Thus Provided With A Medicine Chest That They
Did Not Comprehend, And With A Number Of Bibles Printed In The
Tigre Language Which They Did Not Understand, They Were Prepared
To Convert The Jews, Who Could Not Read.
The Bibles were to be
distributed as the word of God, like "seed thrown upon the
wayside;" and the medicines, I trust, were to be kept locked up
in the chest, as their distribution might have been fatal to the
poor Jews.
These worthy and well-meaning missionaries were
prepared to operate mentally and physically upon the Abyssinians,
to open their minds as well as their bowels; but as their own
(not their minds) were out of order, I was obliged to assist them
by an examination of their medicine-chest, which they had
regarded with such dread and suspicion that, although dangerously
ill, they had not dared to attempt a dose. This medicine-chest
accompanied them like a pet dog suspected of hydrophobia, which
they did not like to part with, and were yet afraid to touch. I
labelled the poisons, and weighed out some doses, that in a few
days considerably relieved them; at the same time I advised the
missionaries to move to a healthier locality, and to avoid the
putrid water.
On the day following our arrival, I paid a visit to the Sheik of
Gallabat--Jemma. He was ill, as were most people. They were too
much accustomed to the use of the filthy water to trouble
themselves about a pure supply; thus a frightful amount of
sickness was prevalent among all classes.
The Sheik Jemma was a Tokroori; and as these people hate the
Turks or Egyptians, although fanatical Mussulmans, he was
exceedingly cold when he read my firman, that I had produced as
a passport. He replied to my demand for assistance in men and
camels, that "this was Abyssinia, and the firman of the Viceroy
of Egypt was a bad introduction, as the Egyptians forced them to
pay tribute at the point of the bayonet, although they had no
right to enter this country;" they paid taxes willingly to the
King of Abyssinia, as he had a right to exact them. I explained
that I was an Englishman, and no Turk, but that, as I had
travelled through the dominions of the Viceroy, I had been
favoured with the sign-manual of his Excellency Said Pasha, and
I narrated in a few words the object of our expedition. He paid
very little attention, and merely asked me if I could send him
some goat's milk, as he was very ill. I was astonished at such a
request, as there were great numbers of these animals in the
neighbourhood; but he explained that his doctor had ordered him
to drink the milk of a black goat, and he had heard that I had
two of that colour. I promised him a supply, and he agreed to
assist me in engaging camels and fresh men, as I had formerly
arranged with my people that their term of service should expire
upon our arrival at Gallabat or Metemma. The latter name merely
signifies "the capital:" as many places are designated by the
same word, it creates much confusion.
The Sheik Jemma was the successor of Hamed, who formerly governed
the Tokrooris. The Egyptians had captured Hamed three years
previously, during which time he had been imprisoned in Cairo.
Upon his release, he wrote to Jemma (who had governed pro
tempore) to prepare for his arrival; but Jemma had no intention
of vacating his seat, and he replied by an impertinent message.
Hamed immediately applied to the Governor-General of the Soudan
for assistance, declaring himself to be the subject of Egypt.
Having obtained a powerful force, he advanced upon Gallabat, and
attacked Jemma, who came out to meet him. This happened about
three months before our arrival. In a pitched battle, the
Tokrooris were defeated with great loss, and Jemma, with the
greater portion of the population, sought the assistance of
Theodore, the king of Abyssinia. Theodore summoned the rival
chiefs before him, and decided that, as Hamed had appealed to
Egypt for assistance, he should lose his seat, and remain a
prisoner in Abyssinia. Accordingly, Jemma was declared to be the
governor of the town of Gallabat, and the sheik over all
Tokrooris.
The Tokrooris are natives of Darfur, who were converted to
Mahometanism after the conquest of Northern Africa by the Arabs.
They are governed by a sultan in their own country, who strictly
prohibits the entrance of white men; thus Darfur remains
impenetrable to civilization. That country is extremely arid and
unfruitful; thus, as the pilgrims journeyed towards Mecca from
their own inhospitable soil, they passed through a land flowing
with milk and honey, with excellent pasturage and fertile soil,
in the district of Gallabat. As first settlements of men have
always been caused by some local attraction and advantage, so the
Tokroori pilgrims, on their return from Mecca, originally rested
from the fatigues of their journey in the neighbourhood of
Gallabat, as a country preferable to their own. The establishment
of a few settlers formed a nucleus, and, as successive
pilgrimages to Mecca were annually undertaken from Darfur, the
colony rapidly increased by the settlement of the returned
pilgrims. Thus commenced the establishment of a new tribe upon
foreign soil, and, as the numbers of settlers increased to an
important amount, permission was granted by the King of Abyssinia
that they should occupy this portion of his territory, upon
payment of taxes as his subjects. The Tokrooris are a fine,
powerful race, exceedingly black, and of the negro type, but
differing from all negroes that I have hitherto known, as they
are particularly industrious. They are great drunkards, very
quarrelsome, and are bad servants, as, although they will work
hard for themselves, they will do as little as they can for their
master. They are seldom unemployed; and, while the Arab may be
seen lazily stretched under the shade of a tree, the Tokroori
will be spinning cotton, or working at something that will earn
a few piastres.
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