Sahara

In their newly found domestic life, one of the greatest delights to Ali and Sakari was to possess a whole bar of Sunlight soap, and they were seized with a passion for washing themselves and their clothes whenever they obtained such luxury.

Thus, in endless ways, they slowly absorbed the atmosphere of their novel surroundings with artless, unsullied minds and constant good-humour. They saw things as they existed with innocent penetration and directness; and ever they came back to such remarks as:

“White man go catch plenty plenty sense; everybody catch plenty clothes; everybody catch plenty to eat. This no be desert; this country sweet past all country.”

But they came to be greatly exercised because:

“When we go give this big news of England to people for Kano we will have so much to tell that plenty people no fit go believe us.”

Wherefore, to prove that, at least, they had been in this country, they made an extraordinary request. This was to remove two perfectly good teeth from their heads and have gold ones inserted, so that:

“When we go for Kano and people no fit believe we go look this country, we say, ‘Ah! ah! you be fool man. Look them Gold Teeth!’ And so they will be convinced; for our people no savvy them sense for put gold for head.”

Their request, which was a persistent one, was finally granted, and Ali and Sakari became the proud possessors of “gold for head.”

Ali had, then, only one great ambition left: to some day make the pilgrimage to Mecca, which is the dream of so many true Mohammedans:

“And then I be BIG past all men that live for Kano.”

Sakari, on the other hand, planned the disposal of the money he had earned:

“When I go Kano I buy another wife, fine past the one that live now.

“After that I go buy house from Emir.”

Asked how much a house would cost, he replied:

“They be different, sir! Some get £15; some get £10; some get £6 to £7. If buy him so, all the time he be my own.”

Then he added:

“But I no look for front [forward] too much, Master! for it will be like the Tenere [desert] when you are gone.”

They were faithful, able men, and when the parting came it was one of deep regret, filled with distressing artless emotion on the part of Ali and Sakari; which revealed the wonderful fidelity of these two fine henchmen of the Open Road, who had stuck with the expedition through thick and thin.

And it may be a fitting finish to give Ali’s description of the desert that we had left behind.

“Gentle people, I salute you! I give you news of the desert. It is a land of sand and wind and want. If you would visit it? tighten your belt plenty, as a giant. There is no lying down in comfort, for there is no medicine for the Sun by day, nor for the Great Winds by night. There is never plenty food, and if water is not found, then one dies—that is the desert!

“All my people ’fraid of that Sahara country, and plenty plenty people say we no fit go, because robber people, no food, no water, no sticks for fire, and all that.

“Only strong man fit go walka that country, and some strong men begin to die after we go start.

“Plenty people tell master he go die, but master only say: ‘All right, he go all same.’

“After I go look them desert, I think I no go live to see England. But Allah is kind! and I have looked on this country, which be plenty plenty fine—and I go my way in content.”

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I

APPENDIX II

INDEX

• A
• Abandoned villages, 57, 67
• Accumulating sand, 65
• Agades, 67
• Ahaggar Mountains, 60
• Ahaggar, Tuaregs of, 140
• Aïr Mountains, 60
• Algiers, 264
• Ali in London, 281
• Alifa, 138
• Alleys, a maze of, 99
• Altitudes, 60
• Amud, 138
• Amusing native stories, 279
• An accident, 42
• An explanation, 29
• Animals of the Sahara, 237
• Anxieties of travel, 16
• Area of Sahara, 48
• Areas, pre-Saharan, 52
• Arui, 246
• Awe-inspiring immensity, 51
• Awful heat, 24, 81
• Azawaren natives, 122
• B
• Bad men hide, where, 107
• Band, a hardened, 22
• Barbary sheep, 246
• Barbarism, to reclaim from, 273
• Barren country, 59
• Bartering salt, 127
• Begging, 149
• Berbers, Tuareg relation to, 131
• Bezzou dies, 175
• Big game, 238
• Bilma, journey to, 77, 82
• Bilma oasis, 113
• Bird folklore, 221, 227
• Bird life boundaries, 53
• Birds of the Sahara, 217, 230
• Biskra and the Sahara, 50
• Brigandage, influence of, 139
• Broken loads, 78
• Buying equipment, 6
• C
• Camel, a riding, 39
• Camel bought, 37
• Camel dies, 23
• Camel, early life of, 34
• Camel-food, 74, 76
• Camel friendship, 41
• Camel-men, 11
• Camel names, 21
• Camels, a massed camp of, 80
• Camels, hungry, 87
• Camels, loading, 12
• Camels—men—food—water, 15
• Camels, number of, 20
• Camels pay heavy price, 22, 258
• Camels, sick, 15, 25, 209
• Camels, thousands of, 72, 77, 83
• Camp and rest, 27, 87
• Camp-fires, 199
• Caravan routes, old, 66
• Change, geographic, 52
• Character of northern natives, 140
• Cheerful spirits, 17
• Chibikee, 138
• Civilisation, influence of, 140
• Clouds, 64
• Cold, 88
• Collections, first Saharan, 53, 218, 230, 253
• Contest for existence, 16
• Country pitiless, 22
• Cracked feet, 90
• Cultivation in oases, 187
• Cunning defence, 101
• D
• Dancers, a guild of, 193
• Dangers of the trail, 137
• Dawn, 17
• Day closes, 26
• Death of Feri N’Gashi, 44, 262
• Decadence, 195
• Decay of Sahara, 55, 64, 67
• Decline of natives, 57, 162
• Defence, cunning, 101
• Den of forty thieves, 103
• Departure, port of, 8
• Depressed spirits, 163, 209
• Desert, dread of the, 50, 287
• Desert equipment, 72
• Desert oases, 187
• Desert of terrifying desolation, 81
• Desert, the toll of the, 23
• Desert, true, 59
• Detail, importance of, 7
• Diarabba, the, 193
• Disappearing wild life, 56
• Discovery of new species, 240
• Distance travelled, 29, 261
• Dividing line, the, 53
• Dream, a strange, 214
• Dreams materialise, 5
• Dress of Tuaregs, 85, 146
• Dromard, Lieutenant, 114
• Dunes, 59
• E
• Eastern sadness, 23
• Efali, 88, 92
• Encroaching sand, 51
• Endless sea of sand, 17
• Enemies, among, 167
• Enemies, feudal, 141
• Environment of a desert camp, 153
• Equipment, buying, 6
• Equipment for the desert, 72
• Equipment, saddle, 13
• Exhaustion, 89, 208, 258
• Expedition’s natives, 20, 258
• Explored, new ground, 29
• F
• Fachi fort, 102
• Fachi oasis, 82, 95
• Fatigue, 26, 208
• Fawna, 138
• Feri N’Gashi, 21, 33, 40, 262
• Feudal enemies, 141
• Flies, 146
• Flood, 204
• Food and manners, 147
• Food, camels’, 74, 76
• Food desired, 259
• Footsore, 90
• Fuel, scarcity of, 191
• G
• Game on the move, 243
• Gazelle and antelope, 239
• Geographic change, 52
• Giants, a legend of, 115
• Giraffe, 53, 56
• Glover, T. A., 8, 258
• Grave journey begun, a, 161
• Gravel plains, 59
• Great trek starts, a, 79
• Grim fortifications, 97
• Guide, Bilma, 88, 92
• Guild of Dancers, 193
• H
• Hamid of Timmersu, 84
• Heat in the Sahara, 20, 24, 81
• Highway for raiders, 95
• History, legendary, 115
• History of Bilma, 117
• Home, 265
• Homes in the wilderness, 143
• Hungry camels, 87
• I
• Immensity, awe-inspiring, 51
• Importance of detail, 7
• Important influences, 51
• Influence of brigandage, 139
• J
• Journey begun, a grave, 161
• Journey to Bilma, 77
• K
• Kahena, 158, 171
• Katsina, 36
• Kowar depression, 95, 115
• L
• Landing, port of, 8
• Land of antiquity, 50
• Legendary history, 115
• Legend surrounding skeletons, 182
• Life of a camel, 33
• Lion, 53, 56
• Loading camels in dark, 12
• Loads broken, 78
• M
• Malaria, 147, 187
• Manners, 147
• Map, 46
• March begun, 14
• Massacre, a, 117
• Masters of the sword, 133
• Men and beasts suffer, 89
• Men sick, 16, 258
• Memorable nights, 86
• Migrants, bird, 226
• Milk a staple food, 147
• Mohammedan prayer, 18
• Mountains, remarkable, 60
• Museum’s support, 5
• Museum, Tring, 58
• N
• Names of camels, 21
• Natives, 63, 67, 84, 122
• Natives, decline of, 57, 162
• Natives with expedition, 20
• Natron, 119
• Nature of the Sahara, 59
• New ground explored, 29
• New species discovered, 240
• Night, 26
• Night camp, a, 87
• Nomad possessions, 145
• O
• Oases, desert, 187
• Oasis fortified, 96
• Oasis of Bilma, 82, 113
• Oasis of Fachi, 82, 95
• Old traveller, 88
• Oppressed by raids, 118
• Origin of Tuaregs, 150
• Oryx, white, 245
• Ostrich, 53, 56
• Ouargla, 259
• Outlawry, 134, 138, 157
• P
• Pasturage, 63
• Physical nature of Sahara, 59
• Pidgin-English, 277
• Pigeons, flocks of, 224
• Pioneer, a, 4
• Pitiless country, 22
• Pitiless sun, 24, 81, 208
• Plains of gravel, 59
• Plan, bewildering, 99
• Population declining, 57
• Population, interior Sahara, 67
• Port of departure, 8
• Port of destination, 264
• Prayer, Mohammedan, 18
• Pre-Saharan areas, 51
• Prolific salt-pits, 119
• Prolonged strain, 91
• R
• Race, a strange, 123
• Raid, a, 157
• Raider, a, 133
• Raiders, 96, 118, 123, 134, 138, 213
• Rain, 147, 201, 241
• Rainfall, 63
• Rail-head in Algeria, 261
• Rali, 157
• Religion, 18, 51, 150, 154, 194
• Rest and camp, 27
• Revival unlikely, 65
• Rhamadan, 154
• Riding saddle, 13
• Rifles replacing swords, 137
• Rising of 1916, 136
• Robbers’ camp, the, 165
• Rock disintegration, 65
• Rock drawings, 211
• Rodd, Francis, 8
• Rogue, a, 106
• Routes, old caravan, 66
• Ruse, a, 173
• S
• Saddling up takes time, 13
• Sadness, eastern, 23, 153
• Sahara from Biskra, 50
• Sahara map, 46
• Saharan collections, first, 53
• Saharan areas, pre-, 52
• Sahara, physical nature of, 59
• Sahara’s decay, 55, 57, 64, 195
• Sahara’s life, key to, 194
• Sahara’s population, 67
• Sahara, vastness of, 48
• Sakari in London, 281
• Salt as currency, 111, 127
• Salt, method of working, 120, 125
• Sand, discomfort of 145, 192
• Sand-dunes, 59
• Sand encroaching, 51, 65, 192
• Sandstorm, 206
• Sea of Sand, 17
• Sedentary people, 185
• Seeking Kahena, 171
• Siege jars, 103
• Slave caravans, 66
• Slaves, Tuareg, 142, 185
• Social fabric of Sahara, 189
• Speed of camel travel, 82
• Spirits, depressed, 163, 209
• Stars, 86, 257
• Start, time of, 6
• Storms, 202, 206, 241
• Strain, prolonged, 91
• Strange natives, 122
• Strategy, 169
• Sun-glare, 89
• Sun, pitiless, 24, 81, 208
• Sun, the rising, 18
• T
• Taralum, the, 71
• Tassili, 59, 220
• Terrifying desolation, 81
• Thousands of camels, 72, 77, 83
• Tigguida n’Tisem, 121
• Time of start, 6
• Tobacco, craving for, 148, 264
• Toilers, the, 191
• Toll of the desert, 23
• Touggourt, 261
• Tracking, skilful, 159
• Tragic decay, 67
• Travel, formation of, 83
• Travel, reason for, 199
• Trek starts, a great, 79
• Tribal names, 141
• Tribes, 63, 67, 115, 122, 131, 140, 191
• Tring Museum, 53
• Tropical boundary, 53, 54
• Tuareg dress, 85, 146
• Tuareg encampments, 143, 145
• Tuareg features, 151
• Tuaregs, 63, 67, 84, 131, 140
• Tuaregs idle, 164
• Tuareg slaves, 142, 185
• Tuareg villages, 189
• Tuareg women, 146
• V
• Vastness of Sahara, 48
• Veil, the people of the, 131
• Villages abandoned, 57, 67
• Villages, Tuareg, 189
• Vultures, 225
• W
• War-wise people, 131
• Water, 63, 144, 205, 210, 223
• Well, an old, 57
• White Feather, 21, 40
• Wilderness homes, 143
• Wild life, 217, 237
• Wild life disappearing, 56
• Wind, 81, 145
• Wizard, the, 105
• Women, Tuareg, 146
• Y
• Yofa, 158, 177
• Z
• Zoological boundary, 5
• Zoological purpose, 53
• Zoological collections, 217