CHAPTER XXIV.

A LION NEAR THE CAMP—THE MONKS OF CHARDAMBA—WE MEET ALI DHEEN PASHA, GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE SOUDAN—ARRIVAL AT KEREN, OR SANH?T—THE PRIESTS AT KEREN—ACCOUNT OF KEREN—MERISSA—DRA, A DOMESTIC SLAVE, MADE FREE—DESCENT FROM SANH?T TO THE ANSEBA VALLEY—THE BIRDS THERE—ALONG THE RIVER-BED OF THE LABAK—A BIG MARCH—MASSAWA—FAREWELL TO CAMELS—MASSAWA TO SOU?KIN—TAKE IN CARGO—FAREWELL TO THE SOUDAN—ARRIVAL AT SUEZ.

April 9th.—About 9 o’clock we were off again, halting at 5.30 p.m. at Adatur, on the River Bogoo. A fine leopard and hy?na were shot last night. About 9 p.m., whilst I was writing my diary, alone in camp, the others having gone out in search of lions, a native came up to me, whispering, “Asset, asset, howaga” (a lion, a lion, sir). It was a lovely moonlight night, so light that I could see to[299] read or write distinctly. I looked on to the river-bed in the direction indicated by the Arab, and there, 40 yards off, I plainly saw a noble-looking lion. I was not long in obtaining a rifle from my tent, and following him up the river-bed; but to no purpose, as he was too far off to risk a shot at him. Finally he turned off into a large palm grove on the opposite side, where, of course, I did not follow him. I am told that about 14 years ago all this neighbourhood belonged to Abyssinia, but now belongs to Egypt. From this spot, not very far off, we noticed a most precipitous mountain, called Chardamba, in Abyssinia; it is almost inaccessible, and can only be ascended by taking off one’s shoes and stockings, on account of the smoothness of the stones, at least, so Mr. Phillipps says. He and some of his party had the curiosity to climb it last year, and nearly got killed by stones being rolled down on them, for on the very summit of this mountain dwell some monks who have quite eschewed the pomps and vanities of this world. Many of them are withered, shrivelled old fellows who have lived there without once coming down for the space of 30 or 40 years, and, to all appearance, are one or two hundred years old. They possess a deep well, a chapel, each one a separate apartment or den, and they grow a little dhurra.

The next day we marched from 7.30 a.m. until[300] 5.30 p.m., encamping at Ashdera. On the road we met, about 1 p.m., Ali Dheen Pasha, the Governor-General of the Soudan (who succeeded Ali Riza Pasha, a most unpopular governor). He was coming from Massawa, and, I believe, going on to Kassala. We had a very long pow-wow with him. He informed us that our Abyssinian affair had created quite a sensation in Cairo, that the Minister of the Interior had telegraphed to him asking if we were safe, and that the Mudir of Kassala had been dismissed for not sending soldiers with us, which, by the way, was not his fault, for we would not have them. The palace at Massawa was built by Gordon Pasha when Governor of the Soudan. This Ali Dheen kindly placed at our disposal, until a boat could take us to Suez.

On the 10th April a march of about 10 miles only brought us to Keren, or Sanh?t. Soon after our arrival Réschid Pasha sent an officer, whom Ali Dheen Pasha had sent on, to inquire if we had arrived safe, and were comfortable. From here we sent telegrams to Massawa respecting boats to Suez. Although our journey was a short distance, it took us a considerable time to accomplish it. I should think, for about the distance of a mile, we traversed a most precipitous ascent in a zig-zag fashion; this was not far from Keren. On reaching[301] the summit we found ourselves in quite a different kind of country. We soon paid a visit to the priests at Keren, who have an excellent garden. They kindly sent us some fine cabbages leeks, carrots, potatoes, and lettuce. As we had not seen anything of this kind for months they were, of course, a great luxury for dinner in the evening. In the afternoon the army doctor (who could speak French tolerably well) called on me, and as I had almost finished my campaign I gave him the greater part of the contents of my medicine chest. In the afternoon the tom-toms were set going, accompanied by the peculiar trilling note of the women, to express their joy at our arrival. They had heard that we had all been killed by the Abyssinians, our men also, many of whom came from here—Ali Bacheet, Dra, Girgas, and Mahomet Zanzimeer. The latter was thus called because he generally attended to our zanzimeers when we arrived in or started from camp. Pere Picard and another priest dined with us in the evening. After dinner about 60 children, well clothed, nice and clean, from their schools, came to witness the mysteries of the magic lantern; not only they, but Réschid Pasha, with a number of officers, came also, and were much pleased. When they took their departure rockets, together with red and blue fires, were let off.

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Keren, or Sanh?t, is the capital and only town of Bogos. It is 4,469 feet above the level of the sea, on the edge of the highlands of Abyssinia, and on one side of a table-land, about four miles long by two broad, surrounded by hills. Being situated in such a high position, it is healthy at all times of the year.

This elevated plateau has for its southern boundary the Abyssinian mountains, which come down to within about two miles of the town, which is built just outside the gates of the fort, and consists of two short, broad streets of very poor Greek stores, and some clusters of Abyssinian houses and Arab huts.

About a mile distant across the plateau is the French monastery. With the exception of the Pasha’s residence, the monastery and its adjacent buildings are the only respectable-looking habitations there. They have an Amharic printing press for publishing Bibles in the native tongue, schools for educating Abyssinian boys for the priesthood, also for the education of girls. When I was there, about four priests and a few sisters fed, clothed, lodged, and educated upwards of 80 boys and 50 girls. They had a good schoolroom, chapel, dormitories, pharmacy, and harmonium, which latter one of the sisters play. The children, who looked very[303] clean and orderly, sang very nicely a hymn in French for our especial benefit. These priests print, bind books, have carpenter’s and blacksmith’s shops, a dairy, vegetable garden, and appear to be a very useful community, exercising, I should say, a great deal of self-denial by residing in such a place as they do. They cannot certainly have a very festive time of it, for the Egyptian authorities regard them as spies, while, on the other hand, the Abyssinians, who distrust them, will not allow them into their country. I must speak of these priests as I found them. None of us were Roman Catholics, but they behaved with very great kindness to us; and we must award them a great degree of credit for the civilizing influence they exercised amongst these waifs and strays. The thought that occurred to me was that if Roman Catholic priests could be doing all this good, why not English missionaries also? There is generally a garrison of about 1,000 soldiers at Keren. There is scarcely any trade, as merchants will not risk their lives and goods, knowing the hostility of the Abyssinians, who are anxious for the recovery of Keren and the lost province of Bogos, added to which the Egyptian policy is to isolate Abyssinia, thereby preventing the importation of arms and ammunition for King John’s army. The Beni-Amirs and other neighbouring tribes, who are[304] all owners of large herds, on which they wholly subsist, are the Egyptian subjects. Fuel is scarce, as it has to be brought from the Anseba valley, four miles distant. Water also has to be brought from a distance, but there is a well inside the fort which supplies the garrison. Dhurra is dear, as the continual dread of Abyssinian raids prevents people from cultivating, also from building decent houses. There are no camels, and very few horses and mules.

MOUNTAIN PASS NEAR KEREN OR SANHêT

I once tasted at Kassala a kind of beer made from dhurra, called merissa, and thought it exceptionally nasty. It is probably the same as that mentioned by Herodotus, and is in common use in the Soudan and Upper Egypt. I was again induced by a native, who thought he would be attentive to me for some little professional attendance I had given to taste this vile liquid. Thinking, perhaps, it might not be so nauseous as my last dose, I drank some, and acted like a stoic and philosopher, for I did not exhibit any outward and visible sign of the rebellious feelings taking place within. But “no matter;” I mentally resolved that in whatever part of the Soudan I might at some future time find myself, I would never again degrade my esophagus by allowing any merissa to glide down it, for I would just as soon have taken[305] one of my own vile black draughts, and infinitely have preferred a bottle of Bass’s pale ale. I have no hesitation in saying that if merissa—a very euphonious name, so much like Nerissa—was the usual beverage in England, the Blue Ribbon Army would find in me a very ardent supporter, as it is more unpalatable, thick stuff than schliva (a Bosnian drink, made from the juice of prunes, possessing a strong asaf?tida flavour). Merissa is made from dhurra, which is allowed to germinate in the sun, then reduced to flour by hand-mills. This, again, is converted into dough, boiled, and left to ferment. I hope that if I ever again pollute my lips with merissa—not Nerissa—I may be served in the same way, that is, that I may germinate in the sun, be ground into powder, made into a pulp, boiled, and allowed to ferment.

To-day a circumstance occurred in camp, illustrative of a curious custom existing in the Soudan. Dra, who has been with us as a native servant ever since we left Kassala, is, we find, a slave. Some altercation took place this morning between Dra and another native, when the latter called him a slave. This excited Dra’s anger to such an extent that he talked about knifeing his accuser. However, Messrs. James and Co. enquired into the matter, and found that he was what they call a[306] slave—what we should call a domestic slave or bondsman—and that it came about in this way—Dra’s father had, some time ago, “pinched” a cow, i.e., purloined it. He was ordered to pay back two within a month; failed to do so. The fine was then doubled every month, until he owed about a hundred cows. As there was just about as much probability of his being able to pay his fines as there would be of my paying the National Debt, he and all his children and children’s children became bondsmen and bondswomen of the creditor. Should Dra, who was single, desire to marry, he would find it difficult, under such circumstances, to obtain a wife; but should he succeed in doing so, and children be born to him, all the males would be slaves, and the females compelled to become public women. This little matter was talked over in the evening at the dinner table, when it was ascertained that his freedom could be secured by the payment of 35 dollars, which my colleagues gave to the priests to effect his freedom with. They say that papers will have to be made out and signed by the Pasha at Keren, and that on payment of the 35 dollars he will be free. A man then goes round the town with a trumpet, and proclaims the fact in all directions. This, I am told, is quite typical of the system in vogue here.

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On the 11th of April, at 11 a.m., we were once more on the road to Massawa, encamping at 5 p.m. at Gubana. Ere we left Keren a donation in aid of the schools was given by the party, and the priests very kindly sent us a sack of potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. As we had been without fresh vegetables so long, these were really quite a treat. We descended from Sanh?t into the Anseba valley. About a mile from the town, in the lowlands, were the gardens of the priests, full of vegetables, growing in the most luxuriant manner. The trees, too, flourished, and were covered with beautiful green foliage. Here, on reaching the river-bed, we found a little water actually on the surface.

April 12th.—To-day we travelled 10 hours through quite a different kind of country to what we have lately been accustomed. A great variety of lovely plumaged birds are abundant in the Anseba valley. Even the doves here are tinged with bright yellow, green and blue. I managed to secure some specimens of them, the brilliant plumaged rollo-birds, paroquets, and a fine eagle. Soon after starting our route lay up the side of a frightfully precipitous mountain. The ascent was made by a most tortuous pathway, where in very many places the camels walked on the brink of a fearful abyss. Having at last reached the summit[308] of this mountain in safety, our descent was made by an equally horrible pathway, after which we travelled for the greater part of our journey along a dry river-bed, surrounded on each side by steep, precipitous mountains covered with large cactus trees in full bloom, and gaunt, leafless, but enormous baobob trees, and, of course, the never-to-be-forgotten prickly mimosas, but I saw much less gum arabic exuding from them there than I did in the Basé country. Large tamarisk trees, also, were numerous. The branches of all kinds of trees lay scattered about in the greatest profusion, the natives having chopped them off for the goats, sheep, and cows to feed on.

On the 13th April, another 10 hours’ march brought us to Kalamet, where we pitched our tents for the night, having travelled through very wild and picturesque scenery, the greater part of the distance being along the river-bed of the Labak. Water was very near to, and in some places on, the surface. For a distance of about two miles we journeyed along a very deep pass; on either side of us extremely rugged, lofty, precipitous crags, clothed with cactus trees and other bushes, through which we occasionally discerned jackals and wild goats peeping at us with astonishment. Scarcely[309] any birds of any description were seen this day. The pass, I believe, is called El Ain; a representation of it appeared some months ago in the Graphic. Our camping and marching, like Bedouin Arabs, is now nearly at an end, for in another day or two we expect to reach Massawa, once more set our eyes on the Red Sea, and a steamer, don decent apparel, and return to civilized life.

Our next day, April 14th, was occupied in marching to near Kamfar, a distance of about 27 miles. This was an easy road for the camels, as the greater part of the distance was along level ground, covered with mimosas, more like the desert near Souakin. We came across a few jackals, ariels, gazelles, falcons, and extremely beautiful diminutive sun-birds, so small that they ought to be shot with sand.

April 16th.—At 7.30 a.m. we once more, and for the last time, mounted our camels, and made a good march of about 32 miles, arriving at Massawa at 8.30 p.m. Some of our Arabs had never before had an opportunity of seeing the Red Sea; now that they did, their delight seemed great. We should not have made such a long march to-day but that a messenger had been sent from Massawa to meet us with the information that an Italian[310] steamer (Rubattino line) would be leaving on the morrow, and that if we missed that we might, perhaps, have to wait two or three weeks ere we should get another. However, we did not intend to wait, for we should have chartered a stambouk from there to Aden, there catching a P. and O. boat for Suez.

Massawa, the principal sea-port of Abyssinia, is on a small barren coral island in the Red Sea, about a mile long, by 400 yards broad, at the northern extremity of the Bay of Arkeeko. It is connected with the mainland by a causeway a mile in length, built across the shallow water. There are barracks and huts for about 1,000 soldiers. It is badly off for water. This has to be carried two miles to the town. The town is built partly of stone and coral, but most of the houses are constructed of poles and bent grass, and surrounded by a reed fence. The most considerable buildings are the mosques, the houses of the traders, and a few warehouses, which are built of coral, and the bazaar.

The surrounding country is little cultivated, and industry paralysed by fear of raids by the Abyssinians. But little trade is done with the Soudan; formerly a brisk trade was done with slaves, and[311] that seems likely to be the case again. Most of the imports come from Abyssinia. They are grain, gold, cotton, manufactures, glass-wares, spices, arms, cutlery, hides, butter, wines and spirits. Principal exports, rhinoceros-horns, gold, ivory, honey and wax.

As usual, vexatious export and import duties are imposed by Egypt. No guns or powder are allowed to be imported. There are very few camels, and horses and mules are scarce and dear. The population has been estimated at about 4,000. The island is dependent on Egypt, and is ruled by a governor appointed by the Khedive. The chief inhabitants of Massawa are a few Greeks and Italians, an Italian and French Consul, one Englishman, and a small colony of Banians, through whose hands almost all the trade passes.

On arriving at Massawa I took my leave of camel riding, and cannot say I was sorry, having ridden, probably about 2,000 miles on caravan camels, which roared at me when I mounted them, roared when I dismounted, roared if I passed them, and roared if I looked at them. My knickerbockers were just about done for, and I should not like to say how many hours I had spent in repairing them, on two occasions, with a girba cut[312] up. The Bey soon put in an appearance; had a bit of a pow-wow; gave us coffee and cigarettes, then showed us to the palace, where we had our camp-beds once more unfolded.

April 17th.—So much had to be done to-day—paying servants, selling camels, and tents, &c., that we found it impossible to get away. Word to this effect was sent to the Italian steamer, so the Captain has postponed his departure until to-morrow. Abdullah, a negro, who had always seen to getting my camel ready, helping to pitch and take down my tent, and otherwise proved a faithful henchman, presented me with his spear, and kissed my hand. I rewarded him with a small pin-fire revolver, 50 cartridges, a good knife, a razor, two dollars, and my knickerbockers. His delight was unbounded, possibly at receiving the last-named unmentionables. I am told that at an island near here a considerable pearl fishery is carried on, and that at another island close by large quantities of fine melons are grown.

THE CAUSEWAY AT MASSAWAH.

At 8.15 a.m. the next morning we took our leave of the Soudan. The Bey had received orders to pay us every attention. He accordingly sent a gunboat, manned by sailors of the navy, with an officer, and we were at once rowed off to our[313] steamer, bound for Suez. In the evening of the next day, at 5.30 p.m., we anchored at Souakin. I and two others went ashore and spent the evening with Mr. Bulay (who was always most kind and obliging), returning to the ship at 10.30 p.m. All sorts of dreadful reports about the attack of the Dembelas on us had reached him, which, fortunately, were not true. Other startling news he gave us, such as that the Queen had been again shot at; that Arabi Pasha was getting a power in the State, and that the Khedive was likely to be dethroned, and Arabi substituted.

About an hour before we dropped anchor at Souakin some of our boxes arrived from Kassala. We are likely to remain here two or three days taking in cargo. The day before we left Souakin a French Consul and two American gentlemen (a doctor and missionary, who were at Shepheard’s Hotel in November last at the same time that we were), came on board. They had been to the White Nile. We have quite a menagerie on board—parrots, paroquets, tiger-cats, jackals, monkeys, baboons, extraordinary looking geese, two enormous tortoises, and other animals. We took on board a good many cattle for Suez, and left the Soudan for[314] good at 9 a.m. next day, April 22nd, arriving, after a very pleasant, but warm voyage, at Suez about 3 a.m. At 8 we went ashore and breakfasted at the Suez Hotel. Of course Mr. Clarke, the excellent and obliging manager of this hotel, related the usual tale of our horrible massacre, &c.