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
The country here became more undulating, and afterwards even rugged, and
we made our way as well as we could in the dark, stumbling along over a
rugged ground in a north-westerly direction, and were not a little
delighted when at length we saw the fires of the encampment, which this
time had not been pitched on the highest level, but rather in a hollow
not far from the well. Its name is Bír el Hamésh, or Yégil, or, as it is
generally pronounced, Yíggeli. We were the more delighted to reach it,
as we found here, not only all our people and luggage, but also
provisions, and we were nearly famished. Of course, we were most
cheerfully hailed by those of our servants whom, with the remainder of
the Arabs, we had left at the Bír el Kúrna, and who had felt the
greatest anxiety about our safety, on account of the many unfavourable
rumours which had reached them with regard to the proceedings and
sufferings of our party. They had transported the camp from Bír el Kúrna
to this place several days previously, and were looking forward to our
return most anxiously.
We immediately attacked a bowl of camel’s milk, and thus materially
comforted, rested outside our tents enjoying the freshness of the
evening. The camp or dowar was rather narrow, being encumbered by the
booty which had been taken from the enemy; and the people, dreading lest
the enemy might follow them, all huddled closely together, and kept
strict watch. In such circumstances the wailings of the women over the
dead, which sounded through the night, accompanied by loud, mournful
strokes on the great drum, could not fail to make a deep impression.
However, we passed here tranquilly the following day, and enjoyed rest
and repose the more as the weather was very oppressive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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