The Appearance Of
Turkish Soldiers Is Anything But Agreeable To The Arabs;
Therefore My Escort Of Turks Was Generally Received
With the
"cold shoulder" upon our arrival at an Arab camp, and no supplies
were forthcoming in the shape of
Milk, &c. until the long
coorbatch (hippopotamus whip) of Hadji Achmet had cracked several
times across the shoulders of the village headman. At first this
appeared to me extremely brutal, but I was given to understand
that I was utterly ignorant of the Arab character, and that he
knew best. I found by experience that Hadji Achmet was correct;
even where milk was abundant, the Arabs invariably declared that
they had not a drop, that the goats were dry, or had strayed
away; and some paltry excuses were offered until the temper of
the Turk became exhausted, and the coorbatch assisted in the
argument. A magician's rod could not have produced a greater
miracle than the hippopotamus whip. The goats were no longer dry,
and in a few minutes large gourds of milk were brought, and
liberally paid for, while I was ridiculed by the Turk, Hadji
Achmet, for so foolishly throwing away money to the "Arab dogs."
Our route was to change. We had hitherto followed the course of
the Atbara, but we were now to leave that river on our right,
while we should travel S.E. about ninety miles to Cassala, the
capital of the Taka country, on the confines of Abyssinia, the
great depot upon that frontier for Egyptian troops, military
stores, &c.
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