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A' 
 
 NARRATIVE 
 
 OF 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA, 
 
 IN THE YEARS 1818, 19, AND 20 ; 
 
 ACCOMPANIED BY 
 
 GEOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF SOUDAN, 
 
 AND OF 
 
 THE COURSE OF THE NIGER. 
 
 WITH 
 
 A CHART OF THE ROUTES, AND A VARIETY OF COLOURED PLATES, 
 
 ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE COSTUMES OF THE SEVERAL NATIVES OF NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 BY CAPTAIN G. F. LYON, R. N. 
 
 COMPANION OF THE LATE MR. RITCHIE. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 
 
 1821. 
 
LONDON: 
 
 rniNTED by tiiomas davtson, whitefriars. 
 
TO 
 
 HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 
 
 GEORGE THE FOURTH 
 
 Sire, 
 
 For the gracious condescension of Your Majesty, in 
 permitting me to place the following pages under Your Royal 
 Patronage, I shall ever be impressed with the most sincere 
 gratitude. 
 
 That Your Majesty may long, happily, and uninterruptedly 
 reign in the hearts and over the destinies of your faithful people, 
 is the constant and fervent prayer of, 
 
 Your Majesty’s 
 
 \ 
 
 Most dutiful and most devoted 
 Subject and Servant, 
 
 GEORGE FRANCIS LYON. 
 
 March, 1S2I. 
 

 
 
 
 
 ’ 
 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The situation of an author, when he presents himself to the 
 scrutinizing observation of the public, must ever be one of the 
 greatest doubt and anxiety; but as the following pages are in¬ 
 tended only to detail facts in the plainest manner, without attempt 
 at embellishment of any kind, it is hoped that they will not only 
 meet with indulgence from the general reader, but escape, without 
 very severe comment, from the examination of the critic. All that 
 can be said in their recommendation is, that they adhere strictly to 
 truth, and that not a single incident described by the author is in 
 the slightest degree exaggerated; on the contrary, he has not only 
 abridged but, in some instances, entirely omitted to mention cir¬ 
 cumstances which occurred to him, fearing either to excite doubt 
 in the minds of his readers, or by too long details to trespass on 
 their patience. 
 
 The Tour is divided into two parts. The first comprizes the 
 original progress of the mission from Tripoli to Morzouk, where 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 the unfortunate Mr. Ritchie died: the second embraces the 
 author’s examination of the remainder of the kingdom of Fezzan, 
 from the death of his companion, until the final return of the 
 mission to Tripoli; it being deemed too hazardous to attempt 
 advancing farther into the interior, without fresh authority and 
 additional pecuniary supplies from Government. 
 
 In that part of the journey which was undertaken after the 
 death of Mr. Ritchie, the state of the temperature is, by a thermo¬ 
 meter, graduated according to Reaumur. 
 
 In consequence of Mr. Ritchie’s frequent and debilitating 
 attacks of illness, and his having relied too much on a singularly 
 retentive memory, he had, from time to time, delayed committing 
 his remarks to paper, in the delusive anticipation of ease and 
 leisure, which, unhappily, lie was destined never to enjoy; and it 
 was thus owing to an unfortunate procrastination, that much 
 valuable information has been lost to the world. 
 
 The present journal, therefore, although regularly kept, must 
 necessarily be very inferior to that which would have been pro¬ 
 duced by Mr. Ritchie, had he been blessed with better health and 
 prolonged life; but, however great his loss may be considered in a 
 scientific point of view, this circumstance, it is earnestly hoped, will 
 operate as an additional claim, on the part of the author, to the 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Vll 
 
 kind consideration of the public, to whom he offers his little work 
 only as an humble substitute for one which would have been far 
 better arranged; trusting that in his total want of pretension and 
 ready admission of its defects, it may meet the general indulgence, 
 which he can claim on no other account. 
 
 The author is indebted to the kindness of the Kev. W. Buck- 
 land, Professor of Mineralogy at Oxford, for the interesting paper 
 on the geology of the kingdom of Fezzan. 
 
DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER, 
 
 FOR PLACING THE PLATES. 
 
 Map to face the title-page. page 
 
 Costume of Tripoli. 7 
 
 Tripoli Costume.17 
 
 Triumphal Arch . . . . •.18 
 
 Arabs exercising.46 
 
 Bonjem.67 
 
 Sand Wind.70 
 
 Piper and Dancer.75 
 
 Castle of Morzouk.. . 98 
 
 Tuarick in a Leather Shirt.110 
 
 Tuai'ick of Ghraat.113 
 
 Costume of Soudan.161 
 
 Negresses of Soudan.182 
 
 Tibboo Woman—Full Dress.225 
 
 Tibboo of Gatrone.235 
 
 Tuarick on his Maherry.293 
 
 Camel conveying a Bride.299 
 
 Slave Kaffle. 325 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 / 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Author’s Departure from Malta—Arrival at Tripoli—Character of Mohammed el 
 Mukni, Bey of Fezzan—Equipment of Mr. Ritchie and the Author—Costume of 
 the Natives of Tripoli—Character of the Maraboots, and'Celebration of their annual 
 Festival—The Natives of Tripoli—Their Habits, Customs, &c.—Public Baths— 
 Punishments—Costumes of the Women—Tripoline Marriages and Funerals— 
 Funeral of the Bashaw’s Grand-daughter—Resignation of M. Dupont—Journey to 
 the Gharian Mountains and Benioleed, in Company with Mr. Ritchie—General Ap¬ 
 pearance of the Country—Arrival at the Gharian Mountains—Visit to the Sheikh— 
 Short Account of the Passes—Roman Tomb—Castle of Gharian—Distressed State 
 of Usadena—Account of the People of Gharian—Set out for Benioleed, through the 
 gravelly Desert—Arrival at Benioleed—Character of the Inhabitants—Its Popula¬ 
 tion—Description of the Arabs—Their Religion, Manners, Flabits, &c. . . Page 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 JOURNEY FROM TRIPOLI TO MORZOUK. 
 
 Preparations for their Departure, in Company with Mohammed el Mukni—Encampment 
 in the Mountains of Terhoona, and at the Wells of Melghra—Arrival at Benioleed 
 —Interview with the Wife of the Sheikh, of the Raffle—Their Christian Friends 
 return to Tripoli—Punishment of an Arab for Theft—Journey over the Desert— 
 Remains of a Roman Castle—Continuation of the Journey, until their Arrival at 
 Sockna—Entry into that City—Description of it—Manner of raising the Tribute 
 
 b 
 
X 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Money—Accompany the Sultan’s Son to Hoon and Wadan, to receive the Taxes 
 —Account of those Places—Return to Sockna—Leave Sockna—Singular Custom 
 imposed on Travellers in passing the Soudah Mountains—Arrival at Nufdai—- 
 Clear the Soudah Mountains—And travel over the gravelly Plain, through the 
 Pass of Kenair, to the Well of Qm el Abeed—Visit the Towns of Zeighan and 
 Samnoo, famed for their Maraboots—Encamp at Temenhint—Arrival at Sebha, 
 where the Black Population commences—Pass on to Ghroodwa—Entry to Mor- 
 zouk, the Capital of Fezzan.. Page 58 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT MORZOUK. 
 
 Mode of travelling across the Desert—Interview with the Sultan—Description of Mor- 
 zouk—Population—Castle of the Sultan—Illness and severe Distress of the Author 
 and his Companions—Arrival of a Kaffle of Tuarick—Fast of Rhamadan—De¬ 
 parture of an Expedition to obtain Slaves from the Country of Borgoo—Diseases 
 of the Inhabitants, and the Native Methods of Cure—Feast of Aidel Shraya—Ob¬ 
 servations on the Tuarick—Their Religion, Dress, Customs, and Language—Ghraat 
 —Its Government, Laws, and Trade—Market there—Arrival of a Kaffle from Bor- 
 nou with Slaves—Information respecting Bornou and the surrounding Countries, 
 as collected from the Traders—Of Kashna and Soudan, in general—Account of 
 Hornemann and his Death—Tembuctoo — General Remarks on the Geography of 
 the Interior, and probable Course of the Niger—Vocabulary of the Fcllatta Lan¬ 
 guage—Conjectures on the Fate of Park ............ 89 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Articles of Commerce between Fezzan and the Interior, as well as to Egypt, Bornou, 
 and Waday—Gonja—Description of Ghadams—Benewaleed and Benewazeed— 
 Reports of a Successor to Mukni—His Illness—Gardens—Costumes of the Na¬ 
 tives—Their Amusements—Visits to the Sultan’s Family—Celebration of the 
 Feast of Aid el Kebire—Sickness and Sufferings of the Author and his Com¬ 
 panions—Education of the Children of Morzouk—Revenues of the Sultan of Fez¬ 
 zan—Illness and lamented Death of Mr. Ritchie—His Funeral—Determination 
 of the Author to penetrate to the Southward of Morzouk ....... 152 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xi 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Departure for Tegerry, through Zuela and Gatrone—Arrival at Zaizow—Pass on to 
 Traghan—Visit Gardens and Springs—Arrival at Zaitoon and Touela—Pass 
 Villages of Maghwa and Taleb—Arrival at Hamera—Illness—Leave Hamera— 
 Bearings of its neighbouring Villages—Large Salt Plain—Arrival at Zuela—De¬ 
 scription of Inhabitants—Author’s Illness—Ancient Buildings—Hospitality of the 
 Shreefs—Leave the Town—Arrival at Terboo—Its Wretchedness—Curious Story 
 of Maraboot—Arrival at Mejdool—Journey across the Desert, and Arrival at 
 Gatrone—Feast of Milood—Costume, Character, and general Description of the 
 Tibboo—Description of Gatrone—Accounts of Tibesty and Waday, from a Tibboo 
 Trader—Tibboo Language—Leave Gatrone in order to meet the Grazzie—El 
 Bakkhi—Tibboo Manner of making Tar—Arrival at Tegerry . . . Page 2()2 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Castle of Tegerry—Description of the Town—Some Accounts of the Desert of Bilma—- 
 Salt Lake of Agram—Ride out on the Desert—Leave Tegerry—Belford’s dan¬ 
 gerous State—Return to Gatrone—Arrival of the Grazzie, or Slave-hunters, with 
 many Captives and Camels—Account of their Excursion, and of Borgoo and Wa- 
 junga—Manner of making Captives—Leave Gatrone in Company with the Grazzie 
 —Mestoota—Reception at Deesa—Feast at Zaizow—Return to Morzouk—Go out 
 to witness the Triumph of the Slave-hunters—Sultan’s Reception of his Son— 
 Remarks on Grazzies—Accounts of Slave-markets—Arrival of Aboo Becker, and 
 Continuation of Mukni in Command—Further Accounts of the Countries of the 
 Tibboo—Arrangements in the Sale of Slaves, so as to ensure the Sultan his 
 Share.. 239 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OF FEZZAN. 
 
 Aspect of the Country—State of Cultivation—Minerals—Animals—Birds—Vegetable 
 Productions—Fruits—Esculents—Time and Manner of cultivating Grain—Water 
 —Towns—Food of Inhabitants—Possibility of improving Agriculture—Tenure of 
 Lands—Weights and Measures—Government—Principal People—Character of the 
 
XU 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Natives-—Inroads into the Negro Countries—State of the Slave Trade—Crimes and 
 Punishments—Character of the Natives—Religion—State of Literature and In¬ 
 genuity—Language—State of the Women—Records—Slavery and the Slave Trade 
 —Laws relative to the Issue of Slaves.. Page 270 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Arrangements for our Departure from Morzouk—Parting with the Sultan—Leave Mor- 
 zouk to return to Tripoli—Sleep at Dgleim—Mode of conducting a Kaffle of Slaves 
 -—Arrival at Ghroodwa—Pass two Days at Sebha—Are joined by more Kaffles— 
 Marriage of an Arab—Account of the Wadey Shati—Arrive at Temenhint—Zeghen 
 Om el Abeed—Pass of Kenair—Pass over the five Days Desert to Sockna—Troubles 
 at Sockna—Further Description of that Place ........... 290 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Leave Sockna—-Stop at Hammarn—Well of Temedd—Sufferings of the Slaves—Arrive 
 at Bonjem—Danger on the Desert—Zemzem—Sofageen—Storm in the Mountains 
 —See two Roman Ruins—Arrive at Zleetun—Description of that Place—Leave 
 Zleetun—Visit Lebida—Illness—Arrival at Tripoli—Account of the Negroes of the 
 Kaffle—General Notices of the Desert—Bclford’s bad State of Health—Departure 
 from Tripoli—Pass Quarantine at Leghorn—Return over the Continent to Eng¬ 
 land ...323 
 

m? 
 
 ADEy 
 
 zecrais 
 
 zi’f.i.a'C; 
 
 \upsm 
 
 ATRONE 
 
 .1/ ./ /' 
 
 of a Route through the 
 
 REGENCY of TRIPOLI 
 
 AND 
 
 KINGDOM of FE 2 TZAN 
 
 Performed m the Years 1818 If) .I- 20. 
 BY CABWG.F. LYON.x.n. 
 
TRAVELS 
 
 FROM 
 
 TRIPOLI TO MOURZOUK. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Author’s Departure from Malta—Arrival at Tripoli—Character of Mohammed el 
 Mukni, Bey of Fezzan—Equipment of Mr. Ritchie and the Author—Costume of 
 the Natives of Tripoli—Character of the Maraboots, and Celebration of their annual 
 Festival—The Natives of Tripoli—Their Habits, Customs, &c.—Public Baths— 
 Punishments—Costumes of the Women—Tripoline Marriages and Funerals— 
 Funeral of the Bashaw’s Grand-daughter—Resignation of M. Dupont—Journey to 
 the Gharian Mountains and Benioleed, in Company with Mr. Ritchie—General Ap¬ 
 pearance of the Country—Arrival at the Gharian Mountains—Visit to the Sheikh— 
 Short Account of the Passes—Roman Tomb—Castle of Gharian—Distressed State 
 of Usadena—Account of the People of Gharian—Set out for Benioleed, through the 
 gravelly Desert—Arrival at Benioleed—Character of the Inhabitants—Its Popular 
 tion—Description of the Arabs—Their Religion, Manners, Habits, &c. 
 
 IN the month of September, 1818 , Mr. Ritchie, a gentleman of 
 great science and ability, employed by the British government on 
 a mission to the interior of Africa, arrived at Malta from Marseilles, 
 attended by M. Dupont, a Frenchman in his pay, whom he had en¬ 
 gaged for the purpose of collecting and preparing objects of natural 
 history. It was understood that Captain Marryat, of the Royal 
 Navy, was also to have accompanied Mr. Ritchie; but that cir¬ 
 cumstances had occurred which induced that gentleman to re- 
 
 13 
 
o 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. 1. 
 
 linquish his intention of joining the mission. Soon after Mr. 
 Ritchie's arrival in Malta, 1 was fortunate enough to become ac¬ 
 quainted with him, and hearing him express his disappointment 
 at having failed to obtain Captain Marryat as his companion on 
 the proposed expedition, I ventured to offer my best endeavours 
 to supply his place, and although conscious that I had but little 
 talent to boast, I yet hoped that the zeal by which I was actuated 
 would in some degree make amends for my deficiencies in other 
 respects. Mr. Ritchie, without hesitation, accepted my proposal, 
 and in consequence lost no time in applying to Admiral Sir C. V. 
 Penrose, Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, to solicit the 
 necessary leave for my quitting the Albion. Sir C. Penrose, in 
 the kindest and most flattering manner, acceded to the request, and 
 immediately wrote in my favour to the Lords of the Admiralty, 
 to. obtain permission for me to belong to the mission. Mr. Ritchie 
 in the meantime occupied himself in making preparations for his 
 departure ; and, as an addition to his small party, engaged a ship¬ 
 wright from the dockyard, Malta, named John Relford (who, as 
 well as myself, was a volunteer), to accompany him. His arrange¬ 
 ments thus made, Mr. Ritchie, on the 10th October, sailed for Tripoli 
 in the Admiral’s schooner, leaving me behind, anxiously awaiting an 
 answer from England to the application made for me. I employed 
 tliis period of suspense in acquiring the Arabic alphabet, and in 
 otherwise preparing myself for the object in view. On 19th 
 November the wished for permission arrived, and on November 
 21st 1 sailed from Malta in the tender for Tripoli, at which place 
 I arrived on the 25th of November, 1818. I found Mr. Ritchie 
 still there, and likely to remain sometime longer. He was residing 
 in the house of the British consul, Colonel Warrington, who re¬ 
 ceived me most hospitably, and invited me to take up my quarters 
 under his roof. Mr. Ritchie’s intention being to proceed toMourzouk, 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 the capital of Fezzan ^1 js with the Sultan of that country, 
 his motions were to be regulated by the depasture of this person, 
 who, as we learned, was about to take with him a large body of 
 men, for the purpose of waging war on the inhabitants of Waday, 
 (the Borgoo of Brown) which is to the southward and 
 eastward of Fezzan ; but as the people of Tripoli were by no means 
 alert in coming forward, and as the Bashaw did not appear much 
 inclined to compel them, no just idea could be formed as to the 
 probable time of our setting off. 
 
 Mohammed el Mukni I who at Tripoli is called the 
 
 Bey of Fezzan, (but who takes the title of sultan on entering his 
 own territories), is a man of about fifty years of age, of a fine 
 martial appearance, and of great personal strength ; but withal of an 
 insatiable ambition and excessive avarice. He was one of the chief 
 supporters and friends of the Bashaw during the reign of his father, 
 and was afterwards of considerable assistance to him in quelling 
 the disturbances which took place on his usurping the throne. 
 Mukni was at this time in great favour, and considered as a person 
 of much consequence. After his father’s death he became Bey el 
 JSToba, or collector of the Bashaw’s tribute from the Sultan of Fezzan, 
 and went thither annually to receive it. Though the tribute was 
 trifling, the office of Bey el Moba was held of great importance. It 
 was while acting in this capacity that Horneman accompanied him 
 to Fezzan. Mukni’s frequent visits to that country gave him op¬ 
 portunities of ascertaining that the sum paid as the tribute was 
 but a very small part of the immense gains of the reigning Sultan ; 
 and having once determined on getting the kingdom into his own 
 hands, he soon found means to influence the Bashaw to permit his 
 removing the reigning family, under pretence that such a change 
 would be for the Bashaw’s sole emolument. In 1811, therefore, he 
 <• b 2 
 
4 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP, i. 
 
 took a body of men by the Gharian mountains, and succeeded in 
 reaching Mourzouk undiscovered. The detail of his proceedings 
 would be wholly uninteresting; suffice it to say, that his ambitious 
 views were fully accomplished. He caused the Sultan and his 
 brother to be strangled, as well as the principal Mamluke and his 
 two eldest sons; and pretending that it was unsafe to leave Mour¬ 
 zouk immediately after these acts of cruelty and injustice, he had 
 the address to persuade the Bashaw to appoint him his viceroy, 
 promising to increase the tribute to 15,000 dollars annually, whereas 
 that of the former Sultan did not exceed 5000. Having thus 
 established himself, lie waged war on all his defenceless neighbours, 
 and annually carried off 4000 or 5000 slaves. From one of these 
 slave-hunts into Kanem he had just returned to Tripoli, with a 
 numerous body of captives and many camels, and was, in consequence, 
 in the highest favour with the Bashaw. 
 
 I learnt on my arrival that Mr. Ritchie had several times had 
 interviews with the Bashaw, to whom he made many valuable 
 presents ; and that His Highness was fully informed of his proposed 
 journey and plans respecting the interior. Though Mr. Ritchie 
 himself never communicated with me on this subject, or made 
 known what occurred at these interviews, I have every reason to 
 conclude they were favourable to the object he had in view, and 
 that the protection of the Bashaw, as far as his power extended, was 
 fully ensured to the mission. The Sultan of Fezzan also on his side 
 made the most flattering promises of protection ; declaring that he 
 only awaited the opportunity of showing his good will, and that, 
 when arrived in his own dominions, he would act towards Mr. 
 Ritchie as a brother, and assist him in all things to the utmost 
 of his power. After my own introduction to Mukni, I frequently 
 heard him repeat these expressions of regard towards Mr. Ritchie, 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 5 
 
 and they extended also to myself, whom he promised equally to 
 protect and assist. 
 
 With so powerful and friendly an ally as we had every reason 
 to consider Mukni, we of course felt perfect security and confidence 
 in the future, and we remained in the firm hope and assurance that 
 all these flattering professions would be fully realised on our arrival 
 in the kingdom of Fezzan. In a few days after I reached Tripoli 
 I was introduced by the British Consul to the Bashaw ; but as it was 
 a private audience only, I had no opportunity of witnessing the 
 splendour of his court. As neither Mr. Bitchie nor myself were 
 yet equipped in our Moorish costume, which we were particularly 
 advised by the Bashaw to adopt, we did not appear much in public ; 
 but having procured the Consul's permission to reside in a house 
 once belonging to the Portuguese consulate, we removed there in 
 order to prepare ourselves for our outfit. I furnished myself with 
 a horse and the greater part of my equipments, Mr. Bitchie not 
 possessing sufficient funds for that purpose. 
 
 When presented to the Bashaw, it was thought absolutely 
 necessary, by way of adding consequence and respectability to the 
 mission, that I should be styled captain. I was therefore intro¬ 
 duced as a Bais, or commander of a ship of war. Had I been sup¬ 
 posed to have held an inferior rank, my reception by the great man 
 would not have been so flattering, there being no intermediate 
 gradation known in that country. 
 
 On the 5th of December, 1818, having accepted an invitation 
 to pass the evening at the house of the Sheikh el Bled, or Governor 
 of the town, we sent for an old barber to shave our heads; and our 
 beards (which we had suffered to grow, and which now made a 
 respectable appearance), were put in order for the occasion. 
 
 Our costume was that of the better class of Tripolines, who have 
 two kinds of dresses ; the one long, and worn chiefly by elderly 
 
6 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. i. 
 
 men and persons of great consequence; the other short, and worn 
 generally. For the information of future travellers, I shall enu¬ 
 merate the different articles of clothing. 
 
 Short Dress. 
 
 Sidrea .—A waistcoat fitting tight to the body, without any opening 
 in front, having only holes for the neck and arms. It is pulled 
 on in the same maimer as the Guernsey frock used by seamen. 
 Farmela is a second waistcoat, open in front, and having broad 
 gold lace and buttons, but no button-holes. It hangs over the 
 sidrea. 
 
 Zibboon .—A jacket, the sleeves of which are embroidered. These 
 first three dresses are confined round the waist by the band of 
 the trowsers, which come outside them. A broad belt of silk 
 or gold is then passed round the body. Over the jacket is an 
 embroidered waistcoat without sleeves, called 
 Bidfiah .—All these dresses may be of different colours, the most 
 brilliant and gaudy being chiefly in request. On walking out, 
 a hooded cloak of very finely spun white wool is thrown over 
 all, and on great occasions a cloth one of the same form, bordered 
 with rich gold lace, is used. This cloak is called Bornouse. 
 The trowsers are immense, and of silk or cloth, according to the 
 pleasure of the wearer. 
 
 The Long Dress 
 
 Consists of the two under waistcoats: over them is worn a caftan, 
 which is a long gown or robe, embroidered in front and at the 
 sleeves. Over this is worn a 
 
 Beneish , which resembles a caftan in shape, but differs in the 
 disposition of the ornaments. 
 
 Jerba is a caftan with short sleeves, and is often worn in lieu of the 
 Beneish. 
 

 ■ 
 
 
 
 
ZorMn .ZuMi/bedJy ZMurray aMemurJe jZ.Z'eJ. /. /<?£/. 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 7 
 
 Over these dresses woollen and cloth Bornouses are worn. 
 The turbans are various, according to fancy : shawls of Cashmere, or 
 imitations of those of Europe, are considered as the most splendid. 
 Green turbans, it is well known, can be worn by none who are not 
 shreefs, or descendants of the prophet. Blue, being the colour 
 confined to the Jews, is of course not used in the turbans of the 
 Mohammedans. 
 
 In riding out, boots of red, and sometimes yellow Morocco 
 leather are worn, a pad being closely tied round each ankle before 
 putting them on, in order to prevent the large stirrups from hurting 
 the leg. When not riding, yellow slippers, with soles of the same 
 kind as the upper leathers, are used, and are slipped into large 
 solid ones of the same colour with thick soles when walking out. 
 These last are always left at the door on entering a room. Red 
 shoes are also worn by the middle class. The Jews are restricted to 
 black. The trappings of the horse are gaudy, and as cumbrous as 
 those of its rider. The saddles are high before and behind, much 
 the same as those used in Spain. Under them, on the back of the 
 horse, are five or six cloths of different colours, which are so arranged 
 that the edges of each are shown. The saddles are frequently 
 covered with highly embroidered velvet, or richly embossed gilt 
 cases. Over the seat is thrown a saddle-cloth, bordered with gilt 
 lace and embroidery. The stirrups are from a foot to twenty inches 
 in length, and are generally gilt. 
 
 Having thus given a sketch of the costume of the Tripoli men, 
 I conceive it necessary to mention that we fully adopted the dress 
 and appearance of Moslems, using all our endeavours to become 
 acquainted with their manners. Mr. Ritchie assumed the name of 
 Yussuf el Ritchie, Belford was called Ali, Dupont 
 
 Mourad, and I was* styled Said ben abd Allah aJJ 
 We found no difficulty in procuring a fighi (or clerk) of one of the 
 
8 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 mosques to visit us at stated periods to instruct us in reading. He 
 also, at my particular request, gave me all the requisite information 
 respecting the ceremonies used in prayer; and when I became 
 perfect in them, I taught them to Mr. Ritchie. 
 
 Every thing now seemed to promise well, as far as our residence 
 in Tripoli was concerned; but Mr. Ritchie felt much anxiety 
 respecting a further allowance from government, as we had scarcely 
 more than money sufficient to pay the hire of our camels to Mour- 
 zouk, and beyond that place we were uncertain how we could 
 procure a fresh supply for the use of the mission. Mr. Ritchie had 
 brought with him a good deal of merchandize; but, from what he 
 learnt at Tripoli, it was likely to be of little service to us, as it con¬ 
 sisted of few or none of the articles of trade most commonly used 
 in the interior. 
 
 Sidi Mohammed d’Gheis, formerly minister to the Bashaw, but 
 who had retired some years since on account of total blindness, 
 showed us every attention, and by his kind assistance afforded us 
 most useful information. He had travelled much in Europe, and 
 was well acquainted with our customs, so that he was perfectly 
 qualified to caution us on many points which, had we remained in 
 ignorance of them, would inevitably have betrayed us to be Christians 
 to the people in the interior. 
 
 It would be useless to attempt giving any description of 
 the city of Tripoli, as it has already been done by far more able 
 pens than mine; but of any particular occurrences which attracted 
 my attention during my residence there, 1 conceive I may be 
 allowed to make mention. The most extraordinary characters are 
 the Maraboots, L* a set of people much spoken of in all Moslem 
 countries; but it strikes me that the requisites necessary to con¬ 
 stitute one of these saints are not every where the same. In the 
 interior they consist in keeping up the outward show of sanctity, 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 9 
 
 in abstaining from proscribed liquors, in avoiding improper or 
 profane expressions, in being faithful to the limited number of 
 wives (namely four), and in not intriguing with the wives of 
 other men; whilst in Tripoli such forbearance is by no means 
 considered necessary. The Maraboots there, are of two classes: 
 idiots, who are allowed to say and do whatever they please; 
 and men possessed of all their senses, who, by juggling and per¬ 
 forming many bold and disgusting tricks, establish to themselves 
 the exclusive right of being the greatest rogues and nuisances 
 to be met with. There are mosques in which these people 
 assemble every Friday afternoon, and where they eat snakes, scor¬ 
 pions, &c. affecting to be inspired, and committing the greatest 
 extravagancies. 
 
 On the 9th of January, 1819, their annual festival began, and 
 continued for three days, with all its barbarous ceremonies. On, or 
 rather before this day, the great Maraboot is supposed to inspire 
 those who are to appear in the processions, and who, according to 
 their abilities, are more or less mad and furious. The natural 
 fools are always ready for the exhibition; and it is amusing to 
 observe their looks of astonishment at being on that day, more 
 than any other, brought into notice. During the time the Mara¬ 
 boots (who are guarded and attended by a great number of people) 
 are allowed to parade the streets, no Christians or Jews can with any 
 safety make their appearance, as they would, if once in the power 
 of these wretches, be instantly torn to pieces; indeed, wherever 
 they show themselves on their terraces or from windows, they are 
 sure of a plentiful shower of stones from the boys who are in 
 attendance. 
 
 As I w T as in the dress of the country, and very anxious 
 to witness the whole of the ceremonies, I ventured to go out 
 with our Dragoman, and to make my way to the mosque from 
 
10 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 which the procession was to set out. I certainly felt that my 
 situation was a very dangerous one; but being resolved on the 
 attempt, and telling the man to follow me closely, I dashed in with 
 the crowd, and succeeded in getting near the Saints, who, with 
 dishevelled hair, were rapidly turning round, and working them¬ 
 selves into a most alarming state of frenzy. A band of barbarous 
 music was playing to them, while several men were constantly 
 employed in sprinkling them with rose-water. Had I been dis¬ 
 covered, my life would have been in very great jeopardy; but for¬ 
 tunately I was able to keep my countenance, and to pass unnoticed; 
 and when the performers were sufficiently inspired, sallied out with 
 them, and followed through the streets. One had a large nail run 
 through his face from one cheek to the other; and all had bitten 
 their tongues in so violent a manner as to cause blood and saliva to 
 how copiously. They were half naked, at intervals uttering short 
 groans and howls; and as they proceeded (sometimes three or four 
 abreast leaning on each other,) they threw their heads backwards 
 and forwards with a quick motion, which caused the blood to rise 
 in their faces, and their eyes to project from the sockets to a 
 frightful degree. Their long black hair, which grew from the 
 crown of the head (the other parts being closely shaven), was con¬ 
 tinually waving to and fro, owing to the motion of the head. One 
 or two, who were the most furious, and who continually attempted 
 to run at the crowd, were held by a man on each side, by means 
 of a rope, or a handkerchief tieel round the middle. As we 
 passed through one of the streets, a party of Maltese and other 
 Christians were discovered on a terrace, and were instantly assailed 
 by showers of stones. I observed that whenever the Maraboots 
 passed the house of a Christian, they affected to be ungovernable, 
 and endeavoured to get near it, pretending they made the dis¬ 
 covery by smelling out Unbelievers. After following for an hour or 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 11 
 
 two, during which I witnessed the most horrible and revolting 
 scenes, I returned home, when, to my great amusement, I learnt 
 that a rumour prevailed of my having been attacked and very ill 
 treated; and that I had, in defending myself, stabbed a Mara- 
 boot, and ran away, no one knew whither. I was happy to be 
 enabled in person to contradict these reports, and to prove that I 
 had escaped not only unhurt, but unobserved. There were two 
 parties who traversed the town; but from their being of opposite 
 sects, and at war with each other, it was so arranged that they 
 should take different routes. 
 
 That which I did not see was the superior one, and took its 
 departure from under the walls of the castle. It was headed by a 
 man named Mohammed, who had been much at our house, going 
 on errands, and attending our horses. I did not, until afterwards, 
 know he was so celebrated a character. Before the time of the 
 procession he was confined in a dungeon, in consequence of his 
 becoming very furious. When all was in readiness for the ceremony, 
 the Bashaw took his station in the balcony overlooking the Arsenal, 
 and tliis man was set at liberty, when he rushed on an ass, and 
 with one thrust pushed his hand into the animal’s side, from which 
 he tore its bowels, and began to devour them. Many eat dogs, 
 and other animals; and on that day a little Jew boy was killed in 
 the street, either by the Maraboots or their followers. 
 
 As the power of taking up serpents and scorpions is supposed 
 to constitute a Maraboot, I determined on acquiring that honorable 
 title. Mr. Bitchie bought some snakes, which we all learnt to 
 handle, and I soon found out an effectual way of taking up the 
 largest scorpions without the slightest chance of being stung. 
 However, in order to observe the ceremonies practised by these 
 pretended saints, I sent a servant in search of one of the most 
 celebrated, under pretence of wishing myself to become a Maraboot., 
 
 c 2 
 
12 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. i. 
 
 This fellow went through numberless prayers and ceremonies, 
 spitting in my hands, taking rose-water in his mouth, and sprinkling 
 my face with it, reciting occasional prayers, and then washing his 
 own mouth and hands in rose-water. After bottling up this sacred 
 fluid, he told me to drink it on a particular day, which he named, 
 and I then should be as highly gifted as himself; thus concluding 
 his instructions, which, of course, I did not think myself bound to 
 observe. 
 
 There are two grand markets held weekly, one on the sands 
 behind the town every Tuesday, and the other on Fridays, about 
 four miles distance, amongst the gardens of the Meshea which 
 form a stripe of about three or four miles in breadth, between the 
 beach and the desert. 
 
 In the town are Bazaars, which are open every day. These are 
 streets, covered in overhead. The shops of merchants are ranged 
 on each side, and are very small. Slaves and goods are carried 
 about before the traders by auctioneers, who keep up a continual 
 din, each calling the price last bidden. The Jews have a quarter 
 of the town expressly to themselves, where they have their shops, 
 and in which they are shut up every evening at sunset. This place 
 is called Zanga t’el Yaliood UA uj These people are much 
 
 persecuted, yet they contrive to engross all the trade and places of 
 profit. They are forbidden, as I before observed, to wear gaudy 
 clothes, and are only allowed turbans of blue. 
 
 Several houses set apart for the reception of merchants and 
 their goods are called Fondook, cJjAj and answer to the descrip¬ 
 tion given of the Caravanseras of the East. There are a few 
 schools at which reading and writing, though to no great extent, 
 are taught in a very noisy manner. A knowledge of letters, how¬ 
 ever, is by no means necessary to constitute a great man, or to 
 advance him to any post of trust: of this there exists an example 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 13 
 
 in the present minister, Sidi Hamet (who was formerly Rais el 
 Marsa, or Captain of the port), and who can neither read nor write. 
 We had often heard this circumstance, and one day put into his 
 hands the Koran, with the wrong side uppermost, begging him 
 to repeat to us a few lines of it. He evaded our request by pre¬ 
 tending to read to himself for a short time, with the book still 
 turned the wrong way; when assuming a very sagacious look, he 
 returned it to us, observing, that “ it was very well written,” and 
 thus convincing us we had not been misinformed respecting his 
 ignorance. The Sheikh el 131ed, or Governor of the town, is con¬ 
 sidered a very good scholar, and ready accountant, though he was 
 once a boatman in the harbour. The contrast between the rigidity 
 of some Moslems, and the indifference of others respecting asso¬ 
 ciation with Christians, is curiously exemplified in this man. He 
 had sent his son to learn Italian under a Roman Catholic priest, 
 without at all disguising the circumstance. 
 
 Drunkenness is more common in Tripoli than even in most towns 
 in England. There are public wine-houses, at the doors of which 
 the Moors sit and drink without any scruple; and the Saldanah, 
 or place of the guard, is seldom without a few drunkards. The 
 greater part of the better sort of people also drink very hard; but 
 their favourite beverage is Rosolia, an Italian cordial, and it is not 
 uncommon for visitors, when making calls, to give unequivocal 
 hints that a little rum would be well received. Prostitutes are in 
 large numbers, and are obliged (if known to be such) to live in a 
 particular part of the town (called Zanga Pel Ghaab 
 or quarter of the prostitutes), under a Chowse, or superintendent, 
 appointed expressly for that purpose. These women are obliged 
 daily to supply food for the Bashaw’s dogs which guard the 
 Arsenal. 
 
 A kind of bad Italian is generally spoken by the Inhabitants of 
 
14 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 the town ; so that Christians have not much difficulty in transacting 
 business. 
 
 I observed a singular custom to be prevalent amongst all 
 Moors and Arabs, from the Bashaw down to the poorest camel- 
 driver, which is that of eructation, and which they perform as 
 often and as loudly as possible. Great men go through this cere¬ 
 mony with a solemnity and dignity altogether imposing; stroking 
 their beards, and thanking God for the great relief they have 
 obtained. Mukni was quite a professor in this way; and his little 
 son Yussuf (a boy of about eight years of age,) promised fair to 
 be equally accomplished. Both of the last mentioned personages 
 had also a peculiar way of blowing their noses in the ends of their 
 turbans. 
 
 Mamlukes (who are either renegades, or purchased slaves from 
 Georgia or Circassia), enjoy the highest offices; and the Bashaw’s 
 daughters are not permitted to marry any others. The Admiral of 
 the fleet is a Mamluke, a Scotchman by birth, and now named 
 Mourad Kais. He was in banishment during our stay at Tripoli; 
 but we learnt from the Consul and chief people that he bore an 
 excellent character. 
 
 The public Baths are of the same kind as those said to be used 
 in Turkey and Egypt; although not so magnificent in point of 
 ornament or size. The bather, on stripping, is girded round the 
 middle with a linen cloth, and one also is thrown over the shoulders, 
 which is taken off* on entering the vapour chamber. This is a 
 large circular room, having a dome, through which the light is ad¬ 
 mitted by many small holes well stopped with glass, and by which 
 means the air is entirely excluded. The light is much obscured 
 by the vapour, which constantly rises; lamps are therefore kept 
 burning, those who first enter being for a time unable to see their 
 way. Bound the sides of the chamber are raised broad stone 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 15 
 
 benches, and a large square place of the same description is in the 
 centre; under these are the fires which heat the bath, and it is 
 necessary to lie down on them in order to become ready for the 
 operations of the men whose business it is to rub and clean the 
 bathers. Water is then thrown over the body, so as to induce a 
 quicker perspiration. The heat is excessive, and we had no Ther¬ 
 mometer highly enough graduated to ascertain the temperature. 
 When a sufficient time has elapsed to produce languor and strong 
 perspiration, an assistant approaches and rubs the skin with a 
 glove of hair, in such a way as to cause the cuticle to peel off in 
 large dark rolls, however clean and white the skin may have ap¬ 
 peared previously to this operation. He then proceeds to shampoo¬ 
 ing (called Temerse ^ ; *s). The operations having thus finished, 
 some soap is brought to the bather, and he remains sitting under 
 a spout of warm water as long as he pleases. Dry cloths are then 
 brought to him, and being well wrapped up, he is conducted to an 
 outer room, where pipes and coffee are placed before him, with 
 incense to perfume the beard, after which he dresses and sallies 
 out. The price for the bath alone, without soap, is about five 
 pence; though it was always more expensive to us than to the 
 natives. The men come in the morning, and the women in the 
 afternoon. 
 
 When the Bashaw rides to the Messhia, or gardens behind 
 the town, he is accompanied by his sons, and a large troop of 
 horsemen, consisting of Mamlukes and the principal people of his 
 court, well mounted and splendidly attired. They ride in a con¬ 
 fused body round his person, and have no idea of regularity in their 
 motions. A few occasionally leave the main troop at full speed, 
 screaming and making flourishes with their muskets, which they 
 discharge, and then return to their ranks. On re-entering the 
 town, the whole party charge in groups of ten or twelve, each firing 
 
16- 
 
 travels IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 while the horses are in full speed, which has an exceeding pretty 
 effect. The horses (who are trained to the practice), as soon as 
 they hear the explosion, turn suddenly round on their haunches, 
 and canter back to the place from which they started. The beach 
 being of hard sand, is admirably adapted for these manoeuvres. 
 
 More than half of the guards are black, and as they are all 
 dressed differently, their appearance is very curious. No uni¬ 
 formity is observed either in the shape or colour of their horses, 
 whose bits are so severe, that they are seldom without raw and 
 bleeding mouths. The stirrups (which act as spurs) are used so 
 roughly as frequently to leave large gashes in the poor animal’s 
 flanks. It is considered highly ornamental to brand the thighs of 
 horses with lines and stars. 
 
 The mode of punishment at Tripoli (and, I believe, all other 
 Mohammedan towns), is totally different from any of those prac¬ 
 tised by Europeans. Some crimes are considered capital by law; 
 but many are rendered so by the whim of the Eashaw, in which 
 case, hanging, decapitating, and strangling are used. The Moors 
 are never employed as hangmen; but the first Jew who happens to 
 be at hand has that office conferred upon him, and is obliged to 
 accompany the culprit to the ramparts over the town gate, attended 
 by the guards and mob, when he puts on the rope well or ill 
 according to his ability, attaching it to a bolt fixed in the wall for 
 that purpose. The unfortunate victim is then forced through 
 an embrazure, and suspended by the side of the gateway, so 
 as to be seen by all who enter or leave the town. When de¬ 
 capitation is the punishment, the head alone is exposed to public 
 view. 
 
 Torture is not unfrequently made use of; but as all punish¬ 
 ments of that kind are confined to the dungeons of the castle, no 
 one can or dares give any description of the nature of it. Theft (as 
 

 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/7 raw??,fr 0 ?nc£ife 3y G-jc'Xyoot'. 
 
 07i Slaneiy 771.0a.te.ei. 
 
 Tripoli Costume . 
 
 _Z ondori,. J J u6lt/heoZ{>yo r JVLurrtzy t2?demar7&St. y Fg&. 7.7&2/. 
 
 0 27ic/6rruxsi, rap/i y. 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 17 
 
 presented by the Koran) is punished by cutting off a hand, and, 
 if to a very great extent, a foot also ; but repeated offences of this 
 kind extend sometimes to an amputation of the other hand or foot, 
 and I once saw a man, who, for a capital crime, had been mutilated 
 in this manner. The operation is performed with a razor. The 
 limb is first tied tight above the joint with a piece of cord, and the 
 hand or foot is taken out of the socket of the wrist or ankle joint. 
 The stump is then dipped into hot pitch, and the sufferer is 
 permitted to go away with his friends; and it is astonishing how 
 soon he recovers without any other dressing than the one which 
 I have mentioned. Beating with a stick on the posteriors or soles 
 of the feet is the general punishment for minor offences ; although 
 in some cases it is so severe as to occasion death. Four or five 
 hundred lashes are frequently given; but fifty is about the general 
 allowance. Some culprits, who, by bribery, or other means, are able 
 to influence the persons employed to see the sentence executed, 
 contrive to stuff their trowsers so as to escape without much suffer¬ 
 ing. This punishment is inflicted equally on all ranks, at the 
 pleasure of the Bashaw; and should even his own sons, his Mi¬ 
 nister, or the Sheikh of the town, displease him, they would be 
 obliged to submit to it, as well as the lowest of his subjects ; nor 
 would they consider themselves at all degraded, or their dignity 
 in any degree lessened by it. 
 
 We had resided some time in Tripoli before I had an oppor¬ 
 tunity of seeing any other costume of the women than their walking 
 dress. This consists of a Barracan (or wrapper, like that which the 
 Arabs wear, and which I shall describe when speaking of the 
 costume of those people), so arranged as to envelope the body and 
 head, and merely to show one eye; they also wear red boots, and 
 yellow or red slippers when in their houses. The dress of the 
 
 D 
 
18 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 women of the better class is magnificent; consisting of a silk shirt 
 of many colours in stripes, a highly embroidered waistcoat, silk 
 trowsers, and a Barracan also of silk or fine cotton of the most 
 gaudy colours, which is so put on as to form a species of petticoat, 
 as well as to hang gracefully over the head and shoulders. A cap 
 of cloth of gold is worn with many rich ornaments on the head. 
 The eyelids are stained with Antimony, which gives an enlarged 
 appearance to the eye, and increases its brilliancy. The brows are 
 plucked so as to be quite straight, and squared off at each end. 
 Much rouge is used; and gold and silver ornaments of great 
 weight are worn in the ears, and suspended from the head, as well 
 as large bracelets and anklets of the same metals. The garb of the 
 Jewish women varies but little from that of the Moslems; their full 
 dress is exactly the same, but their walking dress, instead of showing 
 one eye, exhibits both. They can wear only black or yellow slippers, 
 and boots are prohibited. 
 
 The coin, which is now and has for some years been current in 
 Tripoli, has only fourteen per cent, of silver in it, and is daily 
 decreasing in value. 
 
 Near the sea gate are the remains of a fine square Roman 
 building, which now has its arches filled up, and is used as a store¬ 
 house # . 
 
 The Tripoline Marriages are, I understand, (for no man is 
 
 * Tlie inscription, which is over the northern face, is in a perfect state, and is as 
 follows: 
 
 IMP . CiES. AYRELIO . ANTONIN . AVG . PP . ET . IMP . CAES . L. 
 AVRELIO . VERO . AMENIACO . AVG . SER . S . ORFITVS . PROCCOS . 
 CVM . YTTEDIO . MARCELLO . LEG . SVO . DEDICAVIT . C . CALPVR- 
 NIVS. CELS VS . CVRATOR. MVNERIS . PVB. MVNERARIVS . IXVIR. Q . 
 Q . FLAMEN. PERPETVVS . ARCV . MARMORE . SOLIDO . FECIT. 
 

CHAP. I. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 19 
 
 allowed to see them,) conducted with great splendour; the night 
 is the time chosen for the bride to be conveyed to the house of her 
 husband, when she is attended by a large troop of women, who 
 carry torches, and utter loud and repeated cries of joy. 
 
 Their Burials have nothing remarkable; the body being merely 
 put into a shell, which is covered with a cloth, having sentences of 
 the Koran worked round the edges. The friends of the deceased 
 follow in a hurried manner, singing verses and religious sentences. 
 The grave of a man is as usual distinguished by a pillar of stone, 
 having a turban carved on it, placed at the head. The funerals of 
 women are in some cases far more interesting, and are conducted 
 with a considerable degree of pomp and ceremony. One instance of 
 this, I witnessed myself. It was the daughter of the Minister, and 
 grand-daughter of the Bashaw, whom I saw carried to the grave. 
 Her coffin was covered with a rich purple cloth, embroidered with 
 gold, and having large golden characters from the Koran sewed on it. 
 At the head was placed a large nosegay of the choicest and most 
 beautiful flowers; the clothes and many costly ornaments of the de¬ 
 ceased were laid on the coffin; and the accumulation of rich waist¬ 
 coats, shirts, caps, &c. had a most splendid effect. The mourners car¬ 
 ried bunches of flowers in their hands, and, in contrast to the shining 
 decorations of the bier, were dressed in soiled and old clothes, 
 without antimony on their eyelids, and, in fact, studiously avoiding 
 the use of any ornaments. The Minister himself headed the pro¬ 
 cession, and although not in general considered a man of very acute 
 feelings, appeared in this instance much affected. It is the custom 
 at all funerals to liberate one or more slaves, who may at the time 
 belong to the family of the departed; and it is equally a rule to 
 distribute food amongst the poor, who, on these occasions, never 
 fail to attend in great numbers. These offerings are of course regu- 
 
 D 2 
 
20 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. i. 
 
 latecl by the comparative wealth or poverty of the donors ; but those 
 persons are considered as most meritorious who incur the greatest 
 expense in honour of their deceased relative. There are women 
 whose sole employment it is to attend the house of mourning, 
 where they howl, lament, and tear their hair and faces in a bar¬ 
 barous manner. Their cries continue with very little intermission 
 during three days, and the additional din occasioned by their 
 repeatedly beating wooden boxes or pots is truly horrible. The 
 customs and ceremonies used on these occasions, with many other 
 interesting subjects relating to Tripoli, are so faithfully and 
 pleasingly described in Tully’s narrative*, that they render any 
 further observations on my part unnecessary. 
 
 Mr. Ritchie, finding that Mukni still delayed his departure, and 
 that some weeks might yet elapse before he commenced his journey, 
 determined on employing the intermediate time in visiting Benio- 
 leed and the Gharian mountains. For this purpose he procured a 
 Chowse, a person employed by the Bashaw to collect the revenues, 
 and hired two camels to carry our provisions and baggage. 
 
 At this time M. Dupont thought fit to resign the office which 
 he had pledged himself to fulfil, and abruptly left Mr. Ritchie, 
 influenced, as we had reason to think, by the advice and suggestions 
 of some of his supposed friends. Not wishing to revive a subject 
 so little creditable to those who influenced the conduct of M. 
 Dupont, I shall only observe, that the petty intrigues which were 
 carried on in order to detract from the merits of the mission, and 
 eventually to obstruct its progress, were most disgraceful. 
 
 * Narrative of a ten Years’ Residence in Tripoli. 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 21 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE GHARIAN MOUNTAINS AND BENIOLEED. 
 
 Sunday, February 7th, 1819.—Leaving Belford in charge of our 
 house, we quitted Tripoli at 10. 5. A. M. and after passing through 
 the gardens of the Meshea at eleven arrived on the desert to 
 the southward of them, near the tomb of the Maraboot Seyd 
 AJot- who is spoken of in the “ Letters from Tripoli.” The sand 
 here rises in irregular hills, and is totally barren, not the slightest 
 traces of vegetation being perceptible. We continued travelling 
 over this until five o’clock, when we came to small spots of grass 
 and shrubs, on which flocks were feeding, and where a few Bedouins 
 had pitched their tents. We waited here for our camels, having 
 directed our course south south-west about fifteen miles, and on their 
 coming up, pitched our tents near a well on the plain. The Chowse 
 ordered us a supper, from the Sheikh of the Arabs, and we soon had 
 a smoking bowl of Bazeen and lamb. All the young girls came to 
 stare at us and our tents, as something quite new to them. 
 
 Monday, 8th February.—At eight we started, and travelled 
 south-west by south over a country nearly desert, until ten, when we 
 passed a few corn-fields, and a pretty plain covered with tents and 
 flocks. Here we stopped to examine the ruins of the Castle of 
 Mejnine This was once used as a frontier post for the 
 
 troops of the Bashaw, who kept the rebel Arab tribes in check ; but 
 having been built of mud and small stones, the rains have now washed 
 it nearly away : part of the walls only and a gate are still standing. 
 From this place we had a fine view of the Gharian mountains, and 
 observed that several hills in the range were in a conical form. On 
 leaving it, we proceeded until 1. SO. P. M. when we stopped at a 
 tent by the invitation of an Arab, who had ridden the preceding 
 
22 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 day in our company. He gave us a hearty welcome, and set before 
 us a large wooden bowl of dates, mashed up with hot oil, which we 
 found very good; its appearance was not unlike soft soap. The 
 women sat behind a carpet, and peeped at us through a small 
 hole in it. After quitting our kind host, we crossed the broad 
 bed of a water-course, when our road lay between two moun¬ 
 tains, the right hand one being called Smeeran ^1^ and that 
 on the left Batus distant from each other about one mile 
 and a half. Here the ground began to rise a little, and greater 
 quantities of herbage appeared. We travelled on in hopes of finding 
 a well until 4. 30., but without success; we therefore pitched our 
 tents on a little rising ground, near some Arabs, and after much 
 trouble, succeeded in purchasing a skin or two of water for our 
 horses. The Sheikh provided an excellent supper of Bazeen and 
 stewed lamb for us; and we had a full tent of Arabs squatted on 
 their heels, who came to look at us whilst we were eating. After 
 our dinner we made a little coffee, which, as well as our European 
 cups, excited much astonishment. We offered some to the Sheikh, 
 who not knowing what it was, suspected some treachery, and at 
 first refused to take it; however, by a little persuasion, we overcame 
 his prejudice, and seeing that we ourselves drank some, he at length 
 swallowed it with confidence. One of the party, on tasting some, 
 spat it out in horror, calling loudly on the Prophet, “ Ya Bas- 
 soul Ilia 4J' Jv-A Oh, Prophet of God! ” A third was so much 
 pleased with it, and became so great a connoisseur, that he ab¬ 
 solutely refused a second cup, because it was too cold. A Kaleido¬ 
 scope was handed round to the visitors, and excited general 
 admiration and amazement; like children, they quarrelled for their 
 turns to look through it, and if I might judge from the repeated 
 laughter and exclamations made use of, many extraordinary observe- 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 23 
 
 tions were made on the subject. The old Sheikh in particular 
 would scarcely bear to have it taken out of his hand. 
 
 Jackals and hyaenas are very numerous here; but the quantity 
 of noisy dogs which attend the flocks keep them in awe, whilst 
 they also kept us half the night awake. 
 
 Tuesday, 9th February.—At 7, A. M. we struck our tents, and 
 went on for Gharian. The country here had quite changed its 
 appearance. The paths, which in many places were covered with 
 broken basalt, were uneven and difficult; and the ground became 
 steep and irregular as we approached the foot of the mountains. 
 At three we rode a little to the left of the track, and fastening our 
 horses, climbed a small conical mountain of basalt, having very little 
 earth at the top of it, and called El Kelb Assoud jyJu-ASl or 
 “ the Black Dog.” Near this were two or three smaller hillocks, 
 also entirely of basalt. Our road was through a barren, but beau¬ 
 tiful and romantic valley, at the foot of the mountains. At ten we 
 arrived at the foot of the Gharian Pass. This spot is encompassed 
 on three sides by lofty mountains, and opens to the north-east. 
 There are some scattered palms here, and a clear stream winds 
 among them. Here a small Raffle passed us, consisting of ten or 
 twelve camels, and amongst them one or two Maherries, laden with 
 Trona, or soda, from Fezzan. Their owners were brown, 
 
 wild looking men, and appeared of a different cast from the Arabs 
 of Tripoli. In this little valley, about ten years since, the Hasnadar, 
 or Treasurer of the Bashaw, was murdered. He was on his way to 
 collect tribute from the mountaineers (which, in those days, was 
 rarely obtained but by force); and, as the Bashaw had new ly made 
 peace with them, he was but poorly attended. Whilst performing 
 his ablutions and shaving his head, he was fired at and killed by 
 some men stationed on the rocky pass, who again ascended their 
 
24 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. CHAP. I. 
 
 mountain. His party returned to Tripoli, and war was immediately 
 declared. The Bashaw caused a numerous army to be fitted out to 
 quell the insurgents, who, being joined by other discontented tribes, 
 prepared for a vigorous resistance. Owing to the bravery of these 
 people, and the natural strength of their passes and fastnesses, the 
 Bashaw’s army were some weeks before they could ascend the 
 mountains, and during that period many of them were killed. 
 When at last they succeeded in taking possession, they exercised 
 on the poor wretches every species of cruelty, suffocating them in 
 their subterraneous habitations, by throwing into them heaps of 
 wood and straw, and then setting fire to them. Twelve camels, 
 laden with heads to the amount of two thousand, were sent into 
 Tripoli as a token of triumph. These mountaineers have since 
 conducted themselves peaceably; though before their defeat they 
 were so much dreaded, that all communication through their country 
 to the interior was cut off and few people would venture amongst 
 them. We w ere an hour in ascending the pass, which was the most 
 difficult and dangerous I ever saw T . The rocks were worn so smooth 
 as to render it necessary for us to bestow constant attention on our 
 horses, which we w T ere obliged to lead; one false step would other¬ 
 wise, in some places, have precipitated them down the side of the 
 mountain. The camels, however, with their persevering pace, arrived 
 at the top as soon as we did. Near the place where we stopped 
 was a Tower, with loopholes for musketry. This, with many 
 others of the same description, was erected by the Bashaw on the 
 conquest of the mountain, that his troops might be enabled to 
 overawe the natives ; but as he never stations any forces there, his 
 purposes will only operate against himself, and enable the Arabs to 
 defend their mountains with greater obstinacy, should they ever so 
 far recover from their defeat as again to resist his unjust demands. 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 25 
 
 We stopped at a nest, I cannot call it village, where all the habitations 
 are under-ground. The Sheikh, on hearing we were under the 
 protection of the Easliaw, came to welcome us, and gave us the 
 only hut the place afforded, in which we placed our people and 
 camel loads. As for ourselves, we preferred clearing part of the 
 farm yard, and pitching our tent in it, surrounded by our horses 
 and camels. This place is called Beni abbas As the 
 
 natives live, as I have observed, under-ground, a person unac¬ 
 quainted with the circumstance might cross the mountain without 
 once suspecting that it was inhabited. All the dwelling-places 
 being formed in the same manner, a description of the Sheikh’s 
 may suffice for the rest. The upper soil is sandy earth, of about 
 four feet in depth; under this sand, and in some places limestone, 
 a large hole is dug, to the depth of twenty-five or thirty feet, and 
 its breadth in every direction is about the same, being as nearly as 
 can be made, a perfect square. The rock is then smoothed so as 
 to form perpendicular sides to this space, in which doors are cut 
 through, and arched chambers excavated, so as to receive their light 
 from the doors. These rooms are sometimes three or four of a 
 side, in others a whole side composes one; the arrangements 
 depending on the number of the inhabitants. In the open court is 
 generally a well, water being found at about ten or twelve feet 
 below the base of the square. The entrance to the house is at 
 about thirty-six yards from the pit, and opens above ground. It is 
 arched overhead; is generally cut in a winding direction, and is 
 perfectly dark. Some of these passages are sufficiently large to 
 admit a loaded camel. The entrance has a strong wall built over 
 it, something resembling an ice-house. This is covered over¬ 
 head, and has a very strong heavy door, which is shut at night, 
 or in cases of danger. At about ten yards from the bottom is 
 another door, equally strong, so that it is almost impossible to enter 
 
 E 
 
26 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 these houses, should the inhabitants determine to resist. Few 
 Arab attacks last long enough to end in a siege. All their- sheep 
 and poultry being confined in the house at night, the Bashaw’s 
 army, when here, had recourse to suffocating the inmates, being 
 unable to starve them out. 
 
 The mountain top spreads from this village on to a fine plain, 
 of a mile or two in length, which is in the highest state of culti¬ 
 vation. Corn and saffron fields covered with venerable olive trees 
 yield a delightful and novel prospect, to which the wildness of the 
 surrounding mountains contributes its share. The elevated situation 
 of these mountains prevents the cultivation of palms. Apple and 
 almond trees were planted in such little ledges of the rocks as were 
 too narrow for grain, and were at this time covered with blossoms. 
 From a crag above the pass we had a most extensive view of the 
 country over which we had travelled in coming from Tripoli. The 
 Ivelb Assoud, or Black Dog, lay north-east of us, about six miles on 
 the plain below. All the remarkable places which we had traversed 
 were quite distinguishable, and even a part of the sandy desert behind 
 Tripoli; but the sea, which the natives said was often discernible, 
 was hidden from us by the vapour arising from the sands. 
 
 The young men of the Douar, or village, took great delight in 
 doing the honours of their beautiful country, jumping from rock to 
 rock like goats, and appearing a most active, hardy set of people. 
 My very limited knowledge of the language was.a source of continual 
 regret to me; and I believe the trip to these mountains caused me 
 afterwards to apply with more assiduity to improve myself in it. 
 
 We returned with a keen appetite to our dinner, which 
 consisted of bazeen, hard eggs, and mutton, and at which the 
 Sheikh waited on us. The Chowse and our servant impudently 
 volunteered their company, and became our messmates for the 
 rest of the journey. The mutton and eggs being despatched, the 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 27 
 
 broth, seasoned with plenty of red pepper, was poured scalding over 
 the bazeen, and every one fell to work with extraordinary activity. 
 
 It is a point of great politeness with the Arabs to tear the meat 
 for a stranger, as well as to squeeze up the bazeen with the sauce 
 for him; and as this is sometimes done with rather unsavoury 
 fingers, hunger becomes an absolute requisite to induce a novice 
 to touch an Arab meal. 
 
 Our tent was in the evening filled by visitors, who squatted 
 down, and were much delighted with what few wonders we had to 
 exhibit to them. The principal of these was a loadstone, which 
 drew a penknife out of its case, and which was consequently a 
 subject of much speculation and whispering. 
 
 The Sheikh, who really appeared a superior kind of man, was 
 all attention and kindness; but whether from fear of the Bashaw’s 
 Chowse, or a real wish to be of service to us, I know not. I rather 
 suspect the former motive, since dread of their masters, and love of 
 presents, operate equally on the mind of Arabs, We had for our 
 supper a kind of paste called Hatria, which resembles macaroni, 
 and is considered a dish of honour. 
 
 In the evening we were joined by a fine, bold, soldier-looking 
 man, who was on a visit, and who was Sheikh of Battus, (a moun¬ 
 tain, mentioned in a former page), inhabited during a few months 
 in the year by shepherds, and those who go there to gather in 
 their harvest. This person and myself became great friends, and 
 from our conversation being chiefly in pantomime, we afforded 
 no little amusement to the rest of the party. He invited us to go 
 and hunt on his mountain, promising me a truly Arab present, 
 viz. a young wolf and fox. He told us that a thousand years 
 ago the Christians established themselves on his mountain, but 
 were unable to remain there more than forty days; an evident 
 proof of their inferiority to his tribe, which was commanded by 
 
 e 2 
 
28 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. 1. 
 
 one of his ancestors, and which then lived on Battus, though 
 they have since become wanderers. My new acquaintance was 
 elegantly armed, having an embroidered belt, silver scabbarded 
 sword, and well mounted pistols. He had received a wound in his 
 arm in the mountain wars (when his tribe resisted the Bashaw), 
 and imagined this to be the cause of a cough which at times 
 troubled him. He was not well pleased with our laughing at his 
 way of accounting for his complaint. 
 
 All the dogs here being white, the liver-coloured pointers which 
 had followed us from the Consulate caused the women and children 
 to fly on their approach, from the idea that they were wolves. 
 
 There are many Jews living in these mountains, whose dwellings 
 are much cleaner and better excavated than those of the Arabs, 
 and are also neatly whitewashed. These people, as in Tripoli, 
 are the only handicraftsmen, and seem here to be rather better 
 treated than elsewhere. 
 
 It rained very hard this night, and was very cold; but under 
 shelter of our tent we kept ourselves warm and dry. From the 
 village we had observed a mountain called Tekoot to bear 
 
 south 23° west. 
 
 Wednesday, February 10th.—At 7 . 10. A. M. we left Beni abbas, 
 and went on for the Castle of Gliarian, or Gusser, Turk, 
 
 After having proceeded over the plain, and reached the moun¬ 
 tains that rise from it, we climbed a steep peak, and making 
 our way along a sharp ledge on its top, again ascended to the 
 mountain of Tekoot, the principal of the range. From this 
 point we took the bearings of the following remarkable objects: 
 Beni abbas, north 33° east. Gusser Turk, south 35° west. A 
 mountain called Meroobi, south 55° east, and another mountain, 
 west 5° south, distant about twenty-five miles, inhabited at this 
 time by a rebel tribe under a chief called Kaleefa. Owing to the 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 29 
 
 height of the spot on which we stood, we found it difficult to distin¬ 
 guish many objects, which from the plain had appeared very con¬ 
 spicuous. Unfortunately, before we ascended this mountain we had 
 broken our Barometer, and were thence unable to ascertain its 
 precise elevation. Here is the tomb of a Maraboot, whose sanctity 
 is the subject of many extraordinary stories. 
 
 It was from hence that the Arabs, when they declared war 
 against the Bashaw (which formerly happened very frequently), 
 announced their rising to their allies and neighbouring tribes, by 
 signals of a fire at night, and a smoke by day. Three poor Arabs 
 followed us up the mountain, pointing out to us the most re¬ 
 markable surrounding objects: they gathered for us some small 
 black berries from a low thorny tree, with yellow flowers, which they 
 called Dummagh AA* or “ brains,” and which had an astringent taste, 
 somewhat resembling that of a ripe sloe, but the fruit was much 
 smaller. They told us that the Arabs of Gharian always spoke 
 with gratitude of the English Consul, who had once persuaded the 
 Bashaw not to increase their tribute, as he intended. 
 
 At noon we arrived at a cluster of nests called El Guasem^UI] 
 about six miles from Beni abbas: all the habitations of this place 
 are of the same kind as those already described; we, however, 
 found a small uninhabited shed above ground, situated at the foot 
 of a little turret, where we deposited our goods, and determined 
 on passing the night. From the inscriptions which we found in 
 this building, it must be about 150 years old. The present Bashaw, 
 his father, grand and great grandfather, had all slept in the smoky 
 corner, of which we now took possession. The turret itself* is con¬ 
 structed in a mode common to many others in these mountains. 
 At about half way down one of the subterranean passages, a hole 
 is cut upwards in an awkward way through the rock into the first 
 floor of the turret, which is even with the ground, and perfectly 
 
SO 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 dark, except where here and there a small stone is pushed out to 
 make way for the muzzle of a musket. From this floor is an ascent 
 to one, two, or three stories, by means of pieces of stick placed in 
 the walls. Each floor consists of branches of trees, most alarmingly 
 elastic, and the door of entrance from one to the other is a small 
 hole, through which a person has to force himself upwards. All 
 these military buildings manifest a noble contempt of architectural 
 skill, or neatness. On the side of a small hill near the village are 
 caves of some magnitude, from which good millstones are procured. 
 At this place we fared as we did the evening before, though the 
 Chowse had a most vociferous conversation with the Sheikh before 
 he could get any barley for the horses. We were well sheltered, 
 and sufficiently warm, for we had a good fire in the centre of 
 the hut, and slept at one end of it, while our people and the 
 drowse’s mare occupied the other. It rained very hard all night. 
 
 Thursday, February 11th.—At 7 A. M. we started, after making 
 the Sheikh a present, and wound along amongst the mountains in 
 the direction of the castle. Tekoot, bearing north three miles, we 
 discovered a Roman building in the form of a tomb, or perhaps a 
 very large altar; it was about twelve feet square, standing on two 
 or three broad steps, which seem to have had a neat cornice. 
 From the present appearance of the ruins, the original building 
 must have been ten or twelve feet in height. We could discern 
 no inscription. Our road hence was once more over very dif¬ 
 ficult passes, from which we expected to have had a delightful 
 view, but the mountains, to our great regret, became obscured by a 
 thick mist. 
 
 These mountains separated into a deep romantic valley, which 
 appeared to run immediately down to the desert. The tops were 
 in a very superior state of cultivation; figs, olives? and vines 
 flourishing on every spot which had sufficient earth to nourish 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY TN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 31 
 
 them. We observed many of the trees ornamented with the skulls 
 of horses, camels, or sheep, to protect the tree and its fruit from 
 being blasted by the “ Evil Eye.” At two we came to the castle, an 
 immense ill-constructed building of rough stones, having a turret 
 at each corner, an open court, and stalls for horses, embrasures for 
 cannon (closed up with mud), and here and there a loophole for 
 musketry. There are five or six six-pounders upset, and honey¬ 
 combed, to make a show; but I conceive the Bashaw would find 
 no one daring enough to fire them. The key of the castle (which 
 is never used but by the Kaid when he comes to collect tribute for 
 the Bey, to whom Gharian belongs), is kept by a neighbouring 
 Sheikh. Our Chowse was here of great importance, for being in 
 the service of the Bey, all the Arabs came to kiss his hands, and 
 bring him presents, and he consequently assumed a very dignified 
 afid solemn demeanour. At night one of our camel boys, who had 
 the office of porter assigned to him, brought the key of the gate 
 to the Chowse, and reported all right. We were informed very 
 seriously, that the room in which we slept was haunted by a Ghole, 
 and several devils, in consequence of some prisoners having had 
 their throats cut there a short time before. 
 
 Friday, February 12th.—Our porter had been so very careful 
 over night, that we were half an hour unlocking, unbarring, and 
 unbolting, before we could get out. Mr. Bitchie and myself then 
 sallied forth, he to botanize, and I with my gun in search of animals 
 called Gundy After lying down flat in the rain for three or 
 
 four hours, I was fortunate enough to shoot three, which I pre¬ 
 pared, in order that they might be sent to the British Museum, 
 and I believe they will be the first of the species known in Europe. 
 These animals resemble very much a Guinea pig in form, but are 
 of a light-brown mouse colour. The fur is longer than that of a 
 rat, and is very silky; the eyes are black, large, and prominent; 
 
go 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 the orifices of the ears (which are quite flat against the side of the 
 head) are also black, and free from hair; the tail, or rather a 
 little stump resembling one, is just perceptible to the touch, and 
 from it grows a bunch or tuft of long black hair. The body is very 
 round and fat, and particularly broad at the shoulders. These 
 animals burrow amongst the rocks. They are eaten with great 
 relish by the Arabs, and no doubt are very good, as the flesh is 
 exceedingly white and fat, and resembles that of a rabbit. 
 
 At about half a mile from the castle is a place called Tghrasat 
 at which a Bazaar is held weekly, and whither all the 
 mountaineers resort. At two we passed this place, and went about 
 four miles south to a village called Tegerinna where the 
 
 inhabitants live above as well as under ground. We pitched our 
 tents in a saffron field, and had our horses shod by a Jew black¬ 
 smith. He afterwards prepared in his house a fine lamb, and 
 very white bread, for our dinners, of which the Chowse pocketed 
 all we did not eat. We made the poor man a present, to 
 his great astonishment; for no one, if he can avoid it, performs 
 any act of kindness to these persecuted people. In the even¬ 
 ing we had many visitors, amongst others the Sheikh, who was 
 all curiosity, and ready for as many presents as we chose to make 
 him. 
 
 From this place, three other above-ground villages bore south 
 by west two miles. They were called Usadena. The inhabitants, 
 male and female, had all been murdered on the Bashaw’s conquering 
 the country, and the buildings were entirely ruined. 
 
 Gharian is famed for the excellence of its oil, the richness of 
 its saffron, which is produced in great quantities, and the goodness 
 of its corn. The people are fine, well made men, and have an air 
 of freedom, which their change of circumstances has not been able 
 to conquer. In collecting the tribute for the Bey, each man pays 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 33 
 
 in kind a certain portion of his harvest. The Jews are employed 
 to weigh and prepare the Bey’s share, and are well paid by the 
 Arabs, in order that they may give short measure; for although 
 using false weights is by the law of Mohammed a heinous crime, 
 yet they fancy the sin is not incurred if the Jews defraud for 
 them. 
 
 Of the dress, food, &c. of the Arabs, I shall treat more fully in a 
 future page. 
 
 Saturday, 13th February.—At seven A. M. we left this de¬ 
 lightful spot for Benioleed. Our road was through very difficult 
 passes in the mountains, where we found some rain water, with 
 which we filled our gerbas, or water-skins, with a sufficient supply 
 for three days. 
 
 Our road the latter part of this day lay over a barren, stony 
 plain; and having proceeded south 40° east twenty-five miles, we 
 encamped at sunset in a small valley amongst some bushes. Our 
 fellow travellers, after prefacing their stories by boasting of their 
 own courage and expertness in fighting, gave us most frightful 
 accounts of the banditti who were said to frequent this track; but 
 how these rogues, or any one else, could manage to exist at all in 
 such a place, was a riddle which our friends could not explain. 
 Muskets and pistols were laid at the Chowse’s head, and two bottles 
 of wine were drank to fortify his stomach, so that he slept undis¬ 
 turbed through the night. 
 
 Sunday, 14th.—The country onward presented one unvaried 
 scene of desolation : not a living creature appeared during the day; 
 but at night the jackals kept up a continual howling. At noon, we 
 passed a deep ravine, for about eight miles, of basalt, which ap¬ 
 peared as if it had been rent open by some convulsion of nature. 
 At five, we crossed a dry water-course, and stopped on its bank 
 
 F 
 
34 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. i. 
 
 for the night amongst some stunted bushes. We made this day, 
 south 40° east, thirty miles. 
 
 Monday, 15th February.—At four A. M. made on for Benio- 
 leed. We passed occasionally over mountains and gravelly plains, 
 generally coming again-to the side of a large Wadey, or ravine, in 
 which there was some appearance of verdure. Many coveys of 
 red-legged partridges flew by us. After winding along a Wadey 
 for an hour or two, we arrived at Benioleed ajJjjJu, at two P. M., 
 ourselves and animals much fatigued: we had made, south 50° east, 
 twenty-five miles. We took up our quarters in the house, or rather 
 in the stable of the house, of the Sheikh. Here we paid our guide, 
 who came with us from Gharian, and who was a feeble man in ap¬ 
 pearance, but a most persevering walker. He never would sleep 
 in our tent, but preferred lying in the open air, though the Ther¬ 
 mometer was generally at the freezing point, with no other covering 
 than his Barracan, not even a shirt. 
 
 Tuesday, 16th February.—We walked out to see the houses, 
 which are built on each side of the Wadey of rough stones: none 
 are above eight feet in height; they have no windows, but receive 
 their light through the doors; and all look like heaps of ruins. 
 The inhabitants are Arabs of the tribe Orfilly and are a fine 
 handsome race of people. The young girls are really beautiful. 
 
 These poor Arabs are dreadfully oppressed by the Bashaw, who 
 has reduced them all to a most miserable state of poverty. Those 
 who remain in the country are in rags; the others who let their 
 camels out to hire, and accompany traders to the interior, are some¬ 
 what better off. They were once a brave daring set of men, who 
 defied the government of Tripoli; and, during the youth of the pre¬ 
 sent Basliaw, fully protected him from his father’s troops. Their 
 services to him have, however, been but ill requited; for he per- 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 35 
 
 secutes them more than any others of his subjects. They have 
 (and I believe not without deserving it) the character of being the 
 greatest robbers and rogues in the neighbourhood of Tripoli. 
 
 The Wadey produces but little corn, as the crops are all sown in 
 the desert to the eastward; and in harvest time the owners go in 
 bodies to bring in the grain. Much oil is made here, and the 
 palms and olive-trees are very flourishing. We observed that of the 
 latter there were no young trees, and learnt that the Bashaw taxed 
 them, wherever found, as large ones,—a system, which, if pursued, will 
 in a few years more destroy all the olive groves in his dominions. 
 
 The water here is excellent; the wells are of great depth, 
 many being 100 feet, and others above 200 feet: in fact, the 
 labour requisite in drawing water, makes it a scarce article. This 
 is the most southerly town in the Bashaw’s dominions on the road 
 to Fezzan, to which it is nearer than the other routes. 
 
 I took a drawing of the valley, which very much amazed the 
 Arabs, and collected round me an immense crowd. We here dis¬ 
 covered that our living amongst these people had not contributed 
 much to our cleanliness, and that one of Pharoah's curses w as but 
 too evidently upon us. 
 
 Wednesday, 17th.—We removed from our stable to a building 
 dignified by the name of a castle, in which the Kaid resides during 
 his too frequent visits to these parts. We had a dozen negroes turned 
 out to make way for us, the only good room being occupied by a 
 Chowse, who in the Ivaid’s name was collecting money. He 
 w r as all day surrounded by poor wretches, entreating that his 
 master w r ould spare them, and that something might be left to 
 assist in supporting their families. It was really melancholy to 
 witness the misery which prevailed amongst them; for they were 
 called upon to answ er the exactions of three masters, none of whom 
 would leave them even a sheep, if their extortions were not com- 
 
 F 
 
 o 
 
36 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 plied with. Thus it is: the Bashaw demands a certain sum of 
 money, and sends a Kaid to collect it. This man doubles the 
 requisition, in order to enrich himself; and it not unfrequently 
 happens that he goes away, and leaves a Chowse to act for him, 
 who in his turn drains them still more and more; and thus their 
 victims are reduced to utter ruin. There were in the castle slaves, 
 camels, sheep, goats, and grain in quantities, which had all been 
 lately extorted from these unhappy people. Eight poor prisoners 
 were confined under-ground, and had not been fed during the time 
 we were there; and finally, the Chowse had an order to cut their 
 throats, which we understood was executed the day after we left 
 the castle. A market is held here weekly, to which the necessaries 
 of life are brought with fear and trembling, lest any one should 
 appear too rich. 
 
 Thursday, 18th February.—This being market day, a few sheep 
 and goats were brought on the plain before the gate. There were 
 also dates, corn, and gunpowder, but in small quantities. We 
 bought a sheep and some dates. It rained the whole of this day; 
 but at night it cleared up. The Sheikh came to see us, and 
 brought us a bowl of Bazeen, in return for which we gave him 
 some powder. The Population amounts to about 2000, as near as 
 I could judge; but the habitations are so scattered along the sides 
 of the Wadey, that no very just estimate can be given. 
 
 Mr. Bitchie was requested to obtain the pardon of the prisoners 
 in the castle, who had been guilty of resisting an attempt to drive 
 off their flocks for the service of the Bashaw, and he promised to 
 intercede for them; but we were overtaken, when on our return 
 to Tripoli, by a man, who informed us that they had all been killed. 
 
 Mr. Bitchie, by two observations, made the latitude of Benio- 
 leed, 31°. 45 7 north. 
 
 Friday, 19th February.—Having somewhat refreshed ourselves 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 JOURNEY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 37 
 
 and cattle, we left this place at eight A. M.; and, ascending the 
 side of the Wadey, proceeded during the whole day over a rocky 
 flat, perfectly barren, until six P. M., when we stopped, having 
 made, north 20° west, thirty miles. We saw this day two large 
 vultures, but scarcely within shot of us. 
 
 Saturday, 20th February.—Our road this day improved, and 
 we went through several fertile Wadey s, and over plains of fine 
 grass. We passed also several herds of female camels, with their 
 young, and many flocks of sheep. At three, our road began to 
 rise, and we saw many tents of the Arabs of Terhoona 
 who were attending their flocks: some of them were changing 
 their quarters, and we were much amused by different parties, 
 who were travelling on the same road as ourselves. Women 
 and children were riding the camels, which were also laden with 
 their tents and furniture. At seven, we came amongst the moun¬ 
 tains, and arrived at the wells of Melghra I^aU, which have ex¬ 
 cellent water. There are several little streams from the sides 
 of the hills, which run through the valley ; and there is much game 
 here, principally partridges and snipes. 
 
 Sunday, 21st February.—At eight A. M., we left the wells, and 
 passed through winding defiles at the foot of the mountains until 
 noon, when we cleared them, and opened on a sandy plain, covered 
 in some places with verdure, and having great quantities of the 
 Khandal or Colycynth. On passing some Arab tents, the 
 
 children brought us small roots, of the shape of young potatoes; 
 but resembling mushrooms in taste, smell, and tenderness. They 
 grow in the sand, and the Arabs call them Terfaas <jAy. We 
 here drank some camel’s milk for the first time. It is much less 
 rich than that of a cow, and saltish to the taste. We also 
 procured a skin full of sour butter-milk, which is much esteemed 
 by the Arabs, who call it Libban It is never drank in a 
 
38 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. i. 
 
 sweet state; but is allowed, after the butter is made, to stand until 
 it tastes and smells very sour. 
 
 In the afternoon, the country over which we passed had many 
 bushes; and at five, we came to a well, near a Maraboot’s tomb, 
 having made, north 43° west, twenty-four miles. The well, near which 
 we were, was 288 feet in depth, and the water brackish. In the 
 evening a man came to request Mr. Ritchie to take an Arab under 
 his protection to Tripoli, and endeavour to procure for him the 
 Bashaw’s pardon, he being the only one remaining of a rebel tribe, 
 which had been destroyed. The offender was in the Maraboots’ 
 tombs, which was considered a sanctuary; but, on our mounting our 
 horses in the morning, he was to follow us at full speed, and claim 
 the protection of the British flag. 
 
 Monday, 22d.—We waited some time for this man, and at last 
 were obliged to proceed to Tripoli without him. Our road was 
 over very steep and irregular sand hills. At three P. M. we 
 arrived, having made, north-west, twenty miles. As I now had 
 many opportunities of seeing the Arabs amongst their own tribes, 
 and had greatly familiarised myself with them, I obtained some 
 knowledge of their manners and customs, which I will endeavour 
 to describe in giving an account of this extraordinary race of 
 people. 
 
 OF THE ARABS. 
 
 The Arabs are, generally speaking, tall, straight, and well 
 formed, and inclined, from their manner of living, to be thin and 
 muscular. Their countenances are expressive and handsome, their 
 form of face oval, and their noses aquiline. Although naturally 
 white, their complexion becomes dark from continual exposure to 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 39 
 
 the sun, and from not being very particular in their ablutions. 
 They are active; capable of undergoing great fatigue and abstinence 
 from food; lively in their manners; daring, and possessed of much 
 cunning: though generous, they are great beggars; revengeful 
 and unforgiving. The general costume of the men is a large loose 
 shirt and trowsers of cotton, sandals, or tight half boots of red 
 leather, which lace in front, fit close round the ankle, and rise as 
 high as the calf of the leg. On their heads they wear a red cap, 
 which is long enough to hang a little down on one side; from the 
 top of it falls a tassel of blue silk. A wrapper of woollen (from about 
 twenty to twenty-five feet in length, and five or six in breadth), 
 woven rather more compactly than flannel, is thrown round the 
 body in folds, part being placed over the head in the manner of a 
 hood, while the end is thrown over the left shoulder, and hangs 
 down behind the back. This article of dress has several names, 
 according to its texture. The most coarse and heavy is called 
 Aba. That between this and the finest (called Jereed) is named 
 Kholi; but in Tripoli, all three are known under the appellation of 
 Barracan. A large cloak, having a hood, and no sleeves, and com¬ 
 posed of closely and well-woven wool without a seam, is used in 
 rainy or cold weather over the Barracan, and is called Bornouse. 
 The dress of the females differs but little from that of the men in 
 materials, but they put it on in a different manner. The poorest 
 class wear only the Barracan, which is passed over the head and 
 fastened at the waist; others have a shirt in addition to this. 
 Young women wear their hair in tresses, to which they attach 
 beads, pieces of coral, silver, or any other gaudy thing w hich they can 
 procure; and they have one or two large silver ornaments in the 
 form of crescents, fastened on the right side of the head, on which 
 they also frequently wear a large woollen turban of blue, wrapped 
 carelessly round. From their ears are suspended a multitude of 
 
40 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Silver rings, and round their necks they hang rows of beads of 
 various colours. The old women frizzle their hair over the fore¬ 
 head, so as to make it project to some distance ; and they dye it of a 
 dull red, with the leaves of a plant called Henna, which gives it the 
 appearance of red wool. All the females have a practice of tattooing 
 their chins, the tips of their noses, and between ,the eyebrows. 
 Their necks and arms are also frequently marked. The favourite 
 figure is that of a hand, which is intended to avert the “ Evil Eye.” 
 They wear red lacing boots, in the same manner as the men. 
 When young (that is to say, fifteen or sixteen), they have fine 
 figures, and are exceedingly handsome; but they soon lose their 
 good looks and pleasing form, and become as ugly as they were 
 before beautiful. Their eyes are black and large; their noses 
 straight and well proportioned; they have small lips, and their 
 teeth are exquisitely white. Nothing, in fact, can exceed in 
 prettiness an Arab girl; but the old women are, without excep¬ 
 tion, the most disgusting and hideous creatures I ever beheld. 
 Both sexes blacken their eyelids with Kohol, or lead ore pow¬ 
 dered, which adds much to the brilliancy of the eye, and makes 
 it appear larger than it really is. They all wear an immense 
 quantity of Agebs or Charms, against disorders and mis¬ 
 
 fortunes. 
 
 The arms of the Arabs are the same as those of the natives of 
 Tripoli, viz. guns, pistols, swords, and daggers. They are good 
 shots, when able to rest their guns; but otherwise cannot easily 
 manage them. The gun is slung over the shoulders, and the 
 pistols are worn in a belt, which is hung round the body, and 
 which contains the ammunition. They are constantly armed with 
 both these weapons; but the sword is seldom carried, unless when 
 they ride on horseback; it is then suspended by the side of 
 the saddle, in such a way as to remain under the left leg, with the 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 41 
 
 hilt near the pommel. They generally procure their powder and 
 lead from Tripoli, though some possess the art of making a kind 
 of inferior powder amongst themselves. 
 
 In the Tripoline dominions, and in Fezzan also, there are 
 two kinds of Arabs, one wanderers, the other fixed residents in 
 towns; those in towns (as Benioleed for example) travel much 
 about the country, but always return to what they consider as 
 their home. The wanderers have no permanent place of abode, 
 but remove their tents as pasturage or circumstances require. 
 These tents are made of woollen, coarsely woven in long pieces and 
 sewn together. They spread to a great breadth, but are not high ; 
 the entrance being about six feet, and the top sloping gradually 
 down till it is fastened to the ground. They are so divided by 
 means of mats or carpets, that the women have a separate place 
 from the men, and can be hidden from the gaze of strangers : they, 
 however, so manage it, as to see without being themselves observed. 
 These dwellings of the Arabs are called by their inhabitants, Beit 
 el Shar, j\^\\ or “ hair houses,” and INTejja also. By means 
 
 of bushes, almost every tent has an inclosure adjoining it, for 
 securing sheep or goats at night; and stakes are driven in the 
 ground, to which the horses are fastened, though sometimes these 
 animals are allowed a portion of the tents of their masters. The 
 Arabs are generous to their own kinsmen; and should a stranger 
 come amongst them, they never deny him the rights of hospitality, 
 provided they are themselves eating; but should that not be the 
 case, they make no attempt to prepare food expressly for him : 
 an acquaintance, however, is always sure of a good reception. 
 
 The Bedouins of Barbary are not to be compared with those 
 of Egypt, either for enterprise, ingenuity, or good qualities; since 
 whatever they may have been, they are now, by the tyranny of 
 their masters, fallen from their once high character, and are not in 
 
 G 
 
42 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 any respect better than slaves. One or two tribes are yet in¬ 
 dependent, but are likely soon to fall. Each tribe, or even set of 
 tents, is governed by a Sheikh, who, being an old man, or one 
 appointed by the Bashaw, is looked up to as a superior; though his 
 business is chiefly to collect the requisite sums of money from his 
 people. Some years back, these Sheikhs commanded their tribes 
 in the wars of plunder, or in defence of their liberties, and were 
 then chosen by the voice of the people, for their courage and 
 military skill; but all offensive or defensive wars being now at an 
 end, in consequence of their repeated and bloody overthrows by 
 the Bashaw, the name of Sheikh has no honour attached to it. In 
 some cases, indeed, individuals refuse to undertake the office, lest 
 the Bashaw should make them responsible for any faults committed 
 by their followers. 
 
 In their Religion, the Arabs are great bigots, very superstitious, 
 and easily alarmed about the enchantments and wiles of Iblis (or 
 the devil), to whom they attribute many of their misfortunes and 
 illnesses. To the prayers enjoined by the Koran they are very 
 attentive, and, unless in travelling, never omit repeating them at 
 the appointed periods. Of the name and attributes of God they 
 never speak without reverence; and they have a profound respect 
 for Idiots, whom they consider as people beloved of Heaven, and 
 totally unable to think of the tilings of this world. 
 
 Marriages are contracted in most instances without either 
 party having seen the other, the agreement being entirely on the 
 part of the parents of the bride, and the bridegroom, the consent of 
 the females never being asked. There are certain marriage presents 
 which are always given by the husband to the relations of his wife, 
 so that he may be said to purchase her of them. Though four 
 wives are allowed to all Mohammedans, the Arabs very rarely 
 possess so many, few having more than two, and some only one. 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 43 
 
 It is not their custom to have Negresses living with them, which 
 may be accounted for by their dislike to being considered as the 
 fathers of children of colour. The settled Arabs are not so scru¬ 
 pulous ; but are, notwithstanding, more so than the Moors. The 
 ceremony observed in conducting a bride to her husband is very 
 singular; and having myself been an eye-witness of it, I made a 
 drawing representing the camel used on such occasions, with its 
 gay trappings. 
 
 A frame being fixed on the back of the animal, the bride is 
 placed in it, and, while thus sitting, is housed over with carpets, 
 shawls, and ostrich feathers. In travelling from place to place, or 
 in searching for pasture ground, the people make use of these 
 frames; but they are in such cases generally uncovered, and 
 have baskets, or other frame-work, attached to their sides, in 
 which the young children are placed. An Arab family on its 
 march presents a very extraordinary appearance, the camels being 
 laden with tents, cooking utensils, women, and children. The 
 men walk, driving their flocks before them, or ride their horses, 
 frequently without bridle or saddle. Should the journey exceed 
 one day, a temporary tent is erected at night; and at the dawn of 
 morning, all is again placed on the camels. The operation of 
 erecting or taking down one of their hair houses does not occupy 
 much time, as the women always assist the men on these occasions. 
 The dogs guard the flocks during the night, and are very fierce. 
 In colour they are white, resembling wolves in form, and having 
 long bushy tails. They howl rather than bark, and with great 
 apparent courage attack every stranger who approaches them, 
 though when threatened with a stick or stone, they run yelping 
 away. It frequently happens, that the spot fixed on as a tem¬ 
 porary residence is far distant from any well, sometimes even 
 three days of the ordinary march of flocks; yet this does not dis- 
 
 g 2 
 
44 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. i. 
 
 hearten the persevering Arab, who, notwithstanding, drives his 
 sheep once a week to drink. They feed as they go and come, and 
 therefore do not suffer much on their long journey. The wants of 
 the people are easily supplied; a few skins of water being brought 
 at stated times by a camel, and economised with great care. I have 
 remarked, that not only the Arabs and their camels, but all ani¬ 
 mals in this country have the power of remaining a great length of 
 time without water. Sheep, (provided they have tolerable herbage), 
 will pass even a month without drinking. Antelopes and buffa¬ 
 loes, I should conceive, in some cases never taste water, none 
 being found on the surface of the desert, and they are unable to 
 obtain that which is in the wells. On the other hand, wolves, 
 hymnas, foxes, and jackals, are less capable of enduring thirst. 
 They descend such wells (or more properly pits) as are not deep; 
 and the vicinity of one of these places is frequently ascertained 
 from observing the tracks of animals, which, during the night, go 
 there to drink. 
 
 The Bedouins sow their scanty stock of corn, after turning up the 
 earth with a rude plough, or more generally with a hoe. These 
 cultivated spots are respected by other wanderers, and the corn is 
 rarely stolen ; should the Bashaw, indeed, be at war with the Arabs, 
 he never fails to destroy their crops. When a sufficient time has 
 elapsed to allow of the grain being in a state of maturity, those to 
 whom it belongs come and gather in their harvest (sometimes before 
 it is perfectly ripe), lest the Bashaw should be informed of the 
 circumstance, and deprive them of a larger portion than they can 
 afford; emissaries, indeed, are never wanting, who make it their 
 business to ascertain the exact time when the corn is to be cut, and 
 then pounce on the poor Arabs for the Bashaw’s share of it. To 
 avoid such taxes, therefore, they sometimes gather it so prema¬ 
 turely, that it will not serve as seed for the ensuing year. Wien 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 45 
 
 the date season commences, many families come and pitch their 
 tents in the Meshea of Tripoli, in order to purchase dates for their 
 future subsistence; these they deprive of the stones, and when 
 kneaded together, keep them in skins, so as to preserve them from 
 insects or wet: these form their chief support, assisted by the 
 milk of their sheep and camels. That of the camel, as I have 
 before noticed, is thin, of a bluish colour (resembling cow’s milk 
 mixed with water), and rather salt to the taste ; it throws up no cream, 
 but soon coagulates like new curds. The ewe milk is excellent, 
 but is never drank fresh, the Arabs preferring it sour, or, more pro¬ 
 perly, as butter-milk. The flocks are milked morning and night into 
 large bowls, and when a sufficient quantity is thus collected, it is 
 poured into skins, without much attention being paid to its clean¬ 
 liness, when by shaking and rolling it about, butter is procured, 
 and generally attaches itself to the side of the skin ; the milk being 
 then strained from it into other vessels, is allowed to grow sour, 
 and a quantity of butter being produced, it is boiled with a little 
 salt until it becomes like oil, and is then poured into goat-skins, 
 and is fit for use or market. 
 
 Cheese is procured by turning the milk with a certain herb 
 (the name of which I have forgotten), and the curds, being salted, 
 are spread out to dry in the sun, when they resemble little crums, 
 and are very pleasant to the taste. I did not see any other kind 
 of cheese than the one I have mentioned, and this is rather scarce, 
 and used as a luxury in many of their little messes. Sometimes it is 
 toasted, and has a very agreeable flavour. It is called Jibn, 
 
 A great article of commerce is the fat which the shepherds 
 procure from the sheep they kill. They cut it from every part of 
 the body, salt it, and lay it by until a large quantity is collected, when, 
 whether putrid or not, they boil it, until it bear some resemblance 
 to the grease used by tallow-chandlers; it is then poured into 
 
46 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAr. I. 
 
 skins, and is fit for use. In the interior it sells at about a shilling 
 a pound; but at Tripoli it is much cheaper. It is put into almost 
 every article of food by the Arabs, and though not very savoury, 
 we soon became accustomed to its taste. It is called Shahrn 
 
 From the wool of their sheep, the women make strong bar¬ 
 racans, carpets, shirts, turbans, and many ornaments. Their tents 
 too are made of wool and goats’ hair, as are also sacks, which are 
 used to carry corn and merchandize on the camels. Mats and 
 ornaments of palm leaves or grass are neatly made. Their dyes 
 are generally brilliant; black, blue, red, and orange; in fact, every 
 colour excepting green, which they find much difficulty in pro¬ 
 ducing ; though at Tripoli the dyers succeed very well in it. The 
 looms of the Arab women are on the ground ; they have no shuttles, 
 but with much trouble pass the threads through with their fingers, 
 generally lightening their labour with songs. The men seldom 
 work while in their tents, and their time seems to hang much heavier 
 on their hands than that of the women, who with cooking and other 
 domestic employments are generally pretty well occupied. No 
 woman eats in the presence of a man, and wives always wait on 
 their husbands. 
 
 The domestic animals consist of poultry, sheep, goats, camels, 
 horses, and dogs: they all live under the same canopy as their 
 masters, and are on good terms amongst themselves. The horses 
 are perfectly quiet, being brought up with the children of the 
 family. They would be a fine race, but that the want of good 
 food prevents their acquiring a handsome appearance; add to 
 which, the ambition of possessing well fed and comely animals does 
 not now exist; for should any of the Bashaw's people wish to 
 appropriate a fine horse, the owner dares not refuse to sell him, 
 at whatever low price may be offered. Still, however, many of the 
 Arabs breed them expressly for the market, bringing them while 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 ■ 
 
 " 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 , 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 47 
 
 foals for sale. I have seen some of them brought in this way, 
 which, when taken care of, became remarkably handsome, and 
 unlike the generality belonging to the Bedouins. In the bazaars 
 at Tripoli I have sometimes observed very fine ones, which were 
 brought from the Desert, and sold for forty or fifty dollars (about 
 eleven or twelve pounds sterling) a piece. All have long tails, and 
 are entire; a great defect is, however, almost general amongst 
 them, in consequence of their being mounted when too young ; 
 which is, that their backs are very hollow, and their hind quarters 
 appear higher than their fore. Colts of twelve months are fre¬ 
 quently seen, staggering beneath the weight of a heavy man, his 
 arms, water skin, and food. The Arabs consider a large belly 
 as very handsome; and some horses, from the nature of their food, 
 acquire such rotundity in this respect, that they appear like mares 
 in foal. 
 
 A light mane and tail on a chesnut horse is considered unlucky ; 
 the colour, though common, is not much admired, and the feet of 
 such animals are accounted soft and tender. Bay is the favourite 
 colour next to light grey, which is much in request, the Bashaw 
 generally riding horses of this description. 
 
 Much importance is attached to the manner in which the legs 
 are coloured, stockinged horses being in the extremes of good or 
 bad luck, according to the disposition of the white. If both fore¬ 
 legs are marked, it is good; if one hind and one fore leg are marked 
 on the same side, it is very unlucky; or if one alone is white, it is 
 equally unfortunate; but if opposite legs (off fore and near hind) 
 are light, nothing can be more admired. Ridiculous as these 
 fancies may appear, they nevertheless influence the price of horses, 
 sometimes to even a sixth of their value. 
 
 In sandy parts of the desert shoeing is never used; but where 
 the animals are to pass over mountains, it is absolutely necessary. 
 
48 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 The Arab shoes are thus formed, 
 
 turning up behind; 
 
 and are, in general, so badly put on, that there are few horses to be 
 found which have not been injured in their feet. The Arab’s forge 
 is simple, and almost every man is his own blacksmith. A small 
 mud or clay wall is built to the height of a foot or eighteen inches ; a 
 hole is then made even with the ground, and an iron pipe introduced. 
 To this are attached two skins, which open at the upper end by 
 means of two sticks, having a small leather handle on each : the 
 thumb is passed through one of these, and the fingers through the 
 other; so that the hand easily opens and shuts the skin. The mouth 
 being closed, the skin is pressed down, and throws a strong blast 
 through the pipe. It is again opened and lifted up, when it is 
 once more ready. Thus, alternately with each hand, the current 
 of air is kept up to the fire which lies over the pipe. Camel’s dung is 
 used when charcoal cannot be procured, and gives a very strong heat. 
 The anvil is a small square-ended piece of iron, which is sunk in a 
 log of wood, and partly buried in the sand. An ordinary hammer, 
 and a pair or two of pincers, complete the apparatus. 
 
 The mill is equally simple, being composed of two circular stones, 
 one of which lies fiat on the other, and is turned by a small handle 
 placed on it; this is fixed by a pivot from the lower one, and has a 
 hole in the centre, through which it is supplied with grain. 
 
 The messes made with flour are few, and may be thus enu¬ 
 merated: Cusscussou, Bazeen, Dweeda, Atila, Mogatta, Zumeita, 
 Bread, Fetaat. Cusscussou being a dish very generally mentioned 
 in all books of travels, I shall attempt to describe the manner in 
 which it is made; and I trust I may be allowed, however trifling 
 the subject, to mention in the same manner the other articles of 
 food, as I believe they are at present only known by name. 
 
CITAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 49 
 
 The corn for Cusscussou is ground expressly to the state which 
 is called Semolina in Italy, and used also under that name in Eng¬ 
 land. The hand being clean washed, and a large wooden bowl 
 prepared, a portion of semolina is thrown into it with the right 
 hand; it is turned quickly round under the palm, while from the 
 left, water is occasionally sprinkled upon the mass, together with 
 dry semolina. In a short time, by turning it constantly the same 
 way, the flour adheres in little granules, like bread crums; and 
 by a dexterous motion of the hand, is prevented from forming into 
 large lumps. When finished, the grains resemble small shot in 
 size, and stick closely together, without danger of again falling 
 into flour on being dried. They will keep good in this state 
 nearly as long as corn. When Cusscussou is to be prepared 
 for eating, it is put in a basket, or tin vessel having holes in 
 the bottom, and steamed over meat, or boiling water, care being- 
 taken to stir it occasionally, so as to prevent its caking. When 
 sufficiently done, meat is poured on with its gravy, or a little 
 butter or grease mixed with it; should meat be wanting, a good 
 quantity of red pepper and salt are frequently all its auxiliaries. 
 
 Bazeen (which in Fezzan is called Aseeda) is the most common 
 food, as being the easiest prepared. It is made of the flour of any 
 grain (Bishna and Barley are mostly used near Tripoli) in the fol¬ 
 lowing manner. A large pot, of copper or iron, is placed on the 
 fire, with a little water in it, which is suffered to boil. Flour is 
 then thrown in, until it acquires the consistency of dough, when it 
 is stirred well about with a large stick (water being occasionally 
 added, if necessary,) until it is quite thick, and begins to assume 
 the appearance of a pudding, when it is taken out, and placed in a 
 bowl. After being beat into a circular shape, and having a hole 
 made in the centre, gravy, oil, butter, or grease, is poured on it, 
 and it is then ready for eating, which is done by pinching pieces 
 
 H 
 
50 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. i. 
 
 out with the right hand, and kneading them with the grease until 
 they assume the appearance of thick paste. Should there be no 
 gravy or grease to be procured, a little flour mixed with hot water 
 is used instead of it. It requires much strength of arm to make 
 bazeen properly, as the stick is wielded by both hands, and the pot 
 is confined on the fire by having a forked piece of wood placed 
 against it, on which the woman kneels while preparing the mess. 
 
 Dweeda is moulded in the shape of little seeds, not quite so 
 large as the grains of rice; but oblong, and much resembling them. 
 A stiff dough being prepared, the women very expeditiously pinch 
 it out between their fingers and thumbs into this form. It is 
 then allowed to dry ; and is considered a great dainty when boiled, 
 and a little butter poured over it. 
 
 Atila is composed much in the same way; but is longer, and 
 much resembles small macaroni broken in pieces. It is also boiled 
 in the same manner as Dweeda. 
 
 Mogatta is made of paste, by being beaten and turned between 
 the hands, until it is as thin as a pancake; it is then laid in the 
 sun to harden a little. When it becomes sufficiently crisp to break, 
 it is crumbled in pieces, and boiled until it resembles thick por¬ 
 ridge, the larger pieces always remaining entire. A sufficient 
 quantity of fat and pepper completes it. 
 
 Zumeeta is made of barley, which has been a little malted; it 
 is then ground into flour, and sometimes dates are pounded with it. 
 In this state it remains until it is to be used; when a little cold 
 water being mixed with it until it becomes like dough, it is fit for 
 eating. Oil is much used with it, by dipping the Zumeeta in it 
 when formed into mouthfuls for eating. This is almost the only 
 stock which Arabs provide on going a journey, as it is easily pre¬ 
 pared, and very nourishing. 
 
 Bread is made as in Europe. It is leavened with flour, or a 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 51 
 
 preparation of dates, moulded into little cakes shaped like buns. 
 The ovens are generally formed in the ground: a hole is made 
 about two feet in depth, and in the shape of a large jar, contracted 
 at the mouth; it is then encrusted inside with clay. Wood is 
 thrown in and burnt, until a thick layer of glowing ashes is 
 collected at the bottom, and the oven is thoroughly heated; the 
 loaves are then put in by a woman, who bares and wets her 
 arm, and sticks them against the side with great dexterity: when 
 done enough, if not speedily taken off, they fall into the embers. 
 Sometimes meat is dressed in these ovens; a kind of crumpet, 
 also, called Fetaat, made in the same way as Mogatta, but without 
 leaven, is slightly baked in them; one of these crumpets is then 
 placed in a bowl, and soup and vegetables are poured over it; 
 another is then put in, and soup added as before, and so on in 
 successive layers, until the bowl is full. All these messes are eaten 
 with the fingers. 
 
 There is great variety in the manner of dressing meat, which 
 is stewed, boiled, or baked; but for journeys the Arabs have a 
 very good way of preserving it, by cutting it into thin slices, dry¬ 
 ing it in the sun, and afterwards stewing it in fat. I have often 
 observed them eating small grasses, which they found as they 
 pursued their journey ; and to my inquiries how they knew them 
 to be innoxious, the general reply was, that whatever an animal 
 which chewed its cud could eat with safety, must be food for man. 
 There is a species of dandelion, very bitter, and exuding a white 
 juice, which is much liked by the sheep as well as their masters. 
 The taste at first is very unpleasant; but I soon became accustomed 
 to it. The Colocynth apple grows in great quantities in some parts 
 of the Desert, and is almost the only medicine used by the Arabs. 
 Burning is always had recourse to, and many of them are in conse- 
 
 h 2 
 
52 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 quence covered with scars; it is also occasionally used to show the 
 force of love; and both sexes practise it when they wish to give 
 proof of very strong affection. 
 
 Wolves, young dogs, cats, and hedgehogs, though forbidden 
 animals, are not unfrequently eaten by sick persons, from a belief 
 that their flesh is medicinal, or, as they express it, “ Dona.” 
 Charms are much worn, and are procured from such as are con¬ 
 sidered Maraboots amongst themselves, or from the Scribes of 
 Tripoli. It is not enough that the man should be defended by 
 these little prayers sewed up in leather, and attached to his arms 
 or body ; but his horse, gun, sword, and red cap must be equally 
 protected with himself. The “ Evil Eye” is of all other mischiefs 
 most dreaded, and for a stranger to express particular admiration 
 of a child, a horse, or any other valuable, is to bring on it or its 
 possessor certain misfortune; this may, however, be averted by 
 passing over the object a finger wetted with saliva, or by the 
 equally efficacious charm of an open hand, either attached to the 
 clothes as an ornament, or tattooed on the skin. I t is remarkable 
 that no Arab will take a knife or scissars from the hands of any 
 one, as (from some superstitious prejudice) such an action is con¬ 
 sidered highly unfortunate; but they require that the instrument 
 should be first laid on the ground, whence they readily take it up 
 without fear. 
 
 The Arabs have but few amusements beyond Dancing and a 
 Game called Helga, which resembles draughts, and is played with 
 camels’ dung or date stones, in holes made in the sand. The noise 
 uttered by these people at their festivals, or on any joyful occasion, 
 is most extraordinary; and being very shrill, it may be heard 
 at a great distance, particularly if several persons join in chorus: 
 it is a piercing cry from the throat (the mouth being quite open), 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 53 
 
 to which a tremulous sound is given by a rapid motion of the tongue 
 from side to side; it is very enlivening, and when it becomes fa¬ 
 miliar to the ear, far from disagreeable. 
 
 The manner of salutation used amongst the Arabs is particularly 
 striking, and certainly not ungraceful. Friends on meeting, seize 
 each the right hand of the other, then loosen and apply the tips of 
 their fingers to their mouths, afterwards laying the open hand on 
 the heart, they press it and gently incline the head at the same 
 time. Very intimate acquaintances mutually lift their joined right 
 hands in such a manner that each kisses the back of the other’s 
 hand, repeating with the greatest rapidity, “ How are you ? well, 
 how are you? Thank God, how are you? God bless you, how are 
 you ?” which compliments in a well bred man never last less than 
 ten minutes; and whatever may be the conversation afterwards, it 
 is a mark of great good breeding occasionally to interrupt it, bowing 
 solemnly and asking, “ How are you ?” though an answer to the 
 question is by no means considered necessary, as he who asks it is 
 perhaps looking another way, and thinking of something else. I 
 must not omit to mention a particular instance of good breeding 
 which I met with amongst these people: a man begged me one 
 day to reach him a piece of straw which lay near me, that he might 
 take out of a cup of water a bird which had fallen into it. I per¬ 
 ceived, however, that it was only a Fly; and was afterwards in¬ 
 formed that they consider it disrespectful to make use of the word 
 Fly in presence of a superior. 
 
 The questions asked and observations made by some of the 
 inland Arabs respecting our country were very curious; amongst 
 other extraordinary fancies, they have an idea, originating in the 
 name given to the Atlantic, Bahr el blem, sea of darkness, 
 
 that we have no Sun or Moon in the countries which are in the sea, 
 
54 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 and in consequence, they imagine that our ships sail about with 
 great lanterns attached to them. They also believe that Chris¬ 
 tians use the milk of pigs as a beverage, and in fact, that it forms 
 their chief subsistence. That we have horses, cows, and sheep, is 
 not at all credited by them; and that our country should be de¬ 
 stitute of dates excites their greatest commiseration. They cannot 
 at all conceive how we avoid falling off our islands and rolling 
 into the sea, or how, being surrounded by water, we have suf¬ 
 ficient room for animals to graze. There are some on the other 
 hand who think highly of our wealth and dignity, until they are 
 told that our country is an Island, when their admiration decreases 
 considerably. Buonaparte, or as the Arabs call him, Bono barto, 
 is in great estimation amongst them, not on account of his mili¬ 
 tary achievements; but because they have heard that he has 
 200,000 dollars an hour, and that he sits on a golden throne. 
 
 The Arabs are good and bold horsemen, and though in 
 general but poorly provided with food for their horses, they make 
 them perform very long journeys. The inducement to all exertion, 
 however, is now nearly at an end, their wars having ceased; but 
 in the time of the Waled Suliman, SiJ who infested the 
 
 road from Tripoli to Fezzan, and committed every excess, jour¬ 
 neys were made and difficulties overcome which equalled any 
 of the stories of the Arabs of old. This once powerful tribe 
 had formerly possession of every pass from Tripoli to the inte¬ 
 rior, and were so much dreaded, that few traders would venture 
 amongst them, even when they were at peace with the Bashaw. 
 These are the people whom Lucas mentions as having de¬ 
 clared war against Tripoli, and prevented the Kaffle, to which 
 he was attached, from proceeding from Mesunata to Fezzan; 
 but they are now completely destroyed. About eight years 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 ARABS. 
 
 55 
 
 since the Bashaw in the regency of Tripoli, and Mukni, in the 
 kingdom of Fezzan, commenced so hot an attack upon them that 
 they were scattered, and being in small parties, easily fell a 
 prey to the troops employed against them. It was the custom 
 during this war (as in all previous wars) to give no quarter; all 
 prisoners therefore had their throats cut on being taken, and every 
 species of cruelty was practised on them. Two hundred and fifty, 
 who were seized in a town in the Wadey Shiati of Fezzan, were 
 butchered in cold blood, even though they had surrendered 
 on condition of having their lives spared. This tribe perhaps 
 would still have flourished in Fezzan, hut that not expecting any 
 attack from Mukni, they quitted for a time their own territory 
 and proceeded to Egypt, in order to wage war on some other 
 tribes who had offended them: this circumstance was taken 
 immediate advantage of by Mukni, who contrived before their 
 return to gain possession of Morzouk, which he could not other¬ 
 wise have done. They, however, besieged him there with great 
 activity; but leaving in the meantime their frontiers undefended, 
 the Bashaw poured his army into the country, and thus completely 
 effected their destruction as a tribe. The small number who 
 escaped became wanderers for a time, and were occasionally met 
 with and killed, until at last the remaining few incorporated them¬ 
 selves with other tribes. That of the Waled Suliman, which does 
 not now exist, is celebrated in all the Arab stories ; and there are 
 few places in this part of Africa which have not had ample occasion 
 to remember them. 
 
 Wherever they removed, their families and immense flocks 
 accompanied them ; and they were commanded by one or two 
 Sheikhs of known courage and experience. A friend of ours, who 
 in the first wars had spared the life of one of their chiefs, was, a 
 
56 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 lew months after, coming from Fezzan, in company with a large 
 kaffle of merchants, bringing slaves, when, in a part of the moun¬ 
 tains, in which they conceived there was no chance of encounter¬ 
 ing these people, they, to their great dismay, were seized and 
 conducted to the chief, in full conviction that they should be 
 murdered, and their slaves and goods distributed amongst the 
 captors ; when, fortunately, one of the party stepped forward, and 
 suddenly recognised his deliverer. The scene was immediately 
 changed: eighteen sheep, as many goats, and some cows were 
 killed, and the whole kaffle feasted for three days ; their goods and 
 their slaves were returned to them, and they were suffered to 
 depart. 
 
 On our return to Tripoli, we understood that it was not the 
 intention of the Bashaw to send, as he at first had given out, a 
 force with Mukni, into the interior. The latter was to be attended 
 only by his own followers ; and we were desired to hold ourselves 
 in readiness to accompany him in a few days. In consequence of 
 this, Mr. Bitchie caused a variety of food, appropriate for a journey 
 on the Desert, to be provided. He bought Gerbas, or water skins ; 
 and in fact, made every necessary preparation. Owing to the low¬ 
 ness of his funds, he wrote to Lord Bathurst, soliciting a further 
 supply ; and I drew money, on my own account, which I gave him 
 for our general use. For some articles which Mr. Bitchie procured 
 for Mukni, from Malta, he became our debtor to the amount of 
 300 dollars, which were to be paid us on his arrival in Fezzan. 
 On this small sum, and not knowing when or how we were to pro¬ 
 cure more, was our journey to be undertaken. Our camels were 
 
CHAP. I. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 57 
 
 paid for in advance ; but other expenses, which were unavoidable, 
 would, we had no doubt, extend far beyond our narrow limits. 
 
 The allowance of £ 2000 , which was made to Mr. Ritchie, had 
 already been expended, in buying Merchandize, Instruments, 
 Arms, &c. and otherwise making provision for the welfare of the 
 Mission ; but the merchandize was selected in England, and unfor¬ 
 tunately was such as could be of little utility in the interior, of which 
 circumstance we were not aware until too late ; for, with the excep¬ 
 tion of cutlery, we had, in fact, nothing which would sell. We had 
 Beads and looking-glasses in abundance ; but neither of these 
 articles were of the kind most in request amongst the Negroes, 
 who, we learnt, were as much wedded to fashion, as the inhabitants 
 of more civilized countries. Such was the inauspicious state of our 
 affairs, when we entered on our hazardous journey, determined 
 at all events, that, however unpromising in its commencement, its 
 failure should not be attributed to our want of zeal in the service 
 we had undertaken. 
 
 On the 1 Sth March, the Bashaw held a public audience; and 
 Mukni, in presence of the British consul, as well as ourselves, 
 pledged himself to assist us in all our difficulties. 
 
 i 
 
58 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CIIAP. II. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 JOURNEY FROM TRIPOLI TO MORZOUK. 
 
 Preparations for their departure, in company with Mohammed el Mukni—Encampment 
 in the Mountains of Terhoona, and at the Wells of Melghra—Arrival at Benioleed 
 —Interview with the Wife of the Sheikh, of the Kaffle—Their Christian Friends 
 return to Tripoli—Punishment of an Arab for Theft—Journey over the Desert— 
 Remains of a Roman Castle—Continuation of the Journey, until their Arrival at 
 Sockna—Entry into that City—Description of it—Manner of raising the Tribute 
 Money—Accompany the Sultan’s Son to Hoon and Wadan, to receive the Taxes 
 —Account of those Places—Return to Sockna—Leave Sockna—Singular Custom 
 imposed on Travellers in passing the Soudah Mountains—Arrival at Nufdai— 
 Clear the Soudah Mountains—And travel over the gravelly Plain, through the 
 Pass of Kenair, to the Well of Om el Abeed—Visit the Towns of Zeighan and 
 Samnoo, famed for their Maraboots—Encamp at Temenhint—Arrival at Sebha, 
 where the Black Population commences—Pass on to Ghroodwa—Entry to Mor- 
 zouk, the Capital of Fezzan. 
 
 On the 22d March, 1819, after repeated delays, every thing 
 being at length in readiness for our departure, the camels, 
 twenty-two in number, arrived, and carried our goods to the Desert 
 beyond the Meshea, where Mr. Ritchie preferring to remain in 
 the town, Belford, and myself, pitched our tent, in order to keep 
 watch over the goods. Our Ivaffle increased much this day ; many 
 Negroes, who had obtained their freedom, and were returning 
 to their native countries, fixed their little triangles of sticks, and a 
 mat or carpet, close to us, whilst I amused myself in marking our 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 59 
 
 goods, so that each camel-man might be enabled to know his own 
 charge, and thus avoid mistakes or confusion. 
 
 23d March.—I went back into the town, and found that Mukni 
 was not to join us until the morrow; by which delay, we obtained 
 time to furnish ourselves with many necessaries, which we had 
 before forgotten to provide. 
 
 24th March.—Mukni did not arrive this day ; but his two Ne¬ 
 gresses and household slaves came out and pitched their tents. 
 These women were mounted on camels, in a kind of litter, called 
 Shiblia which is a light frame of wood, covered with scarlet 
 cloth, so arranged, as to prevent the person in the inside from 
 being seen. One of them had been twice to the Niger with 
 Mukni, and was named Zaitoon or olive tree ; the other was 
 the mother of his youngest child, and was called Zeman Donya, 
 <uJjO time of the world. All was confusion this day ; and the 
 varied heaps of goods, camels, saddles, and animals, which were 
 scattered about, presented a very lively scene. As I sat in our 
 tent, writing a letter, some Arabs came in, and seemed to find 
 much amusement in seeing me write from left to right; but, when 
 I told them my letter was addressed to a Female, their astonish¬ 
 ment knew no bounds ; and they laughed heartily at the idea, that 
 it was possible for a woman to be capable of reading. Colonel 
 Warrington’s eldest son came to spend the evening with us. 
 
 March 25th.—I went into the town, and took leave of all my 
 Christian friends. At eight A. M. the kaffle, consisting of about 
 two hundred men, and the same number of camels, set off. We 
 followed them, and pitched our tents, to rest for the night, on the 
 desert, near a well and a few palm trees. After dark, Mr. Ritchie, 
 accompanied by our friends, Dr. Dickson, and Messrs. Carstensen, 
 arrived. We amused ourselves in visiting little parties of the 
 
 i 2 
 
60 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 liberated Blacks, who were all joyful at the idea of returning once 
 more to their native land ; though their means of support were 
 very slender, and many of them, with their young children, had to 
 walk a distance of above two thousand miles, before they could 
 reach their own country. 
 
 March 26th.—At 8 A.M. we again moved on over a sandy, irre¬ 
 gular desert, all in high spirits at having commenced our journey, 
 after so many and apparently unnecessary delays. Having travelled 
 south-east twelve miles, we encamped near a very deep well, which 
 I have before mentioned, where we were to wait for Mukni. Our 
 kind friend, Dr. Dickson, here left us, the Bashaw requiring his at¬ 
 tendance at the Castle. After dark we observed several flashes of 
 muskets, which were fired by Mukni’s attendants, in order to dis¬ 
 cover the position of the Kaffle; we fired others in return, and 
 soon heard the shrill pipes of the musicians announcing his approach. 
 A beautiful scene now presented itself when he entered the camp, 
 attended by about fifty horsemen, dressed in their gayest apparel, 
 preceded by wild music, and three stand of silk colours. As we 
 had coffee prepared for ourselves, Mukni, who was very fond of it, 
 visited us in our tent, and partook of it with his son Yussuf, a 
 mulatto boy of about eight years of age. They were splendidly 
 dressed, and had ridden from the town at full speed, the little boy 
 being a most excellent horseman. 
 
 March 27th.—Early in the morning we went on, and discovered 
 that in the night another Shiblia had joined us, containing a very 
 fat and beautiful woman, the wife of Sheikh Barood, who was 
 director of the Kaffle, and manager of Mukni’s affairs. Our road 
 lay over a fine country, with corn, many flocks, and a few Arab 
 tents scattered here and there. In the afternoon, having passed 
 through several low hills, we arrived at some corn, and encamped 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 61 
 
 near a well; the Sultan’s people turning their horses amongst the 
 corn, without any pity or consideration for the poor wretches who 
 owned it. 
 
 March 28th.—Entered the mountains of Terhoona, which we 
 passed through on our return from Benioleed, and encamped, at 
 four P.M. near the wells of Melghra. 
 
 March 29th.—We proceeded this day over a fine country, and 
 through a Wadey, having wells in it, called Mader, joL; we filled 
 our gerbas, and then entered on a rough uncultivated plain, where 
 the paths were very difficult for our camels. 
 
 March 30th.—Having travelled this day also over a stony desert, 
 we arrived at Benioleed, from which place to Tripoli I have, in a 
 former part of my journal, given the bearings. Mukni’s horsemen 
 preceded him to the castle, firing and shouting, as the people of 
 Tripoli do in honour of the Bashaw. 
 
 March 31st.—As this was market day, we remained here in 
 order to refresh ourselves, pitching our tents very pleasantly and 
 securely amongst some Olives in the Wadey. Mukni had warned 
 us, on coming here, to avoid encamping on the low ground, as, 
 during the rains, it frequently became entirely flooded, and was 
 therefore very dangerous. He told us of the Wadey being some¬ 
 times so completely covered with water, as to hide the highest olive 
 trees from the view; the depth must therefore have been at least 
 thirty feet. Many natives confirmed this account, adding, that 
 men and animals had often been drowned in the night, before they 
 could have time to escape; the torrents from the hill sides 
 which form the Wadey, rushing down with such impetuosity that 
 an hour or two is sufficient to inundate the whole country. 
 We bought a fine sheep in the market, and killed it to feast our 
 guests. 
 
 A boy who accompanied us from Tripoli came to me, full of the 
 
62 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 praises of Lilia Fatma, the fat wife of Sheikh Barood, a wliite woman, 
 who, he said, was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, 
 and so fat that she could scarcely walk: “ her arm (t’barek Allah, 
 cJJuS, God’s blessing on it!) is as big as my body,” continued he, 
 “ and she says she should like to see you and Sidi Yussuf.” Such 
 a hint was not to be rejected, and I therefore immediately paid 
 her a visit, the boy acting as my Interpreter. On my entrance she 
 so veiled herself as to exhibit to advantage her arm, with all its 
 gay ornaments ; and on my requesting to be favoured with a view of 
 her face, she, with very little reluctance, gratified me. Her chin, the 
 tip of her nose, and the space between her eyebrows, were marked 
 with black lines; she was much rouged; her neck, arms, and legs, 
 were covered with tattooed flowers, open hands, circles, the names of 
 God, and of her numerous male friends. She had a multitude of 
 gold ear-rings and ornaments, set with very bad and counterfeit 
 jewels, and weighing all together, I should think, two or three 
 pounds. Her shirt was of striped silk; and she had a rich purple 
 silk barracan, or mantle, gracefully thrown round her, and fastened 
 at the breast by a gold pin, with ornaments of the same metal 
 suspended from it: all the other articles of finery which she possessed 
 were displayed round the tent, whilst a multitude of poor thin 
 wretches, resembling witches, sat round her in astonishment, never 
 having in their lives seen such a paragon of perfection. Like all 
 other Arabs, they touched whatever pleased them most, one ad¬ 
 miring this object, another something near it, so that our poor belle 
 was sometimes poked by a dozen fingers at once; all, however, 
 agreeing on one point, that she was beautifully and excessively fat, 
 and I must say I never before beheld such a monstrous mass of 
 human flesh. One of her legs, of enormous size, was uncovered as 
 high as the calf, and every one pressed it, admiring its solidity, and 
 praising God for blessing them with such a sight. I was received 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 63 
 
 most graciously, and invited to sit close to her, when one of the first 
 questions she asked me was, if in my country the ladies were as fat 
 and handsome as herself? F or the plumpness of my countrywomen, I 
 owned, with shame, that I never had seen one possessed of half such 
 an admirable rotundity, which she took as a great compliment; but I 
 did not attempt to carry the comparison farther, though she was really 
 very handsome in face and features. She amused herself while speak¬ 
 ing with playing on a kind of drum, made of clay, called Derbooka, 
 by beating with one hand, and playing with the fingers of the 
 other; and perceiving that I was amused by it, she ordered an old 
 man to get up and dance. The females sang and clapped their hands 
 in good time, and the dancer went through a variety of figures, all 
 equally indelicate. A woman then succeeded him, and in this respect 
 quite threw him in the shade; but as I knew it to be the general mode 
 of dancing in this part of Barbary, I of course applauded it. Lilia 
 Fatma herself then thought proper to honour us with a few graceful 
 attitudes in the same style; but Mr. Ritchie’s entrance into the 
 tent soon put a stop to the exhibition, and the ceremony of veiling 
 took place in the same manner as before. Fatma soon discovered 
 a likeness between her late husband and Mr. Ritchie, from their 
 being both very slender; but unfortunately the resemblance failed 
 in all other points, her former spouse being, at the time she was 
 obliged to leave him by an order of the Bashaw, fifty years old, 
 with a grey beard; while, on the other hand, Mr. Ritchie was but 
 twenty-seven, and of a very fair complexion. She was at all events 
 determined to be pleased with us; and having sprinkled us with 
 rose-water, allowed us to take our leave. On returning to our tent, 
 we sent her some coffee, and a few lumps of sugar. 
 
 We found here much difficulty in obtaining water for our 
 horses, owing to the great depth of the wells, and the people being 
 employed in filling the skins for the morrow. In the evening, we 
 
64 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 visited Mukni, at the castle ; and finding him surrounded by eat¬ 
 ables, were invited to partake of them : but we discovered, that all 
 his people, whilst it was his pleasure to remain, were fed by the 
 natives, cost free. We laid in a sufficient stock of barley to supply 
 our four horses, until we should arrive at Morzouk. 
 
 April 2nd.—We took water for three days, on the camels, and 
 passed along the Wadey, at 7, 15, A. M. Our friends here quitted 
 us, in order to return to Tripoli, and we were now left to ourselves, 
 amongst a strange people ; our hearts were heavy, and we conversed 
 but little during the remainder of the day. The country, on rising 
 from the Wadey, was a stony desert until noon, when we passed 
 over plains capable of cultivation, but having no water. 
 
 At 4, 50, entered another "Wadey, in which we saw a large herd 
 of Gazelles ; and, passing through it until 5, 20, we encamped. Made 
 S. E. by S. thirty miles. The horses were turned out to graze on a 
 large field of barley, belonging to the Orfilly. This place was called 
 Gairi, or Sofagie. A mountain, south three miles, named Glia 
 
 and a distant range in the same direction, called Souarit 
 Much good herbage. On the camels being unloaded, we found 
 that an old Horn on black had died on the one which he rode. A 
 melancholy howling was set up by the women, and the corpse was 
 carried to a distance, and immediately buried. An Arab, who was 
 prowling about this evening, stole a gun belonging to one of the 
 Sultan’s followers; but was detected, and bastinadoed in a most 
 barbarous manner, by two men on each side, with green date sticks. 
 After this part of his punishment was ended, a man mounted a 
 horse, and started at full gallop, leading, or rather dragging this 
 poor wretch after him. His wrists were tied together behind him, 
 and the end of the cord which secured them was attached to 
 the horse’s saddle. Had he fallen when thus dragged along, his 
 shoulders must inevitably have been dislocated. 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 65 
 
 April 3rd.—We journeyed all this day over a stony plain, without 
 the least sign of vegetation, and covered with small stones, of about 
 the size and form of lumps of sugar ; their surfaces appeared vitri¬ 
 fied, and shone very much. In the evening, we got into a wadey 
 where we found a well, and several talhh trees, so that we had 
 abundance of fuel. We heard, during the night, repeated cries of 
 jackals and hyaenas. Made this day, S.E. twenty-eight miles. 
 
 April 4th.—At seven A. M. went on over a barren plain, having 
 no water; but were enabled to collect a few bushes for our night’s 
 cooking. At sunset secured our baggage, and lay in a gravelly 
 flat. Jackals very noisy. Proceeded S.E. twenty-eight miles. 
 
 April 5th.—Barren plain as before. At two P. M. ascended a 
 steep hill, from which, in every direction, the country appeared 
 quite desolate ;—found a few bushes on the top. On descending, at 
 sunset, we pitched our tents, having travelled thirty-five miles, S.E. 
 
 April 6th.—At six A. M. we started, and passed over the wadeys 
 Hait and Zemzem ^ ; each having a few prickly bushes, on 
 
 which our camels fed. The latter is of great length, and runs to 
 the sea, in the Gulf of Syrtis. 
 
 At 1, 30, having passed a plain, where we found gypsum, and 
 in some places, cockle-shells, we reached some sand hills to the 
 well of Bonjem ; the water of which resembles, both in taste 
 and smell, bilge water from a ship. It lies in a stratum of black 
 clay, about five feet below the sand. At the distance of half a mile 
 from the well, is a Roman castle, situated amongst some high sand 
 hills : it is of an oblong form, having in the centre of each of the 
 walls, which are towards the cardinal points, a large arched gateway, 
 between two strong towers. Each of the former, with its flanking 
 towers, is in a different style of architecture: only one remains 
 quite perfect; the others have fallen, or are partially buried in the 
 sand. The stones of which these buildings are composed, are of 
 
 K 
 
 
66 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 the magnitude common to all Roman structures, and are of a kind 
 of dark granite. In the enclosed space are several immense stones, 
 standing upright, and so placed as to give the appearance of having 
 once supported a large building: some are ten feet in height, in¬ 
 dependent of the part embedded in the sand. The mouth of a 
 well is visible, still bearing the marks of the cords used in drawing 
 the water; it is now entirely choked up with sand. The walls 
 from east to west, are above two hundred paces in length ; I should 
 rather say, the tops of the walls, for in some places, they are buried 
 in the sand ; and from north to south, about one hundred and 
 fifty. The Arabs, probably in the time of the Khalifs, appear to 
 have used the northern towers ; as remains of their rude masonry 
 still surmount the original buildings. Over each gateway there 
 had been an inscription, of which the northern one is most perfect. 
 We found, by comparing them, that all were thus worded. 
 
 IMP . CAES . L . SEPTIMIO . SEVER 0 
 PIO . PERTINACI . AVG . TRPOTV . IIII 
 IMP CSIIPPET IMP . CAES . M 
 AVRELIO . ANTONINA) V RX 
 IIII . ET SEPTIMIO CAE 
 AVG . O . ANICIO . FAVSTO . LEG 
 AVGVSTORVM . CONSVLARI 
 IPO . Ill . AVG . PV 
 
 Under each had once been a large eagle, carved in basso relievo; 
 but they are now so mutilated, as to bear very little resemblance 
 to that bird. 
 
 This place is the northern boundary of Fezzan. All slaves of 
 Mukni’s, going from Fezzan to Tripoli on account of the Bashaw, 
 belong to the former until Bonjem is past; should any die after¬ 
 wards, the Bashaw is the loser. The same risk attends the latter 
 when he sends horses or goods to Mukni; all losses being made 
 

 
 
 « 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
'\ 
 
 v 
 
 N 
 
 $ f 
 
 ^ I 
 
 r 3 
 
 11 
 
 J 
 
 il 
 
 <! 
 
 I 
 
 R 
 
 N 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 67 
 
 good by him north of the boundary, and by Mukni south of it. All 
 camels found straying on the desert are appropriated to the re¬ 
 spective kingdoms. 
 
 Bonjem, according to Mr. Ritchie, is in latitude 30°. 35'. 32". N. 
 A few Arabs passed us with three camels and twelve female slaves, 
 from Morzouk. We expected, on leaving Tripoli, to be much 
 troubled about the established prayers, which should be repeated 
 by the natives five times a day, though by travellers only thrice ; 
 but our present companions certainly were not very scrupulous in 
 their religious duties; no one, or at most only two or three of 
 them, ever praying at all; and, as for Mukni and his followers, they 
 seemed to give themselves very little trouble about it. The only 
 devout person amongst them, was one of our camel-men, who 
 roared out all day, as loud as he was able, verses from the Ivoran, 
 and charms against the devil; yet, in spite of all his sanctity, he 
 was the greatest rascal in the kaffle. This fellow, in speaking of 
 us, contemptuously called us Romees, or Christians ; which coming 
 to Mukni’s knowledge, he threatened him with a good thrashing, if 
 he ever again called us any thing but Mamlukes, as the Sultan him¬ 
 self did. 
 
 The people of the kaffle having, by this time, become better 
 acquainted with us, soon discovered Mr. Ritchie’s medical talents, 
 and accordingly gave him no little trouble with their real and fan¬ 
 cied complaints. They were all very anxious to be bled, and to take 
 physic. One or two who were the most troublesome, and who had 
 only imaginary ailments, were consigned to my management; for 
 these I prepared, with an air of affected gravity, a mixture of coffee, 
 salt, vinegar, and red pepper, giving to each a spoonful, with many 
 serious instructions, how they were to eat, drink, and sleep ; and I 
 found, next morning, to my great satisfaction, that my patients had 
 spread a report all over the kaffle, of the excellent effects of my 
 
 k 2 
 
68 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 wonderful medicine. During the night we heard a few jackals, 
 whose tracks absolutely covered the sand hills round the castle. 
 
 April 7th.—The camels, which had been out on the plain to 
 feed on the bushes, were brought in ; and having waited till 1. 30. 
 P. M. to rest the people, we loaded, and went on our way. Abd 
 Allah el Bendag, an old Arab, w as despatched to Morzouk on a 
 Maherry, to announce the approach of the Sultan. Our camels 
 were loaded with four days’ water; a strong south wind covered 
 us with sand, and the day was uncommonly sultry. Our road 
 lay over a barren desert called Klia, <u!5 The surface, where clear 
 of sand, was of gypsum. At 5 P. M. we passed a remarkable 
 mound of limestone and sand; which, until a very near approach, 
 resembled a white turret, and is called Bazeen, This name is 
 
 also applied to the country immediately surrounding it. Our view 
 was bounded on every side by distant yellow hills, appearing to be 
 perfectly destitute of every kind of vegetation. At 11. 40. P. M. 
 rested for the night in a sandy w r adey, called Boonaja, (or the 
 
 ewe’s father), having made tw r enty-two miles south-south-east. This 
 evening, as we rode along, the horsemen amused themselves in 
 skirmishing before Mukni; and the Negroes danced and sang as 
 well as their fatigue would allow them. The Sultan himself took 
 my gun, and rode among his people at full speed, firing at their 
 horses’ feet. All this parade was in consequence of our now being 
 in the kingdom of Fezzan. 
 
 April 8th.—At 6 A. M. we left the wadey, and at 7 went 
 through a pass, called Hormut Emhalla, (or the pass of 
 
 the army:) At 9. 20. we passed a range of table mountains, run¬ 
 ning north-east and south-west, called Flood, The desert here 
 became stony and very uneven ; a range of mountains to the 
 southward, two or three miles, running east and w^est, and forming 
 a crescent to the east of our path: they are called Guatela, <0Jly 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 69 
 
 The westward was an uneven yellow range, distant five or six miles. 
 At 10. 5. A. M. we passed the west point of Guatela, our road 
 lying close under the foot of the mountains. At 11 A. M. we 
 turned to the southward and eastward. At 1. 15. P. M. passed a 
 conical hill standing apart from the neighbouring mountains, and 
 resembling a tent, called El Khayma, <uj>^|. At 5 P. M. en¬ 
 tered a pass called Hormut Tuzzet, At 6 cleared the 
 
 pass, and opened on a plain; table mountains bearing south-east, 
 called Matta Imhammed, At 6. SO. encamped: one of 
 
 our camels died this day, and three others were, from fatigue, 
 unable to come up ; indeed all the camels in the Kaffle were much 
 distressed, not having for several days tasted any kind of food, and 
 our marches were in general long. 
 
 April 9th.—At 6. 15. A. M. started over a flat, which had no 
 break to the view, except very distant mountains. Two hours and 
 a half from the time of our setting off there is a solitary tree, 
 which is considered as one day’s journey from water. Slaves, in 
 coming from this water, are not allowed to drink until they reach 
 the tree in question, which is one of the longest stages in the jour¬ 
 ney from Fezzan. The distant mountains had the appellation of 
 Khod el Khadem, (or “ take the negress.”) The plain was 
 
 called El Grarat Arab Hoon, At 7 P. M. we entered 
 
 a pass called Hormut taad atar, And after passing 
 
 through a winding wadey, closely hemmed in by the mountains, at 
 9 we stopped near a well of very brackish, stinking water, situated 
 in a small plain, which here opens out in a circular form. Still no 
 fodder for our camels. A man joined us with some stewed meat 
 for the Sultan, and a load of water, from Sockna ; and we procured 
 a bowl of the latter, which afforded us no small treat. The well 
 here, in hot seasons, is dry, and even at this period was very 
 
70 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 low. The horses, with great avidity, sucked up the mud which 
 was thrown out of it. Strong sand wind from the southward. 
 
 April 10th.—At 6. 10. A. M. set off. At 7 cleared the pass, 
 and proceeded to a small wadey, where, in spite of a strong Siroc, 
 we succeeded in pitching our tents. The sand, however, flew about 
 in such quantities, that we were unable to prepare any food, and 
 we could not even see thirty yards from us. Mukni took shelter 
 with us, and advised that we should strip to our shirts, as the 
 lightest way of withstanding the sand showers. Mr. Ritchie here 
 presented him with one of our tents, it being much superior to his 
 own. In the afternoon, the wind having a little subsided, we 
 cleared away the heaps of sand which had collected round our 
 goods, and allowed the camels to graze on the small bushes until 
 3 o’clock. We found, on examining some of our stores, that a large 
 organ had been burst by the heat, and excessive dryness of the 
 wind ; a discovery by no means welcome to us. At 3 . 15. P. M. 
 struck our tent, and again made our way over the plain until 7 , 
 when we stopped amongst some palms, which were thickly planted 
 in a range of sand hills. There were two wells of tolerably fresh 
 water at this place, which is called Hammam, ^UU- From hence 
 we could easily have made our way to Sockna; but as the Sultan 
 preferred entering in the morning, we were content to stop, and 
 get our heads shaved, as well as to enjoy a good washing, which 
 was very requisite, as we were not over clean. The Sultan’s people 
 were also employed in preparing themselves; and a large convoy of 
 drummers, bag-pipers, and others, joined us in the night, mounted 
 on asses, in order to precede his majesty to his city of Sockna. 
 
 April lltli.—At 7 A. M. proceeded with the Sultan and his 
 escort, but found we were sadly in the back-ground with respect to 
 outward appearance. Unfortunately we had not thought it neces- 
 
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 . . 
 
 ■ 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 71 
 
 sary to put on any of our embroidered clothes, having no idea that 
 so much finery was to be displayed; and whilst all the slaves of the 
 Sultan sported their gayest apparel, we were simply habited as 
 Arabs. Mukni was not well pleased at this omission on our part; 
 for as we had the honour of riding on each side of him, and were 
 considered as great men, he wished us to have been as fine and 
 solemn as himself. On coming in sight of the town, the soldiers 
 commenced firing and racing in front of the Sultan, and the musi¬ 
 cians struck up such a noise as nearly stunned us. We were shortly 
 joined by another party, who even outdid the first in sound. A 
 number of dancing women then appeared, who, in most fantastic 
 dresses, threw themselves into extraordinary attitudes, crying in 
 their usual shrill manner, and calling down blessings on the Sultan 
 and his family. The armed people who came from the town 
 amounted to about six or seven hundred, not including lookers-on, 
 of at least the same number. The Sultan’s horses, in golden trap¬ 
 pings, and led by well dressed slaves, advanced in front, under 
 three silk Tripolitan flags, striped red and yellow horizontally. A 
 curious interruption took place during our progress, in consequence 
 of a man’s horse requiring to stale, when the whole procession, fol¬ 
 lowing the example of the Sultan, stopped for him ; and we again 
 proceeded with much solemnity. Only two other stoppages took 
 place during the day ; once when a band of slaves came and pro¬ 
 strated themselves before Mukni, and at another time when his 
 majesty halted to regale himself with a fresh quid of tobacco. 
 Amongst many laughable incidents which occurred, an unfortunate 
 black drummer was tilted with his drum over the head of the 
 donkey he rode, which ludicrous disaster occasioned much mirth, 
 and even caused Mukni’s state frown to relax. The town’s people, 
 on joining us, advanced in a straight line, until within about a hun¬ 
 dred yards, when, firing their muskets, and setting up a loud yell, 
 
72 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 they rushed forward, and surrounded the Sultan, to kiss his hands. 
 After these ceremonies, they divided themselves into small parties, 
 and expended a great deal of powder in sham fights. 
 
 We arrived at 10 in the town of Sockna, UA., and were directed 
 to the house which had been prepared for us. In the evening our 
 camels also arrived; and now we arrayed ourselves in our most 
 costly dresses, and went to pay our respects to the Sultan. We 
 found him surrounded by some hundred Arabs, all talking at once, 
 and disputing about money matters, while Mukni appeared to listen 
 to them with extraordinary patience. We now had become better 
 acquainted with Arabic, and I profited much by teaching the Sul¬ 
 tan’s little son Yussuf to speak English. 
 
 Sockna stands on an immense plain of gravel; bounded to the 
 south by the Soudah mountains, at about fifteen miles ; by the 
 mountains of Wadan about thirty miles to the eastward ; a distant 
 range to the west; and those I have already mentioned on passing 
 through to the north. The town is walled, and may contain 2000 
 persons : more than half the people we saw this day were from 
 Hoon and Wadan. There are small projections from the walls, 
 having loop-holes for musketry. It has seven gates, only one of 
 which will admit a loaded camel. The streets are very narrow, 
 and the houses are built of mud and small stones mixed, many of 
 them having a story above the ground floor. A small court is open 
 in the centre; and the windows, or more properly the doors, which 
 open from this area, give the only light which the rooms receive. 
 The water of Sockna is almost all brackish or bitter. There are 
 200,000 date trees in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, 
 which pay duty ; also an equal number, not yet come into bearing, 
 which are exempt. These dates grow in a belt of sand, at about 
 two or three miles distant from the town, and are of a quality far 
 superior to any produced in the north of Africa. Owing to their 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUR. 
 
 73 
 
 excellence, they are sold at a very high price at Tripoli. The ad¬ 
 joining country is entirely destitute of shrubs, or any kind of food 
 for camels, which are therefore sent to graze about five miles off; 
 while in the town all animals are fed on dates. Sheep are brought 
 here from Benioleed, and are, in consequence of coming from such a 
 distance, very dear. In the gardens, which are about three miles 
 from the town, barley, maize, and gussob, are cultivated, as 
 
 well as a few onions, turnips, and peppers. The quantity of flies 
 here is immense, and all the people carry little flappers, made of 
 bundles of wild bulls’ hair, tied to a short stick, iii order to keep 
 these pests at a distance. The dates all being deposited in store¬ 
 houses in the town, may account, in some degree, for the multitude 
 of these insects ; which, in a few minutes, fill every dish or bowl 
 containing any liquid. The duties paid by this place amount to 
 2000 dollars annually, exclusive of a tax of one dollar on each two 
 hundred date trees. All the people attached to the Sultan, and 
 ourselves also, received food twice a day from the Sheikh, who col¬ 
 lected it from the inhabitants ; our horses likewise got a daily por¬ 
 tion of dates. 
 
 The costume here is the same as that of the Bedouins, con¬ 
 sisting generally of a. shirt and barracan, a red cap, and sandals : a 
 few, whose circumstances allow of it, dress in the costume of 
 Tripoli. The neat appearance of the men, in general, is very 
 striking, compared with that of the Arabs about the coast. The 
 women are considered exceedingly handsome; indeed, one or two 
 whom I saw at Fatina’s were really so, and as fair as Europeans ; but 
 they are noted for their profligacy and lo\ ■: of intrigue. 
 
 When the kingdom of Fezzan was governed by a native Prince, 
 this town and the two neighbouring ones were, in a manner, inde¬ 
 pendent ; the distance from their own capital, as well as from Tri¬ 
 poli, securing them from surprise. All discern ented or disaffected 
 
 L 
 
74 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA, 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 people, from either country, took refuge here, and the population 
 was, at that time, more than double what it now is. The people 
 of Sockna speak a language peculiar to themselves and to the 
 Tuarick of the Great Desert; it is called Ertana, and is, I believe, 
 the original Dreber tongue. In another part of this work, I have 
 given a short vocabulary of it. Mukni receives all his tribute in 
 person, and is, from daylight until dark, sitting in the midst of the 
 Arabs. As soon as the business of one party is settled, a prayer is 
 recited, and room is left for another equally noisy set, who, though 
 they dispute and make all sort of difficulty about paying their 
 money, are never suffered by Mukni to gain their point: at the 
 very moment indeed when they appear most confident of having 
 their complaints attended to, some one of Mukni’s men cries out 
 “ The Fattha !” (or first chapter of the Koran), every one joining 
 in that prayer. This is the signal for the poor creatures to retire, 
 and they are then obliged to consider their claims as settled. 
 
 The Sheikh is in continual apprehensions of losing his life; his 
 predecessor having, the year before, been found one night with his 
 throat cut, and no one was allowed to inquire who committed the 
 deed. The inhabitants were obliged to pay a fine or penalty of 
 2000 dollars to Mukni (who alone was supposed guilty), in conse¬ 
 quence of the murder having been perpetrated in the town. 
 
 It being necessary for the Sultan to employ persons of trust to 
 receive his taxes at tloon and Wadan, as well as from the neigh¬ 
 bouring Arabs, he proposed sending with them his young son Yussuf, 
 allowing Mr. Ritchie and myself also to accompany them, in order 
 to afford us a safe opportunity of seeing those places. A troop of 
 about thirty horsemen being prepared, on the 14th of June we set 
 out. Little Yussuf was placed under the charge of a man named 
 Ibrahim, who had also orders to attend to and supply all our wants. 
 
 After passing over the plain, and through the palms, east by 
 

 tr~ 
 
 i 
 
 it- 
 
 I 
 
 \' . 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 75 
 
 south ten miles, we arrived at Hoon, It is a smaller town 
 
 than Sockna, but walled, and built in the same manner: its palms 
 and gardens are close to the walls. It has three gates, three 
 mosques, and a large building which is dignified with the name 
 of a castle, although it does not appear even to have a loop¬ 
 hole for musketry. The inhabitants, having about three hundred 
 muskets, came out to welcome Yussuf, and we met with the same 
 boisterous reception as was given a few days before to the Sultan. 
 A number of dancing women performed in the court of the house 
 in which we were assembled, the greatest part of the day; and in 
 the evening the slaves joined the concert with their cymbals. The 
 whole was so completely to the taste of Mukni’s men, and con¬ 
 tinued so long, that the performers were literally tired out. When 
 they came to request corn or money from the spectators, it was to 
 us they first applied, as considering us the greatest personages ; but 
 we were so poor, in despite of our fine garments, that we actually 
 had nothing to give, which disappointed and astonished them much. 
 
 In the burying-grounds near the town we observed that nearly 
 all the graves were ornamented with one or more ostrich eggs, as 
 were the doors and angles of the mosques, and their enclosures. 
 We entered the tomb of a Maraboot, and standing near the grave, 
 recited the “ Fatha” aloud. In the evening we visited the gardens, 
 which are close to the town, the latter being completely hidden 
 from the view by the thick palms which surround it. The soil is 
 sand, but the grain was in the most luxuriant state of forwardness, 
 owing to its being constantly refreshed by little channels from the 
 wells, the water of which is brackish. 
 
 The people of the town having been told what sum of money 
 they were required to collect before we returned from Wadan, we 
 proceeded on the 15th April to that place, passing over a barren 
 stony flat east by north twelve or thirteen miles. The town is not 
 
 l 2 
 
76 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 walled, and appears very inferior to the other two in point of 
 neatness, comfort, and convenience, though its aspect is much more 
 pleasing, as it is built on a conical hill, on the top of which are some 
 enclosed houses, called the Castle. Here there is a well of great 
 depth, cut through the solid rock, and evidently not the work of 
 the Bedouins. One of the Shreefs took us into a mosque, that we 
 might examine a curious stone, bearing an Arabic inscription in 
 raised letters, and, from its date, it must have been above six 
 hundred years old. It was let into the mud wall, but no one knew 
 where it had been found. Mr. Ritchie did not attempt to copy it, 
 as we were not yet enough acquainted with the customs of the 
 Arabs to know if it would be permitted. The tombs and mosques, 
 as at Hoon, were ornamented with quantities of ostrich eggs. 
 
 The natives of Wad an are Arabs of the tribe Moajer who 
 chiefly spend their time in attending their flocks at the Syrtis 
 and resident shreefs, or descendants of the Prophet; the latter 
 forming the greater part of the population. There is a chain of 
 mountains, a few miles east of the town, called also Wadan, on 
 account of the immense number of buffaloes to be found there, and 
 which are of three species; viz. the Wadan, an animal of the size of 
 an ass, having very large horns, short reddish hide, and large bunches 
 of hair hanging from each shoulder, to the length of eighteen inches 
 or two feet: they have very large heads, and are very fierce. 
 The Rogra el Weish which is a red buffalo, slow in its 
 
 motions, having large horns, and being of the size of an ordinary 
 cow; and the white buffalo of a lighter and more active make, very 
 shy and swift, and not easily procured. The calving time of these 
 animals is in April or May. There are also in these mountains great 
 quantities of ostriches, by hunting which many of the natives 
 subsist All the Arabs here agree respecting the manner in which 
 these birds sit on their eggs, and which 1 was not before aware of. 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 77 
 
 They are not left to be hatched by the warmth of the sun, but the 
 parent bird forms a rough nest, in which she covers from fourteen to 
 eighteen eggs, and regularly sits on them in the same manner as the 
 common fowl does on her chickens ; the male occasionally relieving 
 the female. It is during the breeding season that the greatest 
 numbers are procured, the Arabs shooting the old ones while on 
 their nests. At all the three towns, Sockna, Hoon, and Wadan, it 
 is the custom to keep tame ostriches in a stable, and in two years, to 
 take three cuttings of their feathers. I imagine, from what I have 
 seen of the skins of ostriches brought for sale, that all the fine fea¬ 
 thers sent to Europe are from tame birds ; the wild ones being ge¬ 
 nerally so ragged and torn, that not above half a dozen good perfect 
 ones can be found. The white feathers are what I allude to; the 
 black, being shorter and more flexible, are generally good. All the 
 camels belonging to these people are sent to the Syrtis, to pasture ; a 
 distance of about five days' journey. It sometimes occurs, that after 
 a great deal of rain has fallen, the plains beyond the Wadan moun¬ 
 tains acquire sufficient verdure to feed the cattle for a few weeks. 
 
 On this evening we had some juice of the palm-tree, called 
 Lackbi, brought us, together with some milk ; and the dancing 
 women remained until midnight. The tribute was all paid at the 
 evening prayer. 
 
 April 16th.—Returned to Plocn, where we were received as 
 before. It being Friday, we saw every one preparing to go to the 
 assembly at the Mosque. Mr. Ritchie declined attending; but I 
 was determined to make my debut, and to see how I could go 
 through the necessary formalities. I therefore prepared myself, by 
 endeavouring to appear quite unconcerned, and readily accom¬ 
 panied the Sultan's chief followers, who seemed pleased at my 
 joining them. There were about 200 people present, and addi¬ 
 tional prayers were recited in honour of the Sultan (Mukni) and 
 
78 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 his family. I found I acquitted myself very well, although one or 
 two of the old people, as I thought, viewed me with an eye of sus¬ 
 picion, well aware that I had but very little knowledge of Arabic. 
 The tribute-money was brought this day by the Sheikh, a great 
 crowd attending him. A little boy who was amongst them made 
 himself known to us, as having come in the same kaffle with us 
 from Tripoli. We recollected, and made use of him to show us 
 round the town, which he did readily, occasionally running before 
 us, and calling to all the girls of his acquaintance, to come out and 
 look at the new Mamlukes. This they did in crowds, and with 
 their faces uncovered: some of them were rather pretty, and ap¬ 
 peared to take pleasure in conversing with us, laughing much at 
 the mistakes we made, in consequence of our slight knowledge of 
 Arabic. The boy asked us many amusing questions about our 
 future intentions, and was particularly anxious to know where 
 we were going, and whether for the purpose of collecting slaves, 
 as he suspected. We, of course, disclaimed any such intention, 
 adding, that in our own country we looked on slavery with 
 horror. At this he expressed great contempt of us, exclaiming, 
 “ D—n their fathers, the asses!” a common oath amongst these 
 people, “ what are they made for, but to serve us ? go then and take 
 them, for they are Kaffirs, and we cannot do without them.” I men¬ 
 tion this as a specimen of all the Arabs, who believe most religiously, 
 that the Negroes were only created for their service. The natives 
 of Hoon are of the tribe Eateima auAj, and are of good character. 
 
 17th April.—We returned to Sockna. On this day I made an 
 attempt to prove how far it was possible to exercise authority over 
 the Arabs, and Mr. Kitchie not wishing to interfere, left me to act 
 as I thought proper. The case was this : during our journey from 
 Tripoli I had observed a poor slave, of about fifty years of age, 
 belonging to the owner of some of our camels, so fatigued as to be 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 79 
 
 scarcely able to follow us. His frame was quite emaciated, and his 
 feet and legs much swelled. His inhuman master, notwithstanding 
 the deplorable state in which he was, invariably sent him out all 
 night to attend the camels, and he only brought them back to 
 commence another sad day’s journey, during which he was fre¬ 
 quently beaten. On arriving at Sockna he was sent on to the desert 
 with the animals, and returned to the town this day in a high fever, 
 and in a most miserable condition. His master, according to 
 custom, beat him severely with a stick, and finding the poor black 
 unable to cry out, actually took stones and beat him on the head 
 with them, another Arab assisting in the cruel task. So much 
 unnecessary barbarity induced me to endeavour to defend the poor 
 sufferer; but my interference was greeted with no very polite 
 expressions, and my endeavouring to prove that the poor black was 
 a human creature as well as his master, exposed me to much 
 laughter and contempt. I pursued my point, however, and imme¬ 
 diately went to Mukni’s chief black, swearing by the Sultan’s head, 
 that he should instantly punish the master of the slave. To my 
 great satisfaction he immediately complied, giving the wretch a 
 very severe bastinado, as hard as two men could lay it on. When 
 I returned to our house, the other Arab laughed at and taunted me 
 to such a degree, that I was obliged (to his great astonishment) to 
 give him a good thrashing, not a little apprehensive, I must own, 
 lest some revenge should be taken on me in consequence; but I 
 soon found I had nothing to dread, for these very men never after 
 omitted coming daily to kiss my hand; and, while I was in sight, 
 always caressed the poor slave, who from that time became a kind 
 of pensioner on us. 
 
 The Arabs of Sockna are of the tribe Biahh Aj. There are also 
 some wanderers from Tripoli and the Syrtis, who frequent these 
 towns on the soofra *Jy*, or frontier. They are of the tribes Waled 
 
80 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II 
 
 boo Saif jj) Waled ben Miriam ^ ^ and Sohhoob cjye-», 
 and change tlieir residence as they find pasture. Their little move- 
 able tents are their only habitations; for even in the neighbourhood 
 of towns they make a small encampment while they remain. 
 
 All our business being settled, we prepared to leave this place. 
 Mr. Ritchie presented the Sheikh with some powder and cutlery 
 ware, which, as I discovered some time after, was taken away from 
 him by the covetous Sultan for his own use. 
 
 Lilia Eatema was at this time very ill, and as Mr. Ritchie 
 declined visiting her, I became her doctor, and by means of some 
 compounds of my own invention, quite cured her. Amongst the 
 little secrets of her illness, I found out that she indulged herself 
 in pretty large potions of Lackbi, which no doubt occasioned the 
 head-aclies she complained of. 
 
 Mr. Ritchie made several attempts with Gambay’s dipping 
 needle, the results of which are with his papers, and we each brought 
 Sockna’s latitude to 29° 5' 36" north, by observation of Spica 
 Virginis. 
 
 On 22d of April left Sockna in company with the Sultan. At 
 11. 30. we were attended clear of the town by a great multitude of 
 people, and a prayer being recited, the horsemen all stopped, 
 holding their open hands with the palms towards heaven. After 
 this, each one kissed the Sultan's hand, and returned home. At 
 one we passed a small spring, the only one in the country, of about 
 two feet in diameter, in which the water was pretty good. The 
 Sultan here told us, w ith an air of firm belief, that a Maraboot once 
 travelling this way, was overcome by thirst, and that by striking 
 the ground with his stick (in the name of God), this water arose. 
 At 3. 30. we entered a wadey in the Soudah mountains, called 
 Octooffa bearing from Sockna south by west, and at six en¬ 
 
 camped near a well of tolerably good water, called Gutfa UX*. Our 
 
CJIAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 81 
 
 place of encampment was a small plain, without any other 
 vegetation than a few prickly bushes of talhh. This spot was 
 surrounded on every side by high mountains of basalt, which gave 
 it the appearance of being in the crater of a volcano. We here pre¬ 
 sented our Bouzaferr which is a kind of footing paid by all 
 travellers on entering Fezzan, and is attended with ceremonies 
 something similar to those observed on crossing the line. Should any 
 person refuse the necessary distribution of food, the Arabs dig a grave, 
 telling him that it is made expressly for him, and howling as for a 
 dead person, with many other ridiculous pranks, which generally 
 produce the wished-for feast. We took with us, for this purpose, 
 two sheep, and a quantity of meal, and distributed portions to all 
 the tents, much to the satisfaction of our fellow travellers. Lilia 
 Fatma also paid her footing, as did one or two others, who had 
 never before passed these mountains. We this day had advanced 
 south lCT west eighteen miles. 
 
 April 25th.—Having filled five days water for ourselves and 
 horses, we left the well at G. 40. A. M. The camels took a circuitous 
 route along a deep valley, owing to a very steep mountain called 
 Nufdai cjAsy, lying in front of us. The horse and footmen 
 ascended it at 9. 40. by a most difficult path of large irregular 
 masses of basalt. The horses, however, were sure-footed, and at 
 10.40. we again descended to a wadey, called Zgar, where the camels 
 joined us, after having been four hours winding round the foot of 
 the mountain, which we had crossed in one. At 11. 35. ascended 
 from the wadey to a Hat, called Dahr t’Moumen (or the 
 
 believer's back). The basalt here was in less quantities, and often 
 in small broken pieces, resembling gravel. At 1. 10. we de¬ 
 scended to a wadey, called Emzairaat when we saw a few 
 
 antelopes. 
 
 Here, while I was resting under a tree, a man came and told 
 
 M 
 
82 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 chap. ii. 
 
 me that he had observed a snake of the most venomous species, 
 called Effa Ul', coiled up under a bush. I instantly armed myself 
 with a ramrod, and having discovered the reptile, pinned it to the 
 ground by a stab through the lower jaw. Belford just then came 
 up, and fancying it was of a harmless kind, took it by the tail: as 
 he was on the opposite side of me, I did not perceive him, and 
 having pressed another stick on the creature’s head, I withdrew the 
 ramrod, in order to get a better hold of it. At this moment 11 el ford 
 again pulled, and extricated the snake, which turned upon and 
 attempted to bite him; its tail, however, luckily broke, and it fell 
 back into the bush, where I immediately despatched it. Had it 
 wounded Belford, as it was on the point of doing, his death would 
 have been inevitable, as we had no instrument at hand for cutting 
 out the venom, or any fire with which to burn it, as is done with 
 effect by the Arabs. On examining the snake, I found it was of 
 the same species as some I had seen at Tripoli; those, however, did 
 not exceed six inches in length, whereas this was about two feet 
 long, and very bulky. Their colour is generally a dull reddish- 
 brown, with black spots; the belly yellow, and aspect particularly 
 disagreeable and malignant. 
 
 The movements of this snake are very peculiar: it does not 
 propel itself in the same way as other serpents, but in a lateral 
 manner, advances its right side, and then draws forward its head at 
 each motion, while, in the act of gliding on, it forms a figure 
 resembling the letter S. 
 
 Our road lay through several gloomy wadeys, when, at three, we 
 stopped in one called Tingareer At 4. 15. the camels came 
 
 up, and as the place afforded some few bushes, we encamped there 
 for the purpose of refreshing them. 
 
 April 24th.—Camels started at 5. 45. At ten, a distant moun¬ 
 tain north-west, called El Kohol (from its blackness). At twelve, 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 83 
 
 after passing a stony track, came to a wadey Mesheil Jjyui*. At 
 two P. M. cleared the mountainous part of the Soudah, and de¬ 
 scended to a plain, El Maitba Soudah from its being 
 
 covered with small pieces of basalt. At 2 . 45. came to a spot called 
 El Maitba Baida Iajo, having not the slightest trace of basalt, and 
 being covered with a very small white gravel. 
 
 We did not see, any where, the least appearance of vegetation; 
 but observed many skeletons of animals, which had died of fatigue 
 on the Desert, and occasionally the grave of some human being. 
 All these bodies were so dried by the extreme heat of the sun, 
 that putrefaction did not appear to have taken place after death. 
 In recently expired animals I could not perceive the slightest 
 offensive smell; and in those long dead, the skin, with the hair on 
 it, remained unbroken and perfect, although so brittle as to break 
 with a slight blow. The sand-winds never cause these carcasses to 
 change their places, as in a short time a slight mound is formed 
 round them, and they become stationary. 
 
 At 5. 50. we passed low table-topped hills east and west of us, 
 called El Gaaf This desert was named Sbir ben Afeen 
 
 At seven we encamped. The plain round us presented 
 so perfect a horizon, that an astronomical observation might have 
 been taken as at sea. From the excessive dryness of the air, our 
 blankets and barracans emitted electric sparks, and crackled 
 distinctly on being rubbed. The horses’ tails, also, in beating off 
 the flies, had the same effect. Our whole Kaffle were much fatigued. 
 This day we had advanced south-south-west, thirty-five miles. 
 
 April 25th.—At four, A. M. the camels set out; 8. 15. we 
 passed some sand-hills, called el Ramie Kebeer or large 
 
 sands. At nine we came again on the plain, which was covered 
 with a white encrusted clay; at three, P. M. passed el Ramie 
 Shraya, or small sands, and at 4. 45. descended by some precipitous 
 
84 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 rocks to a sandy, irregular plain, very difficult and dangerous, 
 until we had crossed the sand-hills. At about half a mile to the 
 eastward of the pass, which, as well as the plain, is called Koneir 
 jXjS, is a singular rock in a conical form, surmounted by another 
 resembling a turret, called Amaymet Saad 1. Hills over 
 
 the watering place were pointed out to us in the distance, south- 
 south-west, At nine we entered a wadey, called Om el Abeed 
 auuuJUl (the Mother of the Slaves), and at eleven arrived at a well of 
 the same name, situated amongst the mountains, and having a 
 quantity of hushes growing about it. 
 
 We found here two large flocks of sheep and goats on the way 
 to Morzouk from Benioleed. We had supposed some flocks were 
 ahead of us, five or six sheep having been picked up by the Kaffle, 
 while still alive, but unable to walk, and had, therefore, been left to 
 perish. At twelve the camels arrived, having travelled twenty 
 hours, or above forty-eight miles, south-south-west. The wind was 
 south during the whole day, bringing with it such showers of 
 burning sand, as almost to smother us. We frequently lost our 
 track, and were unable to distinguish objects at the distance even 
 of a few yards. The flatness of the country offering no opposition 
 to the wind, we were exposed to all its fury. The little children 
 of the liberated negroes walked all this day, suffering most severely, 
 their heads being shaved, and constantly exposed to the burning 
 heat of the sun. One of the poor women was taken in labour in 
 the afternoon, and we were obliged to tie her on a camel to prevent 
 her falling off, and being left on the road to perish. We had 
 arrived at this place so late at night as to be unable to prepare any 
 thing to eat. 
 
 April 26th.—Started at seven, A. M. leaving the camels to rest, 
 and the horsemen rode on for Zeighan ^j, which place we reached 
 at ten, having passed over a rocky country. The village is walled, 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 85 
 
 and surrounded by a large forest of palms. We had here a most 
 ample quantity of provisions served up to us, and did great honour 
 to our meal. The camels arrived in the evening. Latitude of 
 Zeighan, 27° 26' north. 
 
 April 27th.—Moved on at 6 A. M. from Zeighan, passing over 
 a barren plain, having small basaltic hillocks ; after travelling south 
 23° west eight miles, arrived at Samnoo, A*—, a village of the same 
 description, although larger, and rather more neatly walled than 
 the others. It has three tolerably built white-washed mina¬ 
 rets, rising to some height above the houses, which produce a 
 very pleasing appearance. These were the only minarets we had 
 seen since we left Tripoli. The houses are very neatly built, and 
 the rooms are washed with a yellow mud, instead of white-wash, 
 which has a very pretty effect. This town, as well as Zeighan, is 
 famed for the number and sanctity of its Maraboots; and I can 
 vouch for their being the best Arab cooks we had as yet met with. 
 Palms encircle the town, and the gardens are considered very good. 
 
 April 28th.—We left Samnoo at 7 P. M. riding, in the dark, 
 over a barren plain of gravel; and at midnight arrived at Temen- 
 hiut, , where we found our tents ready pitched outside the 
 
 palms surrounding the town, which is but an inconsiderable one. 
 Made twenty miles south 75° west: Mukni told us he had never 
 entered the town, although he had encamped near it above twenty 
 times. 
 
 April 29th.—We left this place at 4. 30. P. M. and at 8 en¬ 
 camped on a small plain. 
 
 April 30th.—Broke up our encampment at 7 A. M. and pro¬ 
 ceeded for two hours over the hills, whence we descended a fine 
 pass to a plain, on which stands the town of Sebha; the singular 
 appearance of which, from the heights, was very picturesque. It is 
 surrounded by groves of palms, while the rest of the plain is a 
 
86 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 dreary desert. At 10 we arrived at the town, which rises like a 
 little amphitheatre: it is mud walled, and has a high square white¬ 
 washed minaret to its principal Mosque. All the male population 
 came out to salute the Sultan ; and I observed that at this place 
 the change of colour began, the people here being Mulattoes. I 
 remarked too, that the greater part of their muskets had match¬ 
 locks, and that not above one in five went off. The houses appear 
 in neat order, but very low; and the walls are built in an irregular, 
 but strong manner, of mud. Mr. Ritchie made the latitude of 
 Sebha 27° S' 8" north. 
 
 May 1st.—The Sultan, after many disputes respecting money 
 matters, set off with us at 5. 50. P. M. the camels having departed 
 some hours sooner. Our road, after passing the palms, was 
 still, as it had lately been, over a gravelly plain, having at inter¬ 
 vals large black detached stones lying on it. At midnight the 
 horsemen stopped, and at 1 A. M. the camels came up. We lay 
 this night on a low plain, amongst some small sand hills, which were 
 quite barren. As the camels arrived so late, there was great con¬ 
 fusion in unloading them; and the men Were too much occupied 
 to pay any attention to the ladies in the Shiblias. Fatma, finding 
 no helping hand near to assist her, boldly attempted to uncoach 
 herself; but the exertion, owing to her excessive fat, caused her to 
 fall, or rather roll off the camel, to the great amusement of the 
 Arabs. 
 
 May 2nd.—At 6. 45. proceeded on our way, and at 12 came 
 into a wadey, having many palm bushes thickly growing about. 
 A heavy sand wind was blowing, and the sun was quite obscured 
 by it. My horse, taking fright at some object which he saw but 
 indistinctly, reared up, and fell back with me under him. Happily, 
 I only received a severe contusion on the arm. At 1. 30. P. M. 
 we arrived at Ghroodwa, a miserable collection of mud 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 JOURNEY TO MORZOUK. 
 
 87 
 
 huts, containing about fifty people, who appeared a ragged drunken 
 set, as the immense number of tapped palm trees testified. From 
 the ruins of some large mud edifices, this place seems to have once 
 been of more importance. The palms, which extend for ten or 
 fifteen miles east and west, are the property of the Sultan, and 
 appear in worse condition than any we have seen. 
 
 May 3rd.—At 6. 30. A. M. we left Ghroodwa, and again en¬ 
 tered on a barren stony plain ; at 12 passed a small wadey called 
 Wad el nimmel, (or the valley of ants), from the immense 
 
 number of those insects, of a beautiful pink colour, which are 
 found there. At 6. 40. P. M. we cleared this dreary waste, and 
 entered on a sandy plain, which was in many places thickly 
 encrusted with salt. A few scattered palms, and some ill built 
 and ruined huts, appeared at intervals, betokening the greatest 
 wretchedness. At 8 reached a few buildings of this description, 
 called Dgleim, jaA At 11 the camels arrived. The inhabitants 
 from all the neighbouring villages had assembled here ; and I really 
 believe more powder was expended at this place, than at any other 
 we had passed through, although their muskets could not have 
 amounted altogether to more than fifty. The Sultan repeatedly 
 called out, “ Enough, Enough!” but the natives only answered by 
 fresh discharges, and exclaiming, “We have plenty of powder.” As 
 I was walking across the little space in which they were exercising, 
 one of the shooters, to do me honour, fired his piece at my legs, 
 which being bare, received above a dozen coarse grains, like small 
 shot. I bled a little, which quite frightened the man, lest he 
 should be discovered. I, however, made light of it, and rubbed 
 myself with salt and water. 
 
 The dancing ladies were indefatigable; and when I went to 
 sleep at midnight, were making as much noise, and were as active 
 as ever. Mr. Ritchie’s horse had for the last four or five days 
 
88 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 entirely failed him, and was unable even to keep pace with the 
 camels: he did not come up with us until a little after midnight. 
 As we were only at the distance of three hours from Morzouk, 
 many of the people were occupied during the night in preparations 
 for their entry into the capital. 
 
 May 4th.—At 7 A. M. having shaved, washed, and adorned 
 ourselves in the finest clothes which we had at hand, we started. 
 Mukni, however, unwilling that his new Mamlukes should be less 
 line than his own people, sent for two splendid bornouses, which he 
 lent to Mr. Bitchie and myself for this grand occasion, making us 
 ride on the right and left of him. Travelling over a desert plain, 
 until 9. 30. A. M. west by south, we entered the palm groves and 
 gardens of Morzouk; we then saw a large body of horse and foot 
 advancing, with three silk flags. When the horsemen came within 
 five hundred yards of us, they set off at full speed, and on join¬ 
 ing our party, threw themselves from their horses, and ran to kiss 
 the Sultan's hand. His eldest son, Sidi Aleiwa, jrylc headed 
 
 them ; and after he had performed the same salutation, they all 
 remounted and joined in the procession. On approaching the town 
 we were joined by the dancers, drummers, and pipers. Two men 
 stationed themselves on each side of the Sultan, bearing fans of 
 ostrich feathers, with which they beat off the hies which incom¬ 
 moded him. We entered the town at 10. 30. A. M. preceded by 
 the led horses, and six silk hags. The horsemen having formed 
 in two lines, in which I joined them, skirmished until we came 
 to the gate. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT MORZOUK. 
 
 89 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT MORZOUK. 
 
 Mode of travelling across the Desert—Interview with the Sultan—Description of Mor- 
 zouk—Population—Castle of the Sultan—Illness and severe Distress of the Author 
 and his Companions—Arrival of a Kaffle of Tuarick—Fast of Rhamadan—De¬ 
 parture of an Expedition to obtain Slaves from the Country of Borgoo—Diseases of 
 the Inhabitants, and the Native Methods of Cure—Feast of Aidel Shraya—Observa¬ 
 tions on the Tuarick—Their Religion, Dress, Customs, and Language—Ghraat 
 —Its Government, Laws, and Trade—Market there—Arrival of a Kaffle from 
 Bornou with Slaves—Information respecting Bornou and the surrounding Countries, 
 as collected from the Traders—Of Kashna and Soudan, in general—Account of 
 Hornemann and his Death—Tembuctoo—General Remarks on the Geography of 
 the Interior, and probable Course of the Niger—Vocabulary of the Fellatta Lan¬ 
 guage—Conjectures on the Fate of Park. 
 
 On our entry into the town, the soldiers raced up a very broad 
 street, firing and shouting, whilst the women uttered their shrill 
 cry; and the scene was altogether highly interesting. On passing 
 a large open space, before we reached the castle and walls surround¬ 
 ing it, we were saluted from two six-pounders. We did not enter 
 the castle itself, but were conducted to a large house within its 
 outward boundary, which had been prepared for our reception. 
 An old Mamluke, Pladje Mahmoud took charge of us, 
 
 and having passed our threshold “ in the name of God,” brought 
 us a hot mess and a large mat. We waited until the afternoon, and 
 
 N 
 
90 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 were then conducted to pay our respects to the Sultan, and to be 
 introduced to his son, a boy of about thirteen years of age, born 
 of a slave of Soudan. We, in our turn, were visited by a great 
 number of people ; who had, in the space of a few hours, informed 
 themselves, very sagaciously, that we were great men, and had 
 brought 30,000 dollars with us ; when, in truth, we had only 300 
 (which were in Mukni’s hands), and knew not where to procure 
 more. Our horses, which were much fatigued and very thin, were 
 fed from the castle. 
 
 We had been thirty-nine days in coming from Tripoli; the 
 road, with the exception of the immediate vicinity of the towns, 
 was a dreary desert, having but few wells, and those of salt water. 
 Nothing could have been more fortunate than our travelling 
 with the Sultan; our difficulties must otherwise have been very 
 great. Mukni, to do him justice, showed us every attention ; and 
 we always partook of his meals when in the towns. I was his con¬ 
 stant companion, and being of a less sedate disposition than Mr. 
 Ritchie, he always invited me to ride by him, generally treating me 
 with some cakes or dainties, which he carried with him. In return, 
 I allowed him a draught from my water-skin. He spoke a little 
 Italian, and amused himself much by asking questions about my 
 country, of the wealth and grandeur of which he had formed very 
 exalted ideas; particularly respecting the funds, or banco, as he 
 called it. He certainly evinced a great desire to lodge some of his 
 property, in this manner, in England, provided he could arrange it 
 privately; it being against the Mahommedan religion to receive 
 interest. 
 
 When I told him that English women were allowed to have 
 money in their own power, and that some of them had immense 
 fortunes, he seemed scarcely to credit me. He was much astonished 
 at being told, that young men often did not marry until they had 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT MORZOUK. 
 
 91 
 
 arrived at 25 or 30 years of age : this he considered as highly im¬ 
 proper ; but in some degree reconciled it to his way of thinking, by 
 supposing that they must, in that case, have a great number of con¬ 
 cubines, and that they only married those who brought them children. 
 He did not find fault with our customs in that respect, as he 
 had, himself, only one wife; but he had 50 Negresses, which was 
 considered a very moderate allowance for a Sultan of Fezzan. He 
 frequently asked me how natural children were disposed of, when 
 it was requisite to conceal their birth from the parents of the 
 offending parties. His pointed manner of questioning me on this 
 subject led me to some suspicion of his motives for the inquiry; 
 and I afterwards discovered, from several of his people, that he 
 invariably caused to be strangled all babes born of his Negresses 
 by other men, and that it was the general custom at Tripoli, to 
 poison illegitimate infants in the womb. The mother of little 
 Yussuf, his son, had a child about a year since, perfectly black. 
 Mukni being satisfied it could not be his, sent for the suspected 
 father, and made him strangle the infant: the mother was allowed 
 to return to her own country, which was considered a great piece 
 of lenity, death being usually the punishment for such an offence. 
 
 Our travelling pace was a walk of the horses, which generally 
 got considerably in advance of the camels. At noon, or about that 
 time, if we could find a tree, we stopped under it; if not, we sat 
 under the shadow of our horses. The Sultan was grand victualler, 
 and generally produced a bag of bread or dates, or the remains 
 of his dinner of the day before. Each one then had a portion, 
 not sufficient to be called a dinner, but to break his fast; and 
 after eating, and drinking a few mouthfuls of water, stretched 
 himself out, and slept until the camels came up: the party then 
 mounted and rode on. These rests were very refreshing to 
 the men and horses; but the loaded camels never made any 
 
 n 2 
 
92 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 stop, neither did the poor Negroes, who, with their wives and 
 even little children, plodded on the whole day, over a burning soil, 
 sometimes for twenty, and often for sixteen hours, whenever want 
 of water made a forced march necessary. Several of the smallest 
 of the black children, though probably not more than four or five 
 years of age, walked for many hours with great strength in the 
 early part of the day, having but a few rags to cover them, and 
 when unable to proceed further, were put on the camels for 
 the remainder of the day. One of our party, a poor old man, 
 totally blind, arrived safe at Morzouk from Tripoli. He had 
 walked all the way over the rocks and plains, led by his wife, and 
 was kept alive by the hope of once more hearing the voices of his 
 countrymen. 
 
 When we stopped for the night, it was generally so contrived 
 that we should lie in some spot where bushes might be found for 
 the camels to browse upon ; but even though there might be no 
 wood or herbage, a wadey was always preferred, as more shel¬ 
 tered. Our tents were pitched, if the ground was sufficiently soft 
 to admit the pegs, and our bales and chests so placed, as to form 
 a shelter for those who had no tents; affording a bulwark against 
 the wind and sand. The little resistance offered by any intervening 
 objects to the winds of the desert, renders them very powerful, 
 and the stillness of the night, in blowing weather, is particularly 
 awful. The tents are no sooner pitched, than the camels are turned 
 out to feed on the thin and scattered bushes, and parties go to collect 
 wood; the horses are hobbled, watered from the skins, and then 
 fed. Should there be no wood, camels’ dung is an excellent sub¬ 
 stitute, as it burns like peat, and forms a very glowing fire. A 
 hole is dug in the ground, and three stones so placed, as to support 
 the little copper pot. Cusscussou or Bazeen is then prepared. 
 The Sultanesses are no contemptible cooks, and they made every 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT MORZOUK. 
 
 93 
 
 evening an excellent supper for their master. When no fire is to 
 be had, Zumeeta is prepared with water and oil, and so eaten. We 
 usually managed, in an evening, to make a little coffee, of which 
 Mukni always came and partook; and as soon as he left the tent, 
 his slaves and people generally succeeded him, wishing also to taste 
 some. If we had time, we occasionally drank a cup of it in the 
 morning fasting, which we found, in the most sultry weather, pre¬ 
 vented thirst. I observed, that we never required water if we ab¬ 
 stained from eating in the early part of the day, and I thus account 
 for the Arabs drinking so little : on the contrary, if any quantity 
 of water is taken on an empty stomach, the person who indulges in 
 it suffers great thirst for the remainder of the day. When hot, it is 
 much better to drink from the palm of the hand, which prevents the 
 possibility of taking too great a draught at once. It is very refreshing 
 after a long day’s journey, to be well oiled all over; and a wet cloth 
 applied to the back of the neck relieves the fulness of the head, after 
 being many hours exposed to the sun.—Horses should not be brought 
 near the wells until it is their turn to drink ; if they are kept in 
 sight of the water, without being able to reach it, they frequently 
 become furious, and many of them greedily devour the mud. 
 
 The water is generally carried on camels set apart for that 
 purpose, and having no other loads. The usual quantity is six 
 gerbas, or water-skins, three on each side, one slung above the other. 
 Each of these skins is about fifty pounds in weight when full. 
 Should the Kaffle expect to be four or six days without finding 
 water, every camel which carries goods, has, in addition to its load, 
 a skin on each side. In fact, horses generally occasion more trouble 
 to a caravan than any thing else. The immense quantity of water 
 necessary to be taken for them is always averaged at one camel for 
 each horse, not including other loads of corn or dates for their 
 food. 
 
94 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Nothing can be more overpowering than the south wind, El 
 Gibli ls Lw, or the east, El Shirghi ; each of which is equally 
 to be dreaded. In addition to the excessive heat and dryness of 
 these winds, they are so impregnated with sand, that the air is 
 darkened by it, the sky appears of a dusky yellow, and the sun is 
 barely perceptible. The eyes become red, swelled, and inflamed; 
 the lips and skin parched and chopped; while severe pain in the 
 chest is very generally felt, in consequence of the quantities of sand 
 unavoidably inhaled. Nothing, indeed, is able to resist the un¬ 
 wholesome effects of this wind. On opening our boxes, we found 
 that many little articles, and some of our instruments, which had 
 been carefully packed, were entirely split and destroyed. Gales of 
 the kind here described generally continue ten or twelve hours, 
 yet when a change takes place, the air seems so fresh and delightful, 
 that the miseries of the sand-wind are soon forgotten. We some¬ 
 times met people on our road, who invariably at parting recited the 
 Fatha, each one religiously stroking his beard as soon as he had 
 concluded this prayer. 
 
 Being now settled for a time in Morzouk, we went about, in 
 order to become better acquainted with the people. Mr. Ritchie 
 made magnificent presents to the Sultan and his sons, and every 
 thing seemed to promise well, except that we had but little money, 
 and were obliged to live in a most economical manner on corn, and 
 seldom able to afford meat; having not only ourselves but our 
 black servant and four horses to feed. 
 
 We had now acquired some little knowledge of the language, 
 when, on the first Friday after our arrival, Mukni sent to tell us 
 that he intended going to the Mosque at the Asr j^s., or after¬ 
 noon prayers, and that he expected to see us there. As this was 
 to be Mr. Ritchie’s first appearance in a Mosque, we had no sooner 
 dressed ourselves in our best clothes than we practised the neces- 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT MORZOUK. 
 
 95 
 
 sary prostrations, until we heard the crier call to prayers, when our 
 old Mamluke came to conduct us to the church. We found a 
 large assembly sitting in rows on mats, our places being in front. 
 The Sultan soon after entered with his guards, and the Mosque 
 was instantly filled with a strong smell of attar of roses, which his 
 Majesty used in large quantities. Mr. Ritchie and myself got 
 through our part very well, and after the service was over, waited 
 at the door to see the Sultan mount and return to the Castle. 
 
 His horse, richly caparisoned, was led to an earthen seat, from 
 which he mounted, three led horses preceding him. He was sur¬ 
 rounded by his armed slaves, and fanned by men with ostrich 
 feathers; and thus proceeded, slowly, and amidst an immense 
 crowd, to the Castle, a distance of about five hundred yards. When 
 arrived there, he remained for a few minutes in the court-yard, 
 seated in his state chair, and receiving the homage of his subjects, 
 leaning on two of his principal people; he then ascended into the 
 Castle, where we followed him, and were allowed to sit on the 
 same carpet as himself. He here paid to Mr. Ritchie the three 
 hundred dollars which he owed him, and at the same time made most 
 flattering promises about assisting us at any future period in money 
 matters. We implicitly believed his professions, and left the Castle 
 much delighted at possessing such a friend in one, who, had he 
 been ill-disposed, had so much power to injure us. 
 
 At our return home, on examining our stock of eatables, we 
 found that we had been robbed of a large sack of rice, another of 
 flour, and a great quantity of cusscussou. From our hardware we 
 missed one pistol, both locks of a double-barrelled gun, and several 
 bags of shot. We made instant complaint to Mukni, who promised 
 that every inquiry should be made for the stolen articles, and that 
 they should, if found, be faithfully returned to us. We laid in a 
 
96 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 stock of dates for our horses, and commenced keeping house on our 
 own account. 
 
 Our habitation was a very good one, and as all the large houses 
 are built on nearly the same plan, I may, by describing this, give 
 an idea of all the rest. A large door, sufficiently high to admit a 
 camel, opened into a broad passage, or Skeefa ; on one side of 
 which was a tolerable stable for five horses; and close to it a small 
 room for the slaves, whose duty it might be to attend the house. 
 A door opposite to that of the stable opened into the Kowdi 
 or large square room, the roof of which, at the height of eighteen 
 feet, was supported by four palm-trees as pillars. In the centre of 
 the roofing was a large open space, about twelve feet by nine; from 
 this the house and rooms receive light (not to mention dust), and 
 excessive heat in the afternoon. At the end of the room, facing the 
 door, a large seat of mud was raised, about eighteen inches high, 
 and twelve feet in length. Heaps of this description, though 
 higher, are found at the doors of most houses, and are covered with 
 loungers in the cool of the morning and evening. Our large room 
 was fifty feet by thirty-nine. From the sides, doors opened into 
 smaller ones, which might be used as sleeping or store-rooms, but 
 were generally preferred for their coolness. Their only light was 
 received from the door. Ascending a few steps, there was a kind 
 of gallery over the side rooms, and in it were two small apartments, 
 but so very hot as to be almost useless. From the large room was 
 a passage leading to a yard, having also small houses attached to it 
 in the same manner, and a well of comparatively good water. 
 The floors were of sand, and the walls of mud roughly plastered, 
 and showing every where the marks of the only trowel used in 
 the country—the fingers of the right hand. There are no windows 
 to any of the houses; but some rooms have a small hole in the 
 ceiling, or high up in the wall. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 97 
 
 Morzouk is a walled town, containing about 2500 inhabitants, 
 who are blacks, and who do not, like the Arabs, change their re¬ 
 sidence. The walls are of mud, having round buttresses, with loop¬ 
 holes for musketry, rudely built, but sufficiently strong to guard 
 against attack: they are about fifteen feet in height, and at the 
 bottom eight feet in thickness, tapering, as all walls in this country 
 do, towards the top. The town has seven gates, four of which are 
 built up in order to prevent the people escaping when they are 
 required to pay their duties. A man is appointed by the Sultan 
 to attend each of these gates, day and night, lest any slaves or 
 merchandize should be smuggled into the town. The people, in 
 building the walls and houses, fabricate a good substitute for stones, 
 (which are not to be found in these parts), by forming clay into balls, 
 which they dry in the sun, and use with mud as mortar: the walls 
 are thus made very strong; and, as rain is unknown, durable also. 
 The houses, with very few exceptions, are of one story, and those of 
 the poorer sort receive all their light from the doors: these are 
 so low, as to require stooping nearly double to enter them; but 
 the large houses have a capacious outer door; which is sufficiently 
 well contrived, considering the bad quality of the wood that com¬ 
 poses them. Thick palm planks, of four or five inches in breadth, 
 (for the size and manner of cutting a tree will not afford more) 
 have a square hole punched through them at the top and bottom, 
 by which they are firmly wedged together, with thick palm sticks; 
 wet thongs of camels’ hide are then tied tightly over them, which, 
 on drying, draw the planks more strongly and securely together. 
 There are no hinges to the doors; but they turn on a pivot, formed 
 on the last plank near the wall, which is always the largest on that 
 account. The locks and keys are very large and heavy, and of 
 curious construction. The houses are generally built in little 
 
 o 
 
98 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 ciiAr. hi. 
 
 narrow streets; but there are many open spaces, entirely void of 
 buildings, and covered with sand, on which the camels of the 
 traders remain. Many palms grow in the town, and some houses 
 have small square enclosures, in which are cultivated a few red 
 peppers and onions. The street of entrance is a broad space of at 
 least a hundred yards, leading to the wall that surrounds the castle, 
 and is extremely pretty: here the horsemen have full scope to 
 display their abilities when they skirmish before the Sultan. The 
 castle itself is an immense mud building, rising to the height of 
 eighty or ninety feet, with little battlements on the walls (a 
 fancy of the present Sultan’s); and at a distance really looks 
 warlike. Like all the other buildings, it has no pretensions to 
 regularity : the lower walls are fifty or sixty feet in thickness ; the 
 upper taper off to about four or five feet. In consequence of the 
 immense mass of wall, the apartments are very small, and few in 
 number. The rooms occupied by the Sultan are of the best qua¬ 
 lity, (that is to say, comparatively), for the walls are tolerably 
 smooth, and white-washed, and have ornamental daubs of red paint 
 in blotches, by way of effect. His couch is spread on the ground, 
 and his visitors squat down on the sandy floor at a respectful 
 distance ; we, however, were always honoured by having a corner of 
 the carpet offered to us. The best and most airy part of the castle 
 is occupied by the women, who have small rooms round a large 
 court, in which they take exercise, grind corn, cook, and perform 
 other domestic offices. The number called Kibere, or great ladies, 
 seldom exceeds six. This dignified title is generally given to the 
 mothers of the Sultan’s children, or to those, who, having once been 
 great favourites, are appointed governesses to the rest. There are, 
 on the whole, about fifty young women, all black and very comely; 
 and from what stolen glances we could obtain, they appeared ex- 
 
'/3’S'/ X ?JjX X? JOuajpupy- 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 99 
 
 tremely well dressed. They are guarded by five eunuchs, who keep 
 up their authority by occasionally beating them. The Sultan has 
 three sons and two daughters, who five with him in this cage, the 
 doors of which are locked at night, and the keys brought to him, 
 so that he remains free from any fear of attack. The castle is en¬ 
 tered by a long winding passage in the wall, quite dark and very 
 steep. At the door is a large shed, looking on a square space, 
 capable of containing three or four hundred men closely huddled 
 together. Under this shed is a great chair of state (once finely gilt 
 and ornamented), with a patchwork quilt thrown over it; and be¬ 
 hind it are the remains of two large looking-glasses. In this chair 
 the Sultan receives homage every Friday, before he ascends the 
 castle, after returning from the Mosque. This place is the Mejlees, 
 and was the scene of all the cruelties practised by Mukni 
 when he first took possession of the country. 
 
 There are several pools of stagnant salt water in the town, 
 which, I conceive, in a great measure, promote the advance of the 
 summer fevers and agues. The burying-places are outside the 
 walls, and are of considerable extent. In lieu of stones, small mud 
 embankments are formed round the graves, which are ornamented 
 with shreds of cloth tied to small sticks, with broken pots, and some¬ 
 times ostrich eggs. One of the burying-places is for slaves, who are 
 laid very little below the surface; and in some parts the sand has 
 been so carried away by the wind, as to expose their skeletons 
 to view. Owing to the want of wood, no coffins are used; the 
 bodies are merely wrapped in a mat, or linen cloth, and covered 
 with palm branches, over which the earth is thrown. When the 
 branches decay, the earth falls in; and the graves are easily known 
 by being concave instead of convex. The place where the former 
 Sultans are buried is a plain near the town; their graves are 
 only distinguished from those of other people by having a larger 
 
 o 2 
 
100 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 proportion of broken pots scattered about them. It is a custom 
 for the relations of the deceased to visit, and occasionally to recite a 
 prayer over the grave, or to repeat a verse of the Koran. Children 
 never pass within sight of the tombs of their parents without 
 stopping to pay this grateful tribute of respect to their memory. 
 Animals are never buried, but thrown on mounds outside the walls, 
 and there left. The excessive heat soon dries up all their moisture, 
 and prevents their becoming offensive; and the hair remains on 
 them, so that they appear like preserved skins. 
 
 May 15th.—I was attacked with severe dysentery, which con¬ 
 fined me to my bed during twenty-two days, and reduced me to 
 the last extremity. Our little party was at this time miserably 
 poor, for we had only money sufficient for the purchase of corn to 
 keep us alive, and never tasted meat, unless fortunate enough to 
 kill a pigeon in the gardens. My illness was the first break up in 
 our little community, and from that time it rarely happened that 
 one or two of us were not confined to our beds. The extreme 
 saltness of the water, the poor quality of our food, together with 
 the excessive heat and dryness of the climate, long retarded my 
 recovery; and when it did take place, it was looked on as a 
 miracle by those who had seen me in my worst state, and who 
 thought it impossible for me to survive. I was no sooner con¬ 
 valescent, than Mr. Ritchie fell ill, and was confined to his bed with 
 an attack of bilious fever, accompanied with delirium, and great 
 pain in his back and kidneys, for which he required repeated 
 cupping. When a little recovered, he got up for two days, but 
 his disorder soon returned with redoubled and alarming violence. 
 He rejected every thing but water; and, excepting about three 
 hours in the afternoon, remained either constantly asleep, or in a 
 delirious state. Even had he been capable of taking food, we had 
 not the power of purchasing any which could nourish or refresh 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 101 
 
 him. Our money was now all expended, and the Sultan’s treacherous 
 plans to distress us, which daily became too apparent, were so 
 well arranged, that we could not find any one to buy our goods. 
 For six entire weeks we were without animal food, subsisting on 
 a very scanty portion of corn and dates. Our horses were mere 
 skeletons, added to which, Belford became totally deaf, and so 
 emaciated as to be unable to walk. 
 
 My situation was now such as to create the most gloomy 
 apprehensions; for I reflected that, if my two companions were to 
 die, which there was every reason to apprehend, I had no money 
 with which to bury them, or to support myself; and must in 
 that case have actually perished from want, in a land of com¬ 
 parative plenty. My naturally sanguine mind, however, and above 
 all, my firm reliance in that Power which had so mercifully pro¬ 
 tected me on so many trying occasions, prevented my giving way 
 to despondency; and, Belford beginning soon to rally a little, we 
 united, and took turns in nursing and attending on our poor com¬ 
 panion. At this time, having no servant, we performed for Mr. 
 Ritchie and for ourselves the most menial offices, Mr. Ritchie 
 being wholly unable to assist himself 
 
 Two young men, brothers, whom we had treated with great 
 kindness, and whom we had engaged to attend on us, so far from 
 commiserating our forlorn situation, forsook us in our distress, and 
 even carried off our little store of rice and cusscussou, laughing at 
 our complaints, and well knowing that our poverty prevented the 
 redress which we should otherwise have sought and obtained. 
 
 During the period of Mr. Ritchie's illness, a Kaffle of Tuarick 
 arrived, on their way to Mecca; they had with them a Maraboot 
 of most extraordinary talent and sagacity, about fifteen years old. 
 This young saint was said never to look up, but to have his eyes 
 either fixed on the Koran, or on the ground. I managed to ride 
 
102 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. ill. 
 
 out to visit this exalted personage, and found him a fat silly boy 
 with sore eyes, very dirty and ragged, and surrounded by Hadge 
 Mahmoud and a few others, with about the same share of in¬ 
 tellect as himself, who were listening with great admiration to his 
 remarks. 
 
 The Sultan, on the arrival of this Raffle, rode out in state to see 
 them, and supplied them with provisions during their stay. They 
 were about one hundred and fifty in number, and with the ex¬ 
 ception of two tents of canvas, all the rest were of leather, sup¬ 
 ported by sticks and the people's baggage. 
 
 I shall speak at a future period of the Tuarick, their dress, lan¬ 
 guage, &c. 
 
 Rhamadan (the month in which Mohammed is said to have Ixad 
 his first communication with the angel Gabriel) was announced on 
 the 23d of June, when the new moon appeared. The strictest fast 
 was immediately commenced before day, about three o’clock, until 
 sunset at seven P. M., sixteen hours; during this time no one 
 drinks or eats, smokes or chews tobacco, and even smelling perfume 
 is considered as wicked, as is swallowing the saliva. 
 
 The excessive heat which raged at this period (see Meteoro¬ 
 logical register at the end of the volume) was the occasion of many 
 very serious illnesses amongst our friends and neighbours. Mr. 
 Ritchie being very unwell and in bed, was, in a manner, privileged 
 to take food or drink; but as Belford and myself were now much 
 recovered, we were obliged to be very cautious, only eating by 
 stealth, and when no one was likely to interrupt us. We had 
 at this time a servant, who was a very inquisitive fellow; and 
 our artifices to get him out of the way on these occasions 
 
 would, by any but a blockhead like himself, have been soon dis¬ 
 covered : however, we not only got safely through, but were for¬ 
 tunate enough to obtain credit for keeping the fast with great 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 108 
 
 strictness, and without exciting the slightest suspicions of our 
 stolen meals. 
 
 Hadje Mahmoud, a most religious old man, became very trouble¬ 
 some to me, and was continually begging that I would call in some 
 Maraboot to pray over, and write prayers on Mr. Ritchie’s head and 
 hands : his delirium he attributed to the devil, and foretold that 
 it would not cease until we had put a sword, or some implement 
 of iron, under his head, Iblis being much alarmed at that metal. 
 All these plans I resisted as well as I could; but found much dif¬ 
 ficulty in overcoming a strong desire he had to bring a plate with 
 the names of God written on it, which were to be washed off, and 
 the inky water given to the invalid to drink. Our poor patient, 
 meanwhile, regardless of what was passing, longed and asked only 
 for a little milk, which unhappily we were not able to procure; 
 the Sultan, although he had fifty goats, made so many excuses and 
 difficulties about affording us any, that we were obliged to give up 
 all hopes of gratifying him. 
 
 Great preparations were now making all over the kingdom, 
 to forward an expedition which the Sultan intended to send 
 against the tribe of the Tibboo Borgo, a country about a month S.E. 
 Bodies of Arabs arrived from Sockna, and the towns in that direc¬ 
 tion ; a party of horse also came from Benioleed, and Morzouk 
 was all confusion. Sidi Aleiwa, the Sultan’s eldest son, was to take 
 the command. All the men assembled to accompany him were 
 quartered on the town’s-people, who were obliged to feed them and 
 their cattle twice a day. 
 
 I shall here mention the names of certain persons who came to 
 see us, and were really friendly towards us, in order to distinguish 
 them from numberless other visitors, who, at first, were very re¬ 
 gular in their attendance, but who vanished as soon as our sugar and 
 
104 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 chap. m. 
 
 coffee were expended. Mohammed El Lizari and Yussuf 
 
 his brother were our two principal and real friends, and were the 
 sons of a Mamluke long since dead. 
 
 On Mukni’s coming to this country, he reduced them from a state 
 of affluence to complete poverty, leaving them their palms, the only 
 possessions of which he could not deprive them. The friendship 
 which these good men evinced for us was perfectly disinterested; 
 and when we were poor and nearly starving, they most humanely 
 and considerately conferred on us many acts of real kindness. 
 Mohammed, the elder brother, was obliged to prepare himself to go 
 on the slave hunt, much against his inclination, and was appointed 
 to take charge of the young Aleiwa. 
 
 Old Hadje Mahmoud, whom I have before mentioned, was 
 another of our friends, but rather less disinterested than the two 
 former: he was credulous, superstitious, and rather time-serving; 
 but being our neighbour, did us now and then a good office. His 
 kindness, however, certainly slackened after our poverty became but 
 too apparent. 
 
 Mohammed ben Abd Alla was, for a length of time, our most 
 constant visitor. He was a Mamluke, born at Naples, and apos¬ 
 tatised when about ten years old. He remained some time at 
 Tripoli; and, when about eighteen years of age, was sent by the 
 Bashaw as a present to the former Sultan. He recollected but 
 little of his native language; was shrewd and lively, and was cer¬ 
 tainly employed by the Sultan as a spy upon our actions. Having 
 fully ascertained this circumstance, we employed many tricks to 
 deceive him, in which we completely succeeded. One of his great 
 points was, to discover for what reason we came so far into the 
 country, and whether we really were very great men, as we were 
 reported to be. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 105 
 
 A report had been circulated that Mr. Ritchie was married to 
 the King of England’s daughter, and that I recently had married 
 his Majesty’s niece. As Mohammed affected to be acquainted 
 with all our affairs, we always denied our high connexions in such 
 a manner as to confirm, rather than to contradict, the reports. Our 
 wealth he imagined to be very considerable, until he found we 
 ceased to eat meat, and then his suspicions of our real situation 
 were awakened. As he became excessively importunate in his 
 questions, I at last undertook to frighten him, and after one or two 
 preparatory conversations, got him out on the sand one night when 
 there was no moon. I began talking of King Solomon and his 
 seal, and related to him as many horrible stories of ghosts as 1 
 could conjure up. I told him that Mr. Ritchie and myself were 
 Freemasons, and that we understood the writing which was on 
 our Lord Solomon’s seal. On this subject I also invented tales, to 
 convince him that Freemasons were acquainted with every thing. 
 I took him home with me, and (Mr. Ritchie being on that evening 
 pretty well) desired him to mention some words to me, which I 
 would, with his hand over my mouth, convey across the room. I 
 accordingly spelt the words with my fingers, and Mr. Ritchie, to 
 Mohammed’s great astonishment, repeated them aloud. A few 
 repetitions of this plan made a sensible alteration in our inquisitive 
 friend, who, from that time, gradually ceased to intrude on us. 
 Mohammed was particularly proud of his high blood (being a 
 Mamluke), boasting that his father (though an unbeliever) was a 
 very great man, and much in the confidence of the King of Naples, 
 whose revenues he collected, and had a large army under his orders. 
 He also recollected his having fine laced clothes, and riding a horse. 
 We were often much puzzled to guess who this great personage 
 could be, when one evening, by way of surprising and delighting 
 
 p 
 
106 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 us, he, with great gravity, informed us that his father was a 
 caporale, or, in plain English, a corporal! 
 
 On the 12th of July, the army all being in readiness, amount¬ 
 ing to about 300 horse and 800 foot, with nearly 2000 camels, set 
 out for Gutrone, from whence they were to make their final de¬ 
 parture. Mukni accompanied them ; and the town was left in a 
 state of quiet we had never before observed. The charge of the 
 castle was committed to old Hadge Mahmoud, who locked the 
 females up every evening at sunset. Mukni, who was not con¬ 
 sidered to be a very religious person, was much blamed for setting 
 out during the fast of Rhamadan; and some, who knew we should 
 not betray their opinions, said, that his only reason for choosing 
 such a time was, that he might have an excuse for eating, which is 
 allowed by the Koran to travellers and sick persons; provided they 
 make amends when they are able, by fasting in some other month. 
 
 Many people came to us to beg for medicines; and Mr. Ritchie 
 being unable to attend to their wants, I became their physician, 
 having a medical book constantly at hand to refer to in difficult 
 cases. My medicines sometimes succeeded, and I must say, that 
 where I could not afford relief, I never attempted any experiments 
 which could injure my patients. I shall here state the most pre¬ 
 valent disorders, with the method of cure employed by the inha¬ 
 bitants : 
 
 Diseases. Method of Cure . 
 
 Liver complaint, frequently fatal .... Burning with a hot iron. 
 
 Enlargement of the spleen, ditto .... Ditto. 
 
 Asthma, ditto . Ditto. 
 
 Consumption, ditto. Ditto. 
 
 r Burning the temples, and putting 
 pieces of onion between the 
 eyelids. 
 
 Blindness 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 MQRZOUK. 
 
 107 
 
 Diseases. 
 
 Rupture. 
 
 Fever and ague, called Hemma 
 
 Venereal. 
 
 Strictures. 
 
 Ghonorrhsea. 
 
 Palsy. 
 
 Method of Cure. 
 
 Burning. 
 
 Charms drank in water, 
 j Pui ’g es of colocynth, and washes 
 ( of soda. Effectual. 
 
 Burning. 
 
 Purges and burning. 
 
 Charms. 
 
 I saw one instance of elephantiasis. The man afflicted with it 
 was a native of Morzouk. His right leg was very much swoln, 
 and he said it had been in that state for more than a year, and was 
 still increasing in size. He said it gave him no pain, but much 
 incommoded him in working. His complexion appeared sallow 
 and shrivelled ; but his leg was red, and the skin shining. 
 
 I was now considered as a doctor, and my character, in conse¬ 
 quence, became established; although my knowledge was certainly 
 confined within a very narrow compass, and extended no farther 
 than bleeding, blistering, and preparing a simple dose of physic. 
 
 On the 22nd of July Mukni returned, having seen his son safe 
 on his way. Rhamadan’s sun was now set; and on the 23rd in¬ 
 stant, early in the morning, the moon was visible. It would be 
 impossible to describe the joy which this sight occasioned, after 
 thirty days’ fasting. Every body was in motion, screaming, dancing, 
 firing guns, eating and drinking. 
 
 Mr. Ritchie was now beginning to recover, and was able to sit 
 up a little, after having been confined fifty-eight days to his bed. 
 At noon, having ornamented myself and my poor lean horse as well 
 as I could, I joined the procession which was to ride round the 
 town. The Sultan and his two youngest sons, covered with rich 
 clothes, rode first, with flags, led horses, and music. All the people, 
 who remained behind from the army, were dressed in their finest 
 habits; and we thus proceeded to a small building near the tombs 
 
 p 2 
 
108 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 of the former Sultans. On arriving there we dismounted, and I 
 entered with the Sultan and one or two more. The Kadi stood in 
 a niche, from which he could be seen by all the people on the 
 plain, and recited the usual prayers; after which he read many 
 passages from the Koran, expressly relating to Rhamadan. All the 
 prayers being finished, every one embraced his neighbour, and 
 congratulated him on the happy termination of the fast. Such 
 kissing I never before witnessed. All who were capable of crowding 
 into this house kissed the hand of Mukni, and welcomed him 
 with the word of joy, Mabrook el Aid ! “ Welcome the feast!” I 
 was allowed to salute his shoulder, perhaps because he knew I 
 would not pay that compliment to his hand. We then remounted, 
 and rode round the town in great state, leaving the Kadi to kill 
 a fat sheep as a sacrifice. I was much amused at sight of the little 
 boys, all dressed in their fathers’ clothes, which trailed along the 
 ground as they walked, and had a most ludicrous appearance. 
 Some had only a rich jacket on, which hung on them like a great 
 coat; and all wore turbans over their usual red caps. Every 
 donkey was in requisition, and those which had the longest hacks 
 bore the greatest quantity of elegant riders. The joy depicted on 
 every countenance, the fineness of the weather, and the novelty of 
 the scene, was really very striking. Clothes were worn on this day 
 which had never been used but on similar occasions; and many a 
 Kaftan revisited the light, which had belonged to the great grand¬ 
 father of the wearer. This feast is the Kairam of the Turks, and 
 lasts three days; during which, the people, in their finest garments, 
 receive and pay visits of ceremony. Every afternoon the Sultan 
 rides out in state. Even the most needy manage on this grand 
 occasion to get a little camels’ flesh, and sometimes mutton. 
 
 The great people (as commanded by their religion) give food to 
 the poor, who take care to come in immense crowds to demand it. 
 We were obliged to expend two of our remaining dollars, and to 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 OF THE TUARICK. 
 
 109 
 
 distribute camels’ flesh. However, it really was appropriated to 
 those who most wanted it; as I sent for the negroes who accom¬ 
 panied our Kaffle from Tripoli, and who were without friends or 
 money, and divided it amongst them. One necessary attendant on 
 charity is, that the person who bestows it should go and boast of 
 his good deeds to all the world. I was found much fault with by 
 our neighbour for not sitting outside the door to distribute the 
 flesh, (Mr. Ritchie being too weak to attend for that purpose), so 
 that every one should see me—a piece of ostentation which our 
 neighbour did not omit; and in only giving pieces about the size 
 of a walnut to each applicant, of whom there were great numbers, he 
 certainly extended his charity farther than we did. 
 
 Many parties of Tuarick came with their slaves and goods, 
 during the last month, (July), from Kashna, Aghades, and Ghraat. 
 They are the finest race of men I ever saw; tall, straight, and 
 handsome, with a certain air of independence and pride, which is 
 very imposing. They are generally white, that is to say, com¬ 
 paratively so; the dark brown of their complexions only being 
 occasioned by the heat of the climate. Their arms or bodies, 
 (where constantly covered), are as white as those of many Euro¬ 
 peans. Their costume is very remarkable, and they cover their 
 faces as high as the eyes, in the manner of women on the sea-coast. 
 Their original motive for so doing is now forgotten; but they say 
 it must be right, as it was the fashion of their forefathers. This 
 covering extends as high as half way up the bridge of the nose, 
 from whence it hangs down below the chin on the breast, much in 
 the same way (but longer) as crape or lace is hung to a lady’s half 
 mask. This cloth is generally of blue glazed cotton; but yellow, 
 red, white, and many other colours are worn according to taste, or 
 the ability of the wearer to purchase them. The beard is kept 
 close clipped, so as not to interfere with the covering which is 
 tied behind; their red caps are generally very high, but some wear 
 
110 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. hi. 
 
 yellow or green ones, fitted close to the head: others have no caps 
 at all, but leave their hair to grow, and plait it in long tresses. 
 All wear turbans, which are never of any fixed colour: blue is the 
 most common and cheap ; but gaudy hues are preferred. A large 
 loose shirt (having the sleeves the same size as the body), called 
 Tobe, is the common dress; it is of cotton, generally blue, or blue 
 and white, and is of their own manufacture, although some wear 
 those of Soudan, which are considered the best that are made. 
 'l’he merchants generally dress very gaudily while in the towns, 
 wearing kaftans of bright red cloth, or very gay silk and cotton 
 striped, which they procure from the Tripoline traders. A leather 
 kaftan is also much worn, of their own manufacture, as are leather 
 shirts of the skins of antelopes, very neatly sewed, and well pre¬ 
 pared. Their trowsers are not made so full as those of the Moors, 
 as they would in that case be much encumbered in riding their 
 maherries : they rather resemble those called Cossack trowsers, and 
 are made of cotton stuff, dark blue being the most common. Their 
 sandals are the most elegant part of their dress, being made of 
 black leather, with scarlet thongs to brace them to the feet. The 
 ornamental needle-work on the inside of the sole is really admirable. 
 They all wear a whip, hanging from a belt passed over the 
 left shoulder by the right side. Their swords are straight and of 
 great length, and they wield them with much ease and dexterity. 
 From the left wrist is suspended a dagger, with the hilt towards 
 the hand; it has a broad leather ring attached to the scabbard, and 
 through this the hand is passed. No Tuarick is ever seen without 
 this appendage, and a light elegant spear, sometimes entirely of 
 ' iron, inlaid with brass; others are of wood, but are also highly 
 ornamented. These weapons are about six feet in length, and are 
 thrown to a great distance. In making war, they have three 
 longer and heavier spears, and a strong lance, which are fastened 
 behind the saddle. A long gun is also generally carried; and these 
 
vi ycfo.t/&oyj*y s?&pnL7rucfp7?j/-y 
 
 '/6'Pf W 9 ?-* v ' UiJ 9?Z> dvuuniY^/- tywyfipfnj uopuoj 
 

CHAP. III. 
 
 " OF THE TUARICK. 
 
 Ill 
 
 people are considered sure marksmen. They are, if possible, more 
 superstitious than the natives of F ezzan; some of them being 
 literally covered with charms against disorders and accidents, which 
 they wear round their arms, legs, necks, across the breast, and in 
 fact wherever they can find a place for them. Their spears and 
 guns have also their due allowance, and in the folds of the turbans 
 are always hidden a number of holy writings. Some wear large 
 silver cases tied round the head, containing charms against the 
 devil. Their language is the Breber, or original African tongue, 
 still spoken in the mountains behind Tunis, in some parts of 
 Morocco, and at Socka, where it is called Ertana. On a future 
 occasion I shall give a small vocabulary of it. They are very proud 
 of the antiquity of their language, which some have told me was 
 spoken by Noah, in preference to any other. They never kiss the 
 hand as other Mohammedans do, not even that of the Sultan him¬ 
 self, but advance, and, taking the hand, shake it, and then retire, 
 standing erect, and looking him full in the face—a striking contrast 
 of manners to that of the natives of Fezzan. No people have 
 more aversion to washing than the Tuarick generally have; some, 
 after having equipped themselves in a new suit of blue, become so 
 stained for a time as to appear of the same complexion as their 
 garments. Even in performing their necessary purifications, which 
 require that a man should wash in a particular way before his 
 prayers, they avoid water, and make use of sand. Many attempts 
 were made by us to discover the reason why they kept themselves 
 in such a dirty state; but to all our inquiries we obtained nearly 
 the same answers: “ God never intended that man should injure 
 his health, if he could avoid it: water having been given to man 
 to drink, and cook with, it does not agree with the skin of a Tua¬ 
 rick, who always falls sick after much washing.” There are some, 
 however, who do wash, and ridicule the dirty ones; but these are 
 
112 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. hi. 
 
 comparatively few. They are Moslem, and their prayers are in 
 Arabic, of which language many do not understand a syllable; 
 those who do pray (and there are many who do not) only repeat 
 their belief, viz. “ There is no God but God, and Mohammed is his 
 prophet,” and know very little besides of their religion. They 
 inhabit that immense tract of country, known in maps under the 
 name of Sahara, or the Great Desert, and are of numerous tribes, 
 some of whom have no settled habitations, but wander like the Arabs, 
 and subsist by plunder. 'They are not cruel on these occasions, pro¬ 
 vided they meet with no resistance; but should the party attacked 
 attempt to defend themselves, their death is certain. 
 
 The Tuarick, or more properly tribes of them, are always at 
 war with the Soudan states, and carry off from them incalculable 
 numbers of slaves. They are so completely masters of their 
 weapons, and so very courageous, that they are much dreaded, 
 which enables them to traverse unmolested, and in very small 
 bodies, countries full of armed people. Each tribe has some pecu¬ 
 liarity in its dress, or manner of riding and making war. The 
 nearest Tuarick to Fezzan are at Ghraat, which is ten days from 
 Morzouk, and from Oubari, the most western village in the Wadey 
 Shiati. Near Sebha (see map) it is seven days west by south. 
 
 Ghraat, is a walled town, having houses in streets, and 
 
 built of stone and mud, in the same manner as Morzouk. It is 
 twenty days from Tuat, and five days from Ganat, which 
 
 place is not, as has been generally supposed, a town, but merely 
 a country producing dates, and having a few scattered huts and 
 gardens, the wells of which are salt. 
 
 Ghadams, is twenty days north-west of Ghraat. At 
 
 about the distance of five or six miles from the latter, is a town 
 called El Eerkaat, famous for the cpiantity and fineness of 
 
 the grapes produced there. It is also a walled town, but rather 
 

 
 
 
 
 
^onaioTZ. fiy ^S^AT/j rj >? v /T'/je/ntzrtis.f/'. /<HS/ 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 OF THE TUARICK. 
 
 113 
 
 smaller than its neighbour, which may be about the size of 
 Sockna. 
 
 Ghraat is built partly on a plain, and partly on a steep hill side. 
 It is closely surrounded by high mountains, which are perfectly 
 barren : the plains are not sandy, but gravel. The Sheikh is there 
 called Sultan, and his name is Bel Gassem. He receives but a 
 precarious revenue, and that only from the settled inhabitants, 
 who are called Ghratia. The Tuarick show no respect to him, and 
 pay no duties. They are generally wanderers, leaving only a few 
 of each tribe in the country; but they never settle any where else. 
 They are of the tribes Heggar,^^, Booghrasaten, i'Uyy, Men- 
 ghraata, and Haioon, ; which last people are famed for 
 
 sanctity, and there are but few of them who have not performed 
 the pilgrimage to the Holy House. They are settled in the country, 
 and seldom go to the negro kingdoms to trade. The Sultan has 
 not the power of life and death; cannot alter or make laws; and is 
 directed by an assembly of the elders of the people, who always try 
 offences of a criminal nature, and then submit their sentence to 
 him for his approval. He cannot even resolve on any measure of 
 importance without first obtaining the permission of those elders. 
 Neither in his dress, mode of living, or habitation, is he distin¬ 
 guished from the common people ; and he walks about and trades 
 by himself without attracting any notice. The Sultanship is here¬ 
 ditary, and not being a very desirable office, occasions no wars for 
 the succession. 
 
 The Ghratia allow strangers to sit and converse with their wives 
 and daughters, who seldom are known to abuse the liberty allowed 
 them. They are said to be fine looking women, and inclined to corpu¬ 
 lency. These people are reputed to be rich, from their constant trade 
 with Soudan, and from having no one to deprive them ^f their 
 gains. Provisions of all kinds are exorbitantly dear. The dates are 
 
 Q 
 
114 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. hi. 
 
 not plentiful, and of a very inferior quality. They grow but little 
 corn, and procure more from Morzouk in exchange for slaves, gold, 
 or other merchandize. 
 
 The Tuarick of the tribes frequenting Ghraat are insatiable 
 and unwearied beggars, generally securing possession, and then 
 begging the thing taken as a present. 
 
 There is annually in the spring a great market, to which dealers 
 from all the neighbouring countries resort in great numbers. 
 The Ghadamsines bring swords, guns, powder, flints, lead and 
 iron ware, also a few articles of clothing. The Soudan traders 
 bring slaves, cotton cloths, skins, gold, civet, shears, daggers, water 
 skins, Goroo nuts, &c. : the Fezzan merchants a mixed cargo 
 of such goods as they procure from Tripoli or Egypt. Slaves and 
 camels, dates and corn, are always the principal articles of com¬ 
 merce, and in great abundance. All traders have a tribute exacted 
 from them by the Tuarick of the country. Clothing, some powder, 
 or any small article, franks a Kaffle; and if a single trader goes, the 
 same is expected from him: friends only being allowed to pass 
 free. This tribute is called “ safety money,” and once paid, the 
 merchants are exempt from farther demand. The Mamlukes of 
 Morzouk, or people sent by them, do not pay any thing, it being 
 the interest of the Tuarick, who constantly come to the capital, to 
 keep on terms with them. 
 
 The manner of riding amongst these people is very singular. 
 They have swift, tall camels, called Maherry (the Herie of travellers), 
 with which they perform extraordinary journeys. The saddle is 
 placed on the withers, and confined by a band under the belly. 
 It is very small, and difficult to sit, which is done by balancing with 
 the feet against the neck of the animal, and holding a tight rein 
 to steady the head. They manage these creatures with great 
 dexterity, fighting when mounted on them, and firing at marks 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 OF THE TUARICK. 
 
 115 
 
 while at full speed, which is a long trot, in which, the maherry can 
 continue at about nine miles an hour for many hours together. 
 They do not much esteem horses, and never buy them but for the 
 purpose of exchanging them for slaves in Soudan. 
 
 We had many visits from these extraordinary people, who 
 came to see us as curiosities, and minutely examined every thing 
 we would allow them to handle. The report which they had heard 
 of our great knowledge, and of our being able to look steadfastly at 
 the sun, or in other words, to take celestial observations, brought 
 large parties to our habitation, on whom we not unfrequently 
 played a few tricks. Phosphorus astonished them beyond all mea¬ 
 sure ; kaleidoscopes, and the camera obscura, also excited great 
 amazement; but the compass was quite beyond their compre¬ 
 hension, so much so, that they generally were afraid to touch it. 
 Our arms were more suited to their taste, and they took much 
 pleasure in handling them. The pistols with stop locks were 
 looked upon with great reverence, and a sword which I had, with a 
 pistol in the handle, was considered so valuable, that I might have 
 purchased with it a couple of Negresses. Our having a stock of 
 medicines was a sufficient inducement for all our visitors to find 
 themselves very ill, and to imagine not one, but every disorder of 
 the country. One man had bad eyes; if he succeeded in getting 
 something to relieve them, the whole party all began immediately 
 to blink, and affect to be half blind, hoping also to get some me¬ 
 dicine. Another had a liver complaint; the rest then were all so 
 ill as to be unable to walk or to speak without a great many 
 ejaculatory oil's; and so on, until they had exhausted the whole 
 chapter of ailments. We at first gave them medicine, but soon 
 discovered it was a preconcerted plan to impose on us, and that 
 when one set had obtained what they wanted, another brought 
 forward a friend or two, who were exactly in the same miserable 
 
 q 2 
 
116 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 and suffering state as themselves, and equally disposed to deceive 
 us. One begged a little physic to keep in store, another some 
 sugar just to taste, a small piece for their wives as a curiosity, and a 
 few lumps into the bargain for their children : a little writing paper 
 for charms, a handful of tobacco, one of our nice knives, or a pair of 
 scissars, or a little powder to show when they got home, with many 
 other et easterns, until our patience being completely exhausted, 
 we were obliged, very unceremoniously, and much to their astonish¬ 
 ment, to push the whole party out of the house. Many amusing 
 incidents occurred on the score of medical knowledge, which showed 
 the implicit confidence reposed in us. 
 
 During Mr. Ritchie’s illness, an old man, aged eighty, came to 
 consult us about his back, which was very much bent, and had been 
 so for many years: he had seen us give a liniment to a person who 
 had sprained his ankle, which got well in a few days; and his 
 request was, that some of the same medicine might be given him 
 to strengthen his back, which, he said, was becoming very incon¬ 
 venient to him. One of the Tuarick, who had taken a very strong 
 dose of salts, brought a friend to interpret for him, as he understood 
 but little Arabic, and begged to be told what he was to do to stop 
 the effects of the dose, lest, not rightly understanding me, he might 
 be in danger of dying on the road. A Negress of the Sultan’s chief 
 man being sick, sent her armlet to Mr. Ritchie, by which he was to 
 discover her disorder, and to send her the requisite medicine. 
 The Sultan’s own women were continually sending little bottles for 
 something to cause them to bear children, and their emissaries 
 sometimes whispered whether it was a boy or girl that was desired. 
 Mr. Ritchie prescribed for the whole of the Sultan’s establishment, 
 which, with the males and females, might amount to at least a 
 hundred. Numbers came or sent daily with such an air of au¬ 
 thority, as led us to suppose that Mukni had spread a report of his 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 117 
 
 paying liberally for Mr. Bitchie’s attentions, which was not the 
 case; on the contrary, we were all day weighing out doses for the 
 slaves, who never even thanked us for our trouble; and when we 
 were poor and destitute of every comfort, Mukni never gave us the 
 slightest assistance : if, however, any of his family required charms 
 for their disorders, the writers were liberally rewarded, and the 
 effect of the medicines always attributed to those charms. When 
 I commanded at the laboratory, I took good care to give such doses 
 as were not easily forgotten, and, in consequence, none of his house¬ 
 hold ever after sent for medicine, unless really ill. Many of the 
 women required a great deal of explanation, as to how any thing 
 taken into the stomach could relieve a head-ache. Purgatives were 
 always despised in comparison with emetics. The allowance which 
 would suffice for a strong European took no effect with them; but 
 when a double dose was given, it pleased so much, that many 
 requests were made for 44 Just such another dose as was given to 
 such a one, which made him so sick that he almost died.” The 
 prevalent disorder when a man wanted medicine for novelty’s sake 
 was, being “ill all over.” 
 
 By the 20th August, Mr. Bitchie had tolerably recovered. 
 Mukni had several times, during his illness, talked publicly of his 
 great friendship for us, declaring, that if we were in want even of 
 a thousand dollars, he would immediately lend them : but his con¬ 
 duct was in direct contradiction to his professions ; for although he 
 visited Mr. Bitchie during his illness, he never offered him the 
 least assistance, or even bestowed such trifling articles of nourish¬ 
 ment as I requested. Once, and once only, when rice was not to 
 be bought, he, with great parade, sent a quart, on which the poor 
 invalid dined for eight days. 
 
 It became indeed but too apparent that he expected and wished 
 us all to die, in which case he would have seized on, and appro- 
 
118 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 priated all our effects and merchandise to his own use: of the latter, 
 we had a great quantity, which Mr. Ritchie would not allow me to 
 dispose of, lest it should lower us in the eyes of the natives; but I 
 thought it could be of little consequence when compared with our 
 lives, which were so perpetually endangered by want and privation. 
 We had in vain tried to dispose of our horses; they were so lean, 
 (and we had no money with which to buy any provision to fatten 
 them) that no one would even look at them. 
 
 I had managed to keep my own in rather better case than the 
 others, by giving him our travelling baskets, and occasionally steal¬ 
 ing a little food for him, but still he was not sale-worthy. In this 
 situation were our affairs, when in one of our visits to the Sultan, 
 Mr. Ritchie ventured to ask from him the loan of some money: his 
 answer, though a negative, was couched in very plausible and 
 friendly terms ; and he assured us, by the name of God, that we 
 were welcome to all he had in the w orld, but that the Bashaw had 
 lately exacted so much from him, that he had not a single dollar 
 remaining. It happened, however, that on the preceding day, he 
 had, to our certain knowledge, received 4000, which were deposited 
 in the very chest against which he leant, whilst he uttered these 
 falsehoods. Finding that nothing was to be gained at this visit, we 
 retired in utter disappointment, not knowing where else to apply. 
 
 Belford, at this time, was attacked w r ith giddiness and deafness, 
 and fell into a very weak state. Our situation was daily becoming 
 more deplorable in all respects; our rate of living w r as reduced to 
 one saa, or quart of corn per diem, with occasionally a few dates, 
 amongst four of us. Mukni’s spy, about this time, came and made 
 some very mean offers, (but which Mr. Ritchie thought proper to 
 reject) about purchasing our cloth and gunpowder, and we plainly 
 perceived he was negotiating for the Sultan. We had endeavoured, 
 indeed, to sell some of our merchandise, by offering it somewhat 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 119 
 
 cheaper than the people of the country ; but no one would actually 
 buy, or even propose for it, and we then became convinced, that 
 Mukni was the cause of all our distresses ; he, however, still conti¬ 
 nued to call on us, proffering kindness which he never intended to 
 fulfil. 
 
 Being now reduced to the last extremity, and Mr. Bitchie not 
 thinking it right to draw for money on the Treasury, I drew a 
 bill on my own private account, for J=20, with which we proceeded 
 immediately to the Sultan, hoping it would have the desired effect: 
 Mr. Bitchie having at the former interview explained to them, that 
 if he accommodated us with 80 dollars, and sent the draft to his 
 (the Sultan’s) wife, who was then resident in Tripoli, she would 
 instantly receive the amount from the British consul. He still, 
 however, refused to assist us; when on a sudden, artfully pretend¬ 
 ing to mistake 8 for 80, he exclaimed, “Well! I did not think it 
 necessary to draw a written agreement for so small a sum; I will, 
 however, advance you the eight dollars you require, and you may 
 return them when convenient.” Farther explanation to a man 
 determined not to understand was wholly useless, and our poverty 
 not allowing us to refuse the sum, however small, we accepted it; 
 and immediately employed part of our newly acquired riches in 
 treating ourselves with a little meat. 
 
 Though we knew not where to procure farther pecuniary aid, 
 we were, for the moment, happy, and soon after had reason to be 
 more so. We had, on coming to Morzouk, lent to our neighbour, 
 Hadje Mahmoud, 20 dollars, of which he paid us 10; and now, 
 in the moment of need, brought us the remainder. At this cri¬ 
 tical period, it acquired tenfold value, and was of course received 
 with thankfulness and delight. 
 
 In this unexpected improvement of our circumstances, we deter¬ 
 mined to fatten our horses for sale, and to purchase some fowls and 
 
120 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 a milch ewe, as a resource against future illness. We frequently 
 rode out to the gardens near the town, and Mr. Ritchie became 
 again tolerably well, though I observed, with much regret, that his 
 late and frequent disorders appeared to have very materially de¬ 
 pressed his spirits, insomuch, that he almost constantly remained 
 secluded in his own apartment, silent, unoccupied, and averse to 
 every kind of society. 
 
 At the end of this month, a large Kafflb of Arabs, Tripolines, 
 and Tibboo, arrived from Bornou, bringing with them 1400 slaves 
 of both sexes and of all ages, the greater part being females. 
 Several smaller parties had preceded them, many of whom also 
 brought slaves. We rode out to meet the great kaffle, and to see 
 them enter the town—it was indeed a piteous spectacle ! These poor 
 oppressed beings were, many of them, so exhausted as to be scarcely 
 able to walk; their legs and feet were much swelled, and by their 
 enormous size, formed a striking contrast with their emaciated bodies, 
 '[’hey were all borne down with loads of fire-wood; and even poor 
 little children, worn to skeletons by fatigue and hardships, were 
 obliged to bear their burthen, while many of their inhuman 
 masters rode on camels, with the dreaded whip suspended from 
 their wrists, with which they, from time to time, enforced obedience 
 from these wretched captives. Care was taken, however, that the 
 hair of the females should be arranged in nice order, and that their 
 bodies should be well oiled, whilst the males were closely shaven, to 
 give them a good appearance on entering the town. Their dresses 
 were simply the usual cotton wrappers, and even these, in many 
 instances, were so torn, as scarcely to cover them. We observed 
 one girl (of what country I know not) who had her back and 
 shoulders burned in little sprigs, in a very curious manner, so as to 
 resemble figured silk; it had a very pretty appearance, and must 
 have been done when she was quite an infant. Some of the women 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 121 
 
 carried little children on their backs, some of whom were so small, 
 that they must have been born on the road. 
 
 The Tibboo, who bring the slaves from Bornou, are of the 
 tribes on the road ; and some are from Fezzan. They never trade 
 to Soudan, on account of the distance ; but prefer exchanging their 
 slaves for horses, which they sell to great advantage in the interior: 
 for though there are horses in Bornou, they are not much esteemed ; 
 but those of Tripoli are greatly valued. The Tibboo ride on 
 saddles, resembling in some respects our English ones ; but they are 
 smaller, and have a high peak in front: their stirrups resemble 
 ours, but they do not put the whole foot in them, only the four 
 small toes, the great one remaining out; their shoes are all con¬ 
 trived for this purpose, by having a separate division for a great toe, 
 and are made in the same manner as childrens’ mittens. Their 
 bridles are also in our style, being much lighter than those of the 
 Arabs. They are more careful of their horses than of their fami¬ 
 lies, sparing no expense to fatten them; this is done by cramming 
 them with large balls of meal or dough, which are considered 
 highly nourishing. A fine horse will, in the Negro country, sell 
 for 10 or 15 Negresses; each of which, at the Barbary ports, is 
 worth from 80 to 150 dollars. 
 
 All the traders speak of slaves as farmers do of cattle. Those 
 recently brought from the interior were fattening, in order that 
 they might be able to go on to Tripoli, Benghazi, or Egypt: thus 
 a distance of 1600 or 1800 miles is to be traversed, from the time 
 these poor creatures are taken from their homes, before they can 
 be settled; whilst in the Interior they may, perhaps, be doomed 
 to pass through the hands of eight or ten masters, who treat them 
 w T ell or ill, according to their pleasure. These devoted victims 
 fondly hoping that each new purchaser may be the last, find perhaps 
 that they have again to commence a journey equally long and dreary 
 
 R 
 
122 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 with the one they have just finished, under a burning sun, with 
 new companions, but with the same miseries. 
 
 The females are always considered as bearing fatigue much better 
 than the males; perhaps because their small allowance of food and 
 water more easily suffices them. I have always observed that the 
 men were more miserable in their appearance, and walked with 
 more difficulty than the women. 
 
 Having been enabled to collect a great deal of information 
 from Bornou traders, respecting that country, I shall here detail it; 
 but I have to request my readers to bear in mind, that 1 only report 
 what I have heard, and refrain from giving any opinion as to the 
 Course of the Niger, having so often found how little the accounts 
 concerning it are to be credited. I certainly have formed my own 
 conjectures; but may be mistaken, as better theorists than myself 
 have been, on that most interesting subject. 
 
 COUNTRY OF BORNOU, 
 
 AS COLLECTED FROM TRADERS. 
 
 Bornou Language. 
 
 One 
 
 Teelo 
 
 Man 
 
 Kooa 
 
 Two 
 
 Andee 
 
 Woman 
 
 Mata 
 
 Three 
 
 Yaskoo 
 
 Father 
 
 Abbah 
 
 Four 
 
 Daigoo 
 
 Mother 
 
 Yany 
 
 Five 
 
 Oogoo 
 
 Head 
 
 Kela 
 
 Six 
 
 Araskoo 
 
 Eyes 
 
 Shim 
 
 Seven 
 
 Tuller 
 
 Nose 
 
 Kensha 
 
 Eight 
 
 Oskoo 
 
 Hair 
 
 Kondoly 
 
 Nine 
 
 Lekar 
 
 Teeth 
 
 Timmi 
 
 Ten 
 
 Maigoo 
 
 Belly 
 
 Soro 
 
 Twenty 
 
 Maigoo lata Maigoo 
 
 Hand 
 
 Moskoo 
 
 Hundred 
 
 Jarroo 
 
 Foot 
 
 Shie 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES 
 
 OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 128 
 
 Blood 
 
 Boo 
 
 Good 
 
 Unglla 
 
 Day 
 
 Koo 
 
 Fire 
 
 Kanno 
 
 Night 
 
 Boone 
 
 Water 
 
 Ankee 
 
 Sleep 
 
 Koonem 
 
 Earth 
 
 Shiddi 
 
 Dead 
 
 Nowy 
 
 Bird 
 
 Ongoodo 
 
 White 
 
 Bull 
 
 E gg 
 
 Engoobble 
 
 Black 
 
 Tsellm 
 
 Fish 
 
 Boney 
 
 Sun 
 
 Koo 
 
 Camel 
 
 Kalgamoo 
 
 Moon 
 
 Kengal 
 
 Cow 
 
 Fai 
 
 Stars 
 
 Shilluga 
 
 God 
 
 Allah <d)l 
 
 Stone 
 
 Kow 
 
 
 
 Bornou is a large tract of country, 40 days’ journey, or about 
 700 miles, south of Fezzan. It is bounded on the east by Bagliermi, 
 on the west by Kano and to the northward by Kanem. Few 
 traders ever go due south of Bornou, and are therefore unable to 
 speak of the countries in that direction. There are many contra¬ 
 dictions respecting the principal town, called Birnie ^ ; or more 
 properly, Birnie Jedeed or new Birnie, to distinguish it from another 
 town, called Gedeem or old. 
 
 These towns are five days east and west of each other, and the 
 Biver Tsiid runs near them both. The old town is the most to 
 the westward, and is now nearly forsaken. In consequence of its 
 vicinity to the Fellata, who were masters of Soudan, it was con¬ 
 stantly exposed to Ghrazzies, or incursions for the purpose of carry¬ 
 ing off the natives; and even single inhabitants were often seized 
 and dragged from their labour by small marauding parties, who lay 
 in ambush for them. It was therefore determined about eight 
 years since, to build a new town more in the centre of their country, 
 and to forsake what had been their capital from the earliest times 
 in which they were known. 
 
 Thus it is that the accounts received are often materially dif¬ 
 ferent : those who have visited the old town, giving their distances 
 from it, whilst more recent traders speak only of the new one. 
 All the distances I have laid down are from the last. 
 
 r 2 
 
124 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. in. 
 
 From Birnie to Baghermi is ten days to the borders, S.E. 
 Looggan, a town of Bornou, is half way, or five days ; and the Tsad 
 runs past it, across the road, in such a way, that those going to 
 Baghermi must necessarily pass it. This river runs from S.W. 
 to ]ST.E. is of great breadth, and is crossed by heavy goods being 
 carried on rafts, floated on large gourds, which are impelled forward 
 by swimmers, who hold or push with one hand whilst they strike 
 with the other. Smaller rafts are used to carry four or five men, 
 or some light goods ; these, according to my informants, are 
 formed with cross spars and gourds. The men sit astride on this 
 machine, having their legs in the water, and so propel themselves 
 forward with their hands and feet. A lighter vehicle is used for 
 one man, and is merely a spar on two flat gourds, carried on by 
 paddling with the feet and a small oar. 
 
 I learnt with astonishment, that though the river has many 
 crocodiles, they never attack the legs of people passing in this 
 manner. Whether the raft or the bright yellow of the gourds 
 intimidates them I cannot tell, but so it is. 
 
 The river, according to the natives, is said to run past Foor— 
 (I)ar fur of Brown), and thence to Egypt. Horses are swam 
 over, being buoyed up with inflated water-skins slung round them; 
 and camels are conducted by men who hold them by their long 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 125 
 
 upper lips, and keep their heads above water : the forepart of that 
 animal being the heaviest, another man sits behind the hump, in 
 order to raise the fore and depress the hinder parts, whilst crossing. 
 
 Almost every account we received of the Tsad was so ma¬ 
 terially different, that it long remained a puzzle to us, how to 
 account for such palpable errors as some of our informers must have 
 fallen into. Some declared it to be so large a Lake, that the 
 opposite side of it could not be seen from Birnie; others termed 
 it an inconsiderable river: at last, the nephew of the Kadi, who 
 had just arrived, furnished us with the following clear statement. 
 “ The Tsad is not a river, but an immense Lake, into which many 
 streams discharge themselves after the summer rains. It is then, 
 for some months, of such extent, that the opposite shores cannot be 
 seen, and the people catch many fish, and go about on it in boats. 
 In the early part of the spring, when the great heats come on, 
 it soon changes its appearance, and dries up, with the exception of 
 a small rill. This streamlet, which runs through the centre of its 
 bed, is called by the same name, and comes from the westward, 
 taking an easterly direction ; but to what place he knows not.” 
 
 All the inhabitants of the villages on the borders of the Lake go 
 out and sow corn and esculent vegetables, which come to maturity, 
 and are gathered in before the rainy season, as in Egypt, after the 
 flowing of the Nile, which he has seen. He had himself observed 
 the people getting in their harvest on the same ground which he 
 had, only a few months before, known to be covered with water. 
 
 The rivers which, he says, flow into the lake after the rains, 
 appear to be torrents from the mountains, as he never observed 
 more than the small stream I have mentioned in the dry season. 
 
 The Tsad is also called the Gambarro after it quits Birnie, and 
 even there it is as frequently called the Nil. Until a few years 
 ago, when the country became much improved under the mild 
 government of a very religious Moslem, it was the custom to throw 
 
126 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 into the stream at the time of its rise a virgin richly dressed, and 
 of superior beauty. The greatest people of the country considered 
 themselves honoured if the preference was given to one of their 
 daughters, and the learned men augured a good or bad year from 
 the ease or difficulty with which their victim was drowned. 
 
 There are several tribes of wandering Tibboo to the northward 
 of Bornou, the principal of which are the Wanclela, Gunda, and 
 Traita. These people are principally Kaffirs: they do not trade, 
 but live by their flocks, and not unfrequently by pillage. 
 
 To the eastward of Bornou, near Baghermi, is a country called 
 Mandra, which is tributary to Bornou, but does not escape the 
 incursions for slaves, which are frequently made by its nominal pro¬ 
 tectors. The language of this country is a corrupt dialect of the 
 Bornou. The people are finely formed, and the females have lively 
 intelligent countenances: they are all Kaffirs, and live in huts of 
 grass, woven like mats, and sewed together, called Booslila. 
 
 I shall have occasion, when speaking of the country of the 
 Tibboo, to mention three rivers of note which I am able to trace 
 to some distance at ten days to the north of Waday. 
 
 I now return to the accounts of the bearings of several places 
 of note from Bornou. 
 
 Birnie Jedeed to 
 
 Baghermi, ten long days, east-south-east. 
 
 Maoo, principal town of Ivanem, fifteen days, north-north-east. 
 
 Ivanno, ten days, west. 
 
 Kooka, fifteen days, east by south. 
 
 Kattagum, four days, west-south-west. 
 
 Binghem, nine days, west-south-west. 
 
 Shaikoo, two days, west. 
 
 Ivawar, ten days, north-eastward. 
 
 Bilma, fifteen days, north-eastward. 
 
 Makaree, eight days, east-south-east. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 Birnie Jedeed to 
 
 Ongornoo, fourteen days, east by south. 
 
 Zegzeg, fifteen days, south-west. 
 
 Zakari, eight days, westerly. 
 
 Waday, sixteen days, easterly. 
 
 Bahr el Ghazal (south part), ten days, east-north-east. 
 
 Kashna, sixteen days, west. 
 
 Morzouk, forty days, north. 
 
 At Kattagum, a river called Nil by the natives flows across 
 the road from Bornou to Kashna to the north-east. It is of great 
 magnitude, and is passed on rafts ; the water is sweet, and full of fish. 
 It rises periodically, and sometimes overflows the country. 
 
 Ongornoo is situated within a day of Kooka, and is much fre¬ 
 quented by traders in the spring, when a large market is held 
 there, principally for slaves, who are brought from all* the sur¬ 
 rounding countries in security ; a general armistice prevailing during 
 the annual sale. It is subject to Bornou: the people are Moham¬ 
 medans. A river flows past it to the eastward. 
 
 Bahr el Ghazal, the south part of which is about ten days east- 
 north-east of Birnie, runs nearly north-east and south-west for a 
 great distance. It is inhabited by Negro tribes, of whom the greater 
 part are Kaffirs, or, at all events, not Moslems. The nearest part 
 of it to Bornou is about ten days east-north-east. It is an immense 
 wadey, or valley full of trees, and having many inhabitants, who are 
 wanderers. Elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, buffaloes, and the ca¬ 
 melopard, or giraffe, called Jimel Allah <d!| J^, or God's camel, by 
 the Arabs, are in great numbers. The natives generally use a kind 
 of corrupt Arabic, though one or two languages peculiar to the 
 country are also spoken. 
 
 These people are a fine race, w^ell made, and very active. They 
 wear their hair, which is not woolly, long and plaited. The 
 general dress is leather, but some go entirely naked. The cattle 
 
128 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. hi. 
 
 are in such numbers, that parts of the country appear literally 
 covered with them. Great quantities of elephants’ teeth are pro¬ 
 cured in the woods. 
 
 All the accounts of this country agree in one material point, 
 namely, that though called Bahr, there is no river; but that there 
 has been one of great magnitude. Immense bones of unknown 
 animals and fish are frequently found here in a state of petrifaction. 
 The Arabs account for this, by saying, “ They went to take them up 
 as bones, but by a deception of Iblis they proved to be stones.” 
 Handsome shells, Beit el Khoot, o-jo or “ fishes’ houses,” are 
 
 often found imbedded in the earth, and retaining a fine polish. 
 Some are so large, that the Negroes make trumpets of them. By 
 their description of the bones and vertebra?, some of the fish must 
 have been ten or twelve feet in length. 
 
 Battalia, which is often called Bahr, appears by some accounts 
 to be near Bahr el Ghazal, while others assert that it is part of it. 
 The same accounts of its having once been a river, and of petrified 
 bones being found in it, are generally believed. 
 
 Bornou is governed by a Sultan, who is considered very power¬ 
 ful ; but of late years he has allowed the Sheikh of Kanem (winch 
 country is dependant) to encroach upon his authority. The 
 Sheikh, who is a great Maraboot, never uses gold or silver in his 
 apparel, and confines himself to four wives ; but has several female 
 slaves, who have borne him a multitude of children. He is con¬ 
 stantly making war, under the plea of religion, against the neigh¬ 
 bouring Kaffirs, and has enriched himself by the immense number 
 of slaves and horses which he has taken. He lives at Kanem, in 
 the chief town Maoo, which is fifteen days north-north-east of 
 Birnie: his name is El Hadge el Ameen. All the traders from 
 Fezzan carry him presents, and consider him as a far greater man 
 than his master, who now lives in a very retired manner. 
 
 In Kanem, within one day of Maoo (the capital), is a very large 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 129 
 
 river, which comes from the south-west, and runs to the north-east. 
 It is deep, broad, and full of fish, which the natives dry in the sun, 
 and keep in store for the rainy season; it is called by the people of 
 the country Yaoo, but by the Moorish traders, Nil. 
 
 On Mukni’s last excursion in that direction, he made an attack 
 on the defenceless people of Kanem, Moslem as well as Kaffir: and 
 having first burnt their town, pursued them to the banks of the 
 river; many were drowned in attempting to cross it; others 
 were taken out of the water ; and the women and children who 
 had not the power of escaping, were caught on the banks; the 
 number of captives made on that day amounting to 1800 . The route 
 of Mukni’s army on its return, was over a wide sandy desert, without 
 water for three days. During their journey a tremendous wind 
 arose, which blew the sand about in all directions, and continued 
 to rage in so furious a manner during two entire days, that Mukni 
 and his people were totally at a loss in what direction to proceed. 
 On the second evening, however, it was resolved that a number of 
 the captives should be sent on under a small guard; but many of 
 these poor creatures expired by the way: the remaining few suc¬ 
 ceeded in finding a watering place. Mukni himself remained until 
 the third morning; when the sand wind still continuing, and his 
 impatience increasing in proportion to the delay, he gave an order 
 that all the remaining slaves should be put to death. This cruel 
 mandate was immediately executed in cold blood on three hundred 
 defenceless beings, whose country he had first entered under the 
 mask of friendship, pretending that he came only to wage war 
 against some states which had injured them. This aggravated 
 cruelty and treachery was therefore the more odious; and his 
 very name, in consequence, is never mentioned by the people of 
 that country without curses on himself and ancestors, which even 
 little children are taught to utter as soon as they can speak. This 
 
 s 
 
130 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 war on Ivanem set the wild tribes in motion, and a ferment arose, 
 which, even three years after, was not appeased. The Sheikh of 
 Kanem, whom I have already mentioned, was fortunate enough, 
 on this dreadful occasion, to escape to Birnie, many of his family 
 having fallen sacrifices to Mukni’s barbarity. 
 
 In Bornou there is current a small copper coin of little value, 
 which is struck in the country. Gold is also used, but more ge¬ 
 nerally as an ornament, than as an object of exchange. The people 
 are called Believers, but a great part of them are Kaffirs. Their 
 dresses, in the most civilized parts, are of cotton. Their arms are 
 lances, bows, and arrows: the Sheikh and a few of the Sultan's 
 guards have muskets ; but they are unable to make good powder. 
 It is reported, that in Birnie are 60,000 horsemen, who have armour 
 for themselves and horses, which are small but hardy, and are said 
 not to run as other horses do, but to spring forward by repeated 
 bounds: large ones are in great request, and are chiefly purchased 
 from the Fezzan traders. Wedda, or cowrie shells, are not 
 used as money, but as ornaments, and bands for the head. The 
 country is very fertile, producing corn and fruits; amongst others 
 the Tamarind, or fruit of the Indies. The woods are 
 
 numerous, and the trees very large and shady: from these the 
 boards are brought on which prayers are written, and children 
 taught to read. 
 
 From Tegerry to Kanem is 20 days south by east; Kanem to 
 Bornou is 15 south by west. Many of the Kaffles pass over the 
 countries of the Tibboo, and through the desert of Bilrna, from 
 whence they enter on the borders of Bornou. As I intend speaking 
 of these places on a future occasion, the routes I shall there mention 
 may be taken as the nearest. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 131 
 
 OF KASIINA AND SOUDAN IN GENERAL.-FROM MORZOUK TO KASHNA. 
 
 South-west by south. 
 
 Morzouk to Akraf.14 days. 
 
 Akraf to F elezlis . 4 
 
 Felezlis to Tadent. 4 
 
 Tadent to Assieu . 6 
 
 Assieu to Trajeet. 4 
 
 Trajeet to Seloofia. 2 
 
 Seloofia to Aghades. 2 
 
 Aghades to Begzam. 3 
 
 Begzara to Ghrulghiwa. 3 
 
 Ghrulghiwa to Tagama . 7 
 
 Tagama to Kashna. 7 
 
 56 days, of 20 miles per diem. 
 
 Aghades is a large district, having a town of the same name ; it 
 is 36 days from Morzouk in summer, and in winter is sometimes 
 45. It is 15 or 20 days from Kashna; 20 from Bornou; 6 from 
 Asouda; 3 or 4 from Begzam; 30 in summer, and 35 or 40 in 
 winter, from Ghraat; and 40 from Tuat. The inhabitants are 
 Tuarick of the tribe of Kellewi. It is a larger town than Mor¬ 
 zouk ; the houses are of mud, and are built in the same style, and 
 of the same size, as in Fezzan: some have a kind of second story. 
 It is surrounded by a wall of mud and stone, of sufficient strength 
 to protect it. There is a very high Mouadden or Minaret to the 
 principal mosque, which the Tuarick affect to consider higher 
 than any in Egypt. The country is independent, and is governed 
 by a Sheikh, who is a Mulatto, and of middle age, named Yusuffah. 
 
 s 2 
 
132 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. in. 
 
 He is considered as great a man as the Sultan of Fezzan. Dome 
 dates are in great plenty: the common ones are scarce, and never 
 arrive at any degree of perfection. The soil of the country is 
 earth, not sand, and is quite covered with grass. There are large 
 trees, chiefly the Talhh. Corn and vegetables are in plenty, and 
 animal food is very cheap. The people are rigid Moslems. 
 
 Kashna is 20 days from Noofy. I here give an account of the 
 road, as we received it from a friend of Horneman’s, who is well 
 acquainted with Soudan. 
 
 Kashna to Yandekka. 
 
 Yandekka to Doogroomakee. 
 
 Doogroomakee to Zurmee, a very large town. 
 
 Zurmee to Faoushee, or Zanfara. 
 
 Faoushee to Doofa Mafora. 
 
 W est. <| Doofa Mafora to Thalata noma. 
 
 Tlialata noma to Bacoora. 
 
 Bacoora to Gandee. 
 
 Gandee to Burnee dengada. 
 
 Burnee dengada to Sakkatoo, a large Fellata town. 
 
 _ Sakkatoo to Mifferadaati; from whence several small 
 towns are passed until Noofy, which is a country on the borders 
 of the Nil. Its chief town is Bakkanee; and it was there that 
 Horneman died, in the house of a man called Ali el Felatni. Our 
 informant gave the following account of his having accompanied 
 Horneman from Morzouk to that place. They first became ac¬ 
 quainted in Fezzan, from whence they went together with a large 
 Kaffle to Bornou, when they separated. After Horneman had 
 resided three or four months there, they again met in a Kaffle 
 going to Kashna, and associated much together. The people be¬ 
 came greatly attached to Horneman, on account of his amiable 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 ACCOUNTS OF HORNEMAN. 
 
 133 
 
 deportment and skill in medicine; and he was generally considered 
 as a Maraboot. After a short time they proceeded with another 
 party of merchants to Noofy, living together in the house of a man 
 named Ah, of the tribe Fellata. It was Horneman’s custom while 
 on his journeys after quitting Fezzan, to note down the bearings 
 of every tree, mountain, or village, he saw; by which means he 
 might be more easily enabled to know his road again without a 
 guide. His intention was to go on through Dagomba to Ashantee, 
 which is forty days’ journey to the southward. When our mer¬ 
 chant left Noofy, he was in good health and spirits, and had not 
 experienced any difficulties; but this man, on arriving in Kashna, 
 heard that Horneman had (bed of dysentery, a few days after their 
 separation. 
 
 The clearest account I have yet heard of the rivers which flow 
 near Kashna is from a person named Mustapha, a son of the old 
 Mamluke who, with his two other sons, was strangled by Mukni. 
 This man fled, and spent some years in Soudan. He has himself 
 passed three rivers, all running from east to west, as he thinks; but 
 will not be positive. One alone is very considerable; fish, alliga¬ 
 tors, and hippopotami, being found in it. It is very deep, and is 
 passed in boats, and by rafts, He mentions the rivers in the fol¬ 
 lowing order: 
 
 Kashna to the river Ringhem is seven days east. This river is 
 the smallest; it is deep, but narrow; water quite fresh. A town, 
 called Sankara, is distant one day east. 
 
 From Kashna to the river Doodroo is six days nearly south. On 
 this river are canoes, which are hollowed out of a single tree: they 
 have sharp bottoms, not rounded. They are numerous, and serve 
 equally well for fishing, and for ferry-boats from shore to shore. 
 
 From Kashna to Ivattagum (which again appears east-north¬ 
 east on the road to Bornou) south-east is ten days. This river is 
 
134 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 at all times large; but after the rains it overflows the country. 
 During the inundation the natives use rafts floated on gourds? 
 which grow to an extraordinary size. A quantity of these are 
 scooped out, and lashed together; a deck is then formed of brush¬ 
 wood, or bundles of rushes. 
 
 The only palpable inaccuracy in his account (and which, indeed, 
 is a great one) is that relating to the course of these rivers: he was 
 by no means certain whether they flowed to or from the east, and 
 always concluded by saying, that he never had thought it worth 
 while to remember the circumstance. 
 
 From Ivashna to Sakkatoo is nine days and a half west. This 
 place is the residence of Bello, son of the celebrated Fellata chief 
 Hatman Danfodio. It is a walled town of much consideration, 
 three days east of Gooberr, which is also a Fellata town, and one 
 day east of Ivebbi (the Cabi of our maps.) The natives are now a 
 settled people, but w ere once wanderers of the warlike tribe of 
 Fellata, who, some years since, came from the west, and succeeded 
 in overcoming the whole of Soudan, carrying their conquests as far 
 as old Birnie, and causing the Sultan and his people to remove five 
 days farther to the eastward. These conquests have, in the end, 
 occasioned their ruin ; for not having it in their power to continue 
 a force in each subjugated country, they became scattered, and 
 were easily driven back by the different tribes who had been sub¬ 
 ject to them. They now are not found (except in small parties) 
 farther east than Kashna. Their complexion being of a much 
 lighter hue than that of the other tribes, they call themselves 
 white ; their colour resembles that of our gipsies in England. 
 
 Many female slaves are brought to Morzouk from their nation, 
 and are very handsome women. The men I have never seen, and 
 I understand that in the late wars all the male prisoners were put 
 to death. They walk very erect, and have rather a haughty 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 135 
 
 expression of countenance. These people have been of late chiefly 
 at war with the Tuarick, who are powerful enemies, and harass them 
 continually. 
 
 Kashna is still in a great measure dependant on Eello, who 
 appoints its Kaid or Governor. This man is named Mellona 
 Amarroo Delagie, and assumes the title of Sultan in his master’s 
 absence. He makes constant incursions on the countries round 
 him, and is much dreaded; though he sometimes suffers severely 
 from retaliations. His family consists of two hundred Negresses, 
 and the same number of children, which they have borne him. I 
 conceive from a vocabulary, which I subjoin, that the Fellata will 
 be found to be the Foulah of Park: they call themselves Fellan. 
 
 From a young woman, who arrived direct from Sakkatoo, I 
 obtained some trifling information. The account she gave of herself 
 was, that as she was leading her cows out to feed, a party of Gooberr 
 people (also Fellata, and subject to the same King), seized and 
 brought her away; but meeting on their progress with some Tua¬ 
 rick, she was sold to them. Her complexion was fair, and she had 
 an intelligent countenance; her legs were much swelled, and her 
 form emaciated. She was called into her master’s presence to give 
 me some words of her language, when I began by asking her how 
 she named a man in her country: thinking I wished to know that 
 of her husband, she looked up, and with tears in her eyes, answered, 
 “ Mohammed ; but he is alone nowand then added, “ I had a 
 little boy, too, called Mohammed; when 1 was stolen he had no 
 teeth, and I know not who will suckle him.” 
 
 I here subjoin 
 
 the words she tau 
 
 ght me. 
 
 
 Man 
 
 Efillo. 
 
 Small 
 
 Toccochu. 
 
 Woman 
 
 Debbo. 
 
 Heavy 
 
 Teddoodoo. 
 
 Boy 
 
 Pipullo. 
 
 Light 
 
 Oodumhaineddi. 
 
 Girl 
 
 Bitadeppo. 
 
 I understand 
 
 Andal. 
 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 136 
 
 Hand 
 
 Jungo. 
 
 Head 
 
 Hora. 
 
 Sun 
 
 Naanga. 
 
 Moon 
 
 Laighroo. 
 
 Stars 
 
 Caudie. 
 
 Meat 
 
 Niri. 
 
 Flesh 
 
 Tai'oo. 
 
 Horse 
 
 Pootchio. 
 
 Cow 
 
 Nagga. 
 
 Ass 
 
 Babba. 
 
 Camel 
 
 Gailopa. 
 
 Goat 
 
 Baia. 
 
 Sheep 
 
 Baloo. 
 
 Dog 
 
 Kootooroo. 
 
 Walk 
 
 Jiadoo. 
 
 Sleep 
 
 Fokadaan. 
 
 Come 
 
 Warr. 
 
 Go 
 
 Beadillo. 
 
 Good 
 
 Oodonwodi. 
 
 Bad 
 
 Ivalloodoo. 
 
 Large 
 
 Maoodoo. 
 
 River 
 
 Lana. 
 
 Eat 
 
 Aniami. 
 
 Drink 
 
 Ghiarki. 
 
 Sweet 
 
 Oodomwaili. 
 
 Sour 
 
 Oodomlammi. 
 
 Heaven 
 
 Samaachi. 
 
 Father 
 
 Bahama. 
 
 Mother 
 
 Imama. 
 
 Elder brother 
 
 Maoona. 
 
 Younger brother 
 
 Minia. 
 
 Sister 
 
 Banda. 
 
 Grandfather 
 
 Mamama. 
 
 Wife 
 
 Tirajumma. 
 
 Friend 
 
 Haigomo. 
 
 Foot 
 
 Koinka. 
 
 Leg 
 
 Korla. 
 
 I do not 
 
 Mianda. 
 
 Milk 
 
 Koossum. 
 
 Mat 
 
 Dago. 
 
 Carpet 
 
 Bai'tookki. 
 
 Pillow 
 
 Ting ada. 
 
 I 
 
 Mahan. 
 
 You 
 
 Maan. 
 
 He 
 
 Damaitoo. 
 
 Shirt 
 
 Toggora. 
 
 Trowsers 
 
 Serla. 
 
 Gold 
 
 Laamdi. 
 
 Iron 
 
 Yam goo. 
 
 Corn 
 
 Elcamarani. 
 
 Maize 
 
 Baira. 
 
 Gussub 
 
 Gaouri. 
 
 Tree 
 
 Barkihi. 
 
 Wood 
 
 Leddi. 
 
 W ater 
 
 Ghium. 
 
 Fire 
 
 Eeta. 
 
 God 
 
 Allah. 
 
 House 
 
 Oora. 
 
 Town 
 
 Gerri. 
 
 Bowl 
 
 Laa. 
 
 A well 
 
 Oondoo. 
 
 Water 
 
 Ghium. 
 
 Rope 
 
 Bogool. 
 
 Bucket 
 
 Kianga. 
 
 Book 
 
 Deftera. 
 
 To-day 
 
 Ilanda nundi. 
 
 To-morrow 
 
 Tiango. 
 
 Yesterday 
 
 Fadijiango. 
 
 Not yet 
 
 Towli. 
 
 I am ill 
 
 Tyawdoo. 
 
 I am well 
 
 Plairama. 
 
 Beads 
 
 Kaadeh. 
 
 Petticoat 
 
 Oodarra. 
 
 Aba 
 
 Godori. 
 
CHAP. HI. NOTICES OE THE INTERIOR. 
 
 137 
 
 Thigh 
 
 Asanga. 
 
 Arm 
 
 Kiauwall ghisingo. 
 
 Belly 
 
 Kraigoo. 
 
 Back 
 
 Baoo. 
 
 Breast 
 
 Barendi. 
 
 Neck 
 
 Daandi. 
 
 Nipples 
 
 Endoo. 
 
 Fingers 
 
 Honedoo. 
 
 Cap 
 
 Hoffana'ira. 
 
 Cat 
 
 Mussouroo. 
 
 Shoes 
 
 Paddi. 
 
 Beard 
 
 Wari. 
 
 Eye 
 
 Gitta. 
 
 Nose 
 
 Hinari. 
 
 Mouth 
 
 Kondookkoo. 
 
 Forehead 
 
 Teeda. 
 
 Ear 
 
 Leppi. 
 
 Turban 
 
 Maitello. 
 
 Blood 
 
 Eia. 
 
 Bones 
 
 Kial. 
 
 Burn 
 
 Awli. 
 
 Roast 
 
 Awoodi. 
 
 Hot 
 
 Odunwooli. 
 
 Cold 
 
 Dumfai. 
 
 Hungry 
 
 Iam. 
 
 I am full 
 
 Mihari. 
 
 Thirsty 
 
 Nanadumka. 
 
 This 
 
 Doondo. 
 
 Give 
 
 Okon. 
 
 Take 
 
 Gabboo. 
 
 Fat 
 
 Paidoo. 
 
 Thin 
 
 Fautdo. 
 
 Dirty 
 
 Toondi. 
 
 Clean 
 
 Loomram mitell. 
 
 Tired 
 
 Ensoomi. 
 
 Language 
 
 Bolli. 
 
 Sword 
 
 Kansakali. 
 
 Stone 
 
 Booddi. 
 
 Sand 
 
 Jearidi. 
 
 Earth 
 
 Laidi. 
 
 Red 
 
 Bodaijo. 
 
 White 
 
 Daraijiu. 
 
 Black 
 
 Balaijiu. 
 
 Green 
 
 Koraijiuna. 
 
 Y ellow 
 
 Jianajiu. 
 
 Get up and go 
 
 Ummadillo. 
 
 Grass 
 
 Koodoo. 
 
 Hard 
 
 Uddumyori. 
 
 Soft 
 
 Oodum haihaitirri 
 
 How are you 
 
 Mia Loodoo. 
 
 Well 
 
 Noobandoo. 
 
 Whence come 
 
 Kai ooaidi. 
 
 Where going 
 
 Tingailta. 
 
 Is he within 
 
 Uden wodi. 
 
 He is not 
 
 Un walla. 
 
 Garden 
 
 Engassa. 
 
 Run 
 
 Endogga. 
 
 Quick 
 
 Ommandillo. 
 
 Enough 
 
 Doodoo. 
 
 A little 
 
 Sedda. 
 
 To weave 
 
 Sansanbi. 
 
 Flour 
 
 Kiandi. 
 
 Pepper 
 
 Syasi. 
 
 Poor 
 
 Kolakomi. 
 
 Rich 
 
 Waidande. 
 
 Honey 
 
 J umeri. 
 
 Bird 
 
 Soodoo. 
 
 Fowl 
 
 Gertooka. 
 
 Pigeon 
 
 Umfoodi sondo. 
 
 Set down 
 
 Jiaura. 
 
 Night 
 
 Ghem. 
 
 Morning 
 
 Dun waidi. 
 
 Day 
 
 Han si. 
 
 Lion 
 
 Jagerri. 
 
 x 
 
138 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. CHAP. III. 
 
 Arrow 
 
 Lebbo. 
 
 Tiger 
 
 Melaho. 
 
 Glass 
 
 Karroo. 
 
 Antelope 
 
 Lelwa. 
 
 Spoon 
 
 Gerbal. 
 
 Happy 
 
 Well well ti. 
 
 Pot 
 
 Footira. 
 
 I am sad 
 
 Berna metti. 
 
 Knife 
 
 Lab. 
 
 Sing 
 
 Ghimmoo. 
 
 Spear 
 
 Ghembirri. 
 
 Dance 
 
 Fidio. 
 
 Dagger 
 
 Labij lingo. 
 
 Fear 
 
 Dooba. 
 
 Gun 
 
 Bendiga. 
 
 Teeth 
 
 Ni'a. 
 
 Rain 
 
 Ghium ghiwondi. 
 
 I thank you 
 
 Allah imogbni 
 
 Brass 
 
 Yamgo daikoo. 
 
 
 
 Bello, son, as I have said, of the celebrated Fellata Chief, is 
 famed for many very noble actions, and is a man generally beloved. 
 He is a great warrior, and the people about him are very well 
 armed and appointed. He does not, like the other chiefs, seek 
 out the gaudy dresses and toys brought by the Kaffies, but buys 
 up arms of all descriptions. Reverence for his religion, and for 
 those who are eminent in it, are amongst his virtues. I was ac¬ 
 quainted with a man who passed himself off as a Shreef, which 
 he was not, and who had been plundered by the Tuarick. Bello 
 actually presented to this impostor one hundred Negresses, thinking 
 that he only offered a slight testimony of respect to the memory 
 of the Prophet in the person of his pretended descendant. 
 
 Cowries, or shells, are the current money of Kashna, and all 
 the towns westward: 2000 is the exchange for a dollar. By way 
 of showing their comparative value, it may be mentioned, that a 
 fowl costs five shells, a sheep 000, and a bullock 2500. Corn, rice, 
 and, indeed, all the necessaries of life, are very cheap in Soudan. 
 Bice is purchased at one dollar for 3 cwt. Bullocks are used 
 to carry burthens, and to bring the grain home from the fields. 
 The asses are fine animals, the camels scarce, and dear in some 
 parts. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 139 
 
 The people are excellent workers in wood and leather, which 
 they prepare equally well as Europeans, dying it of very fine 
 colours, and sometimes glazing it. Pillows, bags, sandals, jars, and 
 even boxes of leather are brought by the Kaffles, and sold very 
 cheap. Bowls composed of wood, or gourds, are finely carved, and 
 much sought after by the Fezzan traders. 
 
 The women make very fine cotton cloth of gay patterns (having 
 generally a great proportion of blue), and of firm texture; but it is 
 remarkable that they never exceed in breadth three inches. Shirts 
 made of these cloths are so very neatly sewed, that it is impossible 
 at first sight to discover the seams. 
 
 The natives of Soudan are very ignorant; the few among them 
 who can read find it their interest to make a great display of their 
 knowledge. A man who reads is always respected, and becomes 
 a person of great consideration ; his presence being frequently 
 sought for at a high price at births or marriages, in order to pre¬ 
 vent the attendance of the devil, who immediately flies from a man 
 capable of reading from the Koran. The power of writing charms, 
 or saffis, is a sure step to riches. 
 
 About half the population on the banks of the Nil are Moham¬ 
 medans in outward forms, but are unacquainted with every part of 
 their religion except the prayers ; some, indeed, are quite ignorant 
 even of these, and only acknowledge the unity of God and the ex¬ 
 cellence of the Prophet. The other half are Pagans. Some nations 
 have no idea of w orship, or of a Supreme Being; others pray to 
 the devil; and many are idolaters, and pay homage to any striking 
 object in nature. 
 
 All the nations south of the Waters are said to be unbelievers, 
 and to live in a state of nature, resembling in their appearance, 
 manners, and habitations, wild beasts rather than men. 
 
 x 2 
 
140 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. hi. 
 
 The Moslems have a greater share of superstition and vices than 
 those they call their blind neighbours, and seldom undertake any 
 thing without being first fortified by charms. They are constantly 
 fancying themselves bewitched, attribute every unpleasant occur¬ 
 rence to Iblis; and are so fearful of the “Evil Eye,” that they adopt 
 many strange precautions to avert its baneful effects. 
 
 In justice to the poor unenlightened beings whom they make 
 their prey, I must say that I never witnessed such innocence, ten¬ 
 derness, and mildness as most of them evince when brought to 
 Morzouk, particularly at the deatli of any of their companions in 
 adversity. On these occasions they do not, like their persecutors, 
 scream and make an insincere wailing; but sit silent and in tears, 
 and often refuse their little allowance of food. Should one of the 
 females fall sick, the others nurse, feed, comfort, and very often give 
 up the whole of their scanty meal to the sufferer. I speak merely of 
 the women, for the men are not blessed with very kind hearts ; and 
 it would be considered by them as disgraceful to betray any soft and 
 tender feeling. Should a woman have an infant belonging to her, 
 each of her companions in turn will carry and endeavour to amuse 
 it. The women very seldom become sullen, and are lively without 
 being at all boisterous or noisy; they are clean in their persons, 
 very fond of ornaments, tractable and easily taught; but in ac¬ 
 quiring knowledge they unfortunately lose much of their native 
 simplicity. 
 
 Kashna to Sakkatoo . 
 
 West. 
 
 Kashna to Zumma. 1 day. 
 
 Zumma to Kalawa. 3 
 
 Kalawa to Gadaya. ^ 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 141 
 
 Gadaya to Kararee. 2 days. 
 
 Kararee to Tekamoorafa.. 2 
 Tekamoorafa to Sakkatoo 1 
 
 Total 9^ days. 
 
 Two days farther west is Kebbi; half a day from which is a 
 large town called Bodinga. 
 
 Kashna to Gooberr five or six days west by south. This is a 
 principal Fellata town, and was for some years the residence of 
 their Sultan. The houses are built in streets, surrounded by a 
 wall, and the adjacent country is very fine. Three days east-north¬ 
 east of Kashna is Tessawa, a town. 
 
 From Kashna into Bornou. 
 
 East. 
 
 Kashna to Sabongaree. 1 day. 
 
 Sabongaree to Roma. 1 
 
 Roma to Beshi. 1 
 
 Beshi to Kanno. 1 
 
 Kanno is fourteen days from Birnie ; it is governed by a Sultan, 
 and is a town of note. 
 
 North. 
 
 Kashna to Gayzaa. 1 day. 
 
 Gayzaa to Zakari. 1 
 
 Zakari to Ringhem. 1 
 
 Here is a river of the same name, which comes from the countries 
 south of Kashna. 
 
 East. 
 
 Ringhem to Gonga. 1 day. 
 
 Gonga to Mayga. 1 producing many dome dates. 
 
 Mayga to Awyek. 1 
 
 Awyek to Kattagum.... 1 
 
142 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. in. 
 
 Here the Nil, Goulbi, or Kattagum, passes from behind Kashna 
 about thirteen days south. It runs north-east at this place, and 
 must be crossed. 
 
 East. 
 
 Kattagum to Zoomawa. 1 day. 
 
 Zoomawa to Gizzra. i 
 
 Gizzra to Ibrahim Zubbo. 1 
 
 There is a tribe of Arabs here whose dwelling-place is called 
 Bled Ibrahim Zubbo, from the Sheikh who first established them as 
 a tribe. They are dark men without the negro features. 
 
 N orth. 
 
 Ibrahim Zubbo to Dowra. 1 day. 
 
 Dowra to Kalawa. 1 
 
 East. 
 
 Kalawa to Shackow. 1 day. 
 
 Shackow to Bayankalawa.. 1 
 Bayankalawa to Demetro.. 1 
 
 Kashna is four days east of Zanfara. To the north-east of 
 Kashna three days is a country (not a town) called Baura. The 
 natives are Kaffirs, very numerous, and constantly preyed on by 
 the Fellata. Kebbi is three days north-east of Bakkanee, the chief 
 town of Noofy. Kooka (the Cauga of the maps) is thirty days east by 
 south of Kashna ; it is much exposed to the incursions of the people 
 of Waday. Kanno is four days east of Kashna, from which town 
 Zegzeg is four or five days south-west. Yagooba is six days south 
 of the latter place. Yemyem is the Lamlam of the maps. The 
 inhabitants are reputed to be cannibals, and from a circumstance 
 which came under my notice, I have no doubt they are so. A 
 friend of mine had a male slave who came from that country, and 
 who was about ten years of age. I desired a person, who spoke a 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 143 
 
 language understood by the boy, to ask him, as if undesignedly, 
 which part of a man was considered to taste best in his country. 
 He immediately and readily answered, “ The breast, which is eaten 
 by the men; the other parts being given to the women and 
 children.” But on further questioning him, it appeared he did not 
 know whether the victims were prisoners or natives. 
 
 This country joins Zegzeg to the southward; it is of great 
 extent, and the people are reported to live in a state of nature. Ya- 
 gooba borders on Yemyem, six days south of Zegzeg. Maradi is a 
 country lying half-way between Kashna and Gooberr, now nearly 
 depopulated by the constant attacks of the Fellata. The natives 
 are Kaffirs, and go naked, with the exception of a leather wrapper 
 round their loins. They are a very handsome race of people. Tirka 
 in Soudan appears not to be known. There is a watering place of 
 the Tibboo in Borgoo, called Tirki. 
 
 Tuat is mentioned in many maps as a town; but it is a large 
 tract of country on the borders of Soudan, inhabited chiefly by 
 Tuarick. It is situated on the Great Desert, and is not very 
 fertile. Fine horses are bred there, and the flocks are numerous. 
 The natives trade with Tembuctoo, Soudan, Ghadams, and Fezzan, 
 but seldom go so far east as Bornou. The chief length of the 
 country is from north to south, and the towns bear very nearly in 
 that direction to each other. The houses are built of stone and 
 mud, and have no second story; many of the towns are walled. 
 Ain el Salah, or the Fountain of Saints, is the principal town. It 
 takes its name from the sanctity of its inhabitants, who have all the 
 credit of being Maraboots. A story is told of its having 366 castles, 
 which were built by the first Mohammedan conquerors of the 
 country; they are said to be of a great height and in fine pre¬ 
 servation. I suspect, however, they are pretty nearly of the same 
 description as those of Fezzan, of which we heard so many wonderful 
 
144 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IIIJ 
 
 accounts, and which proved to be only mud tombs, or remains of old 
 houses. From Morzouk to this place is about forty days’ journey. 
 
 West. 
 
 f Morzouk to Tessowa. 1 day. Town and old castle. 
 
 In 1 ezzanj^rp esgowa o Town. 
 
 Oubari to Hagliki. 2 
 
 Hagliki to Kaibo. 4 
 
 Kaibo to Eengheh. 6 
 
 H 
 
 Resting place, 
 do. 
 do. 
 do. 
 do. 
 do. 
 do. 
 do. 
 do. 
 
 Town in Tuat. 
 
 Eengheh to Doukaraat.. 2 
 
 Doukaraat to Tadera. 5 
 
 T adera to Amaghi. 7 
 
 Amaghi to Temadraati...... 3 
 
 Temadraati to Houhaned. 
 
 Houhaned to Oonabraghri.. 4 
 Oonabraghri to Ain el Sala.. 2 
 Between Tadera and Amaghi is a desert, which is travelled 
 eight days without water. All the road is sand without any other 
 vegetation than a few occasional shrubs, from Morzouk to Ain el 
 
 o 
 
 Sala, which is the northern town in Tuat, and the first reached 
 by all the Ivaffles from the coast of Morocco. Tablet is ten days 
 north-west of it. Tombuctoo, or Tembuctoo, is fifty days from 
 Ain el Sala, and the road is entirely over a desert. The first place 
 from Ain el Sala is Akably, a very large town, which is two days. 
 From thence to Mabrook is thirty-five days: this place is so 
 called from its being the custom for those who have passed the 
 Desert to rest and refresh there, each congratulating the other on 
 having safely arrived over their perilous road, by the usual salutation 
 of “ Mabrook,” which signifies joy or happiness. Flence to Tem¬ 
 buctoo is fifteen days. Ghadams, belonging to the Bashaw of 
 Tripoli, is twenty days north-north-west of Ain el Sala. 
 
 Tembuctoo is about 90 days’ journey from Morzouk, and the 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 145 
 
 road thence is through Tuat. From the account given by mer¬ 
 chants, it appears that it is not so large a town as has been ima¬ 
 gined ; and indeed some agree in saying, that it is not more exten¬ 
 sive than Morzouk. It is walled; the houses are very low, and with 
 the exception of one or two small streets, are built irregularly. 
 Huts of mats seem to be in greater numbers than the houses. 
 
 The merchants to whom I suggested the idea, generally agreed 
 with me, that the immense population which is said to exist there, 
 may be thus accounted for. Many of the kaffles from Morocco, 
 Ghadams, Tripoli, and the Negro states along the banks of the 
 Nil, are obliged to remain there during the rainy season, or until 
 their goods are sold. During their stay, they find it necessary to 
 build huts or houses, to shelter themselves and their merchandise. 
 These buildings are got up in a few days; and thus, perhaps, ten 
 or fifteen thousand inhabitants may, in the course of a month, be 
 added to the population, which occasions Tembuctoo to be thought 
 an immense town by those who are only there at the same time as 
 other strangers; but when the causes which detain the travellers 
 cease, the place appears (what in reality it is said to be) insigni¬ 
 ficant. Thus it is that the accounts of it differ so much. 
 
 Kabra, which is its port, is situated south of it about 12 miles, 
 and a person on foot may easily walk to and return from it in a day. 
 It is more properly a collection of store-houses than a town; the 
 few people residing there being employed to take care of the cargoes 
 of vessels. Large boats from Jenne come and unload at this place. 
 The river, called Goulbi or Nil (the former name is Soudan, merely 
 a generic term for all waters, and by no means applicable to the 
 Niger alone), is here very broad, and flows slowly past from the 
 westward. Many people agree in saying, that in the dry season, a 
 camel may pass over it without swimming; but after the rains, it 
 becomes very deep, rapid, and dangerous. 
 
 u 
 
146 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. ill. 
 
 Tembuctoo is governed by a King or Sultan, who has but little 
 power. The people are all blacks, and dress like the natives of 
 many parts of Soudan ; the better class in shirts and trowsers, while 
 the poorer order are nearly naked. Gold, cotton clothes, leather, 
 and arms, are the principal manufactures of Tembuctoo and the 
 surrounding villages. Jenne is said to be the place from which 
 gold comes, and is thence called Kledd el Tibbr jL, or the 
 country of gold. 
 
 I could obtain no account of Mr. Park, but every one agreed 
 that it would be quite impossible (the buildings being so small and 
 ill constructed) for him or any other white man to be confined in 
 the town unknown to the traders, who enter every house, not ex¬ 
 cepting that of the Sultan himself. This, I think, entirely confutes 
 the idea that Mr. Park has been, or is still confined by the Sultan, 
 on account of his skill in surgery; and there is equal reason to 
 doubt his being in existence, which some have supposed. Many 
 Jews trade from Morocco, which, as they differ from the Moham¬ 
 medans in their customs, has given rise to the report that there are 
 Christians in the country ; they are said to be circumcised, eat no 
 pork, kill their animals in a peculiar way, and neither acknowledge 
 Christ nor Mohammed. A nation of these people is said to exist 
 south of Tembuctoo, the language of which place is peculiar to 
 itself,—though Arabic is a little spoken ; the people are regarded as 
 good Moslems. 
 
 Language of Tembuctoo. 
 
 Man 
 
 Ahinda. 
 
 Eye 
 
 Aiti. 
 
 Woman 
 
 Afintoo. 
 
 Ass 
 
 Ehaid. 
 
 Boy 
 
 A berry. 
 
 Camel 
 
 Elgimmo. 
 
 Girl 
 
 Aterry. 
 
 Goat 
 
 Egghsi. 
 
 Hand 
 
 Akhood. 
 
 Sheep 
 
 Taili. 
 
 Head 
 
 Agodi. 
 
 Gold 
 
 Agreef dodi. 
 
 Iron 
 
 Azeli. 
 
 Pillow 
 
 Kote. 
 
147 
 
 chap. hi. NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 Corn 
 
 Attow. 
 
 Foot 
 
 Edthi. 
 
 Tree 
 
 Esheri. 
 
 Leg 
 
 Edthair. 
 
 Wood 
 
 Esheri. 
 
 Beard 
 
 Heti. 
 
 Water 
 
 Ami. 
 
 Nose 
 
 Hoshti. 
 
 Fire 
 
 Ofi. 
 
 River 
 
 Bori. 
 
 God 
 
 Allah. 
 
 Eat 
 
 Tay. 
 
 House 
 
 Bactoo. 
 
 Drink 
 
 Ushti. 
 
 Town 
 
 Agherri. 
 
 Walk 
 
 Kaedodi. 
 
 Heaven 
 
 Engi. 
 
 Sleep 
 
 Auti. 
 
 Father 
 
 Abbi. 
 
 Come 
 
 Ka. 
 
 Mother 
 
 Emmi. 
 
 Go 
 
 Dodi. 
 
 Brother 
 
 Kati. 
 
 Bad 
 
 Ferri. 
 
 Sister 
 
 Aghotoo. 
 
 Large 
 
 Koti. 
 
 Grandfather 
 
 Ajeddi. 
 
 Small 
 
 Katch. 
 
 Friend 
 
 Sehhi. 
 
 Heavy 
 
 Toozi. 
 
 I understand 
 
 Foni. 
 
 Mouth 
 
 Fetti. 
 
 I do not 
 
 Mofedi. 
 
 Light 
 
 Afi. 
 
 Sun 
 
 Ofitti. 
 
 Arm 
 
 Eghrai. 
 
 Moon 
 
 Hitti. 
 
 Belly 
 
 Teddis. 
 
 Meat 
 
 Taasoo. 
 
 Back 
 
 Kerri. 
 
 Flesh 
 
 Hamo. 
 
 Neck 
 
 Terri. 
 
 Horse 
 
 AVs. 
 
 Nipples 
 
 Foffi 
 
 Cow 
 
 Abari. 
 
 Fingers 
 
 Beddi. 
 
 Sweet 
 
 Zaidi. 
 
 I 
 
 Anikikki. 
 
 Milk 
 
 Alebbi. 
 
 You 
 
 Ani looloo. 
 
 Mat 
 
 Boshti. 
 
 He 
 
 Hooti. 
 
 Carpet 
 
 Fershit. 
 
 
 
 Here the intelligence of my informant ceased. 
 
 The King of Tembuctoo is an old man, named Kaoo, which, I 
 believe, means governor or master; his wife is an old woman, and 
 he has many concubines. The Sultanship is hereditary.-—Tem¬ 
 buctoo is distant from Downa, a large town or district on the banks 
 of the Nil, one day and a half east. Arowan is north of the 
 city seven days, and is a place of consequence. Ezawen is east 
 twenty days, and is also a large town. Taudenny, from whence the 
 
 u 2 
 
148 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 large kaffles, who bring rock salt, come annually, is twenty-four 
 days north of Tembuctoo. Telemsen, which is twelve days north 
 of the latter, or indeed half-way to Taudenny, is remarkable for a 
 desert, having no water for ten days ; thence called Asheria. Ma- 
 brook is three days north of this place, ten days south of Taudenny, 
 seven days east of Arowan, and eighteen days south of Awlef in 
 T uat. 
 
 Sala is a place three days from Tembuctoo, on the Nil to the 
 eastward. 
 
 The Nil, Goulbi, Joliba or Kattagum, runs from Tembuctoo, 
 through Melli in the country of the Fellata; thence to Kebbi, 
 which is three days north of Nooffy: past this place or country, it 
 runs to Yaowri, which is seven days east; from thence to Fendah, 
 a Fellata country S.W. of Kashna, which latter kingdom it passes at 
 thirteen days south of the capital. It again makes its appearance 
 at Kattagum, four days W.S.W. of the capital of Bornou, where it 
 runs into a lake, called the Tsaad. Beyond this lake, a large river 
 runs through Baghermee, and is called the Gambarro and Kama- 
 dakoo; the word Nil being also used for the same stream.—Thus 
 far are we able to trace the Nil, and all other accounts are merely 
 conjectural. All agree, however, that by one route or other, these 
 waters join the great Nile of Egypt, to the southward of Dongola. 
 
 Wangara is a place of which we cannot obtain any decided 
 account; it is, however, generally supposed to be a low country, 
 and sometimes inundated. One person states it to be twenty days 
 south of Tembuctoo ; another places it south of Kashna; and many 
 even assert, that it is beyond Waday: but it is quite impossible 
 from the varied accounts given of it, to form any idea as to its 
 actual situation, or even existence. 
 
 Should there really be three places so called, may it not be 
 probable that it is a general name for marshes and swamps ? In 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 149 
 
 the one spoken of behind Tembuctoo, the capital is said to be 
 Battagoo, and is a large town, near which much gold is reported to 
 be found. An invisible nation, according to our informant, inhabit 
 near this place, and are said to trade by night. Those who come 
 to traffic for their gold, lay their merchandise in heaps, and retire. 
 In the morning, they find a certain quantity of gold dust placed 
 against every heap, which, if they think sufficient, they leave the 
 goods ; if not, they let both remain until more of the precious ore is 
 added. These traders in gold dust are by many supposed to be devils, 
 w ho are very fond of red cloth, the favourite article of exchange. 
 I cannot conceive Arabs to be the merchants, for assuredly they 
 would, least of all people, refrain from stealing the gold thus 
 temptingly placed in their view. 
 
 Haousa, Soudan or Afnoo, may be comprehended between 
 Kanno, which is four days east of Kashna, and the borders of 
 Tembuctoo. It appears, that the name only extends to the 
 country which runs east and west, near the great river; for 
 Aghades, which is north of Kashna, is not in Soudan: neither is 
 Yemyem, which is south. 
 
 Soudan is an Arabic word, signifying the black country; and is 
 also named by them Ber el Abeed or “Land of Slavesbut 
 
 the natives all agree in calling it Haousa, which has been mistaken 
 for a town. The language of the country, of which I shall give a 
 specimen, is called by the people, “Haousa Tongue.” 
 
 Always 
 
 Koollum. 
 
 All 
 
 Doka. 
 
 Afterwards 
 
 Zooashan. 
 
 Ass 
 
 Jackee. 
 
 Antelope 
 
 Baraiwa. 
 
 Arm 
 
 Dumsi. 
 
 A fly 
 
 Koodda. 
 
 Arrow 
 
 Kibbia. 
 
 Alive 
 
 Derrai. 
 
 Asleep 
 
 Bershi. 
 
 Butter 
 
 Mai Ferri. 
 
 Bad 
 
 Moogoo. 
 
 Bread 
 
 Korasa. 
 
 Boil 
 
 Taffasa. 
 
150 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Bucket 
 
 Googa. 
 
 Chin 
 
 Habba. 
 
 Boy 
 
 Yaroo. 
 
 Clean 
 
 Fittatai. 
 
 Bowl 
 
 Akooshee. 
 
 Don’t 
 
 Kaddakai. 
 
 Bring 
 
 Kaoo. 
 
 Do this 
 
 Kai. 
 
 Bone 
 
 Kushee. 
 
 Drink 
 
 Isha. 
 
 Beads 
 
 Doosi. 
 
 Dance 
 
 Eewassa. 
 
 Better 
 
 Yah. 
 
 Drunk 
 
 Iasha Gheea. 
 
 Burn 
 
 Jugrinica. 
 
 Don’t go 
 
 Kadda Kattafi. 
 
 Black 
 
 Bekki. 
 
 Don’t cry 
 
 Kaddakai Kooka. 
 
 Breast 
 
 Gubba. 
 
 Day 
 
 Rana. 
 
 Belly 
 
 Shikki. 
 
 Door 
 
 Kofa. 
 
 Blood 
 
 Jinni. 
 
 Dirty 
 
 Dowda. 
 
 Basket 
 
 Sanfoo. 
 
 Dates 
 
 Dibino. 
 
 Before 
 
 Dowree. 
 
 Daughter 
 
 Ia. 
 
 Brother 
 
 Kani. 
 
 Dog 
 
 Karre. 
 
 Bull 
 
 Sania. 
 
 Die 
 
 Meteshey. 
 
 Bird 
 
 Soonsoo. 
 
 Date tree 
 
 Kershemi. 
 
 Book 
 
 Littafi. 
 
 Dry 
 
 Kaikasusshi. 
 
 Bitter 
 
 Deddashi. 
 
 Deaf 
 
 Korma. 
 
 Beat 
 
 Boogga. 
 
 Eye 
 
 Iddo. 
 
 Buy 
 
 Saiya. 
 
 Ear 
 
 Koonneh. 
 
 Beard 
 
 Gaymi. 
 
 Eggs 
 
 Koi. 
 
 Blue 
 
 Dafoa. 
 
 Enough 
 
 Iaisi. 
 
 Brass 
 
 Jankerfi. 
 
 Earth 
 
 Kassa. 
 
 Blacksmith 
 
 Mekeri. 
 
 Eunuch 
 
 Baba. 
 
 Bag 
 
 Jekka. 
 
 Elephant 
 
 Gheewas. 
 
 Box 
 
 Sandook. 
 
 Eat 
 
 Ishee. 
 
 Come 
 
 Yaka. 
 
 Fire 
 
 Oota. 
 
 Crest of hair 
 
 Doka. 
 
 Fear 
 
 Kai sooro. 
 
 Cry 
 
 Ikooka. 
 
 Fat 
 
 Kibba. 
 
 Cold 
 
 Daree. 
 
 Flesh 
 
 Nama. 
 
 Corn 
 
 Elcamma. 
 
 Fingers 
 
 Fershi. 
 
 Camel 
 
 Rakomie, 
 
 Fall 
 
 Yafadi. 
 
 Cow 
 
 Sania. 
 
 Forget 
 
 Namanshi. 
 
 Cotton 
 
 Abdiga. 
 
 Face 
 
 Fiska. 
 
 Copper 
 
 Jankerfi. 
 
 Friend 
 
 Abokee. 
 
 Check 
 
 Komatoo. 
 
 Fish 
 
 Keevi. 
 
 Cat 
 
 Fatoo. 
 
 Fowl 
 
 Kaza. 
 
 Country 
 
 Garee. 
 
 &c. 
 
 &c. 
 
CHAP. III. 
 
 NOTICES 
 
 OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 151 
 
 1 Daya. 
 
 6 Shidda. 
 
 11 Goma shadaya. 
 
 From 20 to 100 are 
 
 2 Bioo. 
 
 7 Bokkoi. 
 
 &c. 
 
 as in Arabic :— 
 
 3 Okoo. 
 
 8 Tokkos. 
 
 100 Daree. 
 
 Asherin, Thala- 
 
 4 Fooddoo. 
 
 9 Tara. 
 
 1000 Doobboo. 
 
 teen, Erbain, See. 
 
 5 Bi'at. 
 
 10 Goma. 
 
 
 
 Bornou is comprehended between Kanno and Baghermee. The 
 people of Waday bring dried fish from a large river to the East 
 of Baghermee to Wara, the capital. 
 
 I did not find any one who knew any thing of Solan, Berissa, Tirka, 
 Gana, or Noro. People are said to go constantly from Noofy to 
 the Great Sea, to trade with the Whites, and they even bring back 
 crockery ware, powder, brandy, and arms. One of our informants 
 went so far as to assert, that there were one or two people there who 
 understood the language of the Whites. I must observe, that from 
 Kanno to Zegzeg the road is dry even in winter; but in sum¬ 
 mer in many places the country is covered with water, which for 
 forty days gives it the appearance of a great lake. Our present in¬ 
 formant, an observing man, said that he saw no rivers flowing there; 
 but the water which was “sleeping” came, as he supposed, from 
 the Nil of Kashna. He remained trading in Zegzeg until the 
 inundation was over, and made some great bargains. For seven 
 yards of red cloth, resembling baize, he purchased nine females, 
 three of whom he showed to me; they were grown up girls, and 
 very handsome, taken from Yagooba. 
 
152 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Articles of Commerce between Fezzan and the Interior, as well as to Egypt, Bornou, 
 and Waday—Gonja.—Description of Ghadams—Benewaleed and Benewazeed— 
 Reports of a Successor to Mukni—His Illness—Gardens—Costumes of the Na¬ 
 tives—Their Amusements—Visits to the Sultan’s Family—Celebration of the 
 Feast of Aid el Kebire Sickness and Sufferings of the Author and his Com¬ 
 panions—Education of the Children of Morzouk—Revenues of the Sultan of Fez¬ 
 zan—Illness and lamented Death of Mr. Ritchie—His Funeral—-Determination 
 of the Author to penetrate to the Southward of Morzouk. 
 
 THE ARTICLES OF COMMERCE CARRIED FROM FEZZAN TO SOUDAN, 
 BORNOU, AND WADAY, ARE- 
 
 Beads. The following kinds are at present in fashion: Mjed- 
 drah el Baida (white smallpox); of white china, having raised spots 
 on them. Erwandadi; transparent, oval, and dark blue. Koon- 
 tombali; red, transparent, having white streaks and figures, of an 
 oval form. Khorz el Adi; small beads of opaque glass, all colours. 
 Menjura; large octagonal beads of red, white, and green. The 
 white are at present preferred: a fowl is purchased for a bead of 
 this kind. Khabba Jedeeda; black oval beads, having white or 
 light blue rings on them. Guttuf; the smallest size, of all colours, 
 mixed. Dliab el Mesquin (or poor man’s gold); black china beads, 
 having yellow spots raised on them. Bandeaus of beads and neck¬ 
 laces ready made. I have been thus particular for the information 
 of future travellers, as the beads we took with us were unsaleable, 
 and the above are always to be purchased at Tripoli. 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 ARTICLES OF TRADE. 
 
 153 
 
 Coral. Morgian Teddoo, small coral in strings, in beads, in the 
 rough, and in necklaces. 
 
 Needles. F our of which purchase a fine fowl. 
 
 Silks. Damask, and all light silks of a gaudy colour : if they 
 have flowers worked on them, they sell much better ; sewing silk , or 
 raw silk, and ribbons of various colours. 
 
 Red cloth , of a coarse kind, and brings an equally high price 
 with the kerseymere we had with us. Salisbury flannels would 
 sell very well. 
 
 Red shawls. As turbans, and a few having fine borders, which 
 are sold to the chiefs. Our imitation shawls would be highly 
 prized: the more red they had in them, the better. 
 
 Copper pots and kettles , tinned inside. 
 
 Brass basin. If a little ornamented, so much the better. Flat 
 ones are preferred. 
 
 Looking-glasses. In stamped brass and other gaudy frames ; 
 and a small kind in little brass boxes called Lamma in Tripoli, are 
 much admired. 
 
 Swords. Very long, straight, and double edged ; bought gree¬ 
 dily by the Tuarick. 
 
 Guns and pistols. Seldom taken, as they are not easily carried 
 in bales. 
 
 Morgoom. Which is the long striped carpet, made by the 
 Arabs near Tripoli, and at Mesurata on the sea-coast. 
 
 Turkey carpets or rugs, of about six or eight feet in length and 
 three in breadth, called Sejaada. 
 
 Kaftans, of silk and cotton in stripes, or red cloth, as gaudy and 
 cheap as possible : these meet with a ready sale. 
 
 Caps, of the manufactory of Tunis, long, and having large tassels 
 hanging from the crown. 
 
 x 
 
154 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Bor noose. Large red mantles, some ornamented with silk or 
 gold lace. 
 
 Horses , which, if tall, will sell very readily for fifteen, or even in 
 some places twenty negresses. Though the purchasers take the 
 trouble to look at their teeth, they scarcely know a colt from an 
 old horse. All animals of an imposing appearance, and long legs, 
 are eagerly purchased. 
 
 Glass armlets , of black and blue, made at Venice, 
 
 Powder , flints, and lead in bullets, sell quickly. 
 
 Muslins. For the chiefs to make shirts or turbans. 
 
 Bales of linen. Thread, and gold thread, which the natives 
 sometimes spin, mixing it with their cotton cloths. 
 
 Sundries. Such as files, chisels, and hammers ; a few perfumes, 
 little boxes, and toys; all of which can be procured in Europe for a 
 mere trifle. 
 
 Nearly the whole of these articles are brought from Tripoli or 
 Egypt, and are very dear even in Morzouk. W e had none of these 
 goods, which alone are objects of trade in the interior. 
 
 In Exchange for which the Traders bring from Soudan , 
 
 Slaves, Chiefly females, the males not being worth so much 
 money by nearly one-third, or sometimes one-half; are the prin¬ 
 cipal goods brought by the dealers. 
 
 Zebed (civet.) Obtained from the cats which are kept in cages, 
 and are at stated periods irritated to such a degree, that a profuse 
 perspiration takes place, and the perfume is secreted in some folds 
 under the tail; which, by securing the animal, they scrape off, and 
 preserve in small boxes made of hide. A savage old cat will pro¬ 
 duce ten or twelve dollars’ worth in three heats. Their price is 
 enormous, some being sold for three or four slaves. 
 
 Zeneh . A striped cotton petticoat, worn as a wrapper by all 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 ARTICLES OF TRADE. 
 
 155 
 
 the women: the patterns are various; some are very handsome, both 
 in the arrangement of the colours and in the workmanship. 
 
 Cottons. Dark blue, called Turkedi, striped blue and white, 
 red and blue, and in fact of many patterns; amongst others, 
 chequered like the sailors’ shirts. All these cloths are woven in 
 w'ebs about three or four inches in breadth; they are sewed very 
 neatly together, and are excessively strong. 
 
 Tobe, or large shirts, much varied in colours and prices; the 
 best are called Sarnia, of blue cotton and white silk woven in stripes. 
 A female slave is considered a fair exchange for one of these shirts; 
 others are at seven or eight dollars each. White ones are also 
 made, but not considered equal to the blue. The names of those 
 most commonly brought are, Massaquari, Sharia, Shata, Shinni, 
 Freezy, and Abiad, or white. 
 
 Aba. Of cotton : it is a large shawl or wrapper, used and worn 
 nearly as the barracans or abas of the Arabs and Moors. These 
 wrappers are always striped, and generally very handsome: they 
 are called Melhaffi Zaberma. 
 
 Gold. In dust, and small bars or rings. This precious metal 
 is not brought openly, owing to the avarice of the Sultan; and the 
 amount is very small in comparison with the commerce in the time 
 of the last Sultan. It is valued at about one dollar and a half the 
 Mitgal, or about the seventh part of an ounce. 
 
 Leather. Hides of sheep and goats, dyed and prepared ex¬ 
 tremely well, of yellow, red, or black ; they are even glazed in the 
 same way as morocco leather. The skins of bullocks prepared with 
 grease (of which water buckets and sandals are generally made), and 
 quite pliable. Many ornamental articles in leather are also brought; 
 amongst others the Mokhadda, or pillows, which are beautifully 
 made. They are mostly of red or yellow, with figures and ornaments 
 dyed in black or blue, and tassels hanging at the ends. 
 
 x 2 
 
156 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Medaas. Ornamental sandals of exquisite workmanship, for 
 men and women. 
 
 Keldbo. These are the ox hides just mentioned, and are sold in 
 Fezzan for five or six dollars each. 
 
 Gerbas. Or water skins, made of goats’ hides ; they are con¬ 
 sidered the best in Africa, are very large and tight, and are worth 
 three dollars each. 
 
 El Khaaf. The blue wrappers which form part of the head¬ 
 dress of the Tuarick. 
 
 Ostrich skins with the feathers on. 
 
 Honey. Yellow and white, and very good. 
 
 Goo?', Kolia, or Goo?'oo nuts. They are brought fresh inclosed 
 in a particular leaf, which retains its moisture for several days ; if 
 occasionally dipped in water, the nut will remain fresh for months. 
 The taste is an agreeable bitter; and water drank after chewing a 
 piece of one appears quite sweet, resembling the flavour of an arti¬ 
 choke. In Morzouk this luxury sells at the rate of four nuts for a 
 dollar. They are about the size of a walnut, and shaped like a large 
 bean. It is said, that in certain years when the nut has been scarce, 
 people in Soudan have given a slave for one of them. They are 
 the produce of Dagomba, Ashantee, and several countries west 
 of Tembuctoo: I conceive they may be the Kolia nut of Park. 
 When in a dry state, much of their bitterness ceases, and they 
 resemble a dry chesnut; they are then less valuable, and are called 
 Kowda. These dainties are offered to visitors as coffee is on 
 the coast of Barbary : many people call them the negro’s coffee. 
 
 Pepper, lied, of two kinds; and three or four sorts of black, 
 one of which resembles the pod of a vetch or tare. 
 
 Tammerat el JUJU. A large pod, in shape resembling a walnut, 
 and containing many small seeds of a very pungent taste, equal to 
 Cayenne pepper. 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 ARTICLES OF TRADE. 
 
 157 
 
 Zoogoo. A kind of cotton cloth of great strength and thickness. 
 
 Elephants' teeth. Not often brought. 
 
 Leather jars. For containing oil, butter, or grease of any de¬ 
 scription. Honey is also brought in them : they are called Butta. 
 
 Leather bags. Capable of containing about a sack of corn; 
 made of the hide of the black buffalo. 
 
 Bowls, called Kaffala, highly carved and ornamented, made of 
 gourds ; others are of wood ; and wooden spoons. 
 
 Mortars, called Karroo, made of any hard wood, and used for 
 pounding corn. 
 
 Leather, and skin ornaments, ivory armlets and finger rings, little 
 fancy baskets, and many other trifles, complete the list, and serve 
 to supply the deficiency of a camel’s load. Blue parrots are brought 
 from Noofy, and sell at astonishing prices, some as high as twenty 
 dollars. They are carried by the negresses, who soon teach them 
 to speak. They are not found east of Noofy. A sweet cake, 
 called Aaoud el Kagh (or cough wood) made of spice and honey, is 
 another article of commerce. Occasionally they bring a few sheep 
 and goats, as presents to the Sultan, or to the families of the 
 traders ; lions’ skins, and sometimes those of tiger cats. 
 
 To Egypt the Fezzan Merchants carry 
 
 Slaves, chiefly female. 
 
 Gold, procured from the interior. 
 
 Red pepper, native produce. 
 
 Trona, or soda, which is procured in the Wadey Shiati, and is 
 chewed with tobacco. 
 
 Ostrich feathers. 
 
 Tiger cat and lions' skins. 
 
 Majiggri, or long-tailed sheep of Soudan, which are bought in 
 Egypt as high as thirty dollars each. 
 
158 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Parrots, procured from Soudan. 
 
 Dates, which they obtain at Siwah, half-way on the road to 
 Alexandria. 
 
 Leather of Soudan. 
 
 Dark blue Soudan cloths in pieces, &c. &c. 
 
 In return, the Egyptian traders, who are generally natives of 
 Angela, a midway town, bring 
 
 Muslin turbans, which are only worn by great and rich people. 
 
 Silk, in stuffs, raw, and in thread. 
 
 Gold, thread and lace. 
 
 Striped stuffs of silk and cotton woven together, much worn by 
 the merchants in the interior. 
 
 Cashmere shaids, which are not often brought, are generally 
 bought up by the Morocco traders. 
 
 Striped silk "stuffs for women's under garments, and ready made 
 up shirts. 
 
 Silk and cotton, sewed together in ribbons; also for shirts. 
 
 Cotto?i shirts, with coloured stripes for women. 
 
 Silk handkerchiefs for women. 
 
 Copper pots and basins, tinned inside and out. 
 
 Plates, cups, and bowls, of earthen ware. 
 
 Glasses for lamps, and brass and tin lamps. 
 
 Carpets of cotton, in coloured stripes. 
 
 Green leather, called Zengarr. 
 
 Gilt leather, called Smanto, which the women cut into small 
 stripes, and plait with their hair. 
 
 Spices of several kinds. 
 
 Woollen cloth of the most brilliant colours, but of the coarsest 
 and worst quality. 
 
 Kaftans, ready made and lined, of the above cloth. 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 ARTICLES OF TRADE. 
 
 159 
 
 Beads of various kinds and colours. 
 
 Agates and cornelians roughly cut in the form of hearts. 
 
 Armlets of glass, of various colours. 
 
 Brass anklets, armlets, and ear-rings; blunderbusses, pistols, 
 swords, powder, and daggers ; gilt stirrups, tents, soap of an inferior 
 quality, musk, sugar, brown and white, in loaves, attar of roses, and 
 jasmin; rosewater, aloes wood and camphor for perfuming the 
 dead, zebed (or civet) of Mecca, and several other perfumes; silver 
 ornaments for women; horses occasionally; bottles, ornamented 
 boxes, tobacco and bowls for pipes; bead headbands for female 
 slaves; sheet tin, and tin articles; red caps, Luban, a gum tasting 
 much like resin, which people chew, and gum mastic; Habsia; 
 handsome girls from Abyssinia, educated in Mecca or Egypt. They 
 are now but seldom brought, the Fezzanners not being rich enough 
 to purchase them as formerly. 
 
 From Bor non the Tibboo bring 
 
 Slaves, wooden bowls, kaffala, or gourd bowls; a few tobes or 
 shirts; sheep, goats, and a little honey. Lion’s skins were once 
 brought, but they are not now to be had, owing to the Sultan of 
 Bornou buying them all up for his negresses to sleep on, to prevent 
 their bearing children, as he has already a large family. It is im¬ 
 plicitly believed that a woman who sleeps on a lion’s skin never can 
 become pregnant. 
 
 From Tuat the Tuarick bring 
 
 Gold procured from Tembuctoo in dust and bars; now, however, 
 rarely and in small quantities. 
 
 Silk and gold belts , with cases to hang the books in. 
 
 Timied copper pots , basins, &c. 
 
 Light jereeds, or abas, of wool or cotton. 
 
160 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Horses , hair sacks, red, black, and yellow leather, ornamental 
 bridles. 
 
 Korans , and other religious books, elegantly written, and often 
 illuminated with letters of gold or rich colours. 
 
 Kohol. The black powder used for the eyelids. 
 
 Auoucl el Kagh. A sweetmeat made of honey. 
 
 Atria. A perfumed powder of cloves, wild lavender, and other 
 sweet herbs, with which the Fezzan women powder their hair: the 
 smell is by no means unpleasant. 
 
 Trifles and toys are also brought in great quantities. 
 
 In Soudan the people ride on Maherries. 
 
 Half-way between Nooffy and Ashantee is a country of great 
 extent, called Gonja. It is said that the people have the power of 
 taming the elephants, which there, as in Soudan, are found in great 
 numbers. This country is traversed by the traders in their way to 
 the Gold Coast. 
 
 The mountains of Kong, near Dagomba, are said actually to 
 exist, but I know not whether under the same name. Beyond 
 Dagomba the country is low and marshy, and at certain seasons is 
 overflowed. All the people, who are not Moslems, in Soudan, 
 Bornou, or indeed over the greater part of the interior, are called 
 Iverdi, which means Kaffir, or “ unbeliever,” and is considered 
 as a term of reproach; but no distinct tribe called by that name 
 exists. 
 
 The women of the whole of the interior have no hand-mills to 
 grind their corn, but pound it in large wooden mortars, enlivening 
 their labour by songs. The want of salt is much felt. The Tuarick 
 of Aghades and Asben, of the tribes of Kelli we and Atesin, trade 
 to great advantage in that article, which they bring from the salt 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 V 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAr. IV. 
 
 GHADAMS. 
 
 161 
 
 lakes of Agram (Doomboo of the maps), on the Desert of Bilma, 
 the position of which I shall mention when speaking of the country 
 of the Tibboo. 
 
 The women of Soudan are much famed for their singing. They 
 accompany themselves on a little instrument made of a gourd, with 
 a skin stretched over it like a drum, having a handle and one string, 
 which is played by a bow made with horse-hair. This instrument 
 is called Erbab. Their other instruments are drums, bagpipes, 
 rude cymbals, and a long gourd called Zantoo, which has a hole at 
 each end, and is beaten against the calf of the leg, and stopped 
 quickly by the hand. 
 
 The women of Bornou have not so many attractions as those of 
 Soudan. They are neither so handsome, well formed, clean, nor 
 good-tempered; and, in consequence, the slaves from the latter 
 country bring much higher prices. The costume of the women 
 of both these places is very remarkable, particularly in the manner 
 of dressing their hair; those of Soudan stretching it over a high 
 pad raised like a helmet, and the Bornou girls plaiting it in some 
 instances close to the head, and in others letting it hang down like 
 little bobbins. They wear a large shirt of cotton, or striped silk, 
 and a wrapper in the form of a petticoat, called Zeneh. Their 
 silver ear-rings, bracelets, and anklets, form a very pretty con¬ 
 trast with their jetty skins. In their own countries they wear 
 no shirts, but a long wrapper tied over the breasts and under 
 the arms. 
 
 Ghadams. I have frequently had occasion to speak of this 
 place, which is situated on the Desert, fifteen days south-west of 
 Tripoli. It is there that merchants going to Tembuctoo or Tuat 
 assemble before starting for their long journey. This place was 
 once independent, but a few years since was taken by the son of the 
 
 Y 
 
1 62 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Bashaw of Tripoli, and has ever since remained tributary. The 
 natives are constantly trading to Tembuctoo, and there are few of 
 them who do not speak the language of that country, and of the 
 Tuarick also. It is a singular fact, that two tribes live in Ghadams 
 without having any communication with each other. From a person 
 who had often traded there I obtained the following account, and 
 he drew on the sand the small plan here shown. 
 
 iv 
 
 A large circular wall is divided in the middle by another broad 
 one, which separates the two towns. It has a gate through the 
 centre, which is shut during any disturbance. The inhabitants of 
 both towns were always at war with each other, and have even 
 now occasionally very dangerous quarrels. Outside the towns are 
 the gardens and date groves. The streets are all covered in, and are 
 so dark in consequence, that at sunset a person is unable to find 
 his way without a lamp. The houses are good, formed of mud, and 
 of one story. The natives are Arabs. Those who reside in the 
 two towns seldom see, and are as perfect strangers to each other, 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 163 
 
 as if living many miles apart. No intermarriages or civilities exist 
 between them, and a chance visitor from one town seldom escapes 
 insult from the people of the other. In Benewazeed is a spring 
 sufficiently large to supply both these places, as well as their 
 gardens. There are five channels from it, by which the water is 
 distributed in equal shares, at a certain allowance, in proportion to 
 the houses or gardens to be watered. When the allowance for one 
 place is poured into its proper channel, it is then dammed up, and 
 another is supplied. There are people regularly appointed from 
 each town to attend the distribution. The water is said to be 
 rather warm and quite fresh, and runs in a channel communicating 
 with the Mosque, through which it passes. There are many small 
 rooms, into which those who wish to bathe in performing their 
 ablutions may retire. The mouadden, or minaret of this Mosque 
 is very high, and may be seen at the distance of a day's journey. 
 Each town has a Sheikh, and the two are under the command of a 
 Ivaid appointed by the Bashaw. There are no manufactories, but 
 it is veil supplied by the constant concourse of traders who pass 
 through it. Many ostriches are caught in the neighbouring desert, 
 and the feathers form an extensive article of commerce with Tripoli. 
 In the southern half of the walls is a tribe of Arabs living by them¬ 
 selves, called Oulad Belail. From Ghadams to Iddri, in the Wadey 
 Shirghi of Fezzan, is eight days; and to Ghraat, twenty days short 
 journeys, or fifteen summer days. 
 
 September.—All the people were this month busily employed 
 in getting in their soft dates, which were in great plenty, and 
 became their chief support. There are two harvests of this fruit; 
 one while the dates are soft, the other the latter end of October 
 and beginning of November, when they are dried and candied. 
 
 Beports were brought from Tripoli that it was the intention of 
 the Bashaw to send out another Sultan to supersede Mukni, and 
 
 y 2 
 
164 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 that a larger tribute was expected than had ever been paid. These 
 reports, corroborated by one or two private letters, very much 
 alarmed the Sultan, and caused him to fall sick and take to his bed. 
 He began, for the first time in his life, to pray at the regular hours 
 ordered by the law; he ceased to swear, talked much of Paradise, 
 and of the superiority of the other world to this. Mr. Bitchie 
 was at this time very weak, and began again to be indisposed, but 
 he constantly visited Mukni, and at last succeeded in restoring him 
 to health ; thus returning by kindness the ill treatment we had 
 received from him. We both went frequently to the Castle, and 
 learnt by degrees that some strong expressions of Mukni’s had 
 come to the ears of the Bashaw, whose emissaries he expected 
 would be sent to strangle him, and take all his wealth. Never 
 was a haughty tyrant so completely humbled by his fears as 
 this man : he sat constantly in a dark room, would receive only 
 one or two visitors, and was nursed by negresses day and night; 
 always speaking in a low voice, and, in his terror, betraying all his 
 secrets. 
 
 Affairs were in this state when he determined on sending his 
 chief man, Aboo bekr boo Khalloum, to Tripoli, that he might 
 endeavour to mediate for him with the Bashaw. Presents of 
 negresses and perfumes were to be sent as a propitiation. Ten fine 
 girls of the Sultan's household were intended for the Bashaw, with 
 about one bundl ed dollars’ worth of civet, and three negresses for 
 the bey, the heir apparent; two for his brothers, and one for each of 
 the principal people about the Bashaw. 1 took this opportunity of 
 sending my bill to the Consul, and Aboo bekr was to bring me 
 back the money, Mr. Bitchie having written to state our distressed 
 situation. Soon after the man's departure we received a present of 
 a sheep, and two loaves of Egyptian sugar, from Mukni, who now 
 began to feel a little more at ease; but at the same time made 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 165 
 
 secret preparations for flight (of which we, however, were informed), 
 by getting several of his horses shod at night, and causing all his 
 women to grind corn and to make provision for a long and sudden 
 journey. We were well aware, that should he be under the 
 necessity of flying, he would not go empty handed; and it was 
 pretty generally supposed that he would first revenge himself on 
 tho Mamlukes, whom he suspected of informing the Bashaw of his 
 evil doings, and then take possession of our effects, which by his 
 artful schemes had remained so long on our hands unpurchased. 
 Our friends Yussuf and the old Hadje stole to our house several 
 nights to give us an account of what was going forward, and, in 
 consequence, we held consultations for our general safety. It was 
 some satisfaction to know that all the Mamlukes, to the number of 
 about ten, would have flocked to our house in the event of any 
 disturbance; and our arms and ammunition being very superior to 
 those of the Sultan, we should have stood a good siege had we been 
 attacked. 
 
 Mukni’s treacherous intentions were, in the meantime, too ap¬ 
 parent to allow of our feeling quite at ease, though he frequently 
 came to visit us, and still professed the same friendship for us as 
 before. One of our amusements on these occasions was to fire pistols 
 at a mark at the end of the room. He was very fond of this kind 
 of practice, and appeared to understand our arms; but we happily 
 always succeeded in firing much better than himself or his fol¬ 
 lowers ; a circumstance of which, at this time, we were glad to 
 have an opportunity of convincing him. I had some very small 
 pistols, which he much admired, and he had given me frequent 
 hints of his desire to purchase them, even many months prior to 
 this period, but I did not choose to understand him. Mr. Kitchie 
 agreed in the propriety of keeping our arms loaded and ready, and 
 we frequently went into our yard to practise at a mark. 
 
166 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Mukni was at this time even more courteous and civil than 
 usual; indeed so much so, that he overshot his mark, and con¬ 
 firmed us in our determination to be prepared for him. One of 
 his Eunuchs who came to ask for medicine for a woman of the 
 castle who wanted to bear children, hinted to us, that Mukni was 
 preparing for a sudden escape, and that much mischief was appre¬ 
 hended before he turned his back on Morzouk. We could not.be 
 indifferent to this caution, and therefore lay all night with our 
 pistols under our heads, and our other arms in readiness, con¬ 
 ceiving we might soon be called upon to make use of them. 
 
 In this state we continued for some days, Mr. Ritchie lying on 
 one side of the large room, I on the other, and Belford in a small 
 room adjoining.—One night, at about 12 o’clock, X was awakened 
 by Mr. Ritchie’s crying out in Arabic, “ Who are you ?” “ Lyon, 
 there is a man on the house top.*’ We all instantly started up; 
 and I, being the most active of our emaciated party, was pushed 
 up to the roof, while Mr. Ritchie and Belford ran to our yard, to 
 cut off the retreat of the intruder. I saw no one, however, and 
 though I ran along the tops of some neighbouring houses, could 
 make no discovery. Our old Mamluke was sleeping on the* top of 
 his house, and rose instantly witli his gun in his hand, to assist in 
 the search. Meanwhile we all shouted to our neighbours, begging 
 their assistance to look for any strangers who might endeavour to 
 get on their terraces. In an instant all our friends were up, and 
 on the look out; but, after the strictest examination, no person 
 could be found. 
 
 Mr. Ritchie said, that as he was lying in bed, awake, he heard a 
 slight noise overhead, when, in looking up, he saw a man stooping 
 over our sky-light, or opening in the roof, as if for the purpose of 
 examining into the room. After ascertaining where Mr. Ritchie 
 slept, he knelt down, hanging his head as far over as he could, to 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 167 
 
 observe where I lay. Mr. Ritchie moved very gently, so as to reach 
 his pistol, when the intruder disappeared, and he instantly called 
 out to me. He stated, that he saw as low down as the man’s waist, 
 that his body appeared naked, and that he had a white cap on his 
 head. 
 
 The buildings here being covered with a mixture of sand and 
 clay which easily receives the impression of feet, I endeavoured to 
 trace on the top of ours the tracks of our visitor, and succeeded in 
 finding one long print of a foot, exactly in the direction in which 
 Mr. Ritchie had first observed this man. The impression did not 
 resemble the shape of any of our feet; but was longer, and entirely 
 flat, like those of most Negroes. Little doubt, therefore, could 
 remain that a stranger had been there, evidently with no good 
 intentions. 
 
 The next morning we waited on Mukni, informing him of what 
 had occurred, when he affected to think Mr. Ritchie must have 
 been delirious, and laughed very much at our alarm. Old Hadje 
 Mahmoud was firmly persuaded it was Iblis, who had haunted our 
 house ever since a man was murdered in it. The foot-mark, how¬ 
 ever, staggered him a good deal, and he offered to bring a Maraboot, 
 who would by smelling it, and reciting a few prayers, tell us who 
 had imprinted it. The more rational people agreed in our opinion, 
 that it was a spy, but this was only ventured in private; in public 
 they pretended to treat the matter as lightly as the Sultan did. 
 
 The preparations we had made, and our being observed to start 
 up ready armed, perhaps secured us from any farther visits of the 
 kind, and we took especial care to announce openly, that we would 
 shoot the first person we saw even looking into our back yard. 
 We never could positively ascertain why such a mysterious visit 
 was made to us, but we strongly suspected Mukni to be the sole 
 
168 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 instigator of it. He soon after again fell sick, and constantly pro¬ 
 fessed his great regard for us. 
 
 After Boo Khalloum’s departure, some Arab Sheikhs were esta¬ 
 blished as inmates of the castle, and Mukni frequently walked 
 hand in hand with one of them, who was Chief of the tribe Barooda. 
 This man was considered as being better acquainted with all the 
 roads of the desert, than any other person in Fezzan. His own 
 tribe were, at this time, near Egypt; and many suspected, that 
 Mukni intended, with his assistance, to go off in that direction. 
 But whatever might have been his destination, every route would 
 have been equally dangerous for him, since he was detested by all 
 the Arabs, and liable to be tortured and put to death by the 
 Negroes, should he fall into their power. 
 
 For the present, however, leaving him confined in his castle, I 
 shall speak more of the people of Morzouk. The ablest person 
 of our sick party always went to the gardens to shoot pigeons, 
 which had been numerous, but which now had emigrated to the 
 countries to the southward. These visits to the date groves gave 
 us many opportunities of observing the manner of cultivating the 
 grain and esculents. The wells are generally about 20 or 30 feet 
 in depth, and more resemble large deep ponds than what we call 
 wells. The water lies on a stratum of grayish clay, is salt, and 
 generally smells very badly: it is raised by means of sheers made 
 of date trees, lashed together, and placed slopingly over the centre 
 of the pit. One or two asses, according to the number of buckets 
 used, are attached by a light harness and run down a steep bank, 
 which renders their work less laborious. The men who attend 
 also draw with them, and quicken their pace by pricking them on 
 the flanks, with their small reaping hooks, in so rude a manner, that 
 many of the poor animals are quite scarified. The water runs into 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 169 
 
 small channels, which are formed round the garden, while the 
 women and children, with scoops, distribute it as it may be wanted. 
 
 In some places where it is intended to allow the ground to 
 “ drink,” the embankments are opened, and the garden is completely 
 flooded; thus the labour is very great, and absolutely necessary, 
 as rain is unknown, and no dews ever fall. The people who 
 attend the gardens, live in little huts constructed of palm branches, 
 and about six feet in height. The dates, when quite dry, are 
 buried in square holes, dug in the sand, and are afterwards covered 
 over with it. Corn is made into little sheaves, and laid out until 
 wanted: it is then beaten with long date-sticks, and asses are 
 made to run over it. The ground on which these operations 
 take place is a circle firmly clayed and quite clean : much sand 
 is, however, unavoidably mixed with their corn. Pomegranate 
 and fig-trees form an agreeable shade near some of the wells; 
 they are so planted, as to stand in the centre of the water channels. 
 The gardens are, as I have before stated, very small; yet it some¬ 
 times happens, that one alone produces all the vegetables and fruits 
 peculiar to the country. 
 
 Near our house was the principal Mosque, to which the Sultan 
 and ourselves went every Friday, as a matter of course ; and every 
 other day, we found it necessary to appear there once or twice. It 
 is a low building, having a shed projecting over the door, which, 
 being raised on a platform, is entered by a few steps. A small 
 turret, intended to be square and perpendicular, is erected for the 
 Mouadden to call the people to prayers. One of the great lounges 
 is on the seats in front of the Mosque ; and every morning and 
 evening, they are full of idle people, who converse on the state of 
 the markets, and on their own private affairs ; or, in a fearful 
 whisper, canvass the Sultan’s conduct. 
 
 The men of Morzouk, of the better sort, dress nearly like the 
 
 z 
 
170 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 people of Tripoli; the lower orders wear a large shirt of white 
 or blue cotton with long loose sleeves, trowsers of the same, and 
 sandals of camels’ hide: the shirts being long, many wear no 
 other covering. When leaving their houses, and walking to the 
 market or gardens, a Jereed or Aba is thrown round them, and a 
 red cap, or a neatly quilted white cotton one, completes the dress: 
 on Fridays they perhaps add a turban, and appear in yellow slip¬ 
 pers. In the gardens, men and women wear large broad-brimmed 
 straw hats to defend their eyes from the sun, and sandals made 
 from the leaves and fibres of the palm-tree. Very young children 
 go entirely naked ; those who are older have a shirt: many are 
 quite bare-headed, and in that state exposed all day to the sun and 
 flies. The men have but little beard, which they keep closely 
 clipped. The dress of the women here differs materially from that 
 of the Moorish females, and their appearance and smell are far from 
 being agreeable: they plait their hair in thick bobbins, which hang¬ 
 over their foreheads, nearly as low down as the eyebrows, and are 
 there joined at the bottom, as far round to each side as the temples. 
 
 The hair is so profusely oiled, that it drops down over the face 
 and clothes; this is dried up by sprinkling it with plenty of a 
 preparation made of a plant resembling wild lavender, cloves, and 
 one or two more species, pounded into powder and called Atria: 
 it forms a brown, dirty looking paste, and, combined with per¬ 
 spiration and the Hying sand, becomes in a few days far from 
 savoury in appearance or odour. The back hair is less disgusting, 
 as it is plaited into a long tress on each side, and is brought 
 to hang over the shoulders ; from these tresses, ornaments of silver 
 or coral are suspended. Black wool is frequently worked in with 
 these back locks, to make them appear longer. In the centre of the 
 forehead, an ornament of coral or beads is placed, hanging down to 
 the depth of an inch or two. A woollen handkerchief is fastened 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 171 
 
 on the back of the head; it falls over behind, and is tied by a 
 leather strap under the chin. Each ear is perforated for as many 
 rings as the woman possesses, some wear even six on one side; the 
 largest, which is about five inches in diameter, hanging lowest, 
 supported by a string from the head. Round the neck, a tight 
 flat collar of beads, arranged in fancy patterns, is worn with coral 
 necklaces, and sometimes a broad gold plate immediately in front. 
 A large blue shirt is generally worn, the collar and breast orna¬ 
 mented with needle-work: the women also wear white shirts, and 
 striped silk ones called Shami, which are brought from Egypt;—a 
 Jereed and red slippers complete their dress. 
 
 They generally have those wrappers of a darker colour than 
 those of the men. Some of the better class of women wear trow- 
 sers, not fuller in the leg than those worn in Europe ; they are very 
 prettily embroidered with silk at the bottom of the leg, and form a 
 handsome contrast to the black skin of the wearer. Cornelians or 
 Agates, roughly shaped in the form of hearts, are much worn as 
 necklaces, and they have a variety of rings for the thumbs and 
 fingers. A band of silk cord hanging round the body from one 
 shoulder is generally filled with pendent leather or cloth bags con¬ 
 taining charms. Round the wrists and above the elbows, Armlets 
 of silver, gold, glass, horn, or ivory, are worn according to the ability 
 of the wearer to purchase them; and on the ankles they have 
 silver, brass, copper, or iron shackles. I have seen a pair of silver 
 ones, which weighed 128 ounces; but these ponderous ornaments 
 produce a callous lump on the leg, and entirely deform the ankle. 
 The poorest people have only the Jereed and sandals. Both men 
 and women have a singular custom of stuffing their nostrils with a 
 twisted leaf of onions or clover, which has a very disgusting appear¬ 
 ance. The men, not using oil, are much cleaner than the women; 
 but the whole race of them, high and low, apparently clean or 
 
172 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. CHAP. iv. 
 
 otherwise, are abominably lousy ; and they make no secret of it. I 
 have frequently observed the Sultan, when detecting an interloper, 
 moisten his thumb to prevent its escape, and then demolish it with 
 great composure and dignity. Some of the neighbours whom we 
 visited, whilst reposing on their carpets, would send for a slave to 
 hunt for these tormentors on their shirts ; and it is a great recom¬ 
 mendation to a female slave, on sale, to say that she is well skilled 
 in this art, and in that of shampooing. 
 
 About the 20th of September, Mr. Ritchie again became ill, 
 and was confined to his bed; and though Belford had, in some 
 degree, recovered his health, he was completely deaf. We hired 
 a woman to cook for us, at a dollar a month; but she was only 
 required to come once a day to bake our bread, or to make our 
 cusscussou, as we were now on an allowance. It often happened, that 
 when she had stolen half our pittance, we were obliged to fast until 
 the morrow. In all our troubles, however, I struggled to keep up 
 my spirits ; and, in the evenings when Mr. Ritchie had composed 
 himself to sleep, I sometimes accompanied Mohammed (who was 
 civil to me on account of some tobacco I possessed) to the parties 
 of the natives, where I joined them in dancing, and drinking Lackbi 
 and Booza. The latter is a liquor resembling in taste bad thick 
 beer, and is made of dates, the flour of Gussub, and water; it 
 ferments in the course of a night, and on becoming sour, is fit for 
 drinking : it is preferred when thick, and it soon intoxicates. 
 
 As these meetings were not very select, I was obliged to promise 
 secresy; for, had it been known that Mohammed or myself ever 
 tasted such unlawful beverage, we should have been looked on as 
 downright kaffirs. The people who formed these parties were gene¬ 
 rally of the lower class, although I once detected amongst them the 
 religious old Kadi himself, in a state very far from sober, and 
 listening to a woman playing the Erbab but I found, by occasion- 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 173 
 
 ally mixing with them, that I became better acquainted with their 
 language and customs, which I knew would be of essential advantage 
 as I proceeded southward. I also acquired many friends who, as 
 far as their power extended, were of much assistance to me. Mo¬ 
 hammed condescended to join in the dances, becoming always very 
 much intoxicated, and I frequently remained the only sober person 
 amongst them ; so that I was able to make observations, and to be 
 much amused by my companions. As on all these occasions we 
 were with closed doors, in an open court, the women played to us 
 on the Erbab, and really produced a very pleasing, though a wild 
 melody: their songs were pretty and plaintive, and generally in 
 the Soudan language, which is very musical. 
 
 At some of our parties, a woman sang a song, which she said 
 was much admired by the brother of the last Sultan, whose name 
 was Sidi Montesor; and from certain expressions in it, I discovered 
 that it was the same mentioned by Horneman ; and what was sin¬ 
 gular enough, it was sung by the same woman : she recollected that 
 traveller, as having often been at the castle when she performed 
 there. Some of these songs abound with poetical images ;—for 
 example, a lover will compare his mistress to a young date just 
 ripened; the jetty hue of her skin, to the wing of a raven; her 
 teeth to pearls; her eyes to the sun ; and her breath to the attar 
 of roses; her words to musk; her voice to the erbab; and her 
 kisses to honey, or the sugar brought from Egypt. The Arab 
 songs are also very pretty, and generally in the same style. A 
 young man once took much pains to teach me one; composed, as 
 he said, by a relation of his own. He sang it, as is the Arab 
 custom, in a voice low and monotonous, though far from disagree¬ 
 able. The hero of the piece is one of the Waled Suliman; he is 
 riding to see a girl whom he admires, but who belongs to another 
 tribe.—As nearly as I can recollect, the words ran thus : 
 
174 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 “ Here I am, well mounted, on a horse whose ears are like pens, 
 who runs like an antelope, and knows none but his master. My 
 new red cap becomes me well; my sword is sharp, my pistols well 
 cleaned, and my belt shines in the sun. As the heart of a pigeon 
 beats when she finds she is robbed of her young, so will my love's 
 heart beat when she sees me. She will not allow the' dog to bark’ 
 and she will leave the tent as if in search of wood. Should her 
 kinsmen see her with me, she shall not fall under their displeasure. 
 I will lift her on my horse, and fly with her; for my steed has ears 
 like pens, he runs like an antelope, and knows none but his master. 
 My new tagaia becomes me well; my sword is sharp, my pistols 
 clean, and my belt shines in the sun.” 
 
 The natives have a variety of dances, of winch two or three are 
 peculiar to the country. The parties assemble on the sands, in the 
 dusk of the evening, when a number of young men and women 
 range themselves side by side, and dance to the sound of drums, to 
 which they keep very good time. The men have a rude kind of 
 iron cymbal in each hand, which opens and shuts: this they beat 
 in the manner of castanets; both sexes singing at the same time 
 in chorus. The movements consist in stepping forward, the whole 
 line at once, at a particular turn of the tune, as if to catch some¬ 
 thing with their two hands, which they hold out; they balance 
 themselves a short time on the advanced foot, and then step back, 
 turning half round, first to one side and then the other. The 
 whole line then moves slowly, in a circle, round the musicians who 
 form the centre, and who all join in the dance. 
 
 There is nothing improper or immodest in this exhibition; but 
 on the contrary, from its slowness and the regularity of its move¬ 
 ments, it is extremely pleasing and elegant. Another dance is per¬ 
 formed by women only, who form a circle round the drummers, and 
 occasionally sing a lively chorus; one advances, and with her arms 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 175 
 
 extended, foots it to and from the drummers, two or three times, 
 until a change of tune, when she runs quickly backwards, and falls 
 flat down. The women behind are ready to receive her, and by a 
 jerk of their arms, throw her again upright; on which she once 
 more turns round, and resumes her place, leaving the one next in 
 succession to her to go through the same movements, all of which 
 are performed in the most just time ; the whole party occasionally 
 enlivening the music, by their shrill and extraordinary cry of joy. 
 The dancing in the houses is not quite so pleasing as that in public, 
 and as for decency it is quite out of the question ; no man or 
 woman standing up, unless to throw themselves into a variety of 
 indelicate postures. The male slaves have many dances, in which 
 great activity and exertion are requisite. One consists in dancing 
 in a circle, each man armed with a stick; they all move, first half 
 and then quite round, striking, as they turn, the sticks of those on 
 each side of them, and then jumping off the ground as high as they 
 can. Another is performed by boys, and they have no drum, but 
 keep chorus, by singing in a particular manner, La ilia il ’Alla 
 <dlM “ There is no God but God.” 
 
 The Sultan had frequently requested Mr. Ritchie to visit his 
 children, and some of his negresses, when they were indisposed, 
 and he had, in consequence, frequently attended them; but now 
 being himself confined by illness, I was allowed to prescribe for 
 them, and had, therefore, frequent opportunities of observing the 
 t interior of his family, which would not otherwise have been afforded 
 me. I was much struck with the appearance of his daughters, one 
 of three, the other of one year and a half old, who were dressed in 
 the highest style of barbarian magnificence, and were absolutely 
 laden with gold. From their necks were suspended large orna¬ 
 ments of the manufacture of Tembuctoo, and they had massive gold 
 armlets and anklets of two inches in breadth, and half an inch in 
 
176 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 thickness, which, from their immense weight, had produced callous 
 rings round the legs and arms of the poor infants. They wore silk 
 shirts, composed of ribbons sewed together in stripes of various 
 colours, which hung down over silk trowsers. An embroidered 
 waistcoat and cap completed this overwhelming costume. Their 
 nails, the tips of their fingers, the palms of their hands, and the 
 soles of their feet, were dyed dark brown with henna. I had viewed 
 with amazement and pity the dress of these poor little girls, borne 
 down as they were by finery; but that of the youngest boy, a 
 stupid-looking child of four years old, was even more preposterous 
 than that of his sisters. In addition to the ornaments worn by 
 them, he was loaded with a number of charms, enclosed in gold 
 cases, slung round his body; in his cap were numerous jewels, 
 heavily set in gold in the form of open hands, to keep off the effects 
 of the “ Evil Eye.” These talismans were sewn on the front of his 
 cap, which they entirely covered. His clothes were highly em¬ 
 broidered, and consisted of three waistcoats, a shirt of white silk, 
 the women only wearing coloured ones, and loose cloth, silk, or 
 muslin trowsers. 
 
 The costume of the Sultan’s court, or hangers on, is strictly 
 Tripoline, and as fine as lace or presents of cast off clothes can 
 make them. It is the custom with Mukni, in imitation of the 
 Bashaw, to bestow occasionally on his principal people some article 
 of dress. These presents are made with much affected dignity, by 
 throwing the garment to the person intended to be honoured, and 
 saying, “ wear thatthe dress is immediately put on in his 
 presence, and the receiver kneels and kisses his hand in token of 
 gratitude. I once saw the old Kadi, who is very corpulent, receive 
 as a gift, a Kaftan, which was so small for him, that when he had 
 squeezed himself into it, he was unable to move his arms, and was 
 m that condition obliged to walk home. 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 177 
 
 Each of the Sultan’s sons has a large troop of slaves, who attend 
 him wherever he goes; they are generally about the same age as 
 their master, and are his playmates, though they are obliged to 
 receive from him many hearty cuffs without daring to complain. 
 The suite of the youngest boy in particular forms a very amusing 
 group, few of them exceeding five years of age. One bears his 
 master’s Bornouse, another holds one shoe, walking next to the boy 
 who carries its fellow. Some are in fine cast off* clothes with tar¬ 
 nished embroidery, whilst others are quite, or nearly naked, without 
 even a cap on their heads; and the procession is closed by a boy 
 tottering under the weight of his master's state gun, which is never 
 allowed to be fired off 
 
 In Morzouk the luxuries of life are very limited, the people 
 subsisting principally on dates. Many do not, for months together, 
 taste corn, and when obtained, they make it into a paste called 
 Aseeda aaJ, which is a softer kind of Bazeen. Fowls have now 
 almost disappeared in the country, owing to the Sultan’s having 
 appropriated all he could find for the consumption of his own family. 
 
 The sheep and goats are driven from the mountains near Be- 
 nioleed, a distance of four hundred miles; they pass over one 
 desert, which, at their rate of travelling, occupies five days, without 
 food or water. Numbers, therefore, die, which of course raises the 
 price of the survivors. They are valued at three or four dollars 
 each when they arrive quite skeletons, and are as high as ten or 
 twelve when fatted. Bread is badly made, and baked in ovens 
 formed of clay in holes in the earth, and heated by burning wood; 
 the loaves, or rather flat cakes, are stuck into the side, and are 
 thus baked by the heat which rises from the embers. Cusscussou, 
 Dweeda, and Mogatta, are the best food they have. 
 
 The mills are of the same description as the hand-mills of the 
 Arabs. The corn, when ground, is tolerably fine; but the unavoid- 
 
 a a 
 
178 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 able friction of the stones causes much grit to mingle with it. In 
 all their food, those who can afford it mix as much grease and red 
 pepper as possible. A quart of butter is sometimes poured over 
 the doughy mess for one man, who generally manages to finish it. 
 This butter is brought in goats’ skins from the Syrtis, and other 
 parts of the sea-coast; is very rancid, and from having been boiled 
 previously to putting it in skins, is as liquid as oil: it is considered 
 a great dainty, and is very dear. Shahm, or salt boiled suet, is 
 brought by the same people who trade in butter. Oil is the 
 produce of Benioleed, Mesurata, and the Gharian Mountains. All 
 the animals live on dates. Horses and asses are fed on the 
 fruit; camels, sheep, and goats, on the stones, which the women 
 break up by hammering them on some hard substance. This is 
 the general occupation of females, who are not employed to work in 
 the gardens. 
 
 October 1st,—This was the great feast called Aid el Kebire, 
 which is to commemorate the meeting of the pilgrims at Mecca, 
 and their offering sacrifices on holy ground. On this occasion each 
 master of a family feeds his wives, children, and slaves on meat, and 
 it is considered meritorious in him to kill, with his own hands, any 
 animals he may purchase. By chance the Sultan recollected us at 
 this festival, and sent us a lamb, which was a treat we little ex¬ 
 pected. Mr. Iiitchie being weak and nervous, I, as in duty bound, 
 became the butcher, and performed my task with great alacrity. 
 Animal food was such a novelty to us, that we actually were 
 tempted to eat too much, and in consequence the next day we 
 all fell ill. 
 
 No good Moslem will eat of an animal which has not had its 
 throat cut in a particular way, and “ In the name of God.” We 
 had never offered meat, having, indeed, none to offer but such as 
 was killed in the markets; but on this occasion we found the most 
 
CHAT. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 179 
 
 scrupulous ready to accept, and perfectly satisfied with the lawfulness 
 of the food, although when we first came into the country they 
 would not eat pigeons, which were killed by us, fancying that in 
 cutting their throats we had omitted the prescribed ceremonies. 
 
 At this period the Sultan became a little better, and began to 
 give Belford a great deal of trouble, by employing him to repair 
 his three field-pieces, the wheels and carriages of which were much 
 out of order. There was great difficulty in explaining to the 
 blacksmiths how to make large nails, or to bend the iron for the 
 wheels, and, in Belford’s weak state, he found it a very laborious 
 task to overlook and instruct them. He, however, was rewarded 
 with w holesome food, with w hich we could not have supplied him at 
 home, the Sultan daily sending him some rice and meat whilst at his 
 work. The poor fellow often thought of us, and wished w e could 
 have partaken of his good fare. This job being at last finished, I 
 was consulted by Mukni respecting the construction of a coach, and 
 I promised him that if he could manage to procure good wood for 
 the purpose, Belford should make it, provided Mr. Ritchie did not 
 object, and that I would train four horses to run in it. 
 
 I anticipated much pleasure and amusement in this new oc¬ 
 cupation, as I had at the time nothing to interest or divert me. 
 Mukni sometimes, in high good humour, sent us a few fresh dates 
 of a peculiar kind, of which Mr. Ritchie was very fond, and even 
 extended his generosity so far as to allow of our cutting two palm- 
 trees out of a million and a half, for Lackbi. 
 
 Belford now began to contrive the coach in question, and out 
 of an old Shiblia and some boxes, he made a body, six feet in length, 
 three in breadth, and four in height. This he covered over like a 
 higgler’s cart, with an arched top, having a door open behind, by 
 which a person could easily get in; but Mukni finding he could 
 squeeze himself into a smaller compass, had it reduced in such a 
 
 A A 2 
 
180 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 way, as to render it necessary for him to be pushed in and shot out 
 like a sack of coals. The body being completed, and springs being 
 out of the question, it was mounted on two strong poles, which did 
 duty as shafts; and to these were fixed two wheels from one of the 
 field-pieces, so that the carriage stood at about three feet from the 
 ground. The Sultan never for a moment quitted the place where 
 Belford was at work, and was all delight at the progress which he 
 made. Numbers of people came to see it, and many asked if that was 
 the kind of vehicle in which our King and his wives used to ride. I 
 was frequently puzzled how to answer; for to say the truth, though 
 Belford, considering his want of materials, had done wonders, it 
 very much resembled one of those little market carts which are 
 dragged about London by donkies. It soon, however, lost that 
 appearance, by being covered with a splendid hood of scarlet cloth, 
 and having a bed laid inside of it. The shafts, body, and wheels 
 were painted green, though not very durably. The Sultan had 
 some verdigris, which he had brought from Tripoli; part of this 
 was mixed with olive oil, which, not drying, was scraped oil, but the 
 rest being prepared with vinegar, formed a wash which answered 
 his fondest expectations. The carriage was now as gaudy as the 
 Sultan could wish, and he was the sole and happy possessor of it; 
 but a serious inconvenience soon presented itself: the coach was 
 not large enough to allow of a place for a driver, and his horses 
 were too spirited to be trusted alone with such a small state-carriage. 
 After devising many plans to remedy the defect, we found we had 
 but one expedient left, which was to convert the vehicle into a gig. 
 Accordingly, a jack of all trades, who was a very ingenious fellow, 
 made, by my directions, a set of harness tolerably well, except that 
 the little pad on the horse’s back weighed above fifty pounds. This, 
 however, was soon reduced; but when the animal w as put into the 
 shafts, we discovered that the carriage was so low as to form an 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 181 
 
 angle of at least twenty-five degrees with the ground. The Sultan's 
 head would consequently be about a foot lower than his feet; but 
 as he intended at any rate sitting with his face to the horse, he 
 thought nothing of this inconvenience. 
 
 His Majesty indulged himself with many rides in the space 
 near the Castle, and in one instance through the town, the coach 
 being drawn by slaves. He, however, at last determined to venture 
 a ride into the country with the horse to draw him. The animal 
 being put into the vehicle, and led slowly through one little gate 
 to where Mukni stood, made an attempt to run through another to 
 his stable; the man v 7 ho led him being frightened, suffered him to 
 set off* at full speed. The gate brought him up, one of the wheels 
 knocking down the gate-post and part of the wall, but the carriage 
 itself remained undamaged. This proof of its great strength quite 
 charmed every one, and it was at last decided that a large saddle 
 should be put on the horse, and that Baba Ismael, the Turkish 
 cannoneer, should ride him, and direct the whole machine. Mukni, 
 by way of showing his approbation of Belford’s talents, gave him 
 seven dollars, which he brought home to us in triumph, and which 
 really saved us when on the very brink of starvation. This piece 
 of good luck was soon followed by another, for within a day or tw o 
 afterwards I managed to sell a saddle for eight dollars to a Tibboo. 
 
 Mr. Bitchie again got a little better by the middle of the month, 
 but continued so very silent and low 7 spirited, that w T e feared he 
 would soon relapse. 
 
 Some Kaffles of the Tibboo now came in with slaves, and our 
 horses having got a little more into condition, owing to the great 
 cheapness of the dates at harvest time, we made many attempts to 
 sell them. From my having sent a bill to the Consul, we soon ex¬ 
 pected money, and Mr. Ritchie empowered me, in the meantime, 
 to dispose of one Gf our horses. Accordingly, after a good deal 
 
182 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 of manoeuvring, I succeeded in getting the Tibboo to come and 
 examine them, the Sultan having given us leave to sell them if we 
 could. 1 often drenched the horses with water when they were 
 not thirsty to increase their size, and to improve their appearance, 
 and at length sold a grey horse, given by the Bashaw to Mr. 
 Ritchie, for seventy dollars, twenty of which, with a negress, valued 
 at thirty-two, were paid us on taking the animal away; the re¬ 
 mainder was to be given us when the man had sold his slaves. We 
 sent the girl, who was a native of Mandra in Bornou, and about 
 thirteen years of age, to Hadje Mahmoud’s daughters, until she was 
 able to cook for us. Mr. Ritchie was witness with Belford to my 
 liberating her in due form from slavery; but as w r e were much in 
 want of a servant, it was settled that she was not to return to her 
 native country, my ticket of freedom being only to prevent all 
 chance of her being sold. 
 
 We economised, as well as we could, our small allowance of 
 money, which, however, soon became much reduced, as we had 
 incurred many debts, which we now punctually paid. We laid ' 
 in a stock of corn, which for a time afforded us a secure resource. 
 Within the last two or three months we frequently had passed a 
 whole day without food. 
 
 Belford and I fell ill about this period, and were both confined to 
 our beds ; he with a bilious fever, and 1 with severe pains in my back 
 and head, which frequently caused delirium. I had repeated attacks 
 of ague and fever (called Hemma by the natives) from the beginning 
 of August, generally about three times a week, and sometimes more 
 frequently, which had much weakened me, and brought on a de¬ 
 cided liver complaint, as well as an affection of the spleen. For¬ 
 tunately, however, my spirits were good, or I must have sunk under 
 so many attacks. In this month about twenty Tripoli merchants 
 died from the effects of climate, bad water, and the want of 
 
N IE QHE 3 3JES OF 3 OU „ 
 
 rt&fs / is/'/g'/zi? s’a? dry '.S^tturrvGy &ddemae ^cJ^. J^d. / /'S^j/. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 183 
 
 nourishing food; even many of the natives were very ill, and it 
 was quite rare to see a healthy looking person. I remained a week 
 in bed, and arose from it quite a skeleton; Belford was still in a 
 very dangerous state. 
 
 One night, as we were all sitting pensively on our mat, our 
 friend Yussuf, the Mamluke, came in, and addressing Mr. Ritchie, 
 said, 
 
 “ Yussuf, you and Said are my friends ; Mukni has behaved to 
 you as he has done to us, and hopes you may die that he may secure 
 to himself all your goods. You seem very melancholy, and never 
 speak ; answer me one question, do you want money?” Mr. Ritchie 
 having acknowledged that he did, Yussuf rejoined, I do not my¬ 
 self possess any, but I will go and borrow some for you : how much 
 do you require?” Twenty dollars being the sum named by Mr. 
 Ritchie, our kind friend went out, and soon after returned, bringing 
 us thirty ! an act of generosity so unlooked for, that we were wholly 
 incapable of thanking him as he deserved. This seasonable supply 
 enabled us to buy good food, and to make some amends for our late 
 privations. We soon became in better health, and Mr. Ritchie’s 
 spirits began to brighten up. 
 
 Belford, on his recovery, assisted me to make a little flag-staff 
 with a topmast, on which we placed rigging and a small vane 
 instead of colours, Mr. Ritchie not wishing to hoist our little union 
 jack. This contrivance brought us many visitors, who were much 
 entertained at seeing the vane turn round ; but the greatest part 
 of them hinted pretty plainly, that we must be fools for wishing to 
 see what quarter the wind came from, which they could not possibly 
 imagine to be of the least consequence to us. At this season, Scor¬ 
 pions were very numerous in all the houses, and I think more par¬ 
 ticularly so in ours. I had acquired, at Tripoli, a knack of catching 
 without receiving harm from them, and in consequence had the 
 
184 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV, 
 
 credit of possessing a charm against them ; however, I once received 
 a very severe sting. When going to sit down on our mat, I inad¬ 
 vertently put my hand, it being dark, on a small scorpion, which 
 instantly stung me. Aware of what it was, 1 procured a light, and 
 hastened with a lancet, to cut to the bone and to suck out the 
 blood: Mr. Ritchie then burnt a deep hole with caustic. The 
 pain remained very acute for some time, and my right side felt 
 rather paralysed; but, owing to the precautions which I had 
 taken, I passed a good night, and the next morning found no 
 inconvenience except a little swelling, and the usual soreness 
 attendant on a burn. Many instances are known of children dying 
 of the sting in three days. 
 
 There is a little reptile found in the sand here, called Aselis ; it 
 somewhat resembles a lizard in form, and has the power, when 
 alarmed, of instantly burying itself in the sand. If one is thrown 
 down from the hand, it sinks so perpendicularly on the spot where 
 it falls, that it can immediately be found again. These little crea¬ 
 tures are eagerly bought by the girls and married women, for the 
 purpose of ascertaining how many children they shall have. By 
 stretching them, the spine will immediately crack, and the women 
 most religiously believe, that for every sound they shall bear a child. 
 
 The reptiles are few, and consist of lizards, and small snakes, 
 some of a venemous kind, called El EfFa. Scorpions and spiders 
 are also very numerous; one of the latter being of an immense size, 
 and called Agrab el riahh ^1] or scorpion of the wind, from its 
 great swiftness in running ; its bite is venomous, but not danger¬ 
 ously so. There is a large species of lizard called Warral, which is 
 about thirty inches long from the nose to the tip of the tail; it is 
 very fierce, and when it bites, never relinquishes its hold until it 
 dies, or has its mouth forcibly opened. We had one which kept 
 a piece of rope in its mouth for four or five days, and in that 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 185 
 
 state died. A blow from the tail of this reptile, which it uses like 
 a whip, is much dreaded, as the natives suppose, that a person so 
 struck can never be the parent of a child. One of these having 
 struck my horse on the nose, I was seriously told that he would be 
 incapacitated from becoming the father of a foal. 
 
 Tobacco is very generally chewed by the women as well as the 
 men; they use the Trona or Soda with it. Smoking is rather the 
 amusement of a great man than of the lower class, the mild tobacco 
 being very dear, and pipes not easily procured. 
 
 On the 28th October, during the time I was in bed, we had an¬ 
 other grand rejoicing day, called Aid el Tagtaga, which is to welcome 
 in the new year of the Hegira, 1235 years having now passed since 
 the flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina. Mukni having 
 given a couple of his cast off women to two of his slaves, one of 
 whom was secretary and barber, and the other groom, we had gay 
 doings in the little square before our Mosque. The first night the 
 barber and secretary (who was the greatest man of the two) was 
 seated in state on a carpet and mats placed on the ground, in the 
 centre of the square, supported on each side by a friend, who, as well 
 as himself, was covered with fine borrowed clothes, though the bride¬ 
 groom, of course, shone most bright. He was very solemn and dignified, 
 having a lighted candle and lamp placed on the ground before him. 
 The men and women sung round him until near midnight, treating 
 him with great respect. He held a fan in his hand, and occasion¬ 
 ally bowed to the company. The bride was then brought from the 
 castle, surrounded by a great concourse of women, who were voci¬ 
 ferating in rapid succession, their cries of joy. She held a lighted 
 candle in her hand, and had on a profusion of silver and bead orna¬ 
 ments: she was quite black and very handsome, and had borne 
 three children by the Sultan, all of whom had died. The bride¬ 
 groom did not deign to look at her, but suffered the procession 
 
 B B 
 
186 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 to pass along to his house; when, after waiting about half an 
 hour, he rose in a stately manner, and leaning his hands on the 
 friends who walked on each side of him (in the manner of the 
 Bashaw of Tripoli, and the Sultan of Fezzan), he slowly proceeded 
 home; the dancers following him and singing songs of congra¬ 
 tulation. The second night passed in much the same manner; 
 and, on the following day, I saw the bridegroom, who had been a 
 few hours before glittering in scarlet and gold, cleaning a horse in 
 the street, with a ragged shirt on. 
 
 I had many opportunities of observing the Fighi and their 
 scholars, sitting on the sand. The children are taught their letters 
 by having them written on a flat board of a hard wood, brought 
 from Bornou and Soudan, and repeating them after their master. 
 When quite perfect in the alphabet, they are allowed to trace over 
 the letters already made; they then learn to copy sentences, and 
 to write such small words as are dictated to them. The board 
 generally used is in this form : 
 
 The master often repeats verses from the Koran, in a loud voice, 
 which the boys learn by saying them after him; and when they 
 begin to read a little, he sings aloud, and all the scholars follow him 
 from their books, as fast as they can. Practice at length renders 
 them perfect; and in three or four years, their education is con¬ 
 sidered complete. Thus it is that many who can read the Koran 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 187 
 
 with great rapidity, cannot peruse a line of any other book. Arith¬ 
 metic is altogether out of the question.—For children who learn 
 by the month, the general pay is about two Saa, or two quarts of 
 com, and by the year one dollar. 
 
 When the boy is considered to have finished his studies, the 
 parents, if they can afford it, present the master with some clothes, 
 or a few dollars; if poor, they give him something to eat, and the 
 usual salutation of Alla iebarek, or God prosper you. On breaking 
 up for the day, the master and all the scholars recite a prayer. 
 The school hours are by no means regular, being only when the 
 Fighi has nothing else to do. Mornings early, or late in the even¬ 
 ings, are the general times for study. The punishments are, beating 
 with a stick on the hands or feet, and our good old English custom 
 of whipping, which is not unfrequently practised. Their pens are 
 reeds, their rubber sand. 
 
 While learning their tasks (and perhaps each boy has a different 
 one), they all read aloud, so that the harmony of even a dozen boys 
 may be easily imagined. 
 
 In the time of the native Sultans, it was the custom, on a fixed 
 day, annually, for the boys who had completed their education, to 
 assemble on horseback, in as fine clothes as their friends could pro¬ 
 cure for them, on the sands to the westward of the town. On an 
 eminence, stood the Fighi, bearing in his hand a little flag rolled on 
 a staff: the boys were stationed at some distance, and on his un¬ 
 furling the flag, and planting it in the ground, all started at full 
 speed. He who first arrived and seized it, was presented by the 
 Sultan with a fine suit of clothes and some money, and rode round 
 the town at the head of the others. These races have ceased since 
 the arrival of Mukni, and parents complain that their sons have 
 now no inducement to study. 
 
 All the houses are infested by multitudes of small ants, which de- 
 
 b b 2 
 
188 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 stroyed all the animals we preserved, and even penetrated into our 
 boxes; their bite was very painful, and they were fond of coming 
 into our blankets. 
 
 One singularity I must remark of Fezzan, which is that fleas are 
 unknown there, and those of the inhabitants who have not been on 
 the sea coast cannot imagine what they are like. Bugs are very 
 numerous, and it is extraordinary that they are called by the same 
 name as with us. There is a species of them which is found in the 
 sands, where kaffles are in the habit of stopping; they bite very 
 sharply, and fix in numbers round the coronet of a horse: the ani¬ 
 mals thus tormented often become so outrageous as to break their 
 tethers. 
 
 The revenues of the Sultan of Fezzan arise from slaves, merchan¬ 
 dise, and dates. For every slave, great or small, he receives, on 
 their entering his kingdom, two Spanish dollars. In some years 
 the number of slaves amounts to 4000. For a camel’s load of oil or 
 butter, seven dollars; a load of beads, copper, or hardware, four 
 dollars; and of clothing, three dollars. All Arabs who buy dates 
 pay a dollar duty on each load (equal at times to the price of the 
 article) before they are allowed to remove it. Above 8000 loads are 
 sold to them annually. Date trees, except those of the Kadi and 
 Mamlukes, are taxed at the rate of one dollar for every 200 : by this 
 duty, in the neighbourhood of Morzouk, or more properly, in the few 
 immediately neighbouring villages, the Sultan receives yearly 10,000 
 dollars. Of all sheep or goats he is entitled to a fifth. On the sale 
 of every slave, he has, in addition to the head money, a dollar and a 
 half, which, at the rate of 4000, gives another 6000 dollars. The 
 trees, which are his private property, produce about 6000 camels’ 
 loads of dates, each load 400 pounds weight, and which may be 
 worth, at a low estimate, 18,000 dollars. Every garden pays a 
 tenth of the corn produced; presents of slaves are frequently made, 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 189 
 
 and fines levied; each town pays a certain sum, which is small, but 
 as the towns are numerous, may be averaged to produce 4000 
 dollars. Add to this, his annual excursions for slaves, sometimes 
 bringing 1000 or 1500, of which one-fourth are his, as well as the 
 same proportion of camels. He alone can sell horses; which he 
 buys for five or six dollars, when half starved, from the Arabs, who 
 come to trade and cannot maintain them ; and makes a great profit 
 by obtaining slaves in exchange for them. All his people are fed 
 by the public, and he has no money to pay but to the Bashaw, 
 which, until the recent quarrel, was 15,000 dollars per annum. I 
 have enumerated his general income, but there are various other 
 ways in which he extorts money. If a man dies childless, the 
 Sultan inherits great part of his property; and if he thinks it 
 necessary to kill a man, he becomes his entire heir! All his people 
 are on an allowance from him, out of what he takes from others, at 
 about the rate of two Kail, or above two gallons, of corn, and four 
 of dates, per month. His negresses are also allowanced in corn, 
 dates, oil, &c. according to their size and age. 
 
 In company with Mohammed the Mamluke, I rode to Tes- 
 souwa, an inconsiderable town about twenty miles west of Mor- 
 zouk. It has the remains of an old Arab castle, built of mud. The 
 palms are not numerous, and the inhabitants amount to about 300. 
 It is divided from Morzouk by a plain of sand. 
 
 On the 8th of November, 1819, Mr. Ritchie being again attacked 
 by illness, I much wished him to allow of my selling some of our 
 powder to procure him a few comforts; but to this he would not 
 consent. On the 9th I also fell ill, and was confined to my bed; 
 and Belford, though himself an invalid, attended on us both. Our 
 man servant was of no use to us whatever; but, on the contrary, 
 presuming on our poverty, did exactly as he pleased. Our little 
 girl, however, assisted in nursing us. After lying in a torpid state 
 
190 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 lor three or four days, without taking any nourishment or even 
 speaking to us, Mr. Ritchie became worse, and at last delirious, 
 as in his former illnesses. In the interval, my disorder having 
 abated, I was enabled to rally a little, and to attend my poor suf¬ 
 fering companion. 
 
 After he had somewhat recovered his intellect, he appeared 
 very anxious to know whether any letters had arrived, announcing 
 to us a further allowance of money from Government; but when I, 
 unfortunately, was obliged to reply in the negative, he avoided all 
 comment on the subject. He would not drink any tea, of which 
 we still had some remaining; but preferred vinegar and water, our 
 only acid, which he drank in great quantities. Being entirely free 
 from pain, he flattered himself that he should, in a day or two, re¬ 
 cover, particularly as he was not at all emaciated, but rather stouter 
 than he had been for some months previous to his illness. One day 
 (the 17th) he appeared so far recovered as to be able to get up arid 
 be dressed. We placed him on the mat in the centre of the room, 
 when he seemed much refreshed, and thanked us for the trouble 
 we had taken; he then expressed a wish to have a little coffee, 
 which, for a time, I was unwilling to give him, fearing it might 
 injure him: he was, however, so earnest in his request, that I was 
 obliged at last to comply with it. As he complained of the close¬ 
 ness of his room, and appeared determined on lying that night on 
 the mat, we made his bed on it; and I laid myself down by him. 
 In the afternoon he examined his tongue in the glass, and appeared 
 a good deal alarmed at its colour; but presently said, “ I was 
 frightened at the blackness of my tongue, but now recollect I have 
 been drinking coffee; had I observed that appearance without 
 knowing the cause, I should have said I had a bilious fever, and 
 should bid you good bye.” In the evening one or two of the 
 Mamlukes came in ; he spoke to them for a little while, and soon 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 DEATH OF MR. RITCHIE. 
 
 191 
 
 after fell asleep* I remained awake the greater part of the night, 
 during which he slept soundly; but in the morning I found he 
 had crept from his bed, and was lying uncovered, and in a state of 
 delirium, on the cold sand. We immediately put him to bed in his 
 own room, and he appeared to rally again. 
 
 On the 20th we got a fowl, of which we made a little soup for 
 him; and while he was taking it, a man came in, and told me a courier 
 had arrived from Tripoli with letters. I went out, but returned, to 
 my sad disappointment, empty-handed, the man having no despatches 
 for us. The broth which Mr. Ritchie drank was the first nourish¬ 
 ment he had taken for ten days, though we had used all our en¬ 
 deavours to prevail on him to eat. He said he felt much revived 
 by it, and turned round to go to sleep. I placed my bed at the 
 entrance of his room, and remained watching him. He seemed to 
 breathe with difficulty; but as I had often observed this during 
 his former maladies, I was not so much alarmed as I should other¬ 
 wise have been. At about nine o’clock, Belford, on looking at him, 
 exclaimed in a loud voice, “ He is dying!” I begged him to be 
 more cautious, lest he should be overheard, and immediately exa¬ 
 mined Mr. Ritchie, who appeared to me to be still in a sound 
 sleep; I therefore lay down on my bed, and continued listening. 
 At ten I rose again, and found him lying in an easy posture, 
 and breathing more freely: five minutes, however, had scarcely 
 elapsed before his respiration appeared entirely to cease; and 
 on examination I found that he had actually expired, without 
 a pang or groan, in the same position in which he had fallen 
 asleep. 
 
 Belford and myself, in our weak state, looked at each other, ex¬ 
 pecting that in a few days it might probably be our lot to follow 
 our lamented companion, whose sad remains we watched during 
 
192 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 the remainder of the night. And now, for the first time in all our 
 distresses, my hopes did indeed fail me. At daylight I went out 
 and informed our kind friends, Yussuf and Hadje Mahmoud, of 
 our misfortunes ; at which they were much affected, and offered us 
 all the assistance in their power. Belford, as well as he was able, 
 hastened to form a rough coffin out of our chests; and a sad and 
 painful task it was. The washers of the dead came to us to per¬ 
 form their melancholy office, and Mr. Ritchie’s body was washed, 
 perfumed, and rubbed with camphor; and I procured some white 
 linen, with which the grave-clothes were made. During our pre¬ 
 parations for the burial, the women, who are always hired to cry at 
 the death of persons whose friends are able to pay them, proposed 
 to perform that disgusting office in our house; but I would not allow 
 it, and very unceremoniously shut the door against them. While 
 I was out of sight, either our servant or some of our officious visitors 
 stole several of our effects, and I clearly saw that we were now con¬ 
 sidered as lawful plunder. The coffin being completed, I hired men 
 to carry it with ropes, but one of them having suddenly gone away, 
 poor Belford was obliged to take his place; when, attended by our 
 small party of Mamlukes, we proceeded at a quick pace to the 
 grave, at about ten o’clock. The clay below the sand was white, 
 which was considered as a good omen; and Belford and myself 
 threw the first earth into the grave. During the night we had, 
 unknown to the people, read our protestant burial service over the 
 body; and now publicly recited the first chapter of the Koran, 
 which the most serious Christian would consider as a beautiful and 
 applicable prayer on such an occasion. 
 
 Having thus performed the last sad duties to our unfortunate 
 friend, we returned home to pass a day of misery. It was necessary 
 to distribute food to the poor who surrounded our door in great 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 DEATH OF MR. RITCHIE. 
 
 193 
 
 numbers, and we had no money even to purchase a morsel for 
 ourselves; Yussuf’s kindness again having supplied our wants, and 
 I succeeded in getting the house a little more quiet. Within an 
 hour after the funeral had taken place, a courier arrived from 
 Tripoli bringing a truly welcome letter, announcing that a further 
 allowance of ^=1000 had been made by our Government towards 
 the expense of the mission. Had this letter reached us a little 
 sooner, many of our troubles and distresses would have been pre¬ 
 vented. 
 
 I waited on the Sultan to announce to him Mr. Ritchie’s death, 
 at which the hypocrite affected to be much grieved, though he must 
 have been well aware that had his inclination equalled his power 
 to serve us, he might have enabled us to procure the necessaries 
 of life, and thus perhaps have averted, or at least tranquillized the 
 last moments of Mr. Ritchie. I informed him of the additional 
 allowance which I expected, begging him to lend me some money. 
 He talked much of his regard for me, but dwelt a great deal on his 
 poverty; and ended by saying, he might perhaps be able to furnish 
 me with a little , which he expressed with particular emphasis, re¬ 
 minding me that I already owed him eight dollars. I was not then, 
 I own, in the humour to remonstrate with such a wretch, and plainly 
 told him I would never more ask for his assistance or friendship; 
 and that according to his law, ingratitude, such as he had so cruelly 
 shown to Mr. Ritchie and myself, was the highest and blackest crime 
 a man could be guilty of, and would one day be visited on him. 
 
 On my return home, I found poor Belford greatly overcome by 
 the efforts he had made, whilst I was equally so from the exertions 
 of mind I had undergone. The consequence was, that a strong 
 fever confined us both to our beds, at the mercy of any one who 
 chose to pillage us. Before I took to mine, however, I contrived 
 to write despatches to England, which I sent off by a courier. 
 
194 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 During the whole day a constant succession of visitors came to 
 pay their compliments of condolence, and I seriously thought that, 
 with such an accession of evils, we should in a few days more 
 be hurried to our graves. Yussuf and Hadje Mahmoud attended 
 on us, as did our little girl, who was our principal nurse, and was 
 very humane and careful. We lay ten days in this state, and during 
 that time Yussuf, by my desire, sold about 100 lbs. of our powder, 
 so that we now again obtained a little money; but we were too ill 
 to enjoy any benefit which our riches might procure us. Mr. 
 Ritchie’s horse, which had never recovered its flesh since coming 
 from Tripoli, and which was very old, I sold, through the medium 
 of Yussuf, for seventy dollars, to the Sultan. By the sale of many 
 trifles, which the Sultan no longer made an objection to our dis¬ 
 posing of, I cleared, after paying my debts, about 150 dollars, including 
 the money for the horse and powder, and now determined, should 
 I recover, on penetrating still farther to the southward of Morzouk, 
 though incapable of making such progress as I wished, from not 
 possessing sufficient funds for the purpose. 
 
 I found myself under the absolute necessity of soon return¬ 
 ing to England to receive instructions for my further proceed¬ 
 ings (supposing me still to be employed on the mission), for 
 although money for the additional grant of ^§1000 could have been 
 procured from Tripoli, much time must have elapsed before I could 
 have obtained it; and even then, I must have gone in person for it. 
 I had no one whom in my absence I could have left in charge of 
 my goods at Morzouk, Belford being too sick and helpless either to 
 keep guard over them, or to remain alone in that place. Added to 
 this, TT000 was a sum by no means adequate to carry me through 
 Africa; as it would be requisite to purchase merchandise totally 
 different from that which had already been provided, and without 
 which I could not have made my way. Belford, from his weak 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 195 
 
 state, could not accompany me far, and to proceed alone would have 
 been actual madness, until the necessary arrangements for my 
 future operations, and regulations as to pecuniary matters had been 
 fully understood and arranged. Under all these circumstances, 
 therefore, and to my great regret, I could only resolve on a short 
 progress into the Interior. 
 
 As soon as we recovered sufficient strength to get up stairs, I 
 opened Mr. Ritchie’s sitting-room, where we found only a few 
 scattered papers, an unfinished journal, and some letters. These I 
 collected, and in Belford’s presence burnt all which were private; 
 but every other document bearing Mr. Ritchie’s handwriting I care¬ 
 fully preserved. We were both much astonished at his having left 
 so few memoranda, as we felt confident, that though for many 
 months he had, from repeated illness, been unable to write, that at 
 least, prior to his arrival in Morzouk, he must have made many 
 notes, as well as composed a regular journal. 
 
 I knew that he had always trusted much to his singularly 
 retentive memory, and was also aware that he expressed great im¬ 
 patience for the arrival of more cool weather, when he might, with 
 less inconvenience, commit his ideas to paper; and these reasons 
 might probably account for his having left so few mementos of the 
 scientific mind with which he certainly was gifted. It is also to be 
 regretted that Mr. Ritchie, during his illnesses, would never avail 
 himself of my repeated offers to take down in writing any observa¬ 
 tions which he might have considered worthy of note; and from this 
 unfortunate circumstance much, very much valuable information 
 has been lost. 
 
 I caused all the chests of merchandise to be removed into our 
 large room, and with Belford’s assistance opened them, in order to 
 ascertain their contents. They had been packed before my arrival 
 in Tripoli, and Mr. Ritchie had determined that they should not 
 
 c c 2 
 
196* 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 be opened until we reached the Negro country. I found in them, 
 amongst other things, about 600lbs. of lead, one camel load of corks 
 for preserving insects on, and two loads of brown paper for pre¬ 
 paring plants. As these amounted in all to about five loads, which 
 were not worth carrying back to Tripoli, I sent them, with two 
 large chests of Arsenic bottles into Yussuf’s house, taking a proper 
 receipt for them, so that any future traveller or myself might be 
 enabled to receive them. I found that the other goods, including 
 five cwt. of books and two chests of instruments, would load about 
 eight camels: we therefore commenced taking a list of them, and 
 putting them carefully away, when we were again attacked with 
 fever, and confined to our beds, remaining with all our merchandise 
 at the mercy of Arabs and natives. 
 
 I had at this time occasion to turn off our man, and the woman 
 also who cooked for us, as I had strong reason to doubt their 
 honesty. Yussuf lent us, in our distress, a fine intelligent boy called 
 Barca, who, with our Negro girl, greatly assisted us. 
 
 The weather having become very cold, we had a fire made in a 
 hole in the ground, round which we sat in the evenings with some 
 of the friends who came to see us. On these occasions they told 
 us many long stories; but Belford’s deafness prevented his being 
 amused with them as I was. Beligion was generally the subject of 
 these tales, which, when related by the old Hadje, were usually 
 prefaced thus: “ When a man has been three times to the holy 
 house, as I have been, he begins to know something, thank God!” 
 He repeated many marvellous stories of the country of Sindi, or 
 Persia, in which is the bed of the sun, and where grows a tree 
 bearing a fruit resembling a coffin. This growing daily larger until 
 ripe, at last bursts, and out of it a man drops to the ground, who 
 cries “ Wauk, wauk; in the name of the merciful God,” and instantly 
 expires, sinking suddenly into the earth. He told me that in 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 • MORZOUK. 
 
 197 
 
 Paradise the prophets are permitted by God to ride on animals of 
 extraordinary beauty, called Borak, whose form is something like 
 that of an antelope, and their swiftness such, that in the twinkling 
 of an eye they can spring out of sight. All the prophets on the 
 bare backs of these animals, but Allah, out of love for Sidina (our 
 Lord) Mohammed, gave him a golden saddle, on which he parades 
 before the faithful. Many more stories equally extraordinary are 
 told and believed all over the country; and in Morzouk are a few 
 copies of some of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, and the 
 voyages of Sindebad the Sailor, which are as fully accredited as the 
 Koran itself. 
 
 Yussuf generally amused me by singing, and ridiculing the 
 Arabs. The Tuarick were always subjects for his wit, and he related 
 many curious anecdotes of them. One which, though greatly ex¬ 
 aggerated, is much in character of these people, was of a man sent 
 as a courier from Ghraat to Ghadams, eighteen days’ journey, for 
 which he received sufficient provision to support him the whole 
 time, but which devouring at a meal, and girding his loins with a 
 belt, he mounted his camel, and performed the journey without 
 other sustenance ! These people, however, really can abstain from 
 food for three or four days without any apparent inconvenience. 
 
 On the 8th of December news arrived that the slave hunters 
 had made but little booty, the people having been warned of their 
 coming, and that they were on their return home. We also heard 
 that the men of Waday had cut the throats of eighty-two white 
 traders in Wara, the capital, and had determined to suffer no 
 Moors to trade again in their country, but to kill them immediately 
 on their entering it. 
 
 I now began a little to recover my health, and Belford, though 
 still quite deaf, was without fever. 
 
198 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 I remarked that our negress invariably used the letter P for F; 
 she would say, for instance, Yussup instead of Yussuf, Patoo for F atoo; 
 and I found that this was general amongst the natives of Eornou and 
 Baghermee. These people, as well as the natives of Fezzan, always 
 pronounce 6‘ as sh, and vice versa. Another peculiarity which I have 
 often observed is, that all the Fezzanners and slaves, in cutting onions 
 or other vegetables, cut downwards on the forefinger of the left hand, 
 and however sharp the knife may be, they seldom injure themselves. 
 
 Mukni now received more enlivening news from Tripoli, and he 
 began again to show himself. Orders came that all the traders of 
 Augela, a town between Tripoli and Egypt, should be put in 
 prison, and their slaves and goods taken on the Bashaw’s account, 
 as he was at war with their countrymen, and had sent an army 
 against them. Fourteen were accordingly confined under the 
 Castle, and orders were sent to the southward to take up those who 
 came from the Interior, and to the eastward to secure those coming 
 from Egypt. There was one of these people who was much dis¬ 
 liked by Mukni, and who, on hearing of the proceedings against 
 his countrymen, escaped with nineteen negresses, his property. The 
 Sultan sent after him, and having cut off his access to a watering- 
 place, he was secured, almost dying from thirst. His life had been 
 promised to him before he surrendered; but the next morning he 
 was deliberately shot through the breast by those who had him in 
 custody, and his head and property brought back to Morzouk. Had 
 this man been aware of the treachery intended, he was of so 
 powerful a form, and of such bravery, that his capture would have 
 been very difficult. Previously to his being shot, he exclaimed, 
 “ Tell Mohammed el Mukni that he is a villain: Paradise is shut 
 against him, and he will die by treachery. There is no God but 
 God, and Mohammed is his Prophet.” 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 199 
 
 Our friend Yussuf brought to me a very old man, who had been 
 to Ashantee, and who gave some very extraordinary and rather 
 improbable accounts of the people there. He said that there were 
 white traders at the coast whom he had himself seen. This I would 
 not at first believe, until he related some distinct accounts of the 
 habits of the people he met with, peculiar to Europeans. 
 
 In Morzouk there are sixteen Mosques, which are covered in, 
 but some of them are very small; each has an Imaum, but the Kadi 
 is their head, of which dignity he seems not a little proud. This 
 man had never been beyond the boundaries of Fezzan, and could 
 form no idea of any thing superior to mud houses and palms; he 
 always fancied us great romancers when we told him of our country, 
 and described it as being in the middle of the sea. 
 
 It may be necessary before I take leave of Morzouk, and indeed 
 of Tripoli, to explain that our adoption of the Moorish costume 
 was by no means a sufficient safeguard in either of those places, or 
 in traversing the interior of Africa; for though it might, to a casual 
 observer, blind suspicion, yet when we had occasion to remain for a 
 time at any place, or to perform journeys in company with strangers, 
 we found that it was absolutely requisite to conform to all the 
 duties of the Mohammedan religion, as well as to assume their 
 dress. To this precaution I attribute our having met with so little 
 hindrance in our proceedings; for had we openly professed ourselves 
 Christians, we might, in Fezzan, have experienced many serious 
 interruptions; whilst farther in the interior, even our fives would 
 have been in continual jeopardy. The circumstance of our having 
 come from a Christian country, which we always acknowledged, 
 frequently rendered us liable to suspicion; but by attending con¬ 
 stantly at the established prayers, and occasionally acknowledging 
 the divine mission of Mohammed, or, more properly, by repeating 
 
200 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 “ There is no God but God, Mohammed is his Prophet,” we were 
 enabled to overcome all doubts respecting our faith. 
 
 In attending the Mosque we found that it was not necessary 
 for us to use any prayers addressed to, or in praise of, Mohammed; 
 the three which are recited by day being in an under voice, and the 
 morning and evening ones only being repeated aloud. These latter 
 we easily avoided, and during the others we made use of what 
 orisons we pleased, only taking particular care that our prostrations 
 and outward observances should be at the proper times. The only 
 prayer we ever recited audibly was the “ Fatha,” or first chapter of 
 the Koran, the sentiments of which are really beautiful. 
 
 I am confident that it would never be possible for any man to 
 pass through Africa, unless in every respect he qualified himself to 
 appear as a Mohammedan ; and, should I myself return to that 
 country, I would not be accompanied by any one who would refuse 
 to observe these precautions. It is possible, that as far as Fezzan, 
 a traveller might, by great good chance, escape detection; but the 
 farther south he proceeded, the more bigoted would he find the 
 people, and a cruel death would, in such case, inevitably terminate 
 his journey. 
 
 Though the Mohammedans profess and appear to be strict in 
 obeying the ordinances of the Koran, they most grossly violate one 
 of its principal laws relating to Unbelievers. It is expressly said, 
 that Moslems may take or destroy all those who do not believe in 
 Islamism; but that they should first endeavour to instruct, and on 
 their refusing to acknowledge the Koran, then make them slaves. 
 The same law distinctly teaches that those who are already Moslems 
 cannot be taken captive or sold. Nothing, however, is farther 
 from the idea of a Mohammedan, than to instruct the Negroes; 
 for, instead of endeavouring to convert them to his faith, he appro- 
 
CHAP. IV. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 201 
 
 priates and sells them for his own advantage. This is sufficiently 
 unjust, but the conduct of Mukni and his men is infinitely more 
 so; for they seize on the inhabitants of whole towns where the 
 only religion is that of the Koran, and where there are Mosques; 
 and this without scruple or remorse. I have frequently pointed 
 out the clause in the Koran, forbidding such injustice; but never 
 could obtain a satisfactory reason for this violation of their religious 
 tenets. 
 
 Of the various ceremonies incident to the faith of the Moslems, 
 I shall make no mention, as they have already been so frequently 
 touched on by other travellers. 
 
 D D 
 
202 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 chap. v. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Departure for Tegerry, through Zuela and Gatrone—Arrival at Zaizow—Pass on to 
 Traghan—Visit Gardens and Springs—Arrival at Zaitoon and Touela—Pass 
 Villag es of Maghwa and Taleb—Arrival at Hamera—Illness—Leave Hamera— 
 Bearings of its neighbouring Villages—Large Salt Plain—Arrival at Zuela—De¬ 
 scription of Inhabitants—Author’s Illness—Ancient Buildings—Hospitality of the 
 Shreefs—Leave the Town—Arrival at Terboo—Its Wretchedness—Curious Story 
 of Maraboot—Arrival at Mejdool—Journey across the Desert, and Arrival at 
 Gatrone—Feast of Milood—Costume, Character, and general Description of the 
 Tibboo—Description of Gatrone—Accounts of Tibesty and Waday, from a Tibboo 
 Trader—Tibboo Language—Leave Gatrone in order to meet the Grazzie—El 
 Bakkhi—Tibboo Manner of making Tar—Arrival at Tegerry. 
 
 On the 9tli of December we began our preparations, and by the 
 13th, had succeeded in nailing and lashing up all our effects, which 
 we lodged in the Koudi or sitting-room of old Hadje Mahmoud, who 
 was to take charge of them. I bought a very fine brown Maherry 
 seven feet six inches in height, and able to carry 5 cwt., of a little 
 one-eyed boy, of about 12 years of age, who drove a bargain harder 
 than any man I ever saw. My health was very bad, and I suffered 
 severe pain from diseased liver and enlarged spleen; but having 
 considered that it would be necessary for me, before I returned to 
 Tripoli, to ascertain the situation of other parts of the kingdom 
 of Fezzan beyond Morzouk, I determined, notwithstanding my 
 extreme weakness, to visit the southern and eastern provinces, pro- 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO ZUELA. 
 
 203 
 
 ceeding in the first place to Zuela in the east, and from thence 
 passing the desert to Gatrone and Tegerry in the south. 
 I persuaded Belford, who always entered into my views, to try what 
 change of air would do for him as well as for myself, and he agreed 
 to accompany me, although we more resembled two men going to 
 the grave, than fit persons to travel over strange countries. Yussuf 
 ben el Hadge Khaleel kindly lent us his little boy, Barea, who was 
 to act as our servant, and to lead our camel. 
 
 On the 14th we set out, having received a Teskera from the 
 Sultan, on all the villages through which we might pass, so as that 
 ourselves and animals might be fed. I also had an order for the 
 Raid of Zaizow and the brother of the Raid of Traghan *^kzjo 
 to accompany us : but it was not until 1. 50. P.M. that we were 
 able to get away. We were weak and helpless ; and the Arabs, 
 according to custom, gave us so much trouble, by their officiousness, 
 that the poor camel and our horses were loaded and unloaded a 
 dozen times at least. At 2. 50. we passed a small nest of huts on 
 our left, named Mangelly having another village to the south 
 of it, about one mile distant, called Ghrowat At 4. after 
 
 crossing a sandy plain, we came to a little village in the gardens of 
 Hadge Hajeel where we found our friend, Mohammed, 
 
 measuring and burying the Sultan’s dates. The heap he was em¬ 
 ployed on was about tw T elve feet in height, and thirty in length, 
 and had all been collected in the immediate neighbourhood. Mo¬ 
 hammed gladly left his work; and having ordered some Lackbi to 
 be brought, and a fowl or two to be seized upon, carried us to the 
 hut he was living in. 
 
 We proceeded this day E. and by S. about seven miles.—Mo¬ 
 hammed made us welcome in the evening, and brought a fifer and 
 two bagpipers to stun us, while the women of the village, to do us 
 honour, beat tin-pots, singing, and dancing before us. 
 
 d d 2 
 
204 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 The village of Hadge Hajeel is half a mile south of the gardens, 
 and has about 250 inhabitants; this is the place which Horne- 
 man mentions under the name of Sidi Besheer, whose tomb stands 
 near it. 
 
 Dec. 15th. Therm. 9°. 30 7 .—-At 8. 30. A. M. we started with 
 Mohammed, who was to take us to Zaizow, and at a mile S.E. of 
 the gardens, arrived at the tomb of Sidi Besheer, where we recited 
 the Fatha, or first chapter of the Koran, and where I gave a dollar 
 to purchase food for the poor. It was a small mud hut, white¬ 
 washed in front, covered at the top with palm branches, and standing 
 on a sandy plain. Custom, and the sanctity of the Maraboot, 
 induce all Kafiles coming from the Interior to stop and refresh the 
 slaves and animals at this spot, previously to their entering Mor- 
 zouk ; and here, too, all travellers assembling for the Interior, meet. 
 Hard by are the ruins of an old Arab Castle, called Gusser Hamadi. 
 
 On leaving this plain, we got into a most excellent beaten road, 
 running S. and by E. to Zaizow, and passed four of the Sultan’s 
 men on horseback, escorting three poor Augela Arabs, bound on 
 camels, with thirty-eight slaves, once their property. These people 
 had been six years trading in Soudan, and were now on their way 
 to prison. We left fourteen of their countrymen in confinement 
 when we set out. 
 
 At 10. 35. arrived at the small village of Zaizow, where we 
 found the Raid Saad, who was to be our attendant, sitting on the 
 sand, at his own door, making women’s red shoes. On seeing the 
 Sultan's order, he sprung up with alacrity, and carrying his tools 
 into the house, returned to us in a short time, in a gay dress, with 
 a sabre hanging over his shoulder. He was a fine honest looking 
 black, very fat and well oiled, and had the appearance of a great 
 eater, which qualification he soon gave proof of. While waiting 
 here, we saw a black woman with lips of a pale pink colour, and 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO ZUELA. 
 
 205 
 
 one or two marks on each hand, of the same hue. I wished to ask 
 her some questions, but she looked so sulky that I desisted. 
 
 Zaizow is prettily situated in a little dell, thickly planted with 
 palms, and having a ruined castle on a rising ground in the centre. 
 The houses are nearly all in ruins, and many had palms growing 
 in them: the population, according to the Kaid, amounted to 
 about 70 souls. It is E. and by S. seven miles from Hadge Hajeel. 
 Mohammed left us in charge of our new friend, the Kaid, who soon 
 found a donkey to carry him on with us to Zuela, at which place he 
 was to find his horse. 
 
 At 11. SO. A. M. set out, and at 2. SO. passed a village on 
 the left, named Areg el Libban, and an old castle, called Gusser 
 Bighia. 2. 45. Passed the ruined village and castle of Mokhaten 
 S. 12. arrived at a place called Deesa where we found 
 the Kaid of Traghan, who promised to come to us on the morrow, 
 and to send his brother as soon as he returned home. The village 
 of Ershadi faces Deesa to the southward of the road. Leaving 
 Deesa, we passed for an hour over a flat, so completely encrusted 
 with salt, that it had the appearance of a hoar frost in England; 
 indeed, the whole of the road from Hadge Hajeel bore, more or less, 
 the same resemblance. 
 
 At 5. we entered the gardens and date groves of Traghan ^J, 
 which appeared in a higher state of cultivation than any we had 
 yet seen, and at 5. 45. arrived at the town, which stands clear of the 
 gardens, on a flat desert plain. Yussuf having offered us his house, 
 we put up there, although not without a great deal of clamour from 
 an over-civil Negress and her husband, who, to do us more honour, 
 shifted us and our baggage about without mercy. The Maraboot, 
 the principal man here, sent to apologise for not being prepared to 
 provide us with bread and meat. At 2. this day the thermometer 
 was 25°. 
 
206 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 -vtt , i „ _ _ _. _ (from Hadge Haieel 7 miles. 
 
 \\ e had travelled E. and by S. \ _ „ . 8 J _ .. 
 
 Clrom Zaizow 16 miles. 
 
 23 miles. 
 
 Dec. 16th. Therm. 9°. Fine clear morning. I paid a visit to the 
 Maraboot, who was sitting on an earthen mound, half naked, and in 
 a very dignified manner, enjoying the heat of the sun. His de¬ 
 pendants were seated round on the sand, listening with mute 
 attention to the sagacity of his remarks. He was very fat, greasy, 
 and consequential, and told me that all his family had been Mara- 
 boots, and equally eminent for learning with himself. On leaving 
 him, full of admiration at his modesty, I went out to the gar¬ 
 dens to see the springs, of which I had heard so much. As I was a 
 stranger, and these springs were the pride of Fezzan, several people 
 left their work to follow me, and to witness my surprise and admira¬ 
 tion at the first sight of them. There are four ponds, each 30 or 
 40 feet in diameter, covered with a green crust, and containing 
 innumerable frogs. Insignificant, however, as they were, I dis¬ 
 mounted and drank heartily from them, although the water, even 
 here, was not perfectly fresh. The gardens which are supplied from 
 them are altogether as white with salt as those watered from the 
 wells. A number of strange birds, resembling thrushes, but with 
 longer tails, fluttered about us ; but having no gun with me, I was 
 unable to kill one. The date trees here are very thickly planted, 
 and form a most agreeable shade. 
 
 I got a meridian altitude of the sun, 81°. T. 30*. which gives the 
 latitude 25°. 55'. N. 
 
 On our return to the town, I observed that its walls and houses 
 were of a light green colour, while the castle in mins appeared of a 
 reddish clay; but I soon discovered that the earth and clay all 
 round the town were actually green, and I collected specimens of 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO ZUELA. 
 
 207 
 
 them. This place appears to have been once of some consequence, 
 but is now nearly in ruins, and has not, I should imagine, above 
 five or six hundred inhabitants. At 2 P. M. thermometer 19°. 
 The Maraboot sent us a couple of fowls and some bread; and as 
 the Kaid of the town followed the present to know if we were pro¬ 
 perly served, he came in for his share. I observed here, with much 
 satisfaction, that Belford seemed quite recovered from his giddi¬ 
 ness, though he remained very thin and weak. 
 
 Dec. 17th. Thermometer 8° 30'. Kaw misty morning, with the 
 wind in the north-east. We visited the Gusba, or castle, the ruins 
 of which show it to have once been a place of some importance as 
 an Arab fortress. The Maraboot informed me that it had been 
 built prior to Morzouk, in which case it must be nearly six hundred 
 years old. A story is told, that of the asses employed in bringing 
 the materials for building it, 500 died before it was finished, of 
 mere fatigue. About sixty years ago it was inhabited by a brother 
 of the native Sultan’s, who governed the eastern provinces, anti 
 was styled “ Sultan el Shirghi,” or Sultan of the East. From the 
 castle we were enabled to observe that the town stood on a plain, 
 bounded to the southward by palms, and from east-south-east to 
 west by the Desert. 
 
 The following towns bore thus: El Glaib, south-west three or 
 four miles; Ben Gleif, south-south-west four miles ; Mafen, south- 
 half-west eight miles; Zebbar, south four miles; and Zaitoon, south¬ 
 east by east seven miles. 
 
 There are four mosques in Traghan, having small mud minarets. 
 The houses are many of them large, but are now in ruins, owing to 
 the great alteration in the circumstances of their owners. That of 
 our friend Yussuf had been one of the best. We had, however, 
 a proof of its present altered state, in finding the roof breaking in 
 upon us, which obliged us to change our quarters. Three beams 
 
208 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 gave way at once, and no doubt the whole would have fallen in 
 before night; though the old man and woman stood fearlessly under 
 it, and asserted that it could not happen, because no roof had ever 
 fallen in their master’s house. The people here have an idea, that 
 corn grows more luxuriantly in salt earth than in any other, and 
 from the appearance of the crops, I am inclined to be of the same 
 opinion. At eleven I sent the Maherry on, and waited, at the 
 Maraboot’s request, to partake of a mess which he was preparing for 
 us. I observed that Kaid Saad’s horse seemed in very poor case, and 
 was greedily eating date leaves; but this was soon accounted for, 
 on my learning that the allowance of food which he received for 
 the poor beast was all sent home to the favourite wife. The people 
 of this place have (if possible) a more whining tone in their saluta¬ 
 tions, than those of Morzouk. I sent the Maraboot a knife and 
 pair of scissars; and at 12. 45. left the town, attended by Yussuf’s 
 slaves, who saw us well on our road, and then took their leave of us. 
 At 3. 15. came up with the Maherry, and at 3. 25. entered a miser¬ 
 able assemblage of about two dozen mud and palm huts, called 
 Zaitoon, ^Aj, having proceeded east-south-east seven miles over a 
 gravelly plain. We met the Ivaid of Traghan on the road, with some 
 other horsemen who were bringing eight slaves and some sheep, the 
 property of Augela merchants. 
 
 As the huts promised but little comfort, we pitched our tent in 
 the midst of them, to the astonishment of the natives; who, on 
 hearing from Saad (who never forgot to order a dinner) that we 
 were very great men, and friends of the Sultan, dispersed themselves 
 about the village to catch all the unlucky fowls that came in their 
 way, and, in consequence, we had six served up in an hour after we 
 arrived. The Kaid felt much hurt at my paying for them, as he was 
 afraid it would be the means of spoiling the people, who would 
 always, in future, expect remuneration. 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO ZUELA. 
 
 209 
 
 Dec. 18th. Thermometer 5° at the tent door. Fine clear morn¬ 
 ing, with the wind to the eastward. We had much difficulty in 
 catching our horses, which had broken their tethers, and run out 
 on the desert; even the Kaid’s Rosinante was capering about: my 
 horse, however, stopped at the sound of my voice, and by 9. 15. we 
 were enabled to proceed. At about three-quarters of a mile south¬ 
 east by east of Zaitoon, is another village of the same description, 
 called Touela, aLA We passed through it, and, I believe, shook 
 hands with every male inhabitant in the place. Near this village 
 is a large heap of ruins, said to have once been a castle, the walls of 
 which are, though roughly built, very curious. Between a rising 
 ground a little to the eastward, and the principal well, there are 
 twelve others, each about four yards apart, and having arched com¬ 
 munications sufficiently high for a man to walk erect in. Leaving 
 Touela, we ascended to a bleak stony plain, running on to the 
 desert on the left, and having very irregular sand hills, about the 
 distance of two miles to the right. We directed our course north 
 65° east. A strong north-east wind was blowing, and I observed, as 
 in coming from Tripoli, that in the coldest days the sun has the 
 greatest power of burning the skin. Belford and myself were com¬ 
 pletely disfigured about the nose, which became very red, and 
 smarted painfully. At eleven the sand hills closed in, and we came 
 again to a few palms and a small village called Maghwa, 
 
 We remained to warm ourselves in the sun by a well side, and were 
 joined by Besheer el Dthucker, the Kaid of Traghan’s brother, who 
 had followed us full speed from Morzouk. At 11. 45. the camel 
 having passed, we went on; and at 1. 30. came again to sand hills. 
 At 2. 10. we arrived with the horses atTaleb, (Fox), a village 
 with about eighteen palm trees, and four or five mud huts: the Sheikh 
 brought us out some dates and very salt water. The mountains 
 between us and Hamera, called El Gara, ^UJI, bore north 
 
 E E 
 
210 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 60° east. At three, the camel having passed, we went on. At 
 4. 10. passed El Gara on the right. From hence Hamera bore 
 north 55° east. We travelled all this day, with the exception of 
 the villages, over a gravelly desert. On the plain we visited a well 
 which is haunted by Iblis, or the devil; for the Arabs cannot con¬ 
 ceive that the echo which proceeds from it can arise from any 
 other cause. At five we arrived at Hamera. I found myself 
 greatly exhausted in consequence of the pain in my liver, and the 
 debility occasioned by the mercury I had taken. The Kaid pro¬ 
 mised me much comfort here, as we were to have the Sultan’s own 
 house ; but we waited so long in the midst of the village, before we 
 could find any one to get it ready, that I was obliged to produce 
 my Teskera, which soon set the people in motion, and converted a 
 set of impudent lazy Arabs into the most submissive people in the 
 world, and every one of them seemed equally anxious to do us 
 honour. We soon found the house, which was a miserable ruin, 
 having only two roofed rooms. The one destined for our reception 
 was occupied by five or six half naked Arab women, and a small 
 flock of sheep; but they all made way for us, and we took possession 
 of it, 
 
 Dec. 19th.—I was so ill that I remained in bed, and was stared 
 at by the whole village. 
 
 December 20th. Thermometer 3° 30'. This place is now 
 nearly unwalled by time, and is completely wretched; it stands 
 on the desert, but is surrounded by a few straggling palms, and 
 gardens. The ground near the walls is covered with bushes of 
 Agool (or thorn of the desert), which, at a little distance, has a 
 pleasing green effect, and was then quite a novelty to us. The 
 Sheikh brought his two wives to me for advice: the first, who had 
 a head-ache and sore eyes, I was able to do something for; but as 
 for the second, her case was hopeless; for, according to her husband’s 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO ZUELA. 
 
 211 
 
 and her own account, she had been three years with child. Such 
 mistakes are frequent here, as many women take this method of 
 deceiving their husbands, to avoid being divorced for sterility. 
 The lady left the house very much irritated at my giving her no 
 remedy for her complaint. At 11.20. we started, and I observed 
 the following bearings from Hamera. El Bedere, east by north 
 two miles. (It is from this place that the people of the neighbour¬ 
 ing districts supply themselves with salt, as it is here free from 
 earth, and of a beautiful whiteness.) Omeleraneb, west-south¬ 
 west two miles. This is the town of Sheikh Barood, of the Boo- 
 wadie Arabs; and from this place Teweewa is south-west two or 
 three miles. As usual, the desert is to the left, and high sand 
 hills to the right. The first part of our road was over a barren 
 plain, and we then, for an hour and a half, travelled over a plain 
 of salt, broken up in large slabs by the heat of the sun, and 
 having the appearance of a brown disturbed sea. We found the 
 footing very difficult for ourselves and animals. At 1. 40. arrived 
 at the village of Omesogueen. Stopped here for a short time, and 
 sent the camels on. I consider this place seven miles and a half 
 east 8° north of Hamera. Low table-topped hills bound the view 
 to the northward. The plains which occurred at intervals between 
 the sand hills, were covered by brittle stones, resembling pieces 
 of yellowish earthen ware, and ringing when struck by iron. At 
 2. 15. we set off, and proceeded east 17° north; met three more 
 Augela prisoners, and eight camels laden with merchandize, which 
 they had brought from Egypt, and which, with themselves, were 
 seized on their entering Zuela. At four we passed a flat hill on 
 the left, running east and west for many miles, called Mengar ; 
 some talhh trees are scattered on the plain at its foot, which 
 afford a lasting joke against the people of Zuela. A man coming 
 from thence, in great dread of meeting the Waled Suliman, a band 
 
 E E 2 
 
212 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. v. 
 
 of Arabs who were pillaging the country, was so blinded by his 
 fears, that he mistook these trees, which he had seen from his 
 infancy, for horsemen, and in great trepidation galloped to Zuela 
 with the news: the Zuela men, in consequence, putting their 
 women and children in safety, went out in a body towards evening 
 to reconnoitre, when, after the usual caperings of a party of Arabs, 
 they came up with their enemy, which proved to be the trees in 
 question ! After passing over another rough salt plain, we arrived 
 at 5. 10. at Zuela, having on each side heaps of ruins within 
 the walls. On an eminence near the town, the principal people 
 (who are Shreefs) had been assembled for four or five hours in 
 order to welcome us. We were shown to a very good house, and 
 numberless visitors came, bringing provisions of all descriptions. 
 For each mess Kaid Saad, who was highly delighted, paid some 
 compliment to the bringer, though not till he had first dipped 
 his finger in and tasted. I was here so ill, that I was obliged to 
 apply a large blister to my side, and to go to bed, leaving my party 
 listening to the wonders which the Kaid was relating about Belford 
 and myself, whom he represented as two very extraordinary per¬ 
 sonages. 
 
 Dec. 21st. Thermometer, at nine A. M. 7°. Being too unwell 
 to leave my bed, Shreefs in numbers came to see us. About twelve 
 different bowls of meat, soup, and bread, were sent in to us, which 
 the Kaid and Besheer (for neither Belford nor myself had much 
 appetite) successively despatched. 
 
 December 22nd. Thermometer 9°, wind east-north-east, and at 
 two P. M. thermometer 21°. I found myself better until noon, 
 when a severe attack of hemma seized me, and my spleen became 
 so very hard and painful, that I was unable to lie down. At night, 
 the attack having ceased, I had a very large party to visit me, and 
 to examine my curiosities, amongst which the compass, and a 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 ZUELA. 
 
 213 
 
 phosphoric match-box, were the most admired, and of course in 
 great danger of being broken. A venerable Shreef, named Moham¬ 
 med Ali, came late, and it was therefore necessary to go through 
 my exhibition a second time, at which he seemed highly gratified. 
 He paid me great compliments on my sagacity in having turned 
 Moslem, and invited me to an assembly at the great Mosque on the 
 Friday following. 
 
 The inhabitants of Zuela are nearly all white, and Shreefs, and 
 they are particularly careful about intermarriages with other Arabs, 
 priding themselves much on their immediate descent from Moham¬ 
 med. They are certainly the most respectable, hospitable, and 
 quiet people in Fezzan, and their whole appearance (for they are 
 handsome and very neatly dressed) bespeaks something superior to 
 the other whites. I observed this evening that these people, as well 
 as all other Arabs and Negroes, invariably express admiration by 
 laughter, which is generally accompanied by holding the open hand 
 with the back towards the forehead. The more they are surprised 
 or amused, the more boisterous and loud they become. 
 
 December 23rd. Thermometer 9°, wind easterly. This morning 
 my curiosity was much excited respecting a very extraordinary 
 fowl, of which the Shreef, Mohammed el Dthabi, last night told me 
 some wonderful stories. He described it as being almost white, 
 and above a foot and a half in height; very stately and dignified 
 in its gait. He had brought a cock and a hen from Egypt, and 
 what was most remarkable, though the cock crowed very loud, and 
 unlike other cocks, the hen crowed also, and nearly as well as her 
 mate. The eggs were very large, and an omelette, which he brought 
 me, was composed of five of them, though, from its size, I really 
 thought twenty would have been requisite. A very large crowd 
 assembled to witness what would be my surprise at the sight of 
 this creature, and while the Sidi went out to fetch it, each told me 
 
214 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. v. 
 
 some curious story respecting it. At last it arrived, and Mohammed 
 having begged that the way might be cleared, walked up to me 
 with great importance, and opening his abba, set before me a goose, 
 which waddled off with great dignity, hissing as it went; while I, 
 to the great disappointment of the company, fell back and laughed 
 immoderately. 
 
 We rode out of the town to see the extraordinary ruins, so 
 much spoken of by the commentators on Horneman’s travels, but 
 which Horneman himself never saw or heard of, unless as two or 
 three miserable mud edifices of the early Arabs. The one most 
 esteemed by the Shreefs is an old Mosque, standing at about half a 
 mile to the westward of the town. It is a large oblong building of 
 evidently an early date, though certainly of Arab origin. The walls 
 are built with a neatness now unpractised and unknown, of unbaked 
 rough bricks, and strong binding clay. At the north-west comer is 
 the Mouaden (or minaret), much dilapidated, but still of a height 
 sufficient to command an extensive view of the surrounding 
 country. The length of the Meseed inside is 135 feet, and its 
 breadth is 90, immense dimensions for an Arab building, which 
 has no cross walls to support the roof. It is quite open overhead, 
 and nothing remains to give an idea of what it once was covered 
 with. There are two niches for the Imaum ; one is in a partition 
 built partly across, near one end, for that purpose; the other is in 
 the wall, and in the form of a pulpit, and I suppose has been used 
 for the purpose of addressing the people when assembled on the 
 plain below, a custom prevailing at Morzouk after Rhamadan, at 
 Milood, and other feast days. 
 
 From this Mosque we went to a spot half a mile east of the 
 town, to examine five buildings, the appearance of which was much 
 more interesting. These are in a line with one another, and have a 
 passage between them of three or four feet in breadth. They are 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 ZUELA. 
 
 215 
 
 square; their diameters are about twenty feet, and their height about 
 thirty. They have dome tops, and two windows; one low near the 
 ground, the other high and narrow, and situated about ten feet 
 above it. The rough skeleton of the building is of sun-dried bricks 
 and clay, which have hardened to nearly the consistency of stone; 
 over this, to about half the height of the building, are laid large flat 
 stones of a reddish colour, and unhewn, as found in the neighbouring 
 mountains. Few of these, however, still adhere. 
 
 The interior of the buildings are perfectly void, and appear 
 never to have had any floors or partitions. From the smallness of 
 the lower windows, it strikes me that these places were the tombs 
 of the Shreefs, who first settled here about five or six hundred 
 years ago; at all events, they now answer this purpose, as each 
 contains a Shreef, whose grave is ornamented with the usual com¬ 
 plement of broken pots, shreds of cloth, and ostrich eggs. The 
 people here look with much reverence on these edifices, and tell 
 many wonderful stories of the dead now enshrined in them. 
 
 On these tombs are the inscriptions about which so many ridi¬ 
 culous tales are told; but two only at present retain them, and these 
 are on the point of falling. 
 
 The Zuela people, like all other Moors, attribute strange 
 buildings and writings to the Christians, so that some excuse may 
 be offered for those who have circulated such pompous stories of 
 Fezzan. 
 
 The inscriptions are on the upper part of the walls, and on the 
 sides instead of the front, which makes it very difficult to see them, 
 owing to the neighbouring buildings not allowing sufficient space 
 to walk back in order to distinguish them more clearly. The least 
 perfect has only one or two lines, resembling the tops of letters, on 
 a white cement of about a foot square; the other has about two 
 
216 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 feet of plaster, and some long letters are sunk in it, apparently 
 Arabic, and much broken. The Shreefs said that these were the 
 only ones they recollected, and that they were written by the 
 Christians soon after the time of our Lord Noah. Having fancied 
 I could distinguish Arabic characters, I made my friends sit on the 
 sand, whilst with my linger I traced them one by one. They im¬ 
 mediately saw the resemblance, but said, that having fancied them 
 to be of Christian origin, they had taken it for granted, and never 
 troubled their heads about decyphering them. 
 
 The letters I drew were these, 
 
 which I conceive clearly prove the Arabic origin of these buildings. 
 Under these characters is a small piece of very neat cornice, of the 
 size of a cocoa-nut, having little flourishes on it. 
 
 One of the people told me that papers and parchments had 
 been discovered amongst the ruined houses in the neighbourhood 
 of the town; but no one could inform me who had found them, or 
 where they were deposited. 
 
 On my return I went to see the Castle, or rather the ruins of 
 one, which occupies a large space in the centre of the town. Its 
 walls must once have been of great strength, as in some places I 
 observed them to be above thirty feet in thickness, and built in the 
 
giiAP. v. 
 
 ZUELA. 
 
 217 
 
 same manner as the houses at Tripoli. The Castle had nothing to 
 boast of but the solidity of its materials. Near the town my horse 
 stumbled and fell into a grave, which, from its being hollow, led me 
 to examine it; and I found, that instead of resembling the shallow 
 graves of Morzouk, those at Zuela are rather in the form of vaults. 
 From the side of the first pit a chamber of the same length is exca¬ 
 vated in the gravel, which lies under the surface of the sand, and 
 the body being placed in the vault, the pit alone is filled with earth. 
 The present walls of Zuela are of the same materials as the 
 Castle. The town has but few good houses in it; but, judging from 
 the ruins I saw, I should conceive it must once have been of 
 much consequence, and built in a manner rather superior to the 
 Arab towns in general. The inhabitants boasted that the door of 
 Zuela was in Egypt, which leads me to conclude, that some town 
 there may have so named one of its gates, and that the Arabs 
 have taken it literally. Zuela is even now called Zella by old 
 people. The town has three very good Mosques, and three gates of 
 entrance. 
 
 December 24th. Thermometer 8°. I found that the hour of 
 Friday’s prayer had been put off on my account, a deputation being 
 sent to announce to me that the Imaum only waited my arrival to 
 begin prayers. The Shreefs were already at the Joumma, and as 
 they are persons of consequence, this attention on their part was a 
 mark of great honour done me. I therefore did not hesitate to 
 obey the summons, and was received by them most graciously, 
 although I perceived that several of them very narrowly scrutinized 
 me, and appeared evidently watching the manner in which I went 
 through the ceremonies. After the prayers the Imaum showed 
 me the Mosque, of which he seemed very proud, and with some 
 reason, for it was certainly the neatest I had seen in this country. 
 
 We were constantly attended by an idiot, who took a particular 
 
 F F 
 
218 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 fancy to me, and my reputation as a good man became established 
 in consequence, it having been invariably remarked that he never 
 distinguished any person by his notice who was not deserving of it. 
 His name was Boo Mousa (or Father Moses), and many miracles 
 were attributed to him. The Sheikh here told me, that for some 
 offence this fool had been guilty of, he had once beaten him, but 
 had soon cause to repent his imprudence; for on the same night, 
 Iblis, and a troop of gholes, appeared to him, and under the 
 directions of Mousa, who stood in the midst, and appeared of 
 gigantic stature, beat, pinched, and scratched him to such a degree, 
 as to deter him from ever again daring to insult a saint. They 
 were afterwards, and still continued to be, good friends. In one 
 of the slave-hunts the men and cattle had been without water for 
 two days, and were consequently reduced to great distress, when a 
 Zuela man, recollecting the miraculous powers of his countryman, 
 immediately implored him to pray to God in their difficulty. This 
 person soon after falling asleep, Boo Mousa appeared to him, and 
 pointing to a particular spot on an adjoining mountain, assured 
 him that he would, on going there, find what he w 7 anted. The 
 man, on awaking, followed his directions, and happily found a suf¬ 
 ficient supply of water for the w hole army ! This poor creature is 
 readily admitted into all the houses, where, how ever foolish in other 
 respects, he never fails to show his talents in eating. 
 
 I cannot omit mentioning the names of the Shreefs here, from 
 whom we experienced the greatest kindness. 
 
 Mohammed ben Ali. 
 
 Ali el Hindi. 
 
 Abd el Rahman. 
 
 Ah Aboo Becker. 
 
 } 
 
 Mohammed el Dthabi. 
 
 They were all related to each other, and appeared sensible and 
 
ciiai\ v. 
 
 ZUELA. 
 
 219 
 
 well behaved men, and, what is really worthy of remark, never asked 
 us for any thing. Ivaid Saad, who was a great cook, undertook 
 to dress for us a whole sheep, which was to last us the remaining 
 part of our journey to Gatrone. As this was one of the Arab 
 methods of preparing meat for a journey, I shall here describe it. 
 The sheep is deprived of all its fat, and cut into small pieces; 
 the fat is melted in a large pot, and the meat, with garlic, onions, 
 and red pepper, is then stewed in it without any water, and with a 
 lid on the pot, for three or four hours, when it is taken out, and 
 having been cooled, is put into a goat skin. The grease is kept 
 for mixing with cusscussou, bazeen, and other dishes; and meat 
 thus prepared will remain perfectly fresh for two or three weeks. 
 He made us a very good mess of sheep skin, which is sliced and 
 stewed with onions. 
 
 On the 23rd December I got a good meridian altitude of the sun 
 80°. 10'. 10". which gives the latitude of Zuela, 26°. IT. 48". N". I also 
 took an observation on this day; but owing to the interruption I 
 met with from some of my visiters, unfortunately lost my reckoning. 
 
 I found myself obliged to hire another camel here, as we were 
 to cross a three days’ desert, and it was necessary to carry water for 
 our horses; our load too was much increased by large presents of 
 zumeita, dweeda, dates, flour, and other provisions from the Shreefs. 
 
 Dec. 25th. Therm. 9°. At 10. 45. A. M. we were attended out 
 of the town by the kind natives, who promised to renew their 
 acquaintance with us at Morzouk. 
 
 Belford was now much recovered; but I still continued in a 
 very weak state. Our road lay over the highest and most irregular 
 sand hills I ever saw; the horses with great difficulty ascending 
 without their riders. I was too weak to walk, and was pulled up 
 by Besheer. The hired camel and its load took a most terrific 
 
 f f 2 
 
22 0 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 roll, and I greatly feared we should be at a stand: fortunately, 
 however, a man travelling our way came up with us, and helped us 
 to re-load the camel, so that by 11. 45. we cleared the hills, and 
 arrived on a heavy sandy plain, over which we toiled until 4. when 
 we arrived at Terboo, the most wretched mud village I had as yet 
 met with. All the men were mere skeletons, and the women equally 
 miserable in appearance ; yet they were obliged, poor and wretched 
 as they were, to feed us and our horses without expecting a reward. 
 I bought, however, a quantity of corn, and distributed amongst 
 them ; and they declared I was the first person coming from the 
 Sultan, who had not distressed them by taking their small stock of 
 provisions. Nothing coidd exceed the wretchedness of this place 
 but the water, which was of a much worse quality than any we had 
 tasted, from its close resemblance to sea water. A few old walls of 
 about 12 feet high were in the centre of the huts, and were dignified 
 by the name of the Castle. There are but few palms here, and the 
 people subsist chiefly by attending camels, sent to feed on the 
 Agool; and for the right of pasture they receive, in return, some 
 very trifling payment in corn or dates. We made this day S. 12°. 
 W. 10 miles. As it was Christmas day, Belford and myself drank 
 to the health of our friends in England, in a bumper of coffee. 
 
 Dec. 26*th. Therm. 3°. 40'. A beautiful morning; but being cold, 
 we had a good fire, and at 8. 50. A. M. the camels started. We 
 were much amused by the blacksmith of the village, who had his 
 forge in the sand at the gate. A man from a neighbouring place 
 came to ask his advice for a liver complaint, which had for a long 
 time troubled him ; and having been so frequently burned with a 
 red hot iron, in order to alleviate his complaint, his side was literally 
 covered with scars. The blacksmith having felt the man’s side, 
 and asked many questions, told him, that the most certain remedy 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO GATRONE. 
 
 221 
 
 for his disorder would be three long burns across the back, which 
 he assured him would soon put all to rights. Feeling compassion 
 for the poor sufferer, I told him if he would follow me to the camels, 
 I would give him some medicine which would relieve, instead of 
 putting him to the torture; but he refused, and I have no doubt 
 paid the accustomed fee of corn, and submitted to the prescribed 
 burning next morning. This operator showed us a file of his own 
 making, of which he was very proud. It was a small bar of iron, 
 and when red hot, had been notched by a flint. He boasted, that 
 although its appearance was not in its favour, it was a far better file 
 than any bought in Morzouk. 
 
 From this place some remarkable mountains bore Mengar Mej- 
 dool, S. 75°. W. Mengar Omesogueer, S.W. two miles ; and Mengar 
 Terboo, N.E. one mile. We followed the camels, and arrived with 
 them at 10. 20. at Omesogueer, 3^ miles S.W. by W. of Terboo. 
 Here we were shown the tomb of a very great Maraboot; and, 
 as usual on such occasions, repeated the Fatha. This holy man 
 was named Sidi Said el Tare, (or lion the bird); because, on every 
 Friday, according to the people of the plain, he appeared in the 
 form of a beautiful green bird during the Asr, or afternoon prayer; 
 but he was visible only to a few of his own relations and brother 
 Maraboots. 
 
 We passed over a salt plain, and came to some scattered palms, 
 after which we entered on a larger plain, and arrived at Mejdool 
 at 1. 50. ; having travelled S. 75°. W. from Omesogueer. Mejdool is 
 a large straggling village of mud and palm huts, and not surrounded 
 by a wall; it has, however, a castle in about the same state of 
 repair as the others we had seen. The people appear more lively 
 and animated than the generality of Fezzanners.—Behind the town 
 
222 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 a continuation of the mountains from Terboo runs nearly north and 
 south, as far as the Mengar. 
 
 This evening we had large bowls of sweet lackbi sent us, and we 
 soon perceived that the people were great lovers of this liquor. 
 Five or six drunken men came and honoured us with their com¬ 
 pany without any invitation. Kaid Saad sold to the women a great 
 quantity of tobacco which he had brought from Zaizow, with which 
 they were very glad to recruit their stock. We hired a guide for 
 the desert, our two attendants being unacquainted with the road. 
 
 Dec. 27th. Therm. 5°. At 9. SO. A. M. we set out, having taken 
 water for three days in our gerbas. Our road lay over a plain of 
 gravel, bounded by mountains close at hand, to the westward, and 
 a distant range to the eastward. At 10. SO. Mejdool bore from a 
 rising ground, N. 44°. E. At 11. the mountains closed in, and our 
 road lay through them. At 12. 10. we ascended to a rough stony 
 plain, resembling, in colour and badness of footing, some parts 
 of the Soudah. Indeed, all the mountains here appear composed 
 of nearly the same black irregular masses of basalt. Five or six 
 Tibboo passed us on camels ; they were the first I had seen fully 
 armed: every man had his three light darts, and his spear. At 2. 
 we descended to a level plain, by a very precipitous pass. The 
 mountain we descended is the most western of a low black chain, 
 which bounds the view as far as the eye can reach, to the east¬ 
 ward. The rocks here, which are of a clay stone, are, in many 
 places, fantastically streaked with veins of a light pink colour. We 
 stopped to rest ourselves under some Talhh trees, when I was 
 alarmed by seeing my Maherry come towards me, foaming at the 
 mouth, and champing like a mad animal. Besheer soon eased me 
 of my fears, by telling me that he was eating bones, a circumstance 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO GATRONE. 
 
 223 
 
 I was not before aware of. I now found, however, by observing the 
 camels, that whenever we passed any skeletons, they selected a 
 mouthful of such bones as they could easily break. 
 
 At 5. 30. P. M. we pitched our tent on the plain, the pass bear¬ 
 ing from us N. 44°. E. The whole of this flat is covered with 
 beautiful rounded pebbles of the size of a pea, and even smaller. 
 We made 30 miles. 
 
 Dec. 28th. Therm, at tent door, 4°. 50'. At 7. 35. A. M. we went 
 on, still over the plain, until 3. 30. when we came to sand, having 
 small shrubs on it, called Omeladam Tafsert, and here met a Tibboo 
 bringing sixteen Negresses from Waday. We found a small well, 
 and having watered our horses, proceeded to another, near which we 
 were to pass the night. At 6. 30. we came to it, but found it had 
 fallen in. Whilst cooking, we caught a young Gerboa, which came 
 foraging. During our journey this day, Besheer shot a crow with 
 a single ball, very adroitly. We observed the Raid seize the bird, 
 and pretend that he was desirous of obtaining the wing feathers; 
 but I discovered that he had pulled off the head, intending to keep 
 it about his person, as a charm against a pain in the elbow. We 
 made, this day, S. 45°. W. 35 miles, slept on the sand, and were 
 much disturbed by the howlings of jackals. This well is called 
 Jufara. 
 
 Dec. 29th. Therm. 2°. 30'. At 7. 45. A. M. we left the well, and 
 passing over an uneven country, arrived at 9. 30. at a few scattered 
 palms, and the wells of Wudakaire, where we found the water ex¬ 
 cellent, when compared with that of Morzouk. Having previously 
 heard from our attendants that it was particularly clear, I carried a 
 small tin pot at my saddle-bow, and a paper containing a little tea, 
 with which I hoped to regale myself. In this I was not disappointed, 
 and was content to obtain the luxury, even though destitute of its 
 
224 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. Y. 
 
 usual auxiliaries, milk and sugar, articles which had now become 
 almost unknown to us. Proceeded S. 50°. W. At 2. the camels 
 arrived at the gardens, and we went on to the town of Gatrone, 
 where we arrived at 3°. 30'. At 4. 50. the camels came in, having 
 made twenty miles. 
 
 Besheer and Belford having stopped at Gatrone gardens to 
 water their horses, I rode into the town with Kaid Saad, alone, 
 which greatly mortified him, as he wished me to have made my 
 entrance with four horses abreast, thinking it would look more dig¬ 
 nified, and in character for such a great person as myself. He was 
 astonished when I told him, that even the Sultan of my country 
 was neither ashamed nor afraid to ride unattended, and that his 
 soldiers never rode or fired before him on his entering a town. 
 This he wisely supposed must be owing to the excellence of our 
 gunpowder, which our king would not suffer to be wasted unneces¬ 
 sarily. We put up at the house of a Tibboo woman: it had 
 a garden and palms in front, and stood at a short distance from the 
 walls of the town. 
 
 Gatrone is surrounded by sand hills, on which are built the low 
 palm huts of the Tibboo, who appear to form a separate com¬ 
 munity ; the people within the walls pretending to call themselves 
 Fezzanners, although the language of Bornou is more generally 
 spoken than the Arabic. 
 
 As this was the evening of the feast of Milood, Mohammed's 
 birth-day, every thing promised a gay meeting, and the young Tibboo 
 girls were adorned for the occasion in all their finery. These 
 females are light and elegant in form, and their graceful costume, 
 quite different from that of the Fezzanners, is well put on. They 
 have aquiline noses, fine teeth, and lips formed like those of Euro¬ 
 peans ; their eyes are expressive, and their colour is of the brightest 
 
• • 
 
 . 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 OF THE T1BBOO. 
 
 225 
 
 black : there is something in their walk, and erect manner of carry¬ 
 ing themselves, which is very striking. Their feet and ankles are 
 delicately formed, and are not loaded with a mass of brass or iron, 
 but have merely a light anklet of polished silver or copper, sufficient 
 to show their jetty skin to more advantage; they wear also neat 
 red slippers. 
 
 The costume for the head is almost universally the same, the 
 hair being plaited on each side, in such a manner as to hang down 
 on the cheeks, like a fan, or rather in the form of a large dog’s 
 ear. A piece of leather is fastened from the front to the back 
 of the head, in the centre, and through this are passed twenty or 
 thirty silver rings, each linked within the other, ending behind in 
 a hat silver plate, which is suspended from a few tresses of hair; 
 and in front, by a silver ornament composed of several rings, in this 
 form : 
 
 On each side of the head, they wear an ornament of gold and 
 rough cut agate, and round it, above the ears, a bandeau of coral, 
 cowrie shells, or agates ; several light chains of silver, having round 
 bells at the end of them, are attached to the hair, and when 
 dancing, produce a pleasing sound. Their necks are loaded with 
 gaudy necklaces, and one-half of their well-formed bosoms is shown 
 by the arrangement of their drapery : their arms are bare to the 
 shoulders, having above the elbow neat silver rings of the thickness 
 of a goosequill, and on the wrists one or two broader and flatter. 
 In the ear they wear three or four silver rings of various sizes, the 
 largest in circumference hanging the lowest. Their most singular 
 ornament is a piece of red coral, through a hole in the right nostril, 
 which really does not look unbecoming. The dress is a large shawl 
 
 G G 
 
226 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 chap. v. 
 
 of blue, or blue and white cotton, of which they have a variety of 
 patterns, fastened over the shoulders and across the bosom, and 
 hanging in graceful folds, so as to show the back, right breast, and 
 right arm bare. These dresses are very short, and exhibit the leg 
 to the calf; but with all this display, their general appearance 
 offered nothing offensive or immodest. 
 
 They tripped about all the evening to exhibit their finery, and 
 were proudly pointed out by their mothers, who were visiting in 
 our neighbourhood. As our hostess had a very pretty daughter, all 
 the young people came to call on her, which afforded them a pre¬ 
 tence for looking at the two new Mamlukes, who had just arrived. 
 I sat on the sand, at the door, and was much gazed at, not in 
 the Arab way, but by stealth, from behind their little shawls, and 
 peeping through the palm bushes. 
 
 As it was the custom on this night, for the girls to dance through 
 the town, in every direction, I heard drums, bagpipes, and the usual 
 accompaniment of tin-pots. At midnight I was called up to see 
 them perform at our door. They were directed by an old woman, 
 with a torch in one hand and a long palm branch in the other, and 
 sung, in chorus, verses w hich she recited to them. Three men sung 
 and played on drums with their hands; and by their motions regu¬ 
 lated the dancers, who were to advance, or to retreat accordingly. 
 The tallest girls were placed in the centre, while the younger ones 
 formed the wings, and they then danced in a circle, round their 
 governess. The lookers-on had torches of palm leaves, and sung 
 occasionally, in chorus. 
 
 The chief object in the dance seemed to be the waving, grace¬ 
 fully, from right to left, and in time with the music, a light shawl, 
 which was passed over the shoulders, the ends being in the hands. 
 They employed their feet, only to advance or retreat occasionally; 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 OF THE TIBBOO. 
 
 m 
 
 but accompanied the change of time by movements of the head 
 from side to side. At a given signal they all knelt, still going 
 through the same motions of the head, and chanting their verses. 
 They danced so exactly in time, and were dressed so much in uni¬ 
 form, that it appeared like witchcraft; when, on a sudden, every 
 torch was extinguished, and the fairies vanished, to exhibit in some 
 other part of the town. 
 
 The Tibboo women do not, like the Arabs, cover their faces; 
 they retain their youthful appearance longer than the latter, are 
 much more cleanly, better housewives, and particularly careful of 
 their children, of whom they have a multitude. Their chief occu¬ 
 pation seems to be basket-making ; and they also form drinking 
 bowls out of palm leaves, which they ornament with stripes of 
 coloured leather, and execute with much taste and neatness. All 
 the Fezzanners who come here to trade return loaded with these 
 baskets, as presents for their families. 
 
 Having said so much of the agreeable qualities of the Tibboo, 
 I feel it but candid to acknowledge their immoderate fondness for 
 tobacco, with a great portion of which almost every mouth is 
 crammed. Their teeth are, nevertheless, quite white, owing to 
 the custom which is peculiar to the Mohammedans of cleaning 
 them after eating, with a piece of stick. 
 
 The Tibboo men are slender and active in their form, and have 
 intelligent countenances; their agility is proverbial; and they are 
 frequently, by way of distinction, called “ the Birds.” The tribes 
 which inhabit the southern parts of Fezzan are, from circumstances, 
 quiet and civilized ; but those of the interior live chiefly by plunder, 
 are constantly making inroads on their neighbours, and are not 
 famed for fidelity one to another. They are not disposed to cruelty } 
 but are most impudent thieves; and their well known character 
 secures them the almost exclusive commerce of Waday and Bag- 
 
 g g 2 
 
228 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 liermee, no strangers, at least very few, choosing to risk a passage 
 through their country. They are chiefly Kaffirs, and. live in a state 
 of nature, being clad with the skins of beasts, and inhabiting holes 
 in rocks, or wretched grass huts. Their camels or maherries enable 
 them to perform extraordinary journeys, from which circumstance 
 they are constantly shifting their abode. 
 
 Mukni lias several times desolated different parts of the country 
 of the Tibboo of 'Burgoo, and Kawar, and these people now revenge 
 themselves on whatever luckless whites may fall into their power. 
 Their arms in the interior are three light spears and a lance, a 
 dagger and sword, and missile weapons called Shangar, which do 
 much execution. The Tibboo men of Gatrone are armed nearly in 
 the same way ; but their weapons are better finished, and they 
 sometimes add a pistol to the list. The wild tribes live chiefly on 
 dome dates, and the flesh of their flocks: they have but little corn, 
 and are unacquainted with the art of making bread. The seeds of 
 the Khandal, or colocynth apple, form a principal article of food 
 amongst the Tibboo, Tibesty, and Kawar. It is not the ordinary 
 custom amongst these people to tattoo or score the skin. 
 
 Of the Tibboo slaves who are brought to Fezzan, the females 
 meet with the readiest market, on account of their beauty: the 
 males are generally too light for hard work, and are not brought in 
 any considerable number. 
 
 December 30th. Thermometer 4°. This day got a good meridian 
 altitude of the sun, 83° 2 6 ' 50 "; which makes the latitude of 
 Gatrone 24° 47' 57 ' North. 
 
 Gatrone is a town of itself, principally inhabited by Fezzanners, 
 who are all olack, and having, as I before observed, the Tibboo 
 living outside in huts, with occasionally houses, of which we occu¬ 
 pied one. There is a castle in the centre of the town, surrounded 
 by a wall. The Tibboo do not appear to mix with the town’s 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 229 
 
 people, but form a separate community, and adhere to their ancient 
 manners, language, and costume. Gatrone has a plentiful stock 
 of Maraboots, for which profession the Fezzanners are admirably 
 adapted. News now arrived of the Ghrazzie, or slave hunt, being 
 within three or four days of Tegerry; corn in consequence became 
 very dear, being one kail, or about two gallons for a dollar. In the 
 afternoon our pretty dancers paid us another visit, and passed 
 through the town. I certainly never saw dancing performed with 
 more modesty, which is saying a great deal for Africans, who, 
 generally speaking, regard decency as the last consideration, and 
 totally incompatible with their ideas of grace. 
 
 I at this time visited Hadge el Raschid, a great Maraboot, and 
 a very cunning fellow, who gave me much information about 
 Waday and Tibesty, and offered to accompany me to all the Tibboo 
 tribes, if I would give him a watch and a long telescope. It had 
 been my intention to have accepted his terms; but I gave up the 
 idea for the present, in consequence of Belford’s health, which was 
 now very precarious, and which he feared would be unequal to the 
 journey of seven days from Tegerry, over the rocks of Tibesty, 
 without wood or water. The Maraboot treated me to a dish of 
 the Taberca, or seeds of the colocynth apple, which were brought 
 from Tibesty. I found them very palatable, and not at all par¬ 
 taking of the bitter of their outward covering. He told me many 
 stories of the southern Tibboo ; of their great love of plunder, and 
 appropriating to themselves the property of others. They will 
 sometimes carry off a camel in the night, which before morning will 
 be entirely devoured; and many traders have been so completely 
 fleeced by them as to be obliged to wait for other Raffles, before 
 they could return to their own country. 
 
 Of Tibesty, and the road to Waday, he gave me the following 
 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 230 
 
 information. “ In Tibesty there is a large spring of hot water, 
 which appears to boil as if over a fire. The soil in which this 
 spring is situated is composed entirely of sulphur, in many places 
 quite pure. The water is drank medicinally by the natives, as well 
 as strangers who go purposely from other countries to drink it. 
 In taste it is acid.” This man affirmed, “ that all blind people, on 
 washing their eyes with the water in question, are restored to sight; 
 while all sores and rheumatic pains are completely cured by it.” 
 In short, according to his account, its properties are most wonder¬ 
 ful. The existence of such a bed of sulphur and spring water may 
 throw some interesting light on the idea that the mountains of 
 Tibesty are of volcanic origin. 
 
 To Waday the road from the Tibboo Borgoo is thus: 
 
 South-east by south. 
 
 Borgoo to Kennedy.2 days, a well. 
 
 Kennedy to Bokalia.2 days, a well. 
 
 Bokalia to Boushasheem... 2 days, a large lake during the 
 
 rainy season. 
 
 Boushasheem to Kharma... 2 days, a well. 
 
 South. 
 
 Kharma to Sobboo.2 days, a town of Tibboo. 
 
 Sobboo to Emharaije.1 day, a town in Waday. 
 
 Emharaije to Kennedy.2 days, a town. 
 
 Kennedy to Wara.2 hours. This is the principal 
 
 town of Waday, and is the residence of the Sultan. 
 
 My informer had never seen Fittre, but described it as a large 
 lake, full of fish, which is dried and salted, and sent to great 
 distances for sale. He did not know of any river communicating 
 with it. 
 
CHAP. Y. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
 
 231 
 
 Wara to Fittre 5 or 6 days south. 
 
 to Muddago 5 days south-west, 
 to Bahr el Ghazal 7 days north-west, 
 to Kaugha 6 , 7, or 8 days south-west. 
 
 Muddago is the name of some very high mountains of black 
 stone. 
 
 Battali, which is laid down as a river, was the bed of an immense 
 stream, now dried up entirely. He had himself seen in it large 
 skeletons of fish and animals, shells, and trunks of trees, as in Bahr 
 el Ghazal, from which it is north-west 5 days, and to which, per¬ 
 haps, it was once attached. It still retains its name Bahr or river. 
 He said, that from Gatrone to Wara there was not a river, or even 
 a rivulet of any importance, except in the rainy season, when the 
 torrents form themselves temporary beds in the Wadeys. 
 
 The slaves brought from Waday are procured from Kooka, 
 or Kaugha, Kola, Tama, Runga, and various petty states in their 
 vicinity. 
 
 The Tibboo have a particular breed of sheep and goats here, of 
 the same race as those of Bornou and Soudan. The tails of the 
 sheep are in some so long as to touch the ground, and are very 
 taper. These animals are distinguished from the other species, by 
 being called Majiggri; they are hairy, and generally of a dark 
 colour. The goats are elegant little creatures, and have hair as 
 sleek and shining as that of a horse. They are plentiful, and 
 tolerably cheap. 
 
 December 31st. Thermometer 4°. I was unable all yesterday to 
 procure one dollar’s worth of corn, owing to its extreme scarcity; 
 and even Gaphooly, or Indian wheat, bore the same price as corn at 
 Morzouk. 
 
 My Maherry being in very poor case, the Maraboot promised 
 to take care of him until my return from the southward. This 
 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 232 
 
 morning I gave to the woman of the house in which we had stopped 
 a dollar, which being a large sum, she appeared very grateful for, 
 but at the same time begged a little butter also. When packing 
 up, and preparing for my departure, she again attacked me, saying, 
 “ What, then, Will you not give me a little corn or some gaphooly, 
 or other little present? You can come again, you know:” a 
 specimen of Tibboo covetousness so closely allied to the Fezzan, 
 that I suspect one tribe must have obtained some valuable hints 
 from the other. A Fezzan proverb says, “ Give a Morzoukowi your 
 linger, he will beg first the elbow, and then the shoulder-bone, as 
 keep-sakes.” 
 
 The Tibboo on meeting after absence do not shake or touch 
 hands, as the Arabs do; hut, squatting on their heels at some 
 distance from each other, with their spears in their right hands, turn 
 their backs, and continue for a time saying, “ La La ! La La! La 
 La!” which is their salutation, and which signifies “p eace -” They 
 then rise, and, approaching each other, enter into conversation. 
 The Tibboo speak very fast; and their language, which is full of 
 liquid letters, is really very pretty, and not resembling any of the 
 other Negro dialects. Many of the women came to ask for medi¬ 
 cine to make them bear children # , some wanting boys, others girls; 
 I was, however, obliged to disappoint them, declaring I had none 
 which could ensure their wishes. This they one and all disbelieved, 
 observing that they supposed I was unwilling to tell the secret to 
 strangers ; but that in my country, the land of the Nazarines, every 
 one was acquainted with it. 
 
 * The Tibboo girls are betrothed some time before they are married, in the same 
 manner as the Arabs and Tripolines. 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 OF THE TIBBOO. 
 
 233 
 
 Tibboo Language. 
 
 One 
 
 Trono. 
 
 Two 
 
 Chew. 
 
 Three 
 
 Agozoo. 
 
 Four 
 
 Tuzzaw. 
 
 Five 
 
 Fo. 
 
 Six 
 
 Dessee. 
 
 Seven 
 
 Tootoosoo. 
 
 Eight 
 
 Oossoo. 
 
 Nine 
 
 Issee. 
 
 Ten 
 
 Mordum. 
 
 Bird 
 
 W oogghe. 
 
 Fowl 
 
 Kokaiya. 
 
 Pot 
 
 Goorroo. 
 
 Come 
 
 Eery. 
 
 Go 
 
 Yustoo. 
 
 Bring 
 
 Kortoo. 
 
 Fire 
 
 Oonee. 
 
 Water 
 
 Aee. 
 
 Food 
 
 Tibbi. 
 
 Meat 
 
 Yinni. 
 
 Dates 
 
 Timbi. 
 
 Sheep 
 
 Hadinni. 
 
 Salt 
 
 Gillayli. 
 
 Face 
 
 Enguddi. 
 
 Head 
 
 Dafoo. 
 
 Arm 
 
 Kay. 
 
 Shoulder 
 
 Afhirri. 
 
 Horse 
 
 Askee. 
 
 Cow 
 
 Farr. 
 
 Ass 
 
 Agurr. 
 
 Camel 
 
 Gonee. 
 
 Sun 
 
 Tooggoo 
 
 Moon 
 
 Aowree. 
 
 Hot 
 
 Winnighi. 
 
 Cold 
 
 Wow. 
 
 Blood 
 
 Gherra. 
 
 Bone 
 
 Soorroo. 
 
 Take 
 
 Gon. 
 
 Rise 
 
 Yerroo. 
 
 Eat 
 
 Woo. 
 
 Drink 
 
 Ia. 
 
 Wood 
 
 Aka. 
 
 Stone 
 
 Aai. 
 
 Good 
 
 Tirri. 
 
 Bad 
 
 Zuntoo. 
 
 Man 
 
 Aaih. 
 
 Woman 
 
 Adi. 
 
 Girl 
 
 Do. 
 
 Boy 
 
 Kallih. 
 
 Pepper 
 
 Borkono. 
 
 Hand 
 
 Awana. 
 
 Eye 
 
 Soaa. 
 
 Mouth 
 
 Ichee. 
 
 Nose 
 
 Tcha. 
 
 December 81st. We started at twelve o’clock, and on the 
 sands met about fifty girls neatly dressed, dancing in two lines, and 
 preceded by a couple of drummers. They advanced to us, and 
 surrounded our horses, kneeling and singing choruses. After this 
 
 H H 
 
234 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 they rose and danced round us, when Besheer most ungaUantly 
 fired his gun, and rode amongst them as in a slave-hunt, which 
 threw them into great confusion, and convinced me that I had 
 never in my life seen better runners. 
 
 The music of the Tibboo, as well as of Fezzan, consists chiefly 
 of dr ums, which are made of a block of palm-tree hollowed out, and 
 having a skin stretched at each end, beaten on one side by a stick, 
 and on the other with the hand. (This instrument is called Gongaa 
 jJai). They have a kind of rude bagpipe,, called Zuccra, \Jj , and 
 smaller drums than the Gongaa, called Dubdaba, <ukjda. 
 
 Our road was over sand, with small clumps of young palm 
 bushes and Attila scattered at intervals, until two, when we arrived 
 at the little village of El Bakkhi, and pitched our tent before a 
 neat house belonging to the Sheikh, who was a Maraboot. We 
 were much delighted at having two large trees of Gurda, some fig- 
 trees, vines, and palms, in front of us. 
 
 The wafer of the well was comparatively good, and the Mara- 
 boot’s son, in the absence of Iris father, was very civil to us. So 
 much verdure, though within the compass of half an acre, made 
 this place appear to us quite a Paradise; but on turning again, we 
 saw with very different feelings the wide desert, stretching like an 
 immense sea as far as the eye could reach. The women appeared 
 here, as at Gatrone, busy in making their baskets. 
 
 The Maraboot’s son, a boy of about sixteen years of age (whom the 
 Kaid always styled “ Sidi Maraboot,” particularly when he brought 
 any thing to eat), was all attention, and we dined rurally under the 
 first shady tree of any size we had yet seen. 
 
 The Gurd is a species of Mimosa, having a yellow flower, and 
 small delicate leaves resembling the acacia. It produces a pod, 
 also called gurd, which, from its great astringency, is used in the 
 

 
 
 
 / 
 
 
TlBJBOO OF ifiATROHE . 
 
 oHafo&JPua/fyfcea- 4v We</-rtz ■ (fSJeKMnfaJZtjeyj. 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO TEGERRY. 
 
 235 
 
 preparation of leather, as well as in dying black. It is frequently 
 employed from its healing qualities. 
 
 January 1st, 1820. Thermometer 5°. Our new year’s morning 
 was beautiful, and we felt quite refreshed, and free from pain. On 
 striking our tent we found in the top about two quarts of flies, 
 which had taken refuge from the cold, and were quite torpid, and 
 which we buried. At 8.15. we left with much regret this delightful 
 spot, and I gave the young man a knife and some beads. 
 
 We rode over a plain, and at 10. 15. arrived at Medroosa, 
 LjjAc, a small neat village, having come south-west by south six 
 miles. We found a large bowl of lackbi awaiting us, and I after¬ 
 wards discovered that the Kaid had sent overnight to order it. We 
 took from hence a supply of dates for our horses, and endeavoured 
 to buy a kid; but the price of it being two dollars, and its size not 
 exceeding that of a small cat, I was unwillingly compelled to relin¬ 
 quish it. At 11 . 25. the camel passed; we mounted and followed 
 it to a well outside the town, where we watered our horses. 
 Near this well are some holes for making tar, according to the 
 manner of the Tibboo, which is thus: a pot is buried deep in 
 the ground with the mouth upwards, which is covered by a 
 
 h h 2 
 
236 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 piece of another pot with a hole bored in it; a large jar is then 
 filled with bones and date stones, and its mouth is filled with a 
 handful of the fibres of the palm. This is inverted on the per¬ 
 forated piece, and round it a strong fire of wood and camels’ dung 
 is burnt, until the pit is full of red hot ashes. The tar then 
 filters into the lower pot, which is dug up when the upper one 
 cools: it is immediately fit for use. Gerbas (or water-skins) are 
 rubbed with this composition, which resembles coal tar in smell and 
 appearance; and it is applied to the sores of camels. 
 
 I observed that every man we met after leaving Gatrone was 
 armed with the llarba, or long spear, and wore the dagger at his 
 wrist. 
 
 At 4. 15. arrived, after traversing a plain literally covered with 
 the tracks of hyaenas and jackals, at a few palms, and a well, called 
 Kasarawa. The unevenness of the road delayed the camel until 
 6. 15. We had travelled south 40° west, fourteen miles from Me- 
 droosa. It was not necessary to pitch our tents, as we found some 
 palm branches, which formed a comfortable shade, in which, by the 
 light of the full moon, we took our new year’s dinner of bazeen. 
 There is a great deal of Deesa, a kind of light rush, growing here; 
 and we collected, while our dinner was cooking, a quantity for our 
 horses. It requires much beating with a stick before these animals 
 can eat it. This is the fodder which is always taken from Te- 
 gerry to feed the horses and camels, in I\ allies passing the Tibesty 
 mountains. 
 
 We were agreeably surprised by the Kaid’s producing a couple 
 of fowls, which he had, unknown to me, gratuitously procured at 
 Medroosa, to make amends for the disappointment we had ex¬ 
 perienced in not purchasing the kid. 
 
 As the Tibboo are not famed for respecting the goods of tra 
 
CHAP. V. 
 
 JOURNEY TO TEGERRY. 
 
 237 
 
 vellers, we prepared all our arms, and having a large fire in front 
 of us, we lay down very snugly in our Bornouses. Our fears were, 
 however, groundless, nothing disturbing us but the wild rats in their 
 foraging expeditions. 
 
 January 2nd. Thermometer 1° 40', which was the lowest we 
 had yet seen in F ezzan; we were, however, taught to expect ice 
 before the winter should pass. The ground we had gone over since 
 leaving Gatrone was a narrow stripe of three or four miles, and 
 sometimes only half a mile in breadth, bounded on either side by 
 the desert, from which it was only distinguishable by being here 
 and there able to produce a miserable dwarf thorn bush. 
 
 Our camel had disappeared in the night, and we were all in 
 confusion, searching for him in different directions, and doubting 
 whether he had been stolen by the Tibboo, or had strayed on the 
 desert, either of which events would have been equally unhappy 
 for us. 
 
 A severe attack of hemma prevented my joining the party 
 which had gone out in search of the camel, and at two the driver 
 returned with the animal. We learnt that he had tracked the 
 fugitive back to Medroosa, in the gardens of which place he was 
 wandering, probably to look for the Maherry, to which he was much 
 attached. The skill of the Arabs is really extraordinary in tracking 
 their animals over plains covered with the feet-marks of other camels 
 and men. 
 
 We soon set out, and from a rising ground observed that the 
 desert was skirted by distant hills from north-east to south. Ther¬ 
 mometer 25°. An old castle, called Gusser Hallem, bore south 50° 
 west. At 3. 15. we passed it: our road was very uneven, the 
 ground being covered with little hummocks bearing small bushes. 
 My horse, which felt no compassion for my liver complaint, started 
 
238 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. V- 
 
 every five minutes at the dead wood, and caused me extreme pain. 
 This little stripe of sand was never above a mile in breadth, and 
 sometimes ceased altogether in a gravelly desert. We observed 
 several locusts flying about. At 6. 30. arrived at Tegerry, the 
 southern limit of Fezzan, and obtained a tolerably good house; 
 indeed, the only whole one in the place, built within a space sur¬ 
 rounded by the walls of the ancient castle. Here we procured good 
 stabling for our horses, and were free from interruption. No one 
 could come to stare at us, and we were able to shut the castle gate 
 in due form at night. 
 
 We made south 55° west, fourteen miles. No news had arrived 
 of the Ghrazzie. 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 TEGERRY. 
 
 239 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Castle of Tegerry—Description of the Town—Some Accounts of the Desert of Bilma—= 
 Salt Lake of A gram—Ride out on the Desert—Leave Tegerry—Belford’s dan¬ 
 gerous State—Return to Gatrone—Arrival of the Grazzie, or Slave-hunters, with 
 many Captives and Camels—Account of their Excursion, and of Borgoo and Wa- 
 junga—Manner of making Captives—Leave Gatrone in Company with the Grazzie 
 —Mestoota—Reception at Deesa—Feast at Zaizow—Return to Morzouk—Go out 
 to witness the Triumph of the Slave-hunters—Sultan’s Reception of his Son—- 
 Remarks on Grazzies—Accounts of Slave-markets—Arrival of Aboo Becker, and 
 Continuation of Mukni in Command—Further Accounts of the Countries of the 
 Tibboo—Arrangements in the Sale of Slaves, so as to ensure the Sultan his Share. 
 
 January 3rd. Thermometer 10° on the house-top before the 
 sun rose. This was a striking difference from the temperature of 
 the day before. The Castle walls were about thirty feet thick at 
 bottom, and ten at top, and were composed, as usual, of mud, having 
 small loopholes for musquetry. It formerly had commanded the 
 town, but was at this time in a ruined state. There were wells in 
 the Castle of very salt water. The similarity of the Arab and 
 French names for an embrazure is striking, the former calling it 
 embraza. Close to the Castle we observed several large stagnant 
 pools of water, which had been caused by taking the clay away to 
 re-erect the walls. I cannot conceive that these places contribute 
 much to the healthiness of the town. The date trees are in and 
 close round the houses. The inhabitants are very little superior to 
 
240 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. CHAP. VI. 
 
 savages, and the Arabic is scarcely understood. The language 
 spoken is Bornou. 
 
 This being the resting-place of Kaffles from Bornou, Waday, 
 and sometimes Soudan, provisions are always very dear, the in¬ 
 habitants selling to the half-starved merchants, who arrive from 
 those places, at whatever price they please. Corn is not to be pro¬ 
 cured ; but gaphooly and barley, poor substitutes! are sold at the 
 rate of three quarts for a dollar. Dates are certainly very cheap, a 
 camel load selling at about three quarters of a dollar. The people 
 of Tegerry have not the custom of burying their dates as in Mor- 
 zouk, but put them in bins built for that purpose in their houses, 
 and cover or mix them with sand: others keep them on the fiat 
 poofs, as there is no fear of their being injured by rain. 
 
 A few years ago this country was famed for the excesses com¬ 
 mitted by the inhabitants, who robbed, and not unfrequently mur¬ 
 dered, travellers. Even large Kaffles were not secure from them, 
 until Mukni took several into slavery, and otherwise regulated 
 them. 
 
 It must be confessed, that the Arabs and Fezzanners have not 
 the least compassion for the people on whom they may be quartered. 
 A Fezzanner, if obliged to feed one man and horse for a day, con¬ 
 siders himself cruelly treated, though he dares not complain; but 
 should he himself obtain an order from the Sultan to go to a distant 
 place with five or six horsemen, he will eat at every cluster of 
 huts, insisting on meat (which is extravagantly dear), for the whole 
 party, and taking besides a few live fowls, or a sheep, and a dozen 
 or two of loaves with him. 
 
 As I made a practice of paying in money, trinkets, or cutlery 
 for whatever we required, I was continually advised not to do so, 
 but to avail myself of my order from the Sultan, which warranted 
 my taking what I pleased. The people were indeed so accustomed 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 TEGERRY. 
 
 241 
 
 to imposition, that they were themselves astonished at receiving 
 any remuneration for the articles they supplied us with. 
 
 Some of the places at which we stopped, contained scarcely a 
 dozen huts. We were six in number, with four horses and two 
 camels, yet a feast was always ordered, until I discovered what 
 shameful advantage was taken of the poor inhabitants; I then in¬ 
 stantly forbade the Sheikh at his peril to deprive them in future of 
 a fowl, or any other article of food. The Fezzanners will drink 
 pure fat, butter, or oil, with the greatest avidity; this occasions 
 their complaining continually of bile. 
 
 Tegerry is the southernmost town in Fezzan, and here the cul¬ 
 tivation of the palm ceases. The dates are very fine, and generally 
 in great plenty. The Desert is close to the town, which lies to 
 the southward of its palms. 
 
 Sun’s meridian altitude, 85° 2' 50", which gives the latitude 
 24° 4s north. In this place they do not cultivate Lifts (tur¬ 
 nips), or radishes; a very few dwarf carrots, some onions and 
 pompions, are their chief garden productions. The corn here is not 
 in so forward a state as that of Morzouk. 
 
 Belford again complained of a bilious attack, and was, as in 
 former cases, so giddy as to be scarcely able to walk. I greatly 
 feared that this return of his complaint would finally prevent my 
 going as far as Tibesty, which I fully intended doing. 
 
 In the course of our cooking I observed that a date plastered 
 over a hole in a leaky pot renders it quite tight for one boiling, and 
 as dates are more easily procured than tinkers on a journey, this hint 
 may be worth noticing by those who may hereafter travel in this 
 country. 
 
 January 4th. Thermometer 2°, wind northerly.—I was again 
 very severely attacked with hemma, and, as usual, suffered much 
 
242 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 pain in the spleen and liver. I imagined this attack to proceed 
 from the coarseness of our bazeen, which was made of bad gaphooly, 
 and resembled dough. The Sheikh brought me a dome date, which 
 was a curiosity rarely seen in F ezzan; it was the size of a large 
 cob walnut. The rind, which is hard and dry, is the only part 
 eaten, and is gnawed off; under it is a hard covering, which en¬ 
 closes the stone; the outer shell is so strong as to resist a ham¬ 
 mer, and even to break knives. The taste of the rind is not much 
 unlike that of stale gingerbread, which it resembles both in smell 
 and colour. There were four trees of the dome date here, which I 
 purposed seeing. I was so fortunate as to purchase a dried and 
 smoked fish from the Niger near Kashna, which I intended taking 
 to England. 
 
 This evening, while lying in my bed, I heard the mewing of a 
 cat, which our people imagined must be the devil. At first they 
 attempted to laugh; but the boy significantly remarking that “ the 
 Castle was a very old place,” Besheer and the Kaid hastened to 
 load their guns, and to fire them off in the Skeefa; Iblis, or the 
 devil, being much averse to gunpowder, or any thing of which 
 sulphur forms a part; each then, taking a lighted palm branch, 
 rushed out to look for the cause of their alarm ; the poor cat had, 
 however, in the meantime escaped. On their return, the camel 
 man, whom they considered a great scholar, roared out the Korsi, a 
 most powerful charm against every kind of spirit, from Iblis and 
 the little Shiateen, or young devils, down to gholes and afrites. 
 After this comforting stave, he hurried over several chapters of the 
 Koran in the same key; but owing to the Ivaid’s musket not going 
 off until he had snapped it four or five times, their fears remained 
 in full force, and they continued talking and praying until a late 
 hour, convinced that Iblis was still in the house. They w 7 ere not 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 TEGERRY. 
 
 243 
 
 much pleased with my ridiculing their fears, observing, that although 
 in my country there might be no devils, I ought not, therefore, to 
 doubt their existence in Fezzan, for there were plenty in every old 
 house. Even the discovery of the cat after this disturbance, could 
 not in any way remove their prejudices. 
 
 January 5th. Thermometer 7°, wind north-east.—Belford and 
 myself better to-day; the water very brackish, which not a little 
 increased our weakness. 
 
 From a Zuela Arab, who had lately returned from Benghazi 
 and Derna, I obtained the following account, which I have reason 
 to suppose correct, as he was a better informed man than the 
 generality of Arabs. 
 
 Zuela to Temissa, 2 days of eight hours each; the first east, the 
 second north. 
 
 Temissa to Fuggha, 2 long summer days, and three and a half 
 in winter, north-north-east. It is one dav west of the Harutz el 
 Abiad, and is situated in a wadey between two mountains, which 
 run north-east and south-west. 
 
 They make very good jereeds and abas at Fuggha. 
 
 North-east. 
 
 Fuggha to Zella (Zala of the maps) 4 days. A well. 
 
 Zella to Marada... 4 
 
 Marada to Zdabia. 4 
 
 Zdabia to Benghazi. 4 
 
 Fuggha to Benghazi 16 days of 7 or 8 hours. 
 
 Benghazi to Derna. 
 
 Benghazi to El Abiar f’il Naga... 1 long day. 
 
 El Abiar to Saas ou el Khof. 1 day. 
 
 Well. 
 
 Well. 
 
 f Large town on 
 (the sea-coast. 
 
 i i 2 
 
244 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. chap. vi. 
 
 Saas to Marawa. 1 day. 
 
 Marawa to El Homrie (so named after a celebrated 
 
 Maraboot whose tomb is there). 1^ 
 
 East. 
 
 El Homrie to Garinna. 1 
 
 Garinna to Legbaiba. 1 
 
 Legbaiba to Derna. 1 Town. 
 
 7£ days. 
 
 All these are watering places. Derna is a considerable town on 
 the coast; it is walled, and has a large Mosque with sixty arches. 
 
 From Tegerry to Bilma , according to the Account of some Travellers 
 
 recently arrived from thence. 
 
 South. 
 
 Tegerry to El Haat. 1 day. 
 
 El Haat to Meshroo. 1 
 
 Meshroo to Teneia... 1 
 
 Teneia to El Wata. 1 
 
 El Wata to El Warr. 1 
 
 El Warr to El Hammer. 2 
 
 El Hammer to Maffrus. 2 
 
 Maffrus to Zhai. 2 
 
 Zliai to El Mara. 1 
 
 El Mara to Hatait el Dome.. 1 
 
 Hatait to Uguira. 1 
 
 Uguira to Kesbi. \ 
 
 Kesbi to Shenumma. ^ 
 
 Shenumma to Dirki. 1 
 
 Dirki to Bilma. 2 
 
 Resting place. 
 
 Well. 
 
 Rocks. 
 
 Resting place. 
 
 A well. 
 
 A well. 
 
 A well. 
 
 A well and domes. 
 
 Well and domes. 
 
 A well. 
 
 Large town of Tibboo Kawar. 
 Town. 
 
 Large town. 
 
 Large town. 
 
 Very large town. 
 
 Thus Tegerry to Bilma is 18 days of 8 or 9 hours. 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 TEGERRY. 
 
 245 
 
 I found no one who knew of the salt lakes of Domboo, laid 
 down in all the maps; but there is abundance of salt at Agram, 
 (which is four days from Bilma west-south-west,) and a large lake, 
 on the borders of which this article is collected. The Tuarick of 
 Aghades go there, and carry away great quantities to Soudan. This 
 agrees with the accounts of Domboo; and from the circumstance 
 of the Tuarick going to Agram, and the position of that place, I am 
 led to imagine it may be the same with Domboo, though under 
 another appellation. The Tibboo immediately to the northward of 
 Bornou are Wandela, Gunda, and Traita, which tribes are all mingled 
 together. Tibesty is east of the Bornou road, and on the road to 
 Waday. I here saw a woman who pretended to tell fortunes by 
 examining the palm of the hand; which is the first instance of the 
 kind I have met with. 
 
 Belford considering himself quite unable to go to El Wiekh, 
 whither I was about to proceed, I resolved on leaving him with the 
 Kaid and Barca, to recruit his strength, proposing to return about 
 the sixth day. I went to the gardens to see the dome trees, and 
 obtained a few of the domes, but they were not quite ripe. The 
 trees, which I saw were considered by the natives as small ones, 
 being about twenty feet in height, and seven or eight in a cluster. 
 I learnt that the fruit ripens in the spring about the same time as 
 the corn. These trees have the trunk of the common palm, though 
 covered with branches ; and the domes grow from the sides, as well 
 as the top of the tree. The leaves are all curved, and being very 
 thick, form a pretty head; they are of a light green; and along 
 their edges, and from their tops, a fibre resembling long black hair 
 hangs down. They all unite at about three inches from their 
 common stalk. This tree is the palm of Bornou, the Tibboo, and 
 the Tuarick. 
 
 January 6th. Thermometer 4°; wind southerly.—It had been my 
 
246 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 wish this morning to proceed to the well called El Wiekh, in hopes 
 of there meeting the Ghrazzie; but fearing to leave Belford for so 
 long a time, I determined on riding out to the southward as far as 
 the day would allow me: my object in so doing was to see the state 
 of that part of the desert, which I found the same as the one w 7 e 
 had passed. I returned at night, and learnt, that at Mogreb the 
 Kaid of the town had arrived from Morzouk, with two camels laden 
 with clothes, oil, butter, and other articles for Aleiwa and such of 
 the Sultan’s immediate household as were with him: as this man 
 brought news that the army would pass Tegerry on the morrow, it 
 made my proposed journey unnecessary. 
 
 January 7th. Fine morning; thermometer 4°.—Myself much 
 better, Belford very weak. At half past eight the camel started, 
 and at nine we followed; quite rejoiced at escaping from the salt 
 water, damaged barley, and miserable people of Tegerry. At six 
 we arrived at Medroosa, where, even for money, I could procure no 
 food, and where they totally disregarded the Sultan’s order. Un¬ 
 fortunately my character had preceded me: “ He is a fool who 
 actually pays for every thing, and yet has the power of taking it.” 
 They carried their resistance so far, that I was at last obliged to 
 exercise the power given me in the Teskera; but it was so late 
 before I got the better of them, that nothing could be cooked that 
 night. My custom of paying for every thing at the places we had 
 passed would actually have exposed me to the risk of being nearly 
 starved all the way back, had I not at last made them sensible 
 of my power. 
 
 I now began to feel much alarm respecting Belford, whom we 
 had left some hours before, slowly following with the camel and its 
 driver, but who did not come up with us. After having made fre¬ 
 quent and anxious search for him, to our great relief he arrived at 
 11. 45. P. M.; though in a most deplorable condition, having fallen 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 RETURN TO GATRONE. 
 
 247 
 
 from his horse in consequence of excessive weakness and dizziness. 
 The camel man saw the animal without its rider, and was still more 
 fortunate in observing Belford as he lay extended and helpless on 
 the desert; where, but for this providential discovery, he must have 
 remained all night, at the risk of his life; exposed to severe cold, 
 and in danger of being devoured by the immense herds of jackals 
 and hyaenas which were prowling about the plain, and whose howl- 
 ings we heard all round the village. The poor fellow was so deaf, 
 that our voices could not have reached him, even at the highest 
 pitch; and the night being very dark, every attempt to find him 
 would have been fruitless. Much as he required food and restora¬ 
 tives, we had, unhappily, none to give him, the people of the village 
 refusing to supply us. A little coffee was all we could prepare for 
 him, and that his stomach rejected. In this dilemma, all that 
 remained was to cover him up as comfortably as we could, and 
 to place him on the sandy floor, where we left him, in the hope 
 that his total exhaustion would at least produce quiet and undis¬ 
 turbed sleep. 
 
 January 8th. Thermometer 2° 40'; wind northerly.—Belford 
 was this day a little better. At eight the camel started. We ob¬ 
 served a Fakeer, or schoolmaster, sitting with his scholars on the 
 sand; one roaring, the others squeaking sentences of the Koran. 
 This man hearing me reproach the natives for their want of hos¬ 
 pitality on the previous evening, in refusing assistance to a sick 
 stranger, went into his house, and brought out five eggs, all the 
 food he possessed, which he hoped Belford would eat. This kind 
 action redeemed the character of the village; for had it not been 
 on this good man’s account, I should certainly have complained to 
 the Sultan, and he would, in consequence, have imposed on the 
 offenders a fine of a certain number of dollars, slaves, or cattle, a 
 plan he is very expert in. Indeed, he never loses sight of any 
 
248 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 opportunity of exacting such penalties, as they not only enrich him, 
 but make his subjects stand in awe of him. At ten we proceeded: 
 Belford still better, but remaining very giddy. At four, having 
 stopped at El Bakkhi to drink the excellent water there, we arrived 
 at Gatrone, and put up at the house of our former hostess. 
 
 January 9th. Thermometer 1° 40'.—Belford was much recovered. 
 The Kaid this morning made me some excellent ink of the pods of 
 ^Jie Gurd tree, of which I have already spoken, and a bright yellow 
 earth resembling sulphur in colour, easily dissolvible in water, and 
 acid to the taste, called Shahaira, and brought from Bilma by the 
 Tibboo. • 
 
 The news of the return of the army had so frightened the 
 people here, that I could not find either a sheep or goat, and was 
 obliged to kill a beautiful Majiggri (which I had brought from 
 Tegerry, and intended taking to England) to make soup for poor 
 Belford.—My hostess informed me that she had lost three children 
 in three successive years by the sting of scorpions. Each child was, 
 at the time it died, two years of age: all were boys, and all had 
 received the sting in the room in which we were. 
 
 The fondness of these people for show is quite as great as at Tri¬ 
 poli. This afternoon a Maraboot, brother to my friend El Hadge el 
 Raschid, and one of the chief men here, came in from the Ghrazzie, 
 which he had left at El Bakkhi. He arrived in the gardens early, 
 but could not enter the town until some gaudy clothes, and a fine 
 horse, had been sent out to him, that he might make his entrance 
 as a great personage. In the evening I heard the Tubbel sounded 
 for the first time. This is a large drum, which is generally kept at 
 the house or hut of the Sheikh. When sounded, it is to announce 
 to the natives that news, or some order from the Sultan has arrived, 
 which is loudly proclaimed by the Sheikh, or people who may be 
 ordered to do so. Those who are at a distance come and listen to 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 GATRONE. 
 
 249 
 
 the proclamation, and carry it to tlieir neighbours. This evening it 
 was an order to every family to supply a certain quantity of food 
 on the morrow for the Ghrazzie “ of our Lord the Sultan,” and a 
 proportionate allowance of straw and dates for the horses; we took 
 the hint, and secured three days’ fodder for ours. I was informed 
 that all the towns south of Morzouk have these drums, but I had 
 never seen one ; the poor people consider this kind of sound as 
 not very agreeable, for they never hear the music without paying 
 the piper. 
 
 In the course of our journey Besheer often mentioned his 
 having been at the Balir el Ghazal; and his account agrees with 
 almost every one I have heard. He says that there must once 
 have been a great sea there, as he himself has picked up handsome 
 shells, (according to the Arabs, Beit el Khoot, or fishes’ 
 
 houses,) imbedded in the earth, and as large as his double fist; also 
 backbones of fish the size of his arm, (no small one,) which were 
 petrified; and he added, that if the pieces were joined together, 
 it would appear that the fish, when alive, must have been ten or 
 twelve feet in length. The Kaid dressed and dried, with the hair 
 on, the skin of the sheep I had killed, by stretching it on the 
 ground, and rubbing it with Gurd pods pounded, and afterwards 
 with salt; he allowed it one day to dry, and then softened it by 
 rubbing it with butter, the hair remaining perfectly firm. 
 
 January lOtli. Thermometer 2° 30\ Went out to meet Sidi 
 Aleiwa and the Ghrazzie, whom I joined at El Bakkhi. The 
 horsemen were in a body, and the foot and captives followed. 
 After many compliments, and shaking hands with all my old 
 friends, I returned with them to Gatrone. They had brought with 
 them 800 lean cripples, clad in skins and rags, between 2000 and 
 3000 Maherries, and about 500 asses: 180 of the mounted Arabs, 
 and about 300 foot, were still left behind in the negro country ; 
 
 K K 
 
250 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 100 horses came with Aleiwa, and 400 Arabs; nearly 1000 camels, 
 and many .captives, had died on the road, besides children: the 
 death of the latter was not included, as they were not considered 
 of any importance. If a brutal Arab found a child in a plundered 
 village, so young as to require milk, it was considered sufficient to 
 try to keep the poor infant a day or two on dates and water mixed, 
 and if it sickened, to throw it on the road side to die, or to be 
 devoured by the jackals. A wretch of the Boowadie Arabs, endea¬ 
 voured to laugh at an acknowledgment of his having followed this 
 odious practice; and he was much astonished at my driving him 
 out of the house in consequence. 
 
 I could not in any instance find that these cowardly ruffians 
 ever dared to attack an armed man, whilst they inflicted every 
 species of cruelty on invalids, old people, and children. Mohammed 
 el Lizari, a friend of ours and a principal Mamluke of Fezzan, was 
 the actual commander of this expedition, though Aleiwa was the 
 nominal one. This man was so disgusted at the scenes which he 
 had witnessed, that he determined never again to accompany the 
 Ghrazzie; indeed his having now done so was not with his own 
 consent, but in consequence of an order from Mukni, which pre¬ 
 cluded all possibility of refusal. The Ghrazzie had been six months 
 absent, during which time they had overrun Bergoo (of the Tibboo), 
 Wajunga, and the southern part of the Balir el Ghazal. In Bergoo 
 their success was not great, as the Tibboo were warned of their 
 approach, and had nimbly betaken themselves to their native 
 fastnesses in the rocks. Afraid to follow them, these wretches made 
 themselves amends by firing at the poor Negroes, well aware that 
 they had no guns with which to defend or revenge themselves. On 
 the return of these people through Tibesty, with which country 
 Mukni is at peace, they endeavoured to take a few of the Tibboo 
 camels (in a friendly way,) and for that purpose sent three of the 
 
I 
 
 CHAP. VI. OF THE TIBBOO BORGOO. 251 
 
 Sultan’s household slaves to demand that they should be given up; 
 these the Tibboo seized and put to death, considering them as 
 nothing less than robbers. Aleiwa’s people, however, succeeded in 
 taking prisoners some of this tribe, cutting the throats of fifteen men 
 and women, and making captive 130 young men and girls, with 200 
 camels. I was induced to ask who were the aggressors in this case. 
 “Oh! the Tibboo assuredly, for they are Kaffirs and thieves: we 
 only wanted 300 or 400 camels for the Sultan, and were at peace 
 with them, and did not intend making any slaves; therefore they 
 ought not to have resisted us.” 
 
 The Tibboo of Borgoo are all Kaffirs, but are quiet inoffensive 
 people, living in houses made of palm-leaf mats, called Booshi, which 
 are so closely woven, that the rain cannot penetrate them. I have 
 seen huts of this description at Gatrone and Tegerry, and consider 
 them superior to the Fezzan houses in general. Very little corn is 
 cultivated in Bergoo, the inhabitants subsisting chiefly on dates, 
 which grow there in immense quantities, of an inferior kind, and on 
 the flesh of their sheep, goats, and camels: they have also a small 
 breed of black cattle, but these are chiefly used for milking. The 
 arms of these people I have spoken of in a former page. Their 
 dress has very little variety; and except the skins of animals they 
 have only such coarse cloths as they sometimes obtain from their 
 trading neighbours, which they wear, having a piece before and 
 another behind, hanging down as low as the knees. Boys and girls 
 are entirely naked, and few of the men have any other covering 
 than a leather wrapper round the loins; all have the head bare. 
 Marriage, according to the accounts of the Arabs, who vilify them 
 in order to excuse their own cruelties, is unknown among them, and 
 the women are in common : brothers and sisters live together, and 
 confess it when asked. They have no knowledge of a God; they 
 
 k k 2 
 
252 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 are, nevertheless, peaceable and neighbourly towards each other. 
 One or two whom I questioned, admitted that there was a great 
 Spirit who, made them ; but laughed when I asked where he was 
 to be found ? They imagine thunder and lightning to be produced 
 by their deceased friends, and are therefore very fearful during a 
 storm. They eat the blood of camels when baked over a fire ; and 
 they also will eat animals which die a natural death. Lizari came 
 anti lodged with us; we provided him with clothes, and made him 
 as comfortable as we could. Neither he, nor any of the Ghrazzie, 
 had for the last forty-two days tasted any other food than dates ; 
 lie was fat, however, and so were they all, which is a strong proof of 
 the nutritious quality of that fruit. 
 
 Mukni, who was very jealous of Lizari, and bore him great 
 ill will, sent orders to certain people to murder him, by firing 
 ball at him whilst at their evenings’ diversions ; but his situation 
 as a great man in Fezzan, and his excellent private character, had 
 made him so respected, that those who had orders to kill him 
 came and informed him of his danger, promising to defend rather 
 than to injure him. He remained, however, in most unpleasant 
 suspense, lest a second order should lx? more effectual. Even in our 
 house, and in the same room with us, he slept with his pistols 
 cocked under his head, and his sabre by his side. 
 
 The people of AVajunga are much allied to the Tibboo in their 
 habits, arms, &c.; but the men have a way of plaiting their hair 
 which is very remarkable, and in some it resembles the curling of a 
 ram’s horn, in size and shape. 
 
 I saw this day a fine young Tibboo woman of Gatrone, who was 
 inquiring amongst the Arabs if any one of them had a child to sell. 
 She soon found one, whose mother had died on the road: it was 
 about three weeks old, and miserably thin. As she wanted to suckle 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 OF THE TIBBOO BORGOO. 
 
 253 
 
 it, having lost her own infant, she bargained for it, and at last pur¬ 
 chased it with a wooden bowl of about the value of sixpence, and a 
 gallon of dates, worth about a penny more. She however soon re¬ 
 turned with the child, which she tossed back to the man who had 
 sold it, complaining that it would not take the breast, and demand¬ 
 ing the purchase money back. The dates had been eaten, but 
 the bowl was returned to her; and so ended the bargain, an Arab 
 taking charge of the poor infant, and promising to carry it home 
 to his wife. 
 
 A sick child whom I took under my care, and to whom I 
 administered medicine, amused me much by his alarm at the sight 
 of bread when shewn to him for the first time. I offered him a 
 little flat loaf, and he was for a long while considering whether 
 he should venture to touch it, but at last mustered courage to 
 take it up, apparently in great trepidation, holding it between his 
 fingers and thumbs, and frequently turning it round. Having 
 first smelt to it, he began to nibble; and being very hungry and 
 cold, and finding it not quite so terrific as he imagined, the poor 
 little fellow despatched it very soon. I continued to feed him for 
 the two or three days we remained together, and his mode of ex¬ 
 pressing his gratitude, was by coming close to me, and looking 
 up in my face. 
 
 Many of the children were carried in leather bags, which the 
 Tibboo make use of to keep their corn in; and in one instance I 
 saw a nest of children on one side of a camel, and its young one in 
 a bag, hanging on the other. The Arabs brought many asses and 
 sheep from Borgoo: the former are very large and fine, and arrived 
 in high condition, whereas the horses and camels were skeletons. 
 I here had an opportunity of seeing the manner of chaining the 
 prisoners. Five Wajunga men, fierce, well made, handsome people, 
 
254 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 about 25 years of age, were linked together. The right hand is 
 fastened to the neck, round which is an iroji collar, having two rings 
 in the back; through this the heavy chain is passed and locked at 
 each end on the unhappy slaves. The owner sleeps with this chain 
 tied to his wrist, when in fear of their escaping. I was informed 
 by their masters, that these men had been so confined during three 
 months, “ because they were fierce fellows, and had actually resisted 
 their captors; but above all, they had been guilty of endeavouring 
 to make their escape when taken.” Their cowardly owners dreaded 
 them even in Fezzan. These were the only strong young men in 
 the Ivaffle ; almost all tjie other males being little boys, or infirm 
 old men. 
 
 The Tibboo of Borgoo are represented as a timid race, in such 
 dread of a gun or horse, that the bare sight of an Arab, and parti¬ 
 cularly a mounted one, is sufficient to put a number of them to 
 flight. They run with great swiftness, and when endeavouring to 
 escape, use many successful and ingenious feints. For instance; if 
 pursued on rocky ground, they will kneel suddenly in such a 
 manner, as to resemble a rock or stone, the mountains in their own 
 country being black like themselves; if where wood is lying, they 
 embrace the trunk of a tree: if on sandy ground, they stand on an 
 eminence, until their pursuer is in the hollow near them, they then 
 run to the next hollow, and change their direction or even bury 
 themselves before he gets to the rising ground. They show equal 
 skill in eluding the vigilance of their keepers when caught. Mukni 
 has often told me stories of their cunning, with evident astonishment 
 and anger, that these poor wretches should dare to use their wits 
 to such advantage. One of his remarks was, “ if you catch one, 
 and do not immediately bind him, when you turn away from him, 
 he will run off.” 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 OF THE TIBBOO BORGOO. 
 
 255 
 
 The country from whence these poor victims come produces 
 sufficient dates to furnish the whole army, and the conquerors 
 brought away enough to supply their slaves and animals. There 
 are in this country some singular insulated rocks, which are almost 
 inaccessible, and which stand on plains of sand. On these many of 
 the Tibboo live, and by means of large stones and arrows are 
 able to keep off any people, who, like themselves, are without 
 muskets. The Sultan's army, in a former Ghrazzie, stormed some 
 of these fastnesses; and though they w ere superior in number 
 and arms, and the Tibboo naturally timid, they met with very 
 severe loss. 
 
 The plan adopted by the Arabs in taking these people is 
 described in the following manner.—They rest for the night, two or 
 three hours ride from the village intended to be attacked; and 
 after midnight, leaving their tents and camels, with a small guard, 
 they advance, so as to arrive by daylight; they then surround the 
 place, and, closing in, generally succeed in taking all the inhabitants. 
 As those who elude the first range have also to pass several bodies 
 placed on the look-out, and armed with guns, their chance of escape 
 is almost impossible. On a rising ground, at a convenient distance? 
 is placed a standard, round which are stationed men prepared to 
 receive and bind the captives, as they are brought out by those who 
 enter the town: when bound, the pillagers return for fresh plunder. 
 In the course of one morning, a thousand or fifteen hundred 
 slaves have sometimes been procured in this manner, by two or 
 three hundred men only. When the inhabitants are all secured, 
 the camels, flocks, and provisions, come into requisition ; and these 
 dreaded Arabs march on and conquer other defenceless hordes, in 
 the same manner. The Tibboo of Borgoo are of a lighter com¬ 
 plexion than other Negroes, and are handsome people. The 
 females braid their hair, which is not very woolly, in long plaits. 
 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CIIAP. VI. 
 
 256 
 
 which hang down round their head in bobbins of sometimes eighteen 
 inches in length. 
 
 The Arabs found many pigeons in Borgoo; these birds emi¬ 
 grate from Fezzan in October and November, to Kawar, Bilma, 
 Borgoo, and other places to the southward. 
 
 January 12th. Therm. 3°. Left Gatrone, and preceded the 
 Ghrazzie to the wells of Wudakaire, from which place 1 have 
 already noted the bearings to Gatrone. We slept here, and took 
 care that it should be at least a mile distant from the Arabs. My 
 Malierry was now r in tolerable condition, owing to the care taken of 
 him by the Mara boot, to w hom I sent a six-bladed knife, as an 
 acknowledgment for his trouble ; this he considered so splendid a 
 present, that his house had a constant succession of visitors, to see 
 and admire its wonderful blades, saws, &c. which were opened with 
 great care, and looked on with astonishment. 
 
 January 13th. Therm. 2°. 10'.—We left Wudakaire at 7. 20. 
 and passed over a desert of sand, w ithout a break in the horizon, N. 
 
 10°. W. 35 miles, w hen at seven we arrived at Mestoota a 
 
 small spot of about two miles in circumference, covered with palm 
 and Attila bushes; and having a lo\V marsh, abounding in rushes, 
 and the favourite shrubs of the camels, viz. Deesa Agool Jjic, 
 and Dthamaran There are many wells here, and an old 
 
 ruined Arab castle. A¥e observed the Ghrazzie to encamp about 
 five miles short of this place. The Jerboas w-ere here in immense 
 quantities, and ran over our heads the whole night: they were 
 even bold enough to attempt stealing a piece of bread from under 
 my head. 
 
 Friday 14th. Therm. 2°. 3(X below zero.—Water which we had 
 left in a bowl over night, became ice of the thickness of half an 
 inch; and the Gerbas (water skins) were so completely frozen up 
 at the necks, that we were obliged to melt them over a fire. What 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 RETURN TO MORZOUK. 
 
 25 7 
 
 must the poor naked Negroes, who know no winter, have suffered 
 during the whole of this night, lying out uncovered, on the sand ! 
 We had a long chase after our horses, which had broken loose and 
 gone away, until 10. 20. when, after much trouble in securing them, 
 we set off, passing as before over a flat plain of sand until 8. 20. 
 when we arrived at some dangerously high sand hills; down which 
 I every moment expected the Maherry, which carried myself and 
 two sacks of dates, would tumble. At 7. 30. we arrived safely past 
 the hills at Mafen a small village which I saw from Traghan, 
 when first I went there. We had travelled, when on the plain, 
 N. 35°. E. 15 miles, and over the sand hills, N. 10°. E. 12 miles. 
 
 Saturday 15th. Therm. 2°. Fine morning.— Started at nine 
 from Mafen, and passed over a most curious plain of salt and earth, 
 so broken by the sun, that it resembled the rough and irregular 
 lava of Vesuvius; large slabs of four or five feet in height, with 
 sharp points, were sticking up in every direction, and as hard as 
 stone. I think it next to an impossibility for a man to walk even a 
 few yards over this ground. A poor path, barely wide enough for a 
 camel, has been cut and worn through it; but many accidents still 
 happen by animals falling on their journey over it. This extra¬ 
 ordinary bed extends east and west above twenty miles, and is 
 about three in breadth at this part. I paid it a much longer visit 
 than I could have wished, being attacked so severely by hemma, 
 as to be obliged to dismount and lie in the road, until the after¬ 
 noon, without water to relieve me, or any thing at hand to assuage 
 the pain in my liver. 
 
 On my recovery, we passed Traghan, without entering the 
 town ; and having refreshed ourselves at a well of tolerably good 
 water, went on with Besheer to his house at Deesa, where he killed 
 the fatted calf, and gave us the most cordial welcome. His mother 
 and young wife came out to receive us, and with his sisters, wept 
 
 L L 
 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 258 
 
 for joy at his return. I gave the old woman some eye medicine, 
 for which she wanted me to accept a fine fat-tailed sheep; and his 
 sister furnished us with eggs, fowls, and sour milk in abundance. 
 Kaid Saad would not stop here; but after taking Lackbi enough to 
 make him merry, set off for Zaizow, to prepare a welcome for us on 
 the morrow. 
 
 January 16th. Therm. 4°. We set out at ten for Morzouk. I 
 suffered Belford and the camel to go on, and remained amongst the 
 surrounding little hamlets, with Besheer, who introduced me to his 
 friends and neighbours, many compliments passing on both sides. 
 He also presented me to a very pretty girl whom he had fixed on 
 as his new wife, making two his complement. About noon, we 
 heard the firing of the Ghrazzie’s people on entering Beedan a 
 village near Zaizow, and soon after, arriving at the latter place, we 
 alighted at the residence of Kaid Saad. We found him lying 
 on the ground, most amusingly drunk and communicative, and sur¬ 
 rounded by fowls and bread, eggs, cakes, soup, sweet and sour lackbi, 
 and dates. 
 
 He was all generosity, and would have given us his whole 
 
 \ 
 
 house, and into the bargain, even his old wife, who waited on us 
 during the meal, and was highly oiled for the occasion. We soon 
 discovered, as he was not in condition to keep a secret, why he had 
 recourse to such large draughts of lackbi. He had boasted, all the 
 time he w T as with me, of his second wife, and had promised I should 
 be treated with a sight of her, if he could prevail on so beautiful 
 and bashful a creature to show her face to any other man than her 
 husband: no sooner, however, had he left Zaizow to accompany me 
 a month before, than this charming person decamped. She first 
 collected as much corn as she could find, and a dollar or two which 
 were hoarded up.; and after abusing her house-mate, the elder wife, 
 set out for Morzouk. Beport spoke unfavourably of her conduct 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 RETURN TO MORZOUK. 
 
 259 
 
 there, and the old man was endeavouring, in consequence, to drown 
 his sorrows in his favourite liquor. The lady of the house presented 
 me with a bowl of Soudan manufacture. 
 
 This afternoon, a man came to me for medicine, for a pain in 
 the chest, and opening his shirt, displayed the most sickening sight 
 I ever beheld : he had been so burnt over the whole of his breast, 
 that it had festered, and become a sore of above a foot in diameter, 
 and had so eaten into his skin, that I imagined he could not sur¬ 
 vive many days. I had nothing with me which would relieve him, 
 but advised that his sore should be kept clean, a precaution which 
 had never entered his head. His friend, who brought him to me, 
 said, that for all the world he woidd not suffer him to be washed, 
 as he had read in a book, that using water to a burn occasioned 
 certain death. Thus, owing to their ignorance and prejudice, this 
 poor man probably lost his life. After being nearly killed with 
 kindness, we set out. The Ivaid, though almost incapable of sitting 
 his own poor lean horse, amused himself by riding at full speed 
 before and across mine, screeching and discharging his gun out of 
 compliment to me; but happily for his own neck, and I may add 
 for mine also, in about half an hour his powder failed him. 
 
 In the evening we arrived at Morzouk, and found that my kind 
 friends, Yussuf and the old Hadje, had prepared a feast for me. I 
 went to visit Mukni, who received me very graciously, and thanked 
 me for going to meet his son, whom he pretended to be ashamed 
 of, for not having presented me with a couple of Maherrys; one to 
 eat, and the other to ride on. Yussuf and the old man spent the 
 greater part of the night with us, relating all the city news ; and I 
 promised them, that on the morrow, I would set out with the Sultan’s 
 two youngest sons, to Hadge ITajeel, to meet and return with the 
 Ghrazzie to Morzouk. 
 
 ll2 
 
9X0 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI, 
 
 January 17th. Therm. 6°.—I set out as I had proposed, with 
 the Mamlukes and a large body of Fezzanners, to meet their 
 friends; for which, on joining Aleiwa’s people, I received many 
 thanks and compliments: having only slept one night at my own 
 house, I was not expected to leave it again so quickly. I here 
 found my little patient, whom I mentioned before, quite recovered, 
 and able, by his master’s instruction, to thank me in a few words of 
 Arabic. This little fellow’s patience, during illness, had so won on 
 his master, a shoemaker of Morzouk, that he had adopted him ; and 
 intended, instead of selling, to bring him up to his own trade, in 
 which, if the boy succeeds, he is to make me a pair of boots on my 
 return. We spent this afternoon in singing and eating, and every 
 one assumed a new appearance: instead of the dirty ragged 
 wretches whom I had last seen, they were transformed into a gay 
 multitude, dressed in silks, scarlet, and embroidery; their friends 
 collecting for them such finery as would enable them to enter the 
 capital with becoming dignity. Many of the Arabs smelt most odo ¬ 
 riferous!)' of attar of roses, and affected to look as if they had been 
 accustomed to it all their lives. 
 
 The whole procession would have been very amusing, on the 
 morning of the 18th, but for the multitude of poor dejected captives ; 
 —their swelled and sore feet, and emaciated bodies, formed such 
 a sad contrast to the finery and ostentation of the conquerors, that 
 it not only completely checked all inclination to laugh, but gave 
 rise to the most painful feelings. Six flags preceded the army with 
 a large band of musicians, who formed a melodious concert, each 
 disdaining time or tune, and playing such airs as their own taste 
 dictated. On approaching Morzouk, the dancing women and bag¬ 
 pipers came out, and added to the din; and the Arabs, dividing 
 as usual into two bodies, skirmished with very good effect. At 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 RETURN OF THE GHRAZZIE. 
 
 261 
 
 noon we entered the town, and I rode ahead of the Sultan’s son, to 
 observe what would be his father’s reception of him. I found 
 Mukni sitting in the greatest agitation, pale, and alone in the 
 Mezlis, or Court of his Castle, and scarcely able to welcome me. 
 The crowd assembling, a lane was formed from the place where 
 Aleiwa was to alight, to the great chair in which the Sultan sat. 
 The boy dismounted, and, supported by his younger brother, ran 
 and threw himself on his knees to kiss his father’s hand. A general 
 silence prevailed, when the father, overcome by his feelings, re¬ 
 clined on the son’s neck, and wept aloud. At that moment I 
 felt that I could have forgiven him all his unkindness to Mr. 
 Ritchie and myself, and the numerous murders he had committed; 
 had I not recollected that this favourite boy was returning with 
 many poor children, whose existence was not less dear to their own 
 parents than his was to Mukni. When the Sultan had become a 
 little composed, and had re-assumed his look of dignity, a splendid 
 Bornouse of cloth of gold was brought, and Aleiwa being stripped 
 of that which he then wore, by some of the principal people, the 
 new one was thrown over him, for which he knelt and kissed his 
 father’s hand. This, I find, is the customary present in all the Bar¬ 
 bary states to generals returning victorious. The ceremony over, all 
 the Arabs commenced kissing hands, and the Sultan then, having 
 vouchsafed a smile on the crowd, entered the Castle, leaning on the 
 shoulders of his two sons. 
 
 January 19th.—All this day the Sultan was sitting outside the 
 Castle gate, surrounded by Sheikh Barood and the Arabs, and 
 buying of them, slaves and camels. 
 
 The square near the Castle presented quite a novel appear¬ 
 ance, being filled with above 1000 Maherries. The town was. 
 till alive, and formed a very amusing spectacle. Merchants from, 
 neighbouring countries, Tibboo, Tuarick, Arabs, and camels, were 
 
262 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 all in motion at once, while the poor Negroes, who occasioned the 
 assemblage of so many strangers, sat naked and shivering in the 
 sun, and were oiled all over to better their appearance. Some 
 were paraded for sale, whilst others went about with broken pots 
 to collect the blood of the numerous camels, which people were 
 slaughtering, and which, on being baked over a fire, they eagerly 
 swallowed. Such skeletons as were seen amongst them might really 
 have moved the pity even of their owners. Slaves were selling as 
 low as ever, and the market was full: a fine girl of thirteen years 
 of age was worth about thirty-five dollars; a boy of the same age 
 about fifteen or twenty; occasionally the price was greater for the 
 females, if particularly handsome ; but boys seldom rose higher than 
 the sum I have mentioned. 
 
 None but the Bedouins appear to approve of these Ghrazzies; 
 their wandering manner of life, and total want of every social 
 feeling, their having no lands to cultivate, or houses to take care of, 
 may account for it. Those who have possessions are aware that 
 these predatory excursions are the ruin of the country and of 
 trade; but their fear of Mukni is even greater than their love of 
 home, and they therefore must engage, however unwillingly, in this 
 service. Every man who attends the Ghrazzies is obliged to furnish 
 himself with arms and provisions, and he is at liberty to make what 
 plunder or captives he can, which, with the exception of one-fourth, 
 is his own private property. A general attack, in which all are 
 engaged, allows of no man appropriating to himself the slaves he 
 takes, as all are carried to the standard, and thus divided; the 
 Sultan has one-fourth, every footman is entitled to one slave, and 
 every horseman to two. Should the number of captives exceed 
 that of the captors, a second sharing is made after each man has 
 received his first portion; but should the number of slaves not 
 amount to that of the captors, they are divided, one between two 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 ARRIVAL OF BOUKHALLOUM. 
 
 263 
 
 or three, in proportion. Two little children are considered as equal 
 to a young boy, and two boys of about nine or ten years of age, or 
 one girl of the same age, make a share. 
 
 About this time I frequently visited the slave-markets, whicli 
 are conducted with the same degree of indifference to the feelings 
 of the captives as at Tripoli. There are many auctioneers, as well 
 for slaves, as for other articles of trade; each runs from side to side 
 of the street, crying in a shrill voice the price last bidden, and 
 standing on tiptoes: should he be selling a slave, the poor creature 
 follows him at a trot, like a dog, to the different groups of merchants 
 who are sitting on the sand. 
 
 Aboo Becker Boukhalloum the Sultan’s head man, 
 
 arrived from Tripoli, bringing with him the Bashaw's Teskera, con¬ 
 tinuing Mukni in the command of Fezzan for three years, on con¬ 
 dition of his paying to the Bashaw 80,000 dollars. In order to 
 treat this person with great respect, and to show he was “ the man 
 the King delighted to honour,” the Sultan’s three sons, and all the 
 horsemen to be found, were sent to meet him at Dgleim, and * 
 accompany him to the town; drums and colours preceding him, 
 and the inhabitants, who cared not if he were alive or dead, 
 roaring for joy. This man had been an Augela Arab five or six 
 years before; but now, covered with gold and scarlet, was as great 
 as fine clothes (the African standard of dignity) could make him. 
 On his arrival at the Mezlis, the Sultan received him sitting in his 
 chair of state; and having read the Bashaw’s letter (or affected to 
 do so, for his Majesty is no scholar), he thrice kissed and put it to 
 his forehead. The Fighi then read it in a loud voice to the people, 
 who all exclaimed, “ Thank God!” 
 
 A fine yellow Bornouse, ornamented with lace, having been sent 
 as a present, Mukni descended from his throne, and after being 
 
26 4 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 stripped by his slaves of the one he then wore, he put on the new 
 one, first kissing, and thrice putting it to his head. 
 
 I received a large packet of letters by Bookhalloum, who said 
 he had often seen the Consul and Dr. Dickson; he also brought me 
 money from a kind friend, who was aware of our distressed situation. 
 
 From a number of persons, who had been on the recent expedi¬ 
 tion, I obtained the following account of the routes they had taken, 
 which, as the narrators pretty generally agreed in them, I have 
 reason to believe correct. 
 
 Tegerry to Bor goo. 
 South. 
 
 Tegerry to Meshroo. 
 
 2 days. 
 
 South, a well. 
 
 Meshroo to El Warr. 
 
 
 Well amongst rocks. 
 
 El Warr to El Fezzn. 
 
 2 
 
 A well. 
 
 South-east. 
 
 
 El Fezzn to Aboo. 
 
 4 
 
 ( This is a town of Tibesty. 
 (Febaboo of maps. 
 
 South-south-east. 
 
 Aboo to Wadey Khareet 
 
 1 
 
 A well. 
 
 Wadey to Tow. 
 
 1 
 
 Well in a wadey. 
 
 Tow to Zooar. 
 
 1 
 
 ^Bain water in the rocks. 
 
 Zooar to lVLarmar. 
 
 1 
 
 Mannar to Subka. 
 
 3 * 
 
 Well, and dome dates. 
 
 Subka to Turke. 
 
 1 
 
 East. 
 
 Well. 
 
 Turke to Borgoo. 
 
 4 
 
 22 days. 
 
 
 The chief town is callel Yen.—The above are not towns, but 
 resting-places. 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 OP THE TIBBOO BORGOO. 
 
 265 
 
 A 
 
 2 
 
 A 
 
 2 
 
 Yen to 
 
 Kermedi. ^ day. 
 
 Wann. 2 
 
 Gorr. 
 
 El Bummel. 
 
 Tikki. 2 
 
 Beddou.... 2 
 
 Werda. 2 
 
 Yen is more properly a large nest of mud huts than a to\yn. 
 Its inhabitants are, in time of peace, very numerous, and are all 
 Kaffirs. It is to this place that the natives of Waday come in 
 Kaffles to trade for slaves. Several of the King of Waday’s men 
 were taken captive by Mukni’s people near this place. 
 
 Tegerry to Bilma. 
 
 South. 
 
 Tegerry to Meshroo. 2 days. 
 
 Meshroo to El Warr. 2\ 
 
 El Warr to El Hammer 2 
 El Hammer to MafFrus... 2\ 
 
 Maffrus to Zhaia. 2 
 
 Zhaia to Siggidum.. 
 
 Siggidum to Annai.. 
 
 Annai to Kisbi. 
 
 Kisbi to Dirki. 
 
 Dirki to Shenumma. 1 
 
 Shenumma to Bilma. 1 
 
 H 
 
 l 
 
 1 
 
 A 
 
 2 
 
 A well. 
 
 Well on a rock. 
 
 A well. 
 
 Bain water and dates. 
 An old castle and well. 
 Well and domes. 
 
 Town. 
 
 Town. 
 
 Town. 
 
 Town. 
 
 Tibboo of the 
 tribes Ka war, Wan- 
 dela, Gunda, and 
 Traita. 
 
 Total 17 days. 
 
 All these are resting-places. 
 
 Kawar and Bilma are not distinct countries, but are names of 
 
 M M 
 
266 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 ciiAr. vi. 
 
 two parts of the same, having little villages, and scattered families 
 all over the desert; the people are Mohammedans and Kaffirs, 
 though the latter are the most numerous. 
 
 Wajunga, a country also pillaged during the last excursion, 
 is eight days east of Borgoo. It is a considerable tract, and 
 has two large towns or districts one day east and west of each 
 other. The eastern one has a very large river running north and 
 south through it, live or six hundred yards in breadth, and of great 
 depth. The water is brackish, and in it are abundance of very fine 
 fish. The Glirazzie passed this river on rafts, and the horses, having 
 been previously slung with inflated gerbas, or water-skins, were 
 towed across. The whole of this country is very mountainous, 
 having large rocky tracts of perfectly black stone, which they say 
 not a little favoured the escape of the greater part of the inhabitants, 
 who were not easily distinguished from them. Some of the rocks 
 here, as well as in Borgoo, are so perpendicular and high, that, to 
 use an Arab expression, “You could not see their tops without 
 losing your tagaia, or red cap.” 
 
 The western Wajunga has three rivers running through it, two 
 of which are sweet “ as honey,” and one salt; the largest, which 
 the Arabs say is the Nil, is of great breadth, and very deep, and 
 runs from west to east. Dates are in great plenty here, and the 
 cattle very numerous; there are also elephants in this country, and 
 multitudes of ostriches. The people of both sexes are clothed in 
 skins; some, however, wear a curious leather gown. They are a 
 fine race of people, and are swift runners; but the Arabs consider 
 them in the light of Kaffirs, asserting that they were not made by 
 God, but that they came by chance. 
 
 Wajunga to Waday is ten days south. On the road Terraweiya 
 is three days from Wajunga. 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 OF THE TIBBOO BORGOO. 
 
 267 
 
 Bo?'goo to 
 
 Bahr el Ghazal. 5 days, south. 
 
 Kanem. 12 south-west. 
 
 Waday. 14 south-south-east. 
 
 From the well of El Wiakh, which is two days to the southward 
 of Tegerry, is another road to Tibesty, shorter, yet at the same time 
 more difficult than the other, being seven long days from thence to 
 Brai, at which place rain water is found. These seven days are 
 over a black range of mountains, which are destitute of water, 
 grass, shrubs, or living animals; and in many places so very difficult 
 of ascent, that camels and horses often meet their death by falls in 
 passing them. The plain round the well of El Wiakh is said to be 
 quite covered with human and other bones. In the Kaffles coming 
 from Waday, many of the slaves and animals are often so exhausted 
 by fatigue in passing this dreary road, that on being allowed a clay’s 
 rest, they become too stiff' and sore to be able to proceed, and are 
 thus left to perish. Many poor sinking wretches are deserted by 
 their masters while yet alive, and it not unfrequently happens, that 
 in order to get the healthy slaves to a resting-place, the sick ones 
 are left to their fate. 
 
 Arna and Brai are three days apart. Berdai (which I take to 
 be the Berdoa of the maps) is two days east of Tibesty. From 
 Brai to Marmar is nine days south-east. 
 
 A tribe of Tibboo, called by some Febaboo, is not known. I 
 suspect Aboo, in Tibesty, is the name from which it has been 
 taken by mistake. It is a small town, and not, as has been sup¬ 
 posed, a tribe. 
 
 January 24th.—This morning I sat in the Mezlis, and saw the 
 Arabs and Sultan’s people buying and selling the recently captured 
 slaves. The manner of conducting the sale was quite new to me, 
 and let me into the secret of the method taken by the great man to 
 
 m m 2 
 
268 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 ascertain how much was due to him out of every private capture. 
 Bookhalloom, old Sheikh Barood, and some more of the Sultan’s 
 people, amongst whom are one or two of his scribes, summon the 
 slaves of every person concerned in the Ghrazzie before them, the 
 masters attending also. Each slave is then put up to auction at a 
 certain price; the Sultan’s brokers only bidding high for the finest, 
 the other people, who sit round in crowds, also bidding vociferously. 
 The owner bids against them until he has what he considers the 
 value of the slave offered him, when, if he chooses to sell, he has 
 three fourths of the money paid to him, while one-fourth is paid by 
 the purchaser to the Sultan. Should he not wish to part with his 
 slaves, he buys them in, and the sum which he last names is con¬ 
 sidered as the price, from which he has to pay the Sultan’s share. 
 The scribes write down each slave-owner’s name, and the sum due 
 from him to the Sultan, and thus the account is easily kept between 
 them. 
 
 Last night an entertainment was provided for me by Moham¬ 
 med el Lizari, to celebrate my birthday. Lilia Fatma honoured his 
 house with her presence, and was covered with silks, gold, and red 
 paint, which she took care occasionally to show as she accidentally, 
 or rather purposely, dropped her Aba from her face. About a hun¬ 
 dred noisy, greasy Morzouk women amused the company, and nearly 
 stunned me by playing on erbabs, drums, tin-pots, and gourds; 
 there was also much dancing, with Lackbi and pipes in abundance. 
 I was sensible of this kindness on the part of Lizari, but I certainly 
 never wished again to pass so noisy and tiresome a birthday. These 
 compliments were followed up by a present of a young camel, on 
 which I was to feast. 
 
 As it was Lizari’s wish to accompany me to Tripoli, he held 
 daily consultations with his friends on the subject; and this plan was 
 at length arranged, as a security against the acts of Mukni, who, we 
 
CHAP. VI. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 269 
 
 greatly feared, would cause him to be privately murdered before I 
 left Morzouk. In the meantime it was considered necessary that 
 he and his household should be always armed; and as I did not 
 quite understand Mukni’s behaviour to myself, I also determined 
 to be on my guard, constantly concealing a pair of pistols in my 
 dress. We found great difficulty in procuring camels, the Arabs, 
 who let them, being busily occupied in the slave-markets. Some 
 Kaflies at this time came in from Soudan and Bornou, bringing 
 about 1000 slaves, chiefly female. 
 
 As I am now about to leave Morzouk, and have been enabled 
 from actual observation in my journey to the extremity of Fezzan 
 to form an opinion of that kingdom, I shall subjoin all the informa¬ 
 tion I have been able to collect on its general state, as well as the 
 habits and customs of the natives. 
 
270 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OF FEZZAN. 
 
 Aspect of the Country—State of Cultivation—Minerals—Animals—Birds—Vegetable 
 Productions—Fruits—Esculents—Time and Manner of cultivating Grain—Water 
 —Towns—Food of Inhabitants—Possibility of improving Agriculture—Tenure of 
 Lands—Weights and Measures—Government—Principal People—Character of the 
 Natives—Inroads into the Negro Countries—State of the Slave Trade—Crimes and 
 Punishments—Character of the Natives—Religion—State of Literature and In¬ 
 genuity—Language—State of the Women—-Records—Slavery and the Slave Trade 
 —Laws relative to the Issue of Slaves. 
 
 The northern boundary is Bonjem, in latitude 30° 35' north, of 
 which I have already spoken ; and Tegerry, in latitude 24° 4' north, 
 is the southern, which is inhabited by Tibboo of the mountain 
 tribes. Its eastern boundary is the Harutz mountains behind 
 Temissa, and Oubari in the west. 
 
 The general aspect of the country presents an almost universally 
 barren appearance; fine yellow sand, and a species of gravel, cover¬ 
 ing the whole face of the plains, save where the Soudah and Harutz 
 extend. The country is very dry, there being only three springs in 
 this immense tract; they are near Traghan; but water is found in 
 many places at ten or twenty feet below the surface, in clay or beds 
 of salt. There is no vegetation on the desert, unless in some of the 
 wadeys, where are found prickly bushes for camels, called Agoul 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 271 
 
 Jy], Thamaran and Deesa twjg, and a few trees of the mimosa 
 species, called Talhh ^S\Ss. It is only in the immediate vicinity of 
 towns that palms are cultivated, and a little corn and a few esculents 
 raised with much difficulty and labour. Nothing is more incorrect 
 than the opinion so generally held of the fertility of the Oases. 
 
 Fezzan may, without scruple, be said to stand in the desert, and 
 is not to be distinguished from it on the score of fertility. The soil, 
 where soft, is almost all sand ; but under the surface, near Morzouk, 
 a kind of white clay is found, which, on being .mixed with the sand, 
 becomes tolerably productive. The small spots of ground which 
 are at all cultivated, are fertile; but the immense labour requisite 
 to keep the ground moist, deters the labourers from forming gardens 
 of above an acre in size. Some of the spots so called, are not above 
 forty or sixty feet square. The water is drawn by asses, and the 
 machinery is very complicated. Soda, called Trona rock salt, 
 alum, Shub gypsum, saltpetre, and, as I was told, sulphur, are 
 found in this country; the first three in very large quantities, which 
 form articles of trade. The Soda is produced at or near Germa, in 
 the wadey Shiati; the salt and alum in many places, but more par¬ 
 ticularly in the eastern districts. There is one plain of solid salt 
 near Mafen, which is nearly thirty miles in length. 
 
 The animals found in Fezzan are, 
 
 The Tiger Cat , rather fierce. 
 
 Hyaena , in great numbers, and very savage. 
 
 Jackal. Numerous. They approach very near the towns. 
 
 Fox. Scarce, and much smaller than those of Europe. 
 
 )Vadan. A very fierce buffalo, of the size of an ass, having large 
 tufts of hair from the shoulders, and very long heavy horns. 
 
 Red Buffalo. A clumsy animal, easily taken. 
 
272 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. CHAP. VII. 
 
 White Buffalo. A small white animal, very swift, and courageous 
 when wounded. 
 
 Antelope . Few are found near Morzouk. 
 
 Wild Cat. Found in the rocks. 
 
 Porcupine. Living in the wadeys near Bonjem. 
 
 Hedgehog. Met with about the wells, and eaten by the Arabs. 
 
 Rat. Of two colours, yellow and brown; the latter are found 
 in houses, the yellow on the desert: both have hairy tails. 
 
 Guntsha. An animal of the rat species, black, having a bushy 
 tail, and head resembling that of a badger: lives in palm-trees, and 
 is easily tamed. 
 
 Mouse. Of two kinds, like the rats; one yellow, the other 
 brown. 
 
 Gerboa. Found only on the desert. 
 
 Rabbits. Few wild; some tame in Morzouk. Brought from 
 the coast. 
 
 Hare. F ound in the wadeys ; rather scarce. 
 
 Camel. The Maherry, or running Camel. Horse, ass, very few 
 cows; sheep and goats also very scarce. Dogs, two only in Morzouk 
 of the greyhound species. 
 
 The Birds are , 
 
 The Ostrich. Found in the mountains of Wadan. 
 
 Eagle. Scarce. 
 
 Vulture. Common on the desert. 
 
 Hawk. Common. 
 
 Wild Turkey. In the wadeys north of Sockna. 
 
 Raven. Numerous on the desert. 
 
 Duck. I have seen some flights, but cannot tell whence they 
 some, probably from some waters on the desert. 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 273 
 
 Coot. A coot was one night picked up in the street, and brought 
 to our house. It was the first seen in Morzouk. 
 
 Sparrow. The male is slate-coloured, with black marks; the 
 female as in Europe: very numerous. 
 
 Swallow. Slate-coloured, and very small. 
 
 Butcher Bird. Slate-colour. 
 
 Owl. Small species, having horns or feathered tufts. 
 
 Wren. Small, having black wings and yellow breast. 
 
 Wagtail. Kesembling a mule Canary-bird. 
 
 A bird resembling a thrush, but having a long tail. 
 
 Wild and tame Pigeons. The former emigrate in August to 
 Bornou and the Tibboo countries. 
 
 Partridges. Xorth of Sockna. 
 
 Dom estic fowls not very plentiful. 
 
 Goose. A few at Zuela. 
 
 Vegetable Productions. 
 
 Gafooly Masr. Indian corn. 
 
 Gafooly Abiad. A small grain. 
 
 Gussub. A small round brown grain. Dhourra of Egypt. 
 Gussub Tamzawi. Another species of the same. 
 
 Gussub Albawi. Another do. 
 
 Gnmmah. Wheat. 
 
 Shair. Barley. 
 
 Tareedi. Another species of barley, of a red colour. 
 
 Bishna. A small grain resembling canary seed. 
 
 Lubia. A small bean. 
 
 Gilgilldn. A small pea. 
 
 Latila. A small black tare. 
 
 Kerwia. Caraway seeds. 
 
 N N 
 
274 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAI\ VII. 
 
 The seeds of sun-flowers are also eaten, as well as those of the 
 colocynth apple. 
 
 Fruits, Sfc. 
 
 Grapes. Grow near the wells: almost every garden has a vine. 
 
 Pomegranate. Very fine ; not plentiful. 
 
 Apricot. Scarce, and bad. 
 
 Peach. Never comes to maturity. 
 
 Apple. Woolly, tasteless, and scarce. 
 
 Melons. Water melons ; good, but scarce. The musk melons 
 are only over-ripe cucumbers. 
 
 Figs. Small, but good. 
 
 Coma. A small round fruit, resembling an apple in form and 
 smell, though not larger than a nut. It has three stones, is very 
 sweet, and eats well when fresh. It grows on a tree sometimes 
 thirty feet in height. Mr. Ritchie conceived this to be the Rhamnus 
 or Lotus. 
 
 Esculents. 
 
 Pompion. Large, yellow, and good. 
 
 Kalahash. Wry good, and plentiful. 
 
 Ge roo. A fruit much resembling a cucumber in smell, taste, 
 and appearance, when young; but when ripe, it smells like a melon, 
 and is eaten as such. 
 
 Turnip. Tap-rooted, and small; scarce. 
 
 Carrot. Small, no flavour, and scarce. 
 
 Radish. Good, and pungent. 
 
 Melochia. A kind of salading. 
 
 Bdmia. A small pod, used in soup. 
 
 Birtigallis. A juicy leaved salad. 
 
 Mustard and cress. Good, but scarce. 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 275 
 
 Onions. Fine, and plentiful. 
 
 Garlic. Scarce, but very good. 
 
 Red pepper. Very good, and plentiful. 
 
 Tomata. Scarce, but good. 
 
 Corn and barley are sown in October and November, and reaped 
 in March and April; during which time, and until the last month, 
 the crops are watered twice a week, with much labour, by means of 
 small channels cut from the reservoirs at the wells. Guddub or Suf- 
 safa, j>3, which is a species of clover, is sown in small squares, in 
 
 January and February, and will bear cutting once a fortnight until 
 November, when it ceases to grow, and the roots are given to cattle. 
 It is very expensive, but fattens horses and camels very quickly. 
 Gussub u.— m, and Gafooly ^as, of both kinds, are sown at midsummer, 
 and ripen in the autumn ; they are sometimes given in a green state 
 to horses; the stalks then are very sweet, and resemble sugar-canes 
 in taste. Many people cultivate these plants, without the intention 
 of allowing them to ripen, but merely to supply the horses : by 
 pulling the stalks up by the roots, the land is soon again fit for other 
 crops. The dry straw is the winter fodder, but extravagantly dear. 
 The stalk of the Gafooly sometimes grows to the height of seven 
 or eight feet; the Guddub resembles clover, but is more delicate. 
 The water of Fezzan is universally brackish, and in many places 
 quite salt; and by constantly using it, and comparing the best with 
 the worst, some wells appear almost fresh. There are no rivers of 
 any description; but there are stagnant ponds which produce salt, 
 and generally cause the agues so prevalent in some parts of the 
 country. 
 
 The capital of Fezzan is Morzouk, the latitude of which is 
 25° 54' north, and longitude 15° 52' east. The other towns of note 
 are, Sockna in the north, Zuela in the east, and Gatrone in the 
 
 N N 2 
 
276 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 south. The people derive their subsistence from dates which may 
 almost be said to be the only support of the country, and from the 
 small quantity of grain and vegetables, which they raise with so much 
 toil in the gardens : they occasionally treat themselves with a little 
 camels’ flesh. Sheep and goats are too expensive for the poorer 
 class; and I believe, that even among the opulent, there is no man 
 who can afford to eat meat above three times a week. They do not 
 carry on any particular trade, except with Bornou, Soudan, and 
 Waday, for slaves, and the barter attendant on the dealings with 
 the Kaffles. Many of the plants which are cultivated in the 
 southern parts of Europe would, no doubt, flourish in this country, 
 with the usual attention which is paid to the gardens. European 
 spades, rakes, light hoes, and ploughs, might be introduced in this 
 part of the world with great success, and would be most gratefully 
 received. Machines for winnowing corn, which is generally mixed 
 with chaff, sieves, &c. would also be very beneficial. The people 
 would not at first comprehend their use, but I conceive that those 
 few articles would soon become familiar to them, and be much 
 prized. There is not any kind of timber which can be used for 
 building, or, more properly, which can be cut into planks. The 
 palm is the only tree they have, and is used for doors, props, and 
 frames for wells ; it is likewise employed for beams, by cutting 
 the trunk in four quarters; it is very porous, dry, and subject to 
 rot, and is easily broken. 
 
 Landed property is generally in the possession of the better 
 classes, and is cultivated for them by the free servants and slaves, 
 who work alike, and experience exactly the same treatment. Lands 
 generally descend to the nearest relations at the decease of the 
 owner; but if he dies without heirs, or is put to death for an 
 alleged crime, the Sultan claims them as his right: the owner, 
 notwithstanding, can, if he pleases, buy or sell, without being bound 
 
CIIAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 277 
 
 by any sort of entail or clause, against parting with family property. 
 Houses are held in the same way as the lands. When grounds 
 are leased, or sold, the price is generally proportioned to the num¬ 
 ber of wells and date trees on the premises: it happens, however, 
 not unfrequently, that the palms are the property of one man, 
 while the land on which they grow belongs to another. The 
 gardens are entirely cultivated by the paddle or hoe, and parcelled 
 out into squares of about three feet, having little channels to them, 
 for the purpose of irrigation. Much dung is used, and the sandy 
 soil of old gardens almost assumes the appearance of earth. From 
 the great labour requisite to keep these spots in order, it would not 
 repay any non-resident to have lands in Fezzan ; though I am con¬ 
 fident that such possessions would be respected, as there are many 
 absentees who have large groves of palms, which their relatives, or 
 those employed by them, keep, and render up an exact account of. 
 The difficulty of finding willing, honest, faithful, or contented 
 workmen, is very great; and each master or agent is obliged to 
 attend constantly to his own immediate property or charge ; some 
 gardens, however, are, and have been, attended for generations, by 
 the same family of labourers. 
 
 The commerce is chiefly in slaves, and I have already given a 
 list of such articles as are marketable. They have but few weights ; 
 these are, the Kantar, ^UJJ, 150 lb.; the Rottal, JUjSI, If lb.; the 
 Oghia, or ounce; and the weights used in the purchase or 
 
 exchange of gold, which was once the money of the country. The 
 weights, with little scales, are generally kept in a small box. The 
 largest is called Groowi, 33f Mitgals; the next is 13f Mitgals; 
 another is Of Mitgals, and is called Oghia, and weighs one dollar; 
 the smallest brass weight is If Mitgal. 24 Kharoubas, or 
 beans of the locust tree, weigh 1 Mitgal. There are also three 
 small weights of iron or lead, weighing 16, 8, and 4 Khoroubas. 
 
278 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 The small red and black West India bean, so well known in Eng¬ 
 land, is here named Ain el deek, ^ (or cock’s eye,) and is 
 
 the half Kharouba. The boxes containing the gold weights have 
 also a small spoon for the dust, and a trying stone.—The measures 
 at present in use are, Ghefeese, 24 Kliail; half ditto ; Webba Fez- 
 zan, 8 Ivail; half ditto ; Kail, 8 Saas, equal to 8 quarts ; Saa, a quart. 
 This last measure is divided into halves and thirds, for which there 
 are small baskets made to contain that quantity; these are, by 
 particular ways of placing the hand, again divided into fourths and 
 sixths. The current money of the country is a Spanish dollar ; 
 the smaller payments are made in corn. A comparative idea of the 
 value of the above measures may be obtained by knowing that one 
 dollar is generally worth one kail and a half, or three gallons of 
 corn. A quart, or saa, is therefore worth fivepence. Dates average 
 twenty-four kail, or a ghefeese for a dollar. 
 
 The government of Fezzan was once hereditary, in a black 
 family, which above 500 years since took possession of the country. 
 They were Shreefs, and of a tribe near Fez, in the kingdom of 
 Morocco ; but the intrigues of Mukni have succeeded in destroying 
 them all, and the public offices, government, and revenues have 
 assumed entirely another form. Mukni is absolute while in his 
 hired government, though in Tripoli he is considered only as a 
 private individual. He derives his power from a few armed 
 followers, of whom I have spoken, and from the fear which the 
 people have of the Bashaw in their present state of weakness; 
 but above all, from the great dread they have of himself. He 
 governs with a rod of iron, punishes most severely, and his 
 opinion is the law; money is his chief aim, and he leaves no 
 means untried to extort it from his miserably oppressed subjects. 
 No one has the least voice in the state but himself, and such of 
 his favourites as have gained some ascendency over him; but their 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 279 
 
 interest with him is very precarious. All weighty matters, such as 
 wars of consequence, are submitted to the Bashaw, though Mukni 
 always acts before he has time either to receive instructions or 
 permission. 
 
 The Kadi, being supreme head of the law and of the church, or 
 nominally so, is rather more privileged with the Sultan than others 
 are; but his opinions are always expected to assimilate with those 
 of his master. In Morzouk there are some white families who are 
 called Mamlukes, being descended from Renegades, whom the 
 Bashaw had presented to the former Sultans. These families and 
 their descendants are considered noble ; and however poor and low 
 their situation may be, are not a little vain of their title. There is 
 no such thing as nobility, except with these people and the Shreefs, 
 who are, throughout the Mohammedan world, highly privileged; 
 yet are, generally speaking, not better men than the rest. The Kadi, 
 Sheikhs of districts, Kaids, or Governors, Chowses, Hadjes, Mara- 
 boots, and all who have money, possessions, and, above all, fine 
 clothes, are considered great people, and respected as long as their 
 situation, money, or garments hold out: but in the event of any 
 failure in these uncertain advantages, they become as low and 
 unnoticed as slaves. 
 
 The office of Kadi is hereditary, and has been in the same> 
 family for 150 years. Talents are by no means necessary in this 
 high office; the ability to read is all that is required, and the next 
 in the family, after the death of a Kadi, is, whether wise or foolish, 
 immediately vested with the authority. The Kadi of Morzouk is 
 a black man, named Mohammed el Habeeb; he is able to read 
 pretty fluently, is very superstitious, and writes charms of more 
 efficacy than any other man in the country. All the principal 
 towns have Kadis ; but the office is not, as in the capital, hereditary. 
 The better class of the people, or those who have some property, 
 
280 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 are distinguished from the poor by being admitted into the Sultan's 
 presence, and living in every respect better than the Arabs and the 
 other natives. They have great power to oppress and ill treat 
 tlieir inferiors; yet are as free with their slaves as with each other, 
 
 i 
 
 and associate as much with them. A slave will come and sit down 
 with his master, though not on the same mat, and join in the 
 conversation, amusement, or meal, even without a shirt on his back; 
 when the master wears his best clothes, however, he is too dig¬ 
 nified to permit such freedom. 
 
 The Fezzanners are possessed of but little courage, spirit, or 
 honesty, and are as completely submissive to their tyrants as oppres¬ 
 sion could wish: they seem insensible of their abject state, never 
 having known freedom, or having been exempt from the caprice of 
 their rulers. There is little chance, therefore, that amongst such 
 men, any struggles for liberty should be made; and it never enters 
 their heads to take advantage of the power they possess from their 
 situation in the desert to render themselves independent of Tripoli. 
 The Arabs, and particularly those of the tribe Waled Suliman,of whom 
 I have already spoken, were once dangerous, lawless freebooters, 
 but are now at an end. When the Sultan goes to Tripoli, which 
 he generally does once a year, he leaves his eldest son to command 
 in his absence, under charge of whoever may, at the moment, 
 be most in favour ; this decision, or more properly those of his 
 governor, are equally to be enforced as the Sultan’s own orders. 
 
 Mukni’s military force, if he presses the Arabs into his service, 
 may, on an emergency, amount to 5000 men. No Fezzanners are 
 ever allowed to go on military excursions, being considered too 
 pusillanimous to be trusted ; but they pay deeply for their exemption 
 from bearing arms, by being obliged to support those who do. 
 There are no wars in which the Sultan is called upon to engage; 
 but his love of gain, and the defenceless state of the Negro king- 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 281 
 
 doms to the southward, are temptations too strong to be resisted. 
 A force is therefore annually sent, not to fight (for the Negroes 
 cannot make any resistance against horsemen with fire-arms) but to 
 pillage these defenceless people, to carry them off as slaves, burn 
 their towns, kill the aged and infants, destroy their crops, and 
 inflict on them every possible misery. These inroads have some¬ 
 times been conducted by Mukni in person, and in his absence, by 
 some of his principal men ; his son, however, is now thought old 
 enough to make his initiatory campaign. In addition to the people 
 usually ordered to attend these expeditions, many Bedouins from 
 the desert near Sockna and Benioleed join them; also some of the 
 Tibboo of Tibesty and Gatrone, in hopes of obtaining a share in 
 the plunder. The wars thus made for the purpose of carrying 
 off slaves, or invading enemies countries, are called Ghrazzie. 
 There are no permanent or hereditary feuds existing between 
 tribes, or even families in Fezzan, as the warlike race of inde¬ 
 pendent Arabs no longer exists. The Tibboo and those Arabs 
 who inhabit the southern districts of Fezzan, are distinct from each 
 other; and the native people, living in towns, cannot have the 
 appellation of tribes applied to them. 
 
 No Barbary or Negro Chief, or indeed any of their people, are 
 able to resist a bribe; much might therefore be done by securing 
 the good will of the Sultans of the interior kingdoms; and they 
 might, by presents properly applied, form together such a barrier 
 against the inroads of Mukni, as would enable them to secure 
 their independence, and prevent the annual seizure of multitudes 
 of their subjects. Though amongst themselves slavery might 
 (and doubtless would) exist; yet it would not, with such arrange¬ 
 ments, extend so far as it does at present. The blacks alone, in 
 consequence chiefly of Mukni’s incursions, are always engaged in 
 
 o o 
 
282 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 indemnifying themselves for the losses he occasions them. All 
 their prisoners are sold as slaves, and the money or goods arising 
 from such sale appropriated chiefly by the kings of the country. 
 
 In Fezzan the punishment for crimes is as in Tripoli, though 
 hanging is not commonly practised, strangling being more to the 
 Sultan's taste. If a man is found murdered, and the authors or 
 instigators of his death are unknown or unconvicted, the inha¬ 
 bitants of the town, in or near which the body is found, are obliged 
 to pay to the Sultan a fine of 2000 dollars. If a corpse is found 
 on the desert with marks of violence on it, the people of the districts 
 which border that desert must pay the requisite sum. Should the 
 murderer return after a few months, he escapes notice, provided 
 the penalty be paid ; but this cannot be done either by the principal 
 or his relations. Mukni was himself in this predicament some few 
 years since, when he murdered the broker of the British consulate 
 at Tripoli; the Bashaw affected to be ignorant of his flight, and 
 after he had remained six months with the Arabs, allowed him to 
 return to Tripoli, where he was as well received as if he had been 
 an innocent man. The family of a criminal is never involved in 
 his punishment, that is to say, they are not dishonoured or dis¬ 
 graced ; but if the convicted person is sentenced to lose his pro¬ 
 perty, all his immediate dependants are reduced to beggary. A 
 grand-daughter of the last rightful Sultan is at this moment a 
 common beggar; yet, while every one allows her to be noble, 
 they are unable to relieve her, except with a little corn or 
 some dates. 
 
 The general appearance of the men of Fezzan is plain, and 
 their complexion black; the women are of the same colour, and 
 ugly in the extreme. Neither sex are remarkable for figure, 
 height, strength, vigour, or activity. They have a very peculiar 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 283 
 
 cast of countenance, which distinguishes them from other blacks; 
 their cheek bones are higher and more prominent, their faces flatter, 
 and their noses less depressed and more peaked at the tip than those of 
 the Negroes. Their eyes are generally small, and their mouths of an 
 immense width, but their teeth are frequently good : their hair is 
 woolly, though not completely frizzled. The females bear children 
 at 12 and 13 years of age, and at 15 or 16 their breasts fall, and 
 they assume the appearance of old women ; in some few instances, 
 however, they bear children until 35 years of age. They are a 
 cheerful people, fond of dancing and music, and obliging to each 
 other. The men almost all read and write a little; but in every¬ 
 thing else they are very dull and heavy : their affections are cold 
 and interested, and a kind of general indifference to the common 
 incidents of life marks all their actions: they are neither prone to 
 sudden anger nor exertion, and are not at all revengeful. 
 
 In Morzouk the men drink a great quantity of Lackbi, and are 
 very good humoured drunkards. The Arabs practise hospitality 
 generally, but amongst the Fezzanners that virtue does not exist; 
 they are, however, very attentive and obsequious to those in whose 
 power they are, or who can repay them tenfold for their pretended 
 disinterestedness. Their religion enjoins, that should a stranger 
 enter while they are at their meals, he must be invited to partake; 
 but they generally contrive to evade this injunction, by eating with 
 closed doors. The lower classes are, from necessity, very indus¬ 
 trious, women as well as men; they draw water, work in the 
 gardens, drive the asses, make mats, baskets, &c. in addition to their 
 other domestic duties. People of the better class, or more properly 
 who can afford to procure slaves to work for them, are, on the con¬ 
 trary, very idle and lethargic; they do nothing but lounge or loll 
 about, inquire what their neighbours have had for dinner, gossip 
 
 o o 2 
 
284 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 about slaves, dates, &c.; or boast of some cunning cheat which they 
 have practised on a Tibboo, or Tuarick, who, though very knowing 
 fellows, are, comparatively with the F ezzanners, fair in their deal¬ 
 ings. Their moral character is on a par with that of the Tripolines, 
 though, if any tiling, they are rather less insincere. Falsehood is 
 not considered as odious, unless detected; and when employed in 
 trading, they affirm that it is allowed by the Koran for the good of 
 merchants. However this may be amongst themselves, I must say 
 that I never could find any one able to point out the passage, 
 authorising these commercial falsehoods. 
 
 The Maraboots are greater liars and rogues than other people, 
 their reputation shielding them from suspicion, i have, indeed, 
 seen amongst these saints some really good and honest men; but 
 these are lost in the general wickedness of the community. 
 Generosity is a virtue so completely unknown here, that it may be 
 said scarcely to exist. Contempt of religion, of holy men and books, 
 are crimes equally heinous with theft. They are rigid and bigoted 
 Mohammedans, of the sect of the learned Malek, one of the four 
 expounders of the Koran, and they worship with all the prostra¬ 
 tions and rites peculiar to that sect. The Mamlukes, and ourselves, 
 who w r ere considered as such, are authorised to worship as Hanefis, 
 which is the superior of the four sects; but the Maleki being the 
 form here used, every one complies with it. A belief of the evil 
 eye, devils, glides, genii, and spirits, is universal; charms and fasting 
 till sunset, are a sure preventive of mischief. 
 
 The people attached to the Mosques are the Kadi, who is the 
 head; the Imaum or priest, who, in the absence of the Kadi, prays 
 and preaches; and the Mouadden or crier, who calls the people to 
 prayers, and repeats the responses. None of these men, except 
 the Kadi, have any privileges, but are, in every respect, like the 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 285 
 
 rest of the town’s-people, having the same complement of wives and 
 concubines, and dressing in the same manner. It was the custom 
 with former Sultans to grant them a handsome allowance; but this 
 is not observed by the present ruler, and should they not be for¬ 
 tunate enough to possess any garden of their own, they subsist on 
 charity. They are not connected with, or have any thing to do 
 with the state, neither have they any influence over each other, or 
 the people, unless they are outwardly or really religious; in which 
 case, their prayers, either verbal or written, are much sought after 
 and well paid for. Intellectual knowledge is here at a stand, or 
 rather I should say, on the decline, as none of the Mohammedans, 
 in this part of the world, have books on any but religious or super¬ 
 stitious subjects. Their prejudices and fanaticism prevent the 
 introduction of any new customs, and put a stop to all chance of 
 improvement. 
 
 There are persons called Fighi (from “ faquire,” a poor man), 
 who subsist by writing letters, and are employed to read those 
 received by the principal inhabitants, who pay them in corn. All 
 the Sultan’s papers and letters pass through the hands of his 
 scribes, who, in consequence (though his purchased slaves), are 
 men of importance, and they accordingly give themselves great 
 airs, knowing that their master, being unable to read, cannot 
 do without their services. Few men can read from any book 
 but their own, which they have used from infancy. Old Fladje 
 Mahmoud, our neighbour, had gone through the same volume 
 every morning for forty years, and yet was unable to repeat one 
 page of it by heart. There were certain passages of it, which, on 
 reading, regularly caused him to exclaim, “ God bless me! won¬ 
 derful ! extraordinary! God is great!.” as if he had never seen or 
 heard of the contents before. Many of the Fighis, however, have 
 
286 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 good memories, and by constantly repeating sentences of the Koran 
 for thirty or forty years, manage to know it by heart. 
 
 The lower classes work neatly in leather; they weave a few 
 coarse barracans, and make iron work in a solid though clumsy 
 manner. One or two work in gold and silver with much skill, con¬ 
 sidering the badness of their tools; and every man is capable of 
 acting as a carpenter or mason. The wood being that of the date 
 tree, and the houses being built of mud, very little elegance or skill 
 is necessary. Much deference is paid to the artists in leather or 
 metals, who are called (par excellence) “ Sta,” or master ; as, “ leather 
 master,”—“ iron master,” &c. 
 
 No individuals arrive at any eminence of character, or, from their 
 abilities, are exalted above the people, except such Maraboots as 
 have most cunning and hypocrisy. They become privileged, courted, 
 and revered while living, and prayers are addressed to them for their 
 mediation, after they are dead. The language here is Arabic, but 
 differs materially from the dialect of Egypt. 
 
 From the constant communication with Eornou and Soudan, 
 the languages of both these countries are generally spoken, and 
 many of their words are introduced into the Arabic. The family 
 slaves, and their children by their masters, constantly speak the 
 language of the country whence they originally come. Their 
 writing is in the Mogrebyn character, which is used, I believe, 
 universally in western Africa, and differs much from that of the 
 east. The pronunciation also is very different, the Kaf j being 
 pronounced as a G, and only marked with one nunnation, thus <_J, 
 and the F is pointed below They have no idea of arithmetic, 
 but reckon every thing by dots on the sand, ten in a line; many can 
 hardly tell how much two and two amount to. They expressed great 
 surprise at our being able to add numbers together without fingering. 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 287 
 
 Though very fond of poetry, they are incapable of composing it. 
 The Arabs, however, invent a few little songs, which the natives 
 have much pleasure in learning; and the women sing some of the 
 Negro airs very prettily while grinding their corn. 
 
 The lower class and the slaves, who, in point of colour and ap¬ 
 pearance, are the same, labour together. The freeman, however, 
 has only one inducement to work, which is hunger; he has no 
 notion of laying by any thing for the advantage of his family, or as 
 a reserve for himself in old age; but, if by any chance he obtains 
 money, remains idle until it is expended, and then returns unwill¬ 
 ingly to work. 
 
 The females here are allowed greater liberty than those of 
 Tripoli, and are more kindly treated. The effect of the plurality 
 of wives is but too plainly seen, and their women in consequence 
 are not famed for chastity. Though so much better used than 
 those of Barbary, their life is still a state of slavery. A man never 
 ventures to speak of his women; is reproached if he spends much 
 time in their company; never eats with them, but is waited upon at 
 his meals, and fanned by them while he sleeps ; yet these poor beings, 
 never having known the sweets of liberty or affection, are, in spite 
 of their humiliation, comparatively happy. 
 
 The authority of parents over children is very great, some 
 fathers of the better class not allowing their sons even to eat, or sit 
 down in their presence until they become men : the poorer orders, 
 however, are less strict. 
 
 There are no written records of events amongst the Fezzanners, 
 and their traditions are so disfigured, and so strangely mingled with 
 religious and superstitious falsehoods, that no confidence can be 
 placed in them; yet the natives themselves look with particular 
 respect on a man capable of talking of “ the people of the olden 
 time.” Several scriptural traditions are selected and believed. 
 
288 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 The psalms of David, the Pentateuch, the books of Solomon, and 
 many extracts from the inspired writers, are universally known, and 
 most reverentially considered. The New Testament translated into 
 Arabic, which we took with us, was eagerly read, and no exception 
 made to it, but that of our Saviour being designated as the Son of 
 God. St. Paul, or Baulus, bears all the blame of Moliammed’s name 
 not being inserted in it; as they believe that his coming was foretold 
 by Christ, but that Paul erased it: he is, therefore, called a Kaffir, 
 and his name is not used with much reverence. 
 
 SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE-TRADE. 
 
 In Morzouk about a tenth part of the population are slaves, 
 though many have been brought away from their countries so young 
 as hardly to be considered in that light. With respect to the 
 household slaves, little or no difference is to be perceived between 
 them and freemen, and they are often entrusted with the affairs of 
 their master. These domestic slaves are rarely sold, and on the 
 death of any of the family to which they belong, one or more of 
 them receive their liberty, when, being accustomed to the country, 
 and not having any recollection of their own, they marry, settle, and 
 are consequently considered as naturalized. All slavery is for an 
 unlimited time, unless when a religious feeling of the master induces 
 him to set a bondsman free on any great festival, on the occasion of 
 a death, or, which not unfrequently happens, from a wish to show 
 his approval of the slave’s services. 
 
 It was, when the people were more opulent, the custom to 
 liberate a male or female on the feast of Bairam, after the fast of 
 Rhamadan. This practice is not entirely obsolete, but nearly so. 
 The slaves are procured from the inland traders, or on those lawless 
 expeditions I have already mentioned. 
 
CHAP. VII. 
 
 GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FEZZAN. 
 
 289 
 
 Kespecting the offspring of slaves, it may not be uninteresting 
 to observe the regulations existing in Fezzan, which are, as far as I 
 can collect, the same as in all Moslem countries. 
 
 A Khadem , or negress, bearing a child by her master, cannot 
 afterwards be sold, but must be maintained for the remainder of her 
 life by him, or any person to whom he may marry her ; and her child 
 is free, and equally entitled to support. 
 
 A negress having a child by any man but her master (even 
 though the parties should be married), is the mother of a slave, 
 she herself not being free. 
 
 Should the female slave of one man be with child by the male 
 slave of another, the infant so born becomes the property of the 
 master of the female, and can, as well as its mother, be sold. 
 
 A child, the offspring of a free woman by a slave, partakes of its 
 mother’s state, and is free. 
 
 It not unfrequently happens that masters allow family slaves to 
 marry without liberating them; but their children are slaves, and 
 can be sold, although it is not considered honourable so to dispose 
 of them. These children, and, indeed, all those born in the country, 
 are called Shushan 
 
 p p 
 
290 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Arrangements for our Departure from Morzouk—Parting with the Sultan—Leave Mor- 
 zouk to return to Tripoli—Sleep at Dgleim—Mode of conducting a Kaffle of Slaves 
 —Arrival at Ghroodwa—Pass two Days at Sebha—Are joined by more Kaffles— 
 Marriage of an Arab—Account of tbe Wadey Shati—Arrive at Temenhint—Zeghen 
 Omel Abeed—Pass of Kenair—Pass over the five Days Desert to Sockna—Troubles 
 at Sockna—Further Description of that Place. 
 
 During the few days I remained in Morzouk after my return 
 from the south, my time was much taken up in visiting and endea¬ 
 vouring to relieve a poor boy who had a locked jaw. He was in a 
 state of great debility when I first saw him ; one of his hands, which 
 had been injured by a weight falling on it, and which accident 
 occasioned the disease, was in a terrible condition, uncleaned, and 
 smelling most offensively. He had not for many hours taken any 
 nourishment; but I succeeded in forcing out one of his front teeth, 
 and making him swallow some soup and milk, with a dose of bark 
 twice a day. He died on the 5th of February of exhaustion, in 
 defiance of my utmost care, and the numberless charms which were 
 written on his skin. I have observed that the Fighis, who compose 
 these charms, hold out that it is wicked to read or copy one of them 
 if it has been written for any particular person, and that the original 
 alone may be read by the owner. In order to avoid unthinkingly 
 reading charms which they have purchased, the Fezzanners imme- 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 291 
 
 diately enclose them in a small case of leather or cloth; if this is 
 not to be procured, they carefully tie up the paper with cord or 
 thread. 
 
 It has erroneously been supposed that the Moors or Arabs will 
 not permit any one to draw views or figures, in consequence of a 
 prohibition to that effect in the Koran, evidently taken from our 
 Second Commandment. As far as regards myself, I certainly found 
 no opposition in taking sketches, farther than being told that it was 
 forbidden to make likenesses on paper or otherwise, as the Itomees, 
 or Christians, worshipped such images. I explained to them, how¬ 
 ever, that it was not for a religious purpose that I employed my pencil, 
 but merely to make resemblances of my friends : all jealousies then 
 vanished, and I was ever after quietly suffered to proceed. It was a 
 matter of much speculation and wonder that I could possibly contrive 
 to represent such little men on paper, and they never failed to trace 
 a likeness to some one of the company present, even although the 
 colour of the skin, or the costume itself, might be different. In one 
 instance I excited evident jealousy in the Sultan, who could not be 
 persuaded that a 1ST egress I had drawn was not one of his favourites ; 
 and he asked me, in no very gentle manner, how and where I could 
 have seen her, as she was confined to the Castle, and was visible to 
 no one but himself? Many of the people, on first taking up a 
 drawing, did not appear much struck with it; but no sooner had 
 they discovered the eyes than their astonishment and delight were 
 expressed by loud laughter, by cries of Allah ! Allah ! and by placing 
 the back of the open hand against the forehead. Few, however, 
 confined themselves to this mode of admiration, but boldly pushed 
 at the drawing with two fingers, one for each eye, to the great risk 
 of its entire destruction, exclaiming, “ There are his eyes; ’tis Abd 
 Allah, Mohammed, or some other of our friends. Look at his eyes t 
 there are two of them ! God is merciful! How wonderful! Well! 
 
 p r 2 
 
292 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 I never thought a man could be put upon paper. That’s the very 
 Kaftan he bought of Hadje Mahmoud! And look, he has a nose 
 and mouth too, oh ! oh ! oil! Allah ! Allah ! Allah !” 
 
 Fighi Salem, a friend of ours, was particularly anxious that I 
 should give him, before my departure, a stock of medicines, such as 
 would enable him to become a father. I constantly made some 
 excuse, but he was so pressing, that, unwilling to own my want 
 of ability to comply, I gave him a compound of the dust of our 
 medicine chest, which I pompously assured him was excellent, and 
 would produce the desired effect. I recommended to him, when 
 taking the prescription, to shut one eye while he drank, or to hold 
 his ears; which he promised faithfully to observe, and I make no 
 doubt was anxiously awaiting the result. 
 
 I made up some packages of medicine, which I presented to 
 Mukni, begging him to accept also a small still which he had bor¬ 
 rowed, and which I knew he never intended to return. He asked 
 it first for the purpose, as he said, of making caraway water; but I 
 strongly suspect it was employed in composing something more 
 congenial to his palate, as his Negresses kept the still on the fire 
 night and day, and much mystery was observed on the occasion. 
 Belford was sent for once or twice to put it in order, Mukni allowing 
 him to enter the H aram attended by one of his sons. 
 
 I sold our small horse for twenty dollars, and hired camels to 
 bring home our goods as far as Sockna at one mitgal (or at the rate 
 of the exchange of gold, one dollar three-fourths), the kantar. 
 
 We had a japanned tea-tray, which was considered by far the 
 finest thing ever seen in Morzouk. This I presented to Hadje 
 Mahmoud for the improvement of his family. He had often extolled 
 it highly, and whenever he brought any one to visit us, begged that 
 his friend might be indulged with a sight of it. We at last dis¬ 
 covered that he wanted it to show to his Negress, who was with 
 
CHAP. VII r. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 293 
 
 child by him (to his great boast, as he was seventy-five years of age), 
 that she might produce a handsome boy, all his family being 
 horridly ugly, and, like their father, very short; and the lady being 
 near her time, the gift was most thankfully received. I was pro¬ 
 mised a very handsome ewe and ram of the Soudan breed, which 
 were to accompany me to England; and Aleiwa sent me, as a 
 present, a very fine Maherry, which he had ridden himself from 
 Borgoo. It was quite white, and very fleet and docile. 
 
 Hateeta, a Tuarick of the tribe of Benghrasata at Ghraat, of 
 whom I have before spoken, came to take leave of me. He now 
 pressed me very much to promise him, that on my return to Africa, 
 I would pass through his country, of which he is Chief, and take 
 him with me to the Negro land, adding, that if I would bring him 
 a sword like the one I wore, he should be perfectly content. He 
 is the only Tuarick I ever saw, who was not an impudent beggar, 
 or who made presents without expecting a return. He brought 
 me some curious little cords, made of the hide of an antelope; and 
 as a proof of attachment, gave me the dagger he wore on his wrist, 
 and which was finished in a superior style: he gave me, besides, a 
 saddle cloth for my Maherry, and instructed me how to mount it. 
 I made him accept, in return, a pound of gunpowder; and we 
 parted with mutual promises of being always friends. Yussuf’s 
 mother made me a large quantity of dweeda, cusscussou, and 
 tikkery, a cake made of dates, flour, and spices, and sent me some 
 very fine dates for my friends in England. I spent my time, when¬ 
 ever I was free from the attacks of hemma, which generally confined 
 me about four hours daily to my bed, in visiting the slave markets, 
 and attending the merchants, with many of whom I was on very 
 good terms; which led me to expect a good reception from them, 
 in case, according to my promise, I should visit their native coun¬ 
 tries, on my return to Africa. Every thing being in readiness for 
 
294 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 our departure, and Lizari having, though with some difficulty, 
 obtained the Sultan’s permission to go to Tripoli, we took leave of 
 our friends. 
 
 JOURNAL FROM MORZOUK TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 Wednesday, Feb. 9tli. Therm. 1°. SO 7 , below 0. 
 
 This morning we prepared to go, and at nine all was ready, and 
 I went to take my farewell of the Sultan, who affected to shed 
 tears, and to feel as much regret at parting with me as if I had 
 been his own son. He very injudiciously reminded me of Mr. 
 Ritchie’s having asked him to cash my bill, declaring his readiness 
 to have done so, and adding a great deal in favour of himself and his 
 willingness to accommodate us on all occasions. For the credit of 
 my deceased friend, I thought proper to contradict him ; and with¬ 
 out farther ceremony taxed him with telling me an untruth, which 
 at once silenced him on this subject. He then confided to me his 
 intention of going in a few months into Bornou, in which kingdom 
 he proposed establishing himself as Sultan. He begged that I 
 would soon return, to accompany him thither, and teacli his people 
 how to fire his three four-pounders. Of course 1 made him no 
 promises on this head. On my rising to take leave, he said, “ Sayd, 
 I hope you will come and see me again ; for I have always been your 
 friend, and was Yussuf’s also. I am convinced that you will tell 
 this to your Sultan, and that I have done every thing you required 
 of me.” I at once put a stop to these false assertions, by ex¬ 
 claiming, as before, that he did not speak truth; and waving my 
 hand in token of farewell, took my departure, though certainly 
 not without some apprehension that he would endeavour to detain 
 me. These apprehensions naturally arose from an idea that my 
 return might perhaps be arrested in the same manner as that of 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 LEAVE MORZOUK. 
 
 295 
 
 Hadge Osman, which will be better explained by the following 
 anecdote. When Mukni first obtained possession of Fezzan, 
 Hadge Osman, the principal Mamluke, had a severe dispute with 
 him, which appeared to have been amicably settled, Mukni laying 
 his hand on his heart, and professing much friendship, as he 
 was in the habit of doing when most disposed to mischief. On 
 leaving Mukni’s presence, however, the unfortunate Mamluke, with 
 his two sons, was hurried to a dungeon, and immediately strangled ! 
 That I should have been suffered to quit without interruption the 
 territories of this treacherous man, was a subject of amazement to 
 all; particularly as I had openly espoused the cause of Lizari, and 
 it was known that he intended accompanying me to Tripoli. I 
 succeeded, however, in reaching the house of Lizari, whence we 
 rode away together. We were accompanied by some of the prin¬ 
 cipal people as far as Dgleim, where we arrived at sunset, having 
 journeyed east by north thirteen miles from Morzouk. My Kaffle 
 consisted of Belford and myself, and eight loaded camels, four Arabs, 
 our two Maherries, two sheep, and my horse. Lizari’s was com¬ 
 posed of sixteen Khadems, or females, and three male slaves, his 
 own Negress, four loaded camels, a Maherry, which he rode, and 
 two Arabs. We were all in high spirits, our little party rejoicing 
 at the idea of returning home, and Lizari at having escaped the 
 malice of Mukni. Our friends remained with us all night, and we 
 arranged together many plans of future meeting. 
 
 February 10th. Thermometer 0°.—At 8. 15. our kind friends 
 took leave of us, Yussuf and old Hadge Mahmoud sobbing loudly, 
 and Mohammed looking very gloomy. Poor little Barca, the boy 
 whom Yussuf had lent us for so long a period, appeared quite in¬ 
 consolable. I wished to have brought him away; but, to my great 
 regret, his master would not sell him to me, though I offered my 
 horse in exchange for him. I really felt much concern at parting 
 
296 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 from these kind-hearted people, who had, to the best of their 
 abilities, often befriended us, and to whom we owed so many and 
 weighty obligations. The day was fine, our camels good, and we 
 set out at a brisk pace. The Shreef Sadig, who had been encamped 
 at a little distance from us, now became our messmate. His Kaffle 
 consisted of four girls, three men, four camels, and three Arabs. 
 Lizari and myself joined our stock, which Rahmata his Negress, who 
 was an excellent cook, made into a nice mess for us every night. 
 
 Had I trusted to Mukni’s professions, I should have been in 
 some danger of starving on my road homeward. He told me re¬ 
 peatedly not to think of preparing food for my journey, as he had 
 commanded his slaves to make for me cusscussou, flour, and dried 
 meat. He also assured me, that on the day of my departure, 1 
 should receive from him an order on all the towns through which I 
 should pass to supply myself and animals with dates, &c.; but, after 
 all, no one part of these fine promises was fulfilled, which added 
 one more proof to the many I had before received, of Mukni’s 
 falsehood and insincerity. 
 
 Our road lay over a desert, without the least sign of a shrub, 
 or any living creature. A strong cold east wind blew with great 
 force, as it met with no impediment, and quickly chopped our 
 lips and skin. The Negroes wore their travelling dresses, which 
 being new and clean, looked very neat. The girls have green 
 or yellow caps, with a large flap on each side ; shirts of blue or 
 white cotton, a petticoat or wrapper of the same, and a good warm 
 jercad or barracan. It is to be observed, that masters do not at all 
 times take equal care of their slaves; but that fearing the bad 
 effects of cold weather, the merchants are in winter more attentive 
 to their comfort than at any other season; and this for their own 
 advantage, since it prevents the Negresses from becoming thin and 
 consumptive (which want of clothing would otherwise subject them 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 297 
 
 to be), and makes them bring a better price to their owners. The 
 males are not so carefully attended to, having generally only a long 
 shirt and barracan. Both sexes have sandals of camel’s hide ; the 
 girls walk by themselves, and the men follow the camels. At one 
 o’clock they are all watered like cattle, out of large bowls, placed 
 on the ground, from which they kneel and drink. Children are 
 thrown with the baggage on the camels, if unable to walk; but if 
 five or six years of age, the poor little creatures are obliged to trot 
 on all day, even should no stop be made for fourteen or fifteen 
 hours, as I have sometimes witnessed. We passed a Baffle of 
 about twenty camels from Tripoli, with a chowse of the Bashaw, 
 loaded with corn for Morzouk; they informed us that the Bashaw 
 had sent an army against Angela, and that the plague had ceased 
 at Tunis and Jerba. At four we turned from the road to go to a 
 well, Ghroodwa being considered too long a journey for the slaves: 
 we had travelled until that time north 40° east nineteen miles. At 
 7. 30. we arrived at Neshoua (a Wadey running east-north-east), 
 having cleared north by west seven miles. A well of good water was 
 here, and we lay down amongst the palm bushes. In unloading the 
 camels, Belford’s Maherry took fright, and running on to the desert, 
 his saddle fell off, and the beast lamed himself sadly by striking his 
 toe against it: some Arabs from the neighbourhood seeing us 
 cooking, came and supped with us. The mess of the slaves is pro¬ 
 vided before that of their masters; it consists of Bazeen, of which 
 each one has a portion about as large as the double fist; and a bowl 
 is filled with grease and pepper, into which they occasionally dip 
 their paste. The daily allowance of food is a quart of dates in the 
 morning, and half a pint of flour made into Bazeen at night. Some 
 masters never allow their slaves to drink after a meal, unless at a 
 watering place. When the meal is finished, they all lie down, the 
 
 Q, Q 
 
298 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 females in one line, the males in another, and are covered over with 
 sacking until morning. 
 
 February 12tli. Thermometer 30° below 0°.—Water frozen, 
 and the poor Negroes in great distress from the cold. At 8. 20. 
 loaded and proceeded along the edge of the Wadey. Belford walked 
 for a time, and his camel appeared much swelled about the foot. 
 Course north 75° east; Wadey about one mile in breadth, bounded 
 on each side by the Desert. At one P. M. we stopped at Ghroodwa, 
 having made twelve miles. Here is a fine Mosque and a tomb 
 (which is kept constantly white-washed) over the grave of the third 
 brother of Sidi Besheer, the Maraboot of whom I have before spoken. 
 I bought a fine sheep for a dollar and a half. 
 
 February 12tli. Thermometer 2° 30'.—At eight proceeded along 
 the Wadey; at 9.30. arrived at the end of it, and found a well 
 called Bir el Whishki, or well of the palm bushes. We were joined 
 here by a chowse of the Bashaw of Tripoli, who had just come 
 from thence with thirty camels’ load of grain; he said it was 
 reported that the English Consul was coming to meet me at 
 Benioleed. On leaving the well we entered again on a stony desert, 
 and at 6. 15. descended a rugged pass called Taneia, to a plain 
 hemmed in on every side by conical-shaped hills. At 6. 40. we 
 stopped for the night, having travelled north 33° east twenty-six 
 miles. A large Ivafiie of natives of the Wadey Shiati, 
 passed us on their way to Morzouk, with grain, and to compliment 
 the Sultan on his son’s return. We had many Arab games while 
 sitting with the camel-men round our fires; and I now began to be 
 well acquainted with these people, having occasionally been under 
 the necessity of honouring one or two of them with a box on the 
 ear. We were all very merry, and one of my people, Ibrahim el 
 Fetaima, an Arab of Hoon, told us some very amusing stories. 
 
CHAP. VIII, 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 299 
 
 Sunday, 13th of February. Thermometer 3°.—Proceeded at 
 7. 45. along the plain. At nine the hills opened on to a broad flat 
 plain, bounded at about ten miles to the eastward by hills, which 
 were a continuation of those we had passed. At 1. 40. arrived at 
 Sebha, having travelled north 33° east fifteen miles. Strong south 
 wind blowing. We found under the walls where we encamped two 
 Kaffles who were awaiting our arrival; one belonging to Hadge 
 Mohammed el Turke, who had twenty-three Negresses and five 
 men slaves; the other belonging to an old lame Turk called Baba 
 Hassein, and consisting of twenty-one females and seven males: 
 they had left Morzouk two days before us. In the evening all 
 the village assembled outside the walls, to carry a bride in proces¬ 
 sion to her husband’s house. A camel was ornamented with a 
 frame-work, covered over with carpets, shawls, and ostrich feathers; 
 and the bride placed within it on his back. The camel was led by 
 a relation of the bride, preceded by dancing people, music, mounted 
 and dismounted Arabs, who shouted and fired, running backwards 
 and forwards in front of the procession. The bridegroom walked 
 before them, with a fan in his hand, and his fingers dyed with 
 henna, loaded with tawdry clothes, and looking very solemn. The 
 bride was carried round the town and gardens, and in the end con¬ 
 ducted to her husband’s house. The village all night resounded 
 with songs, and the shrill voices of the women; and we had several 
 bowls of provisions sent out to us. We found the flies here very 
 tormenting. 
 
 As I have frequently had occasion to mention Shiati, I now take 
 an opportunity of saying that it is a district lying to the westward 
 of Sebha; it is situated in a Wadey, and contains many towns. 
 This Wadey runs east and west, or nearly so ; and is divided into 
 Wadey Shirghi, or eastern Wadey, and Wadey el Ghrarbi, or western 
 Wadey. 
 
 q q 2 
 
300 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 In Wadey Shirghi the towns are thus situated, beginning from 
 the east. Ashkiddi j£a|, Ghiddi ^/Si, Gelwas Brak which is 
 two-thirds of a day from Sebha, and ten days from Gharian, is the 
 largest of these towns. Zooiat Tamzawa Gusser 
 
 Sallam Aggar J,'i\ , Maharouga El Gerda Taroot 
 
 Gootta jjy, Berghen u a,j (two of that name), Temissan 
 Iddri ^aj, which is a large village, and westernmost in the Wadey 
 Shirghi. It is two days from Brak, and eight days from Ghadams. 
 
 Another wadey called El Agaal ^13) runs parallel to the above. 
 It is one day from Sebha, and has the following towns in it: El 
 Abiad El Hamra Khalifa jjjslA, Bendoobaia AKu, Zue'ia 
 Ljj, Ergabi Tenahmi Gusser Saad Gusser Sbaida 
 
 sxujjwj, Kharaig h^. This is all the Wadey Shirghi. 
 
 The Wadey Ghrarbi begins from the east at Iddri Eegaige ^ 
 Kertibi Garragarra \ji\ji, Tuash jAje, Teweewa x^Jo, Germa 
 
 \y*~, the ancient capital of Fezzan; Ghraraifi Oubari 
 
 seven days from Ghraat, which is about W.S.W. two long days from 
 El Abiad, which is one day from Sebha. This is the Wadey 
 Ghrarbi. 
 
 The people in the Wadeys are blacks and mulattoes as in 
 Morzouk, and Arabs live amongst them. The villages contain 
 from thirty to two hundred houses; many, however, are composed 
 of palm huts. The people are very poor, but in the time of the 
 Waled Suleman, who resided much amongst them, they were 
 opulent. In some of the pools of stagnant water in the Wadey 
 Shaiti are found small worms, of about the size of a grain of rice; 
 these are collected in great quantities, and pounded with a little 
 salt in a mortar, until they form a black paste, which is made into 
 balls of about the size of the double fist, and then suffered to dry 
 in the sun. These worms, which are called Dood, form one of the 
 very few luxuries of Fezzan, as the poor people, when they have 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 301 
 
 a mess of flour, mix some of them with the sauce, to their Aseeda. 
 They resemble very bad caviar in taste, and the smell is extremely 
 offensive; but habit and necessity overcome all prejudices in this 
 country, and I soon became very partial to them. Sand is an 
 unavoidable ingredient in this paste, and the natives consider it as 
 more wholesome in consequence. One or two families gain a good 
 subsistence by preparing these worms for the market of Morzouk, 
 and the neighbouring towns. 
 
 Monday, Feb. 14th. Therm. 3°.—Another Kaffle joined us from 
 Morzouk, belonging to a native of Tripoli named Khalifa : those I 
 mentioned before, set out this day for Temanhint. Belford’s 
 Maherry was here so lame, that I had him fired all round the foot 
 by Ibrahim, who was now become very useful to us. The manner 
 of firing camels is by a very thin red hot iron, which is curved so 
 as to be easily turned round the foot: they have these irons of 
 different lengths and sizes, for the particular part to be burned. I 
 hired another camel for Belford to ride on, at the rate of two 
 dollars, from hence to Sockna, agreeing that it should carry two 
 skins of water on passing the Soudah. 
 
 As I had nothing better to occupy me, I mounted my own 
 Maherry, with a Tuarick Kahela, or saddle, and practised riding 
 him according to their manner, which is very difficult, and not 
 used in Fezzan. I fortunately succeeded much beyond my ex¬ 
 pectation. A town called Gurda *5J, is S. S. E. one mile from 
 Sebha. 
 
 Tuesday, 15th Feb.—At 7. 30. went on, after having been most 
 hospitably treated by Lizari’s friends. Our road was over a barren 
 plain, until 8. 30. when we ascended a mountain called Ben Areif 
 by a pass named Horrnut ben Areef, bearing N. 55°. E. of Sebha. 
 At nine we descended to a stony plain, bounded close to the right 
 by table-topped hills: to the left were a few insulated sugar-loaf 
 
302 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 hills of yellow limestone. At eleven the plain became more distinct; 
 distant hills to the right, and desert plain extending to the left: this 
 latter was called El Ghrazzie urjl/J). At 1. 15. mountains closed in, 
 in the form of a crescent, having two black hills half a mile from the 
 road, called Roos Ghraab or the heads of the ravens. At 
 
 two arrived at Temenhint having travelled N. 56°. E. 15 
 
 miles. In the evening we had occasion to buy straw for the camels, 
 in a way I had never before seen, of the people who came out from 
 the town to trade with us. Shreef Sadig soon instructed me in this 
 new mode of barter. The person who has to sell mentions what 
 he wishes in exchange for certain commodities, whether oil, liquid 
 butter, or shahm, which is a kind of salted fat much resembling bad 
 tallow in taste and smell. If liquids, he pours water into a pot in 
 proportion to the quantity of oil or butter he requires ; if solids, he 
 brings a stone of the size of the shahm, or other article demanded. 
 The buyer pours out water, or sends for smaller stones, until he 
 thinks a fair equivalent is offered. The quantities then agreed for 
 are made up to the size of the stone, or the depth of the water. 
 
 Temenhint is so completely surrounded by date trees, that it is 
 not seen from the road. It is a small walled village, and considered 
 by traders as the most inhospitable in Fezzan. 
 
 Wednesday, 16th. Therm. 1°.—At 7. 30. started. Stony desert 
 to the left and right, with bushes occasionally. At 9. 45. descended 
 to a sandy hatia, called Hatia Gurmayda At 4. 30. 
 
 arrived at Zeghen ; having travelled N. 75°. E. 22 miles. We 
 built up our goods under the walls, and lay there. Having been 
 so long accustomed to black faces, I fancied that the natives, who 
 are entirely a white population, looked sickly. The women are 
 reputed to be very handsome; but I did not enter the town, and if 
 I had done so, should not have seen them. We had numerous 
 visitors, and a large supply of food, Lizari’s general acquaintance 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 303 
 
 enabling us to procure whatever we wanted. They gave us an 
 account of a wedding which had taken place that morning, speaking 
 much of the beauty of the bride; and on hearing her named, we 
 found that she was the very girl whom Lizari intended demanding 
 of her father on his return from Tripoli. He was much confounded, 
 but bore with great good humour our joking him at being too late. 
 The successful lover was aware of Lizari’s intentions ; and on 
 hearing he had set out from Morzouk, instantly demanded, and 
 bore off the prize. 
 
 Thursday, February 17th. Thermometer 0.—At eight we set oft* 
 over an uneven plain to a stony desert, a cold north wind blowing. 
 After passing some hills, we arrived at the Hatia, and wells of Om 
 el Abeed, having gone north 50°. E. twelve miles. We 
 
 met a few Arabs from Sockna, who said that Sidi Mohammed ben 
 Shaib was expected, on his way to the Sultan of Bornou, with 
 presents from the Bashaw: they also: said an Englishman was 
 with him; but I concluded the report to have originated in its 
 being known at Tripoli, that Belford and myself were to have 
 accompanied him. In the evening, we filled and mended our 
 Gerbas, and otherwise prepared for passing the five days’ desert 
 now before us. The Arabs amused themselves by placing a 
 camel’s skull on a rising ground, and firing ball at it, all resting 
 their guns; only one, however, struck it. I rose to fire ; but they 
 all laughed at me for not placing my gun on a branch, or otherwise 
 steadying it; I nevertheless struck the head twice, when, re¬ 
 solving not to lose my reputation as a good shot, I laid down my 
 gun with indifference, pretending I could hit it as often as I 
 pleased. The Arabs were astonished (and I must own I was 
 equally so, being but an indifferent shot in general), and gave me 
 the title of Bendag, or marksman. 
 
 Baba Hassein, whom we again joined at Zeghen, had never 
 
304 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 given his Boozaferr, yjy, or footing in the country, which I men¬ 
 tioned our having done at Sockna, or more properly in the Soudah 
 mountains. The Arabs in these cases procure either the skeleton 
 of an animal, or some carrion, and, digging a grave, bury it, howl¬ 
 ing as if for a deceased friend. All the night they imitate the 
 cries of wolves and hyamas, as if in search of food, saying, “ Where 
 is our Bouzaferr ? we are crying for our Bouzaferr; the natives are 
 starving; give your Bouzaferr.” The buried bones are intended 
 to imply a starved friend, who is supposed to be unable to rest till 
 the survivors are fed. The old man was, however, deaf to all their 
 hints, and in consequence the Arabs made a little grave (for him, 
 as they said), and left him, not without a few hearty wishes that 
 some harm might befall him. 
 
 As we sat round our little fires, during our march over the 
 desert, we amused ourselves with a variety of Arab games and 
 puzzles, and a few clumsy tricks with date stones, and much laugh¬ 
 ing and joking passed off our evening very pleasantly, until sleep 
 seized us, and we then laid ourselves down on the sand round the 
 fire until morning. 
 
 Friday 18th. Thermometer 2°.—As there was at this place great 
 plenty of Agool, and other shrubs for the camels, they were, owing 
 to a concerted scheme of the Arabs, not to be found; we there¬ 
 fore were destined to pass the day here, in spite of all our threats 
 and remonstrances. One of a party of Arabs, who had joined our 
 Baffle at Sebha, and from whom 1 hired the camel which Belford 
 rode, offered one for sale. It would not, like other camels, eat 
 dates, and no food was to be found in the track we were to pass. 
 We consequently despaired of its being able to get through the 
 desert; and I, thinking to make a good bargain with him, offered 
 him for it two dollars, or ten shillings, tie refused this, and went 
 away; but an Arab soon after brought me the animal, having pur- 
 
 / 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 305 
 
 chased it for me for a dollar and one third, 6s. 8 d .! I killed it, 
 and made every one merry, as it was sufficiently large to afford, for 
 freemen and slaves, each two days’ allowance; it was a Maherry 
 from Borgoo, and I suppose weighed upwards of GOOlbs. The 
 hungry Arabs had many quarrels in cutting it up ; and 1 sometimes 
 feared there would be mischief amongst them ; but the altercation 
 ended, like other quarrels amongst these people, in great noise, and 
 biting tongues at each other. 
 
 I never before had an opportunity of observing how water is 
 procured from the belly of a camel, to satisfy the thirst of an almost 
 perishing Kaffle. It is the false stomach which contains the water 
 and undigested food. This is strained through a cloth, and then 
 drank; and from those who have been under the necessity of 
 making use of this beverage, I learn that the taste is bitter. As 
 this animal had recently drank, its stomach was nearly full. I 
 amused myself in making observations on its skin and skeleton, 
 and in planning the formation of a boat; and I found that a most 
 excellent contrivance might be made from them, for the purpose of 
 crossing rivers ; the back-bone being used as the keel, and the ribs 
 as timbers. The formation of the chest of a camel resembles the 
 prow of a Portuguese bean-cod, or fishing-boat. Indeed, it was in 
 consequence of hearing the Arabs always calling it Markab, or ship, 
 that the idea first occurred to me. 
 
 Saturday, 19th February. Thermometer 1°.—Having filled 
 water for five days, we set out over black stony hills, bounded to 
 the north-westward at the distance of a mile from our track by a 
 sandy desert. At nine, a hillock of a singular form, resembling a 
 turret, and called Amaymet Saad, bore north 52° east. As it stands 
 at the entrance of a pass we were to ascend, we proceeded tow ards 
 it; a strong east wind blowing very sharply. We met a man on 
 his way from Sockna, who informed us that the Consul had been at 
 
 R R 
 
306 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 Benioleed. The Negresses had, from the time of our setting off, 
 been collecting wood, and the poor creatures were each laden with 
 stock for two days. We passed a grave, which was ornamented by 
 an inverted gourd at the head. The person buried there was a 
 drunken man, a native of Sockna, who had been in the habit of 
 carrying letters or orders across the desert, whenever the Sultan 
 required it, and was able to pass it on foot in three days, at about 
 forty miles a day. It once happened that a letter was to be brought 
 from Sockna to Zeghen, and this man was selected for the purpose; 
 he was drunk at the time, yet insisted on having his gourd full of 
 Lackbi, instead of carrying, as usual, a small skin of water at his 
 back, promising, however, to drink enough at Gutfa, a well at 
 the foot of the mountains. He set out in this condition, and was 
 found dead with his empty gourd by his side, within an hour’s walk 
 of the well we had left, and so finished his task; he was accord¬ 
 ingly buried here, as a warning to all topers. 
 
 At 12. 6. P. M. came to the sand, and passed over it until 1. 30. 
 when we reached very steep, irregular sand hills, which we found great 
 difficulty in ascending, the camels falling repeatedly. Having cleared 
 these hills, we ascended a plain by a pass called Kenaire to the 
 eastward of which, at the distance of a mile, is the turret I have 
 already mentioned. Through the sand hills, I observed a singular 
 line of rocks, resembling the scoria of the lava of Vesuvius, and about 
 ten feet in breadth, running north and south for about five hundred 
 yards. The mountains over Om el Abeed, which we had just left, 
 run east and west, until lost in the distance. The hills we ascended 
 were of limestone and flint, very precipitous, and facing to the 
 southward, running east-south-east and west-north-west. The plain 
 was covered with a white crust or clay, with here and there bare 
 rock intervening. 
 
 At 3. 40. P. M. we passed over a few sand hills, called El 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 307 
 
 Kamle Shraiya, or the small sands. At 4. 15. came to a black stony 
 flat. 4. 45. passed a long line of stones facing the east, called 
 “ Sala el Sultan, or the praying place of the Sultan a former 
 Sultan having prayed here while passing the desert with a numerous 
 army. At 6. 30. arrived at a spot called Gheranfata, which is gene¬ 
 rally a resting-place, and is marked by two or three basaltic heaps: 
 we had advanced to the pass, north 45° east, twelve miles, and from 
 it north 52° east, the same distance. 
 
 Observed this day that the driver of one of the camels, which 
 had joined us at Zeghen, was a blind man : he held by the animal’s 
 tail, and was in the habit of going constantly over this uneven, and, 
 in some places, dangerously steep track between Sockna and Mor- 
 zouk. I learnt from Khalifa that one of his Kliadems had died in 
 the morning, and that he had stopped behind to bury her. 
 
 Sunday, 20th February. Thermometer 30' below 0°.—At 7. 30. 
 passed over some gravelly plains as the day before. The horizon was 
 as perfectly level as that of the sea. We saw a great deal of Shrab 
 or false water. This plain is scattered with the carcasses of 
 the numerous animals which have died on it after passing the 
 mountains. IKo ravenous animals are found here, so that it is 
 rare to see a skeleton deprived of flesh. At 1. 30. we passed El 
 Kamle Kebeer, or the large sands, which is a range of sand hills 
 running to a great distance to the east-south-east from our right 
 hand. At 6. 30. stopped, having travelled north 35*, east 35 miles. 
 The slaves were much fatigued, and I placed a couple of little 
 children on my horse, whilst I rode on a camel. Belford’s Maherry 
 was in very poor plight; but I determined, if possible, to get him 
 to Sockna. The hills of El Gaaf, which are placed on the right 
 and left of the road before us, bore thus: north-east point of the 
 western range north 27° east; west point of the eastern range north 
 66° east. A raw night, much sand blowing over us. 
 
 r r 2 
 
308 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 Monday, 21st February. Thermometer 3°.—At 7. 15. setoff. At 
 nine, passed the eastern Gaaf, and at ten the western. 11. 20. rose 
 gradually to the beginning of Soudah. I walked, and my two camels 
 were made use of by some of the poor fatigued Negresses, who 
 were ready enough to mount them. We passed over a plain of 
 white shining stones, called El Maytba Bayda and then 
 
 over a black one called El Maytba Soudah which is covered 
 
 with large detached black masses of basalt. At 2. 15. descended to 
 a long wadey, having a few Talhh trees and running north and 
 south, called Temesheen At four passed this, and ascended 
 
 with difficulty to another mountain top. At five we descended by 
 an equally dangerous track to a narrow wadey, called Finger yjj, 
 where, as the slaves were very much exhausted, we lay for the night. 
 My own Maherry had fallen very lame this day in consequence of 
 the sharpness of the rocks we passed over; I therefore lightened 
 his load, and allowed no one to mount him. A remarkably high 
 and black mountain, called Ivohol or black, bore north-west 
 about ten miles. We had proceeded this day north 35° east, 30 
 miles. 
 
 Tuesday, February 22nd.—At 7. 20. went on. Thermometer 
 5°. A very fine morning. At noon we passed over a wadey, called 
 Zayra lyj, with many shrubs in it, on which a few poor shepherds 
 from Sockna were feeding their flocks. From 2. to 2. 50. passed 
 over a mountain top, called Dahr t’moumen ^‘ta, or “ the Be¬ 
 liever’s back.” At 5 stopped on a wadey, having travelled north 
 35°, east 14 miles. We were every evening much amused by a 
 little Tibboo boy, called Moosa, about five years of age, whose master 
 was always in the Kaffle next to us. This child had picked up 
 a few words of Arabic, and spoke very prettily. The chief amuse¬ 
 ment of his master, and the Arabs who were with him, was to make 
 Moosa dance, and then fight another boy of double his age. Whilst 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 309 
 
 sitting opposite to each other by the fire, their masters made them 
 fight with lighted sticks. Moosa, who always was the first to be 
 enraged, began to call the other boy an infidel, to curse his father, 
 and to use many other equally insulting speeches, which the Arabs 
 taught him. The elder boy, provoked in his turn, then rose to 
 revenge himself, when the little fellow darted at his legs, and by 
 biting them unmercifully, was always sure of gaining the victory. 
 The Moors never took the trouble of collecting wood for their 
 fires, but waited until every Ivaffle had supplied itself, when they 
 sent Moosa to steal what he could. Owing to his small size, he 
 succeeded in these pilferings, to my great amusement, for I found 
 that though he stole from every one else, he never robbed me, but 
 even supplied me when I was in want of fuel. He was repeatedly 
 offered to me as a present by his master, and I have since been sorry 
 I refused him: he was jet black, and extremely pretty. In all the 
 difficult passes he rode on my right knee, telling me the way in 
 which he was caught, and many long stories besides. If his master’s 
 camels or mine chanced to stray, he would arm himself with a stick 
 and go in search of them, nor would he give up the chase till he 
 had driven them back; he was indeed a most engaging child, and 
 I became very fond of him. 
 
 Wednesday, 23rd February. Thermometer 4°.—At seven the 
 camels took the road by a wadey to the left, whilst I and the slaves 
 went over an almost inaccessible mountain, called Nufdai 
 which brought us to the well at its foot, called Gutfa UlS, about 
 three miles distant from our last sleeping place ; the water here is 
 very good. We stopped an hour at the well to water and refresh 
 the slaves and animals, and then wound along a wadey having many 
 small Talhh trees in it, until we had made about six miles north¬ 
 east, the mountains opening out on the left. 
 
 Old Baba Hassein, the Turk of whom I have made mention as 
 
310 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 not giving his Bouzaferr, was now become quite a standing joke 
 amongst the Kaffle. He spoke very bad Arabic, which, with his 
 being very lame, and always requiring, when he walked, to be sup¬ 
 ported by two Negresses, made him the constant subject of ridicule. 
 He had almost famished his slaves and camel-men, allowing them 
 to drink once a day only, though he had a plentiful stock of water. 
 Having a pipe, he amused himself with it day and night; and as 
 smoking was to him the height of enjoyment, and he always rode a 
 camel, he affected to wonder that the poor slaves should be fatigued 
 or in want of refreshment. Every other owner had brought ready 
 ground corn with him for the food of the Negroes; but Baba 
 obliged his poor tired females to pound their corn every evening 
 after their fatiguing march, in wooden mortars, which he had brought 
 for the purpose. Though the whole Kaffle had been straitened for 
 water, he actually brought two whole skins full to the well, and the 
 Arabs' told me that his slaves lay down and drank of it like camels. 
 This man had been, about six years before, robbed of all his goods 
 by the Tuarick, of the tribe of Haggar, when on the confines of the 
 kingdom of Ivashna, on his way from Tunis; but his address, or 
 roguery, more than supplied his loss. He arrived almost naked at 
 Sakkatoo, the residence of Bello (son of the celebrated Hatman 
 Danfodio), the Sultan of the Fellata, introducing himself as a Shreef, 
 or descendant of the Prophet, and telling a piteous story of his losses, 
 which he since owns to have been greatly exaggerated. Bello, be¬ 
 lieving him to be a Shreef, took compassion on him, and made him 
 a kingly present of a hundred Negresses, some of whom, then with 
 him, were really beautiful; he also supported him for some time. 
 The old man had traded with the Negresses, and had made a great 
 deal of money, with which he was now returning. 
 
 We were also accompanied from Zeghen by an old Arab, who 
 appeared to have nothing to do with loading or unloading the 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 RETURN T'0 TRIPOLI. 
 
 311 
 
 camels, and who always prayed and slept apart from the Kaffle. I 
 supposed him to be the father of some of the camel-men, and fre¬ 
 quently gave him food, until I learnt that he was related to none 
 of our companions, and that he had but one object in coming with 
 us, which was to live upon us. He had a voracious appetite, and 
 finding he could not obtain food at home without working for it, 
 had been for many years in the habit of passing this desert with the 
 Kaffles, on whom he quartered himself: his character was well known, 
 yet the Arabs were unable to shake him off, fearing he would spread 
 a report that they allowed him to starve, while they had plenty, 
 which would have been a great reproach to them. At the well 
 where I killed the camel, I gave him two days’ allowance, or about 
 four pounds of food, which he devoured at once: he then dined 
 with my drivers, and again with the Shreef Sadig’s men, and even 
 managed to coax the hungry slaves out of part of their dinner. 
 Having lost his teeth, he never chewed, but bolted his food, and was 
 a complete glutton. 
 
 Thursday, Feb. 24th. Therm. 4°.—The Sheikh of Sockna, who 
 was on his way to congratulate the Sultan, met us here and gave 
 me fifty dollars, with letters from the Consul, Dr. Dickson, and Mr. 
 Carstensen, who were all well. He also informed us of the death 
 of the Bashaw’s eldest Mulatto son Sidi Mourad, of a pestilential 
 disorder, which, he said, was reported to be the plague. We 
 dressed ourselves in our best clothes, and passed on, in company 
 with Lizari, before the Kaffle, for the town of Sockna, to prepare 
 houses. After proceeding for about two hours over a plain sprinkled 
 with shrubs, we passed a sandy flat and date trees: at about two 
 miles from the town, having traversed north-east nearly fourteen 
 miles, arrived at the town of Sockna. Before we entered it above 
 a hundred friends of Lizari, who was once acting, and is now 
 
312 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 nominal Kaid of Sockna, came out to welcome him; and T, as his 
 friend, received every attention. We had good houses provided 
 for us; and the Raffle arrived soon after; but notwithstanding 
 the respect shown us by some of the inhabitants, there were others 
 who very much molested us; and the boys were, I think, the most 
 impudent I ever met with, even in the most riotous and disorderly 
 streets in London. Finding we were strangers in the country, they 
 amused themselves with rushing by dozens into our room, to stare at, 
 and to rob us, if they could. When their curiosity had ceased, their 
 talents for tormenting commenced ; and a good camel whip became 
 at last my only resource against their impertinence. After I had 
 succeeded in turning them out, they surrounded the door, all being 
 ready for a run, and called out, “ Bring the whip, bring the whip! 
 
 d—-n your father! here are plenty of boys peeping!” At last 
 
 I was obliged to rush out upon them, and catching two of the 
 offenders, flogged them heartily; they then began to discover, that 
 though a stranger, I was not to be trifled with. 
 
 I must observe that some of the men of Sockna were also most 
 intrusive and impudent beggars. They crowded in upon us ten 
 and twenty at a time, one party leaving us only to make way for 
 another equally troublesome; one asked for powder, another for 
 flints, knives, scissars, and all kinds of articles: at first I felt 
 ashamed to turn them out, and therefore had recourse to entreaty 
 that they would go away; but this had not the slightest effect, and 
 1 was obliged finally to show that I had profited by Mukni’s 
 instructions, and to get rid of them by main force. 
 
 Sunday, February 27th.—To my great dismay I was again 
 attacked by hemma, and was also under the painful necessity of 
 killing my largest Maherry, finding he had broken his toe. I had 
 intended him for Sir Joseph Banks. He was the finest I had ever 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 SOCKNA. 
 
 313 
 
 seen : seven feet eight inches from the ground to his hump, which 
 was a low one. I was offered two dollars for him, but preferred 
 killing him, to feed ourselves and fellow travellers. As we had to 
 hire fresh camels here, we discharged those which had brought us 
 from Morzouk, and I was heartily glad to get rid of the Sockna 
 drivers, who are never contented, always trying to deceive, and 
 never assisting any one. 
 
 We found that the Bashaw had sent chowses with eight horses, 
 the property of his late son, to be disposed of in Fezzan for Negroes, 
 and the purchasers were to sell them in the interior, so that they 
 might never again be seen at Tripoli. The news brought by these 
 people occasioned a general mourning, and the women, this day and 
 the preceding one, were out on the sands, howling, beating the 
 Tubbel, or alarm drum, tearing their hair and faces, and committing 
 all sort of extravagancies, which always ended in frenzy, though they 
 would in their hearts have rejoiced to learn that the whole Kora- 
 manlie race was extinct. 
 
 Almost all the houses here have, in the principal rooms, a black 
 line drawn round them about breast high, with wetted gunpowder. 
 If the woman of the house is delivered of a male child, this 
 precaution prevents Iblis and the devil’s children, or imps, from 
 coming into the room to tease or injure him; or, what is worse, to 
 make him squint. 
 
 Our friend and travelling companion, Sadig, who had always been 
 very agreeable and cheerful, this day left us, to our great regret, on 
 his return to his native town, Wadan; whither he invited me to 
 accompany him, assuring me that I should drink nothing but sweet 
 milk and Lackbi, and that at every meal a new dish of whatever de¬ 
 scription I chose should be prepared for me. It was his intention 
 to send his slaves to Mesurata on the sea-coast, to exchange them 
 for sheep. 
 
314 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. vili. 
 
 The mothers here, and indeed all the town’s-people, were at this 
 time in great alarm, having heard that an Orfilly, or Arab of Benio- 
 leed, was prowling about in search of some child, whom he intended 
 to kill and eat. This wretch had, from the effects of a loathsome 
 disease, lost his nose, and been otherwise disfigured. Some one 
 had prescribed to him, or he himself had conceived this dreadful 
 remedy for his sufferings; and, in consequence, was on the watch 
 for some young victim, in whose warm blood he was to wash himself, 
 and then devour its flesh. An infant girl of two or three years of 
 age had, a short time before, been rescued from him, and he was 
 now wandering about the neighbourhood in search of another child. 
 The Sockna Arabs had all agreed to shoot him if they could meet 
 him, and Lizari had also given his promise to despatch him if he 
 came in his way. 
 
 The Orfilly Arabs have almost universally a bad character, and 
 are much disliked, not, however, without reason. A man murdered 
 or robbed, a house fired, a camel stolen, or any lawless act, is almost 
 always traced to an Orfilly; and certainly a more insolent, thievish, 
 and begging set of men I never saw. They even exceed the Sockna 
 men in this particular: “ Give me, give me,” is their cry from morning 
 till night. 
 
 The language of Sockna, as I mentioned when first we visited it 
 on our way to Morzouk, is the same as that of the Tuarick, and is 
 only spoken in this town ; their neighbours of Hoon and Wadan not 
 understanding it at all. I subjoin a few words, supplied by one of 
 
 the natives. 
 
 
 
 
 One 
 
 Idgen. 
 
 Seven 
 
 Sebbah, A. 
 
 Two 
 
 Sunn. 
 
 All the numbers above three are as in 
 
 Three 
 
 Shard. 
 
 Arabic. 
 
 
 Four 
 
 Erba, A. 
 
 Hand 
 
 Foos. 
 
 Five 
 
 Khamsa, A. 
 
 Head 
 
 Ighrof. 
 
 Six 
 
 Setta, A. 
 
 Sun 
 
 Tefookt. 
 
:ap. viii. 
 
 
 SOCKNA. 
 
 315 
 
 Dog 
 
 Edee. 
 
 Walk 
 
 Achel. 
 
 Bitch 
 
 Edeat. 
 
 Run 
 
 Uzzel. 
 
 Cat 
 
 Yatoos. 
 
 Sheep 
 
 Utus. 
 
 Fish 
 
 Khoot, A. 
 
 Cry 
 
 EU. 
 
 Meat 
 
 Aksoom. 
 
 Hungry 
 
 Floozukh. 
 
 Flesh 
 
 Tagilla. 
 
 Thirsty 
 
 Foodukh. 
 
 Moou 
 
 Tajeeri. 
 
 Stars 
 
 Eran. 
 
 Eat 
 
 Itch. 
 
 Man 
 
 Mar. 
 
 Drink 
 
 Soo. 
 
 Woman 
 
 Tamtoot. 
 
 Boy 
 
 Moozain. 
 
 Fire 
 
 Isghraran. 
 
 Girl 
 
 Temuzzeet. 
 
 Wood 
 
 Shejjer, A. 
 
 Horse 
 
 Aghemar. 
 
 Stone 
 
 Teghrooghan. 
 
 Cow 
 
 Lebgurr. 
 
 Sand 
 
 Omlal. 
 
 Sheep 
 
 Teele. 
 
 How are you ? 
 
 Aish haalek, A. 
 
 Goat 
 
 Teaghsee. 
 
 Well 
 
 Taib, A. 
 
 Male Kid 
 
 Eghraid. 
 
 What’s this ? 
 
 Mattawa. 
 
 Female Kid 
 
 Teghradot. 
 
 That 
 
 Kanno deenek. 
 
 Stick 
 
 Tagaghreet. 
 
 Yours 
 
 Enick. 
 
 Water 
 
 Aman. 
 
 Mine 
 
 Ennoo. 
 
 Dates 
 
 Izgarun. 
 
 I 
 
 Shik. 
 
 Bones 
 
 Eghruss. 
 
 You 
 
 Neish. 
 
 Money 
 
 Floos, A. 
 
 He 
 
 Netta. 
 
 A Rat 
 
 Agherdi. 
 
 We 
 
 Oodan. 
 
 An Ass 
 
 Amketarr. 
 
 They 
 
 Etene. 
 
 Camel 
 
 Laghrum. 
 
 Here 
 
 Da. 
 
 House 
 
 Taskha. 
 
 There 
 
 Ghradi, A. 
 
 Town 
 
 Tamoort. 
 
 Where 
 
 Maneela. 
 
 Wall 
 
 Jadeer. 
 
 Many 
 
 Gootunn. 
 
 Garden 
 
 Tamda. 
 
 Few 
 
 Reehassan. 
 
 Date tree 
 
 Tesdai. 
 
 Sword 
 
 Awoos. 
 
 Grass 
 
 Lasheb, A. 
 
 Pot 
 
 Ligder, A. 
 
 Linen 
 
 Akhooli. 
 
 Carpet 
 
 Majeer. 
 
 Cloth 
 
 Melf, A. 
 
 Black 
 
 Settuf. 
 
 Shirt 
 
 Ghukkoot. 
 
 Blue 
 
 Agrag, A. 
 
 Bowl 
 
 Wijjra. 
 
 Green 
 
 Wurrugh. 
 
 Hot 
 
 Yehamma. 
 
 Yellow 
 
 Asfar, A. 
 
 Cold 
 
 Tasunti. 
 
 Red 
 
 Zuggo. 
 
 s s 2 
 
316 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 Old 
 
 W usserr. 
 
 Young 
 
 Muzzee. 
 
 Dear 
 
 Yeghulla, A. 
 
 Cheap 
 
 Erkheese, A. 
 
 Hard 
 
 Yekkoor. 
 
 Soft 
 
 Murkhee, A. 
 
 Fat 
 
 Smeen, A. 
 
 Thin 
 
 Daif, A. 
 
 Mouth 
 
 Eemi. 
 
 Ears 
 
 Tamazookh. 
 
 Neck 
 
 Takaroomt. 
 
 Breast 
 
 Sudder, A. 
 
 Good 
 
 Zain, A. 
 
 Bad 
 
 Afaan, A. 
 
 Day 
 
 Azill. 
 
 Night 
 
 Yettee. 
 
 Lackbi 
 
 Aman tesdeed. 
 
 Beard 
 
 Tamart. 
 
 Bring 
 
 Aweet. 
 
 Take 
 
 Akh. 
 
 Come 
 
 Aeed. 
 
 Cotton 
 
 Tabdookht. 
 
 Honey 
 
 El Asell, A. 
 
 Door 
 
 Tawert. 
 
 Shoes 
 
 Erkaas. 
 
 A fly 
 
 Eezaan. 
 
 A Bird 
 
 Azdeah. 
 
 Ostrich 
 
 Aseed. 
 
 Feather 
 
 Terjaalem. 
 
 Egg 
 
 Terdaaleen. 
 
 Language 
 
 A wall. 
 
 Butter 
 
 Lemman, A. 
 
 Oil 
 
 Odi. 
 
 Pepper 
 
 Afillfill, A. 
 
 Salt 
 
 Teesunt. 
 
 Heart 
 
 Ool. 
 
 Skin 
 
 Ilium. 
 
 Foot 
 
 Tishkunt. 
 
 Nose 
 
 Luckshum, A. 
 
 Eye 
 
 Teeat. 
 
 Knife 
 
 Oozall. 
 
 Blood 
 
 Eddaman. 
 
 Leather 
 
 Ilium. 
 
 Bag 
 
 Takhareet. 
 
 Fire 
 
 Timsi. 
 
 Jereed 
 
 Tagareet. 
 
 Milk 
 
 Akhi, or Ashfai. 
 
 To-morrow 
 
 Teefoot. 
 
 Y esterday 
 
 Dullain. 
 
 Month 
 
 Yoor. 
 
 Year 
 
 Aam. 
 
 Hair 
 
 Zaoo. 
 
 Wool 
 
 Dooft. 
 
 Bread 
 
 Tegrari. 
 
 Flour 
 
 Aruna. 
 
 Go 
 
 Maat. 
 
 Run 
 
 Azzil. 
 
 Listen 
 
 Sill. 
 
 Brother 
 
 Nitta. 
 
 Sister 
 
 Ootima. 
 
 Stupid 
 
 Williseen. 
 
 Those words which I have marked with A are either Arabic 
 
 t, ’ 
 
 or derived from that language. The natives call their language 
 Ertana. 
 
 Monday, February 28th. Thermometer 9*.—This morning being 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 SOCKNA. 
 
 817 
 
 the first of their Spring, and a day of general rejoicing, it is the custom 
 to dress out little tents or bowers on the tops of the houses, de¬ 
 corating them with carpets, jereeds, shawls, and sashes. A gaudy 
 handkerchief on a pole, as a standard, completes the work, which is 
 loudly cheered by the little children, who eat, drink, and play during 
 the day in these covered places, welcoming the spring by songs, 
 and crying continually, “ 0 welcome spring! with pleasure bring us 
 plenty.” The women give entertainments in their houses, and the 
 day is quite a holiday. From the top of our house these little 
 bowers had a very pretty effect, every roof in the town being orna¬ 
 mented with one. They are called Goobba. 
 
 I saw this day four ears of corn perfectly ripe, which was very 
 early for the season. The gardens here are excellent, comparatively 
 with the others in Fezzan. They are surrounded by mud walls. 
 Lemon trees had been lately introduced from Tripoli, and promised 
 well, but too young to bear fruit. The dates here were very fine, 
 and there were several sorts peculiar to Sockna. I was confined 
 the chief part of the day to my bed with hemma. 
 
 No Arab that I ever met with has any idea of sweet milk, or, 
 more properly, cannot conceive why it is not equally good when 
 sour. As I was unable in my weak state to eat the food of the 
 country, I made all the exertions I could to procure sweet milk ; for 
 though a great deal was brought me, it was always sour, and when 
 I objected to it on that account, they said, “ It is but now from the 
 ewe, we mixed it with other to make it good.” Thus they always 
 milk their ewes, mixing the fresh and the stale milk. As I had 
 been four days confined to my bed, and constantly longed for this 
 beverage in its sweet state, my repeated disappointments were 
 severe. 
 
 In the gardens are found two kinds of rats, which, from the 
 
318 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 description given of them, must be curious. I despatched a man to 
 catch me some, promising him a dollar if he brought four. One 
 sort is black, and burrows in the ground; the other yellow, with a 
 white belly and red eyes, and lives principally amongst the boughs 
 of the palm trees. 
 
 Tuesday, Feb. 29 th.—A man arrived from my friend, the Shreef 
 Sadig, bringing two letters, one from himself, and the other from 
 his brother the Shreef Abd el Ateef. These letters contained many 
 kind wishes that I might succeed in all my undertakings, and 
 return to their country; and concluded by saying, that prayers had 
 been offered up in their Mosque for my safety. Four ostrich eggs, 
 and two skins of peculiarly fine dates, accompanied these kind 
 epistles. 
 
 Never was I so much out of patience with any people as with 
 the natives of this place ; night and day my door was surrounded, 
 not by the poor alone, but by high and low. I really envied poor 
 Belford his deafness, for had I too lost my hearing, I might have 
 enjoyed a little peace. If any of these people obtained admittance, 
 they sat down, and could not be induced to move for an hour or two, 
 all the time flattering and begging. Ill as I was, these tormentors 
 never allowed me to close my eyes. Belford, besides being deaf, un¬ 
 derstood but little Arabic, and could not assist me in keeping them 
 off; consequently I was continually obliged to answer questions, to 
 admit some, and to turn out others, and was thereby thrown into a 
 fever far more severe than that which at first attacked me. The 
 flies literally covered the walls, and fell by spoonfuls into all we eat 
 or drank; in fact, so many evils overwhehned me at once, that I 
 have ample reason to recollect Sockna, and the miseries I endured 
 there are too strongly imprinted on my mind to be ever forgotten. 
 I managed, in spite of my weakness, the foregoing night, to go out 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 SOCKNA. 
 
 319 
 
 with a man to see his wife, who was afflicted with sore gums. She 
 was handsome, with large black eyes, and a complexion almost as 
 fair even as that of an Englishwoman. I prescribed as well as I 
 could, by advising her to bleed, and then to wash her gums with 
 bark, which I gave her, and which, I afterwards heard, completely 
 cured her. My fee was honey from Soudan, meat, and what was of 
 far more value than all, about a gill of sweet milk. We heard this 
 day of the arrival of our friend Bouksaysa at Hoon, his nativu place, 
 with a large Kaffle. 
 
 Wednesday, March 1st.—We were to have set out this 
 morning; but, like true Arabs, our camel-men said their animals 
 were ready, when they knew the contrary, and after being kept all 
 day in suspense, we were obliged to defer our departure until 
 the morrow. I know not how I should have managed to hire 
 camels here, had it not been for my friend Lizari, who, while I was 
 ill, took a great deal of trouble on himself. I was very anxious to 
 obtain the longitude of this place, and twice corrected the chrono¬ 
 meter by equal altitudes; but it went so badly, and stopped so 
 often, that I gave up the attempt. I was this evening much 
 amused by a boy who came from Hoon to see me, or rather to beg 
 some money. He was the person I mentioned, as having advocated 
 slave-hunting so amusingly to Mr. .Ritchie and myself, when we 
 were at that place: he came to the door and begged admittance, 
 knowing that we were eating; some others also came begging at 
 the same time, and wishing to turn him away; on which a vehe¬ 
 ment dispute arose as to who had the greatest right to my bounty. 
 The boy said he came with me from Tripoli, the year before, in the 
 same Kaffle, which they all agreed was no reason at all; but when 
 he added that Mr. Ritchie and 1 had given him some money, and 
 that he was therefore my friend, and had a right to expect more, 
 all yielded to his superior claims. An Arab, when you have once 
 
820 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 treated him kindly, thinks himself entitled to be ever after a 
 burthen on you, and to beg, or perhaps to steal, from you as long 
 as he lives. 
 
 The Tripoli money is the currency of Sockna, which occasions 
 great losses to the people, who are obliged to pay their taxes to 
 Mukni in Spanish dollars, which they buy at extravagant prices. 
 The Bashaw’s coin is now almost worthless. 
 
 It is not the custom here to bury the dates, which in con¬ 
 sequence are very fine, and free from sand; but they keep them in 
 store-huts built for the purpose. I imagine that their being so exposed 
 may account in some degree for the multitude of flies found here. 
 
 All the houses are built on the same plan, having a small square 
 court in the centre, from which a few steps lead to an open gallery, 
 which is the principal room. The other rooms are on the ground- 
 floor, and one or two open from the gallery ; they have no windows, 
 but receive their light from the doors, which are all curiously 
 chequered and striped with a kind of black paint made from burnt 
 wool, mixed with gum-water. As they are composed of many 
 rounded pannels of date-wood, some appear like the backs of large 
 old books. A little blackish rat was brought to me, which was 
 really very curious ; it had a head resembling that of a badger, with 
 the same peculiar marks by the side of the face; its tail was long, 
 black, and rather bushy. Belford and myself contrived to make a 
 cage for it out of a tin canister, and I discovered that it had the 
 power of clinging to the bars, and climbing with its back down¬ 
 wards : it was very fierce, but I had great hopes of being able to 
 bring it home, as well as three other animals, called by the Arabs 
 
 Dtliub <_..Ak, which resembled lizards in many respects, but were 
 
 much more clumsily formed, and slower in their motions: their 
 tails were broad, and covered with scaly spikes, and they could hang 
 by their fore paws, which they had the power of closing on any 
 
CHAP. VIII. 
 
 SOCKNA. 
 
 321 
 
 object: their head and nose much resembled those of the hawk’s- 
 bill turtle, and to a certain degree, they changed their colour as 
 cameleons do. 
 
 I was rubbed this day with a mixture, which the Arabs consider 
 excellent in cases of fever, and which really, though it made me 
 very dirty, rendered my skin quite comfortable : it was composed 
 of a small aromatic seed, the name of which I have forgotten, with 
 lavender from Tripoli, and cloves, pounded together, and mixed 
 with oil and vinegar ; ft is rubbed over the whole body and head, 
 until nearly dry. My doctress was a white woman of Tripoli, who, 
 in fear of her life, had escaped from thence. 
 
 About eighteen months before this period, the Bashaw, one 
 evening, surprised his black wives and a party of their female friends, 
 making merry, or in other words, very drunk and noisy, and playing 
 all sorts of extraordinary pranks ; on sight of him they fled in all 
 directions, leaving in his presence, his wife or wives, with this 
 Tripoline woman and a Negress slave. The latter had her throat 
 cut immediately in the presence of her mistress, the wives were 
 threatened with death, and the white woman, named Sleema, the 
 doctress above-mentioned, received five hundred bastinadoes; she 
 was then allowed to depart, but the Bashaw afterwards thought 
 proper to send after her, with an order that she should be strangled. 
 She was fortunate enough to escape, and after wandering about for 
 some time, attached herself to Lilia Fatma, who was also exiled and 
 given to Sheikh Barood, with whom she arrived safely at Fezzan. 
 The poor woman, owing to severe illness, was on the brink of the 
 grave during her stay at Morzouk, which made her determine on 
 leaving the place, and braving every danger by a return to Tripoli. 
 On my coming away, she put herself under my protection, and I 
 promised to intercede with the Bashaw for her pardon. As she 
 was emaciated and very weak, I allowed her to mount my camels, 
 
322 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 and I fed her during the journey. She certainly was not a very 
 interesting figure, being much marked with the small-pox, and 
 resembling, in form and person, a little fat man; and 1 was well 
 aware that I should not make a very beautiful or virtuous addition 
 to the Tripoli ladies : feeling, however, great pity for her, I con¬ 
 sented to take her under my charge. Lilia Fatma, whom this un¬ 
 fortunate female had served for a whole year, allowed her to come 
 away without giving her even a shirt, or money to help her on her 
 journey. 
 
 Thursday, March 2nd.—We left Sockna, and rested for the day 
 at some palms and sand hills, called Hammam, AU-, four miles 
 north of the town, where we found our former fellow-travellers 
 already lying with their Raffles. I last night had one of the yellow 
 rats brought me, much resembling those found in Morzouk, having 
 a sandy red back, and white belly; 1 put it into the cage with the 
 other, who killed and partly ate it before morning. The first is called 
 Guntsha lAlS. Eefore we set off' this day, our friend Abd el Rahman 
 gave us a fine bowl of milk and dates. My camels were hired at the 
 rate of two dollars the Kantar, the drivers feeding themselves : some 
 of the animals carried six Kantar, and were very fine creatures, in 
 excellent condition. I perceived here that my Maherry, which I had 
 sent out while we were at Sockna to feed in company with the camels, 
 had received some injury in his foot, and was again lame. None of the 
 camel men would allow Sleema, the white woman who had escaped 
 from Tripoli, to ride, even though I offered three dollars for her 
 passage, their animals being too heavily laden. The poor creature 
 was therefore, in despair, obliged to return to Sockna. I gave her 
 all the money I could afford, which was three dollars, promising to 
 mention her to the Consul, in case she came to Tripoli and took 
 refuge under our flag. She was all gratitude, and went crying back 
 again to the house of a woman she had known when at Tripoli, and 
 who had maintained her while we were at Sockna. 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 323 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Leave Sockna—Stop at Hammam—Well of Temedd—Sufferings of the Slaves—Arrive 
 atBonjem—Danger on the Desert—Zemzem—Sofageen—Storm in the Mountains 
 —See two Roman Ruins—Arrive at Zleetun—Description of that Place—Leave 
 Zleetun—Visit Lebida—Illness—Arrival at Tripoli—Account of the Negroes of the 
 Kaffle—General Notices of the Desert—Belford’s bad State of Health—Departure 
 from Tripoli—Pass Quarantine at Leghorn—Return over the Continent to Eng¬ 
 land. 
 
 Friday, 3rd of March.—Hadge Mohammed brought a poor 
 girl to me for advice. She was very feverish and light-headed, and 
 complained of excessive pain in the chest, for which I bled and gave 
 her some cooling medicine. At seven we proceeded, having filled 
 water for three days, the well immediately before us being unfit to 
 drink; our road lay over a gravelly plain. At 12. 15. mountains 
 closed in from the left to those on the right, which at the distance 
 of half a mile ran parallel to our road ; they were of yellow lime¬ 
 stone and sand, and all table-topped. We passed along a Wadey 
 closely bounded by mountains, until two, when we stopped for my 
 patient, who had lagged behind; her unfeeling master, contrary to 
 my earnest request, having suffered her to walk, while he lazily rode 
 a camel. She arrived in about an hour, very weak, and in much 
 pain; and would have been beaten, had I not interposed. I gave 
 her some cotton impregnated with lemon-juice, to steep in water, 
 
 t t 2 
 
324 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX'. 
 
 which a little refreshed her. A strong sand wind set in from the 
 westward, and much distressed us: we had no remedy for it, but to 
 lie down, and occasionally to rise and free ourselves from the heaps 
 of sand which rapidly collected over our clothes. We had made 
 this day north by east seventeen miles. In the evening, the wind 
 having somewhat abated, I got a piece of leather sewed on to the 
 hard skin under my Maherry’s foot. 
 
 Saturday, March 4th.—Fine morning. We went on about two 
 miles to a well called Temedd, the water of which is black, and 
 resembles in taste Glauber’s salts, and cabbage water. My horse 
 refused to drink it; but a large supply was laid in for the poor 
 slaves. At 9. 30. left the well, and at 10. 15. turned off through 
 two mountains north-east by east. The Wadey we had just left 
 runs three miles north of the well, and is called Tarr. At 10. 15. 
 opened on a gravelly plain; at five stopped amongst a few little 
 low bushes. The pass through which we had come bore south 
 15° west, and we had made from it about fourteen miles. We had 
 a strong blinding sand wind blowing over us all this day from the 
 westward. 
 
 The poor girl who had ridden on a camel was now free from 
 fever, but very weak and low-spirited. I gave her good water and 
 cusscussou. 
 
 Sunday, 5th of March.—At 7. 30. we went on, still over a sandy 
 plain, with a few small shrubs; a strong wind, with much sand, 
 blowing from the north-west. These winds blow in sudden gusts, 
 and remind me of the whirlwinds called “cats’-paws” in the navy. 
 The Negress being unable to sit upright, was lashed on the camel 
 she rode. She continually asked for water, and complained of a 
 severe pain in her side. I had applied a blister to it overnight, 
 but I suspect the pain it gave her caused her to remove it. Her 
 master troubled his head very little about her; and her voice 
 

 
 
 . 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 325 
 
 was, in consequence of her sufferings, so feeble, that had I not rode 
 near her, and supplied her with water, she would have perished 
 from thirst. At 4. 50. came to rugged ground; >and at 5. 20. 
 mountains closed in to the left: passed at the foot of one. At six 
 stopped, having made about twenty-five miles north. I persuaded 
 the girl’s master to let her remain under my care until she was a 
 little recovered, as I should then be enabled to bestow more atten¬ 
 tion on her than he could, or was inclined to do : at this time she 
 was very cold, quite speechless, and unable to swallow. I wrapped 
 her up in my carpet, and made two of her fellow slaves chafe her 
 hands and feet; but our efforts to save her were useless, and she 
 breathed her last at eight o’clock, having, poor girl! suffered much 
 agony. Her fellows in misery exhibited a striking difference 
 between the mourners of civilized towns and those of savage 
 countries : instead of screaming, and working themselves up into 
 frenzy, they sat silent, dejected, and bathed in tears, their scanty 
 meal remaining for a time unnoticed and untouched. The country 
 of this poor girl was Waday, where Arabic is spoken. She was 
 handsome, and about fourteen years of age. She told me in the 
 morning that the fatigue of the day would kill her; and that I 
 was the only person, except her companions, who had treated her 
 kindly since she was taken from her mother. She had been ailing 
 for a long time, as she said; but her master was a hard man, and 
 she feared to complain. 
 
 Monday, March 6th.—The girl was buried near the road; and 
 at 7. 30. we went through a pass called Hormut t’uziz, 
 for five miles. At ten passed an insulated hill of gravel, resembling 
 a tent in form, and called El Khayma, Uj^I, or the tent. We pro¬ 
 ceeded north 25° west through the pass, a strong south wind blow¬ 
 ing. At twelve the tent bore south 15° east four miles. At 1. 15. 
 came from an uneven stony desert, bounded on the right by moun- 
 
326 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 tains, to heavy sand, called Wadey Booatila, IL1J or “the father 
 of Atila trees.” At 2. 30. entered a broad pass ; had steered from 
 the last bearing north 16° east four miles. Two little black boys 
 this day rode my horse, which I led; and one of them showed his 
 gratitude to me by bringing me as a present, his allowance of dates, 
 tied up in the tail of his shirt. At 5. 45. came through Hormut 
 t’ Mohalla, or “ the pass of the army,” to a broad 
 
 plain, on which we stopped at six, having from 2. 30. steered north 
 seven miles. The slaves were very much fatigued, and with great 
 difficulty came up with us. I always observed that the females 
 were much less exhausted by travelling than the males; the former 
 walked together and sung in chorus, nearly the whole day, which 
 enlivened them and beguiled the way. Lizari had four little girls, 
 of whom the eldest was about eight, and the youngest four years 
 old ; these children were continually playing and running after 
 each other, yet the smaller one was always as lively after a day’s 
 march, as at first setting out : she was apparently so little fatigued 
 in an evening, as to be frequently reproved for keeping every one 
 awake by her gambols. There was a merry boy too, who frequently 
 kept the Kaffle in a roar of laughter, by mimicking the auctioneer 
 who sold him, and several of his countrymen, at the Morzouk market 
 a few weeks before. 
 
 Tuesday, 7th March, very cloudy close weather.—At 7. 30. [set 
 out over very uneven stony ground and small sand hills, which at 
 half a mile to the eastward, increased in size and formed a large 
 belt of sand, about nine miles in length:—observed very distant 
 mountains in the same direction. The road was over a bed of 
 gypsum, partially covered in several places, by sand and white snail 
 shells. At three passed the natural turret called Bazeen and 
 came to the Wadey Klia <uU>. We had proceeded north to Bazeen, 
 and from it N.N.W. Myriads of sand flies distressed us very 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 327 
 
 much by the sharpness of their bite. At seven we stopped at the 
 wells and castle of Bonjem having made thirty-five miles. We 
 were all on the alert this night, having been informed that a party 
 of Orfilly, or Arabs of Benioleed, were encamped in a small cluster of 
 date trees wliich were in sight from the well, and robbing every one 
 that passed. They had tapped all the palms, and were living on 
 lackbi, and the flesh of any stray camels they could find. A little 
 artful boy, under pretence of wanting a skin of water, came to the 
 well to reconnoitre, and on being questioned, gave some very 
 suspicious answers; however, I suppose the report he made of our 
 being constantly on guard secured us a quiet rest. A very heavy 
 dew fell during the night; and we were aware that wild animals 
 were prowling round us. 
 
 Wednesday, March 8th.—Having filled four days’ water, at 
 twelve went on and encamped about four miles N.W. of Bonjem, 
 to let the camels feed on the bushes, which were in great number. 
 The day was very sultry, and the slaves had oil given them to 
 grease themselves. I observed, that near the wells of Bonjem, the 
 ground swarms with a species of tick, which attacks man and beast, 
 is very nimble, and causes severe pain by its bite. 
 
 Thursday, March 9th.—We set off at eight in a very thick fog, 
 which rendered it impossible to distinguish objects at a few yards 
 distance. Our road was over a hilly gravelly ground, and we passed 
 one or two Wadeys thickly set with bushes of talhh. Here I had 
 an attack of hemma, and remained behind with my horse, that I 
 might lie down and relieve the pain. At about one o’clock, being 
 a little recovered, I mounted and followed the track of the camels, 
 but soon lost it in a gravelly plain. I proceeded, in hopes of again 
 finding it; but as we were amongst steep hills, all of nearly the 
 same appearance, I could form no idea between which of them the 
 Kaffle had taken its course. I ascended the highest hill to look 
 
328 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 for it, straining my eyes in all directions, but to no purpose: I 
 succeeded, however, in galloping back to the spot where I had last 
 seen the tracks, and fired my gun, but nothing replied to me, or 
 broke on the awful stillness around. My situation now became 
 very alarming, and my spirits began to sink, when I viewed the 
 fearful prospect before me, which, if I failed to regain the Kaffie, 
 threatened me with the horrors of a lingering and painful death. 
 
 I examined my saddle-bags, and found that they contained not 
 a single article of provision ; my powder-horn had unfortunately 
 been left on my camel; my note-book, however, was luckily in my 
 possession, and on looking over it, I found, what was of some im¬ 
 portance to me, that T had marked all the back bearings. I knew, 
 that whether I advanced or retraced my steps, I should equally be 
 two days distant from a well, and was aware that, even in reaching 
 one, I might not have power to get at the water; my horse, at any 
 rate, was not likely to survive two days’ privation of it. In this 
 extremity, and not knowing what direction to take, I found my 
 only resource to preserve life, supposing I obtained water, would be 
 to kill my poor animal, and to subsist on his flesh, with the hope of 
 being, in the meantime, relieved by some passing traveller: but 
 this chance was very remote, the road we were pursuing being but 
 little frequented; and as to any other means of extricating myself, 
 1 could devise none. After some time passed in reflecting on what 
 might probably be my melancholy fate if left on the desert, a 
 sudden impulse induced me to trust to the guidance of my horse, 
 and, giving him the reins, I allowed him to take what course he 
 chose, little imagining how nearly I approached the end of my diffi¬ 
 culties. Whilst proceeding on my way, almost hopeless of extri¬ 
 cating myself, and in a direction quite contrary to that which I had 
 fancied to be the right one, I unexpectedly perceived that I had 
 crossed the track, and was actually in a Wadey full of talhh trees, 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 329 
 
 bearing evident marks of having been recently passed over by our 
 camels. Following this sure guide, I soon found myself once more 
 in the safe path, and my feelings at such unlooked for and provi¬ 
 dential deliverance may be more easily imagined than described. 
 As I was riding slowly along, I discovered, out of the track, a poor 
 Negress lying under a bush, where, overcome by fatigue and illness, 
 she had stopped behind, unregarded, to die. 
 
 Having myself so recently escaped the horrors of a lingering 
 death, I felt tenfold commiseration for this poor helpless being; and 
 having with some difficulty placed her on my horse, I took her 
 quietly along; at such a pace indeed, as much to retard coming 
 up with my people, whom I found in great alarm about me. They 
 feared I must have strayed on the desert, or have fallen on the 
 road from sickness ; and such were their kind feelings towards me, 
 that they sent a camel and a supply of water, provisions, and a 
 carpet, with two men, to seek for me in all directions. I met them 
 at 5. 30. soon after they set out, and found that the Kaffle had, on 
 my account, stopped for the night two hours before. 
 
 When I took the slave to her master, who was not aware of her 
 being missing, he gave me no thanks, nor allowed the poor exhausted 
 creature any food or refreshment; and had I not been present to pre¬ 
 vent it, he would no doubt have added to her sufferings by a severe 
 beating. We had made, as nearly as I could judge from our 
 winding roads, N. 15°. E. twenty-five miles. 
 
 Friday, March 10th.—At seven we set off; road over small stony 
 hillocks. As Hadge Mohammed, who was master of the Negress, 
 preferred riding his camel to letting her do so, I gave her up 
 my horse. We passed through many Wadeys full of bushes—a 
 light shower at noon, with the wind from the northward—saw 
 several hares; and many snakes, not venemous, were kdled by the 
 people. I astonished them by taking one or two live ones in my 
 
 u u 
 
330 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 hand: saw a very large herd of antelopes, which I was silly enough 
 to follow ; but, of course, without reaching them. At five stopped, 
 having made about twenty miles ISLE. We had a fine night, with 
 much dew. The poor Negress was very ill and weak, although in 
 no pain; her master pretended to be convinced that she was only 
 affecting sickness, and beat her accordingly. 
 
 Saturday, March 11th.—At 7. 30. A. M. we set out; road as 
 yesterday. At noon came to the Wadey Zemzem in which we 
 found a well, of apparently Roman workmanship, and 84 feet in 
 depth: the water was salt, and very putrid. This Wadey is of 
 great length, running N.E. and S.W. Gherzeh is situated in it, 
 and it runs to the sea at Tawurgha. We made eight or nine miles 
 north; my poor Maherry was again very lame ; put another sandal 
 on him : fine warm day. A general washing and greasing took 
 place with the whole Kaffie. 
 
 Sunday, 12th March.-—We proceeded at 7. 30. A. M.; road as 
 yesterday : had a stock of water for three days. I saw a large bird 
 resembling a goose in form ; body and neck white, wings of a dusky 
 white, barred with dark brown; it escaped me in the bushes. At 
 four came to a stony plain, with small shrubs. At six .stopped, 
 having made about twenty miles N.W. by 1ST. : thick oppressive 
 weather, with swarms of sand flies; the slaves very much fatigued. 
 I saw several coveys of partridges, and shot some birds resembling 
 thrushes in size, but with longer tails, and of a reddish brown 
 colour: they fly in flocks, and in their restlessness and twittering 
 much resemble sparrows. We lay amongst some bushes, and secured 
 our animals, as we were on the centre of a desert, and feared 
 their straying. 
 
 Monday, 13th March.—We went onwards at 7. 30. over a stony 
 plain until noon, when we came to a broad Wadey of sand, having 
 a few scattered shrubs, and a strong south wind darkening the air 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 331 
 
 with clouds of sand. Came to a well, but found it dry : our water 
 was out, having been distributed without restriction. This caused 
 no little sensation in the Kaffle, as we were said to be two days 
 from any other well; fortunately, however, the Arabs, in wandering 
 about, found one which had been newly made amongst some hil¬ 
 locks, about a mile from our track. Many flocks of large blue 
 pigeons were flying round us. I shot one in very good condition. 
 We travelled north-north-west ten miles. 
 
 Tuesday, 14th March.—At 7. 30. went on, the weather very 
 fine; had two fruitless chases after partridges and gazelles. The 
 sick Negress rode my horse, and was abused every five minutes by 
 her master for feigning sickness. I yesterday shot an owl of the 
 size of a dove, and having very beautiful plumage; its eyes were 
 marked black and yellow in circles, and it had those bunches of 
 feathers, called horns, on each side the head. This day it became 
 so putrid that I was obliged to give up the idea of stuffing it. At 
 about a mile from our resting-place, was the water I have spoken of. 
 We filled our gerbas there, but it was very bad, and my horse, as in 
 a former case, refused to drink it. At 5. 30. we halted, not having 
 made more than fifteen miles, as our camels stopped repeatedly to 
 eat. We went on about north-north-west: passed this day several 
 spots with young corn growing, belonging to the Orfilly Arabs. 
 The wadey we were in is called Sofajeen c ^’y* s , and is of great 
 extent from east to west. 
 
 Wednesday, 15th March.—We found that three of our camels 
 had strayed in the night, two of mine, and one of Lizari’s. We 
 sent Arabs in search of them, and waited until noon, when we 
 loaded the other camels, leaving the loads of the stray ones with 
 two Arabs, together with some water and provisions. As there was 
 no water for the slaves, we were obliged to move on, intending to 
 
 u u 2 
 
332 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 send camels back from Zleetun, when, fortunately, our wanderers 
 made their appearance. 
 
 A fine cold north wind from the sea reminded us that we were 
 once again in its vicinity. At three, clouds rose round us, and very 
 heavy rain fell on the neighbouring hills, accompanied by thunder 
 and lightning: it soon after reached us, and we encamped in a 
 small wadey, having travelled north six miles. The provisions of 
 the whole Raffle had nearly failed, and many of the Arabs had, 
 during this day, only a handful of dates. 
 
 Thursday, 16th March.—Heavy black clouds all round us. At 
 7. 15. we set off, but at eight were obliged to stop again (having 
 gone north one mile and a half). The rain falling in torrents, we 
 put up our tents and goods, as well as the time would admit, on 
 a rising ground near a wadey, which was soon partially flooded. I 
 sheltered twenty-six poor shivering girls and four boys in my tent, 
 and we were of course pretty well crow ded. I managed to put dry 
 clothes on some of them, and to make them more comfortable. At 
 noon the rain ceased for a time, and we had occasionally fight 
 showers during the rest of the day. Belford and myself sallied out, 
 and, kneeling down, drank sweet water for the first time since leaving 
 Tripoli, with a zest greater than any toper ever felt on tasting the 
 most exquisite wine. I observed that the fresh water caused me 
 very severe pain in the bowels, and occasioned a sensation of fulness 
 in the chest. A snake was killed by the Negroes, nearly seven feet 
 in length, but so much mutilated that it was impossible for me to 
 skin it. 
 
 Friday, March 17th.—Last night the poor sick Negress died 
 from fatigue and the united effects of cold and rain. Showers 
 during the night. The morning was fine, and at seven we took our 
 road over a flat of yellow sandy earth, covered with grass and small 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 333 
 
 bushes; in many places the ground bore marks of the plough. At 
 noon we had travelled north 10° west, ten miles, when the sky 
 became much overcast. We lost our road until this period, and 
 now having found it, proceeded north 20° east. At five the rain 
 came on, and we encamped on some small hillocks in the wadey, 
 having made fourteen miles since noon. Total, twenty-four miles. 
 The latter part of our road was hilly and full of wadeys. Our tents 
 were no sooner pitched than very heavy rain came on, in a tre¬ 
 mendous storm (called Gherra is by the Arabs): thunder and light¬ 
 ning close to us. The noise was tremendous, and the wadey before 
 us was quickly filled with a roaring torrent, sweeping all before it: 
 happily, the tents were on a rising ground, which prevented them 
 from being washed away. The mountain torrent continued all 
 night. I had often heard these storms spoken of, but always ima¬ 
 gined that the accounts given of them were much exaggerated; I 
 now found that the description did not at all come up to this night’s 
 tempest. Sixteen poor Negresses took shelter with me, and re¬ 
 mained under the carpet, full of gratitude at being protected from a 
 storm, the noise of which made them tremble. 
 
 Saturday, 18th March.—A fine morning; fresh north-east wind 
 blowing. We had a general clothes drying, and the slaves were 
 oiled. At nine went on over high hills covered with stinted bushes. 
 We saw a few Arabs with their cattle and flocks in the wadeys. At 
 noon, having passed over a green plain, came to the gardens and 
 corn-fields of Zleetun The country was very flat, and some 
 
 spots of near a mile in length appeared as if they had been flooded 
 during the night. The ground was so slippery that some of the 
 camels fell with their loads, and were with great difficulty re-loaded 
 and placed upon their legs again. The nature of the foot of a 
 camel is such, that the animal never falls or stumbles when on flat 
 or dry ground; even on rocks it is sure-footed, but on mud it feels 
 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CUAP. IX. 
 
 334 
 
 its inability to walk, and trembles at every joint, slipping, or rather 
 sliding as it goes. It sometimes happens that a fall on wet ground 
 occasions the death of the animal by splitting open its fore legs. Old 
 Baba Hassein’s camel fell first, with him upon it, which raised a 
 general shout of joy throughout the whole Kaffle. The Arabs most 
 religiously believed that the tempest of yesterday, and the falls of 
 to-day, were owing to his never having given his Bousaferr; and to 
 the same cause was attributed our many delays in coming from 
 Sockna, because “ Ma fi el Barca there was not the 
 
 blessing on the Kaffle. 
 
 A considerable time elapsed before we succeeded in finding the 
 Gusba, or Castle; at last, to our great delight, we gained an en¬ 
 trance, though not till after we had all been well drenched by two 
 or three heavy showers. My fellow travellers took such rooms as 
 had roofs water proof, while Belford and myself preferred pitching 
 our tent in the yard; by that means avoiding, in some measure, the 
 multitude of fleas found in these buildings. We had travelled this 
 day north 15° east, seven miles. 
 
 I think it necessary to mention, that near our last resting-place 
 I found two Roman ruins, one about a mile north-east of the other. 
 In one, the foundations of two or three rooms are perfect, as are 
 the bases of some very large pillars ; the other has part of a wall 
 standing, with several square niches in it. The stones which com¬ 
 pose these buildings are some of them seven feet in length by three 
 in breadth, and appear to have been mortised into each other. 
 
 On our rising the tops of the mountains we observed with great 
 joy the sea, beating on some shoals at a distance from the shore; 
 but we could not see the beach, as it was hidden from us by the 
 sands of Zleetun. To the great astonishment of my fellow travellers, 
 who no doubt thought me mad, I chanted God save the King, and 
 Rule Britannia, as loud as I could roar. The poor slaves looked 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
 
 335 
 
 forward to the mighty river before them with wonder and fear, and 
 I believe at that moment all the stories they had heard of “ the 
 people on the great waters who eat the Blacks,” recurred to their 
 imagination. It blew a heavy gale from the north-east, and the 
 white foam added not a little to the imposing appearance of this (to 
 them) terrific water. 
 
 The houses of Zleetun are scattered about amongst palms and 
 olive trees, which cover a space of ground of three or four miles in 
 extent. Corn is cultivated in great quantities. 
 
 Sunday, 19th March.—This place is particularly blessed in pos¬ 
 sessing the remains of a great Maraboot, who is buried in a really 
 handsome Mosque, ornamented with minarets and neat cupolas, and 
 white-washed all over. The name of the Saint is Sidi Abd el Salam. 
 His descendants are much respected, and are called Waled el Sheikh 
 “ Sons of the Elderthey think themselves authorised to be 
 the most impudent begging set of people in the whole Regency of Tri¬ 
 poli. I was on the point of kicking out of my tent one of them 
 who would not understand the monosyllable ?io in answer to a request 
 which he made me for some powder in the name and on account of 
 his illustrious ancestor; but luckily Lizari came in at the moment 
 and prevented me; and he afterwards told me I might as well 
 have thought of kicking a descendant of the Prophet himself. 
 
 The whole of the surrounding country is most luxuriant in corn, 
 dates, and olives, and is quite level. The Castle in which we were 
 is of the true Arab character, built of mud and gravel, and swarming 
 with vermin. The rooms are round the large courtyard, and their 
 roofs, being flat, are the platforms for one or two four-pounders. 
 Two markets are held here weekly ; one on a Friday, in front of the 
 Castle, the other on a Tuesday, near the Maraboot’s tomb. The 
 country is governed by a Mamluke of the Bashaw, who has the 
 title of Kaid. If I may judge from the number of drunken men 
 
336 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 who were at the market, Lackbi is pretty universally drank. I 
 bought a very fine sheep for a dollar and a quarter. Every thing 
 here, as in Tripoli, is in the hands of the Jews: they are artisans 
 and merchants, having dealings from one farthing up to hundreds 
 of dollars; they also distil brandy from the dates, and find a very 
 ready sale for it. Some small vessels bring goods to Zleetun; but 
 as there is no roadsted, they anchor in the offing when the wind is 
 from shore. Hills of sand obstruct the view of the sea at about a 
 mile from the houses, and goods are carried that distance by camels. 
 
 I here unfortunately lost my black rat, which I had rendered 
 quite tame ; having appeared sick and drooping, I let it out of its 
 cage, and wrapped it up in my barracan, the warmth of which so far 
 recovered it, that, to my great regret, it made its escape : my other 
 animals and serpents were alive and well. 
 
 Monday, 20th March.—As the corn was not ready for the slaves, 
 we were obliged to stop over this day. I was much amused by the 
 songs of the Negresses while pounding wheat; they sang all their 
 country airs in chorus, and there was in their wildness much beauty. 
 Their Boori, or songs used in sorcery, were particularly striking, 
 and they kept time to the music with their wooden pestles and 
 glass armlets, which sounded like cymbals. One of the songs was 
 thus explained to me: the three girls who sung it were pounding 
 in the same mortar, and regulated their beating according to the 
 circumstances of which they sung. At first they pounded slowly, 
 one telling the other two that they must keep up their spirits, as 
 the warriors would soon be at home, and their lovers would bring 
 more trophies than any one else ; they then increased their time, 
 and sang a song of triumph, the warriors being supposed to have 
 returned; when suddenly they beat without measure, singing in a 
 very shrill and rapid manner as for one who was dead. They then 
 ceased beating altogether, and sung a trio, in which two endea- 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 ZLEETUN. 
 
 337 
 
 voured to comfort the girl who had lost her lover, she appearing 
 inconsolable. At length they agreed to have recourse to sorcery, 
 to ascertain if he died nobly. A goat was supposed to be killed, 
 each of them examining its entrails, and singing several incantations, 
 until a happy sign was discovered, when they resumed their pestles, 
 winding up with a very beautiful chorus. The master of the girls 
 forbade their singing any more, even though I earnestly requested 
 that they might be suffered to continue ; he said it was unholy, and 
 that they were as great Kaffirs now, as before they acknowledged 
 our Lord Mohammed to be the Prophet of God. 
 
 Tuesday, 21st March.—At eight we left the Castle, and passed 
 over a sandy flat, the sea being hidden from us by the sand hills. 
 At noon we crossed a romantic water-course, having a small limpid 
 stream running through it. We saw here the remains of a mag¬ 
 nificent aqueduct, which once ran to Lebida. At a short distance 
 from one another were many small edifices resembling the mouths of 
 wells, which were once used as communications with the aqueduct; 
 these little buildings are seen all the way to Lebida, and show 
 what course the aqueduct takes. At two we separated from the 
 Kaffle, and went to the ruins of Lebida, which stand near the sea, 
 and are surrounded by sand hills formed against them. The country 
 inland of these hills, being highly and most luxuriantly cultivated, 
 presents a pleasing aspect. As I was still very unwell, and little 
 able to walk up the sand hills, I visited but three or four of the 
 buildings, of which the lighthouse appeared the most extraordinary. 
 Other ruins, which have once been fortresses, are formed of immense 
 masses of stone. 
 
 The remains of the foundation of the ancient city wall are on a 
 gigantic scale, and several pillars yet remain of the same description 
 as those taken away in the Weymouth store-ship. My time being 
 limited, and this place having before been visited and described by 
 
 x x 
 
S38 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 persons of more science and ability than myself, I did not attempt 
 to search for any inscriptions. My short visit, however, afforded me 
 much gratification, and I returned to the track of my companions, 
 whom I came up with at seven, having travelled north-north-west 
 thirty miles. 
 
 Wednesday, March 22nd.—I found myself much better. Fine 
 morning. At seven we pursued our course over mountains covered 
 with verdure, and at nine came to a Roman well standing at the foot 
 of an old castle, which appeared to have an arched communication 
 with it, to be used in time of war. This well was in a narrow deep 
 ravine, which the castle commanded. We found the old Turk and 
 his slaves waiting for us at the well; they had gone past us in the 
 dark. The old man was in great wrath; some thieves having 
 come in the night and robbed him of five hundred weight or a 
 camel load of dates: suspecting his own hungry Arabs, he had 
 ordered them to lie at a distance from the sacks. They told him 
 they w ould pray to God that he might suffer for his suspicion; 
 and were therefore not sorry to see him so soon punished for it. 
 Some Bedouins among the rocks in the pass were the robbers; 
 one of his Negresses saw them in the act, but feared to wake 
 her master, because he once beat her for disturbing him while 
 asleep. When the old man related to me his misfortune, I gave 
 him no consolation, but said I admired the ingenuity of the 
 thieves; and all our Arabs tauntingly told him that he had now 
 paid his footing. 
 
 We passed many fine corn-fields, and several enclosures with 
 vines and figs, apparently very flourishing. Many large flocks were 
 feeding on the plains. At three we stopped, one of Hadje Moham¬ 
 med’s camels having fallen from weakness. Lizari’s Maherry fol¬ 
 lowed his example, on which he sent the Arabs back to kill the 
 animal, and they brought the meat to the Kafflh, portioning it 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN ALONG THE COAST. 
 
 339 
 
 out to all. Many hints were given me that I ought to kill my lame 
 animal, but I would not understand them, as I thought he might 
 still be serviceable to me. Several Arab wanderers came to partake 
 of our feast; and we were obliged/when it grew dark, to give warning 
 that any stranger seen walking near the Kaffle would be fired at. 
 One of the Sheikhs, who had flocks near us, sent us some oranges, 
 which we devoured, rind and all, in a moment. Our road had been 
 so very circuitous that I could not be accurate as to the bearings, 
 but as near as I could judge we had gone west-north-west eighteen 
 miles. 
 
 I was so ill on our march this morning as to be under the 
 necessity of stopping with the camel I rode, and lying on the 
 ground, an Arab remaining with me. I was seized with such violent 
 trembling, that the man was obliged for some time to sit on and 
 hold me down to prevent my injuring myself. I suffered much 
 agony, and the most intolerable thirst; to assuage which the kind 
 Arab went about two miles back on his road to bring me water. 
 He was so long absent, that I began to despair of his return; my 
 fever each moment increased, and my thirst, in consequence, became 
 so excessive, that observing my camel, which was at a little distance 
 from me, making water, I resolved to attempt reaching him, and 
 endeavouring to avail myself of a resource, which, under any other 
 circumstances, would have filled me with disgust. Weak and ex¬ 
 hausted as I was, and with no alternative but to drink, or, as I 
 thought, to expire, I was about to catch and swallow the nauseous 
 draught, when, at that moment, I perceived my trusty Arab 
 ascending a hill, and advancing towards me. Those only who have 
 experienced the agonies of suspense, or the torments of parching 
 thirst, can conceive my sensations when he joined me, bringing the 
 wished-for beverage; which, after all, was only dirty water in a goat¬ 
 skin, but which I thought delicious, and drank with delight and 
 
 x x 2 
 
340 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 gratitude. After about three hours my fit went gradually off, and 
 my man holding me carefully on the camel, brought me at nightfall 
 to the Kaffle, which had waited for me. We were encamped at 
 Wad el Meseed a river of no magnitude, running through 
 
 steep sandy cliffs. We had made about twenty miles west-north¬ 
 west. 
 
 Friday, 24th March.—I found myself very weak, but much 
 better. Belford continued quite deaf, but we were in high spirits 
 at the idea that our journey would soon be at an end, and that we 
 should once again behold our dear friends. We proceeded at seven, 
 our road being chiefly along the sea-coast. At eleven passed Wad 
 el Ramie, or “ the sandy river,” which is a small stream, running 
 through sand hills : on its borders are luxuriant fields of corn. At 
 three the man whom I had sent forward with a letter to the Consul 
 brought me news that he proposed coming out to meet us. At four 
 we entered Tejoura b. I was on a camel anxiously looking out 
 for him, when himself, his two sons, Dr. Dickson, and Messrs. Car- 
 stensen, came galloping towards us. I soon slipped down on my legs, 
 but was obliged to stop them, for they would otherwise have passed 
 on without recognizing either Belford or myself, so much was our 
 appearance altered. We pitched our tent in a space near the great 
 Mosque, and passed the evening most agreeably. The Consul’s 
 sons remained with me, but the rest of the party were obliged to 
 go on to Tripoli, promising to meet me on the morrow, and to 
 accompany me into the town. We had a fine Arab supper cooked 
 by Lizari’s Negress, and were all Kaffirs enough to drink wine, and 
 even to eat some pork, when Lizari was out of the way. 
 
 Saturday, March 25th, 1820.—Exactly one year from the day we 
 left Tripoli, we re-entered the town, accompanied by the Consul and 
 Mr. Carstensen. All our friends received us most kindly, and I 
 was fortunately enabled on that evening to send a letter to Lord 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 ARRIVAL AT TEJOURA. 
 
 341 
 
 Bathurst, informing his Lordship of our safe return. I lodged our 
 goods in the Portuguese consular house, with which Col. Warring¬ 
 ton had kindly accommodated us, though not without having re¬ 
 peatedly pressed us to make his own house our home. 
 
 Notwithstanding my happiness at once more joining my Chris¬ 
 tian friends, I really felt no small regret at taking leave of our poor 
 fellow travellers, many of whom I knew were destined to proceed 
 to Tunis and Turkey. Their good humoured gaiety and songs had 
 lightened to me many hours of pain and fatigue, and their gratitude 
 for any little benefits I had it in my power to confer had quite 
 warmed my heart towards them. Even when so exhausted as to 
 be almost unable to walk, these poor creatures showed few instances 
 of sulkiness or despondency; the first stanza of a song having been 
 sung by one, enlivened the whole Ivaffle, who immediately joined 
 in chorus. Their patience under fatigue, and endurance of thirst, 
 was very extraordinary. Khalifa’s girls were allowed to drink only 
 once in twenty-four hours, yet they were always cheerful. 
 
 I was frequently amused by observing the pains taken by these 
 innocent savages to adorn themselves; their love of finery never 
 ceasing, even when no one was near to admire them. Though 
 overcome by privation of every kind, and by the fatigue of a long 
 day’s journey, they employed themselves in converting into neck 
 ornaments, snail shells, berries, or any other whimsical objects they 
 could meet with. Those who possessed rings, bead bands for the 
 head, or silver ear-rings, never failed to put them on when they 
 stopped for the night, washing and oiling their skins whenever they 
 had an opportunity; they also constantly used Kohol to blacken 
 their eyelids, and to make different marks on the face. 
 
 One of the women of the Fellata had a little male child, which 
 was carried by turns by the whole Kafile. Her milk had failed her, 
 and this poor infant had nothing to nourish him but a mixture of cold 
 
342 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 water and flour, unless I sometimes gave him some cusscussou. He, 
 as well as his mother, was a shade lighter than a mulatto, which is 
 generally the colour of their tribe. 
 
 Several of the girls carried with them an instrument called 
 Zantoo. It is a long gourd hollowed out, having a hole at each end, 
 and is played by striking one end against the calf of the leg, and 
 occasionally stopping the other by a quick blow of the open hand. 
 It has a very pleasing effect when well played, and the glass armlets, 
 which are sometimes worn to the number of eight or ten on each 
 arm, add to it a pretty tinkling sound. Whenever a party had a 
 little outwalked the Kaffle, and sat down to rest, the Zantoos were 
 set in motion, and were accompanied by their plaintive national 
 airs. The wild music and picturesque appearance of these resting- 
 parties was very pleasing, and I seldom passed one of them without 
 having a lively chorus addressed to me. 
 
 There is a small bush found on the Desert, called by the slaves 
 Wussawussa, with leaves resembling those of box in form, but 
 tender, and having a very salt taste; these the slaves collected 
 whenever they could, and boiled with their evening meal; and the 
 flavour is not unpleasant. 
 
 In some of the wadeys were many thorny hushes bearing small 
 black berries, called Dummagh or “ brains,” which have a very 
 sweet, but at the same time astringent taste, and of which these 
 poor girls always brought me large supplies, in return for my assisting 
 those who were fatigued or thirsty. In fact, Belford and myself, being 
 the only persons who did not beat or ill treat them, became great 
 favourites; and my talents in particular were so highly appreciated, 
 that not a male or female slave tore or wore out their sandal leathers, 
 but they were immediately brought to me to be repaired, as I had 
 always some leather in my pocket for that purpose: I thus became 
 cobbler to the whole Kaffle. 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 TRIPOLI. 
 
 343 
 
 None of the owners ever moved without their whips, which 
 were in constant use; that of Hadje Mohammed more so than 
 the rest: in fact, he was so perpetually flogging his poor slaves, 
 that I was frequently obliged to disarm him. Drinking too 
 much water, bringing too little wood, or falling asleep before the 
 cooking was finished, were considered nearly capital crimes, and 
 it was in vain for these poor creatures to plead the excuse of being 
 tired ; nothing could at all avert the application of the whip. No 
 slave dares to be ill or unable to walk; but when the poor sufferer 
 dies, the master suspects there must have been something “ wrong 
 inside,” and regrets not having liberally applied the usual remedy 
 of burning the belly with a red hot iron; thus reconciling to them¬ 
 selves their cruel treatment of these unfortunate creatures. 
 
 I settled with my camel-men the day after my arrival in Tripoli, 
 and having great reason to fear that Belford’s health was too much 
 injured to proceed immediately, I agreed to remain there a short 
 time, that he might be benefited by the advice of my friend, Dr. 
 Dickson, who had kindly taken him under his care: he had been 
 for six months afflicted with dysentery, was quite deaf, and so 
 reduced as to be nearly a skeleton. 
 
 I think it right to account for what otherwise might be attri¬ 
 buted to neglect, my having, in the latter part of our journey, 
 omitted to notice the variations of the Thermometer from the 28th 
 of February to the present time. Not using my tent, I found much 
 difficulty, in so large a Raffle, in preventing stray camels or the 
 slaves from treading on the Thermometer; and it was so frequently 
 in danger of being broken, that I found no correct rate could be 
 kept, and therefore gave up the attempt. 
 
344 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 OF THE DESERT. 
 
 Having, from the time of leaving Tripoli until my return from 
 Fezzan, been constantly on the Desert, I shall endeavour to give a 
 description of the country so called. In all our maps, Sahara is the 
 appellation used to distinguish that immense tract, known also by 
 the name of the Great Desert. 
 
 Oasis is the term used for fertile spots or islands, said to be 
 situated on the Sahara; and Fezzan is supposed to be one of these 
 Oasis: whereas, it is now evident, that it also is a Desert, with the 
 exception of palms and small gardens, cultivated with great labour 
 and difficulty, in the immediate vicinity of towns. No herbage 
 ever grows spontaneously, except in wadeys or amongst rocks ; and 
 these in such small patches, that I never yet saw a spot covered 
 with verdure of the size of a table, unless in the mountains near 
 Tripoli. The Arabs have a name for every description of waste or 
 desert, viz. the following: 
 
 1 Sahar 
 
 6 Wishek liUuj. 
 
 2 Ghrood 
 
 7 Ghraba or Jezeera <oU. 
 
 3 Sereer 
 
 8 Soobker 
 
 4 Warryj. 
 
 9 Wadey 
 
 5 Hatia /jJU-. 
 
 10 Gibel 
 
 Sahar is the name commonly used to particularise that descrip¬ 
 tion of Desert which is of sand alone, forming a plane surface, 
 without either stones, rocks, water, or any sustenance capable of 
 supporting animal or vegetable life, with a smooth horizon and 
 without beaten paths. 
 
 Ghrood are those species of sand hills which I mentioned having 
 once or twice passed in Fezzan: they are of an indefinite height, 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DESERT. 
 
 345 
 
 some being so steep as to be entirely impassable: others, and indeed 
 all of this particular name, are traversed with difficulty. In some 
 instances, palms grow on these hills ; which are generally situated 
 on the borders of stony plains, where the wind has collected and 
 formed them. 
 
 Sereer is the appellation of gravelly plains, from which the sand 
 has been swept by the force of the winds; and it is on this kind of 
 Desert alone that sand hills are found. The gravel is generally of 
 a small size: in some instances, rounded as pebbles on a sea beach; 
 in others, sharp and pointed, as if recently broken ; and a third kind 
 is not unfrequently seen, covering spaces of many miles in extent, 
 of stones which have a shining exterior, as if highly polished. 
 
 Warr is a rough plain, covered with large detached stones lying 
 in confusion, and very difficult to pass over. The tops of moun¬ 
 tains, particularly the Soudah, are distinguished by this name : it is, 
 in fact, applied to such tracts of country as are only travelled with 
 the greatest fatigue and difficulty, on account of the many obstacles 
 thrown in the way by stones, small hillocks, &c. 
 
 Hatia implies a spot which possesses, in a slight degree, the 
 power of fertility, and produces a few small stinted shrubs, scattered 
 at intervals, on which camels may make a scanty meal, or travellers 
 a fire. 
 
 Wishek: sand hills or plains, which afford only wild, unpro¬ 
 ductive, or uncultivated date bushes, are called by this name. All 
 Wishek bear the appearance of having been formerly what are 
 called 
 
 Ghraba, which is a term always used to distinguish parts which 
 produce cultivated or fruit-bearing palms, but having no town 
 near them; the owners of the dates only coming in the season to 
 collect them. Zezeera is a term also used in common with Ghraba, 
 but I believe only by Fezzanners. 
 
 Y Y 
 
346 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 Soobker is the designation of salt-plains, which are marshy in 
 winter, and in summer become broken and rough by the influence 
 of the sun ; or of that particular species found in Fezzan, where 
 the salt and earth or sand are so closely combined, as to form a 
 substance resembling stone, and equally hard to cut or break. One 
 of these plains, between Traghan and Mafen, is about three or four 
 miles in the broadest part, and above twenty-five in length. 
 
 Wadev is a term of which I have frequently made use, yet 1 have 
 given but a slight explanation of. It is a valley in which shrubs 
 grow, or through which the rains form a temporary stream. Near 
 Tripoli the Wadeys are sometimes the courses of impetuous tor¬ 
 rents ; but in Fezzan, where rain is almost unknown, they are 
 smooth dells, very rarely producing a single plant. A small rift 
 in the mountains, capable of containing only eight or ten camels 
 abreast, is as much a Wadey as a large valley containing a town or 
 towns, and the date trees belonging to such settlements. 
 
 Gibel, or Mountain, is a term I need not explain; but merely 
 as showing that it is by no means a matter of course that a Desert 
 must be fiat, or nearly so, as even in the kingdom of Fezzan, 
 mountains are very numerous. 
 
 Sahara, therefore, is only applicable to sandy districts, and the 
 Arabs only use the word Berr j \>, or country, as a general term. In 
 no part of the Desert, which I have seen, or of which I could obtain 
 accounts, does it appear that water is found on the surface: hence 
 it seems extraordinary, that wild animals should exist; yet antelopes, 
 buffaloes, and some other animals, are, in different places, very nu¬ 
 merous. Eats are frequently found to burrow in plains twenty or 
 thirty miles distant from shrubs, and their food is unknown; no 
 birds being found there, and the small lizards and snakes, as well as 
 the few insects, being too active to be caught by them. In some 
 parts, the only living creature seen for many days is a small insect 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DESERT. 
 
 347 
 
 somewhat resembling a spider, called Naga t’ Allah or the 
 
 “ She camel of God.” Beetles are also seen where Kafhes rest, 
 or in the vicinity of shrubs; and their curious tracks in the sand 
 are so marked, that I have sometimes traced the same insect for a 
 mile or two as I rode along. 
 
 Nothing can be more awful than the stillness which prevails, 
 more particularly when the surface is sandy. I have sometimes 
 walked at night from the Kaffle, so as to be beyond the noise made 
 by the camels or horses, and have experienced a sensation I am 
 unable to describe, as I felt the wind blow past me, and heard the 
 sound which my figure caused it to make, by arresting its progress. 
 Near towns, or in places where animals can exist, the slow me¬ 
 lancholy cry of the hyaena or jackal is frequently heard during the 
 night, when these animals prowl round the Ivaffle. 
 
 The appearance of water on the sandy and gravelly deserts is 
 very frequent, and is generally so well defined, that it would be 
 difficult to distinguish it from a river, were it possible that both 
 could be seen at the same time. It is called Shrab <_A-S> by the 
 Arabs, who often amused themselves by calling to us that water was 
 in sight, until we became accustomed to the appearance. Of this 
 curious phenomenon so much has been said by various writers, that 
 any attempt at description on my part would be unnecessary. The 
 looming of objects when the sun is at its greatest strength, is very 
 striking; as from the vapour which rises, they are, at a slight 
 distance, much obscured. I have frequently, in riding along, been 
 delighted at observing in the distance, a tree which appeared suf¬ 
 ficiently large to shade me from the sun, and to allow of my reposing 
 under it, until the camels came up; and have often quickened my 
 pace in consequence, until, on a near approach, it has proved to be 
 nothing more than a bush, which did not throw a shade sufficient 
 even to shelter one of my hands. Sand hills deceive still more, 
 
 y y 2 
 
348 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 always appearing very distant when the sun is on them; and it has 
 often happened, that I have been startled by seeing a man or camel 
 rise close to me, on the top of one of the apparently distant hills. 
 The excessive dryness of the Desert is in some places very extra-¬ 
 ordinary, particularly to the southward of the Soudah mountains, 
 where, in going to as well as coming from Fezzan, I observed that 
 our clothes, and the tails of our horses, emitted electric sparks. 
 
 Water is not to be found by digging in all parts of the Desert; 
 but is more particularly difficult to find in the Sereer, or gravel, 
 which generally lies over sand stone. In two instances I have seen 
 remains of pits which had been dug to one hundred feet without 
 coming to water. The wells which are on the Desert are generally 
 found in Wadeys or in the sandy country; and in all those I have 
 seen, the water was salt and putrid, but the putrescence diminished 
 after a quantity had been drawn. Some wells have only a sufficiency 
 for the supply of five or six horses at once, and are a long time before 
 they again fill. These wells which were so scantily supplied, I ob¬ 
 served, were always in a soft clayey rock; but those which kept 
 themselves tolerably full, were in a yellow clay. The depths vary 
 from 6 or 8 feet to 70 or 80. 
 
 In almost every part of the stony desert, small piles of stones 
 are frequently discovered, which are erected by travellers as marks 
 to direct them across the country, or in the event of their missing 
 their route, to assist them again to find it. These little heaps are 
 called Aalum , or “ teachersand some become so remarkable, 
 as to acquire other names, and to be favourite resting-places for 
 Kaffirs. 
 
 About the beginning of April, a dangerous fever broke out and 
 was making great ravages in Tripoli, many of the inhabitants dying 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO EUROPE. 
 
 349 
 
 daily in the town and gardens. On my arrival, I made an attempt 
 to obtain an interview with the Bashaw, but his highness was not 
 at first sufficiently disengaged to allow of my paying my respects to 
 him. At the end of a fortnight, however, I was admitted to an 
 audience, and was accompanied by the British consul; who jointly 
 with myself, thanked him for the attention which had been shown 
 to the Mission, by the people of the interior, in consequence of his 
 patronage. 
 
 The Bashaw was much amused by my having acquired the 
 language and accent of Fezzan, and conversed with me for some 
 time, asking me a variety of questions respecting what had occurred 
 to me on my journey. He promised, that on the event of my re¬ 
 turning to Africa, I should always be secure of his friendship: and 
 on my taking leave of him, desired I would offer his compliments 
 to my Sovereign. 
 
 It would be useless and uninteresting were I to relate the 
 trifling incidents wliich occurred to me during the remainder of 
 my stay at Tripoli. I shall therefore merely mention, that on the 
 14th of May I procured a passage to Leghorn for Belford and 
 myself, taking with me my horse, which was a gift from the Bashaw, 
 and a Maherry, or courier camel, which I intended to present to 
 his Majesty George IV. 
 
 Dr. Dickson was unwilling to ^allow of Belford’s undertaking 
 the voyage, fearing that his weakness would not enable him to 
 resist any severe weather; but as Belford thought himself equal 
 to the attempt, and as we were naturally impatient to return to 
 England, I resolved no longer to delay my departure. I cannot 
 omit the opportunity here offered me of expressing my sense of 
 the kindness invariably shown me by Col. W arrington, the British 
 Consul; from whom, as well as from his family, 1 received the 
 most unremitting attention. I can only sincerely lament my total 
 
350 
 
 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAP. ix. 
 
 inability to do justice to his friendship, evinced towards me not 
 only in his official capacity, but individually, and on all occasions 
 where he had the power of serving me. To some other most kind 
 friends, who assisted me in the hour of need, I have also to offer 
 my sincere tribute of thanks. 
 
 Myself and suffering companion left Tripoli on the 19th of 
 May; and, after a passage of ten days, arrived at Leghorn. Telford 
 was again so ill, that I found it necessary to call in the assistance 
 of a medical gentleman, who visited him frequently at the Laza¬ 
 retto. Our quarantine was twenty-five days, in a good airy situa¬ 
 tion ; on leaving which we removed to the town, prior to setting 
 out overland for England. We hastened to change our dresses, 
 and to shave our beards, though not before we had been unwill¬ 
 ingly exhibited to many curious, and, in some cases, troublesome 
 visitors, who came to view us in our Moorish costume. 
 
 During the time of our quarantine the minister of Mohammed 
 Ali, the Bashaw of Egypt, honoured me with a visit; and after 
 asking me many questions, and ascertaining my knowledge of 
 Arabic, made known to me that his master was about to send, on 
 a progress of discovery, a large armed force, southward and west¬ 
 ward from Egypt, and that he was particularly anxious to engage 
 some European to accompany them, in order to survey the countries 
 which they proposed exploring. He hinted, that on the event of 
 my offering my services, I should, no doubt, be very flatteringly 
 received, and that a most liberal allowance would be made for my 
 outfit, as well as for my services ; and the month of November was 
 the period fixed for the departure of the expedition : in short, he 
 held out so many advantages, that I only refused on the score of 
 my being in the service of my own government, who might, per¬ 
 haps, again require me to return to Africa. From the plan thus 
 laid down to me, I saw clearly, that on the event of my accompany- 
 
CHAP. IX. 
 
 RETURN TO EUROPE. 
 
 351 
 
 ing the Bashaw of Egypt’s army, I could with ease ascertain the 
 situation in which the Niger ended, as I should have to pass into 
 a country from whence I well knew how to proceed, and to which, 
 should I ever again return to Africa, I would immediately make 
 my way. 
 
 On the 29th of June we left Leghorn; and passing overland, 
 arrived in London on the 29th of July, 1820. In travelling 
 through France I was so severely attacked by ophthalmia, as to be 
 nearly deprived of sight; but on my arrival in England, I soon 
 recovered. Belford continued still deaf and much emaciated, and, 
 as I feared, with little prospect of ever regaining health or strength. 
 I must observe, in justice to this my faithful, though humble com¬ 
 panion, that during the service on which we were engaged, both 
 prior to, and after the death of Mr. Bitchie, his conduct was such 
 as to ensure my perfect esteem and confidence. He did not pos¬ 
 sess the advantages of birth or education ; but his quiet, unobtru¬ 
 sive manners, and excellent disposition, made ample amends for 
 these deficiencies. In the most trying moments, when all distinction 
 between man and man is levelled, he never lost sight of the respect 
 he considered due to me; but in sickness faithfully nursed me, and 
 in health implicitly obeyed all my directions. 
 
 On my arrival in London, I waited on Earl Bathurst, to acquaint 
 his lordship with the result of the mission; and delivered up the 
 whole of the public papers belonging to the late Mr. Bitchie. 
 

 ■ 
 
 . 
 
 ' 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■ 
 
 
APPENDIX. 
 

 
 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER. 
 
 MORZOUK. 
 
 THERMOMETER. 
 
 DATE. 
 
 REAUMUR. 
 
 FAHRENHEIT. 
 
 HYGROMETER. 
 
 WINDS. 
 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 
 1819 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mav 4 
 
 22 
 
 33 
 
 814 
 
 106.1 
 
 60 
 
 54 
 
 East. 
 
 5 
 
 22 
 
 34 
 
 81.1 
 
 108.1 
 
 61 
 
 53 
 
 
 6 
 
 23 
 
 33 
 
 83.1 
 
 106.1 
 
 60 
 
 54 
 
 
 7 
 
 21 
 
 33 
 
 79.1 
 
 IO 64 
 
 58 
 
 53 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 8 
 
 20 
 
 31 
 
 77 
 
 1014 
 
 58 
 
 50 
 
 
 9 
 
 21 
 
 32 
 
 79.i 
 
 104 
 
 60 
 
 54 
 
 East. 
 
 10 
 
 22 
 
 33 
 
 814 
 
 1064 
 
 60 
 
 51 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 11 
 
 23.5 
 
 33.1 
 
 85 
 
 106.1 
 
 61 
 
 52 
 
 East by south. 
 
 12 
 
 22 
 
 34 
 
 814 
 
 108.1 
 
 60 
 
 53 
 
 North-east. 
 
 13 
 
 22.2 
 
 33 
 
 82 
 
 106.1 
 
 58 
 
 52 
 
 
 14 
 
 23 
 
 33.2 
 
 834 
 
 106.1 
 
 60 
 
 51 
 
 
 15 
 
 23.4 
 
 34 
 
 84.| 
 
 108.1 
 
 61 
 
 60 
 
 North. 
 
 16 
 
 23 
 
 35 
 
 83.1 
 
 110.1 
 
 63 
 
 58 
 
 North-east. 
 
 17 
 
 22 
 
 34 
 
 814 
 
 108.1 
 
 64 
 
 61 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 18 
 
 23.8 
 
 36 
 
 854 
 
 113 
 
 59 
 
 54 
 
 East. 
 
 19 
 
 23 
 
 37 
 
 83.1 
 
 115.1 
 
 60 
 
 54 
 
 
 20 
 
 23 
 
 34 
 
 83.1 
 
 108.1 
 
 63 
 
 60 
 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 35 
 
 814- 
 
 no.i 
 
 61 
 
 56 
 
 
 22 
 
 21.1 
 
 34 
 
 794 
 
 IO 84 
 
 62 
 
 59 
 
 
 23 
 
 22 
 
 36 
 
 814 
 
 113 
 
 60 
 
 57 
 
 East-south-east. 
 
 24 
 
 23 
 
 37 
 
 834 
 
 115.1 
 
 61 
 
 52 
 
 
 25 
 
 24 
 
 37 
 
 86 
 
 H5.1 
 
 61 
 
 57 
 
 East. 
 
 26 
 
 23 
 
 36 
 
 834 
 
 113 
 
 60 
 
 59 
 
 
 27 
 
 23 
 
 37 
 
 834 
 
 1154 
 
 60 
 
 54 
 
 North. 
 
 28 
 
 25.1 
 
 35 
 
 884 
 
 1104 
 
 58 
 
 60 
 
 
 29 
 
 26 
 
 34 
 
 90.i 
 
 IO 8.1 
 
 57 
 
 57 
 
 North-west. 
 
 30 
 
 25 
 
 37 
 
 884 
 
 115.1 
 
 56 
 
 58 
 
 
 31 
 
 24.2 
 
 34 
 
 86 .i 
 
 IO 8.1 
 
 59 
 
 55 
 
 North-east. 
 
 J une 1 
 
 25 
 
 38 
 
 884 
 
 117.1 
 
 56 
 
 47 
 
 
 2 
 
 24.3 
 
 39 
 
 86.1 
 
 119.1 
 
 58 
 
 43 
 
 
 3 
 
 25 
 
 40 
 
 88.1 
 
 122 
 
 54 
 
 54 
 
 
 4 
 
 25 
 
 39 
 
 88.1 
 
 1194 
 
 58 
 
 56 
 
 South-east. 
 
 5 
 
 24 
 
 38 
 
 86 
 
 117.1 
 
 58 
 
 56 
 
 
 6 
 
 24 
 
 37 
 
 86 
 
 115.* 
 
 4• 
 
 57 
 
 56 
 
 East. 
 
 z z 2 
 
7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 29 
 
 30 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 APPENDIX, 
 
 THERMOMETER. 
 
 REAUMUR. FAHRENHEIT. 
 
 HYGROMETER. 
 
 WINDS. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 I\M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P M. 
 
 25 
 
 38 
 
 88.‘- 
 
 1174 
 
 58 
 
 51 
 
 East. 
 
 26 
 
 40 
 
 90.i 
 
 122 
 
 61 
 
 58 
 
 
 27 
 
 38 
 
 924 
 
 1174 
 
 60 
 
 58 
 
 
 26 
 
 38 
 
 904 
 
 113 
 
 61 
 
 55 
 
 North-east. 
 
 25.3 
 
 39 
 
 89 
 
 1194 
 
 60 
 
 58 
 
 
 26 
 
 39 
 
 904 
 
 1194 
 
 62 
 
 60 
 
 
 25 
 
 38 
 
 884 
 
 1174 
 
 63 
 
 60 
 
 East. 
 
 25 
 
 37 
 
 884 
 
 1154- 
 
 64 
 
 51 
 
 
 24 
 
 41 
 
 88 
 
 124.E 
 
 62 
 
 60 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 25 
 
 38 
 
 884 
 
 1174 
 
 61 
 
 60 
 
 
 26 
 
 41 
 
 904 
 
 1244 
 
 62 
 
 60 
 
 East-south-east. 
 
 26 
 
 40 
 
 904 
 
 122 
 
 58 
 
 56 
 
 
 25.4 
 
 44 
 
 894 
 
 131 
 
 54 
 
 52 
 
 
 27.3 
 
 44.8 
 
 934 
 
 133 
 
 55 
 
 54 
 
 North-east. 
 
 26.1 
 
 43 
 
 90 1 
 
 1284 
 
 60 
 
 58 
 
 
 27.3 
 
 42 
 
 934 
 
 1264 
 
 63 
 
 53 
 
 Calm. 
 
 26 
 
 43 
 
 904 
 
 128.1 
 
 55 
 
 53 
 
 South-east. 
 
 26.3 
 
 42 
 
 91 
 
 1284 
 
 52 
 
 54 
 
 
 26 
 
 43 
 
 904 - 
 
 1284 
 
 56 
 
 54 
 
 North-east. 
 
 26 
 
 42 
 
 904 
 
 1284 
 
 60 
 
 55 
 
 North. 
 
 25.3 
 
 39 
 
 89 
 
 1104 
 
 60 
 
 63 
 
 
 26 
 
 38 
 
 904 
 
 1174 
 
 62 
 
 60 
 
 
 25 
 
 38 
 
 884 
 
 1174 
 
 63 
 
 63 
 
 
 25 
 
 38 
 
 884 
 
 1174 
 
 64 
 
 62 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 25 
 
 36 
 
 884 
 
 113 
 
 60 
 
 60 
 
 North-east. 
 
 27 
 
 38 
 
 924 
 
 1174 
 
 58 
 
 58 
 
 
 28 
 
 36 
 
 95 
 
 113 
 
 54 
 
 40 
 
 South. 
 
 26 
 
 36 
 
 904 
 
 113 
 
 65 
 
 65 
 
 
 27 
 
 36 
 
 92.|. 
 
 113 
 
 64 
 
 62 
 
 North-east. 
 
 26 
 
 36 
 
 904 
 
 113 
 
 66 
 
 68 
 
 
 25.1 
 
 35 
 
 884 
 
 1104 
 
 62 
 
 60 
 
 
 26 
 
 36 
 
 904 
 
 113 
 
 64 
 
 60 
 
 North-east. 
 
 24 
 
 36 
 
 86 
 
 113 
 
 63 
 
 60 
 
 
 24 
 
 36 
 
 86 
 
 113 
 
 60 
 
 60 
 
 
 24 
 
 35 ' 
 
 86 
 
 IIO 4 
 
 64 
 
 64 
 
 
 24 
 
 36 
 
 86 
 
 113 
 
 64 
 
 64 
 
 
 24 
 
 36 
 
 88 
 
 904 
 
 62 
 
 63 
 
 
 23 
 
 36 
 
 834 
 
 113 
 
 64 
 
 64 
 
 
 25 
 
 37 
 
 884 
 
 H 54 
 
 62 
 
 55 
 
 East- 
 
 26 
 
 28 
 
 904 
 
 95 
 
 55 
 
 55 
 
 
 26.3 
 
 37 
 
 91 
 
 II 54 
 
 60 
 
 54 
 
 
 26 
 
 38 
 
 904 
 
 1174 
 
 50 
 
 50 
 
 
 27 
 
 38 
 
 92 L 
 
 II 74 
 
 50 
 
 50 
 
 
 26 
 
 38 
 
 904 
 
 1174 
 
 52 
 
 50 
 
 
 22 
 
 38 
 
 814 
 
 1174 
 
 50 
 
 50 
 
 North-east. 
 
 21.3 
 
 39 
 
 80 
 
 119. 3 
 
 50 
 
 50 
 
 
 22 
 
 
 814 
 
 
 51 
 
 50 
 
 North-east. 
 
 24 
 
 40 
 
 88 
 
 122 
 
 50 
 
 50 
 
 
METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER. 
 
 357 
 
 DATE. 
 
 THERMOMETER. 
 
 REAUMUR. FAHRENHEIT. 
 
 HYGROMETER. 
 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 1819 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 July 25 
 
 26 
 
 39 
 
 90. J 
 
 1194 
 
 50 
 
 50 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 40 
 
 92.* 
 
 122 
 
 52 
 
 52 
 
 27 
 
 25.1 
 
 40 
 
 88 .! 
 
 122 
 
 52 
 
 50 
 
 28 
 
 26 
 
 40 
 
 90.1 
 
 122 
 
 52 
 
 52 
 
 29 
 
 25.3 
 
 39 
 
 89 
 
 1194 
 
 52 
 
 50 
 
 30 
 
 23 
 
 40.3 
 
 834 
 
 122 .'- 
 
 55 
 
 55 
 
 31 
 
 24 
 
 41.3 
 
 86 
 
 125 
 
 55 
 
 55 
 
 August 1 
 
 25 
 
 40 
 
 884 
 
 122 
 
 67 
 
 55 
 
 2 
 
 24 
 
 
 86 
 
 
 66 
 
 
 3 
 
 25 
 
 39 
 
 884 
 
 119* 
 
 75 
 
 67 
 
 4 
 
 23 
 
 40 
 
 834 
 
 122 
 
 77 
 
 61 
 
 5 
 
 24 
 
 
 86 
 
 
 67 
 
 
 6 
 
 25 
 
 39 
 
 884 
 
 1194 
 
 70 
 
 67 
 
 7 
 
 25 
 
 
 884 
 
 
 72 
 
 
 8 
 
 25 
 
 40 
 
 884 
 
 122 
 
 72 
 
 64 
 
 9 
 
 22 
 
 40 
 
 834 
 
 122 
 
 74 
 
 62 
 
 10 
 
 25 
 
 40 
 
 88 . 2 . 
 
 122 
 
 80 
 
 65 
 
 11 
 
 23 
 
 45 
 
 83.1 
 
 133 4 
 
 74 
 
 60 
 
 12 
 
 23 
 
 41 
 
 83.1 
 
 1244 
 
 69 
 
 68 
 
 13 
 
 24 
 
 40.1 
 
 86 4 
 
 1224 
 
 66 
 
 55 
 
 14 
 
 23 
 
 41 
 
 83.2 
 
 1244 
 
 72 
 
 60 
 
 15 
 
 24 
 
 44 
 
 86 + 
 
 131 
 
 68 
 
 56 
 
 16 
 
 26 
 
 42 
 
 90. A 
 
 1264 
 
 60 
 
 56 
 
 17 
 
 26 
 
 42.2 
 
 90. J 
 
 127 
 
 71 
 
 58 
 
 18 
 
 26 
 
 42 
 
 90.1 
 
 126.'- 
 
 I 64 
 
 60 
 
 19 
 
 25.1 
 
 41.5 
 
 88 . | 
 
 1254 
 
 71 
 
 59 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 42.5 
 
 77 
 
 1274 
 
 70 
 
 59 
 
 21 
 
 26 
 
 43.5 
 
 90.2 
 
 130 
 
 69 
 
 56 
 
 22 
 
 25 
 
 43 
 
 881 
 
 1284 
 
 66 
 
 56 
 
 23 
 
 25.8 
 
 42.5 
 
 90 + 
 
 127. i- 
 
 67 
 
 57 
 
 24 
 
 24 
 
 38 
 
 86 
 
 1174 
 
 76 
 
 66 
 
 25 
 
 25.5 
 
 40.5 
 
 89 2 
 
 123 
 
 71 
 
 70 
 
 26 
 
 24 
 
 38 
 
 86 + 
 
 1174 
 
 76 
 
 66 
 
 
 23 
 
 39 
 
 83.2 
 
 119-4 
 
 75 
 
 61 
 
 28 
 
 24 
 
 41 
 
 86 * 
 
 124.4 
 
 70 
 
 61 
 
 29 
 
 23 
 
 42 
 
 83.2 
 
 126 .'- 
 
 69 
 
 67 
 
 30 
 
 28 
 
 43 5 
 
 95 * 
 
 130 
 
 67 
 
 60 
 
 31 
 
 24.5 
 
 43 5 
 
 87 
 
 130 
 
 j 65 
 
 53 
 
 September 1 
 
 26 
 
 45 
 
 ; 90.2 
 
 1334 
 
 64 
 
 55 
 
 2 
 
 26 
 
 42 
 
 90 2 
 
 126. 1 
 
 61 
 
 52 
 
 3 
 
 25 
 
 43 
 
 | 88 1 
 
 128.1 
 
 64 
 
 55 
 
 4 
 
 25.5 
 
 43 
 
 89 2 
 
 128.1 
 
 63 
 
 55 
 
 5 
 
 27 
 
 41 
 
 92.1 
 
 1241 
 
 67 
 
 60 
 
 6 
 
 26 
 
 42 
 
 90 1 
 
 126.1 
 
 67 
 
 55 
 
 7 
 
 24.8 
 
 41 
 
 1 88 " 
 
 124.1 
 
 1 67 
 
 60 
 
 8 
 
 26 
 
 41 
 
 j 90... 
 
 124,1 
 
 69 
 
 59 
 
 9 
 
 24 
 
 42 
 
 86 * 
 
 126.1 
 
 70 
 
 55 
 
 10 
 
 24.5 
 
 41.5 
 
 87 
 
 | 125.1 
 
 j| 69 
 
 60 
 
 WINDS. 
 
 North-east. 
 
 North. 
 
 East. 
 
 North-east. 
 
 North. 
 
 East- 
 North. 
 
 North-east. 
 
 South. 
 
 South-east. 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 South. 
 
 East-south-east. 
 
 East. 
 
 South-east. 
 
 East. 
 
 South-east. 
 
 East. 
 
 South-east. 
 
 East-south-east. 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 North-east. 
 
 East. 
 
 South-east. 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 East. 
 
 South-east. 
 
 Fevers very prevalent, ami often fatal. 
 
11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 29 
 
 30 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 28 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 THERMOMETER. 
 
 
 
 
 
 REAUMUR. 
 
 FAHRENHEIT. 
 
 HYGROMETER. 
 
 WINDS. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 A.M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 
 24.8 
 
 41.5 
 
 88 
 
 I 254 
 
 69 
 
 55 
 
 South-east. 
 
 25 
 
 42.5 
 
 884 
 
 1274 
 
 66 
 
 55 
 
 
 25.8 
 
 41 
 
 90 
 
 124.1 
 
 55 
 
 55 
 
 East-south-east. 
 
 25 
 
 42 
 
 884 
 
 1264 
 
 66 
 
 56 
 
 South-east. 
 
 26 
 
 40 
 
 904- 
 
 122 
 
 69 
 
 65 
 
 East. 
 
 25.5 
 
 37 
 
 894 
 
 1154 
 
 74 
 
 71 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 23 
 
 39 
 
 83.1 
 
 1194 
 
 81 
 
 66 
 
 
 23 
 
 40.2 
 
 83.1 
 
 1224 
 
 75 
 
 63 
 
 South-east. 
 
 23 
 
 39.5 
 
 83.1 
 
 121 
 
 71 
 
 63 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 QO 0 
 
 39.5 
 
 82 
 
 121 
 
 69 
 
 60 
 
 
 23 
 
 39.5 
 
 83.1 
 
 121 
 
 69 
 
 60 
 
 
 24 
 
 39.5 
 
 86 
 
 121 
 
 69 
 
 60 
 
 
 22 
 
 39 
 
 814 
 
 1194- 
 
 67 
 
 59 
 
 South-east. 
 
 23 
 
 38.4 
 
 83.1 
 
 1184 
 
 68 
 
 61 
 
 
 22.8 
 
 39 
 
 834 
 
 1194 
 
 74 
 
 61 
 
 
 23 
 
 39.5 
 
 83.1 
 
 121 
 
 72 
 
 60 
 
 
 23.2 
 
 38 
 
 84 
 
 1194 
 
 70 
 
 62 
 
 
 22.5 
 
 39.5 
 
 81.i 
 
 121 
 
 71 
 
 59 
 
 
 24 
 
 37.8 
 
 86 
 
 117 
 
 82 
 
 72 
 
 
 22.6 
 
 36.8 
 
 83 
 
 115 
 
 82 
 
 72 
 
 
 23 
 
 36 
 
 834 
 
 113 
 
 84 
 
 72 
 
 
 20 
 
 36 
 
 77 
 
 113 
 
 83 
 
 72 
 
 East. 
 
 19 
 
 32 
 
 744 
 
 104 
 
 85 
 
 72 
 
 
 16.8 
 
 32 
 
 70 
 
 104 
 
 86 
 
 70 
 
 South-south-west. 
 
 16 
 
 32.4 
 
 68 
 
 105 
 
 80 
 
 68 
 
 
 15 
 
 32.5 
 
 6.54 
 
 105 
 
 76 
 
 67 
 
 South. 
 
 17 
 
 
 704 
 
 
 77 
 
 
 South-west. 
 
 20 
 
 33 
 
 77 
 
 IO 6.1 
 
 90 
 
 76 
 
 North. 
 
 15.8 
 
 31 
 
 674 
 
 101.1 
 
 82 
 
 72 
 
 North-west. 
 
 16.7 
 
 31.2 
 
 694 
 
 1021 
 
 86 
 
 75 
 
 South. 
 
 17 
 
 32 
 
 704 
 
 104 
 
 91 
 
 75 
 
 South-west. 
 
 17.3 
 
 32.4 
 
 71 
 
 105 
 
 85 
 
 73 
 
 South. 
 
 17 
 
 33 
 
 70.1 
 
 IO 64 
 
 83 
 
 69 
 
 
 17 
 
 33.2 
 
 704 
 
 106.1 
 
 80 
 
 65 
 
 
 15.5 
 
 33 
 
 67 
 
 IO 64 
 
 76 
 
 63 
 
 
 16.1 
 
 35.1 
 
 684 
 
 111 
 
 74 
 
 59 
 
 South-east. 
 
 19.5 
 
 35 
 
 76 
 
 HO 4 
 
 68 
 
 55 
 
 South. 
 
 19 
 
 35.5 
 
 744 
 
 112 
 
 65 
 
 52 
 
 
 18 
 
 36 
 
 72.1 
 
 113 
 
 62 
 
 53 
 
 
 18 
 
 34 
 
 724 
 
 IO 84 
 
 62 
 
 56 
 
 
 17.5 
 
 3 5.5 
 
 71.1 
 
 112 
 
 67 
 
 60 
 
 South-east. 
 
 18 
 
 36.5 
 
 72 -1 
 
 114 
 
 68 
 
 59 
 
 South. 
 
 17 
 
 36.5 
 
 704 
 
 114 
 
 68 
 
 59 
 
 
 16.8 
 
 34.8 
 
 70 
 
 1104 
 
 68 
 
 57 
 
 
 18 
 
 35 
 
 72.1 
 
 H 04 
 
 67 
 
 55 
 
 
 17 
 
 33 
 
 70.1 
 
 IO 64 
 
 65 
 
 60 
 
 
 14.8 
 
 31 
 
 65.1 
 
 101.1 
 
 67 
 
 63 
 
 
 14 
 
 33 
 
 63.1 
 
 106.1 
 
 63 
 
 59 
 
 
METEOROLOGICAL REGISTER. 
 
 359 
 
 DATE. 
 
 THERMOMETER. 
 
 REAUMUR. FAHRENHEIT. 
 
 HYGROMETER. 
 
 WINDS. 
 
 1819. 
 
 October 29 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 PM. 
 
 5 A.M. 
 
 2 P.M. 
 
 
 13.2 
 
 27 
 
 62 
 
 924 
 
 68 
 
 54 
 
 South-west. 
 
 30 
 
 12.5 
 
 29 
 
 60 
 
 974 
 
 64 
 
 60 
 
 ( , 
 
 31 
 
 13 
 
 28.4 
 
 614 
 
 96 
 
 63 
 
 58 
 
 
 November 1 
 
 12 
 
 24 
 
 59 
 
 86 
 
 65 
 
 57 
 
 West. 
 
 2 
 
 11.5 
 
 23 
 
 58 
 
 834 
 
 68 
 
 55 
 
 
 3 
 
 14 
 
 26 
 
 634 
 
 904 
 
 65 
 
 51 
 
 North-west. 
 
 v 4 
 
 12.5 
 
 22 
 
 60 
 
 814 
 
 68 
 
 52 
 
 North. 
 
 5 
 
 11 
 
 27 
 
 564 
 
 92.1 
 
 59 
 
 59 
 
 
 6 
 
 10.5 
 
 25.2 
 
 554 
 
 884 
 
 59 
 
 54 
 
 
 7 
 
 12.2 
 
 28 
 
 594 
 
 95 
 
 57 
 
 54 
 
 North-west. 
 
 8 
 
 10 
 
 24 
 
 544 
 
 86 
 
 58 
 
 54 
 
 
 9 
 
 7.5 
 
 22.4 
 
 49 
 
 824 
 
 59 
 
 51 
 
 
 10 
 
 9.5 
 
 25 
 
 534 
 
 884 
 
 61 
 
 60 
 
 
 11 
 
 8.8 
 
 24.2 
 
 52 
 
 864 
 
 60 
 
 51 
 
 West-south-west. 
 
 12 
 
 9 
 
 22.4 
 
 524 
 
 824 
 
 61 
 
 53 
 
 
 13 
 
 10.2 
 
 27 
 
 55 
 
 924 
 
 60 
 
 50 
 
 
 14 
 
 14 
 
 29 
 
 634 
 
 974 
 
 58 
 
 54 
 
 
 15 
 
 14.2 
 
 27 
 
 64 
 
 09 1 
 
 4. 
 
 54 
 
 54 
 
 North-east. 
 
 16 
 
 11.2 
 
 25 
 
 574 
 
 884 
 
 58 
 
 51 
 
 West. 
 
 17 
 
 10.4 
 
 27 
 
 554 
 
 924 
 
 57 
 
 52 
 
 
 18 
 
 14.2 
 
 29 
 
 64 
 
 974 
 
 51 
 
 50 
 
 East. 
 
 19 
 
 14 
 
 31 
 
 634 
 
 1014 
 
 51 
 
 51 
 
 
 20 
 
 11 
 
 30 
 
 56.1 
 
 994- 
 
 57 
 
 58 
 
 
 From this time until the third of December Belford and I were confined to our beds. 
 
 December 4 j 
 
 10.2 
 
 22.4 
 
 55 
 
 824 
 
 54 
 
 52 
 
 Westerly. 
 
 5 
 
 11.4 
 
 27.2 
 
 574 
 
 934 
 
 58 
 
 54 
 
 West. 
 
 6 
 
 9.2 
 
 25 
 
 524 
 
 884 
 
 59 
 
 58 
 
 
 7 
 
 8.5 
 
 22 
 
 51 
 
 814 
 
 58 
 
 60 
 
 North. 
 
 8 
 
 11.2 
 
 25 
 
 574 
 
 884 
 
 61 
 
 54 
 
 North-west. 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 27 
 
 544 
 
 924 
 
 58 
 
 51 
 
 
 10 
 
 12.2 
 
 26 
 
 594 
 
 904 
 
 51 
 
 51 
 
 East. 
 
 11 
 
 11 
 
 
 564 
 
 
 53 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 10 
 
 25.2 
 
 544 
 
 884 
 
 56 
 
 50 
 
 East-north-east. 
 
 13 
 
 9.5 
 
 20 
 
 534 
 
 77 
 
 59 
 
 52 
 
 North. 
 
 We set out at this time on our journey to the south; for account of Thermometer 
 see Journal. 
 

 ...... .. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 I here subjoin a short account, by Professor Buckland of 
 Oxford, of a few specimens of the rocks and minerals of Tripoli 
 and Fezzan, which I was enabled to collect in the course of my 
 tour. 
 
 It appears to Mr. Buckland, from these specimens, that the 
 kingdoms of Tripoli and Fezzan present, in their geological struc¬ 
 ture, a striking resemblance to the rocks of Europe ; and are com¬ 
 posed of strata, which are distinctly referrible to the three following 
 formations: 
 
 1. Basalt. 
 
 2. Tertiary Limestone, of nearly the same age with the Calcaire 
 
 Grossier of Paris. 
 
 3. New Red Sand Stone . 
 
 1. The Basaltic Rocks appear to constitute the great chain of 
 the Soudah or Black Mountains, near the northern extremity of 
 the kingdom of Fezzan, not far from Sockna; they extend in 
 breadth nearly 100 miles from north to south, and run as far as the 
 eye can reach from east to west. 
 
 2. The Tertiary Fimestone, or Calcaire Grossier, containing 
 marine shells in a state of delicate preservation, is found in Tripoli, 
 on the two opposite edges of the desert that lies between the town 
 of Benioleed and castle of Bonjem, and appears to be of the same 
 age and formation with depositions of a similar kind that occur 
 in Malta and Sicily, and on the north side of the Mediterranean, 
 on the coasts of Italy and France. 
 
 3. The New Red Sand Stone formation appears under its 
 usual form of loose red sand, accompanied by salt and gypsum, and 
 
 3 A 
 
362 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 associated with beds of a calcareous breccia, cemented by magnesian 
 limestone, and with beds of compact dolomite. 
 
 There are no primitive rocks, and one specimen only which 
 seems referrible to a granular quartz rock, more ancient than the 
 new red sand stone. 
 
 A short descriptive catalogue of the specimens which have been 
 brought home, with the assistance of the map in which all the 
 names alluded to are inserted, will give the most ready information 
 they are calculated to afford. 
 
 The specimens are as follow: 
 
 BASALT. 
 
 No. 1. Basalt, nearly black, much impregnated throughout with 
 carbonate of lime, and interspersed with small circular cells, that 
 are partly or wholly filled with common or with magnesian car¬ 
 bonate of lime. The decomposition of this rock forms small spherical 
 fragments of considerable hardness, the surface of which, by long 
 exposure, has acquired a kind of polish or glossy aspect, and is 
 irregularly pitted or indented all over with small cavities of various 
 depths, from the destruction of the calcarous matter that originally 
 filled them. 
 
 A similar appearance of glossy polish is found on all the calca¬ 
 reous specimens from this country, which appear to have been long 
 exposed to the action of the atmosphere. In some of these the 
 surface is entirely smooth and even ; in others, it is furrowed over 
 with minute grooves and channels, intersecting each other with 
 irregular curvatures, and resembling the appearance produced on 
 the surface of compact limestone that has been submitted to the 
 action of acids, or corroded by small marine worms. 
 
 It is not easy to determine the cause of this irregular destruction 
 of the surface of limestone, whose substance appears to be entirely 
 uniform: it is probably the same that gives it the glossy polish; 
 but it seems doubtful, whether the agent producing it be the con- 
 
OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 363 
 
 tinual drifting of fine siliceous sand, or the action of the atmosphere 
 under exposure to a burning sun. A similar gloss appears on the 
 surface of many fragments of flint and compact siliceous limestone 
 that have been long exposed on the surface of the soil, on the 
 summit of Martre near Paris ; and in this case, I think, it can only 
 be referred to the action of the sun and atmosphere. 
 
 The chain of the Soudah or Black Mountains appears to be 
 composed of this basalt; they rise to an elevation of about 1500 
 feet, being situated at a short distance on the south from Sockna, 
 and extending about 100 miles in breadth from north to south, and 
 in length as far as the eye can reach, from east to west; they are 
 perfectly barren, of irregular form, occasionally broken into detached 
 masses, and sometimes rising into cones. Their elevated plains are 
 in some parts covered with the small spherical shining fragments 
 above described. The latitude of this chain is from 28*40. to 27*30. 
 north. Traces of basalt occur also near Tripoli, in lat. 32. at a 
 spot called Black Dog, on the north of Beneabbas, and in a valley 
 through which the road passes from Beneabbas to Benioleed. 
 
 2. An unrolled agate from Om el a Beed, near Zeghen, on the 
 south of the Black Mountains. The occurrence of fragments of 
 basalt, in this same neighbourhood, renders it probable that basaltic 
 rocks exist in Situ, near the Pass of Kenair. 
 
 TERTIARY FORMATIONS. 
 
 3. Two species of cardium, in a state of delicate preservation, 
 resembling that of the shells of Grignon, near Paris, and embedded 
 in a loose white sand, which has the appearance and degree of 
 adhesion of coarse white sugar, from a gravelly plain on the north 
 of Bonjem. 
 
 4. Slightly crystalline limestone, of a dark yellow colour, and 
 loaded with fragments of organic remains, amongst which the most 
 distinct are referrible to the genus Ostrea and Pecton. It is found 
 in a mountain of Tripoli, thirty miles south of Benioleed. This 
 
 3 a 2 
 
364 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 limestone appears to be nearly of the same era with the Calcaire 
 Grossier of Paris, and is separated only by a large desert plain from 
 the deposit of shells last mentioned at Bonjem. The probable 
 connexion of these strata with the tertiary formations in other 
 adjacent parts on the coast of the Mediterranean, has been already 
 suggested. 
 
 5. Soft, highly calcareous marl stone, of a light mottled gray 
 colour, resembling in appearance the chalk marl of England: it is 
 said occasionally to be streaked with red, and to contain modules 
 of flint. It occurs in the Mountains of Mejdool, in lat. 26. 
 
 6. Quartzose sand dispersed through a matrix of indurated 
 green clay, and affording the materials of which the town of 
 Traghan is built. • 
 
 It is probable that these two last specimens, 5 and 6, are from 
 strata not more ancient than the chalk of England, and possibly 
 connected with the tertiary formations, No. 3 and 4. 
 
 NEW RED SAND STONE. 
 
 7. Sand collected fifty miles on the north of Sockna, during a 
 gale of wind from the drift sand, which is blown about the desert. 
 It is composed of extremely minute grains of red semi-transparent 
 quartz ; observed with a lens, these grains appear to be rounded 
 fragments, and present no crystalline facets. They possess, in a 
 strong degree, that peculiar tint of red, which has caused the 
 name of red sand stone to be applied to certain extensive forma¬ 
 tions which it pervades in Europe. 
 
 The frequent occurrence of salt springs, and of rock salt and 
 gypsum in the deserts of Africa, goes far to identify the sand of this 
 continent with the new red sand in the south of England, which is 
 characterised by containing similar mineral substances. It is still 
 farther allied to it in being accompanied by strata of calcareous 
 breccia and beds of limestone; in all of which magnesia is a con¬ 
 siderable ingredient. 
 
OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 865 
 
 8, 9, 10. Ferruginous concretions, forming aetites or geodes . 
 in the red sand shore. The broken fragments are compact, 
 sonorous, and of a dark liver colour, having a shining polished 
 surface. The sand which formed their matrix still adheres to the 
 exterior of some of them. They occur on a plain and a mountain 
 near Om el a Feed. In lat. 27° ~ : they are here so abundant, as 
 almost entirely to cover the ground, and impart to it a dark red 
 colour. This accumulation of them probably arises from the w ind 
 having drifted away the fine sand, in which they were formed, 
 leaving behind the heavy bodies in question. 
 
 A little farther north, at the foot of the Pass of Kenair, near 
 some steep sand hills, is a narrow bed almost entirely composed of 
 tubular concretions of iron of similar origin, irregularly ramifying 
 through the sand like roots of trees, and producing a rugged ap¬ 
 pearance, which at first sight resembles a bed of lava. 
 
 11. Flat lamina of variegated sand stone, held together by a 
 calcareous cement, and covered on each side by small spherical 
 tubercles closely studded by the side of each other. Similar con¬ 
 cretions are common in the imperfect beds of sand stone strata of 
 all formations. 
 
 12. Flesh-coloured marl, full of small irregular crystals of 
 selenite. The colour of this marl resembles that of the rock marl 
 of England: it is from a plain near Gatrone, lat. 25°. 
 
 13. Fibrous gypsum passing into foliated, apparently from a 
 matrix of ochreous marl stone. 
 
 14. Crystals of calcareous spar imbedded in yellow-ochre. 
 Found with No. 13, in the same mountain with the Calcaire 
 Grossier, No. 4, thirty miles south of Benioleed. 
 
 15 and 16. Fibrous and foliated gypsum from a similar matrix 
 of ochreous marl to No. 13 and 14, and found on the same plain, 
 near jBonjem, with the two species of cardium, No. 3. 
 
 It is probable these last four specimens come from a stratum 
 
366 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 more nearly allied to the gypsum formation of Paris than to the 
 red marl tp which I have referred the other specimen of gypsum, 
 No. 12. 
 
 MAGNESIAN LIMESTONE, OR DOLOMITE. 
 
 17. Limestone, very compact, and strongly impregnated with 
 magnesia, and is of a yellowish white colour; occurs split into small 
 laminated fragments, like broken tiles. The ground is covered 
 with these fragments, which break and rattle under the feet like 
 pottery. It is found in the plain between Zuela and Omesoguin, 
 lat. 26°. 
 
 18 and 19. From the plain that lies between the Black Moun¬ 
 tains and Pass of Kenair. Both these specimens are compact lime¬ 
 stone, of a dark flesh colour, and contain much magnesia. This 
 plain is covered with small shining fragments of this limestone, 
 particularly near El Gaaf; and their exposed surfaces are corroded 
 and furrowed over with the small irregular grooves and channels 
 already mentioned in the note to No. 1. 
 
 20. Flesh-coloured dolomite, mottled with yellow. From the 
 north base of the Black Mountains. 
 
 21. Hard compact dolomite, of an ochre yellow colour. From 
 the Well of Gutfa, between the north base of the Black Mountains 
 
 P , 
 
 and town of Sockna. 
 
 22 and 23. Brecciated dolomite, of yellowish white colour, full 
 of knobs and concretions of the same. Found on the plain near 
 Sockna. 
 
 24 and 25. Brecciated dolomite, of dark flesh colour, full of 
 small angular concretions of the same substance, but in more com¬ 
 pact state than that which forms the cement by which they are 
 held together. These are found near the compact flesh-coloured 
 dolomite, No. 18 and 19, in the plain of El Gaaf. 
 
 All the above specimens, from 17 to 25, are much impregnated 
 
OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 367 
 
 with magnesia, and distinctly referrible to similar strata that 
 form subordinate beds in the new red sand-stone formation of 
 England; and they seem to occupy a similar position in the red 
 sand-stone of the desert plains that lie on the north and south side 
 of the basaltic chain of the Black Mountains in Fezzan. 
 
 26. A pudding-stone, composed of pebbles of dolomite, united 
 by a granulated calcareous cement. Taken from a Roman castle 
 at Bonjem. The surface of this specimen has the same glossy 
 polish which has been before mentioned in some others. 
 
 27. Specimen of the materials of which the Castle of Zuela and 
 many other old castles are constructed. It is an artificial com¬ 
 pound, made up of small grains of quartz of the size of millet seed, 
 imbedded in a cement or paste of yellowish marl, which effervesces 
 rapidly with acids: there is no more marl than is sufficient to hold 
 together the grains of quartz. Buildings are constructed of this 
 material by pressing the composition into cases, which are re¬ 
 moved when it is dry. 
 
 28. Milk-white compact carbonate of lime. From the plain 
 between the Black Mountains and Pass of Kenair. It is beauti¬ 
 fully furrowed over with small channels and grooves, like No. 18 
 and 19. 
 
 29. White limestone, of coarser grain. From ditto. 
 
 30. White limestone, filled with grains of fine white quartz. 
 From ditto. 
 
 31. White limestone. From the north base of the Black 
 Mountains. 
 
 32. Compact yellow carbonate of lime, having a polished glossy 
 surface, beautifully furrowed, and resembling a bit of yellow bees' 
 wax. From the north base of the Black Mountains. 
 
 These last specimens of carbonate of lime are found with those 
 of dolomite described immediately before, and seem to belong to 
 the same formation with them. 
 
368 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 It appears then, as far as can be collected from the few speci¬ 
 mens above described, that on each side of the central, basaltic 
 chain of the Soudah or Black Mountains, the plains of the desert 
 are composed of red sand and sand-stone, containing gypsum and 
 rock salt, and associated with beds of dolomite and common car¬ 
 bonate of lime. All these characters identify most distinctly the 
 sand of the desert of Africa with the new red sand-stone of Eng¬ 
 land. There are no specimens which indicate the existence of any 
 other formations on the south side of the Black Mountains from 
 lat. 29° to 24°, except the marl-stone and green clay (No. 5 and 6); 
 which lead us to suspect strata of tertiary formation in lat. 26°, 
 near Mejdool, on the east of Morzouk. At the north base of the 
 central chain, strata belonging to the same red sand-stone formation 
 seem to extend nearly to Bonjem on the frontiers of Fezzan and 
 Tripoli ; where the basis formations appear, and probably repose 
 on them in irregular patches in the desert that divides this place 
 from the mountains on the north of the town of Tripoli. These 
 mountains extend east and west nearly parallel to the coast of the 
 Mediterranean, from long. 15° to 13°; but as no specimens have 
 been brought home from them, it is impossible to do more than 
 conjecture to what formation they belong: from notices inserted 
 in the map, they appear to contain trap and calcareous rocks. 
 The nearest point from which we have a specimen is Benioleed 
 (No. 4): and this is probably referable to the calcaire grossier of 
 Paris. 
 
 One solitary specimen from the eastern extremity of these cal¬ 
 careous mountains possesses no character sufficiently distinct to 
 show whether it be calcaire grossier or jura limestone. It seems, 
 however, to belong to one of these two formations. 
 
 The only specimen remaining to be described is No. 34; a 
 yellow quartzose sand-stone, having a glassy fracture, and in some 
 of its component grains having a sapphire blue colour. It re- 
 
OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 369 
 
 sembles the sandstone of which is composed the statue of the Old 
 Memnon in Egypt; and was found near the north base of the 
 Black Mountains. As it is not a rolled pebble, it indicates, that 
 in addition to basalt there are strata of ancient quartzose sandstone 
 in this chain, which forms nearly the centre of the line along which 
 the specimens above described have been collected. 
 

 
 
INDEX 
 
 Afno. See Soudan. 
 
 Aghadcs , a district of Soudan, notice of, 131, 
 132. 
 
 Agrab el rah, oi' scorpion of the wind, notice 
 of, 184. 
 
 Agram, salt lakes of, 245. Probably the 
 same with the salt lakes of Domboo, ibid. 
 
 Agriculture , of the Arabs, 44. Of Fezzan, 275. 
 
 Amaymet Saad, pass of, 305 
 
 Amusements, of the African Arabs, 52. 
 
 Animals, found in Fezzan, 271—273. 
 
 Antiquities , ruins of, discovered at the well of 
 Bonjem, 66. Near the castle of Zleetun, 
 334. At Zelida, 337, 338. 
 
 Ants, devastation of, in Fezzan, 187, 188. 
 
 Arabs, general character of, 38, 39. Their 
 dress, 39, 40. Arms, 40. Two classes 
 of, 41. Their tents described, ibid. 
 Government of their tribes, 42. Religion, 
 ibid. Marriages, 42, 43, 299- Their 
 cattle, accustomed to subsist without wa¬ 
 ter, 44. Their agriculture, ibid. Pro¬ 
 duce of their flocks, 45, 46. Quality and 
 value of their horses, 46, 47. Mode of 
 
 shoeing adopted by them, 48. Diet of 
 the Arabs, 48—52. Their amusements, 
 52. Forms of courtesy, 53. Their ig¬ 
 norance respecting Europe, 53, 54. Ac¬ 
 count of the tribe, called Waled Suliman, 
 54, 55. Notice of the Orfilly tribe, 34 
 —36. And of the tribes of Sockna and 
 the frontier of Fezzan, 79, 80. Their 
 method of preparing meat for a journey, 
 
 219. 
 
 Areg el Libben, (village), 205. 
 
 Arms of the Tripolines and Arabs, 40, 41. 
 Of the Tuarick, an African tribe, 110. 
 
 Aseeda, an Arabian dish, how prepared, 49, 
 50. 
 
 Aselis, a species of reptile at Morzouk, de¬ 
 scribed, 184. 
 
 Atila, an Arabian dish, how prepared, 50. 
 
 Baba Hassein, a Turkish trader, anecdotes 
 of, 303, 304, 310. Is plundered by some 
 Arabs, 338. 
 
 Bahr el Ghazal, a province in the interior of 
 Africa, notice of, 127. Productions, ibid. 
 
 3 b 2 
 
372 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Dress and manners of the inhabitants, 
 127, 128. Vast quantities of petrified 
 bones found there, 128. 
 
 Bairam, feast of, how observed, 108, 109. 
 
 Barracan , an article of African dress, de¬ 
 scribed, 17, 39. 
 
 Barter, singular mode of, 302. 
 
 Bashaw of Tripoli, public progresses of, de¬ 
 scribed, 15, 16. Funeral of his grand¬ 
 daughter, described, 19, 20. Interview 
 of the author with, on his return from 
 the interior, 349. 
 
 Bastinado, punishment of, how inflicted, 17. 
 
 Baths of Tripoli, described, 16, 17. 
 
 Batus or Battus, (Mountain), 22. Account 
 of the Sheikh of, 27, 28. And of the 
 Jews who are resident there, 28. 
 
 Bazeen, an Arabian dish, how prepared, 49,50. 
 
 Bedouins, or wandering Arabs of Northern 
 Africa, account of, 41—54. 
 
 Belford (John) accompanies the mission to 
 Africa, 2. His Arabic appellation, 7. 
 In imminent danger of being stung by a 
 venomous snake, 82. Is employed to 
 construct a carriage for the Sultan of 
 Morzouk, 179- Success of his work, 
 180, 181. Account of his illness, 194, 
 195, 241, 247, 350. Returns to Eng¬ 
 land, 351. The author’s honourable tes¬ 
 timony to his character, ibid. 
 
 Bello , a Fellata chief, account of, 138. 
 
 Bin Arief mountain and pass of, 301. 
 
 Beneish, an article of Tripoline dress, de¬ 
 scribed, 6. 
 
 Benewaleed, ? town of described, 161—163. 
 
 Benewazeed, \ 
 
 Benghazi, (town) itinerary to, 243. And from 
 thence to Derna, ibid, 244. 
 
 Beni abbas, a village in the Gharian moun¬ 
 tains, arrival at, 25. Description of its 
 subterraneous habitations, ibid, 26. Hos¬ 
 
 pitable reception of the author and his 
 party, by the Sheikh of, 26, 27. 
 
 Benioleed, village of, 34. Wretched condition 
 of its inhabitants, ibid, 35, 36. Their 
 number, 36. 
 
 Bcrgoo, or Bor goo country, productions of, 251, 
 255. Character and manners of the inhabit¬ 
 ants, 251,252,254. Arab mode of making 
 them captives, 255. Itinerary from Tegerry 
 to, 264. And from Borgooto Waday, 267. 
 
 Bidriah, an article of Tripoline dress, de¬ 
 scribed, 6. 
 
 Bilma, itinerary to, from Tegerry, 265. 
 
 Bir el Wishki, well of, 298. 
 
 Birnie, a town in the Bornou country, ac¬ 
 count of, 123. Bearings of various places 
 there, 126, 127. 
 
 Bones, (petrified), discovered in the interior of 
 Africa, 128. 
 
 Bonjem, (well of), 65. Account of Roman 
 antiquities in its vicinity, ibid, 66. Re¬ 
 visited by the author, on his return to 
 Tripoli, 327. 
 
 Borgoo. See Bergoo. 
 
 Bornou (country), boundaries of, 123. Vo¬ 
 cabulary of its language, 122. Chief 
 towns, 123. Rivers and lakes, 124,125. 
 Dependent provinces of, 126—128. Bear¬ 
 ings of different places in, 126, 127. Go¬ 
 vernment, 128, 129. Dress and customs 
 of the people of Bornou, 130. Itinerary 
 from Kashna to, 141. Exports to, from 
 Fezzan, 152—154. Imports thence, 154 
 —157. Articles of commerce between 
 
 Bornou and the Tibboo, 159. Descrip¬ 
 tion of the women of Bornou, 161. 
 
 Bornouse, or African and Arab cloak, de¬ 
 scribed, 6. 
 
 Bouzatter, a kind of footing analogous to that 
 of crossing the line, notice of, 81. 
 
 Bread, Arab mode of baking, 51. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 373 
 
 Buckland, (Professor), observations of, on the 
 rocks and minerals of Tripoli and Fezzan, 
 361. Basaltic rocks, ibid, 362. Tertiary 
 form ation s, 361, 363. New red sand ston e, 
 361, 364—366. Magnesian limestone, 
 366—369. 
 
 Buffaloes of North Africa, notice of, 76. 
 
 Bugs of Fezzan, 186. 
 
 Burials , African mode of, 19, 20. Account of 
 the burial-places at Morzouk, 99. 
 
 Camels , extraordinary mode of travelling on, 
 114, 115. Arab mode of firing, when 
 lame, 301. Water, how obtained from 
 the stomach of, to satisfy the thirst of 
 almost perishing travellers, 305. 
 
 Cannibalism practised at Yemyem, 142, 143. 
 
 Castle of Morzouk, description of, 98, 99. 
 
 Cattle of the Arabs, accustomed to subsist 
 without water, 44. High prices of, at 
 Morzouk, 177. 
 
 Charms , prevalence of, among the Arabs, 31, 
 52. 
 
 Coffee, a preventive of thirst in hot climates, 
 93. 
 
 Commerce , articles of, between Fezzan, Sou¬ 
 dan, Bornou, and Waday, 152—157. 
 Between Fezzan and Egypt, 157—159. 
 Between Bornou and the Tibboo, ibid. 
 Between Tuat and the Tuarick, ibid, 160. 
 
 Corn , African mode of grinding and prepar¬ 
 ing, 178. 
 
 Coma , a species of fruit, notice of, 274. 
 
 Cookery of the Arabs, described, 49—51. 
 
 Costume of the Tripoline men, described, 6, 
 7. Of the women, 17,18. Of the Arabs, 
 39, 40. Of the people of Sockna, 73. 
 Of the Tuarick, an African tribe, 109, 
 110. Of Bornou, 130. Of the women 
 of Bornou and Soudan, 161. Of the in¬ 
 habitants of Morzouk, 168—172. Par¬ 
 
 ticularly of the children and court of the 
 Sultan, 176, 177. Of the Tibboo wo¬ 
 men, 225, 226. And of the Tibboo 
 men, 228. 
 
 Courtsey, forms of, among the Arabs, 53. And 
 among the Tibboos, 232. 
 
 Cuscussou, an Arabian dish, how prepared, 
 
 48, 49- 
 
 Dahr t'Moumen , plain of, 81. 
 
 Dances , indelicate, of the Northern Africans, 
 63. Account of the dances at Morzouk, 
 172—175. And of a Tibboo dance, 
 
 226, 227, 233. 
 
 Date-trees , at Sockna, notice of, 72. Notice 
 of the date harvests, 163. And of the 
 dome-date, 242, 245. Mode of preserv¬ 
 ing dates at Sockna, 320. 
 
 Deesa, a species of rusk, used as fodder for 
 horses, 236. 
 
 -, (village), hospitable reception of the 
 
 author at, 257, 258. 
 
 Derna, (town), itinerary to, 243, 244. 
 
 Desert, near Tripoli, described, 21. Of Sbir 
 ben Afeen, 83. Perilous travelling 
 through, 84. Of five days’ journey 
 through, 305—312. Description of the 
 Great Desert, 344. Various appellations 
 given to parts of it, ibid, 345, 346. Aw¬ 
 ful stillness of, 347. Phenomenon of the 
 Serab, 347. Wells, occasionally found 
 there, 348. Extreme heat of the desert, 
 83. 
 
 Dgleim, village of, 87. 
 
 Diseases, prevalent at Morzouk, and their 
 treatment, 106, 107. 
 
 Doodroo river, course of, 133. 
 
 Door, a species of worm, notice of, 300. Pre¬ 
 pared as an article of food, 301. 
 
 Drawing, not prohibited by the Arabs, 291. 
 
 Dress of the Tripoline men, 6, 7. Of the 
 
374 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Tripoline women, 17, 18. Of Bornou, 
 180. Of the women of Soudan and Bor- 
 nou, 161. The men at Morzouk, 169, 
 170. And of the women, 170, 171. 
 Especially of the children and court of 
 the Sultan, 176, 177. Of the Tibboo 
 women, 225, 226. And men, 228. 
 
 Drunkenness, prevalence of, at Tripoli, 13. 
 
 Duminagh, a mountain shrub, notice of, 29- 
 
 Dupont, (M.) joins tbe mission to Africa, as 
 naturalist, 1. Assumes an Arabic appel¬ 
 lation, 7. Resigns his office, 20. 
 
 Dweeda, an Arabian dish, how prepared, 50. 
 
 East wind, effects of, 94. 
 
 Education, state of, at Morzouk, and in Fez- 
 zan, 186, 187. 
 
 Effa, a venomous snake, account of, 82. 
 
 Egypt and Fezzan, state of the commerce be¬ 
 tween, 157—159. 
 
 El Bakki, (village), notice of, 234. 
 
 El Bederc, bearings of, 211. 
 
 El Gaaf, hills of, 307. 
 
 El Grarat Arab Hoorn, plain of, 69- 
 
 El Guasem, (village of), 29- 
 
 El Kamle Gebeer, a range of sand hills, 307. 
 
 El Kelb Assoud, (mountain), 23. 
 
 El Kliayma, mount, bearings of, 325. 
 
 El Mayiba, Bayda and Soudah, plains of, 308. 
 
 El Ramie Kebeer, sand hills of, 83. 
 
 El Ramie Shraya, sands of, 83. 
 
 El Wiakh, well of, 267. 
 
 Elood, (mountains of), 68. 
 
 Emzairaat, (wadey of), 81. 
 
 Eructation, filthy practice of, at Tripoli, 14. 
 
 Evil eye, charms against, 31. 
 
 Farmela, an article of Tripoline dress, de¬ 
 scribed, 6. 
 
 Fever, Arab remedy for, 321. 
 
 Fezzan, boundaries of, 270. Aspect of the 
 
 country, ibid. The author’s entry into 
 the kingdom of, 68. Journey in, 69 
 —152. State of cultivation, 271. Ar¬ 
 ticles of commerce carried thence, to 
 Soudan, Bornou, and Waday, 152— 
 154. Articles received in return, 154 
 —157. Exports of the Fezzan mer¬ 
 chants to Egypt, 157. Imports, 158. 
 State of education in this country, 186, 
 187. Abundance of ants and bugs there, 
 187, 188. Revenues of the Sultan, 188, 
 189- Character of the Fezzaners, 240, 
 280. Their appearance and manners, 
 283, 284. Mineral productions, 271. 
 Animal productions of this country, 271 
 —273. Vegetable productions, 273, 274. 
 Agriculture, 275. And horticulture, 277. 
 Chief towns, 275. Chief diet of the in¬ 
 habitants, 276. Division and tenure of 
 landed property, ibid. Weights and 
 measures current in commerce, 277, 278. 
 Government, 278—280. Punishments, 
 282. Character of the Maraboots, 284. 
 State of education, 285. Manufactures, 
 
 286. Condition of slaves, 287. Of the 
 women, ibid. Parental authority, abso¬ 
 lute, ibid. Laws relating to the issue of 
 slaves, 289. Traditions prevalent there, 
 
 287, 288. Geological observations on 
 the mountains and rocks of, 361—369. 
 
 Fighi, or men of letters, notice of, 285. 
 
 Flocks of the Arabs, account of, 45, 46. 
 
 Food of the Arabs, account of, 48—52. 
 
 Fossil Bones, discovered in the interior of 
 Africa, 128. 
 
 Fuggha, (town), notice of, 243. Itinerary 
 thence to Benghazi, ibid. 
 
 Funerals, how solemnised at Tripoli, 19, 20. 
 Of Mr. Ritchie, 192. 
 
 Gafooly, a species of clover, notice of, 275. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 375 
 
 Gatrone, (town), arrival at, 224. Described, 
 ibid, 228. The author returns thither, 
 from an excursion, 248. Fondness of 
 the inhabitants for show, ibid. Arrival 
 of the Ghrazzie, or slave-hunters, there, 
 
 249. 
 
 Gliadams, a Tuarick town, notice of, 112. 
 Its situation described, 161. Occupied 
 by two hostile tribes, 162. Water, how 
 distributed there, 163. 
 
 Gharian Mountains, the author’s journey to, 
 described, 21, 22. General appearance 
 of the country in their vicinity, 23. Ar¬ 
 rival at the foot of the Gharian pass, ibid. 
 Its inhabitants nearly extirpated, 24. 
 Account of their subterraneous habita¬ 
 tions, 25. Hospitable reception of the 
 author and his party, by a Gharian 
 Sheikh, 26, 27. Arrival at Castle Gha¬ 
 rian, 28. Ruin of a Roman building 
 discovered in these mountains, 30. Ac¬ 
 count of the people of Gharian, 32, 33. 
 Journey thence to Benioleed, 33, 34. 
 Geological observations on the Gharian 
 mountains, 361—369. 
 
 Ghraat, a Tuarick town, notice of, 112, 113. 
 
 Manners of the inhabitants, 113. 
 
 Ghraba, a species of desert, defined, 345. 
 Ghrazzie, or slave-hunters, arrival of at Ga¬ 
 trone, 249. Account of their excursion, 
 
 250. Their manner of making captives, 
 255. Their return to Morzouk, 261. 
 Observations on the Ghrazzie, 262. Mode 
 of dividing the captives, ibid. Slave 
 markets, 263. 
 
 Ghrood, a species of desert, defined, 344. 
 Ghroodwa, (village), notice of, 86, 87, 298. 
 Ghrowat, (village), 203. 
 
 Gibbi, or south wind, effects of, 94. 
 
 Gla, (mountain), 64. 
 
 Gooberr, a Fellata town, notice of, 141. 
 
 Gonja, country, notice of, 160. 
 
 Government of the Arab tribes, 42. Of Bor- 
 uou, 128, 129. Of Tembuctoo, 147. 
 Of Fezzan, 278—280. 
 
 Guasem, (village), notice of, 29. 
 
 Guatela , (mountains), 68, 69. 
 
 Guddub, a species of clover, notice of, 275. 
 
 Gundy, an animal so called, described, 31, 32. 
 
 Gurd or Gurda tree, botanical notice of, 234. 
 Its pod and leaves delineated, 235. 
 
 Gussar Hallom, castle of, 257. 
 
 Gusser Turk, castle of, described, 28, 29. 
 
 Gutfa, well of, 81, 309. Curious ceremony 
 performed there, 81. 
 
 Hadje Hajeel, (village), notice of, 203, 204. 
 
 Hamer a, (village), notice of, 210. 
 
 Hand, cutting off, a punishment for theft, 17. 
 
 Haousa, country, boundaries of, 149. Vocabu¬ 
 lary of its language, 149—151. 
 
 Hatia, a species of desert, notice of, 345. 
 
 Hegira, festival of the commencement of, 185. 
 
 Hoon, (a town of Fezzan), notice of, 75. The 
 author attends public worship at the 
 Mosque there, 77, 78. 
 
 Hormut Emhalla, pass of, 68. 
 
 - t' Mohalla, pass of, 326. 
 
 -- Taad atar, pass of, 69. 
 
 -- £ Uziz, pass of, 325. 
 
 Hornemann, the traveller, notice of, 133. 
 
 Horses, Arabian, account of, 46, 47. How 
 shod, 48. Singular mode of swimming 
 them over the river Tsad, 124, 125. 
 
 Horticidture, state of, in Fezzan, 277. 
 
 Houses at Morzouk, described, 96. At 
 Sockna, structure of, 320. 
 
 Ibrahim Zubbo, an Arab tribe, notice of, 142. 
 
 Inscription, ancient, at Tripoli, 18. AtBon- 
 jem, 66. 
 
 Itinerary , from Kashna to Sa’kkatoo, 140. 
 
376 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Into Bornou, 141, 142. From Morzouk 
 to Tuat, 144. And to Kashna, 131. 
 From Fuggha to Benghazi, 243. From 
 Benghazi to Derna, ibid, 244. From 
 Yent Werda, 265. From Tegerry to 
 Bilma, ibid. 
 
 Jerba, an article of Tripoline dress, de¬ 
 scribed, 6. 
 
 Jibn, or Arabian cheese, notice of, 45. 
 
 Jiifara, wells of, 223. 
 
 Kabra, the port of Tembuctoo, notice of, 145. 
 
 Kadi, jurisdiction of, in Fezzan, 279, 280. 
 
 Kaffir, or unbeliever, who are so called, 160. 
 
 Kanem, barbarous irruption into, by the Sul¬ 
 tan of Fezzan, 129. 
 
 Kasarawa, (well of), 236. 
 
 Kashna, Itinerary from Morzouk to, 131. 
 Account of the road from Ivashna to 
 Soudan, 132. Rivers of this district, 133. 
 Cowries current there for coin, 138. Ma¬ 
 nufactures, 139. Itinerary from Kashna 
 to various places in Soudan, 140—142. 
 
 Kattagum river, course of, 133, 134. 
 
 Kenaire, pass of, 306. 
 
 KJiod el Khadem, mountain of, 69. 
 
 Klia , (desert), painful journey across, 68,69. 
 
 Iiohol , mountain of, 308. 
 
 Language of Bornou, vocabulary of, 122. 
 Peculiarity in, 198. Vocabulary of the 
 language of Sakkatoo, 135—138. Of 
 Tembuctoo, 146, 147. Of Soudan, or 
 the Haoussa tongue, 149—151. Of 
 
 Baghermee, peculiarity in, 198. Of Tib- 
 boo, 233. Of Sockna, 314, 316. 
 
 Lebida, ruins of, 337. 
 
 Lilia Fatma, an extraordinarily fat woman, ac¬ 
 count of, 62, 63. Accident to, in travel¬ 
 ling, 86. 
 
 Liver complaint, extraordinary remedy for, 
 
 220 , 221 . 
 
 Lizards found in Northern Africa, notice of, 
 184, 185. 
 
 Lyon, (Capt.) obtains permission to accompany 
 Mr. Ritchie to North Africa, 2. Arrives 
 at Tripoli, ibid. His interview with the 
 Bey of Fezzan, 5. Assumes an Arabic 
 name, 7. Acquires the habits of the 
 Moslems, 8. Journey of, to the Gharian 
 mountains, 21. Hospitable reception of 
 him and his party by the Arabs of the 
 Tripoline desert, 22. Arrive at the 
 Gharian pass, 23. Journey through the 
 mountains, 24—33. Arrival at Benioleed, 
 34. Description of the place and its in¬ 
 habitants, 34—36. Return to Tripoli, 
 38. Journey thence to Morzouk, 55— 
 87. Arrival there, 88. Exerts his me¬ 
 dical skill in behalf of the Arabs, 67, 68. 
 His residence in Morzouk, described, 96. 
 Illness of, and of his companions, 100, 
 101. His mode of keeping the fast of 
 Ramadan, 102. Prescribes for the Afri¬ 
 cans, 115—117. Prescribes for the child¬ 
 ren and negresses, 175. Sells one of his 
 horses for the support of himself and his 
 companions, 182. Generosity of a Mam- 
 luke to them, 183. Is stung by a scor¬ 
 pion, 184. Buries his friend, Mr. Ritchie, 
 192. Narrative of his own illness, 194, 
 195. Proceedings with respect to Mr. 
 Ritchie’s effects, 195, 196. Apology of, 
 for conforming to the Mohammedan wor¬ 
 ship, 199, 200. Journey to Tegerry, the 
 southern limit of Fezzan, 202—238. 
 Hospitable reception at Deesa, 257. And 
 at Zaizow, 258. Returns to Morzouk, 
 259. A fete given to him by his friend 
 Mohammed elLizari, 268. Arrangements 
 for his departure from Morzouk, 290. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 377 
 
 Takes leave of the Sultan Mukni, 292, 
 294, 295. Arrives at Dgleim, 295. At 
 Temenbint, 302. At Zegen Omel Abeed, 
 303. At the pass of Kenaire, 306. Tra¬ 
 verses a desert, of five days in extent, to 
 Sockna, 305—312. Illness of the author 
 and his alarming situation in the desert, 
 327, 328. His providential deliverance, 
 329- Overtaken in a tremendous thun¬ 
 der storm, 333. Feelings on again be¬ 
 holding the sea, 334. Experiences a dan¬ 
 gerous relapseon his journey, but recovers, 
 339, 340. Arrives atr Tejoura, 340. And 
 re-enters Tripoli, ibid. Has an interview 
 with the Bashaw, 349. Embarks for 
 Leghorn, 350. And arrives in England, 
 351. 
 
 Mabrook, a town at the end of the great de¬ 
 sert, notice of, 144. 
 
 Mcifen, (village), 257. Account of a remark¬ 
 able plain of salt and earth, in its vicinity, 
 
 ibid. 
 
 Maghna , village, 209. 
 
 Mahmoud, (Hadge), a friend of the author’s, 
 notice of, 103, 104. Instances of his 
 kindness, 192, 194, 196, 197. 
 
 Mahommed el Mukni. See Mukni. 
 
 Mamlukes , at Tripoli, engross all offices, 14. 
 Disinterested generosity of one, to Messrs. 
 Ritchie and Lyon, 183. 
 
 Mandra, a tributary province of Bornou, 
 notice of, 126. 
 
 Mangelly, village of, 203. 
 
 Manufactures of Soudan, 139. Of Tembuc- 
 too, 146. 
 
 Maraboots, or Mohammedan saints, two classes 
 of, 8, 9. Procession of, described, 9—11. 
 The author initiated by one, 12. Their 
 tombs, regarded as sanctuaries, 38. The 
 
 author visits one, near Morzouk, 102, 
 Interview with one at Traghan, 205. 
 Hospitable reception of the author by one 
 at Gatrone, 229. General character of 
 the Maraboots of Fezzan, 284. 
 
 Maradi country, notice of, 143. 
 
 Marriages, notices of, at Tripoli, 18. Of the 
 Arabs, 42, 43. Ceremonial of a marriage 
 at Morzouk, 185, 186. At the village of 
 Sebha, 299. 
 
 Matta Imhammed, mountains of, 69- 
 
 Meat, Arab modes of cooking, 51. And of 
 preparing for a long journey, 219- 
 
 Medicine, state of, among the Arabs, 51, 52. 
 And at Morzouk, 106, 107. 
 
 Medroosa, (village), 235. The author’s di¬ 
 lemma there, 246. 
 
 Mejdool, (village), 221, 222. 
 
 Mejnine, castle of, 21. Arrival of the author 
 and his party at, ibid. 
 
 Melglira, wells of, 37, 61. 
 
 Mellona, governor of Kashna, notice of, 135. 
 
 Messhia, or gardens, near Tripoli, notice of, 
 15,21. 
 
 Meteorological Register, from May to De¬ 
 cember 1819, 355—359. 
 
 Milk, different sorts of, used by the Arabs, 45. 
 
 Mogatba, an Arabian dish, how prepared, 50. 
 
 Mohammed ben Abd Alla, a friend of the au¬ 
 thor, account of, 104, 105. 
 
 Mohammed el Lizari, a friend of the author, 
 notice of, 104, 203. His unpleasant si¬ 
 tuation, 252. Gives a fete to the author, 
 268. Departs for Tripoli, 269. 
 
 Mohammedans, treacherous conduct of, 200. 
 201. The absolute necessity for Euro¬ 
 pean travellersassumingtheir costume and 
 mode of worship, illustrated, 199, 200. 
 
 Mokhaten, (village), 205. 
 
 Mountains of Fezzan and Tripoli, geological 
 
 3 c 
 
378 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 observations on the structure of, 861. 
 Basaltic mountains, 361, 362. Tertiary 
 limestone, 361, 363. New red sandstone, 
 361, 364—369. 
 
 MorzouTc, the capital of Fezzan, the author’s 
 journey to, described, 55—87. Arrival 
 there, 88. Account of the place, 97. 
 Castle, 98. Burial-places, 99. Diseases 
 prevalent there, and their treatment, : 106, 
 107. Itinerary thence to Kashna, 131. 
 To the country of Tuat, 144. Water, 
 how raised for irrigating the gardens in 
 its vicinity, 169. Description of the prin¬ 
 cipal Mosque, ibid. Dress of the men, 
 170. And of the women, ibid. : 171. 
 Notice of favourite dances there, 172, 
 173. Prices of provisions there, 177. 
 Their quality, ibid. 178. State of edu¬ 
 cation there, 186, 187. Number of 
 Mosques, 199* Manner of selling slaves 
 there, 268. Their condition, 288. Me¬ 
 teorological Register, kept at, 3 55 —- 
 359. 
 
 MuJcni, (Mohammed el), Bey of Fezzan, cha¬ 
 racter of, 3. Account of the manner in 
 which he obtained his power, ibid. 4. 
 Expresses himself favourable to the 
 mission to Africa, ibid. The author in¬ 
 troduced to him, 5. Extirpates the Wa¬ 
 led Suliman tribe of Arabs, 55. His 
 people live at free cost, among the na¬ 
 tives, 64. His entry into the town of 
 Sockna described, 70—72. In what 
 
 manner he collected his tribute, 74. Ce¬ 
 remonies paid him on his departure from 
 Sockna, 80. His reception on approach¬ 
 ing the town of Morzouk, 88. His sen- 
 timents on English customs, 89. His 
 lenity to one of his concubines, 91. Ex¬ 
 pedition of, against the Arab tribe of 
 
 Tibboo Borgoo, 106. Ungenerous con¬ 
 duct of, to Messrs. Ritchie and Lyon, 
 117,119- Invades the defenceless people 
 of Kanem, 129. His barbarous treatment 
 ot the captives, ibid. Is apprehensive of 
 being superseded by the Bashaw of 
 Tripoli, 163. Whom he endeavours to 
 propitiate, 164. Prepares for flight, 165. 
 Is continued in his office, 263. His 
 treacherous intentions towards Messrs. 
 Ritchie and Lyon, 165,166. Cultivates 
 acquaintance with some Arab Sheikhs, 
 168. Extraordinary dress of his children, 
 176. Costume of his court, 176, 177. 
 Has a carriage constructed for him, 179 
 —181. Ceremonial of marrying one of 
 his cast-off women, 185. Sources of his 
 revenues and their amount, 188, 189. 
 Anecdote of his treachery to a trader, 
 198. His reception of his son, on his 
 return from a slave-hunting expedition, 
 261. Suggestions for preventing his pre¬ 
 datory incursions into the Negro king¬ 
 doms, 281. His expedient for securing 
 his duty on captured slaves, 268. 
 
 Music of the Tibboos and of Fezzan, 234. 
 
 Negroes, ill treatment of by the Mohammed¬ 
 ans, 79. Painful march of some liberated 
 Negroes, across the deserts, 92. Account 
 of the traffic in, 120—122. And of the 
 songs of the captive Negroes, 336, 337. 
 Amiable character of the women, 140. 
 In what manner the Negroes are taken 
 captives, 255. Markets for the sale of, 
 263. Their condition in Fezzan, 287. 
 Especially at Morzouk, 288. Sufferings 
 of some Negroe-captives in their journey 
 across the deserts to Tripoli, 296, 323, 
 325, 329, 332, 343, Scanty allowance 
 
INDEX. 
 
 379 
 
 of food to them, 297. Their cheerfulness, 
 under all their sufferings, 341, 342. 
 
 Neshoua, (well of), 297. 
 
 New Year’s Day, Mohammedan rejoicings 
 on, 485. 
 
 Nil, or Niger, a river of Bornou, notice of, 
 127. Its course, 145, 148. 
 
 Nitfdai, (mountain), 81, 309. 
 
 Omeladam Tasfert , well of, 221. 
 
 Omesogueer, (village), notice of, 221. Fabu¬ 
 lous account of a Maraboot there, ibid. 
 
 Ongornoo , a town in the interior of Africa, 
 notice of, 127. 
 
 Orfilly , tribe of Arabs, wretched condition of, 
 34—36. Their character, 314. Anec¬ 
 dote of one, ibid. 
 
 Ostriches, observations on the natural history 
 of, 77. 
 
 Ovens of the Arabs, form of, 51. 
 
 Parental authority, absolute, at Fezzan, 287. 
 
 Parle, (Mr.), observations on the fate of, 146. 
 
 Population of Tembuctoo, accounted for, 145. 
 
 Prostitutes, regulations concerning, at Tripoli, 
 13. 
 
 Punishments, (Moorish), 16,17. Of Fezzan, 
 282. 
 
 Rats of Fezzan, notice of, 317, 318, 320. 
 
 Religion of the Arabs, 42. Of Soudan, 139- 
 Of the Tuarick, 112. 
 
 Reptiles of Morzouk and its vicinity, 184, 
 185. 
 
 Revenues of the Sultan of Fezzan, 188, 189. 
 
 Rhamadan, fast of, strictly observed, 102. 
 Extravagant rejoicings on its termination, 
 107. 
 
 Ritchie, (Mr.) accepts the author’s offer to 
 accompany him to Africa, 2. Arrives at 
 
 Tripoli, where he is joined by Mr. Lyon, 
 ibid. Makes an excursion to the Gharian 
 Mountains and Benioleed, 21—38. Pre¬ 
 parations for a journey into the interior, 
 56, 57. Journey from Tripoli to Mor¬ 
 zouk, 58—87. Arrival at Morzouk, 88. 
 His first appearance in a mosque, 95. 
 Description of his residence in Morzouk, 
 96. His distressing illness, 100, 103. 
 Recovers, 117. And prescribes for the 
 Africans, 116, 117. Imposed upon by 
 Mukni, 119- Whose treacherous inten¬ 
 tions towards himself and Mr. Lyon, he 
 discovers, 165, 166, 167. Relapse of 
 Mr. Ritchie, 189. His death, 190, 19L 
 And funeral, 192. 
 
 Rocks of Fezzan, observations on the geologi¬ 
 cal structure of, 361. Basaltic rocks, 361. 
 362. Tertiary limestone, 361, 363, 364. 
 New red sandstone, 361, 364—369. 
 
 Sadig, (Shreef), kind behaviour of, to the 
 author, 313, 318. 
 
 Sahar or Sahara, a species of desert, defined, 
 344, 346. Phenomena of, described, 346, 
 347. Wells occasionally found there, 348. 
 
 Saints, Mohammedan, account of, 8—12. 
 
 Sakleatoo, a town of Soudan, notice of, 134. 
 Itinerary from Kashna to, 140, 141. 
 Vocabulary of the language of, 135— 
 138. 
 
 Sala el Sultan, or praying place of the Sultan, 
 307. 
 
 Salt, remarkable incrustations of, in Fezzan, 
 205, 206. Plain of, 211. 
 
 Salutation, Arabian mode of, 53. 
 
 Samnoo, (village), notice of, 85. 
 
 Sand winds, 70. Effects of, 83, 84. 
 
 Shir ben Afeen, a desert so called, notice of, 
 83. 
 
 3 c 2 
 
380 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Scorpions, prevalence of, at Morzouk, 183, 
 184. Notice of a species of, called the 
 scorpion of the wind, 184. 
 
 Sebha, (town), notice of, 85. Description of 
 a wedding there, 299. 
 
 Screen, a species of desert, notice of, 345. 
 
 Shahm, a preparation of sheep’s fat, notice of, 
 46. 
 
 Shiati, (region of), account of, 299, 300. 
 
 Shlblia, or camel litters, described, 59. 
 
 Shirgi, or the east wind, effects of, 94. 
 
 Shrab, or false water of the desert, 307. 
 
 Sidi Besheer, (tomb of), notice of, 204. 
 
 Sidrca, an article of Tripoline dress, de¬ 
 scribed, 6. 
 
 Slaves and slave trade, of the interior of 
 Africa, account of, 120—122. Amiable 
 character of the females, 140. Account 
 of an expedition of slave-hunters, 250. 
 Their manner of making captives, 255; 
 and of dividing them among the captors, 
 262. Notice of the slave markets, 263. 
 Condition of slaves in Fezzan, 287- 
 Especially at Morzouk, 288. Regula¬ 
 tions concerning the offspring of slaves, 
 289- Sufferings of some negro captives 
 in their journey across the deserts to 
 Tripoli, for sale, 296, 323, 325, 329, 332, 
 343. Their allowance of food, 297. 
 Cheerfulness under all their sufferings, 
 341, 342. Account of the slave market 
 at Morzouk, 267,268. 
 
 Smeeran (mountain), 22. 
 
 Socknci, a town of Fezzan, entry of the Sul¬ 
 tan into, described, 70—72. Account of 
 it, 72, 73. Its former state, 74. Cere¬ 
 monies paid to the Sultan, on his de¬ 
 parture thence, 80. The Author’s re¬ 
 turn thither, 309- Is beset with sturdy 
 beggars, 310, 318, 319. Vocabulary of 
 
 the language there spoken, 314—316. 
 Festival of the return of spring, 317. 
 State of the gardens, ibid. Mode of' 
 preserving dates there, 320. 
 
 Songs of the Arabs, account of, 173, 174. 
 Of some captive negroes, 336, 337. 
 
 Soudan, Afno, or Haousa, rivers of, 133. 
 Vocabulary of the language of, 135— 
 138. Notice of the chief provinces and 
 places in, 131, 132, 134. Manufactures 
 of, 139. Ignorance almost universal 
 among the natives, 139. Religion, ibid. 
 Itinerary from Kashna, to various places 
 in, 140—142. Exports to, from Fezzan, 
 152—154. Imports from, to Fezzan, 
 
 154—157. Description of the women 
 
 of Soudan, 161. 
 
 South Wind, effects of, 94. 
 
 Spring, return of, celebrated as a festival, 317 
 
 Studies, course of, in Fezzan, 186, 187. 
 
 Suarit (Mountain), 64. 
 
 Subterraneous habitations, in the Gharian 
 Mountains, described, 25, 29, 30. 
 
 Sun, extraordinary effect of, 209. 
 
 Superstitions of the Tuarick,an African tribe, 
 
 111 . 
 
 Talcb, village of, 209. 
 
 Tar, how made by the Tibboo tribe, 235,236*. 
 
 Tarr, Wadey of, 324. 
 
 Tegerrina, village of, 32. 
 
 Tegerry, the Southern limit of Fezzan, narra¬ 
 tive of the Author’s journey to, 202— 
 237. Arrival there, 238. Description 
 of its castle, 239. Price of provisions 
 there, 240. Its productions, 241. Super¬ 
 stitions of its inhabitants, 242, 243. 
 Itinerary thence to Bilma, 244. The 
 Author’s return there, 245. Itinerary 
 thence to Bilma, 265. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 381 
 
 Telemsen, desert of, 148. 
 
 Tembuctoo, account of, 145. Its reputed 
 immense population accounted for, ibid. 
 Notice of its port, Kabra, ibid. Ma¬ 
 nufactures and dress of the people, 146. 
 Government, 147. 
 
 Temedd, brackish well at, 324. 
 
 Temenhiut, or Temenhint (village), notice of, 
 85. Singular mode of barter practised 
 there, 302. 
 
 Temesheen, Wadey of, 308. 
 
 Tents, Arab, described, 41. 
 
 Tcrboo (village), notice of, 220. Wretched 
 condition of its inhabitants, ibid. 
 
 Terfaas, a species of root, notice of, 37. 
 
 Terhoona, Arabs of, 37. 
 
 Tessouwa (town), notice of, 189- 
 
 Teweewa , desert of, 211. 
 
 Tghrasat, Bazaar of, 32. 
 
 Theft , how punished at Tripoli, 17, 64. 
 
 T'ibboo , or Slave Traders in the interior of 
 Africa, account of, 120, 121. Articles 
 of commerce between them and Bornou, 
 159. Dress and character of the Tibboo 
 women, 225—227, 232; and of the men, 
 227, 228. Notice of the animals pro¬ 
 duced in their country, 231. Distance 
 thence to Waday, 230, 231. Voca¬ 
 bulary of the Tibboo language, 233. 
 Tibboo forms of courtesy, 232. Music 
 of this people, 234. Their mode of pre¬ 
 paring tar, 235, 236. 
 
 Tlbboos of Borgoo, account of, 251, 252, 
 254. Arab mode of making them cap¬ 
 tives, 255. Anecdotes of a Tibboo boy, 
 308, 309. 
 
 Tihesty (region), notice of, 230. 
 
 Touela (village), notice of, 209. 
 
 Trade of the Tuarick, 114. Of the Tibboo, 
 
 120—122. Between Fezzan, Soudan, 
 Bornou, and Waday, 152—157. Be¬ 
 tween Fezzan and Egypt, 157—159. 
 Between Bornou and the Tibboo country, 
 159- Between Tuat and the Tuarick, 
 ibid. 160. 
 
 Traglian , date groves of, 205. Modesty of 
 a Maraboot there, 206. Account of the 
 castle and town, 207, 208. 
 
 Travelling , mode of, across the deserts, 91 — 
 93. On camels, extraordinary mode of, 
 114 . 
 
 Tribute , how collected in Fezzan, 74. 
 
 Tripoli , markets of, 12. Bazaars, ibid. 
 Schools, ibid. Prevalence of drunken¬ 
 ness there, 13. Filthy practice of eruc¬ 
 tation, in all classes, 14. All offices held 
 by Mamlukes, ibid. Description of the 
 public baths, 14, 15. The Bashaw’s 
 guards, 16. The punishment of hang¬ 
 ing, how performed, ibid. Torture in 
 use there, ibid. Bastinado, how per¬ 
 formed, 17. Marriages and burials of, 
 18, 19- Adventures of a Tripoline 
 woman, 321. The Author’s interview 
 with the Bashaw of, on his return from 
 his mission to the interior, 349. Geo¬ 
 logical observations on the mountains 
 and rocks of, 361—369. 
 
 Tripolines, dress of, described, 6, 7, 17, 18. 
 
 Tsdd, a river of Bornou, account of, 124, 
 125. Extraordinary mode of crossing it, 
 124. Notice of the inhabitants in its 
 vicinity, 125. 
 
 Tuarick (an African tribe), costume of, 109, 
 110. Arms, 110. Superstitions, 111. 
 Language, ibid. Their extraordinary 
 aversion to washing, ibid. Religion, 112. 
 Notice of their chief towns, 113. Their 
 
382 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 government, ibid. Trade, 114. Their 
 extraordinary mode of travelling on 
 camels, 114, 115. Articles of commerce 
 between them and Tuat, 159? 160. Anec¬ 
 dote of one, 197. 
 
 Tuat (country), situation, productions, and 
 trade of, 143. Itinerary from Morzouk 
 thither, 144. 
 
 Tubbel, or drum of Fezzan, account of, 248, 
 249. 
 
 Usadena, villages of, 32. Their distressed 
 state, ibid. 
 
 Vocabulary of the language of Bornou, 122. 
 Of Sakkatoo, 135—138. Of Tembuc- 
 too, 146, 147. Of Soudan, or the 
 Haousa tongue, 149—151. Of the 
 Tibboo dialect, 232. Of Sockna, 314*— 
 316. 
 
 Wadan, (a town of Fezzan), notice of, 76. 
 Character of its inhabitants, ibid. 
 
 -, (an animal and chain of mountains so 
 
 called), account of, 76. 
 
 Waday country, articles of export to, from 
 Fezzan, 152—154. Articles given in 
 
 exchange, 154—157. Distance from the 
 Tibboo country to, 230, 231. Itinerary 
 to, from Borgoo, 267. 
 
 Wad el Nommel , or the valley of ants, wretched 
 village of, 87. 
 
 1 Vadey, a species of desert, notice of, 346. 
 
 -Shirghi, chief towns in, 300. 
 
 -- Ghrarbi, chief towns in, ibid. Cha¬ 
 racter and manners of the inhabitants of, 
 ibid, 301. 
 
 Wajunga people, notice of, 252. Account of 
 their country, 266. 
 
 Waled Suliman, an Arabian tribe, account of, 
 54—56. 
 
 Warr, a species of desert, notice of, 345. 
 
 IVarral, a species of lizard, notice of, 184, 
 185.. 
 
 Washing, singular aversion to, of the Tuarick, 
 an African tribe, 111. 
 
 Water, Arab mode of carrying across the de¬ 
 serts, 93. How raised for irrigating the 
 land near Morzouk, 169. How obtained 
 from the stomach of camels, to satisfy the 
 thirst of almost perishing travellers, 305. 
 
 Wells of the great desert, observations on, 
 348. 
 
 Werda, itinerary to, from Yen, 265. 
 
 IVishek, a species of desert, notice of, 345 
 
 Women of Tripoli, dress of, described, 17, 18. 
 Arabian dress of, 39, 40. Conditions 
 and dress of the women of Bornou and Sou¬ 
 dan, 161. And of the Tibboo women, 
 224—227. Of the women in Fezzan, 
 287. 
 
 Wudakaire, wells of, 223. 
 
 Yemyem, inhabitants of, cannibals, 142, 143. 
 Notice of this country, 143. 
 
 Yen, (town), notice of, 265. Itinerary thence, 
 to Werda, ibid. 
 
 Yussuff, a Moor, benevolent conduct of, to¬ 
 wards the author and his companions, 
 192—194, 203. 
 
 Zaizow, (village), notice of, 205. Hospitable 
 reception of the author at, 258. 
 
 Zeighan, (village), notice of, 85. 
 
 Zgar, wadey of, 81. 
 
 Zibboon, an article of Tripoline dress, de¬ 
 scribed, 6. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 383 
 
 Zleetun, castle of, arrival at, 334. Notice of 
 Roman ruins in its vicinity, ibid. Notice 
 of the village, 335. Impudence of a 
 Maraboot there, ibid. Markets and com¬ 
 merce, ibid. 336. 
 
 Zuela, arrival of the author at, 212. His re¬ 
 ception there, ibid. 213. Character of 
 
 the inhabitants, 213. Singular instance 
 of their ignorance, ibid. Description of 
 a Mosque and other ancient Arabic build¬ 
 ings in its vicinity, 214—216. Ruins 
 of the castle, 217. Hospitality of several 
 Shreefs at, to the author, 217, 218. 
 
 Zumeeta, an Arabian dish, how prepared, 50. 
 
 THE END. 
 
LONDON: 
 
 PIUNTFD BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFKIA 1!S. 
 

 
 
 
 
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