First Footsteps in East AfricaBurton, Richard Francis, Sir
History
First Footsteps in East Africa
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Harar -- Description and travel; Harari language; Horn of Africa -- Description and travel
"The mules and camels having had their morning feed, we set out at about
10 A.M. on Monday the 24th for the village of Datah Mahomed, he having
invited the Caffilah's people and ourselves to partake of his hospitality
and be present at his marriage festivities. The place is situated about
half a mile to the E. N. E. of the lake; it consists of about sixty huts,
surrounded by a thorn fence with separate enclosures for the cattle. The
huts are formed of curved sticks, with their ends fastened in the ground,
covered with mats, in shape approaching to oval, about five feet high,
fifteen feet long, and eight broad. Arrived at the village, we found the
elders seated under the shade of a venerable Acacia feasting; six bullocks
were immediately slaughtered for the Caffilah and ourselves. At sunset a
camel was brought out in front of the building and killed--the Bedoos are
extremely fond of this meat. In the evening I had a long conversation with
Datah Mahomed, who said, 'My son! you have as yet given me nothing. The
Wallasena gave me everything. My horse has been stolen--I want a mule and
much cloth.' Deeni replied for me that the mules were presents from the
king (Sahala Salassah) to the Governor of Aden: this the old man would not
believe. I told him that I had given him the horse and Tobe, but he
exclaimed, 'No, no! my son; the Wallasena is our father; he told me that
he had given them to me, and also that you would give me great things when
you arrived at my village. My son! the Wallasena would not lie.' Datah was
then called away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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