PART 4
April 7.
I went hunting. On the damp sand of the riverbed of the Kibish River,
there were fresh tracks of lion paws and of rhinoceroses; but in spite
of searching hard, I didn't shoot any wild animals. The day before,
lions had roamed near our bivouac and had slaughtered several donkeys
and one woman. At night I set out on the hunt.** With one of my ashkers
[servants] -- Aregau -- I climbed a tree, fastening myself to the
branches with a long strap, and tied a little goat to a bush. As soon as
it became dark, from the direction of the river, there was heard,
similar to deep breathing, the growling of several lions. The goat was
on the point of beginning to rush about, but it did not bleat. We waited
in vain all night long. The lions did not come to us. In the morning,
limping on both legs which had become numb during the night, I returned
to the bivouac and snatched a hasty bite to eat.
In the north, approximately 15 versts [10 miles] from the place where we
had set up our bivouac, a high mountain was seen, on which I found it
necessary to climb to survey the vicinity. It seem to me that it would
be possible from there to at the same time see both northern and
southern summits which were already known to me and to "connect them
among their azimuths." I decided to do this quickly. This time I
couldn't go without letting the Ras know. He ordered a convoy of 26 men
under the command of an officer to accompany me. In addition to them, I
also took three of my ashkers: Tekla Giyorgis, Ababu, and Abto Selassie.
Crossing the Kibish River, we, along the low-lying steppe which
stretches along the River Omo, set out straight to the mountain, which
turned out to be much farther away than I had assumed. Only at ten
o'clock in the morning, after going for four and a half hours, did we
reach the foot of the mountain. Here a high steep stone ridge rises 1000
meters straight up from the valley of the River Omo. Dense settlements
of natives huddle together along ledges. Apparently, the summit of the
mountain is completely populated. We found a trail which led up and
started to climb. My soldiers followed me very unwillingly.
As soon as the natives noticed us, they filled the mountains with alarm
cries; and their warriors, armed with spears and shields, began to come
running together in groups, and the women and children escaped, driving
the livestock. On a ledge of the cliff, a hundred paces in front of us
stood an old man. He threw handsful of dust in our direction, probably
as an incantation. When we approached, the old man hid behind a tree. I
ordered Abto Selassie to catch him, and my ashker swiftly went after the
old man and, in a moment, disarmed him and took him prisoner. The
decrepit old man was not at all confused by this and coolly continued to
smoke his long pipe. We led the prisoner forward and went farther. A
group of about a hundred warriors, having occupied a narrow passage,
blocked the road to us. I told my men not to fire, and we calmly went
closer. When we were only 50 paces from the warriors, from their group I
heard the cry "Halio" (peace). I also answered them "Halio", and having
stopped the detachment, tore out a bunch of grass as a sign of my
peaceful intentions, and in earnest approached the three natives in
front. They pointed to the old man, apparently asking that we let him
go; and I did so. Then I, with signs, told them that I demanded that
they put down their weapons, threatening that otherwise I would kill
them with a puff of my gun. They understood and began to carry out my
request, and in the group of natives, the old ones who were more prudent
and who wanted peace, forced the young ardent ones to obey. The road was
now clear and we went farther. However, my soldiers turned out to be too
frightened to go ahead. They unanimously began to refuse and asked me,
in the name of the God of Menelik [emperor of Ethiopia] and of Wolda
Giyorgis to go back. I couldn't agree to their demands. Having come so
close to the goal I had set myself, for me it would have been too
painful to renounce it now. Moreover, the natives were not acting
especially hostilely toward us, and retreat seemed disgraceful to me.
With harsh expressions, I began to reproach the soldiers, called them
"mice" (the most insulting expression for an Abyssinian warrior) and,
having called my three ashkers, I went forward decisively, having told
the soldiers that whoever of them wanted to could go back to the Ras. My
decisiveness had an effect on them; and the soldiers, this one
grumbling, that one justifying himself, reluctantly followed me. We had
not succeeded in going several hundred paces when the natives, who had
seemed conciliated, began again to get ready for hostile action. It must
be that the party of the young, brave warriors got the upper hand; and
they, quickly hiding behind rocks and trees, began to overtake the tail
of my detachment. In front of all of them ran a mountain dweller of
enormous size with decorations made of ostrich fathers on his head and
three spears in his hands. He was already just 50 paces from our rear
and, jumping high, he performed his war dance and aimed his javelin at
one of my soldiers. To tarry longer was unthinkable.
Blessigs to all
Biniam
Arlington,Virginia,USA