We Had No Guide,
As The Fellow That Had Been Supplied By Mek Nimmur Had Absconded
The Day After Our
Arrival at the Salaam, but during the march he
had pointed out a blue outline of a distant mountain in
The
south, that was called Nahoot Guddabi, or the Saddle of Guddabi.
This was an unmistakeable landmark, as it exactly resembled an
Arab saddle; at the foot of this mountain was the Tokroori
village of Guddabi, the first habitation, at a distance of about
fifty miles from the Bahr Salaam. Although, from the experience
I had had in this neighbourhood, I had little doubt of the supply
of water on the road, I sent three of my Tokrooris upon as many
camels with water-skins, to reconnoitre before I should move the
camp.
On the second day they returned, and reported the existence of
several small streams, all of which produced excellent water.
We started on the following afternoon, and, with Hassan as our
guide, and Taher Noor upon a camel, my wife and I cantered ahead
of the main body, over a high ridge of stony, and accordingly
firm ground. Upon arrival at the summit, we had a lovely view of
the surrounding country, and we commenced a gentle descent into
a vast plain sparsely covered with small trees. In the extensive
prospect before us, the dark green veins of foliage in the
otherwise yellow surface of withered grass marked out distinctly
the course of small rivulets. We hurried on, sometimes over
blackened ashes, where the fire had swept all before it, at other
times through withered grass, that had been saved from
destruction through the intervention of some ravine. At 7.30 P.M.
we arrived at an excellent halting place, by a beautiful but
small stream of water, shaded by a fringe of dome palms; this was
by dead reckoning seventeen miles from our last camp. It had been
pleasant travelling, as the moon was full; we had ridden fast,
therefore it was useless to expect the camels for some hours; we
accordingly spread the carpet on the ground, and lay down to
sleep, with the stocks of the rifles for pillows, as we had
frequently done on former occasions.
On the following morning I sent a couple of men on camels to
reconnoitre the country in advance, towards Guddabi, and to
return with the report of the supply of water. This country
abounded with large game, especially with the beautiful antelope
already described, the maarif; they were as usual extremely wild,
but I succeeded in breaking the hip of a fine bull at a long
range; and, separating him from the herd, I ran the wounded
antelope until I was thoroughly exhausted in the intense heat of
the sun, but I lost it in the thick bush not far from our camp.
That night we heard a lion roaring close to us, and, upon
searching at daybreak I found the remains of a maarif, which I
imagine must have been my wounded bull.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 245 of 290
Words from 127895 to 128401
of 151461
