Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile/Volume 4/Book 8/Chapter 6
384 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
CHAP. VI.
Transactions at Teawa continued — A Moullah and Sherriffe arrive from Beyla — News from Ras el Feel and Sennaar — An Eclipse of the Moon — Leave Teawa,
WE went to the door, through the several apartments, very much upon our guard, for there was no person to light us out, and we were afraid of some treachery or ambush in the antichamber and dark passages; but we met nobody; and were, even at the outer gate, obliged to open the door ourselves. Without the gate there were about twenty people gathered together, but none of them with arms; and, by the half words and expressions they made use of, we could judge they were not the Shekh's friends. They followed us for a little, but dispersed before we arrived at our house. Soliman, my servant, told me by the way, that the Moullah was arrived, and that the Shekh of Beyla's servant, who had come with him, had been at my house ever since I went to Fidele's. Accordingly we found him still there, and explained to him what had happened, and the great distress we had been in from the Moullah's not arriving sooner, as also from receiving no message either from Sennaar or Ras el Feel. He told us, the reason of our servants not joining us was the false information his master the Shekh of Beyla had received from Fidele; that we were coming by the Dender, and not by Teawa, as already mentioned. He now advised us to come up, and shew ourselves in the morning to the Moullah, who would be sitting with Shekh Fidele, administering justice; but to take no particular notice of him, and only observe to what his discourse pointed, and he would bring us word if any thing more was necessary.
I recommended to this servant of the Shekh of Beyla that he should tell the Moullah that he was not to expect I was to open my baggage here, but that I was a man who understood perfectly the value of a favour done me, and should not be in his debt longer than arriving at Beyla, which I wished to reach as soon as possible; nothing can be quicker than these people are on the smallest hint given; we separated, fully satisfied that we were now a sufficient match for the Shekh, even at his own weapons.
Ever since the adventure of the Shekh of the Jehaina, one of us had kept guard, the door being open every night for fear of fire, and it was my turn that night, a post that I never declined, for the sake of good example; but my spirits were so exhausted this day, that I gave the old Turk plenty of coffee and tobacco, to undertake, as he did with 386 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
great willlngnefs, the office of that night for me. I went to bed, and fell prefently into a profound fleep, from which I was awakened, a little before midnight, by a meflage from the ladies, my patients, in the Shekh's houfe, fent by the black flave that had fpoken in the Abyflinian language to me while I was attending her miftre fs. They advifed me to be upon my guard, for the Shekh was abfolutely refolved to take a fevere revenge upon us all : That after we had left him that evening, an exprefs arrived from the lower part of Atbara, giving him an account that Shekh» Ibrahim, a great man at Sennaar, and favourite of Adelaa the prime minifter, while he was employed in gathering the taxes from the Arabs, had fought with the tribe called Shukorea, fomewhere eaft of Sennaar ; that he had beea completely beaten, and many of his people killed ; as alfo^ that Shekh Ibrahim and his two fons were wounded ; that Shekh Fidele had immediately fent back word, that he had: then with him a furgeon and phyfician, meaning me, who could, upon occalion, even bring a dead man to life, but that 1 would never confent to come to him unlefs I was forced ; therefore, if he would difpatch a fufficient number of armed men, to help him to furprife me in the night, he .would con- du<5t the execution of that fcheme, and would fend me to him; in iron^;^ He faid I was an infidel, a white man from Abyf-^ finia, and had feveraL ftout people with me expert in fire^ arms, (of which I had a number,) who would be of great ufe to him in fubduing the Arabs. They aflured mc, however^ of their friendship, and begged me to confider what I had. Uo do in time, for many wild men would be poured in up-- 0J3. mo, who would not fail to kill me if I rcfifled.
A I RETURNEZ^ THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 387
1 RETURNED iTiy mofl humblc thanks to my kind infor- mants ; with a fmall gratification of civet to the two elder ladies, and a feparate portion to the beautiful Aifcach, af- furing them I fhould not fail to profit by any advice they fliould give me. After this I again fell into a found fleep^ which continued till morning ; and, though my affairs had not the moft profperous appearance, I felt a calmnefs of mind to which I had been utterly a flranger ever fmce I had left Ras el Feel. My fervants awakened me in the morning of the nth; I drank coffee, and dreffed, and took along with me Soliman and Ifmael, without arms in our hands, but having knives and piflols in our girdles, to fliew that we had lived in fear.
The MouUah's name was Welled Meftah, or the fin of hiterpretat'miy or explanation. He was reputed to have at- tained fuch a degree of holinefs as to work miracles, and, more than once in his life, to have been honoured with the converfation of angels and fpirits, and, at times, to have called the devil into his prefence, and reproved him. He was a man below the middle fize, of a very dark com- plexion, and thin beard, feemingly pafl fixty, hollow-eyed^ and very much emaciated. If holy, we could not fay he was the beauty of holinefs. I tmderftood, afterwards, he was much addicfled to the ufe of opium, to the effedrs of which he probably was indebted for his converfation" with fpirits. He had brought with him another faint, much younger and robufler than himfelf, who had been feveral times at Mecca, and had feen Metical Aga, but did not know him. He had feen likewife the Englifli fhips at Jid- da, and knew the name of the nation, but nothing more* He was a flierriffe, (that is, a defcendant of Mahomet) a de^
3 C 2 gree J>
88 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
gree of nobility much refpcdted among the Arabs, diiTin=- guifhcd by wearing a green turban; The Davcina, when they burnt all the country between Teawa and Bcyla, faved this man's houfe,effecls,and crop, in veneration of his fancfti*^ ty. Thefe two were fitting on each i\de of Shekh Fidelej and before him ftood two black Haves holding each a mon<i ftronis long broad-Iword. I approached thefe powers, ecs- GleliaPiical and civil, with great compoiure, as if nothing had happened ; but Ifmael, the Turk, had almoft fpoiied my gravity, for, feeing the fwords in the men's hands be- fore Fidele, he faid, in his barbarous language, loud enough to be heard, " O, ho, they have got their fcabbards upon their fwords to-day."
FiDELE feemed to have a very ferene countenance, till we approached nearer, when, feeing the piftols in our gir* dies, he appeared rather difcompofcd, and probably- he thought the bhmderbufs was not far off; I made him, how- ever, a bow, and iliook him by the hand; I iikewife made an- other bow to their two holineiTes. As people of that ianc- tity feldom chofe to have, even their cloaths, touched by unbelievers in public, I made no further advance towards them. 1 he fherrifie no fooner faw Ifmael's turban, than he got up, took him in his arms, and, as he was an older man than himfelf, though all in rags, kifTed his forehead with great refpe^t. This was returned by Hagi Ifmae}, firll killing his forehead and then his hand ; after which the Moullah did the fame, as I thought with rather Icfs ceremony, ifmael gave a very flight falutation of Salama to the Shekh, and we ail fat down.
2. " Brothir, THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 3%
« Brother, fays the flierriffe to Ifmael,you feem a Granger in this country." " I am a Turk, dnfwered Ifmael, born in Anatolia, a janizavy of Ali Bey at Cairo." " He came, fays Shckh Fidele, to Habelli, with their Kafr, the Abuna or great prieil, and is returning to Cairo with that white man, who is phy{ician to Ah Bey." " Kafr there, or Kafr here, conti- nued Ifmael (who did but half underftand what was laid) the greatell of all Kafrs (that is Infidel) is, I believe, in Tca^ wa. ^I do not think there is one Muffulman in this curfed place." " Is this the Frank, fays the Moullah, whofe fer- vant brought letters to the Shekh of Beyla fome week« ago, and was forwarded to Sennaar ?" "No, fays Fidele, he does not know the Shekh of Beyla." " I am fure, fays the Moullah, that, fuch a day, wheii I was at Sennaar, there was a talk of a man of this kind, whofe fervant was at Aira with Shekh Adelan, and had orders to come hither with a fervant of his, and one from the king ; and I am fure, upon refleaion, continued the Moullah, this muft be the man." " Shekh, fays he, turning to me, (who fat fi- lent, overjoyed at the train I faw the affair taking) did you come from Habcfli? have you letters for Sennaar?" " I came from Habelh, replied I, with- letters to the king of Sennaar ; likewife letters, to him from the Oierriffe of M-c- ca, and from Ali Bey of Cairo, (you are welcome to fee them, all,) yet, contrary to faith, obferved even in Pagan nations, I am here detained by Shekh Fidele, who laft night attempted to murder me in his own houfe, becaufe I would not pay him 2000 piaftres." Shekh Fidele'sface turned pale; he could fcarcely utter, "That is not true." " As that book is the word of God, fays Ifmael, (pointing to the Koran, ly- ing in the ilierrille's lap) it is every word true. Look upon
my 390 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER •
my turban, (fays he to Fidele) do you call me a liar?" Tid.
- ' I did not call you a liar, only that Chriflian lied." J/}?u " I
fay, that every word he fpoke is truth, or I am no true be- liever. Was not your fword drawn, and your fcabbar^ ly- ing on the floor, when I entered the room ? Was there any one prefent but him and you? Whom did you draw your fword upon ?" " Pure merriment for a little amufement, fays Fidele, turning to the Moullah, I was diverting myfelf with the Chrillian, who came to give me medicines." " The diverfion, I fancy, was over on your part, fays Soliman, my fervant, when you threw away your fword, after drawing it, and called upon all your fervants for affillance. Were not your women at the door upon my entering it?" Fid. " Would you have had me fhot in my own houfe by an infidel ? Did he not prefent a piftol at me ?" J/}?2. "Lord ! Lord ! he was only diverting himfelf, too? Did not you fee that? You fhould have gone on with your merriment : — What llopt you ?" " Look you, Shekh, faid I, your inward thoughts arc feen by me. Did not you fend two meflengers to Shekh Ibrahim in Atbara that very night, within thefe twelve hours, defiring him to take me by force, while afleep, to heal his wounded men ? Was this amufement, too ? Beware in time, for every thought in your heart is known to me as foon as it is formed."
The flierrifTe muttered to himfelf, " Hakim y'Eref he
is a learned man ; he knows thefe things." " Shekh Ibra- him is returned to Sennaar, fays the Moullah, that is the reafon why he fhould make hafte, and all this that has paired is very improper. If a man diverts himfelf with drawn fwords, is he not likely, when angry, to kill ? this ought not to be ; fend the man away ; you can get camels
from THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ,391
from the Jehaina. Men like him have no money. There are many of them» at all times and places, wandering over the face of the earth, and will be fo till Hagiuge Magiuge * come; they are Derviflies, ftudy the herbs and the water,, and cure difeafes." " God blefs the truth ! faid I ; there it is. I am a Dervifli, a poor, but an innocent man." The Moullah feemed to take credit to himfelf for all this learn- ing. " I faw, fays the Ihcrriffe, a number of his country- men in large fhips from the Indies, when I was at Jidda ;, they are called Inglefe." " They are brave men, fays If- mael, and came firft from Turkey. Their country is called Caz Dangli to this day. I have feen it, and am fure no man would hurt Yagoube that knew him."' Fid. " So, Ya- goube is his name ; the firft time I knew it." Moul. " Ya- goube el Hakim ; now I remember it perfedlly. Ali Tche- lebi, Mahomet Abou Calec's facStor, is ill of an. enchantment from an enemy ; his bowels are out of order ; he it was that afked me if fuch a man was yet come to Beyla. They furely expe6t that you fhould forward him to Sennaar. True, Yagoube el Hakim, that was his name." Fid. " He fliall go next week, fince it is fo, if I can but get camels." Upon this we rofe, feeing other people coming in. When I took hold of the Shekh's hand at going away, he aflced me, in apparent good humour, " Well, Yagoube, are we friends now ?" I anfwered him, in the moft complacent tone of voice polTible, " Sir, I never was your enemy ; fo - far otherwife, that my only anxiety now is, left your beha- viour may brimg upon you powerful adverfaries, before whom you are not able to ftand. The ill-ufage Lhave met
with
- By^ this they mean Gog and Magog. We fliall after fee their belief cohceraing theia.. 39^ TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
v/ith will not be eafily palled over either in Abyflinia or at. Sennaar. I am neither fcrvant nor merchant ; and it has been your ill-luck to try your wicked experiments upon a man like me, who never in his life carried much money a- bout him, becaujfe he never valued it." Moid. You muft forget all, and I will be your friend with the Shckh, fince you come from the Iherriffe of Mecca." « And I, too, fays the other, for the kindnefs you have ihewed our brother Ifmael there, in carrying him home from among the Kafrs of Habefli ; and if Fidele cannot procure camels, we will try and help him ; fo go in peace, .and get ready."
We had fcarte got rid of this real danger, when the ap- prehenfion of an imaginary one Uruck us violently. The water at Teawa is llagnant in pools, and exceedingly bad. Either that, or the bouza, a kind of new beer which they fent us with our meat, had given all of us, at the fame time, a violent diarrhoea, and I was tormented with a perpetual thirll ever fince we had been overtaken by the fxmoom ; and the bouza being acid, was not only more agreeable, but, I thought, relieved me more than bad water ; in this, therefore, 1 certainly had exceeded. When we found we were all taken ill at the fame time, it came into our wife heads that Shekh Fidele had given us poifon in our dinner, and we were very much perplexed what we fhould do the next day. None of us, therefore, tailed the meat fent us ; when at night, our friemi, the black Have came, and to her we frankly told our doubts. The poor creature fell into fuch violent fits of laughing, which followed fo clofe the pne upon the other, and lafied fo long, that I feared flie would have expired upon the fpot. " It is the water, fays .ilie; it docs fo to all flrangers ;" and then flie fell into an- other THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 593
other great fit of laughter. " Child, anfwercd I, you know the Shekh is not our friend, and there is no eafier way to get rid of us than by poifon, as we eat everything that comes from you without fear." — " And fo you may, fays fhe ; the Shekh could do no fuch thing without our knowledge,^ and we would rather all be burnt alive than be guilty of fo vile an aftion. Bclides, fays fhe, this is not like Habefli, where both meat and drink, brought to you, are tailed by the bearer before you ufe them. There is no fuch thing as poifon in Atbara ; the lance and the knife in the field, that is the manner in which they kill one an- -other here,"
We then fhew^d her our dinner uneaten, and fhe again fell into a violent fit of laughter, and took the meat away that fhe might warm it, and we heard her laughing all the wr\y as flie went by herfelf. She was not long in returning with provificns in plenty, and told us, that her miftrefTes never were fo diverted in their lives, and that (he left them llill laughing. The black flave then called me to the door, and gave me an India green handkerchief, which flie faid Aifcach had pulled from her head, and fent with her to me, with orders to inquire, " Do the women of your country do fuch things, Yagoube, which, for all the fathers and gold in the world, Aifcach would not be guilty of? My father is indeed a Funge *, but my mother is a Jehaina|."
Neither the Shekh nor Moullah expelled me out on
Sunday, which I told them was my feflival. I employed
Vol. IV. 3 D that
- Which means a flave. -j- A noble and free Arab. 394 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
that day in mounting and reftifying my quadrant, and that fame evening had a clear and diftinft obfervation of Procyon, and feveral other of the fixed flars, the largeft and fitted for my purpofe. The next day alfo, having a good obfervation of the fun in the meridian, all equations adopt- ed from a mean, I found the latitude of Teawa, the capital of Atbara, to be 14° 2' 4" north. With regard to longitude, Hor-Cacamoot is about fix miles eaft of Teawa, which is near- ly under the fame meridian with Ras el Feel, fo there was no occafion for any obfervation on that fubjed.
On the 13th of April arrived a naked Arab of the Jehaina, %vith intelligence that a caravan belonging to Atbara, which had come to Nara in Abyflinia for fait, had been all feized by Ammonios, Ayto Confu's governor of Nara, their affes and fait taken from them, and the men put in clofe pri- fon. The Shekh of the Jehaina, an old man of very comely prefence, with ten or twelve of his clan on camels, came over to Shekh Fidele that morning before I went out, and they found the Moullah fitting with him. The news firuck all of them with a panic, but none more fo than our Shekh of Atbara. The Shekh of the Jehaina faid he had not heard the caufe of it, but fo violent a prdcedure had not happened even when Yafous II. invaded Sennaar, for the people of the two frontiers had all that time been friends. He begged, however, Shekh Fidele immediately to interfere, and fend fome perfon to Ras el Feel, to his friend Yafine. When they had fettled thus far, a meffage came for me to attend the Shekh. I immediately went, leaving my fervants to put up my quadrant. I had, indeed, an inclination to obferve the approaching eclipfe ; biit as I knew perfcdlily the fitua- tion of Teawa with regard to- Ras el Feel, I thought I
might THESOURCEOFTHENILE. 395
might fpare myfelf this unnecefTary trouble, and only make ufe of the eclipfe to frighten Fidele as part of the punifli- ment he fo amply deferved.
There was a prodigious number of people afTembled at the Shekh's door. The Jehaina had all come upon camels ; two or three of the principal ones were fitting with him and the Moullah. One of thefe, whom I did not know, but who had feen me at Ras el Feel, upon my approaching the Shekh, got up, took mc by the hand, and made a very re- fpedlfvil falutation. As he was a friend of Yafine, and Shekh el Nile, I never doubted from that minute that this was a contrivance of theirs in my favour.
The Moullah had alledged, that probably I had difpatch- ed fome intelligence to Yafine of my being detained, which had caufed him to make this reprifal ; but Shekh Fidele afliired them that he knew it to be impoffible, and that this feizure of the caravan mull have been occafioned by fome ill-ufage to the people belonging to Tchelga and Nara, the frontier villages to the weftward. In this the Shekh of Je- haina agreed ; for he had heard Ammonios mentioned, but nothing of Yafine. The Moullah was unconvinced, but aiked me, " Hakim, have you never fent a complaint to Yafine fince you came to Teawa ? tell me truly ; no harm feall befal you from it." " If I were not to tell you truly faid I, Shekh, I would not anfwer you at all. I am under no obligation to do it, nor am I under any fear. You are but at the beginning of this affair, and many will fuffer before I do." " Truly, fays the Moullah, but have you fent intelligence to Ras el Feel r" " No, no, fays Fidele, he had it not in his power ; nor is there a man in Teawa, that
3 D 2 durft 39^ TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
durft go on fuch an errand, it is fome diflurbance about Tchelga."
I EASILY perceived that the Moullah wanted me to con- fefs, which I Hkewife faw the ufe of myfelf. " I fent, faid I, melTengers from Teawa two feveral times. The firft, when Fidele pretended Yafme was to murder me in the defert ; the fecond, when he faid he had no camels ; and I alfo mentioned the piallres, and his intention to murder me." " Ammonios, fays black Soliman, and Yafinc, Nara, and Ras el Feel, all belong to Ay to Confu, and were given to Yagoube by him, for his maintenance all the time he was at Gondar. Ayto Confu and he are brothers ; they were together in the camp, llept together in the fame houfe; . they are brothers and more than brothei-s, for they fwore to each other, when we paiTed Tcherkin, upon the heart of the elephant * I fwear by our holy faith, that Confu will be down here himfclf ; what does he care for a journey of. two days T'
All now with one voice condemned Fidele, who had' not a word to fay, only, that if he knew the perfon who- carried that mcflage, he would cut off his head, if he was his brother. " But it is impoffiblc, fays the Shekh ; fliouldl not have known of the meffenger being abfent? impoffible i" Then turning to his fervant, faidj " Is Kutcho el Hybari h^re ? I have not feen him lately." — " Sir, fays he, you know you fent Kutcho to Mendera long before the Flakim ar- rived."
This is a Teryhorrid oath, full of nonfenfe, and vows of friendfhip and fecKCj. THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 397
?ived." — " True, fays Fidele, then it is impoffible." " Your meffengers and mine, laid I, Shekh, are not of the fame fort, nor fhall I afk your leave when I am to fend to Ras el Feel or Sennaar, nor fliall you ever cut off the head from any one of them. But why are you alarmed at thefe afles being taken ? Should you not be afraid of fome- thing fmiilar happening at Mecca ? Am not I under the prote6lion of the IherrifFe ? When Metical Aga hears this, will he not refent it ? Will Youfef Kabil, the Chriltian, the iherfiffe's vizir at Jidda, through whofe hands your people pafs, will he be gentler to them upon this account ?" — " A curfe upon him ! fays the flierriffe ; he gentle! he is a Ihark." " Meloun Ibn Sheitan, fays the Turk Ifmael, /; e. accurfed wretch, child of the devil !" — *' Well then, faid I, the diffi- culty is only to know if he is informed of this at Mecca. Friday the 1 7th is your feftival. If the afternoon of that lliall pafs like thofe of common days, I am a worthleis jnan and an impoftor ; but if on that day, before el'afTer*,, afign be feen in the heavens that fliall be thought by all of 3^ou unufual and extraordinary, then am I an innocent man, and Fi4ele's defigns againil me are known to the world, at Sennaar and at Mecca, at Cairo and at Gondar, and every- where elfe, and will not be pleafmg either to God or man." Yarif el Hakim f, fays the fherrilTe ; Hakim J ! fays the Shekh of the Jehaina ; Ullah Akbar || ! fays the Moullah-,, lifting his eyes up to heaven, and counting his beads very- devoutlv..
The-:
- El'afler is four, o'clock. f The Hakim, or wife man knows,
^ He is iadced wife. ||, God is gr^at. 398 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
The foretelling the fign feemed not at all to pleafe the Shekh, who appeared very much difconcerted with the fup- pofed invifibility of melTengers. I got up, having puflied my defign juil far enough. I then Ihook hands with the Shekh, faying, " I am glad to fee you don't want camels, alluding to the number I faw come with the Jehaina ; get your bouza made, and your provifions ready, you'll have flrangers with you foon." He faid only, " (Ullah Kerim!") /. e. God is merciful ; which was echoed by every mouth in the room. I faluted particularly the Shekh of the Jehaina, who had feen me at Ras el Feel, and I then went out of the room, leaving them all there, and going home very chear- ful, began to prepare for leaving Teawa, which v/e were fa- tisfied was now near at hand.
On the 14th, in the morning, the Moullah and flierriffe, with the Shekh of Bey la's fervant, and the old Kaiya Soli- man, came to fee our clocks and watches. They fat upon benches at the door and drank coffee, not caring to enter the houfe, I fuppofe, for fear of being defiled. As the old Kaiya was there, it was almoft impoHible to fpeak concern- ing our affairs, all was about our religion, and the manner in which a Derviili lived. All at once, a fervant behind cried out, " News from Sennaar !" and, prefently after, we faw three men ; one of whom was my fervant, whom I fent to Sennaar with the Daveina, who delivered to me a letter from Hagi Belal, informing me, that Mahomet Abou Calec, and Shekh Adelan, were both at a diftance from Sennaar, at the head of armies, and the king in the capital almoft alone, under great apprehenfions ; but as no mifchief had yet hap- pened, and the king had no force, it was hoped things might be made up. He added, that he thought it better to wait a ?s little. THE SOURCE OF THE NILE.
399
little, to get a fervant of Adelan to accompany the king's, than to triift to that one alone. Having communicated the contents of my letter to Shekh Fidele, and received his con- gratulations, they all left me,' and went to the Shekh to hear what fiu'ther news were brought to him. What I told him was confirmed ; and the Shekl having no longer any op- tion, declared his refolution to obey without further delay, and defired us to get ready for our journey.
It was told us, however, foon after, that the king's fer- vant who had arrived, whofe name was Mahomet, was a great friend of Shekh Fidele, and the ufual one lent to him at Teawa; and that he was a great driuikard, and reprobate. On the contrary, Adelan's fervant, though young, was a very gentle, fober perfon, a Have that had been given to A- delan by the Shekh of Beyla ; and he was very urgent for us to'depart. We foon faw the confequence of this differ- ence of manners; and that Shekh Fidele had not relinquifli- ed his view to the piaflres. For having tutored the king's fervant all night, and gained him to his interefl, he had, early in the morning of the 15th, declared that he was not to Itir from Teawa for a fortnight, and he was ordered to get the camels from fome diflance in Atbara, the place I do not remember. This difpleafed Adelan's fervant inuch, who declared before the afTembly, that he was determined to fet out the next day, that he knew not the orders the king had given, but he knew his mafters orders; and that if the Shekh did not furnilh him with cam.els, or oppofed our fetting our, he would take him with him to Adelan at Aira, or, upon his rcfufal to go, denounce him a rebel, and his mafler's enemy, and leave him to what would be the confequence. Upon this bold fpeech, every body left the
Shekh . Shekh, and went away, whispering, two and two together. The king's servant joined his companion, who told me to be ready, and fear nothing, for he would see me to-morrow night at Beyla.
About half an hour after my return home I was again called to the Shekh, who had only the Moullah and the old Kaiya sitting by him, with two short letters in his hand from Yasine, full of reproaches for his behaviour to me, and declaring with most solemn oaths, that if those letters found me at Teawa, or if I was not gone from thence in peace, be would, before a fortnight was elapsed, be down as an enemy upon Teawa; and unless the Daveina did engage to burn every stalk of corn between that and Beyla as soon as it was in the ear, he would shut Abyssinia against them, and that they should neither eat bread nor drink water in it as long as he was alive and governor of Ras el Feel. These letters mentioned a complaint likewise that had been sent to Shekh Adelan at Sennaar, but by whom they did not say, probably from Ayto Confu, complaining of Fidele's usage to me. Yasine's men, that brought the letters from Ras el Feel to Teawa, were said to be three in number, mounted on camels, or dromedaries, and armed with coats of mail and head-pieces. They refused to come into Teawa, to eat of Shekh Fidele's bread[1], or drink of his water, looking upon him as a declared enemy of Yasine, their master. Fidele with some difficulty at last allowed black Soliman to go to meet them, to persuade them to enter the town; but all to THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 401
no purpofe, for the only favour he could obtain was, that they fhould flay with the Jehaina at Jibbel IfriiF till they heard I was fairly fet out on my journey.
The next day, the i6th of April, I received a meflage from the Moullah, that the camels were all ready, that gir- bas for the water were wanting, but girbas fliould be found for me ; and he would give me his word they fhould be found filled at the river where I directed ; as alfo all forts of provifions and necefTaries to carry me to Beyla, to which place I fhould fet out the moment I pleafed ; only that I mufl not go from Teawa without making peace with the Shekh, and promifing to forgive him, and not make any complaint againfl him at Sennaar or elfewhere, provided he, on his part, gave over all further machinations againfl me. I anfwered, That however illufed, yet, for his fake, I would do any thing he wifhed me to do, and that I was ready to pacify Yafme, by writing to him by the return of his mefTengers. All was agreed, fo we packed up our baggage with the utmofl diligence.
On the 17th, in the forenoon, I was appointed to meet the Shekh at his own houfe, and told the Moullah I expect- ed he would have the camels ready. As we fufpefled, our girbas were infuflicient, and indeed we had found them fo when they lofl our water in the wood nearlmgellalib; we got three new ones from the Shekh in perfed good condition, and gave him our two in exchange, which were fomething larger than his. Each of thefe fkins are valued at 1 2 dol- lars, or about three pounds flerling. There is great art and labour required in making the feams water-tight ; they are Vol. IV. 3 E - all 402 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
all ilitched mofl dexteroufly, ftrongly greafed, and then laid over thick on the outfide with warm tar, and need conftant care and infpe^tion. About nine o'clock we went to the Shckh, and entered prefently upon bufinefs. I engaged to pacify Yafine, whofe fervants, upon my meflage, came to town to fee me depart, and were kindly received and cloathed by the Shekh. A large breakfafl was ordered; Fi- dele and I, with Yafine's fervants, ate together of feveral very good diflies. The two holy men, and another ftran- ger equally holy, ate together out of a feparate plate ; af-' ter which we all flood up, and faid the prayer of peace, and I took my leave. We all then went out together into the market-place, and eight camels were ordered down to my houfe, with people to wait upon them.
The girbas, which lay filled and foaking at the river- fide, were ready to be loaded upon our camels. A fervant of the Kaiya held my horfc, which had been taken from me by Fidele foon after my arriving at Teawa, but which was now reflored me. My fervant who came from Sen-- naar had indeed told me that no horfes would live there ; that thofe that were neceflary for the troops of the govern- ment were all kept at a diflance from Sennaar, and main- tained at Aira, or places in the fand at a fmall diflance, but free from the plague of the fly. The Shekh made no ob- fervation upon this. I faid, The horfe is a very excellent one, and I will now fhew him to you. I fent for a fhort double- barrelled gun, threw off my burnoofe, and mounting the horfe, made him do every thing he was capable of, put- ting him to his full fpeed, firing to right and left on each fide of him.
3 They THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 403
They were all flruck with amazement, and with a kind of terror. They had never before feen a gun fired on horfe- back, much lefs a gun fired twice without charging. I did not want to .explain the matter to them ; and, as far as I could perceive, the Moullah efpecially was very glad when I fent it home. " This is the way, faid I, that my countrymen ride, and the way they fight ; no people on earth underftand fire-arms or horfemanfliip like them. For my part, I am a man of peace, a Dervifh, and no fol- dier ; it is not my profeiTion, and I do the thing aukward- ly. If you faw fome of our foldiers ride, it would be a fight indeed." Fidele laughed, or counterfeited a laugh, but being a foldier, it was his part to fay fomething. " If many of your countrymen like you were here, man of peace as you are, imlefs they were friends to us they would get all Atbara to themfelves. If they were friends, fays he, I think I could do fomething with them ; that horfe feems to have the fenfe of a man."—" Such as he is, faid I, dif- mounting, a prince gave him to me, and fuch as he is I now give him to you, as a proof that I am your friend, and that I fliould not grudge you a few paltry piafters, if I had not been under a vow of poverty ; money is of no kind of value to me, and confequently not carried a- bout with me." The horfe was gladly received, though, as I was going to Sennaar, where no horfes are kept, the compliment was a cheap one on my part.
" How could you, Fidele, fays the Moullah in great fur- prife, have it in your heart to torment fuch a man as this ? I told you what he was, our books fpeak of them : ihey are not Kafrs, but fpend all their lives in wandering over the'
3 E 2 face 404 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
face of the earth in fearch of wifdom, and are always to do fo till Hagiuge Magiuge come, and then there will be an end of the world." I jnade a bow of aflent to the Moul- lah, and all the reft turned up their eyes to heaven in wonder of fo much learning, repeating their ufual ejacu- lation, " Ullah Akbar!" God is great. I now took my leave of them, and was going home, when the younger Iherriffe called after me, and faid, " I fuppofe, now you are all at peace, we fliall not fee the fign that you foretold us was to appear in the heavens to-day," " I fhould be thought a liar if it did not appear, faid I ; do you wifh to fee it ?" — " I wifli to fee it, fays he, if it will do no harm." — " Then, replied I, you fhall fee it, and it Ihall do no harm now. I hope it will bring health and happinefs, and a good crop to Teawa, and all the kingdom of Sennaar. Ga home, while I order my affairs. Something more than two hours after this I will come to you, and it will then appear. They all went away, and, as I thought by their looks, they would have been better fatisfied that affair had; been forgot, the Shekh faying peevifhly to the fherriffe^ " Let him mind his affairs and his journey ; what is the; vfe of thefe things now ?"
I HAD redlified my watch by obfervation. I knew 1 could not be far wrong, having fccn in the ephemerides. the hour the echpfe was to begin. I pafTed a corner of the Shekh's houfe, and went in at the back-door. He was there with his ufual friends, the Moullah, the fherrifte, the Kaiya, and one or two more. The flierriffe afke'd me where the fign would appear ; and the Moullah, if there would be any thunder and lightning ? I told them there would be nothing difagreeable at all.. I went to the door,,
aad THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 405
and faw it was begun. There was to be a total eclipfe of the moon. I did not tell them at firft, till it had advanced fome way, and was apparent upon the dillc. " Now ! look at thar, faid I ; in feme time after this the moon fhall be fo total- ly fwallowed up in darknefs, that a fmall light fliall only be fcen in the edges." They were frightened at the denuncia- tion, ratlier than at any thing they obferved, till a little be- fore the eclipfe became total. A violent apprehenfion then fell upon them all ; and the women from their apartments began to howl as they do on all melancholy occafions of misfortune, or death. They were in the inner fquare. " Now, continued I, I have kept my word ; it will foon be clear again, and will do no harm to man or beaft."
It was agreed among them that I fhould not go home till it was totally at an end. I confented to this ; and only faid to the Shekh, that I wifhed he would let me fee my pa- tients before I went away, for that one of them was really ill, and needed advice. He feemed to take it very kindly, and defired me to go' in. I was met in the anti- chamber by Aifcach, and two or three black flaves, who cried out in great terror, " O! Hakim ! what is this ! what are you going to do!" " I am going to do, Madam, faid I, one of the mofl difagreeable things I ever did in my life ; I am going to take leave of you." I was immediately furrounded with a number of women, fome of them crying, fome of them with children in their arms. I went into the room where the two ladies were, whom I quieted and fatisfied to the utmoft of my power. We parted with reciprocal profcffions of friendfliip and regret at feparation. I then begged that I might fee their flave, who ufed to bring us meat, with a clean cloth, to wrap up fomething I had for them. They A teld 4o6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
told me, Sennaar was but a bad place for white people; but promifed to fend recommendations in my favour, both to Adelan and the king's women, by Adelan's fervant, who was to conduct us.
When I returned to the Shekh, the emerfion was far ad- vanced, and they all feemed to be regaining their compo- fure, though ftrong marks of furprife remained in their countenances. After a little converfation, turning chiefly upon Hagiuge Magiuge, and their filly flories about them, which I fhall not repeat, I took my leave, and went home, renewing my affurances that all was forgotten.
At night, the flave came and brought a clean cotton cloth. I fent a piece of thin India yellow fatin, andfixhand- fome crimfon and green handkerchiefs, to the beautiful Aifcach ; and, to the bell of my power, difcharged all our obligations to thofe that were our friends and had been kind to us.
In a country fo defert, and exceedingly poor as Teawa, binder fuch a government, it is not to be expelled that trade of any kind fhould flourilh ; yet there is a miferable ma- nufacT:ure of coarfe cotton cloths of the fize of large towels, juft enough to go round the middle, which pafs current, like fpecie, all over Atbara : They are called Dimoor, and are ufed in place of fmall filver money. The Mahalac, a very bad copper coin, pafTes for fmaller matters ; fo that the currency of Teawa Hands thus : —
20 Mahalac, i Crufh, 12 Crufh, I Metical,
4 Metical, i Vakia.
The
The wakia of gold is worth about forty-five shillings; but the only commerce of Teawa is carried on by exchange, as salt for grain, camels for salt; the value of goods varying according to the scarcity or plenty of one sort of commodities with respect to the other.
The reader will, I believe, by this, be as desirous to get out of Teawa as I was; and if so, it is charity in time to deliver him. I took leave of the Shekh on the 18th in the morning; but before we could get all ready to depart it was five in the afternoon. The day had been immoderately hot, and we had resolved to travel all night, though we did not say so to the Shekh, who advised us to sleep at Imgededema, where there was fresh water. But we had taken a girba of water with us, or rather, in case of accident, a little in each of the three girbas; and all being ready on the river-side, except the king's servant, we set out, and he overtook us in less than two hours afterwards, pretty well refreshed with the Shekh's bouza, and strongly prejudiced against us, as we had occasion to discover afterwards. {{{1}}}
- ↑ This refusal among the Arabs is a declaration of the most deadly enmity.