"My Guide Having Again Promised To Forward Me In Safety, The Wallasena
Presented Him With A Spear, A Shield, And A Tobe, Together With The Horse
And The Cloth Which I Had Purchased For Him.
About noon on Monday the
17th, we quitted Farri with a slave-caravan bound for Tajoorah.
I was
acquainted with many of these people, the Wallasena also recommended me
strongly to the care of Mahomed ibn Buraitoo and Dorranu ibn Kamil. We
proceeded to Datharal, the Wallasena and his nephew having escorted me as
far as Denehmelli, where they took leave. I found the Caffilah to consist
of fifteen Tajoorians, and about fifty camels laden with provisions for
the road, fifty male and about twenty female slaves, mostly children from
eight to ten years of age. My guide had with him five camels laden with
grain, two men and two women.
"The Ras el Caffilah (chief of the caravan) was one Ibrahim ibn Boorantoo,
who it appears had been chief of the embassy caravan, although Essakh
(Ishak) gave out that he was. It is certain that this man always gave
orders for pitching the camp and for loading; but we being unaware of the
fact that he was Ras el Caffilah, he had not received presents on the
arrival of the Embassy at Shoa. Whilst unloading the camels, the following
conversation took place. 'Ya Kabtan!' (0 Captain) said he addressing me
with a sneer, 'where are you going to?--do you think the Bedoos will let
you pass through their country? We shall see! Now I will tell you!--you
Feringis have treated me very ill!--you loaded Essakh and others with
presents, but never gave me anything. I have, as it were, a knife in my
stomach which is continually cutting me--this knife you have placed there!
But, inshallah! it is now my turn! I will be equal with you!--you think of
going to Hurrur--we shall see!' I replied, 'You know me not! It is true I
was ignorant that you were Ras el Caffilah on our way to Shoa. You say you
have a knife cutting your inside--I can remove that knife! Those who treat
me well, now that I am returning to my country, shall be rewarded; for,
the Lord be praised! there I have the means of repaying my friends, but in
Shoa I am a beggar. Those that treat me ill shall also receive their
reward.'
"My mules, being frightened at the sight of the camels, were exceedingly
restive; one of them strayed and was brought back by Deeni ibn Hamed, a
young man who was indebted to me for some medicines and a trifling present
which he had received from the embassy. Ibrahim, the Ras el Caffilah,
seeing him lead it back, called out, 'So you also have become servant to
the Kafir (infidel)!' At the same time Datah Mahomed, the guide, addressed
to me some remark which he asked Ibrahim to explain; the latter replied in
a sarcastic manner in Arabic, a language with which I am unacquainted. [1]
This determined hostility on the part of the Ras el Caffilah was
particularly distressing to me, as I feared he would do me much mischief.
I therefore determined to gain him over to my interests, and accordingly,
taking Deeni on one side, I promised him a handsome present if he would
take an opportunity of explaining to Ibrahim that he should be well
rewarded if he behaved properly, and at the same time that if he acted
badly, that a line or two sent to Aden would do him harm. I also begged
him to act as my interpreter as long as we were together, and he
cheerfully agreed to do so.
"We were on the point of resuming our journey on Tuesday the 18th, when it
was found that the mule of the el Caffilah had strayed. After his conduct
on the preceding evening, he was ashamed to come to me, but he deputed one
of the caravan people to request the loan of one of my mules to go in
quest of his. I gave him one readily. We were detained that day as the
missing animal was not brought back till late. Notwithstanding my
civility, I observed him in close conversation with Datah Mahomed, about
the rich presents which the Feringis had given to Essakh and others, and I
frequently observed him pointing to my luggage in an expressive manner.
Towards evening the guide came to me and said, 'My son! I am an old man,
my teeth are bad, I cannot eat this parched grain--I see you eat bread.
Now we are friends, you must give me some of it!' I replied that several
times after preparing for the journey, I had been disappointed and at last
started on a short notice--that I was but scantily supplied with
provisions, and had a long journey before me: notwithstanding which I was
perfectly willing that he should share with me what I had as long as it
lasted, and that as he was a great chief, I expected that he would furnish
me with a fresh supply on arriving at his country. He then said, 'it is
well! but why did you not buy me a mule instead of a horse?' My reply was
that I had supposed that the latter would be more acceptable to him. I
divided the night into three watches: my servants kept the first and
middle, and I myself the morning.
"We quitted Dattenab, the frontier station, at about 7 o'clock A.M., on
Wednesday the 19th. The country at this season presented a more lively
appearance than when we travelled over it before, grass being abundant: on
the trees by the roadside was much gum Acacia, which the Caffilah people
collected as they passed. I was pleased to remark that Ibrahim was the
only person ill-disposed towards me, the rest of the travellers were civil
and respectful.
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