I Had Remarked Throughout The Neighbourhood
Unmistakeable Evidences Of The Presence Of This Metal--The
Surface Of The Rocks Was
In many places bright green, like
malachite, and, upon an exploration of the bed of the stream, I
found veins
Of a green substance in the perpendicular cliffs that
had been cut through by the torrent. These green veins passed
through a bed of reddish, hard rock, glistening with minute
crystals, which I believe to have been copper. There is no doubt
that much might be done were the mineral wealth of this country
thoroughly investigated.
The day following our arrival was passed in receiving visits from
a number of Abyssinians, and the head men of Mek Nimmur. There
was a mixture of people, as many of the Jaleen Arabs who had
committed some crime in the Egyptian territory, had fled across
the country and joined the exiled chief of their tribe.
Altogether, the society in this district was not creme de la
creme, as Mek Nimmur's territory was an asylum for all the
blackguards of the adjoining countries, who were attracted by the
excitement and lawlessness of continual border warfare. The troop
that we had seen at Ombrega returned with a hundred and two head
of camels, that they had stolen from the west bank of the Atbara.
Mounted upon hygeens, Mek Nimmur's irregulars thought nothing of
marching sixty miles in one day; thus their attack and retreat
were equally sudden and unexpected.
I had a quantity of rhinoceros hide in pieces of the size
required for shields; these were much prized in this fighting
country, and I presented them to a number of head men who had
honoured us with a visit.
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