The latter "smelling death," then leapt up, and taking
advantage of his assailant's terror, rushed headlong towards the sea.
Looking behind, he avoided the javelin hurled at his back, and had the
good fortune to run, without further accident, the gauntlet of a score of
missiles. When pursuit was discontinued, he sat down faint from loss of
blood upon a sandhill. Recovering strength by a few minutes' rest, he
staggered on to the town, where some old women directed him to us. Then,
pursuing his way, he fell in with the party sent to seek him, and by their
aid reached the craft, having walked and run at least three miles, after
receiving eleven wounds, two of which had pierced his thighs. A touching
lesson how difficult it is to kill a man in sound health! [12]
When the three survivors had reached the craft, Yusuf, the captain, armed
his men with muskets and spears, landed them near the camp, and
ascertained that the enemy, expecting a fresh attack, had fled, carrying
away our cloth, tobacco, swords, and other weapons. [13] The corpse of
Lieut. Stroyan was then brought on board. Our lamented comrade was already
stark and cold. A spear had traversed his heart, another had pierced his
abdomen, and a frightful gash, apparently of a sword, had opened the upper
part of his forehead: the body had been bruised with war-clubs, and the
thighs showed marks of violence after death. This was the severest
affliction that befell us. We had lived together like brothers: Lieut.
Stroyan was a universal favourite, and his sterling qualities of manly
courage, physical endurance, and steady perseverance had augured for him a
bright career, thus prematurely cut off. Truly melancholy to us was the
contrast between the evening when he sat with us full of life and spirits,
and the morning when we saw amongst us a livid corpse.
We had hoped to preserve the remains of our friend for interment at Aden.
But so rapid were the effects of exposure, that we were compelled most
reluctantly, on the morning of the 20th April, to commit them to the deep,
Lieut. Herne reading the funeral service.
Then with heavy hearts we set sail for the near Arabian shore, and, after
a tedious two days, carried to our friends the news of unexpected
disaster.
FOOTNOTES
[1] The Fair-season of 1864-56 began on the 16th November, and may be said
to have broken up on the 15th April.
The principal caravans which visit Berberah are from Harar the Western,
and Ogadayn, the Southern region: they collect the produce of the numerous
intermediate tribes of the Somal. The former has been described in the
preceding pages. The following remarks upon the subject of the Ogadayn
caravan are the result of Lieuts. Stroyan and Herne's observations at
Berberah.
"Large caravans from Ogadayn descend to the coast at the beginning and the
end of the Fair-season. They bring slaves from the Arusa country, cattle
in great quantities, gums of sorts, clarified butter, ivory, ostrich
feathers, and rhinoceros horns to be made into handles for weapons. These
are bartered for coarse cotton cloth of three kinds, for English and
American sheeting in pieces of seventy-five, sixty-six, sixty-two, and
forty-eight yards, black and indigo-dyed calicos in lengths of sixteen
yards, nets or fillets worn by the married women, iron and steel in small
bars, lead and zinc, beads of various kinds, especially white porcelain
and speckled glass, dates and rice."
The Ayyal Ahmed and Ayyal Yunis classes of the Habr Awal Somal have
constituted themselves Abbans or brokers to the Ogadayn Caravans, and the
rapacity of the patron has produced a due development of roguery in the
client. The principal trader of this coast is the Banyan from Aden find
Cutch, facetiously termed by the Somal their "Milch-cows." The African
cheats by mismeasuring the bad cotton cloth, and the Indian by falsely
weighing the coffee, ivory, ostrich feathers and other valuable articles
which he receives in return. Dollars and even rupees are now preferred to
the double breadth of eight cubits which constitutes the well known
"Tobe."
[2] A Sepoy's tent, pent-house shaped, supported by a single transverse
and two upright poles and open at one of the long ends.
[3] Since returning I have been informed, however, by the celebrated
Abyssinian traveller M. Antoine d'Abbadie, that in no part of the wild
countries which he visited was his life so much perilled as at Berberah.
[4] Lieut. Speke had landed at Karam harbour on the 24th of March, in
company with the Ras, in order to purchase camels. For the Ayyun or best
description he paid seven dollars and a half; the Gel Ad (white camels)
cost on an average four. In five days he had collected twenty-six, the
number required, and he then marched overland from Karam to Berberah.
I had taken the precaution of detaching Lieut. Speke to Karam in lively
remembrance of my detention for want of carriage at Zayla, and in
consequence of a report raised by the Somal of Aden that a sufficient
number of camels was not procurable at Berberah. This proved false.
Lieuts. Stroyan and Herne found no difficulty whatever in purchasing
animals at the moderate price of five dollars and three quarters a head:
for the same sum they could have bought any reasonable number. Future
travellers, however, would do well not to rely solely upon Berberah for a
supply of this necessary, especially at seasons when the place is not
crowded with caravans.
[5] The Elders of the Habr Awal, I have since been informed, falsely
asserted that they repeatedly urged us, with warnings of danger, to leave
Berberah at the end of the fair, but that we positively refused
compliance, for other reasons.
