February
1927
Beyond the [Tekezé] river there was trouble again. The Amharan attached to us by the Italian ambassador claimed that the road along which the caravan was proceeding had become dangerous since ahead of us were many robbers, so it was necessary to choose a different road. The people in the caravan looked with fear to a stand of sorghum at the side of the road. To encourage them it was necessary for me to go in front. We had succeeded in advancing for only a few hours after crossing the river when people with guns, obviously used to attacking caravans, appeared from behind a dense thicket. The unexpected encounter with a European apparently had a certain effect on them. In this country it is well-known that every European is well-armed and therefore it is better to leave him in peace to avoid any unpleasantness. Polite bowing began and invitations were extended to stay overnight in the nearby village. It was late and we had to stay somewhere for the night, but how should we deal with this? The physiognomy of the people encountered did not inspire great confidence. A consultation took place in our tent. [1] There was without doubt a danger. In the best case we would only lose our mules.
The council decided to present the leader of the gang with two bottles of brandy, the last ones remaining of our supply for special occasions. In case this did not have the desired result, we would pay him off with thalers but that was only to be used as a last resort. It was necessary to be prepared, to load the good revolvers, to brew enough wild coffee and not doze off during the night. The gift of the two bottles of the best five-star brandy was apparently very well received. The guide returned from the mission slightly tipsy but with fried chicken, a pot of honey and armfuls of flat-cakes made of teff. However, the hospitality was not to be trusted. At three o’clock in the morning, long before sunrise, the caravan was aroused without any difficulty. The people understood the situation very well. It was necessary to quickly get out of this place and to liberate ourselves from the undesirable companions while they were blissfully sleeping. At four o’clock, in the dark, the caravan started out on a path leading to the trail, leaving the drunken gangsters to sleep until morning.
Notes:
- They had time to erect a tent, while faced by armed bandits? [↩]
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