The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-02-02
An African Sultan.

The death of Berehan, Sultan of
Raheita, was lately reported from Alden.
The following description of him, con-
tributed to the COrriere di MdttinO by
Sig. Licata, the Italian traveller who
penetrated to that far region, may be
found interesting:
81 remember says Sig. Licata, "the
last visit that Berehan made us, and the
last words | heard him pronounce at
Buja, where we had prepared for him q
throne of new mating and a glass of
tamarind. He said that his people be-
lieved that we whites were like panthers,
but that he had seen that we were
good, and he smiled around upon us
while pushing away our little dogs that
tried to lick him, for if they had sue
ceeded in doing so he would have been
obliged to take a bath to purify him.
self. He was nightly content with
what little court we paid him, and with
the carbineers who stood sentry at the
door. That morning he had been on
board the Cariddi, and the little flag we
had hoisted in his honor, the maneuver-
ing of the cannon, the salute from q
of his sultanic dignity. He had the
ul2u VI ~ IAlDG
although all his sovereignty consisted in
his having, under the immediate care of
the Crown Prince, more goats and
camels than other people. He asked,
as he always did, for a little coffee to
take with him. He suffered from heart
disease, and had been having II fire kim
died on his breast to cure him, as well
as hanging a leather bag containing %
piece of the koran round his neck.
Then he felt safe, having more faith in
the efficacy of such methods than in
all the pills and draughts of the
doctor. The fire and the koran were
sufficient, for his malady was devil that
had entered his body, and must be driv-
en- out by the name of Allah. | saw him
first at Raheita, in his royal palace of
mating. The Egyptians had been mo-
| testing him as usual, and he had sent
word to his protectors at Assab. As
soon as we arrived he fervently pressed
our hands, and seated himself on his
! throne with the air of a Pharoah and an
idol, dressed in white, with bracelets
made of goatskin. The court was full
of his warriors, greasy with butter and
of cattle just come from the pasture.
There was glitter of lances and horns,
an odor of the dairy and stable. The
| harem contributed its notes-a contin-
uous ringing of silver and glass orna-
ments and the squalls of babies. In
fact, all the riches OF a goatherd and a
| pasta. Then / saw him at Assab, when
he came to receive the fifty dollars as
signed to him every month by
our Government. He never came
without insisting that a palaver
should be held to discuss several points
concerning the selling of a portion of
his territory, l don't know how many
years ago He was as petulant as Il
beggar, sometimes in a manner to
tempt one to give MIN backshish and
send him off. He was not yet fifty
years of age He will be succeeded, ac-
cording to the laws of the country, not
by his son, but by his nephew, long
fellow, half blind He died in his bed,
amid the lamentations of his subjects.
We owe much TO Berehan of Raheita
He co-operated in person to the success
of Antonelli's expedition. He was less
black than he seemed, and now that he
is dead he has no color at ALL Yes,
| poor dear Berehan, we are good, and
we will write our word of sorrow on the
big paper that you wanted so much to
be able to read, knowing that it con-
tanned the news of all the world. While
your wives weep for you, |, two
thousand miles away, win buy a little
wreath of immortelles and send them
to your tomb"