New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-07
FROM NETWORK TO NINEvEH.
XXXH.
JOURNEY FROM KHARTOUM TO FL METEMMA-
CROSSING THE BEYOODA DESERT


reached the Nile again this morning, heartily glad
to have left Soudan behind me. What with thorns,
stones, sand-stOrms, snakes and scorpions, TO say
nothing of daily heat of 1852 in the shade the
| journey has been less enjoyable than thai across
the Great Nubian Desert yet, nevertheless, has
its fu share of interest. 1t is route but little
known,-at least the portion between FL Metem-
| ma and this place-and | chose it as being also
the shortest and safest road. All Of the Beyooda,
which term is applied to the broad desert region
west Of the Nile and extending southwark from
| Nubia to Kordofan and Dar-Fur is infested with
musuding tribes of Arabs and though at present
their depredatons are less fequent than formerly,
STILL from the total abserce OF all protection, the
| traveller is exposed 70 considerable risk. Hence
| forward my road will follow the course of the
Nile, and twenty days travel will bring me to the
second cataract at Wad-Halfa.
set out from Khartoum on the 9Th inst, regret
ting to leave good friends in that furnace OF
Soudan, yet well satisfied to escape therefrom my
self. bought two large and powerful dromedaries
from the Consul, and engaged three more from the
| Arabs-a Kababish an Shygheean, who were
encamped on the west bank of the White Nile
| The Consul obliged them to furnish security for
their character, and threatened them with de-
struction in case they did not convey me and my
baggage safely, as far the frontiers Of Dongola.
| He accompanied me on his dromedary for several
miles and turned back most reluctantly from the
wild and stony path: it led to Europe and to Civ
| ilization. A type of the place where he is con-
demned to reside was furnished us the same MORN
10 l,ar IN no
of the two Niles. We passed the body of a wo
man, who had been stranslcd and thrown into the
water; sight which the natives regarded without
the least surprise. The Consul Immediately dis
patched one of his servants to the Governor of
the city, asking him to have the body taken away
and properly inferred.
The journey to FL Metcmna occupied nearly
five DAYS, but ne were obliged to travel slowly,
account of the nature of the road, which, for the
greater part of the d.tan, lay in the Desert just
beyond the edge Of the cultivated land. For the
| first day or two, rode over dry, stony plains
covered with thickets of the small thorny mimosa
and patches sflong yellow grass. The country is
crossed by deep gullsys, through which the
streams formed by the summer rains flow to the
! Nile. Their banks are line with thick growth OF
sont, nebbuk, and other trsss peculiar to Central
Africa, in which many lions make their lairs and
prev upon the locks of the Arabs. One bold, fierce
| fellow has established him self on the Island OF Mu-
sakar Bsy just below the junction of the Nile,
and carries OFF nightly a sheep or cali, dsying the
| attempts of the natives to take him. Our view
was confined to the therns, on whose branches we
left many shreds of clothing as msmentoes of the
Journey, and to the bauen range Of Djsbd Gerari,
stretching westward into the Desert. Occasion
aAy, however, in crossing the low spurs which ran
out from this CHAIN the valley of the Nile-the
one united Nile again-lay before us far to the
east and northeast, the river glistsning in the
sun a. he spread his arms round island aler island,
tin his lap could hold no The sod is poor,
coarse gravel, and the inhabitants support 'hsm-
T selves by their herds Of sheep and goats which
browse on the thorns. In places there are large
thickets of a species of euphorbis, which here be-
comes tree twenty feet high. 1t Crews about
the huts of the natives, who make no attempt 20
exsermuate it, notwithstanding the poisonous
nature of its Juice, one drop of which is suihclen
TO destroy the sight forever. At least every hour
we passed large Arab burying-grosnd, crowded
with reugh head and foot stones, except where
white pennons, hutterins on poles, dsnoteda more
than ordinary ssDctty in the deceased. The tomb
Of the Shekh, or holy man of Merreh, is concal
structure Of stones and clay, about fifteen feet in
breadth at the base and twenty feet high. The
graves are so numerous and the dwellings 50 few
that one Ina. the impression Of travelling in coun-
try dspopuated by the pestilence yet we met
MANY persons on the road-partly hababsh, and
p,rtly natives of Dongola and Mdhass. The
men touched their lips and foreheads on passing
me, and the women greeted nae with that peculiar
sshab-bab-ba - which seems TO be the universal
expression Of salutaton among the various tribes
of Central Africa.
NV guide, Mohammed, is a kababish, and the
yspest and silliest Arab | have yet seen. He
wears his HAIR in long braids, extending from the
forehead and temples to the nape of the neck, and
kept in their places by layer OF mutton-at hall
an inch thick, which fills up the Intervening spaces.
His hollow cheeks, dsep-sunksn-eyes, thin and
wiry beard ana the long spear he carries IN his
hand make him fair representative OF Don Qur-
ote and the resemblance is not diminished by the
gsunt and ungainly camel on which he joys along
al the head of my caravan. He is very deyout
praying Tor quite an unreasOhaDie Iehg1h VI Ihhe
before and altar meals, and always has large
patch of sand on his forehead, from striking it Oh
the ground. as he kneels towards Mecca. Both
his arms above oh. elbows, are covered with rings
of hippopotamus hide, to which are attached
square leathem cases, containing sentences Of th'
Koran, as charms TO keep away sickness and eyi
spirits. The other man, Sand, is Shygheean
willing and good-natured enough, but slow and re
g.rdles, Of TRUTH as all Arabs are. Indeed thu
best definition of an Arab which | can give, is;
philosophizing sinner. His fatsli.m gives him
calm and equsble temperament under all circsm
stances, and " God wills it," or God is msrci
ful' Is the solacs tor every misfortune. But TIN
same carelessness to the usual accidents of If