Travels and discoveries in North and Central Africa, Vol. 3 (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. 3 (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
Riding a lively horse, an excellent “sayár,” I was rather in advance,
and had only three horsemen in front of me; on coming to the bog, the
nature of which it was easy to perceive, we rode one after the
other,—Khálef-Allah being in front of me. The first horseman went in,
made a few steps, and then came down; but he got his horse upon his legs
again, went on, and again sunk into the bog, but being near the firm
ground, got over tolerably well. As soon as those who were before me saw
this they stopped their horses short, and wanted to return, pressing my
horse upon his side, who, being annoyed by the morass, made a
vacillating movement forward, and fell upon his knees; upon being raised
he made some wild exertions to get through, but after two or three
ineffectual attempts, he again fell on his side, and I under him. The
morass here was about four feet deep; and I received several smart blows
from the forelegs of my horse, upon the head and shoulders, before I was
fortunate enough to extricate myself from this interesting situation.
Being clad in a white bernús over a Nýffi tobe, with a pair of pistols
in my belt, my appearance may be easily conceived when, after a great
deal of labour, I succeeded in reaching firm ground. I had still the
difficult task of extricating my horse, which, after wild and desperate
exertions, lay motionless in the bog. I had on this occasion a good
specimen of the assistance we were likely to receive from our companions
in cases of difficulty; for they were looking silently on without
affording me any aid. Mr. Overweg was some distance behind, and, when he
came up, was enabled to supply me with dry clothing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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