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. This was truly African:
twenty-six days had not sufficed to do the work of a single watch! No
servants had been procured for us by the Gerad, although he had promised a
hundred whenever required. Long Guled had imprudently lent his dagger to
the smooth-tongued Yusuf Dera, who hearing of the departure, naturally
absconded. And, at the last moment, one Abdy Aman, who had engaged himself
at Harar as guide to Berberah for the sum of ten dollars, asked a score.
A display of energy was clearly necessary. I sent the Gerad with
directions to bring the camels at once, and ordered the Hammal to pull
down the huts. Abdy Aman was told to go to Harar--or the other place--Long
Guled was promised another dagger at Berberah; a message was left
directing Deenarzade to follow, and the word was given to load.
By dint of shouting and rough language, the caravan was ready at 9 A.M.
The Gerad Adan and his ragged tail leading, we skirted the eastern side of
Wilensi, and our heavily laden camels descended with pain the rough and
stony slope of the wide Kloof dividing it from the Marar Prairie. At 1
P.M. the chief summoned us to halt: we pushed on, however, without
regarding him. Presently, Long Guled and the End of Time were missing;
contrary to express orders they had returned to seek the dagger. To ensure
discipline, on this occasion I must have blown out the long youth's
brains, which were, he declared, addled by the loss of his weapon: the
remedy appeared worse than the disease.
Attended only by the Hammal, I entered with pleasure the Marar Prairie. In
vain the Gerad entreated us not to venture upon a place swarming with
lions; vainly he promised to kill sheep and oxen for a feast;--we took
abrupt leave of him, and drove away the camels.
Journeying slowly over the skirt of the plain, when rejoined by the
truants, we met a party of travellers, who, as usual, stopped to inquire
the news. Their chief, mounted upon an old mule, proved to be Madar Farih,
a Somali well known at Aden. He consented to accompany us as far as the
halting place, expressed astonishment at our escaping Harar, and gave us
intelligence which my companions judged grave. The Gerad Hirsi of the
Berteri, amongst whom Madar had been living, was incensed with us for
leaving the direct road. Report informed him, moreover, that we had given
600 dollars and various valuables to the Gerad Adan,--Why then had he been
neglected? Madar sensibly advised us to push forward that night, and to
'ware the bush, whence Midgans might use their poisoned arrows.
We alighted at the village formerly beneath Gurays, now shifted to a short
distance from those hills. Presently appeared Deenarzade, hung round with
gourds and swelling with hurt feelings: she was accompanied by Dahabo,
sister of the valiant Beuh, who, having for ever parted from her graceless
husband, the Gerad, was returning under our escort to the Gurgi of her
family. Then came Yusuf Dera with a smiling countenance and smooth
manners, bringing the stolen dagger and many excuses for the mistake; he
was accompanied by a knot of kinsmen deputed by the Gerad as usual for no
good purpose. That worthy had been informed that his Berteri rival offered
a hundred cows for our persons, dead or alive:
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