dry
climate.

In a few rapid marches we arrived at Tomat, the commencement of
the Dabainas and the principal head-quarters of the sheik of that
tribe, Atalan Wat Said. This was a lovely spot, where the country
appeared like green velvet, as the delicate young grass was about
two inches above the ground. The Arab camp was situated upon a
series of knolls about a hundred and fifty feet above the Atbara,
upon the hard ground denuded by the rains, as this formed a
portion of the valley. At this spot, the valley on the west bank
of the river was about two miles broad, and exhibited the usual
features of innumerable knolls, ravines, and landslips, in
succession, like broken terraces from the high level table land,
sloping down irregularly to the water's edge. On the opposite
side of the river was the most important feature of the country;
the land on the east bank was considerably higher than upon the
west, and a long tongue formed a bluff cliff that divided the
Atbara valley from the sister valley of the Settite, which,
corresponding exactly in character and apparent dimensions,
joined that of the Atbara from the S.E., forming an angle like
the letter V, in a sudden bend of the river. Through the valley
of the eastern bank flowed the grand river Settite, which here
formed a junction with the Atbara.

Looking down upon the beautifully wooded banks of the two rivers
at this interesting point, we rode leisurely across a ravine, and
ascended a steep incline of bright green grass, upon the summit
of which was a fine level space of several acres that formed the
Arab head-quarters. This surface was nearly covered with the
usual mat tents, and in a few moments our camels knelt before
that of the sheik, at which we dismounted. A crowd of inquisitive
Arabs surrounded us upon seeing so large a party of hygeens, and
the firman having been delivered by our guide, Sheik Ali, we were
almost immediately visited by Sheik Atalan Wat Said. He was a man
in the prime of life, of an intelligent countenance, and he
received us with much politeness, immediately ordering a fat
sheep to be brought and slaughtered for our acceptance.

The usual welcome upon the arrival of a traveller, who is well
received in an Arab camp, is the sacrifice of a fat sheep, that
should be slaughtered at the door of his hut or tent, so that the
blood flows to the threshold. This custom has evidently some
connexion with the ancient rites of sacrifice. Should an
important expedition be undertaken, a calf is slaughtered at the
entrance of the camp, and every individual steps over the body as
the party starts upon the enterprise.

Upon learning my plans, he begged us to remain through the rainy
season at Tomat, as it was the head-quarters of a party of
Egyptian irregular troops, who would assist me in every way. This
was no great temptation, as they were the people whom I most
wished to avoid; I therefore explained that I was bound to Sofi
by the advice of Abou Sinn, from whence I could easily return if
I thought proper, but I wished to proceed on the following
morning. He promised to act as our guide, and that hygeens should
be waiting at the tent-door at sunrise. After our interview, I
strolled down to the river's side and shot some guinea-fowl.

The Settite is the river par excellence, as it is the principal
stream of Abyssinia, in which country it bears the name of
"Tacazzy." Above the junction, the Atbara does not exceed two
hundred yards in width. Both rivers have scooped out deep and
broad valleys throughout their course; this fact confirmed my
first impression of the supply of soil having been brought down
by the Atbara to the Nile. The country on the opposite or eastern
bank of the Atbara is contested ground; in reality it forms the
western frontier of Abyssinia, of which the Atbara river is the
boundary, but since the annexation of the Nubian provinces to
Egypt there has been no safety for life or property upon the line
of frontier; thus a large tract of country actually forming a
portion of Abyssinia is uninhabited.

Upon my return to the camp, I was informed by the Sheik Wat Said
that a detachment of troops was stationed at Tomat expressly to
protect the Egyptian frontier from the raids of Mek Nimmur, who
was in the habit of crossing the Atbara and pillaging the Arab
villages during the dry season, when the river was fordable. This
Mek Nimmur was a son of the celebrated Mek Nimmur, the chief of
Shendy, a district upon the west bank of the Nile between Berber
and Khartoum. When the Egyptian forces, under the command of
Ismael Pasha, the son of the Viceroy Mehemet Ali Pasha, arrived
at Shendy, at the time of the conquest of Nubia, he called the
great Sheik Mek (from Melek, signifying king) Nimmur before him,
and demanded the following supplies for his army, as tribute for
the Pasha:--1,000 young girls as slaves; 1,000 oxen; and of
camels, goats, sheep, each 1,000; also camel-loads of corn and
straw each 1,000, with a variety of other demands expressed by
the same figure. It is said that Mek Nimmur replied to these
demands with much courtesy, "Your arithmetic exhibits a charming
simplicity, as the only figure appears to be 1,000." In a short
time the supplies began to arrive, strings of camels, laden with
corn, assembled at Shendy in the Egyptian camp; cattle, goats,
sheep, came in from all sides; fodder for the Egyptian cavalry,
to the amount of 1,000 camel-loads, was brought to head-quarters,
and piled in a huge wall that encircled the tent of the General
Ismael Pasha. In the dead of night, while he slept, the crackling
of fire was heard, and flames burst out upon all sides of the dry
and combustible fodder; the Arabs had fired the straw in all
directions, and a roar of flame in a fatal ring surrounded the
Pasha's tent, which caught the fire. There was no escape! In the
confusion, the Arabs fell upon the troops, and massacred a
considerable number. After this success, Mek Nimmur succeeded in
retiring with his people and herds to Sofi, on the Atbara, to
which place we were bound; this was about twelve miles from
Tomat. The body of Ismael Pasha was found beneath those of some
of his women, all of whom that were within the inclosure having
perished.

After this calamity the Egyptians recovered Shendy, and in
revenge they collected a number of the inhabitants of all ages
and both sexes. These were penned together like cattle in a
zareeba or kraal, and were surrounded with dhurra-straw, which
was fired in a similar manner to that which destroyed the Pasha.
Thus were these unfortunate creatures destroyed en masse, while
the remaining portion of the population fled to the new
settlement of their chief at Sofi.

Within the last few years preceding my arrival, the Egyptians had
attacked and utterly destroyed the old town of Sofi. Mek Nimmur
had retired across the Atbara, and had taken refuge in Abyssinia,
where he had been welcomed by the king of that country as the
enemy of the Turks, and had been presented with a considerable
territory at the western base of the high mountain range. When I
arrived on the Atbara in 1861, the original Mek Nimnmur was dead,
and his son, who also was called Mek Nimmur, reigned in his
stead. "Nimmur" signifies in Arabic "leopard:" thus "Mek Nimmur"
is the "Leopard King."

This man was constantly at war with the Egyptians, and such Arabs
who were friendly to Egypt. His principal head-quarters were
about seventy miles from Tomat, at a village named Mai Gubba,
from which country he made successful razzias upon the Egyptian
territory, which compelled a vigilant look-out during the dry
season. During the rains there was no danger, as the river was
immensely deep, and impassable from the total absence of boats.

The uninhabited country exactly opposite Tomat was said to abound
with large game, such as elephants, giraffes, &c. as there were
no enemies to disturb them.

At break of day, 29th July, the grandson of Abou Sinn, Sheik Ali,
who had been our guide, paid us his parting visit, and returned
with his people, while at the same time Atalan Wat Said arrived
with a large retinue of his own Arabs and Egyptian soldiers to
escort us to Sofi. Two splendid hygeens were already saddled for
us, one of which was specially intended for my wife; this was the
most thorough-bred looking animal I have ever seen; both were
milk-white, but there was a delicacy in the latter that was
unequalled. This was rather small, and although the ribs were so
well covered that the animal appeared rather fleshy, it was in
the hardiest condition, and was shaped in the depth of brisket
and width of loins like a greyhound; the legs were remarkably
fine, and as clean as ivory. The Sheik Atalan was charmed at our
admiration of his much-prized hygeen, and to prove its speed and
easy action we were no sooner mounted than he led the way at
about ten miles an hour, down the steep slopes, across the rough
watercourses, and up the hill-sides, assuring my wife that she
might sip a cup of coffee on the back of the animal she rode,
without spilling a drop: although an exaggeration, this is the
usual figure of speech by which an Arab describes the easy action
of a first-rate hygeen. It was a beautiful sight to watch the
extraordinary ease with which the hygeen glided along over the
numerous inequalities of the ground without the slightest
discomfort to the rider; the numerous escort became a long and
irregular line of stragglers, until at length they were lost in
the distance, with the exception of three or four, who, well
mounted, were proud of keeping their position. Emerging from the
uneven valley of the Atbara, we arrived upon the high and level
table land above; here the speed increased, and in the
exhilaration of the pace in the cool morning air, with all nature
glowing in the fresh green of a Nubian spring, we only regretted
the shortness of the journey to Sofi, which we reached before the
heat of the day had commenced. We were met by the sheik of the
village, and by a German who had been a resident of Sofi for some
years; he was delighted to see Europeans, especially those who
were conversant with his own language, and he very politely
insisted that we should dismount at his house. Accordingly our
camels knelt at the door of a little circular stone building
about twelve feet in diameter, with a roof thatched according to
Arab fashion. This dwelling was the model of an Arab hut, but the
walls were of masonry instead of mud and sticks, and two small
windows formed an innovation upon the Arab style, which had much
astonished the natives, who are contented with the light afforded
by the doorway.

We were shortly sitting in the only stone building in the
country, among a crowd of Arabs, who, according to their annoying
custom, had thronged to the hut upon our arrival, and not only
had filled the room, but were sitting in a mob at the doorway,
while masses of mop-like heads were peering over the shoulders of
the front rank, excluding both light and air; even the windows
were blocked with highly frizzled heads, while all were talking
at the same time.

Coffee having been handed to the principal people while our tents
were being pitched outside the village, we at length silenced the
crowd; our new acquaintance explained in Arabic the object of our
arrival, and our intention of passing the rainy season at Sofi,
and of exploring the various rivers of Abyssinia at the earliest
opportunity. Atalan Wat Said promised every assistance when the
time should arrive; he described the country as abounding with
large game of all kinds, and he agreed to furnish me with guides
and hunters at the commencement of the hunting season; in the
meantime he ordered the sheik of the village, Hassan bel Kader,
to pay us every attention.

After the departure of Atalan and his people, and the usual
yelling of the women, we had time to examine Sofi, and
accompanied by the German, Florian, we strolled through the
village. At this position the slope of the valley towards the
river was exceedingly gradual upon the west bank, until within a
hundred and fifty yards of the Atbara, when the ground rapidly
fell, and terminated in an abrupt cliff of white sandstone.

The miserable little village of modern Sofi comprised about
thirty straw huts, but the situation was worthy of a more
important settlement. A plateau of hard sandy soil of about
twenty acres was bordered upon either side by two deep ravines
that formed a natural protection, while below the steep cliff,
within two hundred paces in front of the village, flowed the
river Atbara; for mounted men there was only one approach, that
which we had taken from the main land. There could not have been
a more inviting spot adopted for a resting-place during the
rains. Although the soil was thoroughly denuded of loam, and
nothing remained but the original substratum of sandstone and
pebbles, the grass was at this season about three inches high
throughout the entire valley of the Atbara, the trees were in
full leaf, and the vivid green, contrasting with the snow-white
sandstone rocks, produced the effect of an ornamental park. My
tents were pitched upon a level piece of ground, outside the
village, about a hundred paces from the river, where the grass
had been so closely nibbled by the goats that it formed a natural
lawn, and was perfection for a camp; drains were dug around the
tent walls, and everything was arranged for a permanency. I
agreed with the sheik for the erection of a comfortabie hut for
ourselves, a kitchen adjoining, and a hut for the servants, as
the heavy storms were too severe for a life under canvas; in the
meantime we sat in our tent, and had a quiet chat with Florian,
the German.

He was a sallow, sickly-looking man, who with a large bony frame
had been reduced from constant hard work and frequent sickness to
little but skin and sinew; he was a mason, who had left Germany
with the Austrian Mission to Khartoum, but finding the work too
laborious in such a climate, he and a friend, who was a
carpenter, had declared for independence, and they had left the
Mission.

They were both enterprising fellows, and sportsmen; therefore
they had purchased rifles and ammunition, and had commenced life
as hunters; at the same time they employed their leisure hours in
earning money by the work of their hands in various ways.
Florian, being a stonemason, had of course built his hut of
stone; he was a fair blacksmith and carpenter, and was well
provided with tools; but his principal occupation was whipmaking,
from the hides of hippopotami. As coorbatches were required
throughout the country there was an extensive demand for his
camel-whips, which were far superior to those of native
manufacture; these he sold to the Arabs at about two shillings
each. He had lately met with a serious accident by the bursting
of one of the wretched guns that formed his sporting battery;
this had blown away his thumb from the wrist joint, and had so
shattered his hand that it would most likely have suffered
amputation had he enjoyed the advantage of European surgical
assistance; but with the simple aid of his young black lad,
Richarn, who cut off the dangling thumb and flesh with his knife,
he had preserved his hand, minus one portion.

Florian had had considerable experience in some parts of the
country that I was about to visit, and he gave me much valuable
information that was of great assistance in directing my first
operations. The close of the rainy season would be about the
middle of September, but travelling would be impossible until
November, as the fly would not quit the country until the grass
should become dry; therefore the Arabs would not return with
their camels until that period.

It appeared that this peculiar fly, which tortured all domestic
animals, invaded the country shortly after the commencement of
the rains, when the grass was about two feet high; a few had
already been seen, but Sofi was a favoured spot that was
generally exempt from this plague, which clung more particularly
to the flat and rich table lands, where the quality of grass was
totally different to that produced upon the pebbly and denuded
soil of the sandstone slopes of the valley. The grass of the
slopes was exceedingly fine, and would not exceed a height of
about two feet, while that of the table lands would exceed nine
feet, and become impassable, until sufficiently dry to be cleared
by fire. In November, the entire country would become a vast
prairie of dried straw, the burning of which would then render
travelling and hunting possible.

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