had beaten them with loss, and they had simply
wreaked their vengeance by burning the deserted
villages of straw huts in the low lands, that a few
dollars would quickly rebuild. Mek Nimmur was a
most unpleasant neighbour to the Egyptian Government,
and accordingly he was a great friend of the
King Theodoras ; he was, in fact, a shield that protected
the heart of Abyssinia.
As I have already described, the Basé were always
at war with everybody ; and as Mek Nimmur and
the Abyssinians were constantly fighting with the
Egyptians, the passage of the Atbara to the east
bank was the commencement of a territory where
the sword and lance represented the only law. The
Hamran Arabs dared not venture with their flocks
farther east than Geera, on the Settite, about twenty-
five miles from Wat el Négur. From the point of
junction of the Settite with the Atbara, opposite
Tomat to Geera, they were now encamped with
their herds upon the borders of the river for the
dry season. I sent a messenger to their sheik, Owat,
accompanied by Mahomet, with the firman of the
Viceroy, and I requested him to supply me with
elephant-hunters (aggageers) and guides to accompany
me into the Basé and Mek Nimmur’s country.
My intention was to thoroughly examine all the
great rivers of Abyssinia that were tributaries to the
Nile. These were the Settite, Royân, Angrab, Salaam,
Rahad, Dinder, and the Blue Nile. If possible, I
should traverse the Galla country, and crossing the
Blue Nile, I should endeavour to reach the White
Nile. But this latter idea I subsequently found
impracticable, as it would have interfered with the
proper season for my projected journey up the White
Nile in search of the sources.
During the absence of Mahomet, I received a very
polite message from Mek Nimmur, accompanied by
a present of twenty pounds of coffee, with an invitation
to pay him a visit. His country lay between
the Settite river and the Bahr Salaam; thus without
his invitation I might have found it difficult
to traverse his territory ;—so far, all went well. I
returned my salaams, and sent word that we intended
to hunt through the Basé country, after
which we.-should have the honour of passing a few
days with him on our road to the river Salaam, at
which place we intended to hunt elephants and
rhinoceros.
Mahomet returned, accompanied by a large
party of Hamran Arabs, including several hunters,
one of whom was Sheik Abou Do Roussoul, the
nephew of Sheik Owat ; as his name in full was
too long, he generally went by the abbreviation
“ Abou Do.” He was a splendid fellow, a little
above six feet one, with a light active figure, but
exceedingly well developed muscles : his face was
strikingly handsome ; his eyes were like those of a
giraffe, but the sudden glance of an eagle lighted
them up with a flash during the excitement of conversation,
which showed little of the giraffe’s . gentle