Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa : $b Including accounts of Tripoli, the Sahara, the remarkable kingdom of Bornu, and the countries around Lake ChadBarth, Heinrich
History
Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa : $b Including accounts of Tripoli, the Sahara, the remarkable kingdom of Bornu, and the countries around Lake Chad
Barth, Heinrich
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel
The sun that I had half longed for, half looked forward to with terror,
at last rose. My condition, as the heat went on increasing, became more
dreadful; and I crawled around, changing every moment my position,
in order to enjoy the little shade afforded by the leafless branches
of the tree. About noon there was of course scarcely a spot of shade
left—only enough for my head—and I suffered greatly from the pangs of
thirst, although I sucked a little of my blood till I became senseless,
and fell into a sort of delirium, from which I only recovered when the
sun went down behind the mountains. I then regained some consciousness,
and crawled out of the shade of the tree, throwing a melancholy glance
over the plain, when suddenly I heard the cry of a camel. It was the
most delightful music I ever heard in my life; and raising myself a
little from the ground, I saw a mounted Tarki passing at some distance
from me, and looking eagerly around. He had found my footsteps in the
sandy ground, and losing them again on the pebbles, was anxiously
seeking traces of the direction I had taken. I opened my parched mouth,
and crying, as loud as my faint strength allowed, “Áman, áman” (Water,
water), I was rejoiced to get for answer “Íwah! íwah!” and in a few
moments he sat at my side, washing and sprinkling my head, while I broke
out involuntarily into an uninterrupted strain of “El hamdu lilláhi! el
hamdu lilláhi!”
Having thus first refreshed me, and then allowed me a draught, which,
however, I was not able to enjoy, my throat being so dry, and my fever
still continuing, my deliverer, whose name was Musa, placed me upon his
camel, mounted himself in front of me, and brought me to the tents. They
were a good way off. The joy of meeting again, after I had been already
despaired of, was great; and I had to express my sincere thanks to my
companions, who had given themselves so much trouble to find me. But I
could speak but little at first, and could scarcely eat anything for the
next three days, after which I gradually recovered my strength. It is,
indeed, very remarkable how quickly the strength of a European is broken
in these climes, if for a single day he be prevented from taking his
usual food. Nevertheless I was able to proceed the next day (the 17th),
when we kept more towards the slope of the Akakús, and here passed a
broad lateral valley, rich in herbage, called Ádar-n-jelkum, after which
we descended about a hundred feet, from the pebbly ground into sandy soil
forming a sort of valley called Ighelfannís, and full of ethel-trees and
sebót. In such a locality we encamped two hours after noon, near splendid
ethel-trees; but the strong north-easterly wind, enveloping ourselves and
baggage in thick clouds of sand, banished all enjoyment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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