At Break Of Day, 29th July, The Grandson Of Abou Sinn, Sheik Ali,
Who Had Been Our Guide, Paid Us
His parting visit, and returned
with his people, while at the same time Atalan Wat Said arrived
with a large
Retinue of his own Arabs and Egyptian soldiers to
escort us to Sofi. Two splendid hygeens were already saddled for
us, one of which was specially intended for my wife; this was the
most thorough-bred looking animal I have ever seen; both were
milk-white, but there was a delicacy in the latter that was
unequalled. This was rather small, and although the ribs were so
well covered that the animal appeared rather fleshy, it was in
the hardiest condition, and was shaped in the depth of brisket
and width of loins like a greyhound; the legs were remarkably
fine, and as clean as ivory. The Sheik Atalan was charmed at our
admiration of his much-prized hygeen, and to prove its speed and
easy action we were no sooner mounted than he led the way at
about ten miles an hour, down the steep slopes, across the rough
watercourses, and up the hill-sides, assuring my wife that she
might sip a cup of coffee on the back of the animal she rode,
without spilling a drop: although an exaggeration, this is the
usual figure of speech by which an Arab describes the easy action
of a first-rate hygeen. It was a beautiful sight to watch the
extraordinary ease with which the hygeen glided along over the
numerous inequalities of the ground without the slightest
discomfort to the rider; the numerous escort became a long and
irregular line of stragglers, until at length they were lost in
the distance, with the exception of three or four, who, well
mounted, were proud of keeping their position. Emerging from the
uneven valley of the Atbara, we arrived upon the high and level
table land above; here the speed increased, and in the
exhilaration of the pace in the cool morning air, with all nature
glowing in the fresh green of a Nubian spring, we only regretted
the shortness of the journey to Sofi, which we reached before the
heat of the day had commenced. We were met by the sheik of the
village, and by a German who had been a resident of Sofi for some
years; he was delighted to see Europeans, especially those who
were conversant with his own language, and he very politely
insisted that we should dismount at his house. Accordingly our
camels knelt at the door of a little circular stone building
about twelve feet in diameter, with a roof thatched according to
Arab fashion. This dwelling was the model of an Arab hut, but the
walls were of masonry instead of mud and sticks, and two small
windows formed an innovation upon the Arab style, which had much
astonished the natives, who are contented with the light afforded
by the doorway.
We were shortly sitting in the only stone building in the
country, among a crowd of Arabs, who, according to their annoying
custom, had thronged to the hut upon our arrival, and not only
had filled the room, but were sitting in a mob at the doorway,
while masses of mop-like heads were peering over the shoulders of
the front rank, excluding both light and air; even the windows
were blocked with highly frizzled heads, while all were talking
at the same time.
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