Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa, Vol. 1 (of 5) : $b being a journal of an expedition undertaken under the auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the years 1849-1855Barth, Heinrich
History
Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa, Vol. 1 (of 5) : $b being a journal of an expedition undertaken under the auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the years 1849-1855
Barth, Heinrich
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel
The talha-trees continued; but the herbage was principally limited to
resú, an herb which has a very strong taste, and is not relished by
camels for any length of time. The green strip took an irregular,
winding course, sometimes approaching the sand-hills which we had always
on our left at a certain distance, sometimes keeping more to our right;
and Músa, our grave but cheerful camel-driver, dwelt in terms of the
highest praise on the great superiority of this wadi, which he said is
joined by as many as a hundred smaller branches. It evidently forms the
natural highroad between Fezzán and the western desert, and about a
month ago must have exhibited a more varied aspect, enlivened as it then
was by a considerable torrent sweeping along it. In the afternoon we saw
several spots where the eddying stream had formed itself a bed about
five feet deep, and had turned up the ground all around; the crust of
mire which covered the bed of the torrent had not yet dried. We encamped
on a pleasant spot called Hamáwa, without pitching our tent, so
delighted were we to enjoy the fresh air of the desert. Here we were
joined by a man from Tasáwa, who wanted to seize a debtor, who had
attached himself to Bóro’s party in order to make his escape into
Sudán—a practice very common with the people of Fezzán.
By repeated measuring with our chain, we had found that, on tolerably
even ground, our ordinary rate as the Tawárek travel was half an English
geographical mile in thirteen minutes. It is the general custom of these
people, who do not allow their camels to feed on the march, to leave
them the whole night on the pasture, and not to fetch them till morning,
for which reason they never start very early, and often at a rather late
hour.
[Sidenote: Friday, June 28th.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account