Page:First Footsteps in East Africa, 1894 - Volume 2.djvu/263

 Sharmarkay's house, and finally he arrived at Aden on Friday the 25th February, 1842. He concludes the narrative of his adventure as follows.) "It is due to myself that I should offer some explanation for the rough manner in which this report is drawn up. On leaving Shoa the Caffilah people marked with a jealous eye that I seemed to number the slaves and camels, and Deeni reported to me that they had observed my making entries in my note-book. Whenever the Bedoos on the road caught sight of a piece of paper, they were loud in their demands for it. [4] Our marches were so rapid that I was scarcely allowed time sufficient to prepare for the fatigues of the ensuing day, and experience had taught me the necessity of keeping a vigilant watch. [5] Aware that Government must be anxious for information from the 'Mission,' I performed the journey in a shorter space of time than any messenger, however highly paid, has yet done it, and for several days lived on coffee and parched grain. Moreover, on arrival at Aden, I was so weak from severe illness that I could write but at short intervals. "It will not, I trust, be considered that the alteration in my route was caused by trivial circumstances. It would have been absurd to have remained with the Bedoos without an interpreter: there would have been daily disputes and misunderstandings, and I had already sufficient insight into the character of Datah Mahomed to perceive that his avarice was insatiable. Supposing I had passed through his hands, there was the chief of Bedar, who, besides expecting much more than I had given to Datah Mahomed, would, it is almost certain, eventually have forwarded me to Tajoorah. Finally, if I can believe the innumerable reports of the people, both at Tajoorah and Zalaya, neither I myself nor my servants would ever have passed through the kingdom of Hurrur. The jealousy of the prince against foreigners is so great that, although he would not injure them within the limits of his own dominions, he would cause them to waylaid and murdered on the road."

FOOTNOTES [1] Thus in the original. It may be a mistake, for Captain Barker is, I am informed, a proficient in conversational Arabic. [2] This chief was the Emir Abubakr, father of Ahmed: the latter was ruling when I entered Harar in 1855. [3] As the youth gave perfect satisfaction, he received, besides the ten dollars, a Tobe and a European saddle, "to which he had taken a great fancy." [4] In these wild countries every bit of paper written over is considered to be a talisman or charm. [5] A sergeant, a corporal, and a Portuguese cook belonging to Captain Harris's mission were treacherously slain near Tajoorah at night. The murderers were Hamid Saborayto, and Mohammed Saborayto, two Dankalis of the Ad All clan. In 1842 they seem to have tried a ruse de guerre upon M. Rochet, and received from him only too mild a chastisement. The ruffians still live at Juddah (Jubbah ?) near Ambabo.