The Hajj Strongly Recommended Us
To One Of The Principal Families Of The Gudabirsi Tribe, Who Would Pass Us
On To Their Brother-In-Law Adan, The Gerad Or Prince Of The Girhi; And He,
In Due Time, To His Kinsman The Amir Of Harar.
The chain was commenced by
placing us under the protection of one Raghe, a petty Eesa chief of the
Mummasan clan.
By the good aid of the Hajj and our sweetmeats, he was
persuaded, for the moderate consideration of ten Tobes [33], to accompany
us to the frontier of his clan, distant about fifty miles, to introduce us
to the Gudabirsi, and to provide us with three men as servants, and a
suitable escort, a score or so, in dangerous places. He began, with us in
an extravagant manner, declaring that nothing but "name" induced him to
undertake the perilous task; that he had left his flocks and herds at a
season of uncommon risk, and that all his relations must receive a certain
honorarium. But having paid at least three pounds for a few days of his
society, we declined such liberality, and my companions, I believe,
declared that it would be "next time:"--on all such occasions I make a
point of leaving the room, since for one thing given at least five are
promised on oath. Raghe warned us seriously to prepare for dangers and
disasters, and this seemed to be the general opinion of Zayla, whose timid
citizens determined that we were tired of our lives.
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