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
But the residence of the great chief Ánnur was buried in the deepest
silence; the courtiers, the blacksmiths, all the great men and ladies,
had gone away. Hámma went to see if anybody remained behind, while we
cooked our rice, and prepared to make ourselves comfortable for the
night. That, however, was out of the question, for when he returned, he
ordered us to decamp at once; and though nothing is more dreadful than a
night’s march, particularly when it succeeds to a long day’s journey,
yet in the enthusiasm awakened by the thought of going southwards, I
with all my heart joined in the exclamation “sé fataúchi sé Kanó” (“no
rest before Kanó”—properly, “nothing but travelling, nothing but Kanó”)!
It was ten o’clock in the evening when we started again along the broad
valley, taking leave for ever of “the English Hill;” but I soon began to
suffer from the consequences of fatigue. In order to avoid falling from
my camel in my drowsy state, I was obliged to drag myself along, great
part of the night, on foot, which was not at all agreeable, as the
ground was at times very rugged, and covered with long grass. Having
crossed a rocky flat, we entered, about four o’clock in the morning, the
wide plain of Tin-téggana, stumbling along through the thick cover of
bú-rékkeba and other sorts of herbage, till dawn, coming on with rather
chilly air, revealed to our benumbed senses the encampment of the
caravan. Having therefore made repeated halts, to give the people time
to recognize us, in order not to occasion any alarm, as our leader Hámma
was not with us, but had lain down at the roadside to get a few hours’
rest, we made straight for the two European tents which showed us
precisely the residence of my fellow-travellers. The old chief Ánnur was
up, and received me with great kindness—more kindly, I must say, than my
colleagues, who apparently felt some jealousy on account of the success
which had attended my proceedings.
Having once more taken possession of the well-known home of our little
tent, I preferred looking about the encampment to lying down; for
sleeping after sunrise is not agreeable to me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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