Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1: Under the Orders and at the Expense of Her Majesty's GovernmentRichardson, James
History
Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1: Under the Orders and at the Expense of Her Majesty's Government
Richardson, James
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel; Richardson, James, 1806-1851
What fantastic forms did the rock assume to-day! Now its pinnacles
bristled up like a forest of pines; now there seemed to rise the forms
of castles and houses, and even groups of human beings. All this is
black sandstone--hideously black, unlovely, unsociable, savage-looking.
'Tis a mere wilderness of rock, thrown in heaps about, with valleys, or
trenches, or crevices, through which the caravan slowly winds. This is
our first cloudy day. May we have many such! We feel little of the sun's
power, although there is little or no wind. We must have reached a
considerable elevation.
I begin to find it necessary to keep a tight rein over our servants,
otherwise our encampment and party would always be in disorder. Mohammed
Tunisee is a very impertinent fellow at times, and is capable of
spoiling all the others. This evening I gave the Kailouees and their
servants a treat of coffee, which much delighted them. Amongst the rest
was En-Noor's servant. We get on very well with them for the present.
_30th._--We made five hours of very difficult road, winding nearly all
the way through a ravine of the rocky plateau, and finally descended by
a precipitous path, among some rocks, to a small lake or pool enclosed
within immense cliffs of rock, called the Egheree Water. It is produced
solely by rain. Within ten minutes of this, between the cliffs, is
another three times the size, and of the same origin. All about,
moreover, there are little pools of water sparkling amongst the rocks,
left by the recent rain. We encamped in a narrow wady, called Ajunjer,
further on; and propose to remain during the rest of the day and
to-morrow. It has been cool to-day, with wind; the sky clear, of a deep
blue. In the rocky valley we observed a species of hedge-thorn, called
jadāree; also many of the fine large-leafed plants, called baranbakh;
and the sweet-smelling sheeah, that reminded us of home-lavender.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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