The Abyssinian Traveller, Bruce, Appears To Have Entertained A
Peculiar Dread Of The Dangers Of Such Sand Columns, But On This
Point His Fear Was Exaggerated.
Cases may have occurred where
caravans have been suffocated by whirlwinds of sand, but these
are rare exceptions, and
The usual effects of the dust storm are
the unroofing of thatched huts, the destruction of a few date
palms, and the disagreeable amount of sand that not only half
chokes both man and beast, but buries all objects that may be
lying on the ground some inches deep in dust.
The wind at this season (June) was changeable, and strong blasts
from the south were the harbingers of the approaching rainy
season. We had no time to lose, and we accordingly arranged to
start. I discharged my dirty cook, and engaged a man who was
brought by a coffee-house keeper, by whom he was highly
recommended; but, as a precaution against deception, I led him
before the Mudir, or Governor, to be registered before our
departure. To my astonishment, and to his infinite disgust, he
was immediately recognised as an old offender, who had formerly
been imprisoned for theft! The Governor, to prove his friendship,
and his interest in my welfare, immediately sent the police to
capture the coffee-house keeper who had recommended the cook. No
sooner was the unlucky surety brought to the Divan than he was
condemned to receive 200 lashes for having given a false
character. The sentence was literally carried out, in spite of my
remonstrance, and the police were ordered to make the case public
to prevent a recurrence. The Governor assured me, that as I held
a firman from the Viceroy he could not do otherwise, and that I
must believe him to be my truest friend. "Save me from my
friends," was an adage quickly proved. I could not procure a
cook, neither any other attendants, as every one was afraid to
guarantee a character, lest he might come in for his share of the
200 lashes!
The Governor came to my rescue, and sent immediately the promised
Turkish soldiers, who were to act in the double capacity of
escort and servants. They were men of totally opposite
characters. Hadji Achmet was a hardy, powerful,
dare-devil-looking Turk, while Hadji Velli was the perfection of
politeness, and as gentle as a lamb. My new allies procured me
three donkeys in addition to the necessary baggage camels, and we
started from the pleasant garden of Halleem Effendi on the
evening of the 10th of June for the junction of the Atbara river
with the Nile.
CHAPTER II.
"'Mongst them were several Englishmen of pith,
Sixteen named Thompson, and nineteen named Smith."
DON JUAN.
MAHOMET, Achmet, and Ali are equivalent to Smith, Brown, and
Thompson. Accordingly, of my few attendants, my dragoman was
Mahomet, and my principal guide was Achmet; and subsequently I
had a number of Alis. Mahomet was a regular Cairo dragoman, a
native of Dongola, almost black, but exceedingly tenacious
regarding his shade of colour, which he declared to be light
brown.
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