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
At last, about five o'clock P.M., Dr. Overweg appeared. He had
experienced great thirst and fatigue; but, having the assistance of
Amankee, he got back safe. He at once confessed his fears for Dr. Barth.
I began to think this gentleman must either have gone to Ghât, or that
some accident had befallen him. Soon, indeed, we began to have gloomy
apprehensions, and to talk seriously of a search. The Tuaricks were not
very civil, and Hateetah threw all the responsibility of the safety of
my fellow-travellers on me. Dr. Overweg and several people went out in
search of Dr. Barth just before sunset.
Night closed in; no appearance of our friend. I hoisted a lamp on the
top of the ethel, and made large fires as the sun went down, in hopes
that their glare might be seen at a distance from the Kasar. Our
servants returned without Dr. Overweg. He had promised to be back by
sunset, and I began to fear some accident had befallen him likewise.
The evening grew late, and Hateetah came to me, in a very nervous state,
to inquire after the Germans. I endeavoured to compose him by telling
him the responsibility was on us, and not on him. Dr. Overweg returned
at midnight. He had thrown into the desert various pieces of paper, on
which was written the direction of our encampment from the Kasar. We
were very uneasy, and slept little, as may be imagined; but before we
retired for the night Hateetah arranged a general search for the
morning.
Next morning, accordingly, at daybreak (16th), the search was commenced,
by two camels scouring the environs of the desert. Dr. Overweg went with
one of the parties, but returned at noon, bringing no news of Dr. Barth.
Amankee with his party had, however, seen his footsteps towards the
north. This was most important, as it directed our attention that way,
and we thought no more of his having gone to Ghât. We now calculated
that our companion had been twenty-four hours without a drop of water, a
gale of hot wind blowing all the time! Dr. Overweg proposed to me that
we should offer a considerable reward, as the last effort. He mentioned
twenty, but I increased the sum to fifty dollars. This set them all to
work, and a Tuarick with a maharee volunteered to search. I found it
necessary, however, to give him two dollars for going, besides the
proffered reward; he left at two P.M., and all the people were sent off
by Hateetah a couple of hours after him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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