These Quarrels Were, However,
Easily Composed, And Always Passed Off In Storms Of Abuse, Laughter, And
Derision.
With the end of the week's repose came Shaykh Jami, the Berteri, equipped
as a traveller with sword, praying-skin, and water-bottle.
This bustling
little divine, whose hobby it was to make every man's business his own,
was accompanied by his brother, in nowise so prayerful a person, and by
four burly, black-looking Widads, of whose birth, learning, piety, and
virtues he spoke in terms eloquent. I gave them a supper of rice, ghee,
and dates in my hut, and with much difficulty excused myself on plea of
ill health from a Samrah or night's entertainment--the chaunting some
serious book from evening even to the small hours. The Shaykh informed me
that his peaceful errand on that occasion was to determine a claim of
blood-money amongst the neighbouring Bedouins. The case was rich in Somali
manners. One man gave medicine to another who happened to die about a
month afterwards: the father of the deceased at once charged the mediciner
with poisoning, and demanded the customary fine. Mad Said grumbled certain
disrespectful expressions about the propriety of divines confining
themselves to prayers and the Koran, whilst the Gerad Adan, after
listening to the Shaykh's violent denunciation of the Somali doctrine,
"Fire, but not shame!" [4] conducted his head-scratcher, and with sly
sarcasm declared that he had been Islamized afresh that day.
On Sunday, the 21st of January, our messenger returned from Harar,
bringing with him supplies for the road: my vocabulary was finished, and
as nothing delayed us at Wilensi, I determined to set out the next day.
When the rumour went abroad every inhabitant of the village flocked to our
hut, with the view of seeing what he could beg or borrow: we were soon
obliged to close it, with peremptory orders that none be admitted but the
Shaykh Jami. The divine appeared in the afternoon accompanied by all the
incurables of the country side: after hearing the tale of the blood-money,
I determined that talismans were the best and safest of medicines in those
mountains. The Shaykh at first doubted their efficacy. But when my diploma
as a master Sufi was exhibited, a new light broke upon him and his
attendant Widads. "Verily he hath declared himself this day!" whispered
each to his neighbour, still sorely mystified. Shaykh Jami carefully
inspected the document, raised it reverently to his forehead, and muttered
some prayers: he then in humble phrase begged a copy, and required from me
"Ijazah" or permission to act as master. The former request was granted
without hesitation, about the latter I preferred to temporize: he then
owned himself my pupil, and received, as a well-merited acknowledgment of
his services, a pencil and a silk turban.
The morning fixed for our departure came; no one, however, seemed ready to
move. The Hammal, who but the night before had been full of ardour and
activity, now hung back; we had no coffee, no water-bags, and Deenarzade
had gone to buy gourds in some distant village.
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