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
At length, the cattle and flocks having been driven in advance, we
started, and, leaving the vale, ascended elevated rocky ground, from
which, following a south-westerly direction, we descended, a little
before two o’clock in the afternoon, into the narrower eastern part of a
deep and beautiful valley, which here is adorned by a pretty grove of
date-trees, while its western part expands into fine cultivated ground.
Here we made a halt of about half an hour, in order to water the animals
and replenish our skins; for not even here was it thought advisable to
encamp, as it is regarded as a very inauspicious place, this being the
spot where, in 1850, the Kél-owí fell upon the Welád Slimán and almost
exterminated them. After so short a halt we again pursued our march. I
was now so totally exhausted that I was obliged to dismount at short
intervals and lie down for a moment; and once, when left alone, it was
only with the utmost exertion that I was able to mount my horse again;
but nevertheless I managed to drag myself along. At length, about
sunset, we chose a place for our encampment on the brow of the slope
descending into a deep valley. Having now been thirty-four hours on
horseback with only short and insufficient intervals, I fell senseless
to the ground, and was considered by Mr. Overweg and our people as about
to breathe my last. But after an hour’s repose I recovered a little,
and, having had a good night’s rest, felt myself much stronger on the
following morning, so that I could even undergo some exertion which was
not exactly necessary.
[Sidenote: Monday, Oct. 20th.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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