hundred pounds weight, which at that date, April,
1862, sold for one dollar each.
Much might be done to improve these peculiar
people. Were the frontiers of Abyssinia positively
determined, and security insured to the new settlers,
the whole of that magnificent country through which
we had travelled between the Settite and Gallabat
might be peopled and cultivated. In many countries,
both soil and climate may be favourable for the
cultivation of cotton; but such natural advantages
may be neutralised either by the absence of population,
or by the indolence of the natives. The Tokroori is
a most industrious labourer; and, were he assured of
protection and moderate taxation, he would quickly
change the character of those fertile lands, that are
now uninhabited, except by wild animals. If the
emigration O of Tokrooris from Darfur were encouraged, and advantages offered to settlers, by grants of land
for a short term exempt from taxation, at a future
time to bear a certain rate per acre, a multitude of
emigrants would quit their own inhospitable country,
and would people the beautiful waste lands of the
Settite and the Salaam. These countries would produce
an important supply of cotton, that might be
delivered at Souakim at an exceedingly low rate, and
find a market in England. Not only would the Tokrooris
benefit by the change, but, should it be decided
that the Abyssinian frontier, instead of extending to
the Atbara river, should be confined to.the ridge of
the Oereat mountain chain, the revenues of Upper
Egypt might be enormously increased by the establishment
of a Tokroori colony, as proposed.
I paid all my Tokrooris their wages, and I gave
them an entertainment after their own taste, by purchasing
several enormous bowls of honey wine. The
Abyssinians are celebrated for this drink, which is
known as “ tetch.” It is made of various strengths;
that of good quality should contain, in ten parts, two
of honey and eight of water; but, for a light wine,
one of honey, and nine of water is very agreeable.
There is a plant of an intoxicating quality known by
the Abyssinians as “ jershooa,” the leaves of which
are added to the tetch while in a state of fermentation;
a strong infusion of these leaves will render the tetch
exceedingly heady, but without, this admixture the
honey wine is by no means powerful. In our subsequent
journey in Central Africa, I frequently made
the tetch by a mixture- of honey and water, flavoured
with wild thyme and powdered ginger; fermentation
was quickly produced by the addition of yeast from
the native beer, and the wine, after six or eight days,
became excellent, but never very strong, as we could
not procure the leaves of the jershooa.
My Arabs and Tokrooris enjoyed themselves amazingly,
and until late at night they were playing
rababas (guitars) and howling in thorough happiness ;
but on the following morning at sunrise I was disturbed
by Wat Gamma, who complained that, during
the night some person had stolen three dollars, that had
for some months been carefully sewn up in his clothes ;