Expecting To March On The 13th December Soon After Dawn, I Summoned Beuh
And His Brethren To The Hut, Reminding Him That The Hajj Had Promised Me
An Escort Without Delay To The Village Of The Gerad Adan.
To my instances
they replied that, although they were most anxious to oblige, the arrival
of Mudeh the eldest son rendered a consultation necessary; and retiring to
the woods, sat in palaver from 8 A.M. to past noon.
At last they came to a
resolution which could not be shaken. They would not trust one of their
number in the Gerad's country; a horseman, however, should carry a letter
inviting the Girhi chief to visit his brothers-in-law. I was assured that
Adan would not drink water before mounting to meet us: but, fear is
reciprocal, there was evidently bad blood between them, and already a
knowledge of Somali customs caused me to suspect the result of our
mission. However, a letter was written reminding the Gerad of "the word
spoken under the tree," and containing, in case of recusance, a threat to
cut off the salt well at which his cows are periodically driven to drink.
Then came the bargain for safe conduct. After much haggling, especially on
the part of the handsome Igah, they agreed to receive twenty Tobes, three
bundles of tobacco, and fourteen cubits of indigo-dyed cotton. In addition
to this I offered as a bribe one of my handsome Abyssinian shirts with a
fine silk fringe made at Aden, to be received by the man Beuh on the day
of entering the Gerad's village.
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