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A\W/A o ° ^/> -' ■,y/- -i. _' ,^;x^l-R^ •y' P o %'/ A -oo' / r'-: -r-^ " . *" ^ / ^ '*=-.0 >'^0^ % ‘' *.7, >•'\«'^’ ,o> »'*",/■%. V\x-”x^ </> .^> [/h A- ^'y>. , ^ S?.'^ * '■'* ■ 1*' " -i ' » o A ^ ^ s '' ' ■* 0 ^ k'^ a c 0 ^ o' ' ® « .A .. 0 ‘ ='yy^^: -^oo' -"ass . - y/i;^ ~ 4 ° ^ > - A % vL" <>* y <* ^ 8 1 A " \^'' s ^ A ^ ^ ^ ^ o’ V- ^ <t ^ ^ y ^ A^ ^ n r* ^ Yj ^ =■ '^-y * / '% ' y V " V •/„■ /1 z ^ ’ ^ C y>- y '5>, ® Vy '%'■ V> - ^ ^ ^ C o' i I » I • I ADVENTURES IN THE GREAT DESERTS r* ADVENTURES IN THE GREAT DESERTS ROMANTIC INCIDENTS ^ PERILS OF TRAVEL, SPORT AND EXPLORATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BY H. W. G. HYRST AUTHOR OF ‘‘CHAS.VJA,” UTC, WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS PHILADELPHIA J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY LONDON: SEELEY ^ CO. LIMITED I Q..I I PREFACE Though the experiences of almost all the twenty-four travellers and explorers whose adventures fill the fol¬ lowing pages fall within the last hundred years, their journeys were undertaken at a time when scientific development had not yet made travelling compara¬ tively easy. There were more romantic possibilities in a world which had no railways across Canada or Siberia, and had not even dreamed of an iron road from Cairo to the Cape. The decay of Indian tribes and the reclamation of deserts had not yet made travel less exciting, and adventurers were not yet armed with modern weapons of precision. The narra¬ tives of these explorers have consequently something of an old-world flavour, and though their times are not remote, they have a touch of romance about them which is scarcely to be looked for in travels of the present day, while their perils and escapes are not less exciting than the very well-known adventures of more recent travellers. PREFACE Deserts are here taken to mean waterless places, and the ice-wastes of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, though commonly included among the deserts of the world, are of so different a character that it has been thought best not to touch upon them in the present volume. VI CONTENTS CHAPTER I IN A DESERT OF PRECIOUS STONE PAGES James Bruce, the father of modern African exploration—The Thebaid Desert—A loyal servant—“ The most barren mountain region in the world ”—Wells of bitter water— Bruce’s “ fellow-countrymen ”—An antelope hunt—Com¬ motion in the camp—The thief—Sidi Hassan’s message and the reply to it—A critical situation—A Scotchman and an Atouni against two dozen Arabs—Bruce’s method of bringing the enemy to reason—Jasper and porphyry— Sad news of Abdel Gin—Bruce’s heroic venture—Timely and unlooked-for aid—Ibrahim—The last of Sidi Hassan 1-17 CHAPTER II WITH HUMBOLDT ON THE LLANOS The llanos—Humboldt and Bonpland—A blow from behind— A death-struggle with a Zambo—A red fog—The earth¬ quake—The eclipse—The meteor shower—Crossing the desert—A jaguar and several monkeys—The guide’s lesson in zoology—Taking the wrong direction—A two days’ hunt for the right one—An interrupted swim—Lost again 18-30 CHAPTER III IN THE COLORADO DESERT American exploration—The Lewis-Clarke expedition—The Platte River—A hunt—The hunters hunted—Racing for dear life—“ Prepare to receive buffaloes !”—A new battle vii CONTENTS PAGES ' —The wolves—A gallant resistance—Enemies turned allies —The Indian ambassadors—The conference—A rebuke— The prairie-fire—A mother’s presence of mind—The “ great medicine ”—The sergeant alarmed—The aurora borealis—Winter in the desert—Famine—The sand-clouds —Discovery of the Missouri Rapids—Indian spies— (Getting ready for the enemy—The storm—The alarm— The battle—Turning the tables on the savages—Victory 31-46 CHAPTER IV A STATUE AT THEBES The Young Memnon—Giovanni Belzoni—Introduction to Mehemet Ali and Burckhardt—Up the Nile to Luxor— The artful Cacheff—Difficulties thrown in the way—The labourers—The help of the Evil One—A lesson in dynamics —Getting out of the Memnonium—Fever—Desertion of the labourers—Fight with the Albanian foreman—More difficulties—The Kamsin—The Piedmontese expedition— Jealousy — The attempted assassination — Belzoni the conqueror—The embarkation .... 47-57 CHAPTER V CHASED BY BEDAWIN The Holy Land—Dr. Clarke’s expedition—Nazareth—The Druses — The wilderness — Arab inquisitiveness — A timorous escort—The poHte guard—Alone in a perilous pass—The Bedawin—Flight and pursuit—A mad ride— A respite—Followed by increased danger—Without hope —The saving bullet—The traitor still at large—Clarke’s disciphnary measures, and their unfortunate result— Culverhouse again to the rescue—Suspense—The enemy thrown—Not safe yet—Mutiny—How Bertocino saved the party 58-72 CHAPTER VI WITH A PILGRIM CARAVAN A Mohammedan pilgrimage—Sir R. K. Porter, artist and traveller—A caravanserai and its inmates—The pilgrim viii CONTENTS PAGES band and the loafers—The artist’s attempt at escape— A hot morning in the desert—Another caravanserai—The chawosh—His proposal and conversation—Through the enemy’s country—The attack—Behaviour of the chawosh and pilgrims—Dispersal of the enemy—Kerbela and the shrine of Houssein . 73-85 CHAPTER VII IN THE REGION OF DEATH The Thar—Colonel Tod—A terrible descent—Carey’s fate— Lost—The native soldiers—Good news—Alive again !—A native squabble—Frost—The see-kote—Accident to Cap¬ tain Waugh—A magnanimous tiger and his nephews— Cholera !—Treachery—The bear-hunt—Saved hy a native —Another accident to the Colonel - - - 86-99 CHAPTER VIII A RIDE TO BOKHARA William Moorcroft, the first Englishman to cross the Hima¬ layas—A five years’ journey—A visit from the robbers— How to deal with spies—The alarm—Preparing for attack —The plot and the counterplot—Fate of the second spy—A terrible night-watch—To arms !—Capture of the robber chief—The Pass of Ah Masjid—Dismissal of the guides—The storm, and Moorcroft’s escape—Desertions at Cabul—Arrested at Kunduz—Moorcroft’s successful ruse —Izzet Ullah gives up—The pass carpeted with jewels— The frozen desert—The desert of Turkestan—A village of dead men—The Kirghiz—A delusion - - 100-114 CHAPTER IX A SLAVE RAID IN THE SAHARA The Denham-Clapperton expedition—An African merchant- prince—Sahara tribes—Result of a sand-storm—The Tibboos at the oasis—Robberies and reprisals—Dis¬ covery of Lake Tchad—Escort or custody ?—Kuka—The ix CONTENTS PAGES Sultan of Bornu—Diplomacy and music—Boo Kiialloom’s raid—The Fellata—The battle in the desert—An un¬ expected reverse—Heroism of Major Denham—Fighting for life—The end of the battle—Death of Boo Khalloom— Another campaign—Fireworks—Sad news—The expedi¬ tion abandoned - - - - - 115-127 CHAPTER X IN A PERSIAN DESERT George Keppel, Earl of Albemarle—Overland from India— The muleteer’s warning—The three Bedawin—“ Peace !” —Mountain scenery—A desert of stones—The caravan¬ serai and its host—Robbers—The Shurgee—A false alarm—Ruins of Kisra Shereen—The real attack— Narrow escape of Lieutenant Hamilton - - 128-138 CHAPTER XI PRISONERS IN THE CASPIAN DESERT The Turanian desert—Lieutenant Conolly—Syud Karaumut Allee—Perwullee—A Turcoman’s idea of water and of horse-rearing—Break-down of the camels—A Russian spy !—The mirage—Four mysterious horsemen—A Turco pipe—Treachery and betrayal—Taken to the camp—The baggage “ inspected ”—Abdullah’s dismal tidings—The Syud angry—Carried coastwards—When rogues fall out! - .139-152 CHAPTER XII AMONG TURCOMAN BRIGANDS Sir Alexander Burnes—Successful entry into Bokhara— Journey thence—The desert of the Oxus—A returning caravan, and a warning—The usual false alarm—The Persian prisoners—The Turco slave-traffic—Intolerable heat—Refuge among honest Turcomans—More warnings as to the “ Allamans ”—A whirlwind and a mirage— Offers of shelter—The real robbers—Getting out of the difficulty—The real Allamans—A tarantula—Possessed by “ Shaitan ” - - - - . 153-163 X CONTENTS CHAPTER XIII ACROSS THE PAMPAS The Hon. Peter Campbell Scarlett—From Buenos Ayres to Valparaiso—The Argentine horse—The hospitable post¬ hut—Mate—Short of water—Another hut—Killing the supper, and getting nearly killed in so doing—A faithful guide and a lasso—Mosquitoes—Thistles ten feet high— South American deserts—The biscacha and his ways—At¬ tacked by the teru-tero—“ Indians !”—The gaucho garrison —Mistaken—Cheering information!—The heat—The pam¬ pero—Gauchos and cattle-taming—The Andes ?—A swarm of benchucas—Dangers of dreaming in the desert - 164-180 CHAPTER XIV A MAMELUKE ESCORT Major Sir Grenville Temple—Tunis—First experiences of Arab hospitahty — The Tunisian desert — Incidents — Unpopularity of the guard — Reasons therefor — The horse-stealer—Arab pets—A Tunisian town—Reception accorded to the Mamelukes—The fight - - 181-189 CHAPTER XV IN THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DESERT Thirst!—Dew gathering—Digging for water and fife, with the thermometer at 130° F.