YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

r939

W&4W^ffi?$?^4%ffi

3FJtCT|ggBSB 8ESS

mm
mm

CAP? JAMMS .'RTLi.RJ Y

AN
AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE
Of THE LOSS OF THE
AMERICAN BRIG COMMERCE,
WRECKED ON THE WESTERN COAST OP AFRICA, IN THE MONTH
OF AUGUST, 1815,
WITH
AN ACCOUNT OF THE SUFFERINGS
OF THE
SURVIVING OFFICERS AND- CREW,
WHO WERE ENSLAVED BY THE WANDERING ARABS, ON THE
AFRICAN DES ART, OR ZAHAHRAH;
AND
OBSERVATIONS HISTORICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, &«.
HADE DURING THE TRAVELS OF THE AUTHOR, WHILE A SLAVE TO THE
ARABS, AND IN THE EMPIRE OF MOROCCO.

BY JAMES RILEY,
KER LATE MASTER AND SUPERCARGO,
A Member of Ike New-York Historical Society, and a late Member of the
fygisUUure of the State of Ohio.

Preoeded by a brief sketch of the Authoi's life i and containing a description of the famous eltr
¦ TombucUio, and of another larger city, far south of it, on the same river, called Wassimah,
narrated to the Author at Mogadore, by Sidi Hamel, the Arabian merchant
ILLUSTRATED AND EMBELLISHED WITH
TEN COPPERPLATE ENGRAVINGS J
Revised, and his life continued, ly the Author, in January, 1828.

HARTFORD;
PUBLISHED BY JTinn ^oOMIS ft CO,
.-... 1836.

Southern District of New-York, s*.*'
BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the nineteenth day df January, A. D. 1923, in the
fifty-second year of the Independence of the United States of America, James Riley, of the
said District, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims
sa author and proprietor, in the words following, to wit :
" An Authentic Narrative of the loss of the American Brig Commerce, wrecked on tha
western coast of Africa, in the mouth of August, 1SI5, with an account of the sufferings of
the surviving officers and crew, who were enslaved by the wandering Arabs, on the African
Desart, or Zohahrah ; and observations Historical, Geographical, &c. made during the
travels of the Author, while a slave to the Arabs, and in the empire of Morocco. By James
Riley, her late master and supercargo, a member of the New-York Historical Society, and
a late member of the Legislature of the state of Ohio ; preceded by u brief sketch of the
Author's life, und containing a description of the famous city of Tombuctoo, and of another
larger city, far south of it, on the same river, called "Wassanah, narrated to the Author at
Mogadore, by Sidi Hamet, the Arabian merchant. Illustrated and embellished with ten
copperplate engravings ; revised, und his life continued, by the Author, in January, 1628."
In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled, "An act for the
encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the
Authors and Proprietors of such copies, during the lime therein mentioned :" and nlso to
an Act, entitled, " an Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled, an Act tor the encouragement
of learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprie
tor* of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof
10 the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints."
FRED. J. BETTS,
Clerk of the Southern District of New- York.

TO THE READER.

The following Narrative of my misfortunes and sufferings, and my
consequent travels and observations in Africa, is submitted to the
perusal of a candid and an enlightened public, with much diffidence,
particularly as I write without having had the advantages that may be
derived from an academic education/and being quite unskilled in the
art of composing for the press. My aim has been merely to record,
in plain and unvarnished language, scenes in which I was a principal
actor, of real and heart-appalling distresses. The very deep and in
delible impression made on my mind by the extraordinary circum
stances attending my late shipwreck, and the miserable captivity of
myself and my surviving shipmates, and believing that a knowledge
of many of these incidents might prove useful and interesting to the
world, as well as peculiarly instructive to my seafaring brethren; toge
ther with the strong and repeated solicitations of many of my valuable
friends, among whom was the honourable James Monroe, Secretary
of State, and several distinguished members of Congress, hare in
duced me to write and to publish the work.
The Narrative up to the time of my redemption, was written entire
ly from memory, unaided by notes or any journal ; but 1 committed
the principal facts to writing in Mogadore, when every circumstance
was fresh in my memory, (which is naturally a retentive one,) and 1
then compared my own recollections with those of my ransomed com
panions : this was done with a view of showing to my friends the
unparalleled sufferings I had endured, and not for the particular pur
pose of making them public by means of the press. It should be
remembered by the reader, that the occurrences here recorded, took
place out of the common course of a sailor's life ; and that each par*
ticular event was of a nature calculated to impress itself so powerfully
on the mind, as not easily to be effaced. Having previously, in the
course of my life, visited and travelled through many foreign com*-

!V tfo vtiti ftEAofcii.
tries, my mind" Was by no means Unaccustomed* to pay attention tOt
and make observations on whatever came within the reach of my
notice, and for tins reason, the strange events of the desart, and the
novel objects and scenes which I had an opportunity of witnessing in
the country of the Moors, were not suffered to pass without awakening
and exercising my curiosity as well as interest, and becoming the
subject of careful and habitual reflections.
Respecting my conversations with the Arabs, I have put down
what I knew at the lime to be their exact meaning, as nearly as 1
could translate their words and signs combined. I had, previously,
learned the French and Spanish languages, both by grammar and
practice, and had also been accustomed to hear spoken the Russian
'and different dialects of the German, as well as the Portuguese,
Italian, arid several other languages, so that my ear had become fami
liar with their sounds and pronunciation. Perceiving an affinity
between the Arabian and Spanish, I soon began to learn the names
of common things, in Arabic, and to compare them in my mind with
those I had met with in Turkish and other Oriental history. I had
no hope of ever being redeemed, unless I could make myself under
stood, and 1 therefore took the utmost care to treasure up every word
and sentence I heard spoken by the Arabs, to reflect on their bearing,
and to find out theiri true meaning, by which means, in the course of
a very few days, I was enabled to comprehend the general tenor and
drift of their ordinary conversation, and to find out the whole meaning
of their signs and gestures. My four companions, however, could
scarcely comprehend a single word of Arabic, even after they were
redeemed. In regard to the route, and various courses of our travel, I would
observe, that after I was purchased by the Arabian merchants, and
taken off across the desart, I was suffering under the most excrucia
ting bodily pains, as well as the most cruel privations; it will not,
therefore, be a matter of wonder, if on this vast, smooth, and trackless
desart, I should have mistaken one eastern course for another, or
have erred in computing the distances travelled over; for 1 was fre
quently in such agony and so weighed down with weariness and des
pair, that a day seemed to me of endless duration. A long experi
ence on the ocean had before taught me to ascertain the latitude by
the apparent height of the polar star above the horizon, so that in this
particular, I could not be much mistaken ; and the tending of the

fO THE READER, |f"
toast iwhere our boat was driven on shore, proves it must have been
near Cape Barbas. Afterwe approached the seacoast again, I became
more attentive to the surrounding objects, as my hopes of being ran
somed increased, so that not only the courses, but the distances as I
have given them, will agree in all thek essential points.
The designs for the engravings were drawn from my own original
sketches ; (and they were merely rough sketches, for I have no skill
in drawing;) they have, however, been executed by altistef of con
siderable repute, and under iny own inspection.
In compiling the map, particular cafe has been taken to consult
the best authorities, but 1 cons'tiered, at the same time, that the
information I received from my old Arabian master was sufficiently''
correct-, and would warrant me in giving full scope to my consequent
geographical impressions, in tracing the river Niger to the' Atlantic
ocean. Admitting that my idea prove hereafter to be just, and that
this river actually discharges its waters with those of the Congo, into
ihe gulf of Guinea, I am of opinion, that not less than one-fourth of
the whole distance in a straight line, should be added for its bends
and windings, in order to calculate its real length.
While I was at Mogadore, a number of singular and interesting
transactions took place, such as do not often occur even in that Coun
try ; and a person might reside there for many years, without havirlg
an opportunity of witnessing a repetition of them ; yet then* alithen-
ticity, as well as that of the other circumstances I have related, can
be substantiated by many living witnesses, — men of respectability and
unquestionable veracity. \
My observations on the currents which have heretofore proved fatal
to a vast number of vessels, and their crews on the western coast of
Africa, are made with a view to promote the further investigation of
this subject, as well as to caution the unwary mariner against their
too often disastrous effects.
It gives me sincere pleasure, to acknowledge the services rendered
me by my respectable friend, Anthony Bleecker, Esquire, of New-
York, who has, at my request, looked over the whole of my manu
script, and suggested some very important explanations. I have been
governed, in my corrections, by his advice, which was of a character
that can only flow from the most pure and disinterested motives.
With respect to the extraordinary circumstance mentioned in the
Narrative, of the sudden subsiSing of the surf when we were about
1*

Vt tO THE RKADKtt,
committing ourselves to the open sea, in our shattered boat, t aid
•ware that it will be the subject of much comment, and, probably, of
some raillery. 1 was advised by a friend, to suppress this fact, lest
those who are not disposed to believe in the particular interposition
of Divine Providence, should make use of it as an argument against
the correctness of the other parts of my Narrative. This, probably,
would have been good policy in me, as a mere author, for I am pretty
sure that previous to this signal mercy, I myself would have enter
tained a suspicion of the veracity of a writer who should have related
what to me would have appeared such an improbable occurrence.
Sentiments and feelings, however, of a very different kind from any
that mere worldly interest can excite, forbid me to suppress or deny
what so clearly appeared to me and my companions at the time, as
the immediate and merciful act of the Almighty, at the awful moment
when dismay, despair, and death, were pressing close upon us with
all their accumulated horrors. My heart still glows with holy grati
tude for this mercy, and I will never be ashamed nor afraid to acknow
ledge and make known to the world, the infinite goodness of my divine
Creator and Preserver. " The waters of the sea had well-nigh cover
ed us : the proud waves had well-nigh gone over our soul. Then
cried we unto thee, O Lord, and thou didst deliver us out of our dis
tresses. Thou didst send forth thy commandment; and the windy
storm ceased, and tamed into a calm."
JAMES RILEY.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. I. Pag*
A brief sketch of the Author'9 life and Education up to the month of
Majr, 1815, •  • - — :. •_  -v ^.v. » ' 15
-CHAP. II. ('
'Voyage lu the Commerce from Connecticut River to New-Orleans, 18
CHAP. III.
Voyage from Gibraltar towards the Cape de Verd Islands, including the
shipwreck of the brig Commerce, on the coast of Africa, 21
CHAP. IV.
Description of the natives— they make war upon the crew, and drive them
off to the wreck, • _.--. - • - - •.,-., 23
CHAP. v.
The natives seize the autnor by perfidy, and then get possession of the
money — the author's critical situation on shore — he escapes to the
wreck— Antonio Michel Is massacred, - ,-.^- . ¦*',-». 28
CHAP. VI.
Providential preservation through the surf to the open ocean — sufferings
in their shattered boat nine days at sea— landing again on the frightful
coast of the African Desart, - - - _ * - ^ • _ -,_ *. 32
CHAP. VHi
Sufferings of the crew, and manner of climbing over the rocks along the
.seashore, under high cliffs — reaching the surface of the desart— meet
ing with a company of wandering Arabs, by whom they are seized as
slaves, and stripped naked, - . , -_. — -^ - -.38
CHAP. VIII. '
Une author and his crew are carried on camels into the interior of the
Desart of Zahahrah — the Arabs hold a council — the crew are sold and
distributed — the author's remarkable dream— the skin and flesh are
literally roasted off from his body, and from the bones of his compa
nions—their dreadful sufferings while naked and wandering about the
Desart with their masters, subsisting only on a little camel? milk — two
Arab traders arrive, ... . . ..- . xJ 43
CHAP. IX.
Two Arabian merchants are persuaded by the author to purchase him and
four of his suffering companions— they kill a camel and prepare to set
out for Morocco across the Depart, - - - 61

Vi3 Contents, chap. x. ''
• '-* t Pagi
The author ahd four of his companions set out to cross the Desart — their
sufferings — they come to a spring of fresh water— description of its
singular situation, » - - • • • „ • «4. **
CHAP. XI.
Journeying on the Desart— they are hospitably entertained by Arabs, _
and come to a well of fresh water, t * -  -  » _... - r '«
CHAP. XII.
They arrive amongst immense mountains of driving sand — their extreme
sufferings— their masters find and steal some barley, and restore it
again, - - ...  . _ . ^__ . 77
CHAP. XIII.
Continuation of the journey on the Desart — several singular occur
rences— they come within sight of the ocean,  -  .-.^»- 62
CHAP; XIV.
They travel along the sea-coast under the high banks — fall in with and
jom a company of Arabs — travel in the night for fear of robbers — Mr.
Savage faints — is near being massacred, and is rescued by the author, 89
CHAP. XV.
Black mountains appear in the east— they come to a river of salt water,
and to wells of fresh water, where tliey find many horses— description
of a singular plant— come to cultivated land ; to a fresh water river,
and a few stone huts, - - - - - • 93
CHAP. XVI.
The company is divided — they set off to the eastward— their masters are
attacked by a bshd of robbers, • -  -_,  ^-  - '.. 98
CHAP. XVII.
Some fresh fish are procured— they pass several small walled villages,
and meet with robbers on horseback, - _ - - . 101
CHAP. XVIII. ',
Their masters commit an error, which fhey are compelled to redress—
Sidi Satinet and his .brother Seid fight— Horace's critical situation-*
they come to villages, » . - • „_ » • 104
CHAP. XIX.
The author writes a letter— Sidi Hamet sets out with it for Swcarah—
the arrival of Sheick Ah, an extraordinary character, » . 1W
CHAP. XX,
A Moor arrives from Mogadore, bringing a letter— the letter— they "set
out for that city, . • - »*,?'„-» - 115
CHAP. XXI.

ped by SheickAli and the prince of another city,
CHAP. XXII.

ISO

contents. , tjj
CHAP. XXIII. tag*
Sheick Ali out-manoeuvred again by Rais bel Cossim—they set off in the
night— meet with Sidi Harriet and his brother, accompanied by some
Moors with mules sent by Mr, Wiltshire fertpe sufferers to ride on—
occurrences on the road— meeting with Mr.. Willshire near Swearah of
Mogadore— they go into that city— are ordered before the Bashaw, A 140
CHAP. XXIV.
The author and his companions are cleansed, clothed, and fed — he becomes
delirious, but is a sain restored to reason — the mildness of Mr Will-
shire-»letter from HOratio Spra»ue, Esq. of Gibraltar— author's reflec
tions on his past sufferings, and on the providential chain of events that
had fitted him for enduring them, and miraculously supported and
restored lumand his -four companions to their liberty, - — - 153
CHAP. XXV.
The author's motives for requesting of, and writing down, his former
master's narrative of Travels on the Desart when in Mogadore, together
with Sidi Hamet's narrative of a journey across the great Desart to
Tombuctoo, and back again to Widnoon, with a caravan, - - 15
Section I. Sidi Hamet's narrative of a journey from Widnoon across the
great Desart to Tombuctoo, ahd back again to Widnoon, - - „' 160
Section II. Sidi Hamet sets out on another journey for Tombuctoo — the
caravan is mostly destroyed for want of water, by driftingsand, and by
mutiny, &c. — the few that escape get to the south of the Desart, - 163
Section III. Sidi Hamet's journeying. His arrival on the banks of the
river called by the natives Gozen-Zair, and at Tombuctoo — description
of that city— its commerce, wealth, and inhabitants, - - 165
Section IV. Sidi Hamet sets out for Wassanah — his arrival there, and
description of that city, the country, and its inhabitants — of the great
river which runs near it, and of his return to Tombuctoo — containing
also the author's geographical opinions, founded on the narrative, ori
the sources of the river Niger — its length and outlet into the Atlantic
ocean, ' - - - - - - - -169
Section V. Sidi Hamet's journey from Tombuctoo to Morocco by the
eastern route — his description of the Desart, and of the country on both
sides of iU-of a dreadful battle with the wandering Arabs— Sidi Hamet
takes his leave and sets out to join his family, - -„„.. • _„~ 174
CHAP, XXVI.
At! account of the face of the great African Desart, or Zahahrah— of its
inhabitants, their customs, manners, dress, &c— a description of the
Arabian camel or dromedary, - - - _^__ - ... ,178
CHAP. XXVII.
Some account of Suse, or South Barbary, and of its inhabitants, cities,
&c. — the primitive plough, and mode of using it— primitive churn,
and method of making butter, - -  - . . - 194
CHAP. XXVIII. p**-..KS!*S
Some account ef an insurrection in Morocco — the Bashaw of Swearah is
seized and put in irons — change of Governors — the Jews are forced to
pay their tribute or turn Mohammedans — their treatment by the Moors
— a Jew burial — a circumcision — a Jewish priest arrives from Jerusalem
— the author obtains from him some account of the present Jerusalem
and its inhabitants, and of the method pursued by the priests for gettins; , '
'4 s

J6 CONTENTS, Pttgl
feioney from the Jews in Europe and Barbary— a Moorish execution and
maiming— of the Jews in West Barbary, •  ». ... .t .... ? 197
CHAP. XXIX.
tfe\r orders arrive from the Emperor— Mr. Willshire is grossly insulted
by the Moors — a description of the city and port of Swearah, or Moga
dore, its inhabitants, commerce, manufactures, tie. • ,_ '• . SOS
CHAP. XXX.
Of the Moors and Moorish Arabs — feast of expiation — A Moorish review
and sham-fight— horsemanship — of the Arabian horse and his furni
ture, • - «™. • - - - ._.. ... £14
CHAP. XXXI.
The present Arabs and ancient Jews compared, ^ - ... -~:':„. '• 221
CHAP. XXXII.
The author ships his companions on board a vessel for Gibraltar, and sets
out himself to travel by land for Tangier — villany of his Jew compa
nion — account of a great Moorish saint — description of the country — of
the towns— of El Ksebbah and Saffy, * - _ _ - - 224
CHAP. XXXIII.
Continuation of the journey — description of Asbedre — of a flight of
locusts — of the destroying locust of Africa — Mazagan — Azamore —
Darlbeda— Fidallah— arrival at Rhabat— of Rhabat, - . . . - 233
CHA'P. XXXIV.
Description of a horrid show of two venemous serpents — sets out from
Rhabat — of Sallee, Mamora, Laresch — Spanish missionaries — Moorish
jiavy— arrival at Tangier, - - - "—-¦•.--_ 244
CHAP. XXXV.
Moorish captives— of Tangier and Christian Consuls— passage to Gibral-
tar,reception there — embarks for America— observations on Gibraltar 
passage in the ship Rapid— arrival at New-York— visits his family—
foes to Washington city, the seat of government, and concludes with
rief remarks on slavery, - - - . . . 253
APPENDIX. J~**
'Observations on the winds, currents, &c. in some parts of the Atlantic
, ocean, developing the causes of so many shipwrecks on the western
coast of Africa— mode pointed out for visiting the famous city of Tom
buctoo, on the river Niger, &c. . . . - "* - 864

CERTIFICATE.

Oaptain James Riley has submitted his Narrative to my perusal,
and I have read it over with great care and attention. I was his
second mate on board the Commerce, and one of his unfortunate
companions through, and a sharer in his dreadful sufferings and cap
tivity, on the inhospitable shores and desarts of Africa, and 1 am
astonished to find with what precision the whole of those incidents are
related — it recalls to my memory all those dismal occurrences and
distresses, and 1 do hereby certify, that the Narrative up to the tirne
of our separation in Mogadore, contains nothing mone than a plain
statement of facts, and that myself, as well as others of the crew, owe
our lives, liberties, and restoration to our country, under God, to his
uncommon exertions, fortitude, intelligence, and perseverance, and
I hereby request him, as my friend, to publish this my certificate.
AARON R. SAVAGE.
Done at Nete-York, this 1st day of)
February, A. D. 1817. J

LETTERS,

New-York, 29th October, 1817.
Sir, — The Narrative of Capt. James Riley has excited uncommon
interest; and as there are some persons, who, ignorant of his excel
lent character, doubt the general correctness of his story, and others
who disbelieve the authenticity of particular parts, I have been urged
by several respectable gentlemen, who, together with myself, repose
the utmost confidence m your candour and veracity, and who have
been a long time acquainted with the respectability of your standing
in society, to solicit from you a statement of your sufferings and
adventures in a similar situation; and I am persuaded, that, inaepen-

xli Letters.
dently of the gratification which it will afford, and the information
which it will convey, there will be a sufficient inducement, when you
understand that a compliance with this request rnay render essential
service, to a deserving fellow-citizen, and greatly promote the pause
of truth. I am, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
PE WITT CLINTON.
Captain Judah Paddock,

Hudson, 25th November, 1817.
To Be Witt Clinton, Esq. Governot of the State of New-York.
Esteemed Friend, — Thy favour of 29th ult. came to my hands a
few days since, by a private conveyance. Its contents I notice. It
gave me great satisfaction to find Capt. Riley has such friends as the
Governor of the State, as also many of its most respectable citizens,
to aid and assist him in his great and worthy undertaking, so far as to
give currency to it after diligent examination as to its facts. His Nar
rative of Shipwreck I have carefully perused the third time through,
and am ready to say every part of that which came within my know
ledge is correct, or substantially so. Were 1 to have told my story
in my own way, we might have differed in some points, which would
not have gfone to discredit his assertions. 1 was wrecked on the same
coast,' and drank of the same bitter cup of affliction. All oui' suffer
ings were nearly of the same kind. Perhaps no one in our blessed
land has it in his power to say so much in behalf of this injured man
as I have ; therefore I should tax myself with ingratitude to be silent,
more particularly when solicited by so many respectable personages
that have written me to give an opinion of his work. I say, injured
man, as doubting the authenticity of the work is an injury which he
must feel sensibly, being to a great expense, without funds, and not
likely to be very well remunerated for all his expenses and trouble. I
have but little personal acquaintance with Capt. Riley ; from that
little, and from what I learn front those who have long known him, I
believe him to be a man of strict integrity, and worthy ef public con
fidence. Thee solicits a statement of my sufferings in that inhos
pitable clime. 1 would most readily comply with that request, had I
confidence in, my own ability to do justice to the public Iri the exhi
bition of it. It is a long time since the occurrence took place. Hav
ing made at the time but feSv minutes of the important facts, the body
of it must be from recollection^ As Capt. Riley took his notfes at the
moment, and being better qualified for the task than myself, I dar6
not venture to write a bodk on the same ground ; but I would permit
him to, affix some observations of mine to his work, as an Appendix
could I think it so important for the public good as my friends have*
generally thought, eince Riley'a Narrative made its appearance.

tEtTERS. jtlll
Should thee wish further information from me, I hold myself ready to
reply to any communication thee wishes to make.
Thy friend, JUDA11 MDDOtJK.

New- York, 11th mo. 18, 1817.
Esteemed Friend,— 'Recollecting the lively impressions which a
verbal narrative of the sufferings and hardships experienced by thyself
and rrew on the coast of Africa, produced on my feelings during a
visit at Hudson last summer, and reflecting also on the information
thy story embraced relative to the nature and state of the country, and
of the customs and manners of the Arabs, I have wished sincerely
that an account of those events, and the general results of observations
made in Africa, drawn up by thyself from thy own notes, might be
submitted to the public. The civilized world is now looking towards
that country with increasing interest, and any genuine information
can hardly fail to be favourably received. I can assure thee that a
publication of thy Narrative would exceedingly gratify me, as well as
a number of thy other friends in this city. I have been for some time
well acquainted with Capt. Riley, and believe him to be a man of
strict integrity, and fully deserving the confidence of the public ; but
as there are some in every community who are more or less incredu
lous, with respect to circumstances out of the road of common expe
rience, a publication of the occurrences which befel thyself and crew
on the same soil, and among the same people, would, from the well
known respectability of thy character, add strength to the testimony
of Capt. Riley, and tend to the removal of doubts which some have
entertained of the credibility of certain parts of his Narrative.
I am, with great regard and esteem, thy affectionate friend,
THOMAS EDDY.

Hudson, 25th November, 1817*
Esteemed Friend Thomas Eddy,— Thy favour of 18th inst. was
handed to me on the 22d, by a gentleman travelling northward : the
contents noticed. On the subject of my shipwreck on the coast of
Barbary, I do not think myself adequate to the task of writing a Nar
rative of it, to say, such a one as the public might anticipate after
knowing I had commenced it. It is not a gift I am endowed with,
taking into view my inability to do justice to the thing, and that Capt.
Riley, to whom, in mv opinion, imolicit confidence can be given
%

5dv tfeMStia.
relative to his Narrative, as far as has come within m}f knowledge,
(being both wrecked on the same coast, and our sufferings nearly the
same J and from what little epportunity I have had with nim person
ally, and the correspondence with him while writing his first edition,
I think the public may rest assured full confidence may be given to
his Narrative generally. Many parts could not be expected to have
come within my notice, which of course I must be silent on. While
he was writing that Narrative, which interested me very much, I cau
tioned him to be very circumspect on every point ; at the same time
giving him to understand, if injustice was done the thing, he might
expect some observations on it that might be disagreeable to him.
His answers were prompt and gentlemanly. In the mean time, before
the Narrative was made public, 1 took every opportunity to learn his
character, and always found what I now believe him to be, a r"an of
veracity and strict integrity. If thee and others of my friends should
think that what I could say more than Capt. Riley has said on the
subject would be advantageous to the human race, I think I would
endeavour to gratify those friends and the public, in a brief account
of our shipwreck and sufferings, &c. to be attached as an Appendix to
another edition of Capt. Riley's, should another be printed, which he
may have gratuitously, if he will accept it; but if the above will
answer as a confirmation (as far as 1 know) of his Narrative, it will
afford me. the greater pleasure : otherwise, I will exert myself and
tell the tale just as it transpired, according to the best of my ability,
as painful as the task will be. Any communication from thee on this
or on any other subject, shall be attended to, by
Thy real friend,
JUDAH PADDOCK.

NARRATIVE, &c«

CHAPTER I.
A brief sketch of the Author's Life and Education, up to the month oj
May, 1815.
1 was born in the town of Middletown, in the state of Connecticut,
on the 27th of October, in the year 1777, during the war between
England and America, which terminated in 1783, with the acknow
ledgment by the mother country of the freedom, sovereignty, and
independence of the thirteen United States. My father, Asher Riley,
who still lives in the same place, was bred to the farming business,
and at an early age married my mother, Rebecca Sage, who is also
yet living. I was their fourth child. Owing to an attack of that
dangerous -disorder, the liver complaint, my father was rendered inca
pable of attending to his usual employment for several years, during
which time, his property, small at first, was entirely expended ; but
after his recovery, in 1786, he was enabled, by industry and strict
economy, to support his increasing family in a decent manner.
It may not be improper here, before I speak of my education, to
give a general idea of what was then termed a common education in
Connecticut. This state is divided into counties and towns, and tho
towns into societies; in each of which societies, the inhabitants, by
common consent, and at their common expense, erect a school-house,
in which to educate their children. If the society is too large for
only one school, it is again subdivided into districts, and each district
erects a school-house for its own accommodation. This is generally
done by a tax levied by themselves, and apportioned according to the
property or capacity of each individual. It being for the general
good, all cheerfully pay their apportionment. Thus prepared, they
hire a teacher to instruct their children in reading and writing, and
some of them are taught the fundamental rules of arithmetic. They,
for the most part, hire a male teacher for four months in the year, say
from October to March, and his compensation (at the time 1 am
speaking of) was from six to ten dollars a month, with his board. In
order to obtain his board, he was under the necessity of going to
•each of his employers' houses in rotation, making his time in each
family as equal as possible, and in proportion to the number of chil
dren therein. , In this way all the parents became acquainted with the
master or mistress. In the summer one of the best informed girls in
the neighbourhood was selected to teach the youngest children. To
defray the expense arising from this system, a tax was laid, and every

16 BAPTAitt Riley's JJAftftATiVE
man, whether married or unmarried, with children or without thettl,
was obliged to pay the sum at which he was rated, and m this man
ner every one contributed for the good of the whole. In each socie
ty, one or more meeting-houses were established, whose congrega
tions were either Presbyterians or Congregationalists, and a minister
(as he is called) regularly ordained and located for a yearly stipend or
salary, and generally during life. This was an old and steady habit.
The minister was considered as the head of the school, as well as of
the meeting, and his like or dislike was equivalent to a law. All the
children in each district, whether dehor poor, went to this school: all
had an equal right to this kind of country education. To one ot
these district schools I was sent, at the age of four years, where I
continued, learning to spell and read, until I was eight years old,
when my father's family had increased to seven or eight children,
with a fair prospect of more, (it afterwards amounted to thirteen in
number.) Finding it difficult to support us all as he wished, and I having
become a stout boy of my age, he placed me with a neighbouring
farmer to earn my living, by assisting him in his work. From the
age of eight to fourteen years I worked on the land with different
farmers in our neighbourhood, who having received but a very scanty
education themselves, conceited, nevertheless, that they were over
stocked with learning, as is generally the case with the most ignorant,
and in this, their fancied wisdom, concluded that mucli less than they
themselves possessed would answer my purpose, as I was but a poor
boy!! Finding therefore that they would lose my labour during
school hours, (for they had always taken great care to keep me fully
employed in hard drudgery every moment I was out of school,
scarcely allowing me the usual hours of refreshment and sleep,) they
kept me from school, merely because, as they stated, they could not
get along with their work without my help. When my parents remon
strated against such conduct in those who had come under a most
solemn agreement to give me a plenty of schooling, they were assured
"that I wast a very forward boy ; that 1 could spell and read as well
as any of the boys of my age; that I could repeat whole chapters in
the Bible by heart, and knew all the Catechism and Creed, viz. the
Presbyterian, which then was, and still is considered, all important in
that section of the union called New-England: that I could sing
psalms in the separate meetings fujl as well as those who had learned
to sing by note ; though indeed he cannot write., (said they) because
he has no turn for writing." These representations tended in some
measure to allay the anxiety of my parents, who wished me above alj
things to have a good common country education, as they at that
i time had no prospect of being able to give me any thing better.
They had taught me, both by precept and practice, that to be honest,
industrious, and prudent; to govern my passions, (which were violent,)
to feel for and relieve the distresses of others when in my power; to
be mild and affable in my manners, and virtuous in all my actions
was to be happy ; and they, generally, had instilled into my youthfoj
mind every good principle.
t had now attained my fifteenth year; was tall and stout fof mv
age; and haying become tired of hard work on the land, 1 conclude^

0J1 HB 6WM UJrE. It
that the Lest way to get lid of it, Was to go lo sea and visit foreign
countries. My parents endeavoured to dissuade me from this pro
ject, and wished me to learn some mechanical trade ; but finding that
I could not fix my mind upon any other business, they, with great
reluctance, consented to my choice ; and I, accordingly, shipped,on
board a sloop bound to the West-Indies. Having no friend to
push me forward, no dependence but on my Own good conduct and
exertions, and being ambitious to gain some distinction in the pro
fession I had chosen, I contrived to acquire some knowledge in the
art of navigation, theoretically as well as practically, and at the age of
twenty years had passed through the grades of cabin boy, cook, ordi
nary seaman, seaman, second mate, and chief mate, onboard different
vessels. I was now six feet and one inch in height, and proportion-
ably strong and athletic, when finding the sphere I then moved in to
be too limited for my views and wishes, (it extending only from Con
necticut river or New-London to the West-Indies, and back again,)
1 went to New-York, where I was soon appointed to the command of
a good vessel, and since that time have continued in similar employ
ment; making voyages in all climates usually visited by American
ships; traversing almost every sea, and travelling by land through
many of the principal states and empires of the world. For several
years Ihad charge of the cargoes as well as off the vessels I sailed in,
and had a fair share of prosperity, until the month of Jannary, 1808,
when my ship, the Two Marys of New-York, was seized by the
French, as I took shelter in Belle Isle, in the Bay of Biscay, from
some English men of war, being bound for Nantz ; and the ship, with
her valuable cargo, was confiscated, under the memorable Milan
Decree of the 17th December, 1807, founded on the well known
Orders in Council, of the 11th November, . of the same year. I
remained in France until tho ship and cargo were condemned, and
did not return to my native country and family, till the latter part of
the year 1809, with the loss, it is true, of nearly all the property I
had before acquired, but wiser than I went out ; for I had learned to
read, write, and speak both the French and Spanish languages ; had
travelled pretty much all over France, where 1 had opportunities of
witnessing many important operations in the science of war, calcu
lated to attract my attention to the principles upon which they were
founded ; and I, at the same time, took lessons in the school of adver
sity, which tended to prepare and discipline my mind for the future
hardships I was destined to undergo. I now strove with all my
power to stem the tide of misfortune, which began to set in against
me with impetuous force. I had become a husband, and the father
of four children, who looked up to me for support, and I strained
every nerve to retrieve my lost fortune, by trading to sea: but it was
of no avail ; every thing proved adverse, and after an absence of two
years to Spain, Portugal, the Brazils, Rio de la Plata, or River of
Silver, in South-America, the West-Indies,' New-Orleans, &c, I
returned home atthe commencement of the late war (1812) pennyless.
Unarmed commerce on the ocean, my element, was at an end in an
honourable way, and I could not obtain a station I wished for in the
navy, nor could I obtain the command of a private armed vessel that
Suited my views, owing to the want of funds ; nor would I accept pf
fV (/

jfi CAPTAIN RttEY'ti KAflftATIVE
the command of a vessel and the consignment of a cargo navigated
contrary to the laws of war, under foreign licenses : this 1 considered:
would derogate from the character 1 always wished to support, mat
of a true friend to my country, (whether in prosperity or adversity,)
and a firm supporter of its laws and institutions, which 1 had proved
by long experience in the ways of the world to be as .good (at least)
as those of any country under heaven. Though the oilers that were
made me were great and tempting, so that my acceptance ot them
could scarcely have failed of producing me a handsome fortune, and
that in a very short period, yet I remained at home during the whole
war, making use of all my faculties to gain a decent subsistence tor
my family. Soon after the burning of the Capital and other public
and private buildings at the seat of government, by the enemy, in
August, 1814, when their commanders loudly threatened to destroy
every assailable place on the seaboard, I believed that the tifhe was
near when every arm would be required for the general defence, par
ticularly at the exposed seaport towns ; and having enrolled myself
in a volunteer company of military exempt artillerists, composed
chiefly of masters and mates of vessels', and seamen, I had the honour
of being chosen their captain. But our services were not needed in
the field.

CHAPTER II.
Voyage in the Commerce from Connecticut River to New- Orleans.
After the close of the war, in April, 1815, being then in my native
state, I was employed as master and supercargo of the brig Com
merce of Hartford, in Connecticut : a vessel nearly new, and well
fitted, of about two hundred and twenty tons burden, belonging to
Messrs. Riley and Brown, 3 osiah Savage and Co. and Luther Savage,
of that city. A light cargo was taken on board, and I shipped a crew,
consisting of the following persons, namely ; George Williams, chief
mate, Aaron R. Savage, second mate, William Porter, Archibald
Robbins, Thomas Burns, and James Clark, seaman; James Carring-
ton and Francis Bliss, ordinary seaman; Horace Savage, cabin boy,
and Richard Deslisle, (a black man) cook.
With this crew I proceeded to sea from the mouth of Connecticut
river, on the sixth day of May, 1815, bound for New-Orleans. We
continued to steer for the Bahama Islands, as winds and weather per
mitted, until the twentieth of the same month, when we saw the
southernmost part of the island of Abaco, and passing the Hole in the
Wall, on the twenty-first, entered on the Grand Bahama Bank to the
leeward of the northernmost Berri Islands ; from thence, with a fair
wind and good breeze, we steered W. S. W. twelve leagues ; then
S. S. W. about forty leagues, crossing the Bank, in from three to
four fathoms water. On -the morning of the twenty-second we saw
the Orange Key on our starboard beam; altered our course, and ran
off the Bank, leaving them on our starboard hand distant one league.
.The water on this Great Bank, in most places, appears as white as
milk, owing to the white sand at the bottom glebing through, it, and.

YOVAGE IN T:H£ C&MMERCE. 19
is 96 cleaf that an object, the size of a dollar, can be easily seen lying
ton the bottom in four fathom water, in a still time. Having got off
the Bank, we steered W. S.W. for- the Double-headed Shot Bank,
and at meridian found ourselves, by good observations, in the latitude
of 24. 30. being nearly that of the Orange Keys. In the afternoon it
became nearly calm, out a good breeze springing up, we continued
our course all night W. S. W. I remained on deck myself, on a
sharp look out for the Double-headed Shot Bank, or Keys, until four
o'clock, A. M. when judging by pur distance we must be far past them, .
and consequently clear of that danger, I ordered the chief mate,
who had charge of the watch, to keep a good look out, on all sides,
for land, white water, and breakers ; and after repeating the same to
the people, I went below to take a nap. At about five (then, fair day
light) I was awakened by a shock, anil thought I felt the vessel touch
bottom. I sprang on deck, put the helm to starboard, had all
hands called in an instant, and saw breakers ahead and to southward,
close on board ; apparently a sound on our right, and land to the
northward, at about two leagues distance. The vessel's head was
towards the S. W. and she running at the rate of ten miles the hour.
I instantly seized the helm, put it hard to port, ordered all sails to be
let run, and the anchors cleared away. The vessel touched lightly,
three or four times : when I found she was over the reef, let go an
anchor, which brought her up in two and a half fathoms, or fifteen
feet of water, which was quite smooth,. We now handed all the sails,
and lowered down the boat. I went in her with four hands, and
sounded out a passage; found plenty of water to leeward of the reef;
returned and got under way, and at seven o'clock, A. M. was in the
open sea again, with a fresh breeze.
This being the first time, in the course of my navigating, that any
vessel which I was in had struck the bottom unexpectedly, I own I
was so much surprised and shocked, that my whole frame trembled,
and I could scarcely believe that what had happened was really true,
until by comparing the causes and effects of the currents of the Gulf
Stream, I was convinced that during the light winds, the day before,
when in the Santarem channel, the vessel had been drifted by the cur
rent that runs N. N. W.(and at that time very strong) so far north of
the Double-headed Shot Bank; that my course in the night, though
the only proper one I could have steered, was such as kept the cur
rent on the larboard bow of the vessel, which had horsed ner across
it sixty miles out of her course in sixteen hours, and would have
landed her on the S. W. part of the Carysford Reef in two minutes
more, where she must have been totally lost. As so many vessels of
all nations who navigate this stream have perished with their cargoes.
and oftentimes their crews, 1 mention this incident to warn the navi
gator of the danger he is in when his vessel is acted upon by these
currents, where no calculation can be depended upon, and where
nothing but very frequent castings of the lead, and a good look out,
can secure him from their too often fatal consequences.
Having settled this point in my own mind, I became tranquil, and
we continued to run along the Florida Keys from W. S. W. to West
by South, in from thirty to forty fathoms water, about four league*

Ifj Captain riley^s ttAkUmn,
distant, seeing from one to two leagues within us many rocks ahd lit*
tie sandy islands, just above the water's edge, with a good depth of
water all around them, until noon on the 24th, when we doubled the
dry Tortusas Islands in ten fathoms, and on the 26th arrived in the
Mississippi river, passed Fort St. Philip at Piuquemines the same
night, having shown my papers to the commanding officer of that
post (as is customary.)
My previous knowledge of the river and the manner of getting up
it, enabled me to pass nearly one hundred sail of vessels that were in
before me, and by dint of great and continued exertions, to arrive
with my vessel before the city of New-Orleans, on the first day of
June. Here we discharged our cargo, and took another on board,
principally on freight, in which I was assisted by Messrs. Talcott and
Bowers, respectable merchants in that city. This cm-go consisted of
tobacco and flour. The two ordinary seamen, Francis Bliss and
James Carrington, now wished for a discharge, and received it. 1
then shipped in their stead John llogan and James Barrett, both sea
men and natives of the state of Massachusetts.
With this crew and cargo we sailed from New-Orleans on the
twenty-fourth of June ; left the river on the twenty-sixth, and proceed
ed for Gibraltar, where we arrived on the ninth of August following,
and landed our cargo. About the thirteenth the schooner Louisa,
Capt. Peter Price, of and from New-York, in a short passage, came
into the Bay, and the captain on his landing told me he was bound
up to Barcelona, and that if I would go on board his vessel, which
was then standing off and on in the Bay, he would give me a late
New- York Price Current, and some newspapers. I was in great
want of a Price Current for my guide in making purchases, and
accordingly went on board. The wind blowing strong in, and the
vessel far out, I had to take four men with me, namely, James Clark,
James Barrett, William Porter, and John Hogan. Having received
the Price Current, &c. I left the schooner about sunset, when they
immediately filled her sails and stood on. As we were busied in
stepping the boat's mast to sail back, a toppling sea struck her, arid
nearly tilled her with water ; we all jumped instantly overboard, in
the hope of preventing her from filling, but she filled immediately.
Providentially the captain of the schooner heard me halloo, though
at least a mile from us ; put his vessel about, came near us, sent his
boat, and saved our lives and our boat, which being cleared of water,
and it being after dark, we returned safe along side of the brig by tea
o'clock at night. When the boat filled, we were more than three
miles from the Rock, in the Gut, where the current would have set
us into the Mediterranean, and we must have inevitably perished
before morning ; but we were spared, in order to suffer a severer doom,
and miseries worse than death, on the barbarous shores of Africa.
We now took on board part of a cargo of brandies and wines, and
some dollars, say about two thousand, and an old man named Antonio
Michel, a native of New-Orleans, who had previously been wrecked
on. the island of Teneriffe, and was recommended to my charity by
Mr. ©avino, who at that time exercised the functions of American
Consul at Gibraltar.

Voyage in the commerce.

CHAPTER III.

Voyage from Gibraltar towards the Cape de Verd Islands, including,
the shipwreck of the brig Commerce on the coast of Africa.
We set sail- from the bay of Gibraltar on the 23d of August, 1815,
intending to go by way of the Cape de Verd Islands, to complete the
lading of the vessel with salt. We passed Cape Spartel on the
morning of the 24th, giving it a birth of from ten to twelve leagues,
and steered off to the W. S. W. I intended to make the Canary
Islands, and pass between Teneriffe and Palma, having a fair wind ;
but it being very thick and foggy weather, though we got two obser
vations at noon, neither could be much depended upon. On account
of the fog, we saw no land, and found, by good meridian altitudes on
the twenty-eighth, that we were in the latitude of 27. 30. N. having
differed our latitude by the force of current, one hundred and twenty
miles; thus passing the Canaries without seeing any of them. I con
cluded we must have passed through the intended passage without
discovering the land on either side, particularly as it was in the night,
which was very dark, and black as pitch ; nor could I believe other
wise from having had a fair wind all the way, and having steered one
course ever since we took our departure from Cape Spartel. Soon
after we got-au observation on the 28th, it became as thick as ever,
and the darkness seemed (if possible) to increase. Towards evening
I got up my reckoning, and examined it all over, to be sure that I had
committed no error, and caused the mates to do the same with theirs.
Having thus ascertained that I was correct in! calculation, 1 alter
ed our course to S. W. which ought to have carried us nearly on the
course I wished to steer, that is, for the easternmost of the Cape de
Verds; but finding the weather becoming more foggy towards night,,
it being so thick that we could scarcely see the end of the jib-boom,
I rounded the vessel to, and sounded with one hundred and twenty
fathoms of line, bur found no bottom, and continued on our course,
still reflecting on what should be the cause of our not seeing land,
(as I never had passed near the Canaries before without seeing them,
even in thick weather or in the night.) I came to a determination to
haul off to the N. W. by the wind at ten P. M. as I should then be
by the log only thirty miles north of Cape Bajador. I concluded on
this at nine, and thought my fears had never before so much prevailed
over my judgment and my reckoning. 1 ordered the light sails to be
handed, and the steering sail booms to be rigged in snug, which was
done as fast as it could be by one watch,1 under the immediate direct
tion of Mr. Savage.
We had just got the men stationed at the braces for hauling off, as the
man athelm cried "ten o'clock." Our try-sail boom was pn the star
board side, but ready for jibing ; the helm was put to port, dreaming
of no danger near. I had been on deck all the evening myself; the
vessel was running at the rate of nine or ten knots with a very strong
breeze, and high sea, when the main boom was jibed over, and 1 at
that instant heard a roaring ; the yards were braced up — all hands were
called. I imagined at first it was a Squall, and was near ordering the

23 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
sails to be lowered down ; but I then discovered breakers foaming at
a most dreadful rate under our lee. Hope for a moment flatteredme
that we could fetch off still, as there were no breakers in view ahead :
the anchors were made ready ; but these hopes vanished in an instant,
as the vessel was carried by a current and a sea directly towards the
breakers, and she struck! We let go the best bower anchor; all sails
were taken in as fast as possible : surge after surge came thundering
on, and drove her in spite of anchors, partly with her head on shore.
She struck with such violence as to start every man from the deck.
Knowing there was no possibility of saving her, and that she must
very soon bilge and fill with water, I ordered all the provisions we
could get at to be brought on deck, in hopes of saving some, and as
much water to be drawn from the large casks as possible. We started
several quarter casks of wine, and filled them with water. Every
man worked as if his life depended upon his present exertions; all
were obedient to every order I gave, and seemed perfectly calm. The
vessel was stout and high, as she was only in ballast trim : the sea
combed over her stern and swept her decks ; but we managed to get
the small boat in on deck, to sling her and keep her from staving.
We cut away the bulwark on the larboard side so as to prevent the
boats from staving when we should get them out ; cleared away tho
long boat and hung her in tackles, the vessel continuing to strike very
heavy, and filling fast. We however, had secured five or six barrels
of water, and as many of wine, — three barrels of bread, and three or
four of salted provisions. I had as yet been so busily employed, that
no pains had been taken to ascertain what distance we were from the
land, nor had any of us yet seen it; and in the mean time all the
clothing, chests, trunks, &c. were got up, and the books, charts, and
sea instruments, were stowed in them, in the hope of their being use
ful to us in future. , '
The vessel being now nearly full of water, the surf making a fair
breach over her, and fearing she would go to pieces, I prepared a rope
and put it in the small boat, having got a glimpse of the shore, at no
great distance, and taking Porter with me, wo were lowered down on
the larboard or lee side of the vessel, where she broke the violence of
the sea, and made it comparatively smooth ; we shoved off, but on
clearing away from the bow of the vessel, the boat was overwhelmed
with a surf, and we were plunged into the foaming surges : we were
driven along by the current, aided by what seamen call the undertow
(or recoil of the sea) to the distance of three hundred yards to the
westward, covered nearly all the time by the billows, which, following
each other m quick succession, scarcely gave us time to catch a breath
before we were again literally swallowed by them, till at length we
were thrown, together with our boat, upon a sandy beach, After
taking breath a little, and ridding our stomachs of the salt water that
l!f i, w Lx7 m? them* my £ril Care 7as t0 turn the water out
of the boat, and haul her up out of the reach of the surf. We found
the rope that was made fast to her still remaining : this we carried I ,,n
along the beach, directly to leeward of the wrecl where we fasten^
it to sticks about the thickness of handspikes, tha had drifted on rh.
shore from the vessel, and which we drcfve in'to the sand byThe heir?
ofpther p.ecesof wood. Before leaving the vessel, 1 hTdfrecteS

1 WRECK OP THE COMMERCE. &3
that all the chests, trunks, and every thing that would float, should be
hove overboard : this all hands were busied in doing. The vessel
lay about one hundred fathoms from the beach, at high tide. In
order to save the crew, a hawser was made fast to the rope we had on
shore, one end of which we hauled to us, and made it fast to a num
ber of sticks we had driven into the sand for the purpose. It was
then tautened on board the wreck, and made fast. This being done,
the long boat (in order to save the provisions already in her) was
lowered down, and two hands steadied her by ropes fastened to the
rings in her stem and stern posts over the hawser, so as to slide,
keeping her bow to the surf. In this manner they reached the beach,
carried on the top of a heavy wave. The boat was stove by the vio
lence of the shock against the beach; but by great exertions we saved
the three barrels of bread in her before they were much damaged ;
and two barrels of salted provisions were also saved. We were now,
four of us, on shore, and busied in picking up the clothing and other
things which drifted from the vessel, and carrying them up out of the
surf. It was by this time daylight, and high water ; the vessel ca
reened deep off shore, and I made signs to have the masts cut away,
in the hope of easing her, that she might not goto pieces. They were
accordingly cut away, ,and fell on her starboard side, making a bet
ter lee for a boat along side the wreck, as they projected considerably
beyond her bows. The masts and rigging being gone, the sea break
ing very high over the wreck, and nothing left to Tiold on by, the mates
and six men still on board, though secured, as well as they could be,
on the bowsprit and in the larboard fore-channels, were yet in immi
nent danger of being washed oft'by every surge. The longboat was
stove, and it being impossible for the small one to live, my great ob
ject was now to save the lives of the crew by means of the hawser. I
therefore made signs to them to come, one by one, on the hawser,
which had been stretched taut for that purpose. John Hogan ventur
ed first, and having pulled off his jacket, took to the hawser, and
made for the shore. When he had got clear of the immediate lee of
die wreck, every surf buried him, combing many feet above his head ;
but he still held fast to the rope with a death-like grasp, and as soon
as the surf was passed, proceeded on towards the snore, until another
surf, more powerful than the former, unclenched his hands, and threw
him within our reach; when- we laid hold of him and dragged him to
the beach ; we then rolled him on the sand, until he discharged the
salt water from his stomach, and revived. I kept in the water up to
my chin, steadying myself by the hawser, while the sUrf passed over me,
to catch the others as they approached, and thus, with the assistance
of those already on shore, was enabled to save all the rest from a wa
tery grave.

CHAPTER IV.
Description of the natives. — They make war upon the crew, and drive
them off to the wreck.
Alt. hands being now landed, our first care was to secure the pro-
visions and water which we had so far saved, knowing it was a bar-

24 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
ren thirsty land ; and we carried the provisions up fifty yards from the
¦water's edge, where we placed them, and then formed a kind of a tent
by means of our oars and two steering sails. I had fondly hoped we
should not be discovered by any human beings on this inhospitable
shore, but that we should be able to repair our boats, with the mate
rials we might get from the wreck, and by taking advantage of a
smooth time, (if we should be favoured with one,) put to sea, where
by the help of a compass and other instruments which we had saved,
we might possibly find some friendly vessel to save our lives, or reach
some of the European settlements down the coast, or the Cape de
Verd Islands. ,
Being thus employed, we saw a human figure approach our stuff,
such as clothing, which lay scattered along the beach for a mile west
ward of us. It was a man! He began plundering our clothing. I
went towards him with all the signs of peace and friendship I could
make, but he was extremely shy, and made signs to me to keep my
distance, while he all the time seemed intent on plunder. He was
unarmed, and I continued to approach him until within ten yards.
He appeared to be about five feet seven or eight inches high, and
of a complexion between that of an American Indian and negro. He
had about him, to cover his nakedness, a piece of coarse woolen cloth,
that reached from below his breast nearly to his knees ; his hair was
long and bushy, resembling a pitch mop, sticking out every way six
or eight inches from his head ; his face resembled that of an ourang-
outang more than a human being ; his eyes were red and fiery ; his
mouth, which stretched nearly from ear to ear, was well lined with
sound teeth; and a long curling beard, which depended from his
upper lip and chin down upon his breast, gave him altogether a most
horrid appearance, and I could not but imagine that those well set
teeth were sharpened for the purpose of devouring human flesh ! !
particularly as I conceived 1 had before seen in different parts of the
world, the human face and form in its most hideous and terrific shape.
He appeared to be very old, yet fierce and vigorous ; he was soon
joined r>y two old women of similar appearance, whom I took to be
his wives. These looked a little less frightful, though their two eye-
teeth stuck out like hogs' tusks, and their tanned skins hung in loose
plaits on their faces and breasts; but their hair was long and braided.
A girl of from eighteen to twenty, who was not ugly, and five or six
children of different ages and sexes, from six to sixteen years, were
also in company. These were entirely naked. They brought with
them a good Englishhammer, with a rope-laniard through a hole in its
handle. It had, no doubt, belonged to some vessel wrecked on that
coast. They had also a kind of axe with them, and some long knives
slung on their right sides, in a sheath suspended by their necks.
They now felt themselves strong, and commenced a bold and indis
criminate plundering of every thing they wanted. They broke open
trunks, chests, and boxes, and emptied them of their contents, carry
ing the clothing on their backs upon the sand hills, where they spread
them out to dry. They emptied the beds of their contents, wanting
only the cloth, and were much amused with the flying of the feathers
before the wind from my bed. It appeared as though they had never
before seen such things. '

WRECK. OP THE COMMERCE. 2#
I had an adventure of silk laced veils and silk handkerchiefs, the
former of which the man, woman, and children tied round their heads
in the form of turbans; the latter round their legs and arms, though
only for a short time, when they took them off again, and stowed them
away among the other clothing on the sand hills. They all seemed
highly delighted with their good fortune, and even the. old man's fea
tures began to relax a little, as he met with no resistance. We had
no fire or side arms, but we could easily have driven these creatures
off with handspikes, had I not considered that we had no possible
means of escaping either by land or water, and had no reason to doubt
but they would call others to their assistance, and in revenge destroy
us. I used all the arguments in my power to induce my men to
endeavour to conciliate the friendship of these natives, but it was
with the greatest difficulty I could restrain some of them from rush
ing on the savages and putting them to death, if they could have come
up with them ; but I found they could run like the wind, whilst we
could with difficulty move iu the deep sand. Such an act I conceiv
ed would Cost us our lives, as soon as we should be overpowered by
numbers, and I therefore permitted them to take what pleased them
best, without making any resistance; except our bread and provi
sions, which, as we could not subsist without them, I was determined
to defend to the last extremity. On our first reaching the shore I
allowed my mates and people to share among themselves one thou
sand Spanish dollars, for I had hauled my trunk on shore by a rope,
with my money in it, which I was induced to do in the hope of its
being useful to them in procuring a release from this country in case
we should be separated, and in aiding them to reach their homes.
We had rolled up the casks of water and wine which had been thrown
overboard and drifted ashore. I was now determined to mend the
long boat, as soon and as well as possible, in order to have a retreat
in my power, (or at least the hope of one,) in case of the last neces
sity. The wind lulled a little in the afternoon, at low water, when
William Porter succeeded in reaching the wreck, and procured a few
nails and a marline spike ; with these he got safe back to the shore.
I found the timbers of the boat in so crazy a state, and the nails which
held them together, so eaten off by the rust, that she would not hold
together, nor support her weight in turning her up in order to get at
her bottom. I tacked her timbers together, however, as welF as I
could, which was very imperfectly, as I had bad tools to work with,
and my crew, now unrestrained by my authority, having broached a
cask of wine, and taken copious draughts of it, in order to dispel then-
sorrows, were most of them iu such a state, that instead of assisting
me, they tended to increase my embarrassment. We, however, at
last, got the boat turned up, and found that one whole plank was out
on each side, and very much split. I tacked the pieces in, assisted
by Mr. Savage, Horace, and one or two more. We chinced a little
oakum into the seams and splits with our knives, as well as we could,
and worked upon her until it was quite dark. I had kept sentinels
walking with handspikes, to guard the tent and provisions during
this time, but the Arabs had managed to rob Us of one of our sails
from the tent, and to carry it off, and not content with this, they tried
to get the other in the same way. This 1 would not permit them to
3 4

26 captain Riley's narrative,
do. They then showed their hatchets ctad their arms, but finding it
of no effect, they retired for the night, after promising, as near as I
could understand them, that they would not molest us further till
morning, when they would bring camels down with them. We had
previously seen a great many camel tracks in the sand, and I of course
believed there were some near. One of the children had furnished us
with fire, which enabled us to roast a fowl that had beendrowned, and
driven on shore from the wreck, on which, with some salt pork, and
a little bread and butter, we made a hearty meal, little thinking that
this was to be the last of our provisions we should be permitted to
enjoy. A watch was set of two men, who were to walk guard at a
distance from the tent, to give an alarm in case of the approach of the
natives, and keep burning a guard fire. This we were enabled to do
by cutting up some spars we found on the beach, and which must
have belonged to sonic vessel wrecked there before us.
Night liad now spread her sable mantle over the face of nature, the
savages had retired, and all was'still, except the restless and unwea-/
ried waves, which dashed against the deserted wreck, and tumbled
among the broken rocks a little to the eastward of us, where the
high perpendicular cliffs, jutting out into the sea, opposed a barrier
to their violence, and threatened, at the same rime, inevitable and
certain destruction to every ill fated vessel and her crew that should,
unfortunately, approach too near their immoveable foundations : these
we had escaped only by a few rods. From the time the vessel struck
to this moment, I had been so entirely engaged by the laborious
exertions which our critical situation demanded, that I had no time
for reflection ; but it now rushed like a torient over my mind, and
banished from my eyes that sleep which my fatigued frame so much
required. I knew I was on a barren and inhospitable coast ; a tem
pestuous ocean lay before me, whose bosom was continually tossed
and agitated by wild and furious winds, blowing directly on shore ;
no vessel or boat, sufficient for our escape, as I thought it impossible
for our shattered long boat to live at sea, even if we should succeed
in urging her through the tremendous surges that broke upon the shore
with such violence as to make the whole coast tremble ; behind us
were savage beings, bearing the human form indeed, but in its most
terrific appearance, whose object I knew, from what had already
Fassed, would be to rob us of our last resource, our provisions ; and
did not doubt, but they would be sufficiently strong in the morning,
not only' to accomplish what they meditated, but to take jrur lives
also, or to seize upon our persons, and doom us to slavery, till death
should rid us of our miseries.
This was the first time I had ever suffered shipwreck. I had left
a wife and five young children behind me, on whom I doated, and
who depended on me entirely for their subsistence. My children
would have no father's, and perhaps no mothers care, to direct them
in the paths of virtue, to instruct their ripening years, or to watch
over them, and administer the balm of comfort and consolation in
time of sickness ; no generous friend to relieve their distresses, and
save them from indigence, degradation, and ruin. These reflections
harrowed up my soul, nor could I cease to shudder at these imagi
nary evils, added to my real ones, until I was forced mentally to ex-

WRECK OF THE COMMERCE. 27
claim, "Thy ways, great Father of the universe, are wise and just,
and what am I! an atom of dust, that dares to murmur at thy dispen
sations." I next considered, that eleven of my fellow sufferers, who had
intrusted themselves to my care, were still alive and with me, and
all but two of them (who were on the watch) lying on the ground,
and wrapped in the most profound and apparently pleasing sleep ; and
as I surveyed them with tears of compassion, 1 felt it was a sacred
duty assigned me by Providence, to protect and preserve their lives
to my very utmost. The night passed slowly and tediously away ;
when daylight at length began to dawn in the eastern horizon, and
chased darkness before it, not to usher to our view the cheering pros
pect of approaching relief, but to unfold new scenes of suffering,
wretchedness, and distress. So soon as it was fairly light, the old
man came down, accompanied by his wives and two young men of
the same family — he was armed with a spear of iron, having a. handle
made with two pieces of wood spliced together, and tied with cords:
the handle was about twelve feet long. This he held balanced in his
right hand, above his head, making motions as if to throw it at us ; he
ordered us off to the wreck, pointing, at the same time to a large
drove of camels that were descending the heights to the eastward of
us, his women running off at the same time whooping and yelling
horribly, throwing up sand in the air, and beckoning to those who
had charge of the camels to approach. I ran towards the beach, and
seized a small spar that lay there, to parry off the old man's lance,
as a handspike was not long enough. He in the mean time came to
the tent like a fury, where the people still were, and by slightly prick
ing one or two of them, and pointing at the same time towards the
camels, he succeeded in frightening them, which was his object, as
he did not wish to call help, lest he should be obliged to divide the
spoil. The crew all made the best of their way to the small boat,
while I parried oft' his spear with my spar, and kept him at a distance.
He would doubtless have hurled it at me, but for the fear of losing it.
The small boat was dragged to the water, alongside our hawser,
but the people huddling into her in a confused manner, she was filled
by the first sea, and bilged. I now thought we had no resource,
except trying to 'get eastward or westward. Abandoning, therefore,
our boats, provisions, &c. we tried to retreat eastward, but were
opposed by this formidable spear, and could not make much progress ;
for the old man was very active. He would fly from us like the wind,
and return with the same speed. The camels were approaching very
fast, and he made signs to inform us, that the people who were with.
them had fire arms, and would put us instantly to death; at the same
time opposing us every way with his young men, with all their wea
pons, insisting on our going towards the wreck, and refusing to receive
our submission, while ihe women and children still kept up their yell
ing. We then laid hold of the long boat, turned her over, and got
her into the water ; and as I would sillier only one at a time to get
on board, and that too over her stern, we succeeded at length, and all
fot off safe alongside the wreck, which made a tolerable lee for the
oat, though she was by this time half filled with water.
All hands got on board tho wreck except myself and another : we

2&*kept bailing the boat and were able to keep her from entirely filling,
having one bucket and a keg to work with. The moment we were ont
of the way, all the family ran together where our tent was; here they
were joined by the camels and two young men, which we had not
before seen, apparently about the ages of twenty and twenty-six.
They were armed with scimitars, and came running on foot from the
eastward. The old man and woman ran to meet them, hallooing to
us, brandishing their naked weapons and bidding us defiance. They
loaded the barrels of bread on their camels, which kneeled down to
receive them ; the beef, and all the other provisions, with the sail
that the tent was made of, &c. &c. and sent them off with the children,
who drove them down. The old man next came to the beach; with
his axe stove in all the heads of our water casks and casks of wines,
emptying their contents into the sand. -They then gathered up all
the trunks, chests, sea instruments, books, and charts, and consumed
them by fire in one pile. Our provisions and water being gone, we
jsaw no other alternative but to try to get to sea in our leaky boat, or
stay and be washed off the wreck the next night, or to perish by the
hands of these barbarians, who we expected would appear in great
force, and bring fire arms with them, and they would besides soon be
enabled to walk to the wreck, on a sand bar that was fast forming
inside of the vessel, and now nearly dry at low water. The tide
seemed to ebb and flow about six feet. We had now made all the
preparations in our power for our departure, which amounted to
nothing more than getting from .the wreck a few bottles of wine and
a kw pieces of salt pork. No water could be procured, and the bread
was completely spoiled by being soaked in saltwater. Our oars were
all lost except two that were on shore in the power of the natives.
We had split a couple of plank for oars, and attempted to shove off,
but a surf striking the boat, came over her bow, and nearly filling her
with water, drifted her again alongside the wreck. We now made
shift to get on board the wreck again, and bail out the boat; which
when done, two hands were able to keep her free, while two others
held her steady by ropes, so as to prevent her from dashing to pieces
against the wreck.

CHAPTER V.
The natives seize the author by perfidy, and then get possession of the
money — The author's critical situation on shore — He escapes to the
icreck — Antonio Michel is massacred.
Thk sight of our deplorable situation seemed to excite pity in the
breasts of the savages who had driven us from the shore. They came
down to the water's edge, bowed themselves to the ground, beckon
ing us, and particularly me, whom they knew to be the captain, to
come on shore ; making at the same time all the signs of peace and
friendship they could. They carried all their arms up over the sand
hills, and returned without them. Finding I w,ould not come on
shore, one of them ran and fetched a small goat or dog skin which
by signs they made me understand was filled with water, and all

WRECK 6t THE COMMERCE", 23
retiring to a considerable distance from the beach, except the old
tnan who had it ; he came into the water with it up to his armpits,
beckoning me to come and fetch it and drink. He was nearly naked,
and had no weapons about him. Being very thirsty, and finding we
could not get at any water, and no hope remaining of our being able
to get out through the surf to sea, I let myself down by the hawser,
and went by means of it to the beach, where the old man met me and
gave me the skin of water, which I carried off to the wreck, and the
people hauled it up on board. This done, he made me understand
that he wished to go on board, and me to remain on the beach until
his return.
Seeing no possible chance of escaping, or of preserving our lives
in any other way but by their assistance, and that that was only to be
obtained by conciliating them — telling my men my mind, I went
again to the shore. The young men, women, and children were now
seated unarmed on the beach, near the water — the grown people near
ly, and the children entirely naked. They made all the signs oi
peace they knew of, looking upwards, as if invoking heaven to witness
their sincerity. The old man advancing, took me by the hand, and
looking up to heaven, said, " Allali K. Beer.'" I knew that Allah
was the Arabic name for the Supreme Being, and supposed Ii.. Beer
meant " our friend or father." I let him pass to the wreck, and went
and seated myself on the beach with the others, who seemed very
friendly, interlacing their fingers with mine ; putting my hat on one
another's head, and returning it to me again; stroking down my trow-
sers, feeling my head and hands, examining my shoes, and feeling
into my pockets, &c.
When the people had hauled the old man on board, I endeavoured
to make them understand that they must keep him until I was released,
but they did not comprehend my meaning, owing to the noise of the
surf; and after he had satisfied his curiosity by looking attentively at
every thing he could see, which was nothing more than the wreck of
the contents of the hold floating in her, inquiring for baftas, for fire
arms, and for money, as I afterwards learnt, and finding nope, he came
on shore. When he was near the beach, and I about to rise to meet
him, I was seized by both arms by the two stoutest of the young men,
who had placed themselves on each side of me for the purpose of
safe-keeping. They grasped my arms like lions, and at that instant
the women and children presented their daggers, knives, and spears
to my head and breast. To strive against them was instant death ; I
was therefore obliged to remain quiet, and determined to show no
concern for my life, or any signs of fear. The countenance of every
one around me now assumed the most horrid and malignant expres
sions ; they gnashed their teeth at me, and struck their daggers with
in an inch of every part of my head and body. The young men still
held me fast, while the old one, seizing a sharp scimitar, laid hold of
my hair at the same instant, as if to cut my throat, or my head off. I
concluded my last moments had come, and that my body was doom
ed to be devoured by these beings, whom I now considered to be
none other than cannibals, that would soon. glut their hungry stomachs
with my flesh. I could only say, " Thy will be done," mentally, and
felt resigned to my fate, for 1 thought it could not be prevented. But

their part, it soon appeared, was only for the purpose
me, and as I had not changed countenance, the old

Vhi

30 CAPTAIN Rir.EYV NARRATIVE.
this conduct on l
of frightening me,
man, after drawing his scimitar lightly across the collar of. my shirt,
which he cut a ]Utle, released my head, bidding me by signs to-order
all the money wa had on board to be brought directly on shore.
My mates "and people then on the wreck, had witnessed this scenfe,
and had agreed, as they afterwards informed me, that if I was mas
sacred, which they did not doubt from appearances would soon be the
case, to rush on shore in the boat, armed in the best manner they
were able, and revenge my death by selling their lives as dearly as
possible. When the old man had quit his hold, and I hailed my people, their
hopes began to revive, and one of them came on the hawser to know
what they should do. I told him all the money which they had on
board must be instantly brought on shore. He was in the water at
some distance from mc, and could not hear, on account of the noise
occasioned by the surf, what 1 added, which was for them not to part
with the money until I should be fairly released. He went on board,
and all hands hoping to procure my release, put their money which
they still had about -them, to the amount of about one thousand dol
lars into a bucket, and slinging it on the hawser, Porter shoved it
along before him nenr'the beach, and was about to bring it up to the
place where I sat. With considerable difficulty, however, Iprevented
dm, as the surf made such a roaring, that he' could not hear me,
though he was only a few yards distant; but he at last understood
my signs, and staid in the water until one of the young men went and
received it from him. The old man had taken his seat alongside of
me. and held his scimitar pointed at my breast.
The bucket of dollars was brought and poured into one end of the,
old man's blanket, when he bid me rise and go along with them, he
and the young men urging me along by both arms, with their daggers
drawn before, and the women and children behind with the spear, and
their knives near my back. In this manner they made me go with
them over the sand drifts to the distance of three or four hundred
yards, where they seated themselves and me on the ground. The old
man then proceeded to count and divide the money. He made three
heaps of it, counting into each heap by tens, and so dividing it exact
ly, gave to the two young men one-third or heap — to his two wives
one-third, and kept the other to himself. Each secured his and their
own part, by wrapping and tying it up in some of our clothing. Dur
ing this process, they had let go of my arms, though they were all
around me. I thought my fate was now decided, if I could not by
some means effect my escape. I knew they could outrun me, if I
should leap from them, and would undoubtedly plunge their weapons
to my heart if I attempted, and failed in the attempt. However, I
resolved to risk it, ami made a slight movement with that view at a
moment when I thought all eyes were turned from me ; but one of
the young men perceiving my manoeuvre, made a lounge at me with
his scimitar. 1 eluded the force of his blow, by falling backwards on
the ground; it however pierced my waistcoat. He was about to
repeat it, when the old man bade him desist.
The money being now distributed and tied up, they made me rise

Wreck or The commerce, St
\yith them, and were all going together from the beach, holding me by
the arms, with naked daggers all around me. There appeared now
no possible means of escape, when the thought suddenly occurred to
me, to tempt their avarice. I then, by signs, made them understand
that there was more money in the possession of the crew. This
seemed to please them, and they instantly turned themselves and me
about for the beach, sending the money off by one of the young men
and a boy. When they approached to within one hundred yards of
the beach, they made me seat myself on the sand between two of
them, who held me by the arms, bidding me order the money on
shore. I knew there was none on board the wreck, or in the boat,
but 1 imagined if I could get Antonio Michel on shore, I should be
able to make my escape. I hailed accordingly, and made signs to
my people to have one of them come near the shore ; but as they saw,
by every movement of the natives, that my situation was dreadfully
critical, none of them were inclined to venture, and I waited -more
than an hour, was often threatened with death, and made to halloo
with all my might, until 1 became so hoarse as scarcely to make my
self heard by those around me. The pity of Mr. Savage at last over
came his fears. He ventured on the hawser, and reaching the beach
in safety was about to come up to me, where he would have been cer
tainly seized on as I was, when I endeavoured to make him under
stand, by signs, that he must stay in the water, and keep clear of the
natives, if he valued his life ; but not being able to hear me, my guards,
who supposed I was giving him orders' to fetch the money, obliged
me to get up and approach him a little, until I made him understand
what I wanted : he then returned on board the wreck, and I was taken
back to my former station.
Antonio came to the shore, as soon as he knew it was my wish,
and made directly towards me. The natives, expecting he would
bring more money, flocked about him to receive it, but finding he had
none, struck him with their fists, and the handles of their daggers,
and stripped off all his clothing : the children at the same time prick
ing him with their sharp knives, and all seemed determined to torment
him with a slow and cruel death. He begged for his life upon his
knees, but they paid no regard to his entreaties. In hopes of saving
him from -the fury of these wretches, I told him to let them know by
signs that there were dollars and other things buried in the sand, near
where our tent had stood, and to endeavour to find them by digging.
A new spy-glass, a hand-saw, and several other things had been
buried there, and a bag containing about four hundred dollars at a
short distance from them. He soon made them understand that
something was buried, and they hurried him to the spot he had point
ed out, and he began to dig. 1 had imagined that if this man would
come on shore, I should be enabled to make my escape; yet I knew
not how, nor had I formed any plan for effecting it.
1 was seated on the sand, facing the sea, between the old man on
my left, with his spear uplifted in his left hand, pointing to my breast,
and the stoutest young man on my right, with a naked scimitar in his
right hand, pointing to my head — both weapons were within six inches
of me, and my guards within a foot on each side. I considered at
this time, that so soon as any thing should be found by those who

SSf CAPTAIN RIlEy's NARRATIVE.
Were digging/they would naturally speak nlid inform those who gtlafrl?
ed me of it ; (these had let go of my arms sometime before) and as 1
was pretty certain that both of them would look round as soon as
the discovery of any treasure should be announced, I carefully drew
up my legs under me, but without exciting suspicion, in order to be
ready for a start. The place where they were digging, was partly
behind us on our right, and upon their making a noise, both my guards
turned their heads and eyes from me towards them, when I instantly
sprang out from beneatli their weapons, and flew to the beach. 1 was
running for my life, and soon reached the water's edge. Knowing I
was'pursued, and nearly overtaken, I plunged into the sea, with all
my force, head foremost, and swam under water as long as I could
hold my breath; then rising to the surface, I looked round on my
pursuers. The old man was within ten feet of me, up to his chin in
water, and was in the act of darting his spear through my body, when
a surf rolling over me, saved my life, and dashed him and his com
rades on the beach. 1 was some distance westward of the wreck;
but swimming as fast as possible towards her, whilst surf after surf
broke in towering heights over me, I was enabled, by almost super
human exertion, to reach the lee of the wreck, when 1 was taken into
the boat over the stern by the mates and people.
I was so far exhausted that I could not immediately witness what
passed on shore, but was informed by those who did, that my pursuers
stood motionless on the beach, at the edge of the water, until I was
safe in the boat : that they then ran towards poor Antonio, and plung
ing a spear into his body near his left breast downwards, laid him dead
at their feet. They then picked up what things remained, and made
off all together. I saw them dragging Antonio's lifeless trunk across
the sand hills, and felt an inexpressible pang, that bereft me for a
moment of all sensation, occasioned by a suggestion that to me alone
his massacre was imputable; but on my recovery, when I reflected
there were no other means whereby my own life could have been
preserved, and, under Providence, the lives often men, who had been
committed to my charge, I concluded I had not done wrong, nor
have I since had occasion to reproach myself for being th? innocent
cause of his destruction; nor did any of my surviving shipmates,
though perfectly at liberty so to do, ever accuse me on this point ;
from which 1 think I have an undoubted right to infer, that their feel
ings perfectly coincided with mine on this melancholy occasion.

CHAPTER VI.
Providential preservation throughthe surf to the open ocean — Sufferings
in their shattered boat nine days at sea — Landing again on uve
frightful coast of the African D'esarl.
Hostilities had now commenced, and we could not doubt but
these merciless ruffians would soon return in force, and, when able
to overpower us, would massacre us all as they had already done
Antonio. The wind blowing strong, and the surf breaking outside

WRECK off THE COMMERCE, 3$
hfirl on the wreck twenty fir thirty feet high, the nope of getting to sea
In our crazy long boat was indeed but faint. She had beetfthWrp-
ing alongside the wreck, and on a sand bank all day, and writhed like
an old basket, taking in as much water as two men constantly
employed with buckets could throw out. The deck and outside of the
wreck were fast going to pieces, and the other parts could not hold
together long. The tide, (by being low,) together with the sand bar
that had been formed by the washing of the sea from the bow of the
wreck to the beach, had very much lessened the danger of communi1
eating with the shore during this day ; but it was now returning to
sweep every thing from the wreck, aided by the wind, which blew a
gale on shore every night. To remain on the wreck, or go on short,
was almost certain death ; the boat could no longer be kept afloat
alongside, and being without provisions or water, if we should put to
sea, we must soon perish. We had neither oars nor a rudder to the
boat; no compass nor a quadrant to direct our course ; but as it was
our only chance, I resolved to try and get to sea ; expecting, never
theless, we should be swallowed up by the first surf, and launched
into eternity all together.
I, in the first place, sent Porter onshore to get the two broken oars
that were still lying there, while 1 made my way through the water
into the' hold of the wreck, to try once more if any fresh water could
be found. 1 dove in at the hatchway, which was covered with water,
and found,, after coming up under the deck on the lauboard side, as 1
expected, just room enough to»breathe, and to work among the float
ing casks, planks, and wreck of the hold. After much labour I found
a water cajk, partly full, and turning it over, discovered that its bung
was tight. This gave me new courage, and after upheading it, I pame
up and communicated the circumstance to my shipmates, and we
then made search for some smaller vessel to fill from the cask. After
much trouble, a small keg was found in the after hold ; it might pro
bably hold four gallons — the head of the water cask was stove in, and
with the help of Mr. Savage and Clark, I got the keg full of water,
and a good drink for all hands besides, which was very much needed.
The others were in the mean time employed in rigging put spars
which we had lashed together over the stern of the wreck with a rope
made fast to their outer ends, in order to give the boat headway, and
clear her from the wreck, when we should finally shove off. Porter
had returned with the oars, and also brought the bag of money that
had been buried, containing about four hundred dollars : this he did
of his own accord.
We had got the small boat's sails, consisting of a jib and mainsail,
into the boat, with a spar thatTvould do for a mast, and the brig's fore-
topmast staysail; the keg of water, a few pieces of salt pork, a Jive
pig, weighing about twenty pounds, which had escaped to the shore
when the vessel. struck, and which had swam back to us again when
we were driven from the shore; about four pounds of figs, that had
been soaking in salt water ever since the brig was wrecked, and had
l>eeii fished out of her cabin; this was all our stock of provisions.
Every thing' being now ready, I endeavoured to encourage the crew
as well as I could: representing to them that it was better to be swal-
' lowed tip all together, than to suffer ourselves to be massacred by the
• 5

84 CAPTAIN RlLEY^S NARRATIVE.
ferocious savages ; adding, that the Almighty was able to save, even
When the last ray of hope was vanishing ; that we should never des
pair, but exert ourselves to the last extremity, and still hope for n:s
merciful protection.
As we surveyed the dangers that surrounded us, wave following
•wave, breaking with a dreadful crash just outside of us, at every
instant, our hearts indeed failed us, and there appeared no possibility
of getting safely beyond the breakers, without a particular interference
of Providence in our favour. The particular interference of Provi
dence in any case I had always before doubted ; but if there is a general,
there must be a particular Providence. Every one trembled with
dreadful apprehensions, and each imagined that the moment we ven
tured past the vessel's stern, would be his last. I then said, " Letus
pull off our hats, my shipmates and companions in distress." This
was done in an instant ; when lifting my eyes and my soul towards
heaven, I exclaimed, " Great Creator and preserver of the universe,
who now seest our distresses ; we pray thee to spare our lives, and
Eermit us to pass through this overwhelming surf to the open sea;
ut if we are doomed to perish, thy will be done ; we commit our
souls to the mercy of thee our God, who gave them : and O ! uni
versal Father, protect and preserve our widows and our children."
The wind, as if by divine command, at this very moment ceased to
blow. We hauled the boat out ; the dreadful surges that were nearly
bursting upon us, suddenly subsided, making a path for our boat,
through which we rowed her out as smoothly as if she had been on a
river in a calm, whilst on each side of us, and but a few yards distant,
the surf continued to break twenty feet high, and with unabated fury.
We had to row nearly a mile in this manner : all were fully convinced
that we were saved by the interposition of Divine Providence in this
S articular instance, and all joined in returning thanks to the Supreme
ieing for this mercy. As soon as we reached the open sea, and had
gained some distance from the wreck, we observed the surf rolling
behind us with the same force as it had on each side the boat. We
next fitted the mast, and set the small boat's mainsail. The wind
now veered four points to the eastward, so that we were enabled to
fetch pastthe point of the Cape, though the boat had neither keel nor
rudder. It was sunset when we got out, and night coming on, the
wind as usual increased to a gale before morning, and we kept the
boat to the wind by the help of an oar, expecting every moment to be
swallowed up by the waves. We were eleven in number on board ;
two constantly bailing were scarcely able to keep her free, changing
hands every half hour. The night was very dark and foggy, and we
could not be sure of fetching clear of the land, having nothing to
guide us but the wind. In the morning we sailed back again for the
land, and had approached it almost within reach of the breakers with
out seeing it, when we put about again. It had been my intention
after we had got to sea, to run down the coast in the hope of finding
some vessel, or to discover the mouth of some river, in order to
obtain a supply of water. But now the dangers and difficulties we
should have to encounter m doing this, were taken into consideration/
If we tried to navigate along the coast, it was necessary to know our
course, or we should be in imminent danger of being dashed to pieces •

§CPPERtNG9 IN THE BdAT. 33
Oh it every dark day, and every night. The thick foggy weather
would prevent our seeing the land in the day time ; whilst "the wind,
blowing almost directly on the land, would force us towards it, and
endanger the safety of both the boat and our lives, at every turn or
point We had no compass to guide us either by day or night; no
instrument by which to mid our latitude ; no rudder to steer our boat
with; nor were we in possession of materials wherewith it was possible
to make one ; she had no keel to steady her, nor was there a steering
place in her stern, where an oar could be fixed by any other means
than by lashing to the stern ring, which afforded a very unsteady hold.
On the one hand, we considered that if we escaped the danger of
being driven on shore or foundering at sea, and should succeed in
reaching the cultivated country south of the desart, we should have
to encounter the ferocious inhabitants, who would not fail, in the hope
of plunder, to massacre us, or doom us to slavery. On the other
hand, we reflected that we had escaped from savages who lad already
killed one of our shipmates, had gained the open sea through divine
mercy, and could stand off to the westward without fear of being
driven on shore. In this direction we might meet with some friendly
vessel to save us, which was our only hope in that way ; and the
worst that could happen to us was to sink altogether in the sea, or
gradually perish through want of sustenance.
Having considered, and represented to my companions the dangers
that beset us on every side, I asked their opinions one by one, and
found they were unanimously in favour of committing themselves to
the open sea in preference to keeping along the coast. The dangers
appeared to be fewer, and all agreed that it was better to perish on
the ocean, if it was God's will, than by the hands of the natives.
There being a strong breeze, we stood off by the wind and rigged our
jib. We now agreed to put ourselves upon allowance of one bottle
of water and half a bottle of wine among eleven of us, and a scrap of
pork and two soaked and salted figs for each man. During this day,
which was the 30th August, 18i5, we fitted waist cloths to go
round above the gunwale of the boat, to prevent the sea from dashing
over; they were from eight to ten inche"s broad, made from the brig's
fore-staysail, and were kept up by small pieces of a board which we
formed in the boat, so that they helped in some measure to keep off
the spray. It had been cloudy all day, and the boat leaked faster
than she had done before. As night came on the wind blew hard
and raised the sea very high, but the boat was kept near the wind by
her sails, and drifted broadside before it, smoothing the sea to the
windward, and did not ship a great deal of water. On the 31st it
became more moderate, but the weather was very thick and hazy.
Our pig being nearly dead for the want of water, we killed it, taking
care, however, to save his blood ; which we divided amongst us and
drank, our thirst having become almost insupportable. We also
divided the pig's liver, intestines, &c. between us, and ate some of
them, (as they were fresh,) to satisfy, in some degree, our thirst.
Thus this day passed away ; no vessel was yet seen to relieve us ; we
had determined to save our urine for drink, which we accordingly did
in some empty bottles, and found great relief from the use of it; for
being obliged to labour hard by turns to keep the boat above water,

il, eAHAitf fttLErs, NA.RRATiV^i
bur thirst was much ntot'e severely felt than if we hacl remained" .stjlli
The night Caip e on very dark and lowering; the sky seemed big wjth
an impending tempest; the wind blew hard from theN. E. and before
midnight the sea dashed into the boat in such quantities as several
times to fill her more than half full. All hands were employed jn
throwing out the water with hats and other things,, each believing ,'his
final hour had at length arrived, and expecting that every approach,-
ingsur-ge would bury him for ever in a watery grave.
.The boat racked like an old basket, letting in water at every seam
and split ; her timbers working out or breaking off; the nails I luid
nut in while last on shore were kept from entirely drawing out, merely
W the pressure of the water acting on the outside of the boat. Sharp
flashes of lightning, caused by heat and vapour, shot across the
Sloom, rendering the scene doubly horrid. In this situation, some of
le men thought it was no longer of use to try to keep the boat afloaf,
as they said she must soon fill in spite of all their exertions. Having.
prayed to the Almighty, and implored pardon for our transgressions,
each, one seemed perfectly lesigned to his fate : this was a trying
moment, however, and my example and advice could scarcely induce
them to continue bailing; whilst some of them, by thrusting their
heads into the water, endeavoured to ascertain what the pains of death
were, by feeling the effects the water would produce on their organs.
Thus passed this night ; all my exertions were necessary to encourage
the men to assist me in bailing the boat, by reminding them of our
miraculous escape from the savages, and through the surf to the open
sea, and enforcing on their minds the consideration that we were still
in the hands of the same disposing power, and that we ought not to'
suppose we were aided in escaping from the shore by a miracle, to
be abandoned here and swallowed up by the ocean; and that for my
own part I still entertained hopes of our preservation ; at any rate,
that it was a duty we owed to God and ourselves to Strive to the latest-
breath to prevent our own destruction. Day came on amidst these
accumulated horrors; it was the first of September: thirst pressed,
upon us, which we could only allay by wetting our mouths, twice a
day with a fow drops of wine and water, and as many times with oui
urine. _ The wind continued to blow hard all this day, and the succeeding
night witli great violence, and the boat to work and leak in the same
manner as before. Worn down with fatigues and long continued
hunger and thirst, scorched by the burning rays pf the sun, anil no
vessel appearing to save us, our water fist diminishing, as well as our
strength, every hope of succour by meeting with a vessel entirely failed
me, so that in the afternoon of the 2d of September, I represented to
my companions, that as we were still alive, after enduring so many
trials, it was my advice to put about, and make towards the CQast
again ; that if we continued at sea we must inevitably perish, and that
we could but perish in returning towards the land; that we might
stjL exist four or five days longer, by means of the water and provi-
. sions that remained, and tnat it might be the will of Providence to
send us on the coast where our vessel had been wrecked, and where
means were perhaps prepared to bring about our deliverance and resV
toranqn to wr country and our families. All seemed convinced' that'

StiFEERtNCS IN THE BOAT. 5f
it Was so, and we immediately pttt about with a kind of cheermlnesW
I had not observed in any countenance since our first disaster.
From this time all submitted to their fate with tolerable patienCe,
and kept the boat free, though we had continual bad weather, without
murmuring. We wetted our lips with wine and water twice evCrjr
day, and ate the bones and some of the raw flesh of our pig, with itst
skin ; but at length we became so faint as to be Unable to take dor
turds in bailing, whilst the boat laboured so much as to work off
nearly all the nails that kept the planks to her timbers above water.
By the 6th of September, at night, we had riot made the land, and
could not hope to make the boat hold together in any manner above
another day. I expected we should have found the land that day,
but was disappointed, and some of the people began again to despair.
Impelled by thirst, they forgot what they owed to their shipmates,"
and in the night got at, and drank off one of the two bottles of wine!'
we had remaining. When I mentioned the loss of the wine on the
morning of the 7th, all denied having taken or drank it, adding that it
was an unpardonable crime, und that those who did it ought to be
thrown overboard instantly. Krom the heat observable in their con
versation, I guessed'the offenders; but the wine was gone; and no
remedy remained but patience, and stricter vigilance for the ftttufe.
In a short time we discovered land at a great distance ahead, and to
leeward. This gave all hands new spirits ; hope again revived for a
moment. The land appeared perfectly smooth in the distant horizon ;
not the smallest rising or hill was lobe seen, and 1 concluded we
must be near a desart (¦oust, where our sufferings would find no relief
but in death. Wc continued to approach the laud,, driving along to
the southward by a swift current, roaring like a strong tide in a irstr-
rdw rocky passage, until near sunset.
The coast now appeared to lie formed of perpendicular and over
hanging cliffs, rising to a great height, with no shelving shore to land
on, or way by which we might mount to the top of the precipices.
My opinion was, that we should endeavour to keep to sea this night
also, and steer along down the coast, until by the help of daylight,
we might find a better place to kind, and where we. should not be in
such danger of being overwhelmed by the surf; but in this 1 was
opposed by the united voice of the mates and all the people.
The surf was breaking high among the rocks, near the shore: we
were now very near the land, and seeing a small spot that bore the
appearance of a sand beach, we made for it, and approaching it with
the help of our oars, we were carried on the top of a tremeridous
wave, so as to be high and dry when the surf retired, oh a little piece
of sand beach, just large enough for the boat to lie on. Without usr,
and in the track we came, numerous fragments of rocks Showed their
craggy heads, over which the surf foamed as it retired, with a dresid-
ful roaring, which made us feel we had once more escaped instant
destruction, by what appeared a miraculous interference of Provi
dence. I
We got out of ,the boat, and carried up the little remains of our
water and pork among the rocks, beyond the reach of the surf r the
remain* or the pig had been' previously conSurhed. Our boat was
now stove in reality; over our heads' pended huge masses of broken
4

38 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
and shattered ro^ks, extending both ways as far as the eye conld
reach : our limbs had become stiff for the want of exercise ; our flesh
had wasted away for the want of sustenance, and through fatigue our
tongues were so stiff in our parched mouths, that we could with great
difficulty speak so as to be understood by each others though we had
finished our last bottle of wine between us, for fear of losing it, just
before we ventured to the shore through the surf.
Being thus placed on dry land, we had yet to discover how we
were to reach the surface above us; so taking Mr. Savage with me,
we clambered over the rocks to the westward, (for the coast run
ning here from E. N. E. to W. S. W. induced me to think we were
near Cape Blanco, which indeed afterwards proved to be the case,)
but we searched in vain, and as there appeared to be no access to
the summit in that direction, we returned (it being then dark) to our
shipmates, who had been busied in preparing a place on the sand,
between the rocks, to sleep on. Wc now wet our mouths with water,
ate a small slice of the fat of salt pork, and after pouring out our souls
before the universal Benefactor, in prayers and thanksgiving for his
mercy and his long continued goodness, (as had constantly Been our
custom,) we laid down to rest, and, notwithstanding our dreadful
situation, slept soundly till daylight.

CHAPTER VII.
Sufferings of the Crete, and manner of climbing over the rocks along
the sea slime, under high cliffs — Reaching the surface oftlie Desart —
Meeting with a company of wandering Arabs, by ichom they are
seized as slaves, and stripped naked.
On the morning of September the 8th, as soon as it was light,
being much refreshed by our undisturbed sleep, we agreed to leave
all we had that was cumbrous or heavy, and try to make our way to
the eastward, in hopes of finding a place, whilst we had yet strength
remaining, to dig for water, or to get to the surface of the land above
ns, where we hoped to find some herbage or vegetable juice to allay,
in some degree, our burning thirst, which was now rendered more
grievous than ever, by our eating a few muscles that were found on
the rocks, and extremely salt. Having agreed to keep together, and
to render each other mutual assistance, we divided amongst us the
little water we had, every one receiving his share in a bottle, in order
to preserve it as long as possible : then taking a small piece or two of
pork, which we slung on our backs, either in a spare shirt or a piece
of canvass, leaving all our clothes but those we had on, and our jack
ets, we bent our way towards the east. I had, before starting, buried
the bag of dollars, and induced each man to throw away every one he
had about him, as I was convinced that money had been the cause of
our former ill treatment, by tempting the natives to practise treache
rous and cruel means, in order to extort it from us.
We proceeded now, as well as we were able, 'along close to the
water side. Ihe land was either nearly perpendicular, or jutting

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 39
over our heads, rising to the height of from five to six hundred feet,
and we were forced to climb over masses of sharp and craggy rocks,
from two to three hundred feet in height ; then to descend again by
letting ourselves down from rock to rock, until we reached the water's
edge; now waiting for a surf to retire, while we rushed one byona
past a steep point, up to our necks in the water, to the rocks more
favourable on the other side, where by clinging fast hold, we kept our
selves from being washed away by the next surf, until, with each
other's assistance, we clambered up beyond the reach of the greedy
billows. The beating of the ocean, and the force of the currents
against this coast, had undermined the precipices in such a manner,
that yast masses of rocks, gravel, and sand, had given way and tum
bled to the shore. Rocks falling on rocks, had formed chasms,
through which we were forced to pass at times, for a long distance ;
and surmounting one obstacle, seemed only to open to our view
another, and a more dangerous one. At one place, we were obliged
to climb along on a narrow ledge of rocks, between forty and fifty
feet high, and not more than eighteen inches broad ; those at our
backs were perpendicular, and a little higher up, huge pieces that had
been broken off from near the surface, and stopped on their way down
by other fragments, seemed to totter as if on a pivot, directly over
our heads ; while the least slip must have plunged us into the fright
ful abyss below, where the foaming surges would instantly have
dashed us to pieces against the rocks. Our shoes were nearly all
worn off; our feet were lacerated and bleeding; the rays of the sun,
beating on our emaciated bodies, heated them, we thought, nearly to
dissolution; and under these towering cliffs, there was not a breath of
air to fan our almost boiling blood. I had, in crawling through one
of the holes between the rocks, broke my bottle, and spilled the little
water it contained ; and my tongue, cleaving to the roof of my mouth,
was as useless as a dry stick, until I was enabled to loosen it by the
expedient before mentioned.
Thus passed this day with us, and when night came on, it brought
with it new distresses. We had advanced along the coast not more
than about four miles this day, with all the exertion we were capable
of, without finding any change for the better in our local situation,
whilst our strength was continually diminishing, and no circumstance
occurred to revive our hopes. We had seen this day, however, on
the broken rocks, several locusts, which we took to be grasshoppers,
and concluded, if we could once reach the surface, we should find
herbage, at least, to feed on. These locusts were dead, and crum
bled to dust on the slightest touch.
We now found a good place in the sand, about one hundred feet
from the sea, under a high cliff, to sleep on ; here we greased our
mouths by eating a small piece of salt pork, and wet them, as usual,
with a sip of urine. All hands, except myself, had a little fresh water
left; my comrades knew I had not one drop, and two of them offered
to let me taste of theirs, with which 1 just moistened my tongue,
and after sending up our prayers to heaven, for mercy and relief in
our forlorn and desolate condition, we laid ourselves down to sleep.
I had, on setting out from home, received Horace Savage under
my particular charge, from his widowed mother; his father, when

4f) CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE,
living, having been my intimate friend, I promised her to take care
of him, as if he was my own son, and this promise 1 had endeavour
ed to fulfil. He was now in deep distress, and I determined within
myself that I would adopt him, as my own son, for his mother was poor;
that 1 would watch over his ripening years, in case we both lived, and
if fortune should favour me in future, that he should share it in com
mon with my children. 1 now took him in my arms, and we all slept
soundly till morning, though the change was so great in the night,
from extreme heat to a damp cold air, that we awoke in tlie morning
(September 9th) with benumbed and trembling limbs. Sleep, how
ever, had refreshed us, and though our feet were torn, and our frames
nearly exhausted, yet we chased away despair, and set forward on our
journey. We had soon discovered, at no great distance ahead, a sand beach
that appeared large, and from which the shore upward seemed more
sloping, as if opening a way to the surface above it; we also thought
we should be able, in case we could reach the beach, to get water
that would be drinkable, by digging in the sand down to a level with
the sea, and letting it filter into the hole ; this I had done on the Lit
tle Keys of the Bahama bank with success, and expected it would
be the same here ; — so we made our way slowly along, as we had
done the day before, until we got within a short distance of this beach,
where we met with a promontory of rocks, which rose in height even
with the surface above us ; jutting far out into the sea, whose waves
had worn in under its base to the distance of fifty or one hundred feet,
and now dashed in a wild and frightful manner against the projecting
points, which its washings for ages had formed underneath. To climb
over this formidable obstruction, was impossible ; to get around it
through the water, appeared equally so, as there was not sufficient
time, by the greatest exertion, to pass before the return of the surf,
which would inevitably hurl the adventurer into the cavities under the
cliff, among the sharp rocks, where he must immediately perish.
Thus far we had all got safe ; to advance by what appeared to be
the only possible way, seemed like seeking instant death ; to remain
in our present situation, was merely to die a lingering one ; and to
return, was still worse, by increasing our pains, without leading to any
chance of relief. Before us was a prospect of getting water, and
arriving at the summit of the land, if we could only get round the
promontory alive ; and fortunately, at this moment we observed a rock
about half way across this point, that had tumbled down from above,
and had been washed full of holes ; it was covered by every surf, and
its top left bare as the wave receded. I imagined! could reach it
before the wave came in ; and after making known my intentions to
my companions, 1 followed -the surf out, and laid hold of the rock
just as the returning swell overwhelmed me. I clung to it for my
life, the surf passing over me, and spending its fury among the crags :
the instant it retired I hurried on to the steep rocks beyond the point,
whe're I again held on, while another surf swept over me, and then
left me to clamber up, as quick as I was able, on the flat surface of
the rock, beyond the reach of the waves. The tide was not yet en
tirely out, though I had judged it was; and as it continued to rail.
my people following the same course and embracing the same meansi

Sufferings in Africa. 41
all got safe to the first rock, and from thence to the place where I
lay prostrate to receive and assist them in getting up. Though our
limbs and bodies were very much bruised in this severe encounter,
yet we felt somewhat encouraged, and made for the sand beach as
fast as we were able. We soon reached it, and began digging in the
sand for water, at different distances from the sea, but found it to be
as salt as the ocean.
After digging several holes farther off, and meeting with dry rock
instead of water, 1 pitched upon a spot for our last effort ; and while
the others were digging, I told them 1 would go and see if I could
get up the bank, and if I succeeded that I would return in a short
time with the news : the bank here rose abruptly, leaving, however, in
some places sufficient slope for a man to ascend it by climbing.
Through one of these slopes I made my way up, in the hope of find
ing some green thing that might help to allay our burning thirst, and
some tree to shelter us from the scorching blaze of the sun ; but what
was my surprise when I came to the spot so long desired, and found
it to be a barren plain, extending as far as the eye could reach each
way, without a tree, shrub, or spear of grass, that might give the
smallest relief to expiring nature ? I bad exerted myself to the utmost
to get there ; the dreary sight was more than I could bear; my spirits
fainted within me, and I fell to the earth deprived of every sensation.
When I recovered, it was some time before I could recollect where I
was : my intolerable thirst, however, at length convinced me, and I
was enabled to administer the same wretched and disgusting relief to
which I had so frequently before been compelled to resort.
Despair now seized on me, and. I resolved to cast myself into the
sea as soon as I could reach it, and put an end to my life and miseries
together. But when I the next moment reflected that 1 had left ten
ofmy fellow creatures on the shore, who looked up to me for an exam
ple of courage and fortitude, and for whom I still felt myself bound to
continue my exertions, which might yet be blessed with success ;
and that at the moment when 1 supposed the hand of relief far from
me, it might be very near ; and when I next thought of my wife and
children, I felt a kind of conviction within me, that we should not all
perish after such signal deliverances. I then made for the sea side
about a mile eastward of my men, and finding a good place between
some roeks, I bathed myself for half an hour in the sea water, which
refreshed and revived me very much, and then returned to my men
with a heart lighter than I expected. I was very much fatigued, and
threw myself down on the sand. They huddled around me to know
what success I had met with ; but to waive the subject of my sad
discovery, I told them we could go along the beach for two miles
before meeting again with the perpendicular cliffs, and would find
great relief by bathing our bodies in the saltwater; inquiring, at the
same time, if they had found any fresh in the last place they had been
digging. I thus diverted their minds, in some measure, from the
object they wished to inquire after; and as I found they had dug
down six or eight feet, and had found no water, having come to a
roek which frustrated all their attempts ; with heavy hearts and tot
tering limbs we staggered along the shore together.
It was about mid-day whence got to the end of the sand beach}
4 * 6

42 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
my people thought it would be impossible for theiri to climb the
craggy steep ; so with common consent we laid ourselves down under
the shade formed by a shelving rock, to rest, and to screen ourselves
from the rays of the sun, which had heated the air to such a degree,
that it was with the greatest difficulty we could fetch our breath.
There was no wind or^air stirring at this time, except the hot steam
rising from the sandy beach, which had been wet by the sea at the
last tide. ,
Having lain down in our exhausted state, neither thirst nor our
reflections, had power to keep our eyes open ; we sunk into a lethargic
sleep, which continued about two hours, during which time a light
breeze from the sea had set in, and gently fanned and refreshed our
debilitated bodies. We then ascended the steep bank, crawling fre
quently on our hands and knees. Though I had previously prepared
all their minds for a barren prospect, yet the signt of it, when they
reached its level, had such an effect on their senses that they sunk to
the earth involuntary; and as they surveyed the dry and dreary waste,
stretching out to an immeasurable extent before them, they exclaimed,
" 'Tis enough ; here we must breathe our last ; we have no hope before
us of finding either water or provisions, or human beings, or even
wild beasts ; nothing can live here." The little moisture yet left in
us overflowed at our eyes ; but as the salt tears rolled down our woe-
worn and haggard cheeks, we were fain to catch them with our fingers
and carry them to our mouths, that' they might not be lost, and serve
to moisten our .tongues, that were now nearly as dry as parched
leather, and so stiff, that with difficulty we could articulate a sentence
so as to be understood by each other.
I began now to exhort and press them to go forward ; telling them
thafwe still might find relief, and in this effort I was assisted by Hogan,
who thought with me that it was time enough to lie down and die,
when we could not walk. Mr. Williams and Mr. Savage were also
willing, and we moved on slowly, with scarcely a hope, however, of
meeting with the least relief. We continued along on the edge of
the cliffs, which could not be less than from five to six hundred feet
in perpendicular height: the surface of the ground was baked down
almost as hard as flint ; it was composed of small ragged stones,
gravel, and reddish earth. We observed a small dry stalk of a plant'
resembling that of a parsnip, though very low ; and some dry remains
of locusts were also scattered on the surface as we proceeded. Near
night we saw some small holes dug on the surface, and on examina
tion found they had been made in order to get at the root of the dry
weed we had just before seen : this we conceived had been done by
some wild beasts ; but finding no tracks of any kind near them, nor
on the dirt dug up, I concluded it was done by man, and declared my
hopes to my desponding companions of soon meeting with human
beings. We procured, after great labour in digging with sticks we had
brought from the boat and the help of stones, a few small pieces of a
root as large as a man's finger ; it was very dry, but in taste resembled
smellage or celery. We could not get enough to be of any material
service to us, owing to the scarcity of the plant, and the hardness of
the ground ; but about sunset we discovered, on a small spot of sand

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 43
the imperfect track of a camel, and thought we saw that of a man,
which we took to be a very old track.
Believing from our present feelings that we could not possibly
survive a day longer without drink, and no signs of finding any appear
ing, the last ray of hope faded away, and the gloom of despair, which
had at length settled on our hearts, now became visible in every coun
tenance. A little after sunset we saw at a considerable distance in
advance, perhaps three or four miles, another sand beach, and I urged
myself forwards towards it as fast as I could, in hopes of getting some
rest by sleeping on the sand for the night, as the ground we were
now on was as hard as a rock, and covered with small sharp stones.
I was encouraging the men to follow on, when Clark, being near me,
begged me to look towards the beach, saying, "1 think I see a light !"
It was the light of a fire !
Joy thrilled through my veins like the electric spark : hope again
revived within me, and while I showed it to my sinking and despair
ing crew, I found it communicated to them the same feelings. I told
them we must approach the natives, who 1 could not doubt were
encamped for the night, with the greatest caution, for fear of alarming
them, and falling a sacrifice to their fury, in the confusion we might
occasion by our sudden approach in the dark. New life and spirits
were infused into all the crew, and we soon reached a broken place in
the bank, through which we descended carefully over the broken rocks,
from three to four hundred feet, to a sandy spot near its base, where
we laid ourselves down for the night, after imploring the protection of
Almighty God, and wetting our mouths with a few drops of water
still remaining in the bottles.
The sand on which we lay was heated by the sun's rays sufficiently
to have roasted eggs, and as we were on the side of a sand hill, we
scraped off the top of it for a foot or two deep ; when finding the heat
more supportable, and the cool breeze of the' night setting in, all
hands being excessively fatigued, soon forgot their sufferings in the
arms of sleep, excepting myself; for my mind had become so excited
by alternate hopes, and fears, and reflections, that I was kept awake
through the whole of this long and dismal night. I had determined,
as soon as daylight appeared, to show ourselves to the natives, and
submit either to death or life from their hands. I had no doubt of
their being Arabs who would take and hold us as slaves, and though
I did not expect myself to live but a short time in that condition, I
presumed some of my fellow sufferers might, and that it was a decree
of Providence which had set this alternative before us.
1 no longer felt any fear of death, for that would put a period to my
long sufferings : my thirst had become so insupportable, that I could
with difficulty breathe, and thought I would be willing to sell my life
for one gill of fresh water. My distresses had been so excessive, and
my cares and anxieties for my shipmates so great, that all thoughts of
my family had been driven almost entirely from my mind. I could
not sleep — why was I denied what all around me were enjoying ? I
shut my eyes, and prayed to be permitted to sleep, if only for one
hour, but all in vain. I imagined that the savages, who were near
us, would not take our lives immediately, as it was contrary to the na
ture of man to slay his fellow creatures, merely from a thirst for blood.

44 captain riley's NARRATIVE.
We had now no arms to defend ourselves, nor ariyprbpertV td
excite their jealousy, revenge, or avarice ; we were as miserable, 1
conceived, as human beings could be, and I hoped we should excite
pity, even in the breasts of the savage Arabs. I could hardly yet
think, that we were to fall a sacrifice to these people, after the provi
dential escapes we had already experienced : next, the remembiariCe
of my wife and children flitted across my mind, and I was forced to
acknowledge, that however bad their situation might be, their real
distress could in no wise equal mine, and that I had no right to repine
at the dispensations of Providence, since every mortal has his circle
Wisely marked out by heaven ; and nothing but blindness to the future,
occasions us to complain of the ways of our Creator. If it was the
will of the Supreme Being that I should again see and embrace my
beloved family, it would certainly take place ; if not, that power who
ordered all things for the general good, would hot forsake them.
Thus passed away the night, which had seemed to me an endlfesS
one. I was impatient to know my fate, and chid the slowness of the
sun; my great anxiety and wakefulness, rendered my thirst doubly
fiainful, and having expended all the urine I had so carefully saved, I
lad recourse before morning to robbery, and actually stole a sip of
the cook's, water, which he had made and saved in a bottle ; but the
only taste it had for me was a salt one, and it seemed (if possible) to
increase my burning thirst. The day at last arrived that was to decide
our fate. It was the 10th of September. I awakened my com-
panionsj and told them we must now go forward and show ourselves
to the natives — that I expected they would seize upon us as slaves,
but had strong hopes that some of us would escape with Our lives!
I also mentioned to them the name of the American Consul Gene
ral at Tangier, and that if it ever was in their power, they must write
to him, and inform him of the fate of our vessel and her crew : to
write, it possible, to any Christian merchant in Mogadore, Gibraltar
or elsewhere, or to the Consul at Algiers, Tunis, or Tripoli, if they
should hear those places mentioned, and exhorted all to submit to
their fate like men, ahd be obedient, as policy required, to their future
masters. I reminded them again of the former interposition's of Pro
vidence in our favour, and said all I could to encourage and persuade
them, that mildness and submission might save our lives  that resis
tance and stubbornness would certainly tend to make them more mise
rable while alive, and probably prompt the natives to murder them
out of resentment.
All agreed to go forward, and on rising the little sandhills near us
we discovered a very large drove of camels at about half a mile to the
eastward df us with a large company of people, in a kind of valley
formed by a ridge of sand* hills on the north next the sea, and by fiS
high land to the south, rising from five to six hundred feet in upright
and overhanging cliffs-through which, a little farther on, we saw a
deep hollow that appeared to have been formed by some convulsive
Shock of the earth, which had thus made a sort of passage, VriroS
which camels were enabled to pass up and down, but wffl great dif
ficulty. The Arabs seemed busied in giving water to tbpir Tz2E
they saw us and in an instant one man !„d IvoZmnZ Sell
us with great speed. As they came forward, many others of WW

MP an <

iitiiii

'mFa

w

!

' *m if

sopFKntsaa is Africa. 43
who SAw us, also began to advance ! so taking Mr. Williams" and Mr.
Savage with me, I went forward to meet them, b*owed myself to the
ground before them, and with signs implored their compassion.
The man was armed with a scimitar, which he held naked in his
hand. He ran up to me as if to cut me 10 the earth : I bowed again
in token of submission, and he began without further ceremony to
strip off my clothing, while the women were (Joing the same to Mr.
Williams and Mr. Savage. Thirty or forty more were arriving — some
running on foot, with muskets or naked scimitars in their hands ;
others riding on swift camels, came quickly up : — by the time they
arrived, however, we were all stripped naked to the skin. Those
Arabs near us threw up sand into the air, as the others approached,
yelling loudly, which I now learned was a sign of hostility. The one
who stript me had also taken the cook, and had put all the clothing'
he had stript from us into a blanket, which he had taken from off his
own back for that purpose, leaving himself entirely naked. This
bundle he laid on the negro's shoulders, making me understand that
myself and the black man belonged to him, and that we must not let
the others take the clothes in the bundle under pain of death.
As soon as those on the camels were near, they made them lie
down, andjumping off, ran to us with their scimitars naked and ready
for action ; those on foot now joined these, and a great noise and
scuffle ensued. Six or eight of' them were about me, one hauling me
one way and one another : poor Dick, the black man, partook of the
hauling, and each man seemed to insist most strenuously that we
belonged of right to him. The one who stript us, stuck to us as his
lawful property, signifying, " you may have the others, these are
mine.'' They cut at each other over my head, and on every side of
me, with their bright weapons, which fairly whizzed through the air
within an inch of my naked body, and on every side of me, now hack
ing each other's aims apparently to the bonei then laying their ribs
bare with gashes, while their heads, hands, and thighs, received a full
share of cuts and wounds. The blood, streaming from every gash,
ran down their bodies, colouring and heightening the natural hideous*
ness of their appearance. I had expected to be cut to pieces in this
dreadful affray, but was not injured.
Those who were not actually engaged in combat, seized the occa
sion, and snatched away the clothing in Dick's bundle, so that when
the fight was over, he had nothing left but his master's blanket. This
battle and contest lasted for nearly an hour — brother cutting brother,
friend slashing friend. Happily for them, their scimitars were not
very sharp, so that when they rubbed off the dried blood from their
bodies afterwards with sand, their wounds were not so great or deep
as I expected they would be, and they did not pay the least apparent
attention to tliem. I had no time to see what they were doing with
my shipmates; only myself and the cook were near each other.
The battle over, I saw my distressed companions divided among
the Arabs, and all going towards the drove of camels, though they
were at some distance from me. We two were delivered into the
hands of two old women, who urged us on with sticks towards the
camels. Naked and barefoot, I could not go very fast, and showed
the women my mouth, which was parched white as frost, and without

46 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
a sign of moisture. When we got near the well, one of th6 women
called for another, who came to us with a wooden bowl, that held, I
should guess, about a gallon of water, and setting it on the ground,
made myself and Dick kneel down and put our heads into it like
eamels. I drank I suppose half a gallon, though I had been very
particular in cautioning the men against drinking too much at a time,
in case they ever came to water. They then led us to the well, the
water of which was nearly as black and disgusting as stale bilge water.
A large bowl was now filled with it, and a little sour camel's milk
poured from a goat skin into it; this tasted to me delicious, and
we all drank of it till our stomachs were literally filled. But this
intemperance very soon produced a violent diarrhoea ; the conse
quences of which, however, were not, very troublesome, and as our
situation was similar to that of a beast, being totally divested of
clothing, all we cared about was to slake our unabating thirst, and
replenish our stomachs' by repeated draughts of this washy and
unwholesome swill.
We now begged for something to eat, but these Arabs had nothing
for themselves, and seemed very sorry it was not in their power to
give us some food. There were at and about the well, I should
reckon, about one hundred persons, men, women, and children, and
from four to five hundred camels, large and small. The sun beat
very fiercely upon us, and our skins seemed actually to fry like meat
before the fire. These people continued to draw water for their
camels, of which the animals drank enormous quantities. It was about
ten o'clock A. M. as I judged by the sun, when one company of the
Arabs, having finished watering, separated their camels from among
the others, took Mr. Williams, Robins, Porter, Hogan, Barrett, and
Burns, niounted them on the bare backs of the camels behind the
hump, by the hair of which they were obliged to steady themselves
and hold on, without knowing whither they were going, or if I should
ever see them again. 1 took an affectionate leave of them. This
their Arab masters permitted me to do without interruption, and could
not help showing at this scene, that the feelings of humanity were not
totally extinguished in their bosoms. They then hurried them off,
and ascending through the hollow or crevice towards the face of the
desart, they were all soon out of sight.
There remained with the party to which I belonged, Mr. Savage,
Clark, Horace, and Dick the cook. Mr. Savage was permitted to
retain an old Guernsey frock, and part of a pair of trowsers about his
middle, which they had not pulled off: but the rest of us were entirely
stripped. Mr. Savage, Clark, and Horace were forced to assist in
drawing water for the camels, until all had drank their fill : then hav
ing filled with water a considerable number of goat skins, which had
been cut round the neck and stripped off these animals over the tail,
leaving them otherwise as whole as when on their backs, they slung
them by the skin of their legs on each side of the camels, after tying
up the neck to prevent the water escaping, by means of a small rope
which they fastened to the fore legs of the skin to keep it up. They
next put on their baskets for the women and children to ride in : these
were made of camel's skin, and fixed in such a manner, with a wooden
rjm around them, over which the skin was sewed, that three or four

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA* il
fcould sit in them with perfect safety and ease, only taking care to
preserve their balance. These baskets were fastened under the
camels' bellies with a strong rope : I was obliged to assist in putting
them on, and was in hopes of being permitted to ride in one of them ;
but that was not the intention of my master. I, as well as those who
were with me, had drank a great deal of water, while we were at the
well, which had passed off, as before observed, without doing us any
injury. We had been furnished also with a little milk in our water
two or three times, which gave some relief to our hunger. The men
had saddles just large enough for their seat : the pads are made of flat
pieces of wood ; a piece of the same rises in front, being about the
length, breadth, and thickness of a man's hand ; an iron rim, or a
strong wooden one, goes round on each side, forming a circle;
covered with a piece of skin stretched and sewed tight over it. The
saddle is then placed on the camel's back before the hump, and
fastened tight by a rope under his belly. Thus prepared, we began
to mount the sand hills and get up through the gulley. We were
forced to walk and to drive the camels and keep them together, whilst
the sand was so soft and yielding, that we sunk into it every step
nearly to our knees. The blazing heat of the sun's rays darting on
our naked bodies, and reflected frpm the sand we waded through ; the
sharp pointed craggy rocks and stones that cut our feet and legs to
the bone, in addition to our excessive weakness, which the dysentery
had increased, rendered our passage up through this chasm or hollow
much more severe than any thing of the kind we had before under
gone, and nearly deprived us of life. For my own part, I thought I
must have died before I could reach the summit, and was obliged to
stop in the sand, until by the application of a stick to my sore back by
our drivers, I was forced up to its level ; and there they made the
camels lie down and rest.

CHAPTER VIII.
The author and his crew are carried on camels into the interior of the
Desart of Zahahrah — The Arabs hold a council — The crew are sold
and distributed — The author's remarkable, dream — The skin and flesh
are literally roasted off from his body and from the bones of his com
panions — Their dreadful sufferings while naked and wandering about
the desart with their masters, subsisting only On a little camel's milk-
Two Arab traders arrive.
The Arabs had been much amused in observing our difficulty in
ascending the height, and kept up a laugh while they were whipping
us forward. Their women and children were on foot as well as them
selves, and went up without the smallest difficulty or inconvenience.
though it was extremely hard for the camels to mount, and before they
got to the top they were covered with sweat and froth. Having now
selected five camels for the purpose, one for each of us, they put us
on behind the humps, to which we were obliged to cling by grasping
its long hair with both hands. The back bone of the one Iwas set

4t 6AMAIN ftttfi¥*8 NARRATIVE1.
on was Only Covered with skin, and seemed as sharp as the edge of
an oar's blade ; his belly, distended with water, made him perfectly
smooth, leaving no projection of the hips to keep me from sliding off
behind; and his back or rump being as steep as the roof of a house,
and so broad across as to keep my legs extended to their utmost
stretch, I was in this manner slipping down to his tail every moment.
I Was forced, however, to keep on, while the camel, rendered ex
tremely restive at the sight of his strange rider, was all the time run
ning about among the drove, and making a most woful bellowing;
and as they have neither bridle, halter, or any other thing whereby
to guide or govern them, all I had to do was to stick on as well as 1
could. The Arabs, both men and women, were very anxious to know
where we had been thrown on shore, whether to the eastward or west
ward ; and being satisfied by me on that point, so soon as they had
placed us on the camels, and given the women directions how to
steer, they mounted each his camel, seated themselves on the small
round saddle, and then crossing their legs on the animal's shoulders,
set off to the westward at a great trot, leaving us under the care of the
women, some of whom were on foot, and urged the camels forward as
fast as they could run, to the S. E. The heavy motions of the
camel, not unlike that of a small vessel in a heavy head-beat sea,
were so violent, aided by the sharp back bone, as soon to excoriate
certain parts of my naked body ; the inside of my thighs and legs
were also dreadfully chafed, so that the blood dripped from my heels,
while the intense heat of the sun had scorched and blistered our
bodies and the outside of our legs, so that we were covered with sores,
and without any thing to administer relief. Thus bleeding and smart
ing under the most excruciating pain, we continued to advance in
a S. E. direction, on a plain, flat, hard surface of sand, gravel, and
rock, covered with small sharp stones. It seemed as if our bones
would be dislocated at every step. Hungry and thirsty, the night
came on, and no indication of stopping; the cold night wind began
to blow, chilling our blood, which ceased to trickle down our lace
rated legs; but although it saved our blood, yet acting on our blis
tered skins, it increased our pains beyond description. We begged
to be permitted to get off, but tho women paid no attention to our dis
tress nor intreaties, intent only on getting forward. We designedly
slipped off the camels, when going at a full trot, risking to break our
necks by the fall, and tried to excite their compassion and" get a drink
of water, (which they call sherub,) but they paid no attention to our
prayers, and kept the camels running faster than before.
This was the first time I had attempted to walk barefooted since 1
was a schoolboy ; we were obliged to keep up with the camels, run
ning over the stones, which were nearly as sharp as gun flints, and
cutting our feet nearly to the bone at every step. It was here that
my fortitude and reason failed to support me ; 1 cursed my fate aloud,
and wished 1 had rushed into the sea before I gave myself up to these
merciless beings in human forms — it was now too late. I would
have put an immediate end to my existence, but had neither knife nor
any other weapon with which to perform the deed. I searched for a
Stone, intending if I could find a loose one sufficiently large to knock

sufferings In Africa. 49
6ttt" flW own" brairis with it ; but searched in vain. This paroxysm
passed off in a minute or two, when reason returned, and I recollected
that my life was in the hand of the power that gave it, and that " the
Judge of all the earth would do right." Then running with all my
remaining might, I soon came up with the camels, regardless of my
feet and of pain, arid felt perfectly resigned and willing to submit to
the will of Providence, and the fate that awaited me.
From that time forward, through all my succeeding trials and suf
ferings, I never once murmured in my heart, but at all times kept my
Spirits up, doing the utmost to obey and please those whom fortune,
fate, or an overrulihg Providence had placed over me, and to per
suade, both by precept and practice, my unhappy comrades to do the
same; I had, with my companions, cried aloud with pain, and begged
difr savage drivers for mercy, and when we had ceased to make a noise,
fearing, as it were, to lose us in the dark, they stopped the camels, and
again placing us on them as before, drove them on at full speed
trntil about midnight, when we entered a small dell or valley, exca
vated by the hand of nature, a little below the surface of the desart,
about ftom fifteen to twenty feet deep. Here they stopped the camels,
and made them lie down, bidding us to do the same. I judge we must
have travelled forty miles this day to the S. E. . the place was hard
and rocky, not even sand to lie on, nor any covering to shelter us Or
keep off the cOld damp wind that blew strong from the sea.
They soon set about milking, and then gave us each about a pint
of pure milk, warm from the camels, taking great care to divide it
for us; it warmed our stomachs, quenched our thirst in some mea
sure, and allayed in a small degree the cravings of hunger. Mr.
Savage had been separated from us, and I learned from him after-
Wards that he fared better than we did, having had a larger allowance
of milk. Clark, Horace, and Dick the cook were still with me. We
lay down on the ground as close to each other as we could, On the
sharp stones, without any lee to fend off the wind from us : our bodies
all over blistered and mangled, the stones piercing through the sore
naked flesh almost to the ribs and other bones. These distresses,
and our sad arid desponding reflections, rendered this one of the
ldrfgest and most dismal nights ever parsed by any human beirtgs.
We kept shifting births, striving to keep off some of the cold during
the nignt, while sleep, that had hitherto relieved our distresses and
fatigues, fled from us in spite of all our efforts and solicitude to
embrace it ; nor were we able to close our eyes.
Thb morning of the 11th came on at last, and our industrious mis
tresses; having milked alittle from the camels, and allowed the young
bnfss to suck; gave iis about half a pint of milk among four of lis, being
jrist enough to wet our mouths, and then made Us go forward ott'foet
ahfl drive the camels. The situation of our feet was horrible beyond
de'scriptitih, and the very recollection of it, even at this moment, makes
rfiy nerves thrill and quiver. We proceeded forward, having gained
the level desart, for a considerable time; when entering a sirfall valley,
we discovered three or four tents made of Coarse cloth, near which
We* we're inet by our misters, and a number of men whom we had not
before Sfeen, all armed with either- a double barrelled musket, a scimi
tar ; 6r dagger. They were all of the same nation and tribe, for thfey
5 7

BQ CAPTAIN RIley's NAR&AfiVE.
Bhook hands at meeting, and seemed very friendly to eaoh othef",
though they stopped and examined us, as if disposed to question the
right of property.
It now appeared there was still some difficulty in deciding to whom
each one of us belonged ; for seizing hold of us, some dragged one
way and some another, disputing very loudly, and frequently draw
ing their weapons. It was, however, decided at last, after making us
go different ways for the space of two or three hours with different
men, that myself and the cook should remain, for the present, in the
hands of our first master. They gave Clark to another, and Horace
to a third. We had come near a couple of tents, and were certainly
disgusting objects, being naked and almost skinless ; this was some
time about noon, when three women came out who had not before
seen us, and having satisfied their curiosity by gazing at us, they
expressed their disgust and contempt by spitting on us as we went
along, making their faces still more horrid by every possible contor
tion of their frightful features ; this we afterwards found to be their
constant practice wherever we went, until after we got off the desart.
Towards evening, a great number of them having collected in a
little valley, we were made to stop, and as our bodies were blistered
and burned to such a degree as to excite pity in the breasts of some
of the men, they used means to have a tent cleared out for us to sit
under. They then allowed all those of our crew present to sit under
it, and, as may well be supposed, we were glad to meet one another
again, miserable as we all were. Porter and Burns, who had been
separated from me shortly after our capture, were still absent. A
council was now held by the natives near the tent ; they were about
one hundred and fifty men, some very old, some middle aged, and
some quite young. I soon found they were Mohammedans, and the
proper names by which they frequently called each other were Moham
med, Hamet, Seid, Sideullah, Abdallah, &c. so that by these and the
female names Fatima, Ezimah, Sarah, &c. I knew them to be Arabs
or Moors.
The council were deliberating about us ; and having talked the
matter over'a long time, seated on the ground with their legs crossed
under them, in circles of from ten to twenty each, they afterwards arose
and came to us. One of the old men then addressed me; he seemed
to be very intelligent, and though he spoke a language that I was
unacquainted with, yet he explained himself in such a,plain and dis
tinct manner, sounding every letter full like the Spaniards, that with
the help of signs I was able to understand his meaning. He wanted
to know what country we belonged to ; I told him we were English ;
and as I perceived the Spanish language was in sound more like that
which they spoke than any other 1 knew, I used the phrase Inglesis ;
this seemed to please him, and he said " O Fransah, O Spaniah;"
meaning, " or Frenchmen, or Spaniards ;" I repeated we were Eng
lish. He next wanted to know which point of the horizon we came
from, and 1 pointed to the north.
They had seen our boat, which they called Zooerga, and wanted to
know if we had come all the way in that boat: 1 told them no, and
making a kind of coast, by heaping up sand, and forming the shape
of a vessel, into which 1 stuck sticks for masts and bowsprit, &c. \

BUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. Al
gavfe him to understand that we had been in a large vessel, ahd wrecked
on the coast by a strong wind ; then by tearing down the masts and
covering the vessel's form with sand, 1 signified to him that she was
totally lost. Thirty or forty of the other Arabs were sitting around
us, paying the strictest attention to every one of my words and ges
tures, and assisting the old man to comprehend me. He wished to
know where we were going, and what cargo the vessel (which I now
found they called Sfenah) had on board. I satisfied them in the
nest way I could on this point, telling them that I had on board, among
other things, dollars : they wanted to, know how many, and gave me
a bowl to imitate the measure of them ; this I did by filling it with
stones and emptying it three times. They were much surprised at
the quantity, and seemed to be dissatisfied that they had not got a
share of them. They then wanted to know which way the vessel lay
from us, and if we had seen any of the natives, whom they called
Moslemin. This I took to be wha£ we call Mussulmen, or followers of the
Mohammedan doctrine, and in this I was not mistaken. I then
explained to them in what manner we had been treated by the inha
bitants ; that they had got all our clothing, except what we had on
when they found us ; all our money and provisions : massacred one of
our number, and drove us out to sea. They then told me that they
heard of the shipwreck of a vessel a great way north, and of the
money, &c. but that the crew were drowned in el M Bahar ; this was
so near the Spanish (La Mar) for the sea. that I could not misunder
stand it. Thus having obtained wnat information they wanted on
those points, they next desired to know if I knew any thing about
Marocksh; this sounded something like Morocco: I answered yes;
next of the Sooltaam, (the Sultan,) to which instead of saying yes, I
made signs of assent, for I found they did no more themselves,
except by a cluck with the tongue.
They wanted me to tell his name, Soo Mook, but I could not
understand them until they mentioned Moolay Solimaan ; this I remem
bered to be the name of the present emperor of Morocco, as pro
nounced in Spanish, nearly. I gave them to understand that I knew
him; had seen him with my eyes, and that he was a friend to me and
to my nation. They next made me point out the direction towards
his dominions, and having satisfied them that I knew which way his
dominions lay from us, I tried to intimate to them, that if they would
carry me there, I should be able to pay them for my ransom, and that
of my crew. They shook their heads ; it was a great distance, and
nothing for camels to eat or drink on the way. My shipmates, who
were with me, could not understand one syllable of what they said, or
of their signs, and did not believe that I was able to communicate at
all with them. Having finished their council, and talked the matter
over among themselves, they separated, and our masters, taking each
his slave, made off, every one his own way. Although from the con
ference I derived hopes of our getting ransomed, and imparted the
same to my mates and crew, yet they all seemed to think I was delu
ding them with false expectations ; nor could I convince them of the
contrary. We took another leave of each other, when we parted for
the night, having travelled this day, I should guess, about fifteen
miles, S. E.

£2 CaptAin Riley's NARRATIVE*.
1 had been so fully occupied since noon, that ho thoughts of vie •
tuals or drink had occurred to my mind. We had hone of us ate or
drank any thing this day, except about half a gill of milk each in the
morning at daylight, and about half a pint of black beach water near
the middle of the day. I was delivered over to an Arab named Bickrt,
arid went with him near his tent, where he made me lie down on the
ground like a camel. Near midnight he brought me a bowl contain
ing about a quart of milk and water ; its' taste was delicious, and as
my stomach had become contracted by long hunger and thirst, I con
sidered it quite a plentiful draught. I had been shivering with cold
for a long time, as I had no covering nor skreen, and hot even one of
my shipmates to lie near me to keep one side warm at a time. I
was so far exhausted by fatigues, privations, &c. that my misery/
cotild no longer keep me awake. I sank into a deep sleep, and
during this sleep 1 was troubled in the first place with the most fright
ful dreams.
I thought I was naked and a slave, and dreamed over the principal
incidents which had already actually passed. I then thought I was
driven by Arabs with red hot iron spears pointed at me on every
side, through the most dreadful fire I had ever imagined, for near a
mile, naked and barefoot; the flames up to my eyes, scgrched every
part of my skin off, and wasted away my flesh by roasting; burning,
and drying it off to the bones ; my torments were inconceivable. I
now thought I looked up towards heaven, ahd prayed to the Almighty
to receive my spirit, and end my sufferings ; 1 was still in the midst
of the flames ; a bright spot like an eye with rays around it, appeared
above me in the firmament, with a point below it, reaching towards
the N. E. — I thought if I went that way I should go right, and turned
from the S. to the N. E. ; the fire soon subsided, and I went on, still
urged by them about me, with their spears pricking me from time to
time, over high sand hills and rocky steeps, my flesh dropping off in
pieces as< 1 went ; then descending a deep valley, I thought I Saw
green trees — flowering shrubs in blossom — cows feeding on green
grass, with horses, sheep, and asses near me ; and as 1 moved on, 1
discovered a brook of clear running water : my thirst being excessive,
I dragged my mangled limbs to ihe brook, threw myself down, and
drank my fill of the most delicious water. When my thirst was
quenched, 1 rolled in the brook to -cool my body, which seemed
still consuming with heat; then thanked my God in my heart for
his mercies.
My masters, in the mean time, kept hurrying me on in ihe way
pointed out by the All-seeing eye, which was still visible in the hea
vens above my head, through crooked, thorny, and narrow paths-
over high mountains and deep valleys — past hosts of armed men oh
horseback and on foot, and walled cities, until we met a tall young
man dressed in the European and American manner, by the side 6f a
brook, riding on a stately horse, who, upon seeing me alighted, and
rushing forward, wild with joy, caught me in his arms, and pressed
me to his breast, calling me by the endearing name of brother, in my
own language— I thought I fainted in his arms from excess of joy,
and when I revived, found myself in a neat room, with a table set in
the best manner before me, covered with the choicest meat3, fruits,

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. S3
and wines, and my deliverer pressing me to eat and drink ; but find
ing me too much overcome to partake of this refreshment, he said,
"take courage, my dear friend, God has decreed that you shall again
embrace your beloved wife and children." At this instant 1 wast
called by my master — I awoke, and found it was a dream.
Being daylight, (Sept: 12th) he ordered me to drive forward the
camels; this f did for about an hour, but my feet were so much
swelled, being lacerated by the cutting of the stones, which seemed
as if they would penetrate my heart at every step — I could not help
stopping and crouching down nearly to the ground. In this situation,
my first master, Hamet, observed me ; he was going on the same
course, S. E. riding on his camel; he came near my present master, i
and after talking with him a good while, he took off the blanket from
his back and gave it to Bickri — then coming close to me, made signs
forme to stop. He next made his camel lie down; then fixing a
piece of skin over his' back behind the saddle, and making its two
ends fast to the girths to keep it from slipping off, he bade me mount
on it, while he got on his saddle and steadied me with his hand until
the camel rose. He then went on the same course as before, in com
pany with three or four other men, well armed and mounted. The
sun beat dreadfully hot upon my bare head and body, and it appear
ed to me that my head must soon split to pieces, as it was racking
and cracking with excruciating pain. Though in this horrible dis
tress, yet I still thought of my dream of the last night — " a drowning
man will catch at a straw," says the proverb, and I can verily add,
that the very faintest gleam of hope will keep alive the declining spi
rits of a man in the deepest distress and misery; for, from the moment
I began to reflect on what had passed through my mind when sleep
ing, 1 felt convinced that though this was nothing more than a dream,
yet still remembering how narrowly and often 1 had escaped imme
diate apparent death, and believing it was through the peculiar in
terposition of Divine Providence, I could not but believe that the
All-seeing eye was watching over my steps, and would in due time,
conduct me by his unerring wisdom, into paths that would lead to-
my deliverance, and restoration to my family.
I was never superstitious, nor ever did I believe in dreams or vi
sions, as they are termed, or even remembered them, so as, to relate
any I may have^had ; but this dream made such an impression on my
mind, that it was not possible for me remove it from my memory— -
being now as fresh as at the moment I awoke after dreaming it; and
1 must add, that when I afterwards saw Mr. Wiltshire, I knew him to
be the same man I had seen in my sleep : he had a particular mark
on his chin-^wore a light coloured frock coat, had on a white hat, anil
rode the same horse. From that time I thought if I could' once get
to the empire of Morocco, I should be sure to find a friend to relieve.
me and my companions, whose heart was already prepared for it by a
superior Power. My mind was thus employed until we came to a
little valley where half a dozen tents were pitched ; as soon as we
saw them, Hamet made his camel kneel down, and me to dismount;
he was met by several women and .Children, who seemed very glad to
see him, and 1 soon found that they were his relations. He beckoned
me to come towards his tent, for he lived there, apparently, with his1

54 captain riley's narrative.
mother, and brothers and sisters, but the woman and girls would not
suffer me to approach them, driving me off with sticks, and throwing
stones at me ; but Hamet brought me a little sour milk and water in
a bowl, which refreshed me considerably.
It was about two o'clock in the day, and I was forced to remain
broiling in the sun, without either tree, shrub, or any other shade to
shield me from its scorching rays, until night, when Dick (the cook)
came in with the camels. Hamet had kept Dick from the beginning,
and made him drive the camels, but allowed him to sleep in one cor
ner of the tent, and gave him for the few first days, as much milk as
he could drink, once a day ; and as he was a domestic slave, he
managed to steal water, and sometimes sour milk, when he was dry.
In the evening of this day 1 was joined by Hogan, and now found
that he and myself had been purchased by Hamet that day, and
that Horace belonged to an ill-looking old man, whose tent was pitch
ed in company. This old villain came near me, and saluted me by
the name of Rais, asking me the name of his boy, (Horace); 1 told
him it was Horace, which after repeating a few times he learned so
perfectly, that at every instant he was yelling out " Hoh Rais" for
something or other. Hamet was of a much lighter colour than the
other Arabs we were with, and I thought he was less cruel, but in
this respect 1 found I was mistaken, for he made myself and Hogan
lie on the ground in a place he chose, where the stones were very
thick and baked into the ground so tight that we could not pull them
out with our fingers, and we were forced to lie on their sharp points,
though at a small distance, not more than fifty yards, was a spot of
sand.- This I made him understand, pointing at the same time to my
skinless flesh, but he signified to us, that if we did not remain where he
had ordered, we should get no milk when he milked the camels. I
calculate we travelled this day about thirty miles.
Here then we staid, but not to sleep, until about the midnight hour,
when Hamet came to us with our milk; it was pure and warm from
the camels, and about a pint for each. The wind blew as is usual
in the night, and on that part of the desart the air was extremely cold
and damp ; but its moisture on our bodies was as salt as the ocean.
Having received our share of milk, when all was still in the tent, we
stole to the sandy place, where we got a little sleep during the remain
ing part of the night. Horace's master would not permit him to come'
near me, nor me to approach him, making use of a stick, as well to
enforce his commands in this particular, as to teach us to understand
him in other respects.
At daylight (Sept. 13th) we were called on to proceed. The
families struck their tents, and packed them on camels, together
with all their stuff. They made us walk and keep up with the camels,
though we were so stiff and sore all over that we could scarcely
refrain from crying out at every step : such was our agony ; still pur-
2Jm5,?.?J route,to tne s- E- In tne course of the morning, I saw
Mr. Williams; he was mounted on a camel, as we had all been the
first day, and had been riding with the drove about three hours: 1
hobbled along towards him; his camel stopped, and I was enabled to
take him by the hand. He was still entirely naked ; his skin had
been burned off; his whole body was so excessively inflamed, and

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 55
Swelled, as well as his face, that I only knew him by his voice
which was very feeble. He told me he had been obliged to sleep
naked in the open air every night: that his life was fast wasting away
amidst the most dreadful torments ; that he could not live one day
more in such misery ; that his mistress had taken pity on him, and
anointed his body that morning with butter or grease; but, said he,
"I cannot li/e; should you ever get clear from this dreadful place,
and be restored to your country, tell my dear wife that my last breath
was spent in prayers for her happiness." He could say no more ; tears
and sobs choked his utterance.
His master arrived at this time, and drove on his camel, and I could
only say to him, "God Almighty bless you," as I took a last look
at him, and forgot, for a moment, while contemplating his extreme
distress, my own misery. His camel was large, and moved forward
with very heavy motions ; as he went from me, I could see the inside
of his legs and thighs — they hung in strings of torn and chafed flesh —
the blood was trickling down the sides of the camel, and off his feet.
"My God !" 1 cried, " suffer us not to live longer in such tortures."
I had stopped about fifteen minutes, and my master's camels had
gained a great distance from me, so that I was obliged to run that I
might come up with them. My mind was so shocked with the dis
tresses of Mr. Williams, that I thought it would be impious for me to
complain, though the sharp stones continued to enter my sore feet at
every step. My master saw me and stopped the drove for me to
come up ; when I got near him he threatened me, shaking his stick
over my head, to let me know what I had to expect if I dared to com
mit another fault. He then rode off, ordering me and Hogan to drive
the camels on as fast as we could. About anhour afterwards he came
near us, and beckoned to me to come to him, which I did. A tall old
man, nearly as black as a negro, one of the most ill-looking and dis
gusting I had yet seen, soon joined my master, with two young men,
whom I found afterwards were his sons : they were also joined by a
number more on camels and well armed.
After some time bartering about me, I was given to the old man,
whose features showed every sign of the deepest rooted malignity in
his disposition. And is this my master ? thought I ; Great God !
defend me from his cruelty ! He began to go on : he was on foot ; so
were his two sons ; but they walked faster than camels, and the old
man kept snarling at me in the most surly mariner, to make me keep
up. I tried my very best, as I was extremely anxious to please him,
if such a thing was possible, knowing the old adage of "the devil is
good when he is pleased," was correct, when applied to human beings ;
but I could not go fast enough for him; so after he had growled and
kept on a considerable time, finding I could not keep up with him,
he came behind me and thrust me forward with hard blows repeatedly
applied to my exposed back, with a stout stick he had in his hand.
Smarting and staggering under my wounds, I made the greatest
efforts to get on, but one of his still more inhuman sons, (as I then
thought him,) gave me a double barrelled gun to carry, with his pow
der horn and other accoutrements : they felt very heavy; yet after I
had taken them, the old man did not again strike me, but went on

56 captain riley'ji narrAtivB,
towards the place where he meant to pitch his tent, leaving H*e fsp fal
low on as well as I could.
The face of the desart now appeared as smooth as the surface, of
the ocean, when unruffled by winds or tempests. Camels could be
seen on every direction, as soon as they carhe above the horizon, so
that there was no difficulty in knowing which way to go, and 1 topk
care to keep sight of my new master's drove, until! reached -the
valley, in which he had pitched his tent. I was broiling under the
sun and tugging along, with my load, which weighed me down tp the
earth, and should have lain down despairing, had I not seen Mr. Wil
liams in a still worse plight than myself.
Havipg copie near the tent about four P. M. they took the load
from me, and bid me lie down in the shade of the tent. I then beg
ged for water, but could get none. The time now came on for
prayers, and after the old man and his sons had performed this cere
mony very devoutly, they went away. 1 was in so much pain, 1 could
scarcely contain myself, and my thirst, was more painful that it had
yet been. I tried to soften the hearts of the women to get me a little
wa|t,er, buf they only laughed and spit at me ; and to increase my dis
tresses as much as they could, drove me away from the shade of the
tent, so that 1 was forced to remain in the scorching sun for the
remainder of this long day.
A little after sunset my old and young masters returned ; they
were joined by all the men that were near, to the number of from
twenty to thirty, and went through their religious ceremonies in a
very solemn manner, in which the women and little children did not
join them. Soon after this was over, Clark came in with the camels
and joined me ; it would have been pleasant to be together, but his
situation was such that it made my heart ache still worse than it did
before ; he was nearly without a skin ; every part of his body exposed ;
his flesh excessively mangled, burnt, and inflamed* "I am glad to
see you once more, sir," said Clark, " for I cannot live through the
approaching night, and now beg of you, if you ever get to our country
again, to tell my brothers and sisters how I perished." I comforted
him all I could, and assured him he would not die immediately ; that
the nourishment we now had, though very little, was sufficient tp keep
us alive for a considerable time, and that though our skins were roasted
off and our flesh inflamed, we were yet alive without any signs of
putrefaction on our bodies ; that I had great hopes we should all be
carried in a few days from this desart to where we might get some
food to nourish us, and as I had learned a little of the language'pf
these people, (or savages,) I would keep trying to persuade them
that if they would carry us up to the Moorish dominions, I should be
able to pay them a great ransom for all the crew ; for an old man had
told me that as soon as it should rain they would journey to the N.
13. and sell us. '
The night came on ; cold damp winds succeeded to the heat of the
day, and I begged of my old master to be permitted to go under the
corner-of his tent, (for it was a large one,) and he seemed willing
pointing out a place for us to lie down in, but the women would not
consent, and we remained outside until the men had milked the camels
They then gave us a good drink of milk, near a quart each, and after

.AT&ADB TEBf§ im'rfitie JBesfflrt off SAMA.TRA .

.Irnh.i al f////r l)ri>,i//\>r/.\- .

llril/ii/i r/n/z/or/'/t 1/1 ,)'/>f/r/////// Jt llri'r/i'//n/

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. j|?
the women were asleep, one of my young masters, named Omar,
(the pajme that made me carry his gun the preceding day tp keep his;
Jathpr fr'oni beating me,) took pity on our distresses, and came* arid
rn#de u's creep under one corner -of the tent, without waking the
wqmen, wliere some soft sand served us for a bed, and the tent kept
off the cold air from us ; and here we slept soundly until morning.
As soon as the women awoke, and found us undewhe tent, they were
for thrusting ris out with blows, but I pretended tq be asleep, and the
old man looking on us, seemed somewhat concerned, fearing (as I
thought) he might lose his property. He told his women to let us
alone, and as he was absolute, they were forced to obey hifn, though
with every appearance of reluctance.
After they had milked the camels, and taken a drink themselves,
they gave us what remained, that is to say, near a pint between us.
They djd not move forward this day, and suffered us to remain under
the corner of the tent in the shade all the while, and the next night,
?rid even gaye us a piece of a skin to cover us with in part, and keep
off the night wind. They gave us a good drink of milk when they
drank thenjselves on the second night, and Omar had given us about
a pint of water each, in the middle of the day ; so that the inflamma
tion seemed to have subsided in a great degree from our flesh and feet.
This attention, together with the two goodnights' rest, revived usyery
much— these were the 14th and 15th days of September. I ha'd not
seen any pf my unfortunate shipmates except Clark, and did not know
where they were during the day we remained still. The camels were
.driven off early in the morning by a negro slave and two of the small
boys, and djd pot return until in the night — they went out to the
east to find shrubs for them to feed on. Clark was obliged, near
night, to go out and pull up some dry thorn bush shrubs and roots to
make a fire with. At the return of the camels, the negro slave (who
was a stout fellow, named Boireck) seated himself by the fire, stretch
ing out his legs on each side of it, and seeing us under the tent,
thought to drive us out ; but as he was not permitted by our old
master, he contented himself by pointing at lis and making compa
risons : then sneeringly addressing me by the name of Rais, or chief,
would set up a loud laugh, which, with the waggery he displayed in
his remarks on us, kept the whole family and several strangers who
had assembled on the occasion, in a constant roar of laughter until
tnidpiglff,. the hour for milking the camels. He would poke our sor«
flesh wjfh a sharp stick, to make sport, and show the Arahs what mise
rable beings we were, who could not even bear the rays of the sun
(the image of God, as they term it) to shjne upon us.
Being tormented in this manner, my companion Clark could
scarcely contain his' wrath: "It was bad enough, (he said,) to be
reduced to slavery by the savage Arabs ; to be stripped, and skinned
alive, and mangled, without being obliged to bear the scoffs and
derision of a f)  d negro slave." I told him I was very glad to find
he still harl so much spirits left, and could feel as if he wished to
revepge an insult — it proved to me that he felt better than he did the
preceding night, and as I was so much relieved myself, my hopes of
being able to endure our tortures and privations increased, adding,
'*' Jet the negro jaugh if he can take any' pleasure in it ; I am willing
8

58 captain riley's narrative.
he should do so, even at my expense : he is a poor slave himself,
naked and destitute, far from his family and fl-iends, and is only trying
to gain the favour of his masters and mistresses, by making sport of
us, whom, he considers as much inferior to him as he is to them."
Clark, however, could not be reconciled to this mode of mockery and
sport; but the negro kept it up as long as we remained with his mas
ter, every night, and always had many spectators to admire his wit,
and laugh at his tricks and buffoonery. This reminded me of the
story of Samson, when the Philistines wished to make sport with him ;
he' was blind, and they supposed him harmless; but he became so
indignant, that he was willing to suffer death to be revenged of them;
the difference was, he had strength to execute his will, — we had not.
From the 15th to the 18th, we journeyed every day to the S. E.
about thirty miles a day, merely to find a few shrubs in the small
scattered valleys for the camels, and consequently for the inhabitants
to subsist on. As we went on in that direction, the valleys became
less frequent and very shallow; the few thorn bushes they produced
were very dry, and no other shrubs to be found ; the camels could
not fill their stomachs with the leaves and shrubs, nor with all that
they could crop off, though they pulled away the branches as thick
as a man's finger. The milk began to fail, and consequently we had
to be scanted, so that our allowance was reduced to half a pint a day,
and as all the water they had taken from the well was expended, they
could give us no more of that precious article. There were belong
ing to this tribe four mares that were the general property ; they were
clean limbed, and very lean ; they fed them on milk every day, and
every one took his turn in giving them as much water every two days
as they would drink. These mares drank up the last of our water on
the 19th, nor would my master allow me to drink what little was left
in the bowl, not exceeding half a pint, and it was poured out as a drink
offering before the Lord, wnile they prayed for rain, which indeed
they had reason to expect, as the season they knew was approaching,
when some rain generally happens. I supposed our distance from
the sea, or the well that we had left, to be three hundred miles in a
direct line, and feared very much' that we should not find water at
any other place. The sustenance we received was just sufficient to
keep the breath of life in us, but our flesh was less inflamed than in
the first days, for we had continued to lie under a part of the tent at
night, and also in the day-time when it was pitched, which was gene
rally the case about two o'clock in the afternoon. We had, however,
become so emaciated, that we could scarcely stand, and they did not
attempt to make me or Clark do any kind of work, except gather a
few dry sticks, towards evening, to light a fire. The swellings had
also gone down in some measure from our feet, as there was not sub
stance enough in us to keep up a running sore ; all the moisture in
them seemed to dry away, and we could support the prickings and
cutting of the stones better, as we became lighter and more inured to
it. We had endeavoured to find some of the kind of root that was
met with near the sea coast, but none could be procured. In ev- y
valley we came to, the natives would run about and search under e r
• thorn bush, in hopes to find some herb, for they were nearly as hun
gry as ourselves. * In some places a small plant was found, rcsem-

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 5d
bling what we call shepherd's sprout ; they were torn up by them and
devoured in an instant. I got one or two, but they proved very bitter,
and were impregnated, in a considerable degree, with salt: these
plants were so rare as to be scarcely of any benefit. There were also
found by the natives, in particular places, a small ground root, whose
top showed itself like a single short spear of grass, about three inches
above the ground ; they dug it up with a stick; it was of the size of
a small walnut, and in shape very much like an onion ; its taste
fresh, without any strong flavour; but it was very difficult to find,
and afforded us very little relief, as we could not get more than half a
dozen in a whole day's search, and some days none at all.
On the 19th of September, in the morning, the tribe having held a
council the night before, at which I could observe my old master was
looked up to as a man of superior judgment and influence, they began
a route back again towards the sea, and the well near which we were
first made slaves ; — this convinced me that no fresh water could be
procured nearer, and as the camels were almost dry, I much feared
that myself and my companions must perish before we could reach it.
I had been in the habit every day since 1 was on the desart, of reliev
ing my excessive thirst by the disagreeable expedient before men
tioned ; but that resource now failed me for the want of moisture, nor
had any thing passed through my body since the day I left the well.
We had journeyed for seven and a half days S. E. and I concluded it
would require the same time to return ; but on the 18th we had
steered N. E. and on the 19th we took a N. W. direction, and in the
course of the day we entered a very small valley, where we found a
few dwarf thorn bushes, not more than two feet high ; on these we
found some snads, most of which were dead and dry, but I got about
a handful that were alive, and when a fire was kindled, roasted and
ate, them: Clark did the same, and as we did not receive more than
a gill of milk each in twenty-four hours, this nourishment was very
serviceable. On the morning of the 20th we started as soon as it was light, and
drove very fast all the day. We had no other drink than the camels'
urine, which we caught in our hands as they voided it ; its taste was
bitter, but not salt, and it relieved our fainting spirits. We were
forced to keep up with the drove, but in the course of the day found
a handful of snails each, which we at night roasted and ate. Our
feet, though not much swollen, were extremely sore; our bodies and
limbs were nearly deprived of skin and flesh, for we continually
wasted away, and the little we had on our bones was dried hard, and
stuck fast to them. . My head had now become accustomed to the
heat of the sun, and though it remained uncovered, it did not pain me.
Hunger, that had preyed upon my companions to such a degree as to
cause them to bite off the flesh from their arms, had not the same
effect on me. I was forced in one instance to tie the arms of one of
my men behind him, in order to prevent his gnawing his own flesh ;
and in another instance, two of them having caught one of the boys,
a lad about four years old, out of sight of the tents, were about dash
ing his brains out with a stone, for the purpose of devouring his flesh,
when luckily at that instant I came up and rescued the child, with
some difficulty, from their voracity. They were so frantic with hun-

$0 ;.fc captain riley's narrative.
fpr, as to insisf upon having one meal of his flesh, and then they said
|ey would bp willing to die; for they knew that not only themselves,
but all the crew would be instantly massacred as soon as the murder
should bp discovered. I convinced them that it would be more manly
to die with hunger than to become cannibals and eat their own or other
hurpan flesh, telling them, at the same time, I did not doubt but opr
masters would give us sufficient nourishment to keep us alive, until
they copld sejl us.
0" the 20th we had proceeded with much speed towards the N.
W. pr sea shore ; but on the 21st we did not go forward. This day
I met with Mr. Savage, Horace, Hogan, and the cook; their masters'
tepts were pitched near ours ; they were so weak, emaciated, and sore,
that they could scarcely stand, and had bpen carried on the camels
for the last few days. I was extremely glad to see them, and spoke
to all but Horace, whose master drove me off with a stick one way,
apd Horace another, yellipg most horribly at the same time, and lay
ing it on Horace's back with great fury. 1 soon returned to our tent,
arid felt very much dejected; they all thought they could not liye
apother day : there were po spails to be foupd here, apd we had pot
ope drop of milk or water to drink. Horace, Hogan, and the cook
were .employed in attending, their piasters' camels, iri .coippany with
ppe or two A rabs, who kept flogging theiri nearly the whole of the time.
My old master did not employ me or Clark in the sarrie way,
because he had two negro slaves to do fhat work ; he was a rich map
amopg them, apd owned from sixty to seventy carpels ; he was also a
kipd of priesf, for every evening lie was joined, in his devotions, by
all the old and most of the youpg mep pear his tept. They all first
washed themselves with sand, in place of water; thep wrapping thpip-
selves up with their strip of cloth and turning their faces to the east,
my old master stepped put before them, and commenced by bowjng
twice, repeating at each time " Allah Houakibar ;" then kneeling
and bowing his head to the ground twice ; then raising hirpself up op
his feet, and repeating, " Hi el Allah Sheda Motiammed Rahsool
Allah" bowipg himself twice ; and again prostrating himself on fhe
earth as many times, then " Allcih Houakibar" was three times
repeated. He was always accompanied in his motions apd words by
all present who could see him distinctly, as he stood before them.
He would thep make a long prayer, and they recite4 ajl 'together
what I afterwards foupd to be a chapter in the Korap; ancj then all
joined ip chantipg or singing some hypin or sacred poetry for a con
siderable time. This ceremony being finished, they again prpstrateil
themselves with their faces to the earth, andtlie service concluded.
About the middle of this day two strangers arrived, riding two
camels leaded with goods : they came ip fropt of my master's tepti
and having made the camels lie down, they dismoupted, apd seated
thepvselves op thegroupd opposite the tent, with their faces turned
the other way. There were jn this valley six tents, besides that of
my masters.

Sufferings in africa, 61

CHAPTER IX.
9W Arabian merchants are persuaded by the author to purchase him
and four of his suffering companions — They kill a camel, and pre
pare to set out for Morocco across the Desart.
Ali. the men had gone out a hunting on their camels, carrying their
arms with them; that is to say, seeking for plunder as 1 concluded.
My old and young mistresses went to see the strangers : they had no
water to carry, as is customary, but took with them a large skin, with
a roll of tent cloth, to make them a shelter. The strangers rose as
the women drew near, and saluted them by the words " Label, Labez-
Salem, Labez-Alikom ;" peace, peace be with you, &c. and the women
returned these salutations in similar words. They next ran to our
tent, and took a Couple of sticks, with the help of which, and the
Skin and terit cloth, they soon made an awning for the strangers.
This donfe, they took the bundles which were on the camels, and
placed them in this tent, with the saddles and all the other things the
strangers had brought. The two'strangers had a ccuple pf skins that
ccntained water, which the women hung up on a frame they carried
from Our tent.
Duririg the whole time the women were thus employed, the stran
gers remained seated on the ground beside their guns, for th&t had
each a double barrelled musket, and so bright that they glittered in
the sun like stiver. The wornen havipg finished their attentions,
seated themselves near the strangers, and made inquiries, as near as
I could comprehend, by saying, "where did you come from? what
foods have you got ? how long have you been on your journey ?"
&c. Having satisfied their Curiosity on these points, they next came
to me, and the old womaP (in whom as yet I had not discovered one
spark of pity) told me that Sidi Hamet had come with blankets and
blue Cloth to sell; that he came from the Sultan's dominions, and
that he could buy fpe apd carry me there, if he chose, where I might
find my friends, and kiSS my wife and children.
Before my master returned I went to the tent of Sidi Hamet, with
a wopderi bpwl, arid begged for some water ; showirig my mouth,
which was extremely parched and stiff, so much so, that I could with
difficulty SpCak. He Ipoked at me, and asked if I was el Rais (the
captain.) 1 nodded assent. He told his brother, who was with him,
to give me some water, but this his benevolent brother would not con
descend to do ; so taking the bowl hirpself, he poured into it neat a
quart of clear water, saying, " Sherub Rais ;" that is, drink; captaitt,
or chief. I drank about half of it, and after thanking him arid implo
ring the blessing of heaven upon him for his humanity, I was going to
take the rest of' it to our tent, where Clark lay stretched out on liiS
back, a perfect wreck of almost naked bones ; his belly and back
nearly collapsed, and breathing like a person in the last agonies ef
death : but Sidi Hamfet would pot permit me to carry the water away,
bidding file drink it myself. I pointed out tb him my distressed com
patriot! ; this excited niS pity, and he suffered me to give Clark tho
remainder. 6

82 CAM'AIN RtLEv's NARRATIVE1.
The water Was perfectly fresh, and revived him exceedingly ; it was
& cordial to his desponding soul, being the first fresh water either of
us had tasted since we left the boat : his eyes, that were sunk deep in
their sockets, brightened up—" This is good water (said he) and must
have come from a belter country than this; if we were once there,
(added he,) and 1 could get one good drink of such water, I could
die with pleasure, but now 1 cannot live another day." Our masters
soon returned, and began, with others of the tribe who had received
the news of the arrival of strangers, to form circles and chat with them
and each other : this continued till night, and I presume there were
at least two hundred men present. After dark they began to sepa
rate, apd by 10 o'clock at night none remained but my old master's
family, and three or four of their relations, at our tent. On this
occasion we were turned out into the open air, and were obliged to
pass the night without any shelter or covering. It was a long and
tedious night; but at the time of milking the camels, our old master
coming to us, as if afraid of losing his property by our death, and
anxious we should live, dealt out about a pint of milk to each : this
milk tasted better than any I had yet drank ; it was a sweet and sea
senable relief, and saved poor Clark from dissolution.
This was the first nourishment of any kind our master had given us
in three days, and I concluded from this circumstance that he had
hopes of selling us to the strangers. The next morning Sidi Hamet
came towards the tent, and beckoned me to come there ; he was at
a considerable distance, and I made the best of my way to him, where
he bade me sit down on the ground. 1 had by this time learned
many words in their language, which is ancient Arabic, and could
understand the general current of their conversation, by paying strict
attention to it.
He now began to question me about my country, and the mapner
in which I had come here. I made him understand that 1 was an
Englishman, and that my vessel and crew were of the same natiop.
I found he had heard of that country, and I stated as well as I could
the manner of ray shipwreck — told him we were reduced to the lowest
depth of misery ; that I had a wife and five children in my own coun
try, besides Horace, whom I called my eldest son, mingling with my
story sighs and tears, and all the signs of affection and despair which
these recellections and my present situation naturally called forth.
1 found him to be a very intelligent and feeling mail ; for although
he knew no language but the Arabic, he comprehended so well what
I wished to communicate, that he actually shed tears at the recital of
my distresses, notwithstanding that, among the Arabs, weeping is
regarded as a womanish weakness. He seemed to be ashamed of his
own want of fortitude, and said that men who had beards like him
ought not to shed tears ; and he retired, wiping his eyes.
Finding I had awakened his sympathy, I thought if I could rouse
his interest by large offers of money, he might buy me and my com
panions, and carry us up from the desart — so accordingly the first
time I saw him alone, I went to him, and begged him to buy me, and
carry me to the Sultan of Morocco, or Marocksh, where I could find
a friend to redeem mo. He said no, but he would carry me to Swea
rah, describing it as a walled town and seaport. I told him I had

BUFFERINGS IN AFRICA* C3
86611. the Sultan, and that he was a friend to my nation. He then
asked me maoy other questions about Mohammed Rahsool, or holy
prophet. 1 bowed, and pointed to the east, then towards heaven, as
if 1 thought he ascended there.. This seemed to please him, and he
asked me how much money I would give him to carry me up; upon
which I counted over fifty pieces of stones, sigpifying I would give as
many dollars for myself and each of my men. " I will not buy the
others," said he, " but how much more than fifty dollars will you give
me for yourself, if 1 buy you and carry you to your friends?" I told
him one hundred dollars. " Have you any money in Swearah," asked
he by signs and words, " or do you mean to make me wait till you
get it from your country?" I replied that my friend in Swearah would
give him the money so soon as he brought me there. "You are
deceiving me," said he. I made the most solemn protestations of
my sincerity. " I will buy you then," said he, " but remember, if
you deceive me, I will cut your throat," (making a motion to that
effect.) This I assented to, and begged of him to buy my son
Horace also ; but he would not hear a word about any of my com
panions, as it would be impossible, he said, to get them up off the
desart, which was a great distance. " Say nothing about it to your
old master," signified he to me, " nor to my brother, or any of the
others." He then left me, and I went out to seek for snails to relieve
my hunger. I saw Mr. Savage and Hogan, and brought them with
Clark near Sidi Hamet's tent, where we sat down on the ground.
He came out to see us, miserable objects as we were, and seemed
very much shocked at the sight. I told my companions I had great
hopes we should be bought by this man, and carried up to the culti
vated country ; but they expressed great fears that they would be left
behind. Sidi Hamet asked me many questions about my men —
wished to know if any of them had died, and if they had wives and
children. I tried all 1 could to interest him in their behalf, as well as
my own, and mentioned to him my son, whom he had not yet seen.
I found my companions had been very much stinted in milk as well
as myself, and that they had no water : they had found a few snails,
which kept them alive ; but even these now failed.
The 24th, we journeyed on towards the N. W. all day, the whole
tribe, or nearly so, in company,, and the strangers also kept in com •
pany with us. When my mistress pitched her tent near night, she
made up one for Sidi Hamet also. I begged of him on my knees,
every time I had an opportunity, for him to buy me and my compan
ions, "and on the 25th I had the happiness to see him pay my old
master for me : he gave him two blankets or coarse haicks, one blue
cotton covering, and a bundle of ostrich feathers, with which the old
man seemed much pleased, as he had now three suits of clothing.
They were a long time in making the bargain.
This day Horace came with his master to fetch something to our
tent : at his approach, I went to meet him, and embraced him with
tears. Sidi Hamet was then fully convinced that he was my sop. I
had found a few snails this morning, and divided them between Mr.
Savage and Horace before Sidi Hamet, who signified to me in the
afternoon that he intended to set out with me in two days for Swea
rah; that he had tried to buy my son, but could not succeed, for his

84 CAPTAIN Rll-EY'S NARRATIVE.
mastef would Dot sell him at any price : then said I, "let me Stay in
his place ; I will be a faithful slave to his master as long as 1 live j
carry ftzmup to Swearah; my friend will pay you for him, arid Send
him heme to his mother, whom I cannot see unless I bring lifer son
with me." " You shall have your son, by Allah," said Sidi Harriet.
The whole tribe was gathered in council, and I supposed relative to
this business. In the course of the afternoon they debated the mat
ter ever, and seemed to turn it every way; — they fought, besides,
three or- four battles with fists and scimitars, in their warm and loud
discussions in settling individual disputes ; but in the evenitig I was
told that Horace was bought, as the tribe in council had foiced his
master to sell him, though at a great price. I now redoubled my
entreaties with my new master to buy Mr. Savage and Clark, telling
him that I would give him a large sum of money if he got us-up safe;
but he told me he should be obliged to carry us through bands of
robbers, who wpuld kill him for our sakes, and that his company was
not strong enough to resist them by force of arms — I fell down on my
knees, apd implored him to buy Mr. Savage and Clark, at aiiy rate,
thinking if he should buy them, he might be induced to purchase the
remaining part of the crew.
My mind had been so busily employed in schemes of redemption,
as almest-tp forget my sufferings since Sidi Hamet had bought me.
He had givCfl me two or three drinks of water, and had begged milk
for me of my former master. On the morning of the 26th, 1 renewed
my entreaties for him to purchase Mr. Savage, Clark, and Hogan—
the others 1 had net seen since the Second or third day after we were
'in the hands of the Atabs. I did riot know where they were, and
consequently could not designate them to my master Hamet, though
I told him all their names. Mr. Savage and Hogan looked much
more healthy and likely to live than Clark, and Sidi Hamet insisted
that it was impossible that Clark could live more than three days, and
that if he bought him, he should lose his money. I told him no, he
should not lo^e his money, for whether he lived or died, I would pay
him the same amount.
Clark was afflicted with the scalded head, rendered a raw sore in
consequence of his sufferings, and his hair, which was very long, was,
of course, in a very filthy condition: this attracted the attention of
Sidi Hamet ahd his brother, the latter of whom was a very surly and
Cross looking fellow. They pushed the hair open with their sticks,
and demapded to know what was the occasion of that filthy appear-
arice. Clark assured them that it was in consequence of his exposure
to the sun ; and as that was the reason 1 had assigned for the horrible
sores and blisters that covered our scorched bodies and half-roasted
flesh, they said, it might possibly be so, but asked why the heads sf
the rest of us were not in the same state. They next found fault with
my Shins, which had been a long time very sore, and they examined
every bbne to see if all was right in its place, with the same cautious
circumspection that a jockey would use, who was about buying a
horse; while we, poor trembling wretches, strove with ail possible
care and anxiety to hide every fault and infirmity in us, occasioned
by Our dreadful calamities and cruel sufferings, cheered by the hope
pf Ademption. ' r

SUFFERINGS IN AfrRicA. W
Sidi Hamet Informed me this day, that he had bought Mr. Savage
and Clark, and had bargained for Hogan, and that he was going to
kill a camel that night for provisions on our journey. Our water had
been expended for two days, and all the families around us wore also
destitute. I did not get more than a gill of milk in twenty-four
hours, and a small handful of snails—these served in a little degree
to support nature, and I waited with the greatest impatiepce for the
killing of the camel which had been promised, hoping to have a meal
of meat once more before I died. Clark and I had been busy all the
afternoon in gathering dry sticks to make a fire, and a little after
midnight my master came to me and showed me where to carry the
wepd we had collected ; it was in a little gulley that it might not be
seen by pur neighbpurs, whilst our former master and two present
ones were leading a camel up to the same place. This camel, on its
arrival, they made lie down in the usual manner : it was a very old
one, and so poor, that he had not been able to keep pace with the
drove duriog the journey, and Sidi Hamet told me he had bought
him for one blanket.
The camel being down, they put a rope round his underjaw, with a
noose in it ; then hauling his head round on the left side, made the
rope fast to his tail, close up to his body; his neck was so long, that
the underjaw reached within six inches of the tail : they then brought
a copper kettle that would contain probably three gallons. Thus pre
pared, Sidi Hamet cut open a vein on the right side of the camel's
neck, close to his breast ; the blood streamed out into the kettle, and
soon filled it half full ; this they set over the fire and boiled, stirring
it all the time with a stick, until it became thick, and of the consis
tence of a beef's liver ; then taking it off the fire, they passed it to
me, saying, "coole, Riley," (eat JRiley.) I did not wait for asecond
bidding, but fell tp, together with Clark : our appetites were voracious,
and we soon filled our stomachs with this, to us, delicious food.
Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, and the privacy observed
in killing this meager camel, many of our hungry neighbours had
found it out, and came to assist in the dressing and eating of the
animal. They insisted on having some of the blood, and would
snatch out a handful in spite of all our masters could do to hinder
them; they were then very Officious in assisting to take off the hide,
which was soon done, and the entrails were rolled out ; they next
proceeded to put all the small entrails into the kettle, without clean
ing them of their contents, together with what remained of the liver
and lights ; but they had no water to boil them in. Then one of
them went to the camel's paunch, which was very large, and cutting
a slit in the top of it, dipped out some of the filthy water in a bowl :
this they poured into the kettle, and set it a boiling, stirring it round,
and now and then taking out a piece, and biting off an end, to ascer
tain whether it was cooked enough. During this time, half a dozen
hungry wretches were at work on the camel, which they would not
leave under pretence of friendship for our masters, for they would not
suffer strangers to work, whep in their company, and it being dark,
they managed to steal and convey away, before morning, more than
one half of the camel's bones and meat, with half his skin. Oar
^rasters were as hungry as any of the Arabs, yet though they had
f|i 9

66 CAPTAIN RltEYfs NARRATIVE.'
bought the camel, they could scarcely get a bite of the ititestineS
without fighting for it ; for what title or argument can prevail against
the ravenous appetite of a half -starved man ? Though our masters
saw the natives in the very act of stealing and carrying off their meat,
they could not prevent them, fearing worse consequences than losing
it ; it being a standing maxim among the Arabs to feed the hungry
if in their power, and give them drink, even if the owner of the pro
visions be obliged to rob himself and his own family to do it.
Notwithstanding the boiled blood we had eaten was perfectly fresh,
yet our thirst seemed to increase in consequence of it. As soon as
daylight appeared, a boy of from fourteen to sixteen years old came
running up to the camel's paunch, and thrusting his head into it up tp
his shoulders, began to drink of its contents ; my master observing
him, and seeing that my mouth was very dry, made signs for me to
go and pull the boy away, and drink myself; this I soon did, putting
my head in like manner into the paunch ;' the liquid was very thick,
but though its taste was exceedingly strong, yet ft was not salt, and
allayed my thirst : Clark next took a drink of the same fluid.
This morning we were busied in cutting off the little flesh that
remained on the bones of our camel, spreading it out to dry, and
roasting the bones on the fire for our masters, who cracked them
between two stones, and then sucked out the marrow and juices.
Near noon, Horace was brought where I was ; he was very hungry
and thirsty, and said he had not ate any thing of consequence for the
last three days. Our common master said to me, " this is your son
Bais," apd seemed extremely glad that he had been able to purchase
him, giving him some of the entrails and meat he had boiled and saved
for the purpose. I in my turn gave him some of our thick camel's
water, which he found to be delicious; so true it is, that hunger and
thirst give a zest to every thing. Burns was brought up soon after,
and my master asked me if he was one of my men ; I told him he
was: "his master wants to sell him," said Sidi Hamet, "but he is
old and good for nothing," added he; "yet 1 can buy him for this
blanket," showing me a very poor old one. I said, " buy him, he is
my countryman, 1 will repay you as much for him as for the others :"
so he went out1, and bought him from his master, and then gave him
something to eat. Poor Burns was much rejoiced to find there was
a prospect of recovering his liberty, or at least of getting where he
might procure something to eat and drink. During this day, the
natives flocked round in great numbers, men, women, and children,
and what with begging and stealing reduced our stock of meat te less
than fifteen pounds before night.
Sidi Hamet now told me that he had bought Hogan : this was in
the afternoon, and he came to us. I congratulated him on our
favourable prospects, and our master gave him something to eat ; but
his former master, Hamet, now demanded one blanket more for him
than had been agreed on, as, he was a stout fellow : my master would
not be imposed upon, nor had he indeed a blanket left. I begged
very hard for poor Hogan, but it was to no purpose, and his old mas
ter drove him off, laying on his back with a stick most unmercifully, '
Hamet's eyes seemed fairly to flash fire as he went from us. Hogatfi
hopes had been raised to a high pitch— they were now blasted, and.

SOMEfttNflS IN AFRICA. 67
he anven hack like a criminal before his brutal owner, to his former
miserable abode. He informed me that he had never as yet, since
our captivity, known what it was to sleep under the cover of a tent ;
that his allowance of milk had been so scant, that he did not doubt
but he must have died with hunger in a day or two : he was extremely
wasted and sore on every side. My heart bled for him when 1 saw
the blows fall on his emaciated and mangled frame ; but I could no"
assist him, and all I could do was to turn round and hide my face, so
as net tp witness his further tortures.
This day was employed in preparing for our departure : our mas
ters made me a pair of sandals with two thicknesses of the camel's
skin ; they also made Hprace a pair in the same manner ; but Clark
and Burns were fitted with single ones. They had in the morning
given me a small knife, which I hung to my neck in a case : this they
meant as a mark of confidence; and they also gave me charge of theu"
stuff, the camels, and the slaves. I soon perceived, however, tha..
although I had this kind of command, yet I was obliged to do all the
work. 3Iy men were so far exhausted, that even the hope of soon
obtaining their liberty, could scarcely animate them to the least
exertion. In the evening Sidi Hamet told me Aaron (Mr. Savage) would be
with us by and by : — that we should start in the morning for Swea
rah, — and that he hoped, through the blessing of God, I should opce
more embrace my family : he then told me how much he had paid
for each one of us — that he had expended all his property, and that
if I had not told him the truth, he Was a ruined man — that his brother
was a bad man, and had done all he could to prevent his buying us,
but that he had at last consented to it, and taken a share.
He next made me repeat, before his brother, my promises to him
when we should arrive at Swearah, and my agreement to have my
throat cut if my words did not prove true. Late in the evening Mr.
Savage joined us : he knew before that I was going to set out, and
thought he should be left behind : he was very thankful to be unde
ceived in this particular, and to get at the same time, something to
eat; for Sidi Hamet had saved some of the camel's intestines, which
he immediately gave him.
After having satisfied his hunger in some measure, he began to
express his doubts as to where we were going; declaring, that he did
not believe a word these wretches said ; — he could not understand
them, and said he did not believe I could; and suggested a hundred
doubts and difficulties on the subject, that his ill-boding imagination
supplied him with. He did not like the price I had agreed to give for
our liberty, — it was too much, and I should find nobody wilfipg to
advance it for me, as I was poor.
We had started what water remained in the paunch of the camel,
thick as it was, into a goat skin, straining it through our fingers to
keep out the thickest of the filth. The night of the 27th, as near as
we could keep count by marking the day of the month on our legs
with a thorn, we passed in the open air, five of us together.
At daylight on the morning of the 28th, we were called up and made
to load our camels. I had strong hopes we were going to ride, but it
now appeared not to be the case. All the Arabs in the valley set out

rjfi. CAPfAiN RtLEY^NARRAT'tv'fi.
in the morning with their camels, to drive them to water : tliey hadfidt
been watered since the 10th, having "gone without any for eighteen
days. They were now at least two days' journey from the well where
we had first been seized, towards which they then steered in a N. W.
direction. I mention this circumstance, to show the time these won
derful animals can live without drink, and supply their masters with
milk, even when nearly destitute of vegetable substances ; and with
water from their paunches after death.
Soon after sunrise, our masters bade us drive the camels up the
bank : at this moment Archibald Robbins came with his master to see
us, and I supposed his master had brought him with the view of selling
him. 1 had not before seen him for fourteen days, and he had only
arrived soon enough to witness our departure : I now on my knees
begged, as I had done before of Sidi Hamet, to purchase him ; but he
said he could not, and so hurried us on.
1 told Robbirrs what my present hopes were, and that if I should
succeed in getting clear, I would use my utmost endeavours to pro
cure his and the rest of the crew's redemption. 1 begged him to
continue as long as he could with his present master, who, for an
Arab, appeared to be a very good man; and to encourage Mr. Wil
liams and all the others to bear up with fortitude, and support life as
long as it was possible, iu the hope, that through my help or some
other means, they might obtain their redemption in a short time; and
having taken my leave of him in the most aft'ectionate manner, (in
which my companions followed the example,) we set out on our jour
ney, but with heavy hearts, occasioned by the bitter regret we felt at
leaving our fellow sufferers behind, although 1 had done all in my
power to make them partakers of our better fortune.

CHAPTER X.
The author and four of his companions set out to cross the Desart— Their
sufferings — They come to a spring of fresh water — Description of its
singular situation.
From the time I was sold to Sidi- Hamet, my old master and his
family shunned me as they would a pestilence ; and the old villain
actually stole one piece of our meat from me, or rather robbed me of
it, just as we were setting out ; for he cut it off the string by which it
was tied to the camel, in spite of my efforts to prevent him. Our mas
ters were accompanied for a considerable distance by several men and
women, who were talking and taking leave, going on very slowly.
We were ordered to keep their camels together, which I thought 1
did ; yet when they were finally ready to depart, they found their big
camel had marched off a great distance, probably two miles from us,
following a drove of camels going to the N. W. ; Sidi Hamet bade
me fetch him back, pointing him out: notwithstanding my weak and
exhausted state, I was obliged to run a great way to come up with
him ; but my rising spirits supported me, and 1 succeeded in hanging
him back, where the other camels were collected by my shipmates.

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 83
'Sidi Hamet and Seid had two old camels on which they had rodfe,
and they had bought also a young one that had not been broke for
riding. We were joined here by a young Arab named Abdallah : he
had been Mr. Savage's master, and owned a camel and a couple ot
goat skins to carry water in: but these, as well as those of our mas
ters, were entirely empty. .Sidi Hamet had a kind of a pack saddle
for each of his old camels ; but nothing to cover the bones of his
young one. Having fitted Ihem as well as he could, (for he seemed
to be humane,) he placed Mr. Savage, Burns, and Horace on the big
one, and myself and Clark on the oilier old one. Seid and Abdallah
took their seats on the one which belonged to Abdallah, and Sidi
Hamet mounted the young one himself to break him, sitting behind
the hump on his bare back; and thus arranged and equipped, we set
off on a full and long striding trot. It was about nine A. M. when we
had mounted ; and this trot had continued for about three hours, when
we stopped a few minutes in a little valley to adjust our saddles.
Here Sidi Hamet pulled out a check shirt from one of his bags and
gave it me, declaring he had stolen it, and had tried to get another
for Horace, but had not been able : "put it on," said he, "your poor
back needs a covering;" (it being then one entire sore.) 1 kissed
his hand in gratitude, and tlianked liiffl and my Heavenly Father for
this mercy. Clark, a day or two before, had got a piece of an old
sail, that partly covered him; Burns had an old jacket, and Horace
and Mr. Savage, a small goat skin added to their dress — -so that we
were all, comparatively, comfortably clad. We did not stop here
long, but mounted again, and proceeded on our course to the east
ward on a full trot, which was continued till night; when coming to
a little valley, we found some thorn bushes and halted for the night.
Here we kindled a fire, and our masters gave us a few mouthfuls of
the camel's meat, which we roasted and ati^. As we had drank no
water for the last three days, except a very little of what we had taken
from the camel's paunch, and which was now reduced to about four
quarts, we, as well as our masters, suffered exceedingly for the want
of it, and it was thereupon determined to make an equal distribution
of it among the whole party; which was accordingly done with an
impartial hand. This we poor sufferers made out to swallow, foul
and ropy as it was, and it considerably relieved our parched throats ;
and then, finding a good shelter under a thorn bush, notwithstanding
our unabated pains, we got a tolerable night's sleep. We had travel
led this day steady at a" long trot, at the rate, I judged, of between
seven and eight miles an hour: making a distance of sixty-three miles
at the lowest computation.
Before daylight on the morning of the 28th, we were called up and
mounted on the camels as before, and we set off on the long trot, ,Pn
the same ceurse, i. e. about east, as on the preceding day. The same
smepth hard surface continued, with now and then a little break, oc
casioned by the naked heads of rocks just rising above the plain, and
forming in some places small ledges. Near one of these, we alighted
a few minutes about noon, for our masters to perform their devotions ;
and we allayed our thirst by drinking some of the camels' urine, which
we caught in our hands: our masters did the same, and told The it
was good for our stomachs. The camels. took very long steps, .and

ft) CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
their metions being heavy, our legs, unsupported by stirrups or any
thing else, would fly backwards and forwards, chafing across their
hard ribs at every step ; nor was it possible for us te prevent it, so
that the remaining flesh on our posteriors, and inside of our thighs and
legs, was so beat, and literally pounded to pieces that scarcely any
remained en pur bones; which felt as if they had been thrown out of
their sockets, by the continual and sudden jerks they experienced
during this longest of days. It seemed to me as though the sun
would never go down, and when at last it did, our masters had not
yet found a place to lodge in ; for they wished, if possible, to find a
spot where a few shrubs were growing, in order that the camels might
browse a little during the night. They stopped at last after dark, in
a very small valley, for they could find no better place ; here they
kindled a little fire, and gave us about a pound of meat between us,
which we greedily devoured, and then allayed our thirst in a similar
manner as before mentioned.
We had started before daylight this morning, and had made but
one stop of about fifteen minutes in the course of the whole day until
dark night, having travelled at least fifteen hours, and at the rate of
seven miles the hour, making one hundred and five miles. Here
in our bare-bone and mangled state, we were forced to lie on the naked
ground, without the smallest shelter from the wind, which blew a vio
lent gale all night from the north — suffering in addition to the cold,
the cravings of hunger and thirst, and the most excruciating pains in
our limbs and numerous sores ; nor could either of" us close our eyes
to sleep ; and I cannot imagine that the tortures of the rack can ex
ceed those we then experienced. Sidi Hamet and his two compan
ions, who had been accustomed to ride in this manner, thought
nothing of it : nor did they even appear to be fatigued ; but when I
showed him my sores in the morning, and the situation of my ship
mates, he was much distressed, and feared we would not live. He
told me we should come to good water soon, when we might drink as
much as we wanted of it, and after that we would not travel so fast.
We were placed op our camels scpn after daylight, (this was the
* 29th,) having nothing to eat, and drinking a little camel's water,
which we preferred to our own : its taste, as I before observed, though
bitter, was not salt ; ¦ and they void it but seldom in this dry and
thirsty country. Proceeding on our journey at a long trot, about
nine o'clock in the morriing, we discovered before us what seemed
like high land, as we were seated on the camels ; but on our approach,
it proved to be the opposite bank of what appeared once to have been
a river or arm of the sea, though its bed was now dry. At about 10
o'clock, we came to the bank nearest us ; it was very steep, and four
or five hundred feet deep, and in most places perpendicular or over
hanging. These banks must have been washed, at some former period,
either by the sea or a river; which river, if it was one, does not now
exist. After considerable search, our masters found a place where
our camels could descend into it, and having first dismounted, and
made us do the same, we drove them down. When we had descended
the most difficult part of the bank, Seid and Abdallah went forward
(with their guns) to search for a spring of fresh water, which Sidi
Hamet told me was not very far distant. He now made me walk

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. ?1
along with him, and let the ethers drive en the camels slewly after us ;
for they, as well as purselves, were nearly exhausted. He then asked
me a great many questions respecting my country, myself, and family ;
and whether I had any property at home ; if I had been at Swearah,
and if 1 told him the truth concerning my having a friend there who
wpuld pay money for me? He said also, that both himself and his
brother had parted with all their property to purchase us, and wished
me to be candid with him, for he was " my friend." " God (said he)
will deal with you, as you deal with me." I persisted in asserting
that I had a friend at Swearah, who would advance any sum of money
I needed, and answered his other questions as well as I was able ;
evading some I did not choose to answer, pretending I did not under
stand them. "Will you buy Clark and Burns? (said he,) they are
good for ndthing." They certainly did look worse, if possible, than
the rest of us. 1 told him they were my countrymen, and my brothers,
and that he might depend upon it I would ransom them, if he would
carry us to the empire of Morocco and to the Sultan. "No, (said he,)
the Sultan will not pay for you, but I will carry you to Swearah to
your friend : what is his name?" "Consul," said I. It seemed to
please him to hear me name my friend so readily ; and after teaching
me to count in Arabic, and by fny fingers up to twenty, (which was
ashreen,) he told me I must give him two hundred dollars for myself,
two hundred dollars for Horace, and for the others 1 must pay one
hundred dollars each — showing me seven dollars he had about him,
to be certain that we understood each other perfectly ; and he next
made me understand that I must pay for our provisions on the road,
over and above this sum. He then made me point out the way to
Swearah, which 1 was enabled to do by the sun and trade wind, mak
ing it about N. E. "Now, (said he,) if you will agree before God the
most High, to pay what I have stated, in money, and give me a double-
barrelled gun, I will take you up to Swearah; if not, I will carry you
off that way," pointing to the S. E. "and sell you for as much as I
can get, sooner than carry you up across this long desart, where we
must risk our lives every day for your sakes ; and if you cannot com
ply with your agreement and we get there safe, we must cut your
throat and sell your comrades for what they will bring." I assured
him that I had told him the truth, and called God to witness the sin
cerity of my intentions, not in the least doubting if I could once
arrive there, I should find some one able and willing to pay the sum
they demanded. "You shall go to Swearah, (said he, taking me by
the hand.) if God please." He then showed me the broken pieces of
my watch, and a plated candlestick, which he said he had bought
from some person who had come from the wreck of my vessel. The
candlestick had belonged to Mr. Williams. He said he bought the
articles before he saw me, and wished to know what they were worth
in Swearah; I satisfied him as well as I could on this point. During
this conversation we kept walking on about east, as the bed of the
river ran near the northern bank, which was very high, and Sid;
Hamet looked at me as if his eye would pierce my very soul, to ascer
tain the secrets of my heart, and discover whether I was deceiving
him or not ; and he became satisfied that I was sincere.
By this time we had arrived nearly opposite the place where he

Y2 captain rii-ey's Narrative.
calculated the spring was, and his brother and Abdallah being not far
off, he hailed them to know if they had fourid it ; to which they
answered in the negative. After searching about an hour in the bank,
he discevered it, and calling to me, for 1 was below, bade me come
up to where he was, at the foot of a perpendicular cliff. 1 clambered
up over the fragments of great rocks that had fallen down from above,
as fast as my strength would permit, and having reached the spot, and
seeing no signs of water, the tears flowed fast down my cheeks, for
1 concluded the spring was dried up, and that we must now inevitably
perish. Sidi Hamet looked at me, and saw my tears of despair—
" Look down there," said he, (pointing through a fissure in the rock.)
I looked and saw water, but the cleft was too narrow to admit of a
passage to it : then showing me another place, about ten or fifteen
yards distant, where I could get down to another small spring — "Sherub
Riley, (said he,) it is sweet." I soon reached it, and found it sweet
indeed ; and taking a copious draught, I called my companions, who
scrambled along on their way up, exclaiming with great eagerness,
" Where is the water ? for God'ssake! where is it? Oh, is it sweet?"
I showed it to them, and they were soon convinced of the joyful fact.
This water was as clear and as sweet as any I had ever tasted.
Sidi Hamet now allowed us to drink our fill, while Seid and Abdal
lah were driving the four camels up the bank by a zigzag kind of a
foot way, from which the stones and other impediments had been
before removed, apparently with great trouble and labour. This
spring, the most singular perhaps in nature, was covered with largo
rocks, fifteen to twenty feet high, only leaving a narrow crooked pas
sage next the high bank behind it, by which a common sized man
might descend to get at it. It might contain, I should calculate, not
mere than fifty gallons of water ; cool, clear, fresh, and sweet, and I
presume it communicated with the one that was first shown me
between the rocks, which was much smaller. The camels had been
driven to within fifty yards below the spring ; c-dr masters then took
off the large bowl which they carried for the purpose of watering the
camels : then bringing a goat skin near the spring, made me fill it
with the water, my three shipmates passing it up to me in the bowl.
I kept admonishing my companions to drink with moderation, but at
the same time I myself continued.to take in large draughts of this
delicious water, without knowing when to stop ; in consequence ot
which I was seized with violent pains in my bowels, but soon found
relief. It was here that I had an opportunity pf ascertaining the quantity
of water which a camel could drink at one draught. We filled a large*
goat skin fifteen times, containing at least four gallons, and every
drop of this water was swallowed down by our largest camel, amount
ing to the enormous quantity of sixty gallons, or two barrels. The
men kept crying out, "Has not that camel done yet? he alone will
drink the spring dry." It was in effect drained very low; but still
held out, as the water kept continually running in, though slowly.
This camel was a very large and old one, about nine feet high, stout
in proportion, and had not drank any water for twenty days, as 1 wag
informed by Sidi Hamet : but the pther camels did net drink as much
in proportion. '

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. ^t%
Having finished watering them, we filled two goat skinS With the
water, which had now become thick and whitish ; as the rock in which
the basin was formed for holding it, appeared to be chalky, Soft, and
yielding. We descended this bank, and after preparing the camels,
We were mounted thereon, and proceeded as before, but along to the
eastward, in this arm of the sea. I call it an arm of the sea, because
there could be no doubt in the mind of any one who should view it,
that these high banks were worn and washed by water; they were
from six to eight or ten miles distant from each other, and the level
bottom was incrusted with marine salt. The bank rises four or five
hundred feet, and nearly perpendicular, in most places. The broken
fragments of rock, gravel, and sand, that had been undermiped by the
water, apd tumbled down, filled a considerable space near the cliffs,
and did not appear to have b'jen washed by the water for a great num
ber of years.- I could not account for the incrustation of salt (as we
must have been at least three hundred miles from the sea; this bottom
or bed running from the east northwardly to the west or S. W.) in
any other way, than by supposing the sea water had once overflowed
this level ; that it had since either retired from that part of the coast,
or formed a bar across its mouth, or outlet, and thus excluded itself
entirely ; and that the sea air combining with the saline deposit or
sediment, continued this incrustation.
The curious and interesting springs, before mentioned, are situated
on the right or north side of this dry bay or river, about one hundred
feet below the surface of the desart, and from three hundred and fifty
to four hundred feet from ihe bed or bottom. There was not the
smallest sign of their ever having overflowed their basins ; thereby
leaving it a mystery how ihey ever should have been discovered, as
there was no rill to serve as a clue.
Our masters now hurried on to the eastward, to find a place to
emerge from this dreary abyss, still more gloomy, if possible, than
the face of the desart. As we passed along, the salt crust crumbled
under the feet of our camels, like the thin crust of snow. We came
at length to a spot in the bank at a kind of point, where we ascended
gradually from one point to another until within, probably, two hun
dred feet of the top; here we were obliged to dismount, and drive,
coax, and encourage the camels to go up. The ascent was very
steep, though in zigzag directions, and the flat rock over which the
_camels were forced to climb, threw them down several times, when
our masters would encourage them to get up again, by singing and
making repeated trials ; helping them over the bad places by a partial
lifting, and begging the assistance of God and his prophet most fer
vently, as well as of all the saints.
Having at length reached the surface of the desart, they stopped a
few minutes to let the camels breathe, and also that we might come
np, for Mr. Savage and Clark could not keep pace with the rest of us,
on account of their severe pains in consequence of overcharging their
stomachs with water. The desart here had the same smooth appear
ance we had before observed : no rising of the ground, nor any rock,
tree, or shrub, to arrest the view within the horizon — all was a dreary,
solitary waste, and we could not but admire and wonder at the good
ness of Providence in providing a reserveir of pure fresh water, to
7 10

"*4 captain riley's narrative.
quench the thirst of the traveller and his camel, in this dry, salt, and
torrid regien, and we felt an inexpressible gratitude to the Author of
our being, fpr having directed our masters te this spot, where pur
lives had been preserved and refreshed by the cool delicious spring,'
which seemed to be kept there by a continual miracle.
We had not gone more than eight miles from the bank, (in a N.
W. direction,) before we stopped for the night: here we found no
lee to screen us from the strong winds, nor bush for the camels to
browse on. 1 reckon we had travelled five hours this morning, at
the rate of seven miles an hour, before reaching the bank, and five
miles after getting down it, before we came to the spring ; making it
forty miles to, and ten miles from the spring to where we halted for
the night, so that this day's march was altogether at least fifty miles.
The dry bed or bottom before mentioned, had probably been an
inlet or arm of the sea that never was explored by Europeans, or any
other civilized men; yet it must have had an outlet; and that outlet
must be to the southward of us, and if so, its mouth must have been
at least three hundred miles distant.
Here we ate the remainder of our camel's meat : — we had no milk ;
for neither of our masters' camels yielded any, and our share pf meat
was not more than about an ounce each.
I judged by the height of the north star above the horizon that we
were about in the latitude of twenty degrees north. 1 now experienced
that to have only one want supplied, made us feel the others as less
supportable than before ; for although we had drank as much fresh
water as we could contain, and our thirst was in a great measure
allayed, still we were rendered extremely uneasy by the gnawings of
hunger, which, together with our sufferings from the cold and piercing
winds, made this a long and restless night.

CHAPTER XI.
Journeying on the Desart — they are hospitably entertained by Arabs,
and come to a well of fresh ivater.
On the morning of the 30th wejstarted very early ; three of us rode,
while the other two walked ; taking our turns every three hours, or
thereabouts- They let the camels walk all this day, but their long
legs, and the refreshment they had enjoyed at the spring, enabled
them to step along so fast and briskly, that those of us who were on
foot, were obliged to be on a continual small trot in order to keep up
with them: the wind at the same time blowing very strong directly
against us, and our course being nearly N. W.
About two o'clock, P. M. Sidi Hamet said to me, " Riley, shift
Gemel ;" (I see a camel ;) he was very much rejoiced at it, and so
were his companions ; but neither 1 nor my companions could per
ceive any thing of the kind above the horizon for two hours after
this. Our masters had altered their course to about east, and at
length i we all saw a camel, appearing like a speck in the horizon, but
we did not reach the travellers, who were with a large drove of camels

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 73
until sunset. Having pome up with the men, they invited our mas
ters tp gp hphre with them ; the invitation was accepted, and we
drove our camels along, following them as they went towards their
tents : — it was dark and quite late before we reached them, which
were four in number.
We stopped at a small distance from the tents, and were obliged'to
pluck up a few scattered shrubs, not thicker than a straw, to make a
fire with. Our masters had given us neither meat nor drink this day.
I begged for some water, and they gave us each a very scanty drink.
We had travelled full fourteen hours this day, and at the rate of about
three miles an hour, making a distance of about forty miles. We
were now in a most piteous situation, extremely chafed and worn
down with our various and complicated sufferings, and were now to
lie on the hard ground without the smallest screen — not even a spot
of sand on which to rest our wearied limbs ; we had been promised,
however, something to eat by our host, and about 11 o'clock at night
Sidi Hamet called me and gave me a. bowl containing some boiled
meat, which I divided into five heaps, and we cast lots for them.
This meat was very tender, and there was just enough of it to fill
our stomachs : after eating this, we had scarcely lain down whep
they brought us a large bowl filled with milk and water. This was
indeed sumptuous living, notwithstanding our pains and the severely
cold night wind.
On the morning of the first of October we were roused up early
to pursue our journey. Sidi Hamet then called me aside, and gave
me to understand that this man had got my spy-glass, and wanted to
know what it was worth. I requested him to show it to me, which
he did : it was a new one I had bought in Gibraltar, and it had not
been injured. The Arab owner, though he did not know the use of
it, yet as the brass on it glittered, he thought it was worth a vast sum
of money. Sidi Hamet had only seven dollars in money, having
invested the rest of his property in the purchasing of us, and was not
able to buy the glass ; — his fancy was as much taken with it, however,
as was that of the owner. They had also several articles of clothing
in their possession, which gave me reason to infer that we could not
be a great distance from the place where our vessel was wrecked ;
but there was po method of calculating to any degree of certainty,
as they all move with such rapidity in their excursions, that they seem
not to know whither, or what distances they gb, nor could 1 find out
any thing from this man concerning the wreck. Taking our leave
from this truly hospitable man, we pursued our course N. W. on the
level desart.
Our masters had been very uneasy all the preceding day, on
account of meeting with no land marks to direct their course: they
were in the same dilemma this day, directing their camels by the
winds and bearing of the sun ; frequently stopping and smelling the
sand, whenever they came to a small sandy spot, which now and then
occurred, but we did not come across any loose drifting sand. We
took turns in riding and walking, or rather trotting, as we had done
the day before, until the afternoon, when our masters walked, (or
rather ran,) and permitted us to ride.
About four o'clock P. M. we saw, and soon fell in with a drove of

tfj captain Riley's narrative1.
camels, that had bfeen to the northward for water, and were then goifl|,
in a S, W. direction with skins full of water, and buckets for drawing
and watering the camels : their owners very civilly invited our mas
ters to take up their lodgings with thein that night, and we went irt
company with them about two hours to the south, where falling ill
with a very extensive but shallow valley, we saw about fifty tents
pitched, and going into the largest clear place, unloaded and lettered
our camels, to let them browse on the leaves and twigs of the small
shrubs that grew there, or on the little low moss, with which th6
ground was, in many places, covered. As we went along near the
tents, the men and women called me el Rais, and soon gathered around
with their children to lppk at us, and to wonder. Some inquired
about my country, my vessel, my family, &c. Having satisfied their
curiosity, they left us to gather sticks to kindle our masters' fire ; this
done, we found, after considerable search, a soft spot of sand to lie
down upon, where we slept soundly until about rnidnight, when we
Were aroused, and each of us presented with a good drink Of milk :
this refreshed us, and we slept the remainder of the night, forgetting
our sores and our pains. I reckon we had travelled this last day about
forty miles, on a course of about N. W.
On the 2d of October we set out, in company with all these fafni-
lies, and went north fifteep or twenty miles, when they pitched their
tents, and made up a kind of a shelter for our masters With two pieces
of tent cloth joined together by thorns, and supported by some sticks.
Our masters gave us a good drink of water about noon, and at mid
night milk was brought from all quarters, and each of us had as
much as he could swallow, and actually swallowed more than our
poor stomachs could retain.
The tribe did not move, as is customary, on the 2d of October,
waiting, as Sidi Hamet said, for the purpose of feasting us. They
gave us as much milk as we could drink on the night of the second.
Here our masters bought a sheep, of which animals this tribe had
about fifty, and they were the first we had seen ; but they were so
poor, that they could with difficulty stand and feed upon the broWh
moss which covered part of the face of the valleys hereabouts, and
which moss was not more than one inch high. This tribe, not unlike
all the others we had seen, took no nourishment, except one gpod
drink Pf milk at midnight, and a' drink of sour milk and water at mid
day, when they could get it.
On the morning of the 3d of October, our masters todk leave of
this hospitable tribe pf Arabs, who not only fed them, but seemed
desireus that we, their slaves, shuuld have sufficient nourishment also,
and gave us liberally of the best they had. Our masters had made a
trade with them, and exchanged our youngest camel for an old one
that Was lame in his right fore foot, and one that was not more than half
grown. The old pne they called Coho, (or the lame,) and the young
one Goyette, (or the little child.) The sheep our masters purchased
was tied about the neck with a rope, and I was obliged to lead it until
abeut noon, when we came to a low valley, with some small bushes
in it : in the midst there was a well of tolerable good water. Here
we watered the camels, apd as the sheep could go po farther, they
hilled it, and put its lean carcass on a camel, after placing its entrails

SHJrtfERiNaS iU AFftiflA. 11
(which they would not allow trie time to cleanse) into the carcass.
This well was about forty feet deep, and dug out among the surround
ing ropts.

CHAPTER XII.
They arrive amongst immense mountains of driving sand — Their ex
treme sufferings — Their masters find ana steal some barley, and re-
Store it again.
Having: watered our camels, and filled two skins with water,
and drank as much as we peeded, they mounted Horace on the young
camel, and all the others being also mounted, we proceeded on towards
the N. W. at a long walk, and sometimes a trot, driving the old lame
camel before us until dark night, and 1 think we travelled thirty-five
miles this day. The entrails of the sheep were now given us for our
supper; these we roasted on a fire we made for the purpose, and ate
them, while our masters finished two of the quarters.
We lay this night without any screen or shelter, and early ip the
morning of the 4th, we set off on our journey, all on foot, driving our
camels, before us, on the same kind of flat surface we had hitherto
travelled over : but about 10 A. M. it began to assume a new aspect,
and become sandy. The sand where we first entered it, lay in small
loose heaps, through which it was very difficult to walk, as we sank
in nearly to our knees at each step :, this sand was scorching hot. The
oamels were now stopped, and all of us mounted on them, when on
their rising up, we saw before us vast numbers of immense sand hills,
stretching as far as the eye could reach eastward, and from the north
to the south, heaped up in a most terrific manner; we soon arrived
among them, and were struck with horror at the sight : — huge moun
tains of loose sand, piled up like drifted snow, towered two hundred
feet above our heads on every side, and seemed to threaten destruc
tion to our whole party : not a green or even a diy busk or shrub of
any kind in view to relieve the eye ; here was no path to guide our
footsteps, nor had wc a compass to direct our course, obstructed by
these dreadful barriers. The trade winds, which had hitherto given
us so much relief on our journey, by refreshing our bodies when
heated by the rays of an almost perpendicular sun, and which had
served, in some measure, to direct our course — even these winds,
which now blew like a tempest, became our formidable enemy : —
the loose sand flew before its blasts, cutting our flesh like hail stones,
and very often cevering us from each other's sight, while the gusts
(which followed each other in quick succession) were rushing by.
We were here obliged to dismpunt, and drive the camels up the
sandy steeps after our masters, who went on before to look out a
practicable passage. The camels,' as well as ourselves, trod deep iu
the sand, and with great difficulty ascended the hills ; but they went
down them very easily, and frequently on a long trot, following our
masters. Sidi Hamet, Seid, and Abdallah, seemed full of apprehen
sions for their own and our safety, apd were very careful of their
camels. 7*

?8 captain riley's narrative.
Thus we drove on until dark, when coming to a spacg where the
sand was not so much heaped up, being like a lake surrounded by
mountains, we saw a few shrubs : here we stopped for the night,
unloaded and fettered our camels, whose appetites were as keen,
apparently, as ours, for they devoured the few leaves, together with
the shrubs, which were as thick as a man's finger. We next prepared
a kind of shelter with the saddles and some sand for our masters and
ourselves, to keep off in some measure the fierce and chilling blasts
of wind, and the driving sand which pierced our sores and caused us
much pain. Having kindled a fire, our masters divided the meat
that remained of the sheep : — It was sweet to our taste, though but
a morsel, and we pounded, chewed, and swallowed all the bones, and
afterwards got a drink of water : — then lying down on the sand, we
had a comfortable night's sleep, considering our situation. 1 reckon
we had made thirty-five miles this day, having travelled about eight
hours before we got among the heavy sand hills, at the rate of three
miles an hour, and five hours among the sand hills, at the rate of two
miles an hour. We were all afflicted with a most violent diarrhoea,
brought on, no doubt, by excessive drinking and fatigue.
At daylight on the morning of the 5th, I was ordered to fetch the
camels, and took Mr. Savage and Clark with me ; and the two old
ones being fettered, that is, their two fore legs being tied within
twelve inches of each other, they could not wander far; we soon
found them, and I made the one 1 found kneel down, and having
taken off its fetters, mounted it with a good stick in my hand for its
government, as the Arabs of the desart use neither bridle nor halter,
but guide and drive them altogether with a stick, and by words. Mr.
Savage having found the big camel, took off his fetters, intending to
make him kneel down in order to get on his back; but the old lame
camel, which had hitherto carried no load, and which had occasioned
us much trouble, in forcing him to keep up with the others, when on
our march, now set off on a great trot to the south : — the. young one
followed his example, so did Abdallah's, and the big one startedalso,
running attheir greatest speed. Seeing the panic of the other camels,
I endeavoured to stop them by riding before them with my camel,
which was the most active and fleet ; but they would not stop — dodg
ing me every way ; my camel also tried to get rid of its load by run
ning, jumping, lying down, rolling over, and striving to bite my legs;
but I made shift to get on again before he could rise, and had got
some miles from where I had started, keeping near, and frequently
before the other camels, which appeared to be very much frightened.
Our masters had watched us, and when the camels set off, had start
ed on a full run after them; but had been hid from my view by the
numerous sand hills, over and among which we passed. — Finding I
could not stop the others, and fearing I should be lost myself, I stop
ped the one I was on, and Sidi Harriet soon coming in sight, called
to me to make my camel lie down. He mounted it, and after inquir
ing which way the other camels went, (which were now out of sight )
and telling me to follow his tracks back to our stuff, he set off after
them on full speed :— Seid and Abdallah followed him on foot, running
™,taSJ- aJ Rosslble- I returned ; and picking up a few skins that had
jolted off from the little camel, I joined Mr. Savage and Clark, and

v SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA; 79
We reached the place where we had slept, but much fatigued ; and
here we remained for two or three hours before our masters returned
With the camels.
We had during this interval tasted the bark of the roots of the
shrubs which grew on the sand near us — it was bitter, but not ill
flavoured, and we continued to eat of it until the runaway camels were
brought back ; it entirely cured our diarrhoea. They had overtaken
the camels with much difficulty, and the creatures were covered with
sweat and sand. I expected we should receive a flogging as an atone
ment for our carelessness in letting the big camel go, that had been
fettered, and in particular, that Mr. Savage would be punished, whom
I did not doubt they had seen, when he let his camel escape. So
as soon as they got nigh, 1 began to plead for him ; but it was all to
no purppse, for they whipped him with a thick stick (or goad) most
unmercifully. Mr. Savage did not beg as I should have done in our
situation, and in a similar case, and they believed he had done it ex
pressly to give them trouble, and continued to call him Fonte, (i. e. a
bad fellow,) all the remaining part of the journey. Having settled
this affair, and put what stuff they had on the camels, we mounted
them and proceeded, — shaping our course as before, to the N.N. W.
as near as the mountains of sand Would permit. It was as late as
nine o'clock when we started, arid at eleven, having made about three
leagues, winding round the sand hills on a trot, we were obliged to
dismount. The hills now stood so thick, that great care was neces
sary to prevent getting the camels into an inextricable situation
between them, and our masters went on ahead, two of them at a con
siderable distance, to. pick the way, and one to direct us how to go : —
the latter keeping all the time in sight. The sand was heated (as it
had been the preceding day) by the rays of the sun, to such a degree
that it burned our feet and legs, so that the smart was more severe
than the pain we had before experienced, from our blisters and
chafing : — it was like wading through glowing embers.
During the whole of this day, we had looked for shrubs, or some
green thing to relieve the eye ; but not a speck of verdure was to be
seen. We had no food ; our water was nearly exhausted, and we saw
no sign of finding an end to these horrid heaps of drifting sands, or
of procuring any thing to relieve our fatigues and sufferings, which
were now really intolerable. We continued on our route, however,
as near as circumstances would permit, N. N. W. until about nine
o'clock in the evening, and stopped to rest among the high and dreary
sand heaps, without a shrub for our camels to eat. I calculated we
had gone this day from 9 to 11 o'clock, twelve miles, and from that
time till we stopped, about two miles an hour, making in all thirty-
two miles. We had nothing to eat; our masters, however, gave us a
drink of water, and being fatigued beyond description, we soon saok
down and fell asleep, fhappened to awake in the night, and hearing
a heavy roaring to the northward of us, concluded it must be a violent
gust of wind, or a hurricane, that would soon bury us in the sand for
ever. I therefore immediately awakened my companions, who were
more "terrified at the noise even than myself, for a few moments; but
when we perceived that the sound came no nearer, I was convinced
(as the wind did not increase) that it must be the rQaring of the sea.

80

CAPTAIN riley's narrative.

against the coast not far off. This was the first time we had heard
the sea roar since the 10th of September ; and it proved to us that eur
masters were going towards the empire of Morocco, as they had pro
mised. My comrades were much rejoiced at being undeceived on
that subject, for they had all along continued to suspect the contrary,
notwithstanding 1 had constantly told them that the courses we steered
could not fail of bringing us to the coast. ¦ On the sixth, early in the
morning, we started, and I found, by inquiring of Sidi Hamet, that
our conjectures were true ; that we were near the sea, and that the
roaring we heard (and which still continued) was that of the surf: he
added, " you will get no more milk," which I thought he regretted
very much. We continued on our course, labouring among the sand
hills until noon, when we found, that on our right, and ahead, they
became less frequent, but on our left there was a string of them, and'
very high ones, stretching out as far as the eye could reach. The
sand hills through which we had passed rested on the same hard and
flat surface 1 have before mentioned, without being attached to it ; for
in many places it was blown off, leaving naked the rocks and baked
soil between the towering drifts.
About noon we left these high sands, and mounting on the camels,
proceeded along southward of them, where the sand was still deep,
but pot high, on about an east course. Near this line of sand hills,
our masters discovered two camels — they bore about N. E. and we
made directly for them as fast as possible- On a near approach we
observed they were loaded, and our masters now took off the sheaths
from their guns and primed them anew ; and upon coming near the,
camels, they dismounted and made us do the same. We saw no hu
man being.
The camels had large sacks on their backs, made of tent cloth,
and well filled with something ; there was also a large earthen potlash-
ed on one of them, and two or three small skin bags. Seid and Abdal
lah drove these camels on with ours, observing strict silence, while
Sidi Hamet was searching for the owner of them with his double bar
relled gun, cocked and primed. Mr. Savage was on the young camel,
and not being able to keep up, was a mile or more behind ; when Sidi
Hamet found the owner of the camels asleep on the sand near where
Mr. Savage was. He went towards him, keeping his gun in readi
ness to fire, until he saw the other had no fire-arms, and was fast asleep ;
when stepping carefully up, he snatched a small bag from near the
sleeper's head, and went ilowly away with it until past the fear of
waking him. He then assisted in driving Mr. Savage's camel along,
and they soon came up with us, where Seid and Abdallah had made
the two loaded camels lie down between some small hillocks of sand.
They uptied the mouth of one of the sacks, and behold its contents
were barley ! This was the first bread stuff' we had seen, and it gave
us new hopes. They poured out about fifty pounds of it, I should
guess, and put into a large leather bag of their own ; then tying up the
neck of the sack again, they made the camels get up withrtheir loads.
They now began to examine the contents of the small bags, and found'
them to consist of a number of small articles : but the one that was
taken from near the Arab's head was partly filled with barley meal.
They were all overjoyed at this discovery, and immediately poured out

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. . 6l
Some of it into a bowl, mixed it with water, and ate it ; theft giving na
about a quart of water between us, with a handful of this meal in it,
making a most delicious gruel, they hurried us, on to our camels,
and set off to the S. E. on a long trot, leaving the strange camels to
themselves. We had not proceeded more than half an hour, before we saw a man
running swiftly in chase of US, and hallooing to make our masters
stop ; they knew he must be the owner of the camels they had rpb-
beo, and paid no other attention to him than to push on the camels
faster. Sidi Hamet now told me that that fellow was a " poor devil — •
he has not even a musket," said he, " and he let me take this bag
while he was asleep." The man gained on us very fast. I was afraid
he would get back what had been taken from nim by our masters,
especially the barley — so were my shipmates ; one of whom wished he
had a loaded musket — saying, "I would soon stop him if I had one,
and thus save the barley. Our masters made their signs for this man
to go back, but he continued to advance, while our Arab masters, find
ing he would come up, kept their guns cocked in their hands, and
ready to fire pn him, though he had no^other arms than a scimitar;
apd drawing near they halted ; upon which the stranger, making an
appeal to God, and bowing himself down and worshipping, declared
that he had lost a part of his property, and that he knew they must
have taken it ; that he was their brother, and would rather die than
commit a bad action, or suffer others to do it with impunity: "you
have fire-arms" (Celibeatalis) said he, "and believe you cankillme in
an instant; but the God of justice is my shield, and will protect the
innocent ; 1 do not fear you." Sidi Hamet then told him to leave his
scimitar where he was, and approach without fear, and then making
our camels knee] down, we all dismounted. The stranger upon this
came forward and asked — "Is it peace ?" " It is," was the reply of
Sidi Hamet : they then saluted each other with — " Peace be with you
—peace be to your house — to all your friends," &c. &c. and shaking
one another in a most cordial manner by the hand, seated themselves
in a circle on the ground. After a long debate, in which our masters
justified themselves for having taken the provisions without leave,
because we, their slaves, were in a state of starvation, which was very
true, they added — " you would not have refused them a morsel, if
you had been awake!" and it was thereupon finally agreed, to restore
all that they had taken : so they made us clear a place on the ground
that was hard, and pour out the barley from our bag. They also gave
him up his bag of meal, which had been much lightened, and a very
small bag, which I supposed to contain opium ; this they said was
Jit- they*nad taken ; then after they had prayed together, we all
mounted our camels and proceeded on our journey. Religion and
honour even among thieves, thought I !

CAPTAIN RILeY's NARftAt'iVi.

CHAPTER Xffi.
Continuation of the Journey on the Desart— Several singular occur
rences — They come within sight of the Ocean.
This had detained us about an hour : Mr. Savage was put on the
old camel, which still continued very lame, and Horace on the smallest.
These camels ceuld not keep pace with the others, and both Mr.
Savage and Horace were severely flogged for what our masters called
bad management : though the true reason I suspected was the loss of
the stolen barley, which had put them in a bad humour. We kept on
to the east as fast as the camels could go, until late in the evening ;
when hearing the voices of men hallooing to each other ata short dis
tance on our left, our masters seemed much frightened ; kept all still ;
and finding a deep hollow, we silently descended its steep bank, leav
ing our little camel with his legs tied on the level above, as he was
so far worn down by fatigue that he could scarcely walk. When we
got to the bottom of it, we found a considerable number of small
bushes, and having taken the saddles from off the camels and fettered
their fore legs together, as usual, we let them go to feed. I calcu
lated we travelled seven-hours this day, at two miles an hour, among
the sand hills ; then two hours on camels, until we came to the strange
ones, at the rate of six miles an hour including two stops, say two
hours ; then from four until about ten P. M. six hours, at five miles
an hour — total this day, fifty-six miles.
As soon as the camels were fettered, our masters examined their
guns, and having ascertained that they were well primed, ascended
the sand hills in this valley, (for there was much drifted sand about it
in scattering heaps, and it appeared to have once been a river, whose
bed was now dry.) They bade us all follow them, and went first to
the lowest part of the valley; then ascending the steep sides of the
sand drifts, made us crawl after them on our hands and knees. After
they had gained the top, and waiting, for us to climb up, they set up
the most tremendous howling I had ever before heard — one counter
feiting the tone of a tiger, the other the roar of a lion, and the third
the sharp frightful yell of a famished wolf. Having kept up this con
cert for some time, they again proceeded, mounting and descending,
and searching for tracks, &c.
I was much terrified, I confess, and expected they were hunting for
the people we had heard halloo when we entered the valley, to rob and
murder them, and that we were to share their danger and carry their
spoil. But after they had kept us mounting and descendipg about
two hours, they found a snug retreat surrounded on all sides by high
sand drifts, where however a few small bushes were growing : they
made us lie down in the deep sand, and after continuing their hewl-
ipgs for about half an hour, bade us go to sleep, which we much
> needed, as our fatigues were excessive ; they had not suffered Us to
make the least noise since we reached the valley, nor did they them
selves make any, except in imitation of wild feiocious beasts. 1 was

Sufferings in africA. 83
Ii6w fully persuaded that they were actuated by feelings of fear and
not views of plunder in these manoeuvres ; and taking a station with
their guns in their hands around us, as if afraid they should lose their.
slaves, we soon forgot our troubles in the arms of sleep, and did not
awake until the morning of the 7th, when we repaired to our camels
and found every thing safe. There were more camels, which we saw
in the open valley, browsing upon the bushes, which grew higher
here than any we had hitherto seen ; they were of a different species,
and not clothed with long thorns.
Just as we were ready to set off on our journey, an old woman and
a boy came where we were ; the woman appeared very friendly, made
inquiries respecting cur situation, and if our masters as well as our
selves were not hungry ; and finding that we were indeed in want of
food, she sent off her boy, who soon returned with the boiled remains
of what I conceived to nave been a sheep or goat, consisting of the
entrails and a few bones ; of these our masters ate the greatest part,
but gave us the remainder — that is to say, the bones, which we were
very glad to get, bare as they were, for our hunger was extreme.
Having gnawed and swallowed this hard food, and drank about half
a pint of water each, coloured with sour milk, which the old woman
kindly gave us, we proceeded on our journey, mounting this dry
river's bed or gully, which had been acted upon by water at no very
remote period. We here saw the first bushes that deserved that name,
since we had been on this continent. They appeared to be of the
willow kind, some of them as large as a man's leg, and about fifteen
feet in height. It was with much difficulty the camels could ascend
this bank, but when we did reach its summit we found ourselves on
the same level desart as we had before travelled on : our view on every
side was bounded only by the distant horizon, except on our left,
where a long string of sand drifts of greatheight intercepted it. Near
these sand hills we discovered a man mounted on a camel ; he rode
swiftly towards us, which our masters observing, while he was yet a
great way off, dismounted from their camels to wait his approach.
Myself and Mr. Savage were on foot, making the best of our way
along. We saw our masters dig holes in the sand, and bury two
small bags which they had stolen from the stranger the day before,
at the time they helped themselves to the barley. The man on his
camel soon came up, and we recognized him as the same our mas
ters had plundered ; he had followed us on, and now told them they
had stolen his goods and deceived him besides.
Our masters denied the charge, and after showing him that they
had nothing about them of the kind he described, told him to satisfy
himself fully, and to go and search their stuff' on the camels ; pro
testing, at the same time, that he accused them wrongfully, and call
ing God to witness that they had nothing of his in their possession.
The man seemed satisfied with their protestations, and rode off with
out further examination. We were going on during this time, and
they remained on the spot to dig up the treasure after its owner had
left them. When they came up with us, Sidi Hamet said to me,
" That fellow wanted his bags and things, but he has not got them
yet:" he then showed me the bags and their contents. There was a
small bpx in pne of the bags, centaining opium and several hollow

84 captain riley's NARRATIVE.
sticks of the thickness of a map's finger, and six or eight inches long}
these were filled with what I supposed to be gold dust. The other
bag contained tobacco stalks, and the roots. of an herb, which I after
wards understood to be a specific remedy for evil eyes, or witchcraft;
this they esteemed as of great value, even more than the gold dust
and opium : the natives smoke this root through the leg or thigh bone
of a sheep or goat, they having no other pipes, and then conceit
themselves invulnerable. I confess I was not pleased at the discovery
of our masters' propensity to thieving, and could not help being ap
prehensive of the consequences that might result from such licen-
tipusness, affecting our safety and prospects of release. We travelled
fast most of this day, and must have made thirty-five miles on about
an E. N. E. course. It was late when we stopped for the night: we
were on a hard surface, and had neither shrub, nor indeed any other
thing to fend off the cold night wind, which blew extremely fierce
from the N. N. E.
October the 8th, we started very early and rode on rapidly until
the afternoon, when some camels' tracks were discovered, at which
our masters seemed very much rejoiced, for they were extremely
hungry and thirsty. We followed these tracks until about four P. M.
(they being nearly on our course,) when we came in sight of a large
drove of camels feeding on the scattered shrubbery in a small shallow
valley, with a lew sheep and goats, which were nibbling a short brown
moss, not more than an inch in height, that grew round about in spots.
After due salutations, which were very long and tedious, the owners
of the flocks and herds invited our masters to remain with them for
the night, which may well be supposed was readily accepted; we
having travelled this day about forty-five miles. They showed our
masters the way to their tents, who, after bidding us to follow, set off
for them op a full trot. We reached them in about half an hour:
there were about twenty in number — pitched in a little valley, near a
small thicket of thorn trees. I call them trees, because they were
much larger than any vegetable productions we had yet seen in this
country — a few of them might be eight inches in diameter. Our
masters had already killed a irid they had bought, and were employed
in dressing it; which being prepared and boiled soon after dark, our
masters gave us the entrails, which we immediately devoured, though
not cleaned, and nearly raw, as we had not patience to wait till they
were roasted sufficiently : they then offered some of the meat to the
Arabs, who were sitting around them on the ground ; but as they
only came to gratify their curiosity in viewing us, they did not accept
of any. This was the first time 1 had known any of them refuse so
tempting an offer ; and I could not but consider it as a favourable
omen, and that the land was becoming more fertile and productive as
we advanced on our journey, and that we must shortly escape frcm
this horrible desart.
After we had swallowed our morsel, these people gave each of us
a good drink of water, and at midnight (the hour set apart by the
Arabs for taking their refreshment) they awaked me and gave me a
bowl, containing probably four or five pounds of a kind of stirabput,
or hasty pudding, in the centre of which, in a hole made fpr the pur
pose, there was poured a pint or more of good sweet milk : we quickly

' SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 85
seated ourselves in a circle around the bowl, arid though it was quite
hot, we swallpwed it in a moment. This was the most delicious food
I ever tasted: the effect it produced on my palate has never since
been effaced from my memory, and my companions agreed with me,'
that nothing half so sweet had ever before entered their mouths; and
as we all took it up with our hands; each one accused the other of
eating like a hog, and of devouring more than his equal share. I
endeavoured to convince them that, it could not be more equally
divided, as each put his hand to his mouth as fast as he could.
Notwithstanding every one, by the irresistible impatience of hunger,
burnt his mouth and throat, yet this dish was unspeakably grateful ;
for hunger, sufferings, and fatigue had absolutely reduced us to skele
tons : it warmed our stomachs, and checked the dysentery, which
had been extremely distressing for several days past. This was the
first kind of bread we had tasted since we left the wreck.
Our masters had been very much out of humour (probably owing
to hunger) for several days, and beat my shipmates oftentimes most
unmercifully, who, in their turn, smarting under the lash, and suffer
ing incredibly from their sores, fatigues, and privations, became as
cross as wild bears, notwithstanding i did all in my power to lighten
their burdens, relieve their fatigues, and intercede for and beg them
off when our masters were about to heat them, and frequently walking
that they might ride; yet one of them would often curse mej to my
face, and load me with the most opprobrious epithets. My kindness
seemed but to inflame his petulance, and to excite in him a strange
animosity, so that in (he ravings of his distempered imagination, he
declared that he hated the sight of mc, and that my very smiles were
more cutting to him than daggers presented to his naked breast: he
seemed indeed to be transformed into a perfect savage in disposition,
nor did this rankling humour forsake him until I shewed him in Suae
the letter I there received from Mr. Willshire, assuring me he would
shortly redeem us from slavery.
Early on the m'orning of the 9th, we set forward in a northeasterly
direction, and having travelled about ten hours on the camels, at the
rate of four miles an hour, we came to a deep well, situated in the
midst of a cluster of high bushes ; here was a large company of men
watering many droves of camels that were round about. These peo
ple saluted our masters in a friendly manner, when they came up. I
was preparing to assist in drawing water for our camels, but Sidi
Hamet would not permit me or my companions to work ; indeed we
were so extremely reduced and weak, that we could not without dif
ficulty stand steady on our feet, though (from what cause I know not)
our sores were fast healing, and our skins uniting in all parts over
our bodies.
While Seid and Abdallah were busied in drawing water for our
camels, an Arab came up with one, and led him to our masters'
watering tub or bowl, which Seid observing, bade him desist; but
the strange Arab swore his camel should drink there, and he (Seid)
should dr^w water for him. This kindled the resentment ef Seid;
he left his bucket, ran up to the Arab, and gave him a heavy blow on
his face with his fist, which staggered him near to falling; but reco
vering himself, he drew his scimitar, and made a powerful thrust at
8

86* CAPTAIN RILEY S NARRAT1VB.
Seid, who saved his life by springing suddenly from him, and the
scimitar out slightly pricked his breast. Sidi Hamet had by this
time seized and unsheathed his gun, and presented it to the Arab's
breast within a yard's distance, ready; to blow him through. When
he was about to fire, his hand was seized by one of the bystanders,
and ethers pf them rushing between the combatants to prevent blood
shed, laid hold of Seid and his antagonist, and having separated them
by main force, they removed the Arab to the other side of the well,
where some of the company drew water for his camel, which having
drank its fill, they sent the fellow off, muttering curses as he went
away. Our masters, during all this time, were so exasperated at the
conduct of this man, that nothing less than the strength of superior
numbers would have prevented them from putting him to death ; and
all the company agreed that tliey had been grossly insulted, especially
as they were strangers.
When our camels had finished drinking at this well, the water of
which was very brackish, we were mounted, and proceeded further
east for about one hour's ride, where we found two more wells, which
appeared to have been lately dug, and the water they contained was
very salt. Here was a large drove of camels (probably one hundred)
to be watered, and they obliged me to assist in drawing water until
they had all finished ; my master encouraging me, by saying, " their
owner was a very good man, and would give us food." It was about
sunset when we had finished drawing water, and we followed the val
ley in which we were for about three miles east, when we came to the
tent we had been in quest of: here was no lee to keep off the cold
wind, nor did we get any thing to eat, notwithstanding our masters
had praised the liberality of our host, and tried by every means to
obtain some provisions from him. I soon found his goodness was
like that of many others ; (i. e.) he was no longer liberal than while
there was a prospect of profit. I presume we travelled forty-five
miles this day.
As soon as daylight appeared oh the morning of the 10th, we set
forward, all mounted on the camels, and kept on steadily until night
over this mest dreary desart, and came to a halt long after dark,
without any thing to keep off the wind, which was blowing a strong
gale. We travelled this day about thirteep hours, at four miles an
hour ; as the camels went all day en a quick walk, we must have made
at least fifty-twc miles E. N. E.
October 11th, we set eff very early on a full trot, and wept on until
about noon, seven hours, at six miles an hour, when the land before us
appeared broken, and we descended gradually into a deep valley,
whose bottom was covered with sand ; and on' both Sides of us, at a
great distance, we saw very high and steep banks like those of a river,
and followed the tongue of land that separated them. Our course
was nearly east. At about two P. M. our masters said they saw
camels ahead, but we could not perceive them for a long time after,
when keeping on a great trot, we came up with a drove about six P.
M. We could however find no owners, nor in fact any human being ;
for all had fled and hid themselves, probably from fear of being robbed,
or that contributions might be levied on their charity for some pro
visions. We searched some time for the owners of these camels, but

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 87
not findipg them, we coptinued on, and having come to the abrupt
eod of the tongue of land on which we had been travelling, we de
scended into the river's bed, which was dry and soft. Pushing for
ward, we reached a large cluster of bushes, which appeared like an
island in a lake when seen at a distance, and 1 suppose it was tep
o'clock at night before we arrived at the spot, though we saw it in the
distant horizon long before dark. As we entered among the bushes,
our masters preserved a profound silence ; and having found a clear
spot of about twenty yards in diameter, encircled by high bushes, .
which kept off the wind, we stopped there for the night ; having tra
velled that day for the space of about fourteen hours, at the rate of five
miles an hour, making a distance of seventy miles. We had nothing
this night wherewith to allay our hunger: our fatigues and sufferings
may be more easily conceived than expressed ; yet as we were shel
tered from the night winds, we slept very soundly until we were
roused up to continue our journey.
On the 12th of October, as soon as daylight appeared, we watered
the camels at a well of brackish water near the bushes before men
tioned. Our masters had been careful not to make the least noise
during the night, nor to kindle a fire, fearing they should be disco
vered and surprised by some more powerful party ; but neither foe nor
<Viend appeared ; and having filled a skin with some of this brackish
vater, we descended a second steep bank to the bottom or lowest
jart of this river's bed, which was then dry, sandy, and incrusted with
ialt ; it appeared very white, and crumbled under the feet of our ca-
nels, making a loud crackling noise. The reasons of this bed being
hen without water, appeared to be the recess of the tide : its left
lank rose very high in perpendicular cliffs, while its right was sloping
aid covered with sand, evidently blown by the winds from the sea
leach, and which lay in drifts up to its very summit. This bay (for
i can be nothing else) ran into the land from near a S. W. to a W.
drection, and was not more than eight or ten miles wide here, which
lafterwards found was near its mouth, but was very broad within, and
extended a great distance into the country; for since we entered
i« former bed we had travelled twelve hours, at the rate of five miles
ai hour, making sixty miles, and it then extended farther thap the
e;e could reach to the S. W.
The steep banks on both sides, which were four or five hundred
fet high, showed most evident signs of their having been washed by
sa water from their base to near their summits, (but at a very remote
piriod,) and that the sea had gradually retired from them. Our mas-
tes being in a state of starvation, their ill humour increased exceed
ingly ; when about nine o'clock in the forenoon we saw two men,
diving two camels, come down the sand hills on our right. Ourmas-
teB rode off to meet them, and having made the necessary inquiries,
retimed to us, who had continued going forward, accompanied by
AHallah. Sidi Hamet informed us that there were goats in an E, fe.
; E.Iirectiop not far distant, and that we should soon have some meat;
so *e commenced climbing over the high hills of sand, in order that
we night fall in with them. In ascending these lulls, which were ex-
trerely difficult and long, our old lame camel gave out, having fallen
dowi several times, which caused much delay; so finding him nearly

§8 bAPTAIN RILEY S NARRATIVE.
expiring, we abandoned him and proceeded on ; though this circum
stance of losing the camel, also 'helped to increase the rage of our
masters, who now behaved like madmen. As we were climbing- np,
we perceived a hole dug in the sand, and we were told that the en
trails of a camel had been roasted there, which S«id discovered by ap
plying his nose to the surrounding earth. Sidi Hamet having gone
on before us with his gun, we had already ascended several miles of
this steep and sandy bank; and on arriving near the level of the sur
rounding country, we heard the report of a musket fired, at no great
distance from where we were, and soon perceived Sidi Hamet, accom
panied by another Arab, driving a flock of goats before them. This
Arr.b was much intimidated at the sight and report of a gun, for my
master had fired off one of the barrels to frighten him. When tha
goats came near us, our masters, who considered possession as a veiy
important preliminary, ran in among the flock, and seized four if
them, which they gave into our charge, until they should settle abeijt
the price with their owner, who was alone and unarmed, but at this mo
ment he was joined by his wife :^-she had not been at all frightened
and commenced scolding at Pur masters mest immpderately and loud-
ly : — she said, she would not consent to part with the goats, even I
her husband did, and insisted on knowing Sidi Hamet's name : ths
he told her, and she then began to abuse him for being so coward^
as to rob an unarmed man ; said the whole country should ring wip
his name and actions, and she did not doubt but she could find son e
man who would revenge this injury. Her husband all this time stro e
to stop her tongue, but to no purpose ; nor did she cease scolding ui-
til Seid presented his gun to her breast, and threatened her if si e
spoke ariother word, to blow her to pieces. This compelled her
pause a moment, while our master (taking advantage of her silenc )
informed them that he had left a good camel a little distance behirn,
which beipg only tired, could not proceed with them, and that Te
would give them this camel in exchange for these four goats. I corld
plainly discover, however, that these people did not believe him. Sni
Hamet nevertheless spoke the truth in part ; a camel was indeed ift
behind, but not a- good one ; yet as there was no alternative, they wire
necessitated to submit : the woman however insisted on exchangng
one goat we had for another, which our masters, assented to, merjly
to«gratify her caprice.
This business being thus settled, which had taken up nearly an hoi's
time, our goats were tied fast to each other by their necks, and gifen
into my charge ; leaving Mr. Savage and Horace to assist in drivEig
them. Clark and Burns were ordered to drive the camels, whilst for
masters, a little less fretful than before, went forward to pick oii a
practicable passage for them and the goats, while m/party broughrup
the rear. The goats were difficult to manage, but we continue/ to
drive them along, and generally within sight of the camels, thqlgh
with great fatigue and exertien. Our hunger and thirst were estes-
Sive : the direct heat of the sun, as well as that reflected from the [eep
and yielding sands, was intense. Mr. Savage found here a very jiort
green weed, which he pulled and ate, telling me it was most delifous
and as sweet as honey; but 1 begged him not to swallpw any of ituntil
1 should ask pur masters what was the nature pf it,fpr it might bfooi-

o

'SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA, 89
Son , and I refused to touch it myself, though it looked tempting. In
our distressed condition, however, he thought a green thing that tasted
so well could do him no harm, and continued to eat whatever he could
find of it, which (happily for him) was not much : but in a short time
he was ccnvinced of the contrary, for he soon began to vomit violent
ly: — this alarmed me for his safety, and I examined the weed he had
been so delighted with, and after a close investigation, 1 was convin
ced it was no other than what is called in America the Indian tobacco,
(Nicotiana.) Its effects were also similar; but how these plants came
to grow on those sands 1 cannot conceive.
Mr. Savage continued to vomit by spells for two hours or more,
which, as he had very little in his stomach, strained it so excessively as
to bring forth blood. 1 could not wait for him, because both our mas
ters, their camels, and our shipmates, were already out of sight. When
he could proceed no further, he would stop and vomit, and then by rup-
ning (though in great distress) as fast as he was able, come up with
us again. I encouraged him all I could — told him what the herb was,
and that its effects need not be dreaded.
Ever since we had been coming near the summit of the land, we
had discerned the sea, though at a great distance ahead and on our
left ; but as it appeared dark and smooth in the distant horizon, I sup
posed it to be an extensive ridge of high woodland, and hoped we
should soon reach it, as our course bent that way; and that this would
prove to be the termination of the desart. Horace, however, thought
It appeared too dark and smooth for land, and regarding it attentively,
I discovered it was in fact the ocean, and I could plainly distinguish
its mountainous waves as they rolled along, for it was greatly agitated
by fierce windr. This was the first view we had of the sea since we
were made slaves : it was a highly gratifying sight to us all, and par
ticularly so, as it was quite unexpected ; and it very much revived the
spirits of myself and desponding companions. ,

CHAPTER XIV.
They travel along the sea-coast under high banks— fall in toith and join
a company of Arabs — travel in the night for fear of robbers — Mr. Sa
vage faints — is near being massacred, and rescued by the author.
Discerning the tracks of our camels, which we had lost sight of
for a time, as they had crossed over rocks, where they had descended
through a rent or chasm, partly covered with high drifts of loose sand,
towards the sea shore, we followed them down immensely steep sand
hills, to a tolerably inclined plane, between the first and secopd bapks of
the sea ; which, from appearances, had once washed the upper bank,
bat had Jong since retired : — the inclined plane had also been a beach
forages, where the stones, that now covered its surface, had been tos
sed, and rounded by striking against one another.
From this beach the ocean had also retired, and now washed other
perpendicular cliffs of one hundred feet or more in height, at a distance
of six or eight miles to the northward of the former ones, which an-
8 * 12

96 CAPTAIN riley's narrative.
peared to rise in abrupt, and in many places. overhanging cliffs of rocks
to the height of three hundred feet. We had made our way through
these cliffs, by means of a hollow, seemingly formed on purpose for a
passage, as it was the only one in view ;'and as I did not know which'
way our masters' went, I had stopped to view the surrounding prospect,
and now give- what was then my impression. I was at a loss which
way to steer my course, but our masters, who were concealed behipd
a small hillock on our left, discovering my embarrassment, now called
to me, where 1 soon joined them. It was then nearly dark, and there
were three or four families of Arabs near, sitting under a shelter made
of skins extended by poles; here our camels were turned up to browse,
and we were ordered to collect brush, which grew on the steep side ot
the banks, to make a fire, and to keep off the wind during the night.
Mr. Savage was entirely exhausted, and I requested him to lie down
on the ground, whilst the rest of us gathered the bushes required ; but
when I came in with my handful, Seid was beating him with a stick to
make him assist. I begged he would permit Mr. Savage to remain
where he was; told him he was sick, and that 1 would perform his
share of the labour. Sidi Hamet now returned and killed one of the
goats, of which they gave us the entrails — a seasonable relief indeed,
and we were allowed to drink a little of the soup they were boiled in,
and a small piece of meat was divided between us ; and each received
a drink of water : I had before stolen a drink for Mr. Savage, whose
bloody vomit continued. In the course of the night, they gave us a
small quantity of the same kind of pudding we had before tasted, but
as Mr. Savage was sick, they refused to give him any, saying, " he
has already eaten top much of something, but they did not know what."
Sidi Hamet, however, saved a little pf the pudding in a bowl for him,
and as he seemed unwilling to die with hunger, I gave him part of the
pudding I had, and saved my share of meat for him until the morning.
Our hunger and thirst being somewhat appeased, we slept this night
pretty soundly. We had travelled this day about thirty miles.
October the 14th, early in the morning, we took leave of these
Arabs ; but while we were busied in getting off, Abdallah seized on
Mr.Savage's pudding in the howl as a good prize, and swallowed it in
an instant ; so that nothing but my care for Mr. Savage saved him
from fainting and consequent death on this day. Our masters had
purchased two more goats from those Arabs, which increased our num
ber to five ; these we were forced to drive, and we kept along the sea
shore the whole of this day. On our right the original seashore (or
bank) rose nearly three hundred feet perpendicularly, and in many
places in overhanging cliffs. The inclined plane on which we travel
led was from three to six or eight miles wide, and very regular ; covered
with pebbles and many round stones ; among which grew here and
there a few dwarfbushes of different kinds from whatl had seen before
in various parts of the world. A little to our left the plane broke off
abruptly, and the ocean appeared. The bank was from one hundred
and fifty to two hundred feet high above the level of the sea, and
mostly perpendicular, against which the heavy surges dashed with
great fury, sounding like loud peals of distant thunder. Our course
and that of the shore was about east, and near dark we fell in with four
families of Arabs who were about pitching their tents near the sea-

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 9l
shore. Our masters went arid introduced themselves to the one who
appearedto be their chief, or the principal character among them, and
whose name was Hassar. They soon became acquainted, and it was
ascertained that Hassar and his wife, together with four men that were
with him, and theirfamilies were going the same route that we were ;
upon which our masters agreed to join company.
Hassar's wife, whose name was Tamar, and who appeared to be an
uncommonly intelligent woman, addressed me in broken Spanish and
Arabic mixed : — she said she had saved the lives of some Spaniards
who had been wrecked on that Coast a great many years ago ; that a
vessel came for them, and that she'went to Lantarote (one of the Ca
nary islands) to get some goods which the Spanish captain promised
to deliver to her father, who retained three of the men until the Spa
niard should have fulfilled his contract, and brought her back. She
represented to me the manner in which the houses in Lanzarote were
built, and described the forts and batteries with their cannon, &c. so
very clearly and accurately, that I had no doubt she must have seen
them, and I gave her to understand 1 had been there also. She said
Lanzarote was a bad country, arid assured us, we should not die with
hunger while we remained in her company.
We travelled on the 14th about twenty miles. In the night our
masters killed a goat, and gave us a part of the meat, as well as of the
entrails : Hassar's wife also. gave us a small quantity of the pudding
before mentioned, which the Arabs call Lhash ; and here we had a
gopd night's sleep. October the 15th, early in the morning, Hassar
and his company struck their tents, and all these families proceeded
on with us until near night; when we came to a very deep gully, which
we could not pass in any other way than by going down the bank on
to the sea beach, and at low tide ; there was a kind of pathway where
camels had gone down before us. We descended, and there found a
tent with an Arab family in it, just below the high bank ; so sending
on the camels, Sidi Hamet made us stop here a few moments. The
owner of the tent pretended to speak Spanish, but in fact knew only a
few detached words of that language : he mentioned to me that he
knew 1 had promised Sidi Harriet that my friend in Swearah would
pay him the amount I had bargained for, stating the sum : now, said
this Arab, " Have you a friend in Swearah ?" 1 answered I had.
" Do not lie, (said he,) for if you do you will have your throat cut ; but
if you have told him so merely that you might get off of the desart, so as
to procure something to eat, he will pardon that pretext and deception
so far as only to sell you and your comrades to the highest bidder, the
first opportunity, provided, however, that you confess the deceit now.
In a few days (added he) you will find houses and a river of running
water, and should you persist in deceiving him, you will certainly lose
your life." I made him understand that I was incapable of lying to
SidiTIamet; that all 1 told him was true; that he was the man who
had saved my life, and he should be well rewarded for his goodness by
my friend, and by our Almighty Father. This seemed to satisfy Sidi
Hamet, who was present and understood me better than the other did,
and he told me I should see Swearah in a few days. We now went
forward, accompanied by the Arab, who piloted us across a small arm
of the sea that entered the before mentioned gully. We here found a

92 captain riley's narrative.
pair of kerseymere pantaloons that had belonged to Mr. Savage, in the
possession of one of this man's little sons:—! pointed them out to my
masters, and begged them to buy them, which after a long barter with
the boy, Seid effected, by givirig him in exchange a piece of blue cotton
cloth which he had worn as a kind of shirt : they wished me to give
the pantaloons to Clark or Horace, but 1 gave them to Mr. Savage,
although they insisted he was fonte, or a bad fellow.
Having got up the steep bank again, after wading through the salt
water, which was nearly up to our hips, and one hundred yards broad,
we encamped for the night on high dry land ; and at dark our masters,
taking Horace and myself with them, went near a few tents close by
the sea, where we were presented with a quantity of dried muscles,
which, though very salt, we found excellent ; these we divided among
our shipmates. 1 conjecture we had made twenty-five miles this day.
Here our masters killed their remaining goats, boiled and ate their
entrails and most of their meat, as all present were hungry, aud would
have some in spite of every opposition ; so that our share was seized
and swallowed by others.
October the loth, we made ready and started very early, but went
oo slowly, keeping near the seashore, and mostly in the broken
grounds, caused by its former washings. Our masters seemed very
fearful all this day, and told mc there were many robbers and bad men
hereabouts, who would endeavour to seize and carry us off, and that
they cculd throw large stones with great force and precision. We had
not travelled more than fifteen miles before sunset, and night coming
on, our masters, who had mounted Mr. Savage, Clark, and Burns op
the camels, drove them on at a great rate, while myself and Horace
were obliged to keep up with them by running on foot. All this time
they had their guns in their hands unsheathed, and when Horace and
myself were obliged occasionally to stop, one of them always stayed
' with us, and then hurried us on as fast as possible. In this manner we
proceeded until about midnight, when coming to a deep gully, Mr.
Savage and Clark were dismounted, and Horace and myselfplaced on
the camels. Descending the valley, we found it full of high sand drifts,
and proceeded without making the least noise : the valley was wide,
and the sand lying in it had, no doubt, been driven from the sea beach
by the wind. All the women and children at this time were running
on foot. After reaching, with much labour, the other side of the valley,
and the summit beyond it, we found the whole surface of the ground
making an even inclined plane, covered with deep drifts of loose sand.
1 had been riding, I think, about two hours, when Clark, who was a
considerable distance behind, called to me, and said, " Mr. Savage
has fainted away, and they are flogging him with sticks." I instantly
slipped off my camel, and ran to relieve him as fast as my legs could
carry me. Seid was striking his apparent lifeless body, which lay
stretched on the ground, with a heavy stick : Hassar had seized him
by the beard with one hand, and with the other held a sharp scimitar,
with which he was in the act of cutting his throat. I laid hold of
Hassar, jerked him away, and clasping the body of Mr. Savage in my
arms, raised hira up, and called for water. Hassar would have run me
through with his scimitar, but Sidi Hamet arrested and prevented him.
1 expected to lose my life, but had determined to save Mr. Savage's

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. &3
at all hazards. Our masters and the whole company of men, women,
arid children, were around me : they were possessed with the belief
that he was perverse and obstinate, and that he would not exert himself
to proceed at a time when they were in haste to go on, lest they should
fall into the hands of robbers ; for which reason they had determined
to kill him. 1 made Sidi. Hamet, however, and the others understand,
that he had fainted through hunger and excessive fatigue, and that he
was not perverse in this instance. This surprised them exceedingly :
they had never before heard of such a thing as fainting. Sidi Hamet
ordered a camel to be brought, and a drink of water to be given him,
and when he revived, this Arab shed tears ; then putting him and Clark
on a camel, one to steady the other, they proceeded. Sidi Hamet
desired me to get on with Horace and ride, saying, with a sneer— " the
English are good for nothing — you see even our women and children
can walk and run." I told him I could walk, that I was not a bad
fellow; and began to run about and drive up the camels: this pleased
him excessively, and he bade me come and walk with him, leaving the
camels to the care of others, calling me " good Riley- — you shall again
see your children, if God please."
We continued our journey eastward along the south side of a high
string of sand hills, when hearing a dog bark before us, we turned the
camels suddenly off to the north, setting them off on a full trot, but
passiug over the sand hills without noise : we kept this course for
about an hour, until, having got near the sea bank, and north of the
sand hills, we resumed our former course. Near daylight we lost our
way, and fearing to go amiss, as it was very dark, tl.ey made the camels
lie down in a circle, placing us within it — when they kept guard over
us with their muskets in their hands, while we took a nap. 1 should
guess we travelled fifty miles this last clay and night.
October the 17th, early in the morning, we set forward again, still on
the same inclined plane, between the first and second banks of the sea.
The high banks on our right, whose pointed rocks, where they had
been washed by the ocean, were still visible all the way, begari to be
overtopped with high hills rising far into the country, and presenting
to our view a new aspect ; so that I was convinced we had left the le
vel desart.

CHAPTER XV.
Slack mountains appear in the east — They come to a river of salt water,
and to wells of fresh water, where they find many horses — Description
of a singular plant — Come to cultivated land; to afresh water river,
and a few stone huts.
The black tops of high mountains appeared in the distant horizon
to the eastward about noon, and the camel paths were very much trod
den. We kept on until near night, when meeting with a deep
valley, we wound our course through it to the southward, and then went
down south-eastwardly through another deep valley, where there was a
good path. The black bare mountains pn both sides of us gave us great
hopes that we should soon come to running water and cultivated lands j

94 CAPTAIN RILEY^S NARRATIVE.
and in reality hear night we came to a stream of water, with high grafis
and bushes growing on its margin. The water, however, was very
brackish, and couldnot be drank ; but on its opposite bank we saw a
company of men at some wells, watering about forty fine looking horses
and some camels.' Our masters saluted those men, and crossing the
stream, which in this part was abbut two feet deep and thirty feet
wide, we watered our camels also at the same place. This river, whose
water was as clear as crystal, was literally filled with beautiful large fish,
which were jumping above the surface every moment ; but the Arabs
did not seem to want them, for they could have been caught very ea
sily. The company with horses and camels left the wells, and went
on to the south, riding at a full trot along the river's side : they were
armed only with scimitars. Our company then went towards the sea,
and Hassar's women pitched their tents for the night; here they cook
ed a goat, which they divided among all the party, and what fell to
our share cannot be supposed to have been much. I believe we made
thirty-six miles this day, as we rode nearly all the time.
October the 18th, we ascended the hill, climbing up inazigzag path
on the steep side of the east bank of this river ; and having gained the
surface, we found it to be a continuation of the same inclined plane
on which we had before been travelling. The bank on our right, to
the south, still continued to give indubitable proofs of its having been
washed by the ocean; whose surges had worn in under the shelving
rocks, which hung in immense masses of from two to three hundred
feet high over the surface of the inclined plane below, while the plane
itself adjoining the cliffs was covered with fragments that had fallen
from above, and with other stones that had been washed and worn
round by the ocean's waves, leaving the most positive marks of its
having retired to its present bed. These observations, with those 1
had made before, and was enabled to make afterwards, fully-satisfied
my mind, that the sea had gradually retired from this continent; — 1
must leave it to philosophers to account for the cause. The only
green thing we had seen for several 'days past, except what grew
immediately on the bank of the , river, (which were some bushes
resembling dwarf alders and bulrushes,) was a shrub that rose in a
small bunch at the bottom, having frequently but one stock, from three
to twelve inches in thickness ; the limbs spreading out in every
direction, like an umbrella, into innumerable branches, making a
diameter of from fifteen to twenty feet, and not more than six feet in
height ; its leaves very green, smooth, pointed, and about four inches
long, by one and a half broad ; its bark resembled that of the hard Or
sugar maple tree ; its branches terminated abruptly, the point of each
twig being nearly as thick as the end of a man's finger: this shrub, or
weed, was very tender, and as we broke off the twigs, a great many
drops of glutinous liquid, resembling milk, flowed from them, but its
odour and taste were of the most disagreeable kind, and the camels
would not feed on it. We saw a good deal that had grown up before,
and had died and become dry : on breaking it off, I found it was
hollow, and almost as light as a common dry weed. Neither our
masters nor the other Arabs would light a fire with it, on account of
its disagreeable smell when burning ; the taste of the milk issuing from
this plant was the most nauseous and disgusting in nature, though

SUFFERINGS iN AFRICA* W
Very white and beautiful to behold. About noon we came to the foot
of the high mountains we had seen the day before, apd turned in
between two of them to the seutheast, leaving the sea entirely. We
went up threugh a chasm in the bank, over recks and through a narrow
footway, formed by the treading of camels and horses ; for we had
seen mapy horse tracks, and also the tracks of one animal of the kind
called neat cattle.
As we proceeded on foot, winding upwards, we discovered on our
left a few stones piled up in the form of a wall, round a pit of ten
or twelve feet across, and six feet deep, dug in the earth by
art. There were lying on the ground around the wall, several earthen
pots that would contain from three to four gallons each, and which
appeared to have been made for and used as boilers. One of our
young men directly took up one of them, and was lashing it on his
camel as a good prize, when Hassar and Sidi Hamet, observing the
circumstance, made him untie and carry it back again to the spot
where he had found it. As I already knew the propensity all had for
plundering, I could not but imagine that they now restrained them-
sSelves through fear. About sunset we came to a small spot of land
that had been cultivated, and fell in with a heap of barley straw. Here
was the first sign of cultivation we had seen on this continent, and we
hailed it as the harbinger of happier days. We had travelled full
thirty miles this day, and our masters now gave us the putrid remains
of the goat which had hung on one of the camels for four days : this
we roasted, and found it a delicious morsel ; it was tender, and need
ed no seasoning. Some of my comrades, as if their taste had become
depraved by the rage of hunger, declared that putrid meat was far
preferable to fresh ; that it wanted neither salt nor pepper to give it a
relish, and that if ever they got home again, they should prefer such
food to any other. Having finished our savoury supper, we lay down
on the straw, and enjoyed a most charming, sound, and refreshing
sleep. To us, who for so long a time had been obliged to repose our
wearied limbs and wasted frames on the hard-baked bosom of the
desart, or the dead sides of the barren sand drifts, this solitary heap
of fresh straw seemed softer and sweeter than a bed of down strewn
over with the most odoriferous flowers.
October the 19th, we resumed our journey very early in the morn
ing, and travelled on foot, all except Burns, who was so far exhausted
as to be unable to walk. Our course rounded from S. E. to E. N.
E. keeping the bottom of the valleys, most of which had been culti
vated by the plough at no very remote period, but only.in a narrow
strip. The sides of the mountains were entirely barren and naked of
foliage, and we kept on winding as the valleys permitted, until about
two o'clock P. M. when, suddenly through a deep valley before us, a
few rough stone huts broke upon our view, and a moment afterwards
we beheld a stream of clear water purling over a pebbly bottom, and
meandering through banks covered with green bushes and shrubs in
full blossom. On the farther side, cows, asses, and sheep, were feed
ing on green grass, and a number of date trees adorning and shading
the margin of the rivulet. This was' a sight none of us expected to
behold, and I poured out my soul in rapturous effusions of thankful
ness to the Supreme Being. Excess of joy had so far overpowered

96* CAPTAIN RILEY's NARRATIVE.
oar faculties, that it was with difficulty we reached the water*s edge)
but urging forward to the brink with headlong steps, and fearlessly
plunging in our mouths, like thirsty camels, we swallowed down large
draughts, until satiated nature bade us stop. The rivulet was fresh,
and fortunately not so cold as to occasion any injurious effects : it was
quite shallow, and not more than about five yards in width; it appear
ed, however, very evidently, that when the rain falls in the surround-
ipg couptry, it flows with a much deeper and broader current. It is
called by the Arabs, el 'Wed noon, or the river Nun; comes from the
southeast, and runs from this place to the sea in a northerly direction.
We had arrived on its right bank, where some barren date trees grew,
and which offered us nothing but their shade : hungry, however, as we
were, our fatigue got the better of every other want, arid as these
were the first trees we had met with during our distressing pilgrimage,
we embraced the kindly offer, and enjoyed about two hours pf refresh
ing sleep : 1 was then awakened by Sidi Hamet, whp directed me to
come with my companions and follow him: this we instantly did,
and going near one of the small houses, he divided amongst us, to
our inexpressible joy, about four pounds of honey in the comb. This
was indeed a dainty treat ; and with the hungriuess of greedy bears,
we devoured it, comb and all, together with a host of young bees just
ready for hatching, that filled two-thirds of the cells ; our hearts at the
same time swelling with gratitude to God, and tears of joy trickling
down our fleshless cheeks.
Hassar's men pressed around, and endeavoured- to snatch from us
this delicious food, of which they had no share; but Sidi Hamet
placing the bowl on his knees, passed the honey-comb to us piece by
piece in one hand, while he held his gun in the other, ready to fire on
any one who should attempt to deprive us of our meal. The eyes of
these fellows seemed to flash fire at the preference we enjoyed, and
we dreaded the effects of their malicious envy ; for the Arabs set no
bounds to their anger and resentment, and regard no law but that of
superior force. Having finished our luscious repast, we were told by
our masters to go to rest, which we did, and soon fell asleep in the
shade formed by a beautiful umbrella palm-tree.
About dark we were called up and ordered to gather fuel, and
were afterwards presented with some pudding of the same kind we
had before eaten, though mixed with oil, that I afterwards ascertained
was the argan oil, which, though fresh, had a very strong smell, and
my stomach being cloyed with honey, 1 declined eating any. My
companions, however, relished this oil very much, and preferred it
afterwards to butter during our stay in Africa. We found a good
shelter this night near a burying place with' a small square stone build
ing in the centre, whitewashed and covered with a dome ; and I after
wards learned that this was a sanctuary or saint house : it was fenced
in with thorn bushes, and was the first burying place we had seen in
this country. I computed wc had travelled this day (Oct. 19th) about
eighteen miles.
On the morning of the 20th we did not go forward, and a number
of Arabs and Moors came to sCe our masters and us. This place
appeared to be a great thoroughfare : large droves of unloaded camels
were passing up to the eastward from the way we had come, as weJJ

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. fl?
as from the southward, and also great numbers of loaded camels going
towards the depart. Their loading consisted principally of sacks of
barley, some salt and iron, together with other merchandise.
During the fore part of this day, several parties of men, iri all from
sixty to eighty, passed us; all mounted on handsome horses of the
Arabian breed, well-bred and high-spirited : their riders were covered
with cloaks or sulams, and every one had a single barrelled musket in
his hand, the stocks of which were curiously wrought and inlaid with
small pieces of various coloured wood and ivory, arranged and fitted
in a very particular manner. The locks of these muskets were of the
Moorish kind, and very unhandy,. though substantial, and they seldom
miss fire, although their powder is bad and coarse grained. This
apd a good scimitar slung on their right side constitute the whole of
their weapons : jthey depend more upon the scimitar for close quar
ters in battle than upon their musket, for, say they, this will never
miss fire ; being similar to the practice which it is said the Russian
General (Suwarrow) used to inculcate on his soldiers — " The ball
will lose its way, the bayonet never: the ball is a fool — the bayonet a
hero." A Moor is ashamed to be without his scimitar; their scab
bards are made of brass, and plated on the outside with silver, but
those worn by the Arabs are made of leather : these weapons both of
the Moors and Arabs, are suspended from the neck by cords made of
woolen yarn dyed red, or a strong braided leather thong. They call
a scimitar or long knife el skin*.
These natives were of a different race of men from any we had
hitherto seen : they wear a haick or piece of woolen cloth wrapped
about their bodies, which covering them, falls down below their knees;
or else a cloak called gzldbbia, made in a similar manner, cut with
short sleeves, and one fold of the haick generally covered the head ;
but those who had not their heads covered with their haick, or the
hood of their gzlabbia or sulam, wore a kind of turban: the cloak or
sulam is made of coarse black cloth, very shaggy, and much in the
form of the European cloak, with a hood or head-piece to it; it is,
however, sewed together part of the way down in front, so that to get
it on, they slip it over their heads, and it covers their arms. They are
generally stout men, of five feet eight or ten inehes in height, and well
set; their complexion a light olive. They wear their beards as long
as they will grow, and consider a man without a great bushy beard an
effeminate being, and hold him in great contempt. Their saddles
were well made and very high, at least eight or ten inches, fitted be
fore and behind so as almost to make it impossible for the horse to
throw his rider; their bridles are of the most powerful Arabian kind ;
their stirrups are made of broad sheets of iron that cover almost the
whole foot— many of them are plated with silver. All the men wore
slippers and spurs, and had their stirrups tied up very short.
While we remained here, a very respectable looking old man, who
Spoke a few words of Spanish, after learning from our masters who
we were, came to me and inquired about my country and my friends
in Swearah ; said he knew all the consuls there, and told me their
names were Renshaw, Joseph, Estevan, and Corte. He said he was
going to Swearah, and should be there in ten days, and would carry
a letter for me if my master would let me write : but we had no paper.
9 13

f*9 captain riley's narrative.
1 informed him that my friend was named Renshaw, guessing him td
be the English consul. This old man told my master he believed I
spoke the truth, and that 1 had been at Swearah, which from his dis
course 1 understood to be the same as Mogadore. He then set off
eastward on his mule, which was a very large and handsome one.
All the people that passed here appeared very friendly to our masters ;
they wished to know our story, and requested my opinion of their
horses, saddles and bridles, muskets, scimitars, and accoutrements in
general, &c. all of which I declared to be of the best possible kind.
This morning Sidi Hamet bought a hive of honey, and undertook to
give some of it to us, but was not able to carry his kind intentions into
effect, for at the moment he was handing some to me, Hassar's men
rushed on him and got possession of the whole, which they devoured
in a minute : there was no getting it back, and after a long and violent
dispute with Hassar and his company respecting it, he procured
another hive, and being assisted by the man from whom he bought it,
and a number of strangers, he succeeded in distributing amongst us
about three pounds of the poorest part of the comb.

CHAPTER XVI.
The company is divided — They set off to the eastward — Their masters
are attackedby aband of robbers.
After we had eaten this, our masters prepared the camels, and
Hassar's company divided, that is to say, two men and all the women
and children teok the plain great route which led east in a deep valley,
driving off about one half of the camels ; Hassar and the others drove
off the rest (including ours) in a N. E. direction, and we with our
masters, accompanied by two other men, proceeded along the river's
eastern bank to the northward for a short distance, and then ascended
the high, steep, and craggy mountains eastward of us. The labour
in clambering up these steep precipices is indescribable ; we conti-
nued mounting them as fast as possible for about four hours, and I
was fully convinced our masters took that route for fear they should
be followed and surprised in the night by some who had seen us, and
thus be robbed of their slaves and other property. After climbing
over the highest peaks of these mountains, we saw Hassar and part
of his company who had driven the camels, and had gotten up by
aoother and more practicable path. It was now pear Pight, and we
travelled along the craggy steeps, assistipg one another over the most
difficult parts, while Hassar sought out the easiest places for the
ascent of the camels. Coming at length to a small level spot of
ground, we saw some tents, and directed our course towards them :
the tents were twelve in number, and placed in a semicircle. Hav
ing approached to within one hundred yards iu front of the largest
one, our masters seated themselves on the ground with their backs
towards the tents, and a woman soon came out bringing a bowl ot
water, which she presented to them after the usual salutations of Labez,
&c. &c.

Sufferings In Africa. 99
t>ur masters drank of the water, and Sidi Hamet was Sb&h after
presented with a bowl filled with dates lately plucked from the trees
and not fully ripe : these he gave to us ; though Seid, Abdallah, and
Hassar- snatched each a handful, to which we were forced to submit :
w» found them excellent, but did not know at that time what sort of
fruit they were. Here we remained during the night, and rested our
emaciated bodies, which were, if possible, more fatigued than they
ever were before.
October the 21st, we set eff to the northward very early, and made
down towards the sea through numerous steep gullies, and got on to
the inclined plane below the former seashore, about mid-day ; here
were the same sort of marks in this bank that we had before observed,
and the same signs of its having been laved by the ocean. We went
along through the same kind of thick bushes as those I have before
described, near to the cliffs that at present formed a barrier to the
mighty s waters, where we discovered a number of tents, and soon
reached them. Here our masters Sidi Hamet and Hassar, were
recognized by some of the men, who were in all about twenty, with
their families : these people had large sacks of barley with them, which
they had procured far eastward up the country. Sidi Hamet was now
sick with violent pains in his head and in all his limbs. These people
(who were Arabs, as all are who live in tents in the country) took
compassion on him, and cleared a tent for him to lie under, where
having made up a large fire, he kept his head towards if, turning about
and almost roasting his brains, but obtained no relief from this manner
of treating his disorder. He next had recourse to another singular
remedy : he had a large knife put into the fire and heated red hot ;
then made his brother draw the back of it, hot as it was, several times
across the top of his head, making it hiss (as may well be supposed)
in all directions : — when it had in some measure cooled, he would
again heat it as before, then making bare his legs and arms, he went
through with the process of striking its back along them at the distance
of three or four inches, scorching off the skin ; and though it made
him twitch and jump at every touch, he continued to do it for the
space of an hour or more. Burns had been very ill for some time, and
was so weak that he scarcely was able to stand, and could not walk —
he was, therefore, always placed on a camel, and as Sidi Hamet was
now applying to himself a remedy for what he thought a stroke of the
moon, he undertook to administer the red hot knife to the limbs of
poor Burns, who from mere want of bodily strength was not able, poor
fellow, to jump, but would at every touch cry out, " God have mercy
upon me." As I was hungry, 1 begged of my masters to let me go anil
search for muscles on the sea beach, (for there was a hollow at a little
distance, through which we might gain it,) but they refused, saying,
" to-morrow, if God please, we shall be on the sea beach ; there are
no muscles on this part of the coast :" here, however, we received a
good supper of lliash, or pudding, and rested our wearied limbs under
the tent with our masters.
October the 22d, we went forward, driving our own camels only : as
Hassar had taken the young one, we had but three remaining ; so we
rode by turns, crossing the deep hollows which had been worn down
by the rains or other causes, until afternoon, when we were forced to

100 Captain riley's narrative.
have recourse to the sea beach to get past one of these deep places,
whose sides were so steep as to render a passage down it impracticable.
When we gained the beach, wo found ourselves on a narrow strip of
land, which was then dry, the tide being out ; this extended in length
eight or ten miles, but from the water's edge to the perpendicular eljjfo
on our right, not more than ten yards : these cliffs appeared to be one
hundred and fifty feet in height. When we came to the sea water, 1
wept into it, and let a surf wash over me, that 1 might once more feel
its refreshing effects ; but my master, fearing I should be carried away
by the receding waves, told me not to go near them again. As we
proceeded along this narrow beach, and had passed over half its length,
the huge cliffs overhanging us on our right, with the ocean on our
left— just as we were turning a point, we observed four men, armed
each with a musket and scimitar, spring from beneath the jutting rocks,
to intercept our march. Cur masters were at this time on the camels,
but they instantly leaped off, at the same time unsheathing their guns :
to retreat would betray fear, and lead to inevitable destruction — so they
determined to advance^ two against four, and Sidi Hamet, though still
in so weak a state as to be thought incapable of walking before he
saw these men, now ran towards them with his musket in his hand,
while Seid, that cruel coward, lagged behind — so true it is, that the
most generous aud humane men are always the mi'St courageous. The
foe was but a few paces from us, and stood in a line across the beach.
Sidi Hamet, holding his gun ready to fire, demanded if it was peace ?
while he eyed their countenances to see if they were deceitful : one of
them answered, "it is peace," and extended his hand to receive
that of Sidi Hamet, who gave him his right hand, suspecting no
treachery ; but the fellow grasped it fast, and would have shot him
and Seid in a moment, but at that critical juncture, two of Hassar's
men came in sight, running like the wind towards us, with each a
double barrelled gun in his hand, all ready to fire ; the robbers saw
them as they turned the point, and the fellow who had seized Sidi
Harriet's hand, instantly let it go, turning the affair off with a loud laugh,
and saying he only did it to frighten him : this excuse was deemed
satisfactory, merely because our men did not now feel themselves
sufficiently strong to resent this insult, and we proceeded on : but
these fellows, who were very stout and active, hovered around us,
slaves, endeavouring to separate us from our masters, as it appeared, in
the hope of seizing on us as their own, which Sidi Hamet observing
ordered me with my men to keep close to the camels' heels, while he
and his company (now strong, though none of them armed with
scimitars) kept between us and the banditti. When they found that
our masters were too vigilant for them, they took French leave of us
and ran along the beach with incredible swiftness, clfasing each other'
and taking up and throwing stones, that 1 should suppose would weigh
from six to eight pounds, with a jerk that made them whiz through the
air like cannon balls: they threw them against the cliffs of rocks, which
resounded with the blow, and many of the stones were dashed to
pieces as they struck. I could see the marks they aimed at, and that
the stones went with great precision, as well as force. I had before no
idea that it was possible for men to acquire by practice such enormous
power of arm ; for they threw these stones with such velocity, that \

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 101
am convinced they would have killed a map at the distance of fifty,
yards at least.
Having ccme to the end of the beach, we ascended the bank again,
leaving these formidable ruffians masters of the shore, where they, no
doubt, got some plunder before they left it. After we had mounted
the bank and were clear, Sidi Hamet told me that the fellows we had
met were very bad men, and would have killed him and Seid, and would
have taken us away where 1 could never have hoped to see my wife and
children again, if the great God had not at that time sent to our relief
the two men : he then asked if 1 would fight to save his life ? I told
him I would, and that no one should kill iiim while I was alive, if it
was in my power to prevent it : " Good Riley, (said he,) you are worth
fighting for ; Gpd is with ypu, or I must have lost my life there,"

CHAPTER XVII.
Some fresh fish are procured — Tliey pass several small walled villages,
and meet with robbers on horsebexk.
Near evening we met and passed a nan driving an ass laden with
fish, probably of from ten to twelve pounds weight each : they had
much the shape and appearance of salmon, and our masters endeavoured
to procure one from the owner for me, as I gave them to understand I
was very fond of fish, and that it would be good for Burns, but the man
would not part with one of them on any terms. At evening we
found Hassar's and his family's tents already pitched on a little hill
near the cliffs, and we joined this company. Soon after, Seid, Abdallah,
and two of Hassar's men, went out with, ihfiir guns : — in pbout two
hours, those with us, namely, Sidi Hamet, Hassar, and two others,
hearing foot steps approaching, seized their muskets) and springipg
forward from their tents, demanded, who came there ? It was Seid and
his company, who came towards me, and unfolding a blanket, turned
out four large fish of the same kind we had seen before. " Riley, (said
Sidi Hamet,)- are these good to eat ?" I answered in the affirmative —
" take them and eat them, then, (said he,) hut be careful not to choke
yourselves with the bones." I took three of them, cut them into pieces,
and put them into an earthen pot that belonged to Hassar, (this pot the
Arabs call giderah,) added some water, and boiled them directly, and
we ate till we were satisfied. We drank the soup, which was extremely
grateful and invigorating, and helped to check the dysentery, with
which we were all much troubled since eating the honey-comb. We
had trave.led this day, 1 think, about forty miles, and slept at night
within a circle formed by our masters and their camels, out of which
we were not suffered to go, as Sidi Hamet told me there were many
robbers in this place, who would seize on us, and carry us off in a
minute, without the possibility of my ever being restored to my family.
October 21st, at day break, we set forward on our journey, all in
company, (except Hassar and the women and children.) The fresh
fish we had eaten the night before, had made us very thirsty ; and about
noon we came to a kind of cistern, or reservoir of water, on the path- ,
9 *

102 captain riley's narrative.
way side : this reservoir was built of stone and lime ; its top was
arched like a vault, rising about four feet from the ground, and the
cistern was at least eighty feet in length, eight or ten feet in breadth in
the inside, and appeared to be twenty feet deep. It was now nearly
full of water, which had been led into it by means of gutters, formed
and arranged so as to receive and conduct the rain water when it
descends from the neighbouring hills, and is collected in a stream in
this valley. I understood this water was the common property of all
travellers along this route, and that the cistern was built by a very
rich and pious man, solely for the purpose of refreshing the weary
traveller, and that it contained water the whole year round, even
though there should be a continued drought for a twelvemonth ; but
no person of our party ventured to water his camel from it, considering
it as sacred for the use of man alone. We were still travelling on the
slope between the first and second banks of the sea, which in these
parts was much cut up, occasioned by the waters which had from time
to time poured down from the neighbouring mountains, and formed
steep and very deep gullies, across which we were obliged to climb.
The path on this inclined plane was not much frequented, and the
margin of the bank on our right hand had been newly ploughed in
many places here and there, in the nooks or fertile hollows. On the
high lands we saw two small walled towns, with prickly-pear bushes
planted around them. Near these towns or walled villages, some men
were employed in ploughing with a pair of beasts, generally a cow and
an ass yoked together in a very singular manner, which 1 shall hereafter
describe, and others were' watching flocks of sheep and goats on the
surrounding eminences, while the women were seen lugging down
wood on their backs from the tops of the lofty hills, and large jars or
pitchers of water from a distant valley. They generally had a child
on their backs, clinging with its arms round the neck of the mother,
and the jar or pitcher rested on their shoulders in a manner that
reminded me of the story of the beautiful Rebekah, in hoiy writ,
coming to the well with her pitcher.
About noon, we came near a considerable walled village, that stood
close by the road ; it had gardens close by the walls on all sides, and
there was one near the gateway planted with prickly-pear. These
gardens were defended by heaps of dry thorn bushes, which served as
an outward defence to the town : these heaps were about six feet high,
and the walls fifteen feet. Our masters stopped near the gate for some
moments, and no one seemed disposed to give them a drink of water,
contenting themselves with gazing at them over the walls ; so on they
went, cursing the inhospitality of these villagers. Near night we
descended into a delightful valley, whose bottom was level and well
disposed into handsome gardens, fenced in with thorn bushes and
stone walls, apd divided into numerous separate plots. Round about
them, and at their corners, stood many fipe fig-trees, which looked
healthy, though they were leafless, owing to the lateuess of the season :
we saw also a few pomegranate-trees. These gardens or plots were
planted with different kinds of vegetables, such as turnips, cabbage,
onions, &c. ; they were watered by a small stream that flowed from
the hills at a short distance above, and was conducted round and through
the whole of them by gutters dug for that purpose.

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 103
The owners of these gardens lived in two little walled villages, near
the top of the bank on the east side, but they offered us no refreshment.
We passed in the course of the day, three beds of streams or rivers,
which were now dry, and one whose mouth was filled with sand, so as
to stop its communication with the sea, though there was some water
in it, where people from all quarters were watering their cows, sheep,
goats, asses, and camels, and carrying it off7 in skins and pitchers. In
the afternoon, a company of ten men on horseback, and well armed,
rode towards us on the plain, making a loud jingling with their spurs
against their stirrups, and crying out, Hah ! hah ! hah ! hah ! Our
company consisted of our two masters, and two of Hassar's men,
Abdallah, and one stranger, who had joined us that day ; apd being
armed with five double barrelled muskets, and some scimitars, they all
sprang from their camels on the approach of the strangers, drew their
guns from their .sheaths, primed them anew, and took a station in front
of their properly, in aline ready for action.
The horsemen rode up to within five yards of our men at full speed,
and then stopped their horses short. I expected now to see a battle,
though I rather feared our men would be trampled to death by the
horses ; for their arms could not have saved them from the shock of this
impetuous onset, yet they were on the point of firing the moment the
horses stopped. The chief of the horsemen then demanded, in a very
imperious tone, who our masters were ? where they came from ? if
they knew Sidi lshem ? what countrymen we, their slaves, were ? and
where they had found us ? Sidi Hamet replied to all their questions in
a sharp quick manner, and as briefly as possible, and in his turn
demanded, "who are you? where do you come from 7 and, what
right have you to ride up to me in such a manner, and stop me and my
slaves on the road ?" This is as near as I could understand what they
said. A loud dispute was kept up on both sides for half an hour, when
it ceased, and we were allowed to proceed ; while the others rode off
to the southward among the mountains. The force on both sides was
so nearly equal, that I have little doubt this was the only circumstance
that prevented a battle.
We travelled on till long after dark, when we camato a'number of
¦ tents, and stopped for the night, and here we were treated with some
dried muscles and barley pudding. Hassar and his family had not
travelled with us Ihe last day, but the .two men who had assisted in
relieving us from our critical situation on the beach, were in company,
and we had also been joined by one more Arab, and two camels.
Ever since we had come to the cultivated country off the desart, we
had found the people sickly ; many of them were afflicted with swelled
legs, and some with what I took to be the leprosy ; and also with pains
in different parts of their bodies and limbs ; though when on the
desart we did not see the smallest sign of sickness or disorder among
its inhabitants. They now considered us as skilled in medicine, and
consulted me wherever I came ; one of the women here had a swelled
breast, which was astonishingly large, and very much inflamed ; she
was in such pain as to cry out at ever}' breath. They wished me to
examine it, and prescribe a remedy, which I did by recommending a
poultice of the barley lhash, or pudding, to be applied, and renewed
often until the swelling should subside or burst. The woman was

JQ4 captain riley's narrative.
very thankful, gave me a drink of water and a handful of muscles, and
requested I would examine a swelled leg of her brother ; this was
also inflamed, and very painful : — perceiving no skin broken, 1 directed
a thick plaster of coarse salt to be bound round it, so as fully to cover
the afflicted part ; this they did immediately, and the man thought he
felt instantaneous relief.
From the great expedition we had used, 1 think we must have
travelled this day about fifty miles, as wo were almost continually on
the camels, and they going a great part of the time on a trot. In the
afternoon of this day, we discovered land that was very high, a good
way'eastward of us, stretching about north as far as the eye could
reach. We saw it when on a high hill, and at anjmmense distance ;
looking over the ocean, which was near us, it appeared like a high and
distant island : "There is Swearah, Riley," said Sidi Hamet, pointing
to the northernmost land in view -jtit was a great way off. 1 asked him
how many days it would take us to get there ? He answered, " Ten,
at our slow pace."

CHAPTER XVIII.
Their masters commit an error, which they are compelled to redress—
Sidi Hamet and his brother Seid fight — Horace's critical situation —
They come to villages.
October the 23d, we were awakened witheut making any noise,
two hours before daylight, and went on our journey. 1 suspected there
was some roguery going on, because we had never before started in the
night ; and we had not travelled more than two leagues, when, just at
the dawn of day, we heard the sound of horses' feet coming up at full
speed behind us : the clanking of the arms of their riders against each
other, and spurs against their stirrups, made a great noise. Our
masters stripped the covers from their guns, and gave them to m& to
carry. The horsemen, four in number, came up by this time, and
passing us at a* short distance on our right, rode round before our camels
and stopped them. Our men were five in number, with four double bar
relled guns ; and bidding me to keep as close to them as possible with
my men, they ran at their greatest speed to the encounter, whilst we
followed on as fast as we could, fearing to be separated from them, (as
it was still quite dark,) and falling into the hands of the banditti.
They approached each other with loud cries ; the voices of those on
horseback sounded like trumpets, and those of our masters were very
little lower, so that the mountains near rang again with the sound, I
expected every momept a slaughter would commence : each one
strained his thrpat to speak, or rather to yell louder than his opponents.
I had approached near my master, and could distinctly hear one of the
horsemen accuse him of a breach of hospitality, and reproach him in
the most opprobrious terms, for some wrong which he alleged had
been done to him ; the others were at the same time wrangling with
our other meu. This war of words having subsided a little, one of
them asked my master his pame, and after considerable delay on

Sufferings is Africa. 105
account of punctilio, (each insisting that the cither should tell his
name first,) my master told him his name was Sidi Hamet ; the other
theu said his name was Ali Mohammed : — then ensued a long dispute
between them, they mutually charging each other with perfidy, &c.
During this interval, and as daylight appeared, our adversaries gained
strength, for they were joined by many armed and unarmed men^
running on foot, and according as they increased in force, our party
lowered their tone ; but the plamour was still so loud that I frequeptly
could understand nothing of what was said. The Arab who hadjoined
our company with two camels the day before, did not set out with us
this morning, but he now came runningup : our masters had driven off
his camels, and this was the cause of the uproar that was now raging.
The purloined camels were theu in our drove, and while the others were
quarrelling about the matter, the owner ran round and drove his camels
back. When our honest masters found they could not keep what they
had feloniously taken, they began to lower their voices. By this time
the sun had made its appearance, and for two hours prior I had every
moment expected a bloody scuffle. I knew our masters were brave,
but I had no doubt they would be overpowered by numbers, ip which
evept we should fall to the lot of the conquerors, who were strangers
to us ; and it was not probable that these men would be as humane to
us as Sidi Hamet had been ; nor was I indeed certain that we ourselves
should not be killed in the contest, both partes being much enraged.
1 felt our situation to be dreadful indeed ; but at length Sidi Hamet
spoke to Ali Mohammed in a low tone of voice, and requested he
would ride apart from the others with him, with which he complied,
and they came near where 1 sat, trembling with apprehension. Sidi
Hamet now told Ali that his party had riot the least intention of driving
off any camels but their own, and that the mistake had been occasioned
entirely by the darkness of the night. He then went on protesting
that he was incapable of committing an unworthy action ; that he
abhorred a robber and a thief, and that as he was entirely innocent of
intentionally driving off the man's camels, he would. not acknowledge
he had done wrong designedly, but would rather lose his life in main
taining his character, and would sell it as dearly as pqssible. Ali
Mohammed on this appeared to be satisfied, and said to him, " I am
el Rais, (the chief,) and am your friend, because you are a brave man :"
so making Sidi Hamet's excuse to those about him, and the lost
camels being recovered, they left us to pursue our journey.
We had gone up from the sea-board, and were passing between high
mountains towards the southeast, when the late affray happened, but
about noon we reached a plain, and took an eastern direction. Has
sar's men with their camels, and Abdallah with his camel, now filed
off to the left, leaving us with our masters and their own camels only,
and were soon out of sight among the bushes. The mortifying result
of the morning's enterprise, had rendered Seid uncommonly ill
natured : he had claimed Horace as his slave from the very beginning,
and Mr. Savage also belonged to him. He had always doubted my
word tp his brother, and would not believe that a miserable wretch like
me could find a friend to advance money for my ransom, though both
he, Hassar, and all the company, had a high opinion of my courage,
since I put my own life in jeopardy to save that of Mr. Savage, at the
14

lOfj captain Riley's narrative.
time he fainted : — Seid had endeavoured to sell his slaves at every
place we came to, after leaving the desart. Hassar, as well as others,
took a particular fancy to Horace, and had offered a large sum for him
in camels and other merchandise, but the interference of Sidi Hamet,
who had sworu that Horace should not be separated from me, aided by
my often renewed entreaties and my tears, whenever I heard it sug-
fested, had saved him thus far. As we were now approaching the
loorish dominions, powerful chiefs, with large bodies of armed men
intent on plunder, were riding about and scouring the country in every
direction, and Seid had come lo a determination to take his slaves and
make the most of them. Seid was a younger brother of Sidi Hamet,
and had, until now, submitted in some degree to his counsel, though
they had many slight quarrels at different periods of the journey.
Where we stopped the preceding night, the Arabs strove hard to get
possession of Horace. Seid had, to my knowledge, made a bargain to
sell him in the morning, but was dissuaded from fulfilling it by his
brother. We, slaves, were now five in all, travelling on foot, but moving for
ward very slowly, for we were worn to the bones by our various and
complicated sufferings. It seemed that the breath of hope alone had
kept the vital spark from being totally extinguished. Sidi Hamet was
riding on his big camel before us, when Seid ordered us to halt, but
the other desired us to come on; upon which Seid laid hold of Mr.
Savage and Horace, and stopped them. It was now that Sidi Hamet's
wrath was kindled — he leaped from his camel, and darting like light
ning up to Seid, laid hold of him, and disengaged Mr. Savage and
Horace from his grasp. They clinched each other like lions, and
with fury in their looks, each strove to throw the other to the ground.
Seid was the largest and stoutest man ; they writhed and twined in
every shape until both fell, hut Sidi Hamet was undermost: fire
seemed to flash from their eyes, whilst they twisted around each other
like a couple of serpents, until at length Sidi Hamet, by superior
activity or skill, disengaged himself from his brother's grasp, and
both sprang up on their feet. Instantly they snatched their muskets
at the same moment, and each retiring a few paces with great rapidity
and indignation, tore the cloth covers from their guns, and presented
them at each other's breast with dreadful fury : — they were not more
than ten yards asunder, and both must have fallen dead, had they
fired. Horror had seized and chilled my blood, so that 1 could
neither get from them, nor move, indeed, in any direction. My mind
was filled with inexpressible apprehensions — "My God, (I cried aloud,)
have mercy on these unfortunate brothers, I pray thee, for our sakes,
and suffer them not to spill each other's blood." In the midst of this
ejaculation, I was started by the report of two muskets, and imagined
that both the brothers had fallen ; but on turning my eyes again to
this direful scene, I perceived that Sidi Hamet had fired the contents
of both his barrels into the air, having had a moment's reflection,
whilst priming and cocking his piece. He now threw it on the ground,
then making bare his bosom, he advanced with a firm step towards
Seid, and with an energetic voice exclaimed, " I am now unarmed,
fire ! your brother's heart is ready to receive your balls ; glut your
vengeance on your benefactor." He stopped short ; Seid hesitated.

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 107
Mr. Savage and Horace were near Seid, who threatened them with
instant death if they moved. Sidi Hamet, finding his brother's mind
wavered, ran to Horace, and sent him towards me, telling his brother,
he should have Clark in Horace's stead, whom he ordered to come
near ; but Seid would not consent to the exchange, whereupon my
master added Burns; that is, two for one. Seid had made Mr. Savage
sit down, and had placed one of his feet on his thigh, to keep him
there ; while his brother ordered me to go with Horace, first to the
south and then to the eastward, following the camels ; still resolving
that we should not be separated, and bade Mr. Savage follow us ; but
Seid, presenting his gun, told him if he offered to go, he would blow
his brains out. As Sidi Hamet, however, bade him run, he obeyed,
and when he came near me we were ail ordered to stop, and our mas- ,
ters seated themselves on the ground to settle the dispute by figuring
on the sand with their fingers. Here they calculated it every way.
Clark and Burns were again offered for Horace, but Seid would not
take them; he would keep the slave he had bought with his money.
"You shall not separate hhn from his father, (said my master,) I have
sworn it." "Then I will destroy him," exclaimed Seid furiously,
and springing up, he seized Horace by the breast and dashed him on
the ground with all his might. The force of the blow beat the breath
from his body, and he lay stretched out apparently dead. Over
whelmed with the most heart-rending emotions, I sank to the earth in
an agony of despair. My master, observing my anguish, said, " Go,
Riley," pointing to the east. With tears and sobs, I told him I could
go, for Horace, my son, was dead. After a flood of tears had relieved
my swelling heart, I reflected that it was useless to bewail the fate of
my adopted child, as I did not know how soon it might be my turn to
suffer a similar, or perhaps a more cruel death. Seid's passion now
began to subside a little, and my master then went to Horace, and
taking him by the hands, raised him upon his seat : his breath returned,
and he revived. Sidi Hamet melted into tears at the sight: 1 saw
the big drops roll down his cheeks, while in a tender tone he said to
Horace, " Go to Riley." The spot where his head fell happened to
be clear of stones, which entirely covered the ground on every side,
otherwise his brains must have been dashed out. 1 went up to him
as quick as I could, and folding him in my arms, asked him if he
was much hurt ; but being in great pain, and his breathing being not
yet perfectly restored, he was incapable of answering me : his heart,
however, was in unison with mine, in thanking the Author of our being
that his life was spared, and in imploring his future protection. Our
masters again seated themselves, in order to discuss this affair tho
roughly, and began to speak very loud, when, fortunately for us, some
strangers came in sight, which reminded them that their united force
was necessary for the defence of themselves and their property; so
they agreed to seek a village, and take counsel as to what was best to
be done.
Then turning to our left up a hill, we soon came in sight of a vil
lage, and entered it by passing between high walls. Having come to
its farthest extremity, an old, but a very respectable looking man, (a
Moor,) of a light olive colour, came out of his gate, and welcomed
our masters, saluting them, (as is customary,) and seeing us behind,

108
told us to sit down in a shade formed by his wall, and rest ourselves ;
adding, " 1 will give you some food." We accordingly all seated our
selves, and while the food was preparing, our host inquired much
about me and my men, and wished to know how I could make myself
understood, (being a Christian.) Our owners told him all our stories,
together with my promises, which they made me repeat in his pre
sence. They wanted again to know in what my property consisted ;
if I had any money in my own country, or a house; how much
money, how many horses, cows, sheep, goats, asses, camels, &c. ;
and lastly, what number of wives and children 1 had. Having answer
ed all these interrogations to their satisfaction, they made me tell
what Mr. Savage, Horace, Clark, and Burns, were worth to me ; how
much property 1 thought they had in their own country ; and our host,
who spoke a few words of broken Spanish, asked me if Swearah was
not called Mogdola by the English '.' I answered in the affirmative:—
this was the first time I had heard this name mentioned on this con
tinent, though I had endeavoured, by inquiring of all the people 1 had
spoken with, to ascertain the point; but it appeared they had never
heard of the name. One bowl of boiled barley unhulled, was brought
out to our masters, and one for us — this last was a very large one, and
the old host told us to eat, saying, " Coole, Rais," (eat, captain.)
We had now before us, for the first time, enough of this food, and
falling to with keen appetites, we filled our stomachs, and were satis
fied, leaving some in the bowl, which they tried hard to make us
finish, but we could not. Sidi Hamet would not trust himself again
with his brother, without having some person in company to take his
part ; so he hired a stout young fellow, named Bo-Mohammed, to go
along with us to another place or village, not far distant, and we set
off for it, travelling at first down towards the sea-coast, and passing
along a kind of sandy beach where the salt water flowed in at high
tides : we saw there, under the side of a shelving rock, two boiling
springs of fresh water, which formed a considerable stream. This was
the first spring I had seen in this country, and having taken a good
drink and watered our camels, we proceeded towards the southeast
among sands that had drifted from the seabeach ; there we remained
until it was nearly dark, our masters fearing, as it were, to go forward.
About dark we resumed our course, and soon afterwards arrived at a
village, where, while the barking of numerous dogs announced to their
owners the arrival of strangers, a grave looking man came out, and
silencing the curs, bade our masters welcome, and invited both them
and us to sit down near his walls, until he should prepare some supper.
We had no desire, however, for food, seme of us having oppressed
our stomachs to such a degree with the boiled barley, as to be racked
with pain, and scarce able to breathe, particularly Mr. Savage. Our
present host, (whose name 1 soon learned was Sidi Mohammed,) after
causing a mat to be spread near his wall, seated himself and our mas?
ters thereon, and desired me to come and do the same. He now made
similar inquiries to those made by the former persons we had met
and I satisfied his curiosity as well as 1 could. He then ipformed me
he had been many times in Swearah, and had seen the consuls, and
wished me to repeat my promise to Sidi Hamet, which I did. He
had a lamp for a light, sp that be could see every motion that 1 l

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 1 09
well eneugh tp ccmprehend me entirely. By this time seme cakes
had been baked, which were presented to our masters, and of which
they gave us some : these cakes were made of barley meal, ground
coarse; yet it was bread, and it being the first we had seen, we ate a
little of it, though our stomachs were not yet prepared to enjoy the
treat. After they had eaten and washed their hands and feet, and
talked over their affairs, Sidi Hamet again called me to him, and told
me he should set out in the morning for Swearah, in company with
our host, Sidi Mohammed, where he hoped, with God's blessing, to
arrive in three days, for he should travel on a mule, (bugelah,) and
push on night and day : that I must write a letter to my friend, which
he would carry ; and, said he, " if your friend will fulfil your engage
ments, and pay the money for you and your men, you shall be free —
if not, yon must die for having deceived me, and your men shall be
sold for what they will bring. I have fought for you, (added he,) have
suffered hunger, thirst, apd fatigue, to restore you to your family, lor
1 believe God is with you. 1 have paid away all my money on your
word alone. Seid and Bo-Mohammed will stay and guard you during
my absence : they will give you as much khobs (bread) and lhash
(pudding) as you can eat; so go and sleep till morning." This night
was spent on my part in a state of anxiety not easy to conceive : — to
whom should 1 write ? I knew noboby at Mogadore, and yet 1 must
take my Chance. 1 remembered my remarkable dream — it had lite
rally come to pass thus far — why should I doubt its whole accomplish
ment ? yet I could not rest.

CHAPTER XIX.
The author writes a letter — Sidi Hamet sets out with il for Swearah —
The arrival ofSheick Ali, an extraordinary character.
Early the next morning we were called up, and directed to go
within the gates. My master said to me, " Come, Riley, write a
letter," giving me at the same time a scrap of paper, not so wide as
my hand, and about eight inches long ; he had also gpt a little black
staining liquid and a reed to write with. 1 now begged hard to be
taken Hong with him, but he would not consent, though I told him I
would leave my son, whom I loved more than myself, behind me as an
hostage, and three men ; but all would not do, the thing was determi
ned on. He then told me, that what I had agreed to give him was oot
sufficient ; that I must tell my friend, in the letter, to pay two hundred
dollars for myself, two hundred for Horace, two hundred for Aaron,
one hundred and sixty for Clark, and the same for Burns, adding, that
I had promised him a good double barrelled gun, and 1 must give him
that, and one to Seid also. " Seid is a bad man, Vsaid he,) but helped
to save your life, and must have a gun." So I took the reed, and
wrote on the slip of paper, as near as I can recollect, the following
letter. .
" Sir — The brig Commerce, from Gibraltar for America, was wrecked
pn Cape Bajador, pn the 28th August lasl ; myself and four of my crew

110 CAPTAIN RILEY^S NARRATIVE.
ftre here nearly naked, in barbarian slavery ! I conjure y6u by all th»
tifes that bind man to man, by those of kindred hlood, and every thing
you hold most dear, and by as much as liberty is dearer than life, to
advance the money required for our redemptidh, which is nine hundred
and twenty dollars, and two double barrelled guns. I can draw for
any amount, the moment I am at liberty, on Batard, Sampson &
Sharp, London — Cropper & Benson, Liverpool — Munro & Burton,
Lisbpn, or on Horatio Sprague, Gibraltar. Should you not relieve
me, my life must instantly pay the forfeit. 1 leave a wife and five
helpless children to deplore my death. My companions are Aaron
R. Savage, Horace Savage, James Clark, and Thomas Burns. I left
six more in slavery on the desart. My present master, Sidi Hamet,
will hand you this, and tell you where we are — he is a worthy man.
Worn down to the bones by the most dreadful of all sufferings — naked
and a slave, 1 implore your pity, and trust that such distress will pot
be suffered to plead in vain. For God's sake, send an interpreter and
a guard for us, if that is possible. I speak French and Spanish.
James Riley, late Master and
Supercargo of the brig Commerce."
While 1 was writing the above, they procured an additional scrap
of paper, being a parfof a Spanish bill of lading, on which 1 wrote a
£ art of my letter, that could not be written legibly on the first scrap.
laving folded them up, I directed them to the " English, French,
Spanish, or American consuls, or any Christian merchants in Moga
dore or Swearah." I purposely omitted mentioning that we were
Americans, because I did not know that there was an American agent
there, and I had no doubt of there being an English consul or agent
in that place. My master was hurrying me while I was writing, and
both he and my host, Seid, and the young man, and many others who
stood by, were surprised to see me make the Arabic numerals ; for
the characters we use in arithmetic are no other than the real ancient
Arabic fixates, which have served them for thousands of years ; they
remarked to each other.that I must have been a slave before to some
Arabian, who had taught me the use of them, contrary to their law,
because he had found me to be a smart active fellow. My master
taking my letter, then mounted one mule, and Sidi Mohammed ano
ther, and rode off together very fast to the east.
We remained here seven days, during whieh time they kept us shut
up in the yard in the day time, where the cows, sheep, and asses rest
ed, and at night they locked us up in a dreary cellar. Seid and Bo-
Mohammed guarded us all the day, not because they feared we would
attempt to escape, but because some of the neighbouring people
might steal and run off with us, and in the night time they lay on their
arms outside the door, to prevent a surprise. We had as much barley
bread twice a day as we wanted, lhash once aday, and plenty of water.
This food, though palatable, produced and kept up a continual dysen
tery ; our bowels seemed to ferment like beer, and we were tortured
with cholics. Our numerous sores had now time to heal, and our
bodies became mostly skinned over before our masters returned ; but
the hemorrhoids distressed us extremely. All the inhabitants who
lived near, and all those who heard that Christians were in the place,

SUFFERINGS IN APRICAi 1 1 1
(for they call all Europeans Christians,) came to see us. Some were
very familiar, and all wished to knbw if we were mechanics : from that
circumstance I concluded that mechanics were very much wanted, and
of great iiripertance among these pecple, and that there would be no
possibility of getting clear of them, if once they should find out our
usefulness in that way. 1 therefore told them that we were all brought
up sailors from our childhood, and knew no other business. One tried
to make me lay out and hew a pair of posts for a door to a house that
was building within the walls of the village, and gave me a line to
measure the length of them, and tried to teach me to span it off; but
I would not understand him. They next put a kind of adze into my
hand, and bade me fit the posts in. I took the tool, and began to cut
at random, gouging out a piece here, and splitting it there, doing more
hurt than good ; and, at the same time, by my awkward and clumsy
manner, taking care to make them believe that 1 could do no better.
Some were satisfied that I had done my very best, but by far the
greater part of them were of opinion that a smart application of the
whip would put my mechanical powers into complete operation, and!
really expected they would apply this stimulus; for one of them -ran
and fetched a stout stick, and was about to lay it on, when Bo-Mo
hammed, who represented Sidi Hamet, interfered and saved me from
a cudgelling. Mr. Savage, Clark, Burns, and Horace, were each tried
in their turns, who, following my instructions, were soon relieved from
all further requisition. From this circumstance it is evident, that the
less useful a Christian makes himself when a slave to the Arabs, espe
cially in a mechanical way, the less value they will set upon him, and
he will not only have a chance of getting ransomed, but it may be ef
fected rjh easier terms than otherwise ; tor I am fully convinced, that
if we had shown ourselves capable in those arts which the Arabs
highly prize, such as carpenters, smiths, shoemakers, &c. &c. we
should have been sold at high prices, and soon carried away beyond
the possibility of redemption.
Four days after Sidi Hamet's departure, some papers were shown
to me by one of the men who lived in the neighbourhood, which I
found, on examination, to be, first, the register of the Spanish schooner
Maria, issued by the custom-house at Cadiz, in May 1814 ; second,
a bill of sale of the same schooner, made out at the island of Grand
Canary in 1812, of the same date with the register. Many articles
of clothing that had belonged to her crew were also shown me ; and
the topmast, jib-boom, and other small spars of a vessel, served to
support the floor over our.nightly prison. 1 made inquiries as far as
it was possible, in order to find out something respecting this vessel,
which 1 presumed must have been wrecked near this place ; and was
informed that the preceding year a schooner anchored on this part of
the coast to catch fish, and to trade ; that these people found means to
get alongside of her in the night in boats, and after killing the captain
and three men, got possession of her ; when having taken out the
money and other valuables, they cut her cables, and ran her on shore :
that they then made the surviving part of the crew assist in tearing the
wreck to pieces, and in carrying it up to build houses with. 1 asked
how many people were on board her, and where the remainder of the
crew were; and was ipformed by a serious looking uld map, that it

112 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
consisted of seventeen souls at first : that four were slain in the COfl
flict when she was captured ; that live more had died since, and that
the remaining eight were a great way oft' to the southeast, where they
were employed in working on the land and making houses. Others
said, they had gone to Swearah, and from thence to their own country ;
but I could easily perceive by iheir looks that those poor fellows had
either been massacred, or were now held in slavery, where neither the
voice of liberty, nor the hand of friendship, was ever likely to reach
-them. The people here, both old and young, could speak many
words of Spanish, though they did not know their meaning, but made
use of them at a venture at all times — these were a set of the very
coarsest and most vulgar words the Spanish language affords, and had
been uttered, no doubt, by poor unfortunate slaves, natives of Spain,
when they were suffering the greatest misery, and when execrating
these savages. One young fellow spoke several words of English,
such as " good morning — good night," &c. and was master of a con
siderable list of curses. He one day came up to Mr. Savage, and
said — "button, cut it wit a nif'and at, the same time laid hold of a
button on his pantaloons. Mr. Savage was very much surprised to
hear a language he could understand ; but these words and the oaths
and curses, constituted the whole of his English education. Every
person here had either a long knife or a scimitar always slung by his
side. Among the rest, several negroes came to look at us, some of
whom were slaves and some free, and they were all Mohammedans :
these were allowed to sit on a mat beside our masters, and make
remarks on us as we were placed among the fresh manure at a short
distance. Seid desired to know what we called black men : 1 told
him negroes ; at which name the negroes seemed very indignant, arid
much enraged.
On the sixth day of my master's absence, a man arrived and took
up his lodging with our guards : he was about six feet in height, and
proportionably stout ; his colour was something between that of a
negro and an Arab : when he came in he was saluted by Seid and the
others in company by the name of 'Sheick Ali, (or Ali the chief.)
This man possessed talents of that superior cast which never fail to
command the greatest respect, and at the same time to inspire dread,
awe, and reverence. He appeared to be only a guest or visitor. In
his deportment he was grave and dignified : he raised his voice on
occasions terribly, and spoke in tones almost of thunder ; yet when
he wished to please by condescension and courtesy, it thrilled on the
ear like sounds of sottest music : his manner and air were very com
manding, and his whole aspect and demeanour bore the stamp of the
tnostdaring courage and unflinching firmness. He was the most elo
quent man I had ever heard speak ; persuasion dwelt upon his
tongue; while he spoke, all the company observed the most profound
silence, and with open mouths seemed to inhale his honied sentences.
He pronounced with the most perfect emphasis ; the elegant cadence
so much admired in eastern oratory, seemedto have acquired new
beauties from his manner of delivery : his articulation was so clear
and distinct, and his countenance and actions so intelligent and
expressive, that 1 could understand him perfectly, though he spoke in
the Arabic language. He weuld settle all controverted points among

SUFFERINGS IN Al'RICA. 118
the disputants when applied to, in an instant, and yet with the utmost
gracefulness and dignity. This extraordinary chief was oftep conver
sing in a low tone of voice with Seid respecting me and my men : he
said he believed me to be a very artful fellow, and capable of any action
either good or bad ; and said he did not doubt but my friends would
raise any sum of money that might be demanded for my ransom. He
regretted very much that he had not seen Sidi Hamet before he set
out for Swearah, and concluded to remain with us until his return.
He questioned me very particularly as to my country, my friends,
family, property, &c. ; he also wished to know all the story of my
shipwreck, and was very curious to find out what quantity of money and
what other property fell into the hands of those who first met with us
after the vessel was wrecked, and what crime was committed to induce
these Moslemin to kill Antonio. He next examined our bodies all
over, and on one of Clark's arms his attention was arrested by a cross,
and several other marks of Christian insignia that had been pricked in
with Indian ink, in the manner of the Spanish and other sailors : the
stain remained entire, though the skin had many times been changed,
and now seemed drawn tight over the bone. This being a conclusive
proof ip the Sheick's mind of Christianity, he pronounced him " a
Spaniard," and said he should not be redeemed, but must go to the
mountains and work with him. Every thing that this man said, seem
ed to carry with it a weight that bore down all opposition.
We had, during Sidi Hamet's absence, (after the fifth day,) been in
constant expectation of receiving news from him, or that he himself
would return, and our keepers inquired of every stranger who came
from the eastward, if they had seen him, but obtained no news until
the seventh day, when one of the most fierce and ill looking men I
had ever beheld, approached the wall, and hailed Seid by name, order
ing him in an imperious tone to open the gate directly. Seid demand
ed to know who he was : he replied, Ullah Omar; that he came from
Swearah, and had met Sidi Hamet near that place, who requested him
to call and tell Seid where he was, and that God had prospered his
journey so far. The gate was now opened, and the stranger entered :
he was of a dark complexion, nearly six feet in height, and extremely
muscular; had a long musket in his hand, a pair of horse pistols hang
ing in his belt, and a scimitar and two long knives slung by his sides,
with the haick or blanket for a dress, and a large white turban on his
head ; he had a pair of long iron spurs, which were fastened to his
slippers of yellow Morocco leather ; he rode a beautiful horse, which
seemed fleet and vigorous, and be appeared to be about forty years of
age. This was the first man 1 had seen harnessed in this way. Sheick
AH knew him, and shook him most cordially by the hand, and after
exchanging salutations all round, hearing 1 was the captain, he ad
dressed me and told me he had seen my friend, Sidi Hamet ; that he
met him within one day's ride of Swearah ; that he would no doubt be
here on the morrow, forthat God had prospered his journey on account
of me ; and added, that he hoped my friend in Swearah or Mogdola
would be as true to me as Sidi Hamet was : he then spoke to ail my
men, who though they did not understand him, yet were rejoiced to
hear through me, that there was a prospect of my master's returning
toon. This man had two powder horns slung from his neck, and a
10 * 15

114 CAPTAIN RILE Y"S NARRATIVE.
pouch in which he carried a wooden pipe and some tobaccc, besides a
plentiful supply pf leadeu balls and slugs. My shipmates wao'ed
some tobaccc very much, and I asked him for a little, upon which he
gave me a handful of very good tobacco, and seemed exceedingly
pleased to have it in his power to administer comfort to such misera
ble beings. 1 imagined from his whole deportment that he resembled
one of those high-spirited, heroic, and generous robbers, that are so
admirably described in ancient history. Seid furnished him with some
food, which I now learned they called cous-koo-soo, with some slices
of pumpion or squash spread over it in the bowl, and well peppered.
This dish, which is made of small balls of flour, boiled with a fowl and
vegetables, looked (for 1 had not the pleasure of tasting it) like a very
nice dish. After they had washed, drank water, eaten, washed again,
and prayed together, Ullah Omar took his leave. During the whole
of the time we remained here, our keepers washed themselves all over
with water twice a day, before mid-day and evening prayers, and
always washed their hands before and after eating.
The state of my mind, in the mean time, can be more easily con
ceived than described : during this day and the next, which was the
eighth, I longed to know my fate ; and yet I must own, 1 trembled at
the thoughts of what it might be, and at the conditions 1 had myself
proposed at my last purchase, and had so often since confirmed. If my
master should find no one who should be willing to pay the money for
my redemption, my fate was sealed. I had already agreed to have
my throat cut ! this could not be prevented ; yet when I made this
agreement I was naked and on a vast and dreary desart, literally with
out a skin ; my remaining flesh was roasted on my body ; not a drop
of fresh water to quench my burning thirst, nor even an herb nor any
other thing to satisfy the cravings of hunger : my life was fast wasting
away, and there was not even a hope remaining, or a possibility oi"
existing long in my then forlorn condition : both myself and my com-
, panions would have sold our lives for a drink of fresh water or a
morsel of bread. In that most dismal and desperate situation, 1 ima
gined that if I could once get to the cultivated country beyond the
desart, I should find some food to support nature, and fresh water to
allay our thirst. My remarkable dream had also given me courage to
hope for redemption ; but if 1 was not redeemed myself, 1 felt it my
duty to exert myself to die utmost to preserve the lives of my ship
mates ; they might some of them, I fancied, possibly survive, even
though 1 should not, and be at length restored to their country and
friends, in consequence of my exertions, and convey to my distres
sed family the sad tidings of my wretched fate. Circumstances were
now changed ; I had passed the dangers of the desart, and arrived in
the cultivated country; we had now plenty of good water, and some
food and shelter ; and though my flesh was nearly all wasted away,
yet a new skin had succeeded and •nearly covered my bones. My
desire to live kept pace with the increase of my comforts ; I longed
for the return of my master, and yet I anticipated it with the most
fearful and dreadful apprehensions. I could not sleep ; alternate
hope and fear kept me in a state of continual agitation. I calculated
en the moment of his arrival as decisive of my fate ; it would either
restore me to liberty, or doom rie to instant death : I trembled at
every noise occasioned bv the opening of the gate on any new arrival,

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 115

CHAPTER XX.
A Moor arrives from Mogadore, bringing a letter — The letter — They
set out for that city.
The eighth day of my master's absence passed tediously away ;
when, after dark, we heard a trampling outside the walls. Seid went
forth to learn its cause, and soon returned with Sidi Mohammed, fol-
, lowed by a well looking Moor. They came directly to that part of the
yard where we were sitting on the ground, trembling with apprehension
and with cold. When they came near me, the Moor called out and
said in English, " How de-do, Capetan." This raised me and all my
men from the ground ; I felt as if my heart was forcing its way up into
my throat, and it entirely obstructed my breath. I eagerly seized his
hand, and begged to know who he was, and what was my doom, and it
Sidi Hamet had come back : he then asked me in Spanish if I spoke
that language, and being answered in the affirmative, he informed me
in Spanish that he came from Mogadore ; that my letter had been
received by one of the best of men, an Englishman, who was his
friend, and who had shed tears on reading my letter; that he had paid
the money to my master immediately, and had sent him (the Moor)
off, without giving him scarcely a moment's tirrie to take leave of his
wife, and that he had been on his mule ever since he left Swearah,
travelling on as fast as possible, night and day. The anxiety of my
companions by this time had risen to such a pitch that they broke in
upon his story, on which I communicated to them the thrice welcome
apd happy intelligence, that we had a friend who would redeem us from
slavery. Our souls were overwhelmed with joy, and yet we trembled
with apprehension lest it might not be true : alas ! perhaps it was only
a delusive dream, or some cruel trick to turn our miseries into mock
ery. At this moment, however, the Moor handed me a letter : 1 broke
it open ; but my emotions were such, that it was impossible for me to
read its contents, and I handed it to Mr. Savage ; for my frame trem
bled to such a degree, that I could not stand, and I sank to the earth,
but, thank God, not senseless ; while by means of the light of a fire,
he read as follows : — Mogadore, October 25, 1815.
MY DEAR AND AFFLICTED SIR,
I have this moment received your two notes by Sidi Harriet, the
contents of which, 1 hope you will be perfectly assured, have called
forth my most sincere pity for your sufferings, and those of your com
panions in captivity.
By a Gibraltar paper 1 discover, under the arrivals from the 5th to
the 11th August, the name of your vessel, and that she was American,
from which I conclude both you and your crew must be subjects of
the United States ; had it not been for the paper adverted to, some
delay would have occurred, as you do not state in your notes to what
nation you belong.
I congratulate you most sincerely, on the good fortune you and your

11$ CAPTAIN RILEY *S NARRATIVE1.
fellow sufferers have met, by being in the hands of a man who seems*
to be guided by some degree of commisseration.
I can in some measure participate in the severe and dangerous suf
ferings and hardships you must have undergone ; but, my dear sir,
console yourself, for, thanks be to God, 1 hope they will soon have a
happy issue ; for which purpose 1 devoutly pray the great Disposer of
all things will give you and your unfortunate companions health and
strength once more to visit your native land.
This letter will be delivered you by Rais bel Cossim, in whom you
may place the fullest faith : he speaks Spanish, and has directions to
pay attention to your orders, and render you every care your severe
misfortunes may require. Be pleased to write me an immediate an
swer, stating every particular relating to yourself, your crew, and
vessel, as 1 have given orders to the Moor to forward it to me without
delay. I have agreed to pay the sum of nine hundred and twenty hard
dollars to Sidi Hamet, on your safe arrival in this town with your
fellow sufferers : he remains here as a kind of hostage for your safe
appearance. I have been induced to trust implicitly to your word, and the
respectable references you have given, in confidence that those gen
tlemen, or yourself, will readily reimburse me the whole of the expenses
that may be incurred in obtaining your redemption.
I have the most sincere pleasure to acquaint you, you will be at
liberty to commence your journey for this town on the receipt of this
letter, and make what stages you please on the road, as I do not advise
you, in the eagerness all of you must feel, to run into danger by over
exertion and fatigue : I would, therefore, recommend the greatest pre
caution on this point. I have sent under charge of Rais Del Cossim,
shoes and cloaks, which I have no doubt you will find very useful in
preserving you from rain or cold on the road. I have also forwarded
you some provisions aud spirits, that you may enjoy a foretaste of re
turning liberty.
I beg to recommend the greatest secrecy of your circumstances
until your arrival here, for should the Moors suppose you able to pay
more, they would throw difficulties in the way, and thereby much re
tard your redemption.
I shall send off an express to-morrow to the United States' Con
sul General at Tangier, and a letter to Mr. Horatio Sprague of Gibral
tar, informing them of your loss, and of the favourable hopes I en
tertain of your immediate release.
I have appointed with Rais bel Cossim, on your arrival at a short
distance from Mogadore, to wait at the garden of a friend of mine,
and send me notice of the same, when I shall immediately set out to
meet you.
1 trust there is no occasion for me to say how truly 1 commisserate
and enter into all your misfortunes : when God grants me the pleasure
to embrace you, it will be to me a day of true rejoicing. I beg you
will assure every one with you of my truest regard; and with senti
ments embittered by the thoughts of the miseries you have undergone,
but with the most sanguine hope sf a happy end to all your sufferings,
I subscribe myself, with the greatest esteem, my dear sir, your friend,
William Wiltshire,

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 117
V. S. I willingly agree to advance the money, considering a mouth
of more must elapse before I could receive an answer from Mr.
Sprague. I therefore concluded you would prefer being at liberty in
this town, to experiencing a prolongation of your sufferings during
that period. I shall be happy in rendering you every comfort that my
house and this country can afford. W. W.
My feelings, during the reading of this letter, may perhaps be con
ceived, but I cannot attempt to describe them; to form an idea of my
emotions at that time, it is necessary for the reader to transport him
self in imagination to the country where I then was, a wretched slave,
and to fancy himself as having passed through all the dangers and
distresses that I had experienced : reduced to the lowest pitch of
human wretchedness, degradation, and despair, a skinless skeleton,
expecting death at every instant: then let him fancy himself receiving
such a letter from a perfect stranger, whose name he had never before
heard, and from a place where there was not an individual creature
that had ever before heard of his existence, and in one of the most
barbarous regions of the habitable globe : let him receive at the same
time clothes to cover and defend his naked, emaciated, and trembling
frame, shoes for his mangled feet, and such provisions as he had beep
accustomed to in his happier days — let him find a soothing and
sympathising friend in a barbarian, and one who spoke perfectly well
the language of a Christian nation ; and with all this, let him behold
a prospect of a speedy liberation and restoration to his beloved family :
— here let him pause, and his heart must, like mine, expand near to
bursting with gratitude to his all-wise and beneficent Creator, who
had upheld his tottering frame and preserved in his bosom the vital
spark, while he conducted him, with unerring wisdom and goodness,
through the greatest perils and sufferings, by a continued miracle, and
now prepared the heart of a stranger to accomplish what had been
before determined.
The letter being finished, we could only raise our eyes and hearts
to heaven in adoration and silent thankfulness, while tears of joy
trickled down our haggard cheeks. — Amidst these joyful and heart-
thrilling sensations, my attention was aroused by the thundering voice
of Sheick Ali, who stormed away most furiously on being informed
that Sidi Hamet had given up me and my companions for such a pal
try sum : — he said, Sidi Hamet must be a fool and a madman to put
himself in the power of a villainous Christian, who would undoubtedly
murder him and take back his money so soon as we should arrive in
Swearah. The Moor, who had hitherto remained silent, now spoke
put in a very spirited manner, and told the Sheick in a very firm, but
eloquent and -persuasive tone, that he had bought me and my com
panions with his own money, which he had paid to Sidi Hamet before
he ieft Swearah ; and that he (Sidi Hamet) remained there voluntarily
as a hostage for his (Rais bel Cossim's) safety, as well as security for
the delivery of the slaves.
"We are of the same religien, (added Rais,) and owe these Chris
tian dogs nothing ; we have an undoubted right to make merchandise
of them, and oblige them to carry our burdens like camels. That
fellow (said he, pointing to me) calls himself the captaip of a vessel;

113 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
—he has deceived his master and you ; for he was nothing more than
a cook on board, and the captain has long been dead." This the
Sheick would not believe ; if it was so, how could I write a note to
induce a stranger to pay so much money for me and my men ? " It
was only a short one, (added he,) and its writer must be a man of
much consequence, as well as knowledge. I fear ydu (though a
Moslemin) have leagued with a Christian "against Sidi Hamet, first to
rob him of his slaves, and then to take his life." "No, by Allah! . I
am incapable of such an act of treachery," retorted tlais, and told
the Sheick I was indeed the cook, but being a stout fellow, had been
able to endure fatigues better than the others : "but (added he) give
them paper, pen, and ink, and they wijl soon convince you they can
all write, and much better than Riley." This Controversy continued
a long time, and I found that Rais bel Cossim was a man of great
courage, as well as knowledge and eloquence ; and he certainly dis
played great address and management in checking the avaricious cal
culations of the Sheick, by insisting on my not being a captain, and
thus depreciating my value as a slave. Seid seemed to have sunken
into a kind of sullen silence: it was now late, and Sidi Mohammed
conducted the whole company into an apartment that had served, from
appearances, as a stable for mules. They had loudly insisted that we
should lodge in the same place where we had been before confined,
but Rais would not consent, and declared that his slaves should stay
by his side, both night and day. They had cost him a great deal of
money, (he said,) and he was determined not to lose them. Having
thus got into comfortable quarters, our cloaks were produced from a
basket, and we put them on. Our friend had sent us some hard bis
cuits and boiled neats' tongues — he had also forwarded tea, coffee,
and sugar, and a few bottles of rum, with a tea-kettle, tea-pot, cups
and saucers, all nicely packed up in a small box. Rais then procu
red a lighted lamp, and I gave each of my men a slice of tongue,
some biscuit, and a drii-k of rum : this revived their spirits exceed
ingly, and we all felt as if new life was infused into our hearts, which
at the same time swelled with gratitude to God for his infinite mercy
and goodness. We were next regaled with a very fine watermelon;
and having put on our new shoes to make our feet warm, and wrapped
ourselves up in large cloaks or gzlabbias, we stretched ourselves on
the ground to sleep, whilst Rais, Seid, and his companion, Bo-Mo
hammed, and Sheick Ali, laid themselves down on a platform made
of boards that must have been brought from the wreck of some vessel,
and was raised two feet from the ground. The food which I and my
companions had eaten, together with the melon apd liquor, caused us
such violent griping pains in our stomachs and intestines, that we
could with great difficulty forbear screaming out with agouy, and we
found no relief till morning, after having passed a sleepless night.
Early in the morning, Rais desired me, in Arabic, to make some
tea : so 1 took out the kettle, had it filled with water, made a fire
with a few sticks, and soon had the tea ready for drinking. The men
and boys in and near this village, hearing of Sidi Mohammed's return
to his family, came now to congratulate him, and to see the Moor,
who directed me to pour out a cup of tea for each of the men, which
he made thick with sugar. None of the people had ever before seen

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 119
such a thing as a tea-cup, nor knew what the taste of tea was, and it
was with difficulty that several of them could be persuaded to drink it,
and they appeared to be reconciled to it only on account of the sugar.
I waited on them all until they had fiuished; when Rais, turning to
Sheick Ali, said, "1 told you before that Riley was the cook, and now
you see with yourowii eyes that he is the only one that can wait upon
us." I next made a strong cup of tea for ourselves, which had amostre-
markable effect in composing and restoring the tone of our stomachs.
All our things being soon packed up and loaded on mules, we set
forward at about eight o'clock. The Moor had tried to procure mules
for us to ride on ; but they could not be had in this part of the country
at any price. Our company consisted of Sheick Ali, Sidi Moham
med, (who had been to Swearah on our account,) Seid, our master,
Bo-Mohammed, (who had assisted in guarding us,) and Rais bel Cos
sim, all well armed. Though he could procure no beasts exclusively
for our use, yet Rais managed in such a manner as to let us ride by
turns, and Burns all the time, for he Was so feeble as not to be able
to walk. So soon as we were on the road, Rais bel Cossim begged
me to give him an account of my misfortunes and sufferings, and by
what miracle my life and the lives of those who were with me had
been preserved. I satisfied his curiosity as well as 1 could, by a short
narration of the most prominent occurrences. When 1 had finished,
he raised his eyes towards heaven with an air and expression of true
devotion, and exclaimed, in Spanish, " Praised be God, the most
high and holy! for his goodness:" then addressing himself to me, he
remarked, " You have indeed been preserved most wonderfully by the
peculiar protection and assistance of an overruling Providence, and
must be a particular favourite of heaven: there never was an instance
(added he) of a Christian's passing the great desart for such a dis
tance before, and you are no doubt destined to do some great good in
the world; and may the Almighty continue to preserve you, and
restore you to your distressed family. Sidi Hamet (added he)
admired your conduct, courage, and intelligence, and says they are
more than human — that God is with you in all your transactions, &ud
has blessed him for your sake." 1 mention this conversation to show
the light in which my master had viewed me ; and this will account
for the interest he took in my restoration to liberty, over and above his
motives of gain.
I now inquired who Sheick Ali was, and why he was going on in
company ; and said, I much feared him. Rais informed me that all
he knew about him he had learned from Sidi Mohammed, which was,
that he is the chief of a very large and powerful tribe of Arabs, who
inhabit the hills south of us, and near the borders of the great desalt;
that Sidi Hamet had married one of his daughters, but had since been
at war with him, and that in the contest his father-in-law had destroy
ed Sidi Hamet's town, and taken back his daughter, but afterwards
restored her again on making peace ; that this Sheick could bring ten
or fifteen thousand men into the field whenever he pleased, and that he
was a man of the greatest talents and capacity in war, as well as in
peace; but why he was going on in our company in this manner, he
he could not tell, and agreed with me in suspecting that it could be
for no good purpose; yet he observed, "God could turn his evil

120 CAPTAIN RI LEY'S NARRATIVE.
intentions to our good, and that that power which had protected me
thus far, would not forsake me until his will was accomplished."

CHAPTER XXI.
They come near the ruins of a city, where two battering machines are
standing — Description of them — Story of its destruction — Tliey cross
a river and a fruitful valley — Lodge in a city, and are afterwards
stopped by Sheick Ali and the prince of another city.
We travelled on in a southeast direction through a very sandy coun
try, with, however, here and there a small rising, and a few cultivated
spots, for about five hours, at the rate of five miles an hour, when we
came opposite the shattered walls of a desolate town or city that stood
not far from our path on the right. These walls appeared to inclose
a square spot of about three hundred yards in extent on each side, and
they seemed to be at least fifteen feet in height. They were built of
rough stones, laid in clay or mud, and partly daubed over with the
same material. On the north side there was a gateway handsomely
arched over with stone, and furnished with a strong heavy looking
wooden gate that was now shut. Over the gate there appeared to be
a platform for the purpose of defending the gate, for the wall was not
quite so high in that part as elsewhere. Two battering machines were
standing against the western angle of the wall, opposite to which a
large practicable breach had been made by means of one of those
machines. They were both very simple in their structure, but calcu
lated to be very powerful in their effects. I could distinctly see and
examine with my eyes the one nearest to us. It was formed, as it
appeared to me, in the first place, by laying down two large logs of
Wood at right angles with the wall, and about fifteen feet apart, the
ends of the logs butting against the wall. (See plate, figure 4.) Into
the upper side of each of these logs a nitch or mortise was cut, to
receive the thick ends of two uprights, consisting of two rough trunks
of trees, of about twelve inches in diameter at their base, of equal
lengths, and rising to the height of about twenty-five or thirty feet.
Each Upright had a crotch in its upper end, formed by the natural
branching of the two principal limbs of the tree, like a common coun
try well-post in America. These crotches being rounded out by art,
a stout piece of knotty timber, of about from twelve to eighteen inches
id thickness, was placed horizontally in them. To the centre of the
cross-piece, a pole of ten or twelve inches in circumference was lashed
with a strong rope, and to the lower end of this pole a huge rough
rock was fastened, weighing from appearances several tons. Trie
rock was slung and fastened to' the pole by means of thick ropes,
formed by braiding many thongs of camels' skins together. After the
machine had been fitted together on the ground, it had been raised
all in a body by the help of long shores or sticks of timber, not so
thick as the uprights, but nearly twice as long ; these shores were tied
fast to the uprights, near their crotches, by ropes, and served to raise
and lower the machme at pleasure, apd also acted as braces to support

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. l2l
it when in action. Two short props or braces were fixed between, the
uprights apd the wall, with one end resting against its hase, and tho
other in a notch cut on the inner side of the uprights, to help to keep
them steady, and tp prevent them from falling against the walls. The
rock hung within two or three feet of the ground, like a huge pendu
lum; and having a long rope fastened to its slings, stretching off from
the wall at least one hundred and fifty feet. The manner of applying
it, was by the assailants laying hold of this rope in great numbers, and
then hauling off the rock to its greatest extent ; all let go at the same
instant, and the rock swung back with such impetuosity against those
ill constructed walls, that its repeated strokes soon opened a breach,
through which the besiegers entered, sword in hand. The other ma
chine was made of four roufjh sticks of timber, of nearly equal lengths,
lashed together at their smallest ends, and raised in form of a common
triangle, or rather a quadrangle ; from the point of juncture, a large
rock was suspended by a rope of camel's skin, braided to the thickness
of a man's leg, and slung in such a manner as to be struck against the
wall in the same way as the one first described. My companion,
Rais bel Cossim, gave me all the information 1 desired, relative to these
machines. The ground about the breach and near the gate was
strewed over with dry human bones; and my curiosity being much
excited to know the history of this melancholy scene of carnage and
desolation, 1 requested Rais to communicate to me the particulars;
but not being, it seems, acquainted with them himself, he applied to
Sidi Mohammed on the subject, who thereupon gave the following
relation, while Rais translated into Spanish for me such parts as I did
not perfectly understand in Arabic, by which means 1 was enabled
thoroughly to comprehend the whole narrative.
"That city (said Sidi Mohammed, pointing towards it with his
Staff) was built by Omar Raschid, about forty years ago ; he named it
Widnah. He was a very brave and pious man ; and the number of
his family and friends, consisting at first of np mpre than five hundred
souls, when the city was built, increased so rapidly, that in a few years
they ampunted to several thousands: they planted those fig, date,
pomegranate, olive, and other trees which you now see near the walls;
they cultivated the fields round about, and made gardens; had abun
dance of bread, beasts, and cattle of every kind, and became exceed
ingly rich and great, for God was with them in all their transactions.
They were respected, loved, and feared by all their neighbours,
because they were wise and just. This man was called Omar el Mil
lion, (or Omar the good ;) he was my best friend whep livipg, (said
Sidi,) and helped me when 1 was very low in the world ; but the best
mep nave enemies — so it was with Omar ; he had an inveterate enemy
from his youth, who lived among the mountains to the southward of
his city, whose name was S/ieick Sulmin. This Sheick, about twenty
years ago, came down with a great host and invested the city of Omar ;
but Omar, taking advantage of the darkness of the night, sallied out
of his city at a private passage, with all his forces, and falling upon
his besiegers unawares, killed a great number, and put the remainder
to a shameful flight: from that time until the time of his death,
(which happened two years ago,) he enjeyed a profound peace on
every side. After Omar's death, his eldest sop, Muley Ismael, (for
11 16

"122 ne caused himself to be called a prince,) took upon him the govern
ment of the city! He was a very effeminate man, entirely devoted to
sensual pleasure, and had a great number of wives and ccncubines.
The people had long enjoyed a profound peace, and confided in their
strength; when, about a year ago, one of the brothers of Ismael,
named Kesh-bah, who was very ambitious, and being fired with resent
ment at the conduct of Muley Ismael, in taking away from him his
betrothed wife, left the city and repaired to the mountaihs, where
having found his father's old enemy still living, he stirred him up to
war against the city. The old Sheick soon collected a powerful
army of hungry and rapacious Arabs on the borders of the desart, and
came down the mountains, bringing on their camels the battering
machines you now see standing there. When this host approached
the city, it was in the dead of the night, and all within were asleep,
for they dwelt carelessly and dreamed of no danger, and felt so secure,
that they did not even keep a watch. The Sheick and his host drew
near the walls in perfect silence, and raised their battering machines
undiscovered: it was now nearly daylight, when both machines were
put in operation at the same instant, and the gate was also attacked
by means of large stones hung from the upper extremities of Jong
poles by ropes, which poles stood up on end, and were managed by
the hands of the Arabs. The first strokes against the walls and gate,
shook them to their very foundations, and awakened the slothful in
habitants, who flew to the walls in order to make a defence ; but it
was too late ; the enemy were thundering against them; all was con
fusion within; those who attacked the gate were repulsed wiih great
slaughter by those who mounted the platform over it, but the walls
were already shattered to pieces, and the assailants entered the
breaches over heaps of their dead and dying enemies.
" It was now daylight, and an indiscriminate slaughter of the inhabi
tants ensued ; all was blood and carnage ; every male was put to death,
except two, who escaped "over the wall to carry tidings of the fate of
the town to their friends and neighbours. All the women and chil
dren shared the same fate, except two hundred virgins, who were
spared for the use of the conquerors. They next plundered the slain
of their clothing and ornaments; gathered up all the spoil, and drove
off the oxen, sheep, camels, and asses, and departed, leaving the city
before mid-day a heap of ruins, covered with the mangled carcasses
of its once highly favoured inhabitants : they were in such haste as
to leave the battering machines standing, and made off by way of the
plain southward. The inhabitants of the neighbouring towns soon
collected, and pursuing them with great vigour, came up with them
on the side of the mountain the next morning, while the invaders
sending forward their spoil, took a station in a steep narrow pass, and
prepared for battle. It was a very long and bloody fight, but Sulmin's
men rolled down great stones from the precipices upon their pur
suers, who were at last forced to retreat, leaving about half their num
ber dead and wounded on the ground."
Sidi Mohammed was one of the pursuers, and now showed me a
very large scar from a wound he then received on his breast by a
musket ball. Sidi Ishem, a very powerful prince, had in the mean
time heard the news, and assembled a very large army, and pursued

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 123
the enemy by anether way ; but they had fled te -the desart and could
not be overtaken. The dead bodies in and about the city had become
so putrid before the pursuit was over, that none could approach to
bury them, and they were devoured by dogs, and wild beasts, and
birds of prey. "They had offended the Almighty by their pride,
(observed Sidi Mohammed,) and none could be found to save them.
Thus perished Widnah and its haughty inhabitants."
1 was at that time riding along on a mule next to Rais bel Cossim
and Sidi Mohammed, whilst the latter recounted the transaction in a
most solemn tone. My sensations at beholding the desolate ruins of
a once populous town, whose inhabitants had all been cut off in a few
hours by the unexpected irruption of a ferocious and unsparing foe,
may easily be conceived. I was at first induced to consider the story
as fictitious, but my eyes warranted the belief of it, and the sight of
the battering machines, together with the breaches in the wall, and
the dry human bones scattered around, afforded conclusive evidence
'even to the minds of my fellow prisoners, who did not understand the
narrative, that here had once stood a town, which had been sacked
and destroyed.
After leaving these ruins, we continued on about an east course for
three hours, when we came ' to the bank of a stream, or fresh water
river, which was now no larger than a brook, owing to the dryness of
the season. It flowed from the southeast, and bent its course through
a broad valley in a crooked channel, nearly north, towards the seashore.
On its left bank, which was very high land, stood two considerable
walled villages, and a great number of small square-walled enclosures
on the same bank southward, some in ruins and some apparently in
good repair. The walls were made of rough stones laid in clay, apd
the houses had flat roofs. On the margin of the brook were a great
number of gardens fenced in with dry thorn bushes, placed on the
ground, and planted chiefly with the prickly-pear ; but some with
squashes, cabbages, &c. At a distance on both sides of this stream,
we saw a number of square stone sanctuaries, or saint houses, with
round domes : they did not appear to be more than ten or fifteen feet
square, and were all nicely whitewashed. This bank of the riVer bore
strong marks of having been -washed to a very great height from the
place where the stream then flowed ; and on inquiring of Sidi Mo
hammed, I was informed that the whole of the valley between the two
high banks (which from appearance must be five or six miles wide)
was entirely covered with water during some part of the season, or
when great rains fall ; at which times travellers were obliged to go up
the banks three days' journey to a fall, before they could cross it : that
he himself had once been that way, but for the last five years the land
had been so cursed with droughts, that it had not once overflowed its
present bed where we crossed it, and where it was not more than twenty
yaids wide and one foot in depth.
As we passed along close to the prickly-pears, which hung over the
thorn, bushes, bearing yellow fruit, some of my men plucked them and
put them in their mouths, without regarding the sharp prickles with
which these pears were covered, so that their tongues and the roofs of
their mouths were literally filled with them : on the first touch, they
were extremely painful, and were extracted afterwards with much di£V

124 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
Acuity. There were also on both sides of this river near where w«
crossed it, numerous herds, and many inhabitants. We travelled along
the right bank of the river for several miles, until it became bdth wide
and deep, for it met the tide water from the sea ; when coming within
sight of a,city op the high right bank, we made towards it. On our
approaching within two miles of its walls, we passed large fields of
Indian corn and barley, and gardens filled with most kinds of common
vegetables. The borders of these fields and gardens were planted
with date, fig, pomegranate, orange, and other fruit trees in great
numbers, and many clumps ef grape vines : the spil of this spot
appeared te be of the richest black mould. As we passed along ip a
high foot-way, formed by throwing up the turf from the enclosures,
(apparently to make them perfectly level, or all of a gentle descent,)
we saw hundreds of the inhabitants busily- employed m gathering the
Indian corn and barley into heaps, for it was now their harvest time,
while others (men and boys) were loading it in sacks and baskets on
camels, mules, and asses, and driving them, thus loaded with the rich
products of the soil, into their city. These several enclosures contain
ed, I should judge, one hundred acres of land, divided from each other
by mud walls, strewed with dry thorn bushes ; the whole were Water
ed by means of a considerable stream, brought from the heights near
the city in a large ditch, and carried round each enclosure in small
gutters dug for the purpose ; so that any one of the owners could
either water the whole or any part of his field or garden, at pleasure.
Hundreds of oxen and cows, sheep and goats, were feeding in the
newly cleared fields, whose thin and famished appearance proved they
"had been forced to feed on scanty and dried up herbage during the
summer months, and that on account of the long arid excessive droughts,
they had merely been able to exist. Rais also informed me, that the
lecusts had nipped off and destroyed nearly every verdant thing in the
whole country ; and that for the last five years they had laid waste
whole provinces in the empire of Morocco.
We now arrived at the city, and entered it at a very large gateway,
with our camels and mules, and took up our quarters in a smith's shop,
neat the gate. It was after sunset when we entered this town, and I
could observe one broad street that appeared to run its whole length.
The heuses were built of rough stones, principally laid in clay, but
some ip lime — all of one story high, and flat roofed : there were no
Wiridews next the street, except a small aperture in each one not a foot
square, for the purpose probably of admitting light. They had each
a stout plank door strongly made, and furnished with a big clumsy
iron lock. The corn continued to pass into the city till dark 5 all the
camels, oxen, cows, sheep, goats, and asses, belonging to the inhabi
tants, and which were very numerous, were also driven into the city,
and the gate shut and barred with four large pieces of timber : this
was about eight o'clock, and a watch was then stationed on the Wall.
On entering the city, Rais bel Cossim and Sheick Ali waited on the
governor or chief, and obtained permission to remain in his town over
night ; and a few dates were brought by Rais for our suppers. The
Shop in which we were permitted to stay was about twenty feet square ;
a kind ef forge was fixed in one corner ; two skins were curiously ap •
plied, so as to form a bellows to blow this lira with, which was of char-

SUFFERINGS IN APR1CA.( 125
Coal ; a man stood between them with a hand pn each skin, which h«
raised and depressed alternately, and thus kept up a small and irregu
lar stream of air. They had a large piece of iron for an anvil, which
lay so lew on the ground, that when they worked on it with the ham
mer, which was a very clumsy sort of one, they were obliged to squat
down. I believe every man and boy in this town came to look at
US by turns, and ask questions concerning ourselves, our country, &c.
so that we were surrounded with people during the whole night, chat
ting with each other, and asking our Arab guides an endless string of
questions. These people were qf the same nation we had been in the habit of
seeing since we came to the river Nun, yet they appeared to be more
civilized. Several of them asked me in Spanish how I did, and uttered
many other words in that language, the meanirig of which they did
not seem to understand, the most of them being vile oaths apd exe
crations ; which proved satifactorily to me that they had frequent com
munications in some way or other with people of that nation. Sheick
Ali had all the day after we left Sidi Mohammed's house been lost in a
seeming reverie : he would seldom speak, and when he did, it was in
a low voice apart with Seid, and 1 strongly suspected that some plot
was in preparation between them. We had travelled the last day
about five hours, at the rate of four miles an hour, before we came
abreast of the ruins of the city 1 have described, and we had pro
ceeded five hours afterwards at the same rate, making together forty
miles. On the 30th of October, we made ready to start before daylight,
and as soon as it dawned the gate was opened, and we proceeded on
our journey. The walls of this city or town, were built of rough stone
laid in clay, and were four feet thick at their base in the gateway, and
about twenty feet high, but had no outer ditch to defend them, nor any
cannon mounted. It appeared to cover a space of about three hun
dred yards in length along the river's bank, north and south, and one
hundred and fifty yards in breadth from east to west. The channel of
the river at low stages of the water is about one mile west of the town :
this river is called by the natives Woed Seldem, or river Sehlem, and
the town, Rais told me, bore the name, i. e. Sehlemali : it is, 1 should
judge from its appearance, fifty yards in width/ opposite the town at
nigh water, and proportionably deep. I was now informed by Rais
bel Cossim and Sidi Mohammed, that there was once a large and
flourishing Christian town and settlement near the mouth of this river,
and only thirty miles from us; that the town was taken by storm about
eight centuries ago, and all the Christians massacred. An Arabian
century contains forty lunar years, and is called Zille, and they
reckon twelve moons to the year. Both Rais bel Cossim and Sidi
Mohammed said they had been to the spot, and seen some of the
remains of the walls, which were still standing, though nearly all buried
up in sand drifted from the seashore. They further stated, that there
was dow a village at a little distance from the ancient ruin, inhabited
by fishermen ; that the old Christian town was situated on a bay or
arm of the sea, and five or six miles broad at its entrance, and that it
is an excellent harbour both for large and small vessels ; that there was
no bar across its mouth, but that the usual bar was formed of sand a
J *

128 CAPTAIN riley's NARRATIVE.
few miles below the town we had left. From my pwn observations on
the increasing breadth of the river, I am inclined to think that this bay
may contain a fine harbour, particularly as Rais and his companion
could have no motive for deceiving me. Rais bel Cossim had been
many times in Europe, as captain under the Moorish flag, in the grain
trade, and insisted that this was a better harbour than Cadiz : if so, it
is the only one on that coast, from Cape Spartel, in latitude 34. 30. to
the latitude of 19. north.
Travelling on at a great rate, we entered on a vast plain, over whose
surface a few shrubs, and weeds, and clumps of trees were thinly
scattered : the boughs of these trees were bending under the weight of
a bright yellow fruit, and I learned from Rais that it was the arga tree,
from the nut of which is extracted the argan oil, very much esteemed
by the natives; and it was also highly relished by my companions.
Ihis nut, when ripe, much resembles the ripe date in appearance ; so
much so, indeed, thai seeing some of them scattered on the ground,
I took one up and bit it, when I found out rny mistake, as its bark
was extremely bitter. The trees generally grew in clusters of from
three to tep trunks, that seemed to spring from the same seed ; these
rise in a shaft of from ten to fifteen feet in height, and then branch off
ip all directions, forming a diameter of at least one hundred feet; the
trunks are from one to three feet in diameter ; the branches are covered
with thorns, which fall and lie so thick on the ground, as to make it
almost impossible to approach them near enough to shake or knock
offthe'nuts, and they are consequently left to ripen and drop off
spontaneously.- We were now going on at a small trot, mostly all mounted on the
camels, mules, and two asses that were in company. The Atlas moun
tains were now full in view, stretching as far as the eye could reach
from northeast to southwest, at some distance on our right. We had
seen these mountains for several days past, in the distant horizon,
when we were on the high ridges, which we were obliged to pass ;
but we now beheld them from this wide spreading plain in all their
awful magnitude: their lofty summits, towering high above the clouds
in sharp peaks, appeared to be covered with never melting snows.
This sight was calculated to fill the mind of the beholder with won
der and astonishment. The cold and chilling blasts of wind which
blew directly from the Atlas, almost congealed our impoverished blood,
and made our feeble frames shake almost to dissolution, notwithstand
ing the good cloaks and shoes with which we were provided. Seid
and the other Arabs were also shivering with cold, and ran on foot to
make themselves warm, for the sky was overcast and obscured by thick
and heavy clouds, portending torrents of rain. 1 was now sure we
were very near the emperor of Morocco's dominions, and began to
imagine myself a free man — I felt myself at peace with all mankind;
my mind expanded with gratitude towards the great Author of my
being, and I viewed this stupendous ridge of mountains as one of the
strongest proofs of Divine goodness to his creatures; fori considered
that all the rivers, a'-d streams, and springs, that water and refresh the
northern part of Africa, from the borders'of that immense andthirsty
desart over which I had travelled, to the straits of Gibraltar, and
Which empty into the Atlantic ocean.-or into the Mediterranean sea,.

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 127
westward ef Tripoli, and from the 26th to the 35th degree of north
latitude, must either take their rise or have their sources in this vast
chahi of Atlas. On these burning coasts, seldom refreshed by rains,
(and that only in small quantities, and during the winter season,) the
great bodies of accumulated snow on these mountains, tend in the
summer season to cool the atmosphere in their vicinity, as well as to
supply water for the use of the animal and vegetable creation.
In the course of this morning, Thomas Burns became so weak
(being benumbed with cold) that he could no longer hold on the camel,
and tumbled off over the beast's tail with greatviolence, falling on his
head and back, which deprived him for a considerable time of all sen
sation : with much exertion, however, on our part, he at length revived,
and was again placed on his camel. Proceeding on the plain, we saw
a large number of cities, or walled towns, 1 should reckon at least
fifty, some on one side of our path, and some on the other; but mostly
on our right, and extending as far as the eye could reach towards the
meuntains. Those pear the path appeared to be three or fourhundred
yards square : the walls were built of rough stones laid in clay, and
with only one gate ; they were from twenty to thirty feet ill height,
apd crowned with short turrets about three yards apart all around ; at
each corner oP the top was built a kind of circular sentry box, also of
stone, something in the manner of all European castles. Most of the
land, at some distance from the vicinity of these towns, was prepared
for sowing, and many of the inhabitants were engaged in ploughing.
A little nearer, were numerous orchards of fig, date, and other fruit
trees ; and close to the walls, many gardens pf fine vegetables, such as
onions, cabbages, turnips, squashes, &c. Round about these gardens,
we saw many dung-hill fowls, and at a distance, herds of neat cattle,
asses, and flocks of sheep and goats, were feeding upon the scanty
and dried up herbage, under the eye of their respective keepers or
herdsmen. These beasts were very poor, yet the whole seemed to
promise abundance of food to the apparently industrious inhabitants,
and brought to my mind the ancient Jewish history.
Sheick Ali had been very attentive to me all this morning : he had
in imitation of Rais bel Cossim, called, me captain, and endeavoured
to convince me that I had better go with him to the mountains south
ward, where he had large possessions, and would give me one of his
daughters for a wife, and make me a chief in his nauon. He had
stopped the whole company two or three times to talk over his own
affairs, and I now supposed that Seid was leagued with him, and bent
on doing me and my men some mischief. We had travelled on thus
for ten hours, (say from four in the morning till two in the afternoon,)
at the rate of five miles an hour, making a distance of fifty miles, when
turning aside from our path, as if by choice, we approached the gate
of a city. We were both hungry and thi-sty, and we seated ourselves
down by a ve~y deep well, within one hundred yards of the city gate :
Seid and Sheick Ali went immediately into the town, as I supposed,
to get some provisions — Sidi Mohammed and Rais bel Cossim were
soon invited in also, to partake with them, leaving us on the outside,
and under charge ef Bo-Mohammed, who stood in Sidi Hamet's stead,
and two others. A great many men, and I believe all the boys belong
ing to the place, now came cut to lock at and make remarks on the

128 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
slaves ; most of them, no doubt, froni mere curiosity. The boys, by
Way of amusement, began to throw stones and dirt at, and to spit on
ns, expressing, by that means, their utter contempt and abhorrence of
ns and of our nation. Burns and Clark were so far exhausted as to
' be unable to support themselves sitting, and were obliged to lie down
on the ground ; out one man brought a bucket from the town, and
drew water, that we might allay our thirst : this revived us in some
measure. Mr. Savage, Horace, and myself, were in so weak a state,
that I much feared we should not be able to keep on for the remainder
of this day. Burns' fall had proved him to be too weak to hold on
the camel, and had besides bruised him.verymuch. 1 tried my utmost
te encourage them and keep up their spirits, by representing to them
that we were now free, and would soon be in the emperor's dominions,
where 1 presumed we should be out of the reach of the rapacious
Arabs ; tor I had been informed by Rais bel Cossim, that in the
space ef one day's journey we should be within the territories of the
emperor. Whilst Rais bel Cossim and the rest of his company remained within
the walls, the winds from the mountains, driving before them thick
masses of dark clouds, loaded with vapour, brought on a copious dis
charge of rain, and we were directed to enter under the gateway for
shelter, which we did, supporting each other iu our weakness, and
seated ourselves in the gate. This was the first rain I had witnessed
in this country ; and it continued to fall for about an hour. 1 had for
a long time looked for Rais bel Cossim and his companions to come
out, and began to apprehend some disaster or treachery on the part of
Sheick Ali, whose harsh and loud voice I now heard roaring within,
This tremendous clamour between the Sheick and other persons, con
tinued for about two hours, when Rais bel Cossim made his appear
ance, escorted by a number of men : his intelligent countenance
bespoke fear, grief, and indignation — he called me aside from my com
panions, and told me that Sheick Ali was the intimate friend pf Muley
Ibrahim, (pr prince Abraham,) the king or governor of the city ; that
Shkck Ali had claimed us as his property, alleging that Sidi Hamet
was his son-in-law, and owed him a great deal of money, and that he
(Sidi Hamet) was now held as a hostage or slave to a Christian in
gwearah ; that he had insisted we should not proceed one step further
until fifteen hundred dollars were produced, together with Sidi Hamet,
the husband of his daughter ; and that in conjunction with Seid, he
had contrived to stop us here by the power of the prince. This news
was to me like a clap of thunder ; it bereft me of all my fortitude ;
the fair prospects 1 had entertained of a speedy liberation from slavery,
particularly for the last two days, were now suddenly darkened. Rais
oel Cossim further informed me, that he had argued the matter every
way, but all to no purpose — that he had promised the money required,
namely, six hundred dollars, as soon as we should get to Santa Cruz,
in the emperor's dominions, and that he would agree to have the
prince and Sheick go along with him and receive it there, and there
wait for the return of Sidi Hamet ; " but they will not listen to me
(added he,) and 1 must set off immediately and carry this discouraging
news to Mr. Willshire, leaving you here until 1 return, which will be
in six days ; and may God preserve you in the mean time from their

Sufferings In AMIGA, 1S9
6V1I machinations." This was more than I could bear : — tears bt
auguish, which 1 had Pot the power to control, now gushed from my
eyes, and my almost bursting heart vented itself in bitter groans of de
spair. My companions heard my distress, though at a considerable dis
tance frem me, and turning fearfully on me their almost extinguished
eyes, begged for an explanation of the cause.
Rais belCossim was just in the act of mounting his mule to ride off,
when Sidi Mohammed, who went in the first place with my master to
Swearah, came near him and said, " Rais, — Muley Ibrahim and
Sheick Ali have determined you shall not go to Swearah ; they fear
you will cause a war to break out between them and the Sultan."
Observing me in tears and in great affliction, he took me by the hand,
aod said, " Don't be cast down, Riley, I will go to Swearah, and carry
: letter from Rais, and one from you to Willshire; and if he wants a
hostage, 1 will stay with him. I nave two wives and seven children to
leave, and houses, and lands, and herds of cattle; and shalfbe a more
valuable hostage than Sidi Hamet— he is your friend, and will come
immediately down and relieve you. God is great and good, (added
ne,) and will restore you to your family." I kissed his hand in gratis
tude, and called him father, and hoped the Almighty would reward
him for his benevolence. Rais now joined Sheick Ali and the prince,
who with many attendants were seated on the ground in a circle) out
side of the city gate — here they debated the matter over again. Rais
insisted we were his slaves ; that neither the prince nor Sheick had a
right to detain what he had bought with his own money, much less to
stop him like a criminal ; that it was contrary to their religion (which
made them all brothers) to commit such an outrage on hospitality
Sheick Ah, on the other hand, contended, that Sidi Hamet and Seid
owed him money to a large amount ; that we were their joint property,
ahd that consequently he had an undoubted right to detain add to
carry us off into his own tribe or family, and there to keep us until
Sidi Hamet should return and pay his debt. Rais insisted he had paid
his money for us, and had nothing to do with Sheick Ali's claim ;
however, after extolling the justice and virtue of the prince to the
highest pitch, they both at last agreed to leave it to Muley Ibrahim to
decide what should be done. Muley Ibrahim now asked Sidi Moham
med and Bo-Mohammed what they knew concerning this business,
and they gave testimony in favour of ftais bel Cossim's previous claim :
thusprepared, Muley Ibrahim said — "You, Sheick Ali, my old friend,
and Rais bel Cossim, both of you claim these-five Christian slaves as
your uwn property, and each of you has some reason on your side— -
et, as it is pot in my power to decide whose claim is the best founded,
am resolved, with a strict regard to justice, and without going into
further evidence, to keep the slaves in my own city. Carefully guarded,
until messengers can be sent to Swearah, who shall bring down Sidi
Hamet, when you three being confronted,, may settle your claims as
shall be found most consistent with justice." He then proposed that
Rais should remain with him, like a friend, and without having any
thing to fear. This plan was agreed to by all parties, and they shook
hands upon it like friends.
This done, we were copducted into the city, and into a house
adjoining that where the prince lived. A mat was spread for the

I

130 captain riley's NARRATIVE.
Sheick and Hals, and their companions to sit on, while we wits
placed ip a narrcw cci'ner op the ground, among the saddles apd other
stuffs : sentinels with muskets and scimitars were stationed at the
door of our apartment and the other doors, and at the city gate. It
was after dark when the dispute was settled, and soon afterwards a
dish of cous-koo-soo was brought in, of which all partook after due
ablutions ;' and they then performed 'their evening prayers most
devoutly. My companions were very much cast down, and their
bodies and minds were so much exhausted and debilitated by their
sufferings, that they had become like children, and wept aloud. I
was certain that it would have been impossible for Clark and Burns
to have proceeded further on that day, and 1 tried to persuade them
alr*that it was better for us lo be detained a little, as it would give us
ap opportunity of taking some rest, without which we should be in
danger of fainting on our route. Muley Ibrahim, the Sheick, and
Rais, were conversing during the whole night, and when daylight
appeared, (the 2d of November,) Rais furnished me with pen, ink,
and paper, and told me to write to Mr. Willshire, stating our present
situation as near as 1 was able : this 1 accordingly did, while a talb er
scrivener was employed in writing a letter for him, as he could pot
write himself. At an early hour Seid, Sidi Mohammed, and Bo-Mo
hammed set out for Swearah, taking our letters, and promising tp
return as soon as possible. Sheick Ali also, sopn afterwards left u3,
promising tp return in four days.

CHAPTER XXII.
Rais bel Cossim gains the friendship of the prince — Good provisions
are procured — Sheick All's plans miscarry — They set off for, and
arrive at Santa Chez, in the empire of Morocco.
Being now left alone with Rais bel Cossim, 1 questioned him con
cerning our detention : he said it would be but for a few days, and
that we needed a little time to refresh ourselves, in order to enable us
to bear the fatigues of the remainder of our journey ; that he trusted
we should make a friend of the prince, in whose power we all now
were, and that he hoped to be able to effect this by making him a
small present. I told him I almost despaired of living to regain my
liberty, as I waS extremely feeble, and must soon perish. "What!
(said he,) dare you distrust the power of that God who has preserved
you so long by miracles? No, my friend, (added he,) the God of hea
ven and of earth is your friend, and will not forsake you, but in his
own good time restore you to your liberty and to the embraces of
your family; we must say, 'his will be done,' and be contented with
our lot, for God knows best what is for our good."
To hear such sentiments from the mouth of a Moor, whose nation
I had been taught to consider the worst of barbarians, I confess, filled
my mind with awe and reverence, and I looked up to hirn as a kind
of superior being, when he added, " We are all children of the same
heavenly Father, who watches over ill eur actipns, whether we be

BUFFERINGS itf AflftlfiA. 131
Moot, bf Christian, or Pagan, or of any other religion j we must per
forming will." _ Rais then called Muley Ibrahim, and had along con
ference with him. This prince Ibrahim was a man of very mild
aspect, of a light complexion, about five feet ten inches in height,
and rather thin : his countenance was intelligent, and he was very
active, though apparently sixty or seventy years of age. By the tenor
of the conversation, I could understand that Rais was flattering him
highly, but in a delicate way: he asked very affectionately about the
prince's wives; and understanding he had but one, he inquired if she
had any children ; and was answered, she had none : he next wished
to know if she had any tea or sugar, and was answered in the negative.
We had not seen the faces ot any of the women since we arrived
at the town where Sidi Mohammed dwelt. Rais now managed to get
a little wood and some water, and we made a fire and boiled some
coffee; this was done by the help of a small negro girl who was a
slave to Muley Ibrahim, and during the absence of the prince. Rais,
by giving the girl a small lump of loaf sugar, persuaded her to carry
a large lump to her mistress, and also a cup of coffee thick with su
gar. The prince had gone out before Rais attempted to bribe the
girl. After carrying in the coffee and the sugar, the girl returned and
told Rais that her mistress was much obliged to him, and would keep
the cup and saucer, for she had never seen One before, and thought
them very pretty, and begged to know how she might serve him in
return. Rais sent back word that she could serve him most essen
tially by striving to make the prince his friend. About one hour after
this, Muley Ibrahim entered our apartment, and asked Rais what he
had been doing with his wife? saying, at the same time, "you had
no need of gaining my friendship through her influence, for you had
it already ; "but I could perceive a very great difference in his man-'
ner. He wished to know if Rais did not want to go to the mosque,
which he said was not far distant. Rais accompanied him thither, and
I discovered at his return, about two hours after, that all was right be
tween him and the prince, and that he had all the liberty he required.
I had in the mean time made some coffee, of which my companions
and myself drank as much as we wanted, and nibbled our biscuits; for
our Arab friends had before taken care to eat up all our boiled tongue.
We were all of us so excessively weak, that we were not able to fetch
water for ourselves, and our diarrhoea also continued with the most
distressing hemorrhoids ; this day, however, had passed away more
smoothly than 1 had expected. In the evening the prince came, and
prayed in company with Rais, and appeared very friendly. After the
prince retired, Rais informed me that he (Rais) had sent off to a rich
man, ap old acquaintance of his, who lived about one day's journey
south of us, for money to pay Sheick All's demand, and that he ex
pected his friend would come to him the next day — "but (said Rais)
God has made Muley Ibrahim my firm friend ; and he has givep his
princely word that he will protect both me and my slaves, and in case
force is necessary, he will provide a sufficient escort for us into the
emperor's dominions ; he will also provide some fowls and eggs for
you in the morning, and you may tell your shipmates they have
nothing to fear, for to-morrow M- Shallah, (i. e. if it is God's will)
|hey shall have'plenty of good food." This news cheered their spirits,

U% tJAI'TAiN RILey's NARRATIVE,
hud as but apprehensions hud in some measure subsided1, we featBo*
comfortably. Early in the morning of November the 3d, Muley Ibrahim brought
in some eggs, which we boiled for our breakfast : he gave us salt to
season them with, and soon after brought half a dozen fowls, and
Rais taking the fowls' wings in his left hand, and turning his face
towards the east, after saying aloud, Besmillah, (in the name of the
most holy God) he cut their throats, and we soon dressed them after
our fashiop, and put them into an earthen pot with water, and set it
a boiling. The prince had furnished us with wood, apd brought us
water with his own hands ; he next went into his garden, and pulled
some onions, turnips, and small squashes, with which we enriched
our soup ; and he also gave us salt and green peppers to season it
with. We put in four fowls, and this Soup would have been thought
good in any country. A more grateful and wholesome dish could
not possibly have been prepared for our poor disordered stomachs,
that had been so long harassed with the most cruel griping pains, and
felt as if they had lost all power of digestion. The prince and Rais
had a bowl of the soup, with a part of the fowls, and seemed to relish
it exceedingly. The prince insisted on my eating from the same dish
with them : inquired concerning my wife and children, wished to
know their sex : and continued from that time during our stay in his
city to administer all the relief and comfort in his power, both to me
and my desponding and wretched companions, whose last ray of hope
had faded away on our being stopped here; although in fact they
were not iu a condition to continue their journey, particularly Burns
and Clark, for they had sunken into a lethargic state, bordering on
dissolution. Yet, when 1 was enabled to explain the causes of opr
Retention, and to inform them that the prince was our friepd, apd
gave them nourishing soups, their spirits came again, and hope raised
them from the ground. To the circumstance of this stoppage alone,
and the friendship and protection of this good chief, I attribute, under
Providence, the salvation of our lives. On the second day of our
detention, in the afternoon, the old man, Rais bel Cossim's friend, to
whom he had written for assistance, came to see him; he had been
riding all night to be with Rais in time. Their meeting was a friendly
one ; the old man had two mules, on one of which were two baskets,
containing a dozen of fowls, and some dry cous-koo-soo; these tie
E resented to Rais, and said he had brought five hundred dollars for
is use, as he requested, and that he would bring it in : but Rais had
now become the friend of Muley lbrahini, and therefore did not peed
the money; yet this old friend insisted on his taking the fowls as a
present, with some eggs he had also brought with him: these Rais
accepted, for he said they were meant as a present to me, t I had some
fowls cooked already, and the old man sat down and ate with Rais,
and would have me to be one of the company : he told Rais that if
he would but say the word, he would go and collect his friends and
take the slaves by force of arms, and in spite of Sheick Ali's opposi
tion, would carry us safe to Santa Cruz, and beyond his power : but
as Muley Ibrahim had given his word, on which Rais said he couldL
depend, to see us all safe to Santa Cruz, and to use all his force and
influence, if that should be necessary, the old man, whose name 1 am

« SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 1&&
sorry to say 1 have forgotten, left us and returned to his home. We
npw lived for three days as well as we could wish.
On the fourth day after Seid's departure, a kind of fair was held at
a short distance from our city, and Rais told me lie was going to it,
and wPuld try by some manoeuvre to liberate ns, and to get us oil to
wards the sultan's dominions. — A man of great influence lived about
five leagues distance from that City. He was called a son of the holy
prophet, or Shariff; had been to Morocco, and was also called elajjh ;
(tpe pilgrim :) he was looked upon by all, far and near, as possessing
supernatural powers, and was obeyed and almost worshipped as ai
superior being ; and his word or dictate was equivalent to a law. Raist
went to the fair and from thence to the place of worship, and did not
return until the afternoon, when he informed me he had bought a
bullock at the fair, the best and fattest he could find, though it was
but a small one. lie had sent one half of it to the son of the prophet
(or Shariff) by the hand of a messenger, on a mule, saying, " when
you deliver the flesh to the el ajjh, und he as Its. you who sent it to him,
ell him a pious man, who has lately come from Swearah, and is ndw
a guest with Muley Ibrahim, and wishes to be remembered in your
prayers." This, Rais said, was all the message he sent, but he was
sure that if the Shariff accepted the present, he should see him before
the sun went down. Rais had given the other half to Muley Ibrahim,
and remarked, that it was nol so much, the i eal value of a present that
was taken into consideration by the Moors, but the manner of giving
it, which laid the receiver under such an obligation as to make him
your friend for ever. This notion ! was at a loss to understand, and
therefore supposed if to he some peculiarity in the customs of these
singular people, llais went out to prayers about sunset, and returned
in a short time, when he mentioned that he had been waited upon by
the Shariff, who had asked him what favour he wanted, that made him
send such a present to a stranger. Itais told him our story, and that
he had paid his money for myself and my companions, and begged his
assistance to force Sheick Ali (ivho.se power all dreaded) to consent
to have us removed quietly to Santa Cruz, where Rais thought his
property would he safe : this the Shariff promised to do, and even to
exert all his power and influence, if necessary, to remove and protect
Rais and his property by force of arms, and requested to be ipformed
without delay when Sheick Ah' returned.
On the following day (November 4th) the Sheick did return ; apd,
relying on the friendship of Muley Ibrahim, had oply one attendant :
the Shariff was immediately informed of his arrival by express, and
came to see hiin as an old friend ; then taking him aside, he advised
the Sheick to remove his slaves to Santa Cruz as soon as possible, as
serting, at the same time, that he was certain that Sidi Ishem, whom
the Sheick well knew and dreaded, would set out from his city on the
morrow with a force, in order to seize upon the slaves, whom he had
before strove hard to purchase for money without success, and if they
were not in the dominions of the emperor before he came, another day
would place them in his hands, when the Sheick would not only lose
them, but it must also kindle a war between him and that powerful chief,
which would set the whole country in a blaze, and after all it would be
impossible te deliver them from his grasp by force. When the Sheick

134 CAPTAIN RILEY 's NARRATIVE.
heard the advice of the Shariff, he returned to our prison, and Rais
contrived to find out what had passed between them, by again meet
ing the Shariff at the city gate alone, as had been before agreed upon.
Rais being thus fully informed and let into the secret, came into the
apartment and informed me how matters stood. Sheick Ali, in the
mean time, was unfolding his plan to Muley Ibrahim, and trying to
fain his consent to let the slaves be carried off in the night by surprise,
ut the prince wculd not consent; they were now within his walls,
antl he had given his word they should not be removed uniil the dis
puted right of property was settled by all parties face to face : this he
should insist on. Finding that plan would not answer any good pur
pose, and fearing Sidi Ishem's expected arrival, and wishing to make
a merit of necessity, this crafty chief addressing Rais bel Cossim,
told him, in a flattering way, that he had found him to be a geod and
an hpnpurable man, andwished to be called his friend ; that he did
net doubt Rais's word, since he knew his character, and would there
fore consent to go on with the slaves on the morrow morning, as far as
Santa Cruz, where they would wait for the arrival of Sidi Hamet, and
settle the right of property amicably. Rais, on the other hand, as
crafty as the Sheick, took care not to evince any desire of going ; and
being in the whole secret, now told Sheick Ali, that he had stopped
him and his Christian slaves at first contrary to the laws of justice and
hospitality, and that as he had kept them so long a time, he had no
wish to remove them at present, but'would wait with patience until
Sidi Hamet should come down and convince the Sheick that he had
done wrong in detaining him. At last, however, he suffered himself to
be persuaded by the united voices of Sheick Ali and Muley Ibrahim,
but on the express condition of being escorted to Santa Cruz by the
prince, who was a party in the whole secret. He was also to procure
camels for us to ride on, and went forth to engage, and have them
ready for a start at daylight the next morning, llais bel Cossim now
informed me, that Muley Ibrahim had previously agreed to accompany
us ; that we were to ride on camels, and that two hundred horsemen
were to guard us on the road, in order to prevent any treachery on
the part of Sheick Ali, who might already have troops stationed on the
way to seize and carry us oft'to themountains: he had also given pri
vate orders tp his friends and his vassals, to hold themselves in readi
ness in case of an alarm. The two hundred horsemen were to take
statiens, so as to keep us in continual view withnut exciting suspicion,
and tu be ready te carry intelligence. Rais then bade me kill and boil
what fowls and eggs remained, which I did, with the assistance of my
men, who had very much recovered.
CHARACTER OF SIDI ISHEM.
While the fowls and eggs were cepking, 1 asked Rais wha this Sidi
Ishem was, as his name afone had seemed capable of inspiring such
dread. " This Sidi Ishem," said Rais, " is a descendant of the for
mer kings of Suse, before it was conquered by the Moors ;— he is a
man of between fifty and sixty years of age, possessed of great wealth
and power; is very crafty, and very brave, but rapacious and cruel :
he has under, his command fifteen thousand horsemen, well armed ;

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA.* 13$
they are of the race of the ancient inhabitants of the country, from
whom the whole country derives the name of Berberia, corrupted by
the Europeans into Barbary ; — these Berberians are extremely fierce
and warlike, and are joined by all the renegado Moors, who escape
•from the emperor's dominion, to evade punishment for crimes they
had committed. These men are always ready to join him ip any of
his enterprises, for they always get a share of the spoil. He lives in
the gorge of a mountain, 'near the town of Widifoon, on the great
route from Morocco across the great desart, to Soudain, the country
beyond the desart, and the city of Tombuctoo. All the caravans that
travel either to or from the desart, are obliged to go close to Widnoon,
and as the Atlas mountains are on the one side, and the ridge next the
sea on the other, they find it highly necessary to secure his friendship
and protection by presents. Between this chief and the emperor of
Morocco there exists the most implacable hatred, and a continual jea
lousy, which a few years ago broke out into an open war. The em
peror sent a powerful army against him, (said to be 30,000 strong,)
but Sidi Ishem was apprized of its approach in time, and sent off all
the women, children, and old men,, with all their substance, to the
south foot of the Atlas mountains, and on the great desart. The
emperor's army entered his territory, where they found nothing to
subsist upon : yet as they met with no resistance, they carried on
their work of destruction, by burning all the towns and eveey thing
that was combustible, tearing down thehouses and walls oftheir cities,
so that nothing escaped their violence and rapacity. They continued
pursuing Sidi Ishem (who hovered about them with most of his men)
until they were exhausted by fatigue and hunger ; when this chief fell
upon them by surprise with his infuriated followers, who had been
rendered doubly desperate by the sight of their ruined cities. They
slew more than ten thousand on the spot; those who escaped this
dreadful carnage, and fled, were hunted down, and nearly all destroy
ed, before they could reach the city of Tarudant, (the southern and
westernmost town in the emperor of Morocco's dominions,) where the
few that were left found shelter, and spread such terror and dismay
throughout that part of the empire, by the horrid accounts they gave
of their disasters, as to render it impracticable to raise another army
for the purpose of reducing Sidi Ishem and his men to submission.
All the inhabitants were soon recalled by their chief from the moun
tains and desarts— took possession of their country anew, rebuilt their
cities and dwellings, and are at this time more powerful, more feared
and respected, than they were previous to that event." This is the
account Rais bel Cossim gave me in Spanish, as nearly as my memory
served 'me, when I took it down at Mogadore: — he also said that we
had escaped falling into his hands only by groping our way along
a private path on the seashore. The substance of this account of Sidi
Ishem was copfirmed, after my arrival at Mogadore, by Mr. Willshire
apd others.
Our food being prepared, and every thing packed up tight for a
start, we took a short nap, and at daylight on the morpipg of the 4th
of November, we were placed on five camels, which were saddled
much better than any we had hitherto rode : they had on them also
bags of barley, and empty sacks, made of tent cloth, that would hold,

136 Captain riley's narrative.
I should suppose, ten or twelve bushels ; these all together made
quite a comfortable seat, though rather a wide one, and we could hold
ourselves on by the ropes that secured the lading. They placed me
on the largest camel I had yet seen, which was nipe or tep feet in
height. The camels were now all kneeling or lying down, and mine
among the rest. I thought I had taken a good hold to steady myself
while ne was rising, yet his motion was so heavy, and my strength so
far exhausted, that I could not possibly hold on, and tumbled eff over
his tail, turning entirely ever. 1 came down upon my feet, which pre
vented my receiving any material injury, though the shock to my
frame was very severe. The owner of the camel helped me up, and
asked me if I was injured ? 1 told him no : '.' God be praised," said
he, "for turning you over ; had you fallen upon your head, these stones
must have dashed out your brains ; but the camel," added he, " is a
sacred animal, and heaven protects those who ride on him! had you
fallen from an ass, though he is only two cubits and a half high, it would
have killed you ; for the ass is not so noble a creature as the camel apd
the horse." I afterwards found this to be the prevailing opinion among
all classes of the Moors and the Arabs.. — When they put me on again,
two of the men steadied me by the legs until the camel was fairly up,
and then told me to be careful, and to hold on fast : they also took
great care to assist my companions in the same way.
Being now aU mounted, we set off to the northeast, leaving Stuka,
(for that was the name of the place where we had been confined,)
accompanied by Rais bel Cossim, Muley Ibrahim, and his two ser
vants, and Sheick Ali, with his attendant, all ridipg on mules and
asses : the five owners of the camels went on foot, each driving his
own camel, apd taking care of its rider. Stuka is built in a Quad
rangular form ; its walls would measure about three hundred yards on
each angle ; they are built of rough stone, laid in clay, and appeared
to be four or five feet thick at their base, and twenty feet in height,
tapering off to two feet thick at the top, and were crowned with turrets
alt around. It has but one gate, which is at its north angle, very
strongly made, and swinging on the ends of its back posts, which are
let into large stone sockets at the bottom and at the top : the gate
consisted of two folding leaves, and at night was secured by four heavy
wooden bars. The town was divided within into as many compart
ments as there were families in it, which I should think might amount
to three hundred, probably containing in all five thousapd souls. The
houses are built of the same materials as the walls — only one story
high, and flat roofed : excepting the door, they looked like heaps of
mud and stone : even that of the prince bore the same appearance,
without any other distinctiop or ornament than being closer jointed,
and more bedaubed with mud. All the flocks and herds were driven
within the walls every night, and each owner makes those that belong
to him lie dowp in nis own yard or enclosure.
As we travelled on, we passed between a great number of cities or
towns, similar in appearance to Stuka, with which this truly vast plain
is chequered. The whole plain seemed very fertile, was planted with
numerous groves and oichards of fig and other fruit trees, with here
and there a clump of the arga tree, yellow with fruit. The inhabitants
were busied in ploughing up the soil, with a kind of plough which I

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 137
shall hereafter describe. We proceeded on very rapidly, keeping
those on foot running constantly, and had been travelling about six
hours, when we came to the ruins of many towns on our left, similar
in appearance to Stuka ; near the shattered walls of some of which
stood: several battering machines, but they were at the distance of a
mile or more from us. These places appeared to have been recently
inhabited ; for the gardens near the walls were still green with vegeta
tion. Wishing to know what had been the cause of such desolation,
I was informed by Muley Ibrahim and Sheick Ali, through Rais bel
Cossim, that a family quarrel happened about one year ago between
the chiefs of two of these towns, which soon broke out into the most
dreadful kind of warfare : each party engaged their friends to assist
them in fighting what each termed their righteous battles : the neigh
bouring towns joined, some on one side, and some on the other, and
the plain was deluged with blood. This quarrel being only of a family
nature, Sidi Ishem did not interfere, and it was finally settled by the
destruction of seven of those small cities, and most of their inhabi
tants. These ruins were now entirely abandoned, and their environs
laid desolate, though the war continued only one month. 1 could
scarcely believe it possible for such devastation to have been commit
ted in so short a time, or on such trivial grounds ; but Rais bel Cossim
(who was born near Santa Cruz) assured me that nothing was more
common than such feuds between families in those parts ;• that he had
known many himself, with every circumstance attending them, and
that they were very seldom finished until one family or the other was
exterminated, and their names blotted out from the face of the earth.
We continued our journey until about mid-day, still on the plain,
when Santa Cruz or Agader was distinctly seen, and pointed out to
me. It is situated on the summit of a high mountain ; its walls are
white, and can be descried at a great distance. The plain on which
we travelled was nearly level ; not a brook or stream of water had we
passed since leaving the last mentioned river, but the towns afld vil
lages bad many deep wells near their walls, from which the inhabitants
drew water for themselves and their numerous cattle. — Innumerable
clumps of the ever-green arga tree, loaded with the rich oil nut, were
scattered over the plain in every direction. Vast numbers of leafless
fig trees, and enclosures of grape vines with date, pomegranate,
almond, orange, and other fruit trees, promised abundance in their
seasons, and delightfully variegated the scene. Hundreds of the in
habitants were busied in ploughing the soil (which appeared rich,
though dry) and sowing their barley ; while their herds were browsing
on the shrubs round about, for the want of grass. Many unarmed
men, with dro'es of camels and asses leaded with salt and other mer
chandise, were meeting and passing us almost continually. We saw
also from time to time, bands of armed men on horseback, of about
fifty in each band, most of whom I learned from Rais Were the friends
of Muley Ibrahim, whom he had requested to ride guard, as I before
mentioned, and to be ready to act in our behalf in case of treachery,
ot of any emergency whatever. Our pathled us in aN. E. direction,
and the camels were kept most of the time on a great trot, while their
drivers were running on foot, and kept up with us, seemingly, with
12 * 18

138 great ease ; though I compute we rode at the rate of seven or eight
miles an hour.
About two P. M. approaching the coast, we fell in with huge drifts
of loose sand on our left, which extended to the seashore. This sand
had been driven from the sea-beach by the constant trade winds, apd
as the sea had retired, (for it was cleau coarse beach sand,) it had un
doubtedly for ages been making its way gradually from the coast,
(which was now about twenty miles distant,) and had buried, as 1 was
informed, several flourishing villages, towns, and cities, the tops of
whose walls were still visible ; the circular domes of a considerable
number of saint-houses, or sanctuaries, whose bodies were entirely
enveloped, were yet to be seen among these barren heaps of over
whelming sands; for the. inhabitants take great care to clear away
around them, and to give them a whitewashing every year. Muley
Ibrahim informed me, that a large town called Rabeah, whose ruins
we had passed in mounting over the sand hills, was a flourishing place
within his remembrance ; (probably fifty years ago ;) that he himself
was born in it — but that large bodies of sand had already encroached
upon its northern wall ; that as soon as it was overtopped it fell in,
and the whole city was filled with sand in the course of one year.after,
and its inhabitants forced to seek a new shelter. These drifts extend
ed as far as we could distinguish sand on our right.
Having got past the high heaps, which filled a space of eight or ten
miles in width, we came to the high banks of an apparently once large
river, now called by the natives el Woed Sta. This river's ancient
bed, and the high banks, which are still perfectly distinct, bear the
strongest marks of having been once laved by a stream of four or fire
miles in breadth, and nearly one hundred feet in depth, or by a part
of the ocean. The steep, barren, and craggy mountains, rising before
us to the eastward and southward, though very high, appeared to serve
only as a base to the mighty range of Atlas, whose towering height
and grandeur filled my mind with awe and astonishment. Notwith
standing my frame was literally exhausted, yet my imagination trans
ported me back to a time when this region might have been inhabited
by men in a higher state of civilization, and when it was probably one
of the fairest portions of the African continent. My reasons for ima
gining this are, first, that it is well known by historians, that the Ro-
mans had settlements along this coast as far south as Salee at least,
and no doubt much further. Second, that the Portuguese and Spa
niards had possessed the settlements of Mamora, Mazagan, Asbedre,
Santa Cruz, &c. Third, by the traditional information obtained from
Rais bel Cossim and Sidi Mohammed, I have no doubt that a large
city and settlement of civilized men existed at a former period near the
mouth of the river Schelem, from sixty to one hundred miles west of
Santa Cruz, and I am firmly of opinion, that the convenience of these
harbours, the luxuriaucy of the surrounding soil, and the commercial
advantages this part of the country offers, were a sufficient inducement
for colonization.
We had now approached to within two miles of Santa Cruz or Aga-
der, (the lower town or port,) when rising an eminence, the ocean
opened to our view at a distance, and near by appeared Santa Cruz
bay, which was then quite smooth. Nearly one hundred good looking

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 139
fishing boats were hauled up op the beach out of the reach of the surf,
apd numbers of long fishing nets were spread out to dry on the sand
and over the boats. This view gave a most favourable idea of the
importance of this bay as a fishery.
The sun had not yet set, and Rais informed me he did not wish to
enter the lower town till dark, and did not mean to go nearer the for
tress than he could help, for fear of insult and detention ; so we stop
ped about a mile short of it, to the southward, where I had an oppor
tunity of examining this bay with a seaman's eye. It is spacious and
perfectly well defended from the common trade winds, say from N.
N. W. all around the compass by the east, and as far as S. W. ;
thence to N. N. W. it is entirely open, and of course is a very dan
gerous anchorage in the winter months, when westerly winds prevail
on these coasts, at which times, as there is no possibility of getting to
sea, vessels at anchor in this bay must remain where they are; not,
however, without the greatest risk of being driven on shore in spite of
the best of anchors and cables, and large vessels must ride too far out
to make it a good harbour for them at any season of the year. The
port of Santa Cruz, or, as it is called by the natives, Agader, has been
shut by order of the Sultan for many years-; yet there are parts of the
wrecks of vessels still visible, sticking up through the sand en the
beach. A little while after sunset we entered the lower town, or port, as it
is called : this village is situated on the steep declivity of the moun
tain's base, on which the upper town is built, and near the sea, which
washes the south end of the principal street. The steep side of the
mountain on which this village is erected, has been apparently sloped
down by art, so as to make it practicable to build on it ; has one prin
cipal street, and several small alleys : the houses are built of rough
stone laid in lime mortar, and are but one story in height, with flat
roofs terraced with lime and pebbles. We could see the tops of many
houses below us, and the whole made but a miserable appearance.
It was not quite dark when we entered the village. The street was
soon filled with Moors, (men and boys,) and they saluted us by spit
ting on us, and pelting us with stones and sticks, accompanied with
the Spanish words " Carajo a la Mierda le Sara, perro y bestias," and
mapy other chosen phrases, equally delicate and polite; but some of
the old men now and then uttered a "How de do, Christianos?"' in
broken English and Spanish. We were conducted through the street
to its further extremity towards the north, where we took up our quar
ters for the night in the open air, alongside a smith's shop ; our
camels and asses were then fed with barley. Some of the inhabitants
kindled a fire for our company, whilst others were preparing a rich
repast for them of boiled and baked fish, and cous-koo-soo, of which,
after they had eaten, they gave us the remains, and we found it excel
lent food. Numbers of men, driving asses before them, loaded with
fish, had passed us going into the country, the day before, and they
were of the same kind as those we had tasted soon after our entrance
into Suse, and we had also seen the same kind of fish at Stuka : they
.carry them from Santa Cruz, or Agader, about the country in every ¦
direction, where they sell them for a good price, being much in request.
This fish very much resembles the salmon, both in size, shape, and

140flavour'— weighing, from appearance, from eight to sixteen or twenty
pounds ; and is extremely fat and delicate. 1 then recollected to
have seen in my several voyages to the Canary Islands, numbers of
small vessels arrive from the coast of Africa, laden with this species
of fish, and to have been told they were caught near that coast: they
are highly esteemed in the Canaries, where they call them Bacalao
Africano, or the African codfish, and are sold at from five to ten dol
lars per quintal, or at least one-third higher than the best of American
codfish": they are dried, without' salting, on the vessels' decks, and
their scent is so strong as nearly to suffocate the crews of merchant
vessels that lie near tliem while discharging. I have been told that
no less than one hundred barks, of from fifteen to fifty tons burden,
are continually employed in this fishery near the African coast, from
the Canary Islands, and that scarcely a year passes without more Or
less of them being driven on shore by tempests or other accidents,
when the crews either perish with the vessel, or upon their reaching
the shore are massacred by the natives, or else carried off into the
interior as slaves, where they are never after heard from, After my
arrival in Mogadore, or Swearah, 1 was informed that the crew of a
bark of this description landed imprudently on the beach not far froth
Santa Cruz, about two years since, where they were surprised by a
sudden attack, but all escaped into the boat except one man, who
was seized and carried off. On ihe return of the bark to Tenerifle,
the wife of the man who had been left, upon inquiring for het husband,
was informed that he was made a slave : distracted by this shocking
event, she ran, raving as she was, to the archbishop, and begged of
him either to take her life, or restore to her arms her lost husband, the
father of five helpless children: she was poor, but her case excited
general pity- — a subscription was opened, and the sum at about five
hundred dollars soon raised. The archbishop in themean time wrote
to Alexander W. Court, then Spanish agent at Pdogadore, to ransom
this unfortunate man, which he effected with much difficulty ; but as
the money did not come on in time, or from some other cause, this poor
Spaniard, whose name wan- Ferritin, remained in Mogadore for nearly
a year without being permitted to go home, when Sir. William WiH-
shire and Don Plabo Riva, of Mogadore, aud Mr. John O'Sullivan, of
New-York, interfered in his favour; furnished him with clothing;
procured for him a passage, and sent him to his disconsolate family.
This is said to be the only Spaniard who has been redeemed in that
part of Barbary for many years past.

CHAPTER XXIII.
Sheick Ali out-manauvred again by Rais bel Cossittt — They setfiffik
the night — Meet with Sidi Hamet and his brother, accompanies tfit
some Moors with mules sent by Mr. Wiltshire for the sufferers to Has
on — Occurrences on the road — Meeting with Mr. Wiltshire near
Swearah or Mogadore — They go into that city — are ordeted before
the Bashaw — are cleansed, clothed, and fed by their deliverer.
After supper, Rais bel Cossim told me to keep a good look out i
that he would watch the motions of Sheick Ali, who he still feared

BUMfiRiMSg IN A^ftftJA, 141
was plotting against our liberty. After I had informed my enfeebled
fend desponding cpmpanions that we were ppw out of danger from the
Arabs, (having ccme about fifty miles from Stuka,) and in the empe
ror of Morocco's dominions, and, consequently, sure of being libera
ted, and that too in a very few days ; and after telling them that we
must bear up under our fatigues with fortitude, and exert our remain
ing strength apd spirits, in order to reach Mogadore, we all laid our
selves down to rest ; and my companions, though they had the bare
ground for their bed, yet as they were wrapped up in cloaks, and had
their stomachs well filled with good and nourishing food, soon fell
asleep. As for myself, fear, hope, and various other sensations, kept
me awake, and 1 could not close my eyes, but waited with extreme
anxiety for the appearance of Rais bel Cossim. Soon after midnight
Rais came, and finding me awake, he roused me and the owners of
the camels, and requested them to get ready to go on speedily, and
then told me that on entering this place, while he was busied in feed
ing his mule, Sheick Ali had stolen off privately to the town, and
visited the governor, who had agreed, on his representation, to take
us into custody in the morning at daybreak, and assist in extorting
what money the Sheick demanded ; or to connive at our being stolen
and carried back by Sheick Ali's men to Suse. " I have learned this
(said he) from an old friend of mine, whom I met and commissioped
to watch Sheick Ali's motions when we were coming into this place :
awaken your shipmates: you must depart this instant: the drivers
know the road : it is very rocky : you must tell your men to hold on
as tight as possible; and remember, if you are four leagues from this
town before daylight, your liberty is secured, if not, you will be again
the most miserable of slaves. Encourage your men to use their
utmost exertions, apd 1 hope, with God's blessing, in three days-more
you will be in Swearah with your friend. I will join you as soon as
possible." The camels were* by this time ready: we wore placed on
them, and proceeded up the rocky steeps as fast as possible, but with
the most profound silence. Sleep seemed to have literally sealed the
eyes of ali the Moors in the lower town, and in the batteries near the
path through which we passed ; these batteries rose one above another
like an amphitheatre towards the fortress. The quadrangular walls of
the town and fortress of Santa Cruz, or Agader, crowned the summit
of this mountain on our right, and stand, from appearance, not less
flian fifteen hundred feet above the level of the sea. Wo went fast
forward, in profound silence, which was not in the least disturbed by
the tread of the camels, because their feet are as soft as sponge or lea
ther : only the hoarse roaring of the surf breaking among the rocks
below us, startled the ear, and excited iu my mind frightful images of
direful shipwrecks, and the consequent miseries bf the poor mariner
driven on this inhospitable coast.
We had been hurrying on as fast as possible for about two hours,
and had gained the distance of probably three leagues from Santa
Crqz, when our ears were struck with the clinking sound of iron
against the stones, which announced the approach of horses or mules
that were shod ; and in an instant, though dark, we discovered close
by us on our right, a considerable number of mep riding on mules, and
passing the other way. Not a word was uttered op either side, nor

142 CAPTAIN RtLEV's NARRATIVE.
could the faces of any be distinguished, though we were not mote than
three pr four yards asunder. A thought darting across my mind, spg
fested to me that it was my old blaster : I instantly called out, Sidi
Tamet.' and was quickly answered, Ascoon Riley? (Who is it, Riley?)
The whole company stopped in an instant, and the next moment I had
the joy of kissirig~tlie hand of my old master and benefactor. Sidi
Mohammed, Seid, and Bo-Mohammed, where in his company, to
gether with three or four Moors, whom our kind friend had sent down,
charged with the money and mules for our ransom and conveyance.
The principal Moor, and who had charge of the money until we were
delivered over according to the wish of Sidi Iiamet, spoke Spanish
fluently : he wanted to inquire of me where Rais bel Cossim was : 1
told him at Santa Cruz. Sidi Hamet wished to question me himself,
and asked me " Where is Sheick Ali ?" and when I informed him
that I had left him in Santa Crux, in company with Rais bel Cossim
and Muley Ibrahim, he was satisfied : and said Sheick Ali was a bad
man, and did not fear'God. Seid also pretended to be much rejoiced
at our being on the road to Mogadore, and yet I thought 1 could dis
cover that he was trying to play a deep game of artful duplicity : but
old Sidi Mohammed was in truth rejoiced to find us in the emperor's
dominions. — Having now been absolute ly delivered} over to Bel Mooden,
the Moor who had charge of the money, he paid it over to Sidi Hamet,
and three of us were mounted on mules, and proceeded on, while ali
all those whom we met went towards Santa Cruz, except the three
Moors who owned and brought the mules down for us to" ride on, and
who remained and proceeded northward with us.
All the time we had stopped to make the necessary arrangements
above mentioned, the owners of Ihe camels were urging us to go for
ward, thereby showing a disposition to obey the orders of Rais bel
Cossim, and would not for a long time believe, that those who
stopped us were not our enemies. The backs of the mules were
covered with large saddles made of coarse cloth, stuffed with straw,
and formed very broad, so as to fit their shape, and reached almost
from their heads to their tails': this kind of saddle is too broad for a
man to attempt to stride. Over the saddles were placed what the
Moors and Arabs call a shwerry, which is made, like a double basket,
and formed of palm leaves woven together like mat work : each of
these baskets might contain about, two bushels ; they are attached
together by a mat woven in with and like the rest, of about a foot and
a half in width, sufficiently strong to bear a burden, and long enough
to let them hang down easily on ihe sides of the mules : the outer
part of this shwerry is held up by means of a rope passing through
the handle on one side, and tied to that on the other, passing over the
mule's back. In this shwerry, they carry their provisions, merchan
dise, and spare clothing, (if any they have,) when on their journeys.
The rider sits on the saddle above the shwerry, with both legs on one
side, balancing his body exactly, and rides extremely easy, as he can
shift his position at pleasure, and the mule's gait is an easy, fast am
bling walk, which they are taught when very young ; their motion is
very slight, and was a seasonable relief to our almost dislocated limbs :
the change, with respect to jolting, was so great from the camel to the
mule, that we could not keep our eyes open from mere drowsiness,

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 148
arid Burns getting asleep, dropped off his mule, and Was so badly hurt
as tp be from that time incapable of supporting himself; so that a
Mopr was obliged to sit before or behind him, and keep him on, driving
the mule at the same time : and this was continued during the remain
der of pur journey. * ¦:
We had proceeded in this way until about ten o'clock, when we
werejoined by Rais bel Cossim, Sidi Hamet, Seid, Sidi Mohammed,
and Bel Mooden. I now inquired of Rais what had become of Muley
Ibrahim and Sheick Afi, with their attendants, and he told me they
had set out for their respective homes. I wanted to know all the par
ticulars of their proceedings, and Rais promised to satisfy me after
breakfast, which we now stopped to eat (viz. biscuit and butter) near a
well that afforded us good water, though nearly on a level with the
sea. After we were again mounted, he began to relate as follows : —
" When my friend told me of Sheick Ali's plan, I stole away softly,
and came and sent you off without the Sheick's knowledge ; but Mu
ley Ibrahim was in the secret, and remained with the Sheick to pre
vent alarm if he should awake during my absence." Rais bel Cossim
further told me in substance, that as soon as we were on our journey,
he returned and laid himself down to sleep across the door-way, where
Sheick Ali slept, and in such a manner as to make it impossible for
the Sheick to go out without alarming (rim ; the Sheick awoke at the
dawn of day, and finding himself blockaded in the house, awakened
Rais, and told him that they had better wait on the governor this
morning, to which Rais consented, but wanted to see the slaves first,
so as to have some coffee made : this was agreed on ; but'when they
came where we had slept, and found none of us there, nor the camels,
nor their drivers, Rais broke out into the most violent passion apparent
ly ; accused the Sheick of having robbed him of his slaves during the
night, and said he would instantly have him seized and delivered up to
the governor, to be punished according to the Moorish law. Muley
Ibrahim, who knew the whole affair, joiued with Rais, protesting he
could no longer hold friendship with a man who was capable of com
mitting such an act, which he considered to be one of the worst breaches
of faith that ever disgraced a man of his (the Sheick's) high character.
Sheick Ali was thunderstruck by this unexpected event — declared, in
the most solemn manner, that he knew nothing about our escape ;
begged he might not be delivered up to the governor; acknowledged
he had laid a plan the preceding evening for our detention ; wished
Rais to leave the governor a small present, and proceed on the road
towaids Mogadore in the hope of finding us, saying, we must have
gone that way, as the gates were shut on the other side, and there
was no possibility of turning back by any other route. The Sheick
added, " I am in your power, and will go on with you and my friend
Muley Ibrahim, without any attendants, to prove to you that I am in
nocent, and that I place the greatest confidence in your friendship."
Thus they agreed to pursue and endeavour to overtake the supposed
runaway slaves ; but soon after they had mounted the hills north of
Santa Cruz, meeting our former masters, with Bel Blooden and Sidi
Mohammed, who had seen us, (as I before mentioned,) they stopped
and talked over their several affairs. Sheick AH insisted, that Sidi
Hamet had treated him very ill : that he and Seid owed him four hun-

144 CAPTAIN RILEY^ NAftRAfiVfi.
dred dollars, which they were to pay him on their return from trifl
desart, bpt that they had passed by his lands three days' journey with
tneir slaves, without even calling on him to eat bread : he added, he
would have gone with them himself, and with an armed force through
Sidi lshem's county, to prevent that chief from taking their property —
" but you wished to cheat me of my money, as yon did of my daugh
ter," said he, addressing himself to Sidi Hamet. Sidi Hamet, whose
voice had been very high before, now lowering his tone, said, it was
better to settle their disputes than to quarrel ; so he acknowledged he
owed his father-in-law three hundred and Sixty dollars for goods, but
asserted that they were not worth half the money : he would, how
ever, pay the principal, but no interest, which ^'ould have swelled the
amount of debt tp more than five hundred dollars : the Sheick agreed
to take the principal, which was counted out in silver, as he would
not take gold doubloons in payment, because he did not know their
real value. He. then delivered up Sidi Hamet's bond, and said he
would return to his tribe. Rais bel Cossim gave Muley Ibrahim a
present in cash, and they separated, having first vowed everlasting
friendship, and joined in prayer for the success ef their several
journeys. Our company now consisted of Rais bel. Cossim, Bel Mooden, Sidi
Hamet, Seid, Sidi Mohammed, and three muleteers, all armed with
muskets, swords, or daggers — -the five Bereberies with their camels, who
had brought us on from Stuka, and myself and four shipmates. We
proceeded along the coast, sometimes on a sand beach, now climbing
an almost perpendicular mountain of great height, by a winding kind
of zigzag road that seemed to have been cut in the rock in many
places by art; then descending into deep valleys by this kind of natu
ral steps; the rocks on our right for a great distance, rising nearly
perpendicularly. The path we were now obliged to follow, was not
more trian two feet wide in one place, and on our left it broke off ip a
precipice of some hundred feet deep to the sea — -the smallest slip of
the mule or camel, would have plunged it and its rider down the rocks
to inevitable and instant death, as there was no bush or other thing tp
lay hpld pf by which a man might save his life. Very fortunately
for us, there had been no rain for a considerable time previous, so that
the read was now dry. Rais told me when it was wet it was never
attempted, and that many fatal accidents had happened there within
his remembrance ; though there was another road that led round over
the mountains far within the country.
One of these accidents he said he would mention. " A company
of Jews, six in number, from Santa Cruz for Morocco, came to this
place with their loaded mules in the twilight, after sunset ; being very
anxious to get past it before dark, and supposing no other travellers
would venture to meet them, or dare to pass it iu the night, they did
not take the precaution to look out, and call alriud before ihey entered
on it; for there is a place built out on each end of this dangerous
piece of road, from whence one may see if there are others on it : not
being quite half a mile in length, a person by hallooing out can be
heard from one end to the other, and it is the practice of sdl who go
that way, to give the signal. A company of Moors had entered at mi
Other end,. and going towards Santa Cruz at the same time, and they

Sufferings In AStoteA. 148
also supposing that no others would dare to pass it at that hour, came
On without the usual precaution. About halfway over, and in the
most difficult place, the two parties met : there was no possibility of
passing each other, nor of turning about to go back either way : the
Moors were mounted as well as the Jews : neither party could retire,
nor could any ope, except the foremost, get off of his mule. The
Moors soop became outrageous, and threatened to throw the Jews down
headlong : the Jews, though they had always been treated like slaves,
apd forced to submit to every insult and indignity, yet finding them
selves in this perilous situation, without the possibility of retiring, and
being unwilling to break their necks merely to accommodate the Moors,
the foremost Jew dismounted carefully over the head of his mule,
with a stout stick in his hand : the Moor nearest him did the same,
and came forward to attack him with his scimitar: both were fighting
for their lives, as neither could retreat — the Jew's mule was first pitch
ed dowp the craggy steep, and dashed to atoms by the fall — the Jew's
stick was next hacked to pieces by the scimitar ; when finding it was
impossible for him to save his life, he seized the Moor in his arms, and
springing off the precipice, both were instantly hurled to destruction :
two more of the Jews and one Moor lost their lives in the same way,
together with eight mules; and the three Jews who made out to escape,
were hunted down and killed by the relations of the Moors who had
lost their lives on the pass, and the place has ever since been called
" the Jew's leap." It is, indeed, enough to produce dizziness, even in
the head of a sailor, and if I had been told the story before getting on
this frightful ridge, I am not certain but that my imagination might
have disturbed my faculties, and rendered me incapable of proceeding
with safety along this perilous path. The danger over, however, and
the story finished, we found ourselves mounting the first bank from the
sea on Cape Geer. When we came on the height, at the pitch of the
Cape, 1 rode up to the edge of the precipice to look down upon the
tumultuous ocean. The present Cape is about one hundred feet in
height, and appeared to have been much shattered and rent by the
waves and tempests : huge masses of rocks had been undermined,
broken off, and tumbled down one upon another, forming very wild
and disorderly heaps in the water all around it. 1 could not help shud
dering at the sight and sound of the surf as it came thundering on, and
burst against the trembling sides of this rocky, Cape, which is about a
a mile in length, and is already undermined in a such a manner, that
the whole road along which we passed will very probably soon tumble
down among the assailing billows. On our right, the land rose gradu
ally like an inclined plane, and was covered with pebbles and other
round smooth stones that bore strong marks of having been tossed
about and worn by the surf on the sea beach : it rose thus for about
two miles, when it was interrupted by perpendicular and overhanging
cliffs of craggy and broken rocks, three or f'ourhundreed feet in height :
these rocks, and the whole face of the upper Cape, bore as strong
marks of having once been washed and beat upon by the ocean, as
did the cliff below us, against which it was now dashing with dreadful
violence. Along most parts of the inclined plane, and particularly
near the upper cliff, were large mounts of loose sand in form of snow
drifts. This sand was now flying up from the beach below, being

', 48 6A?TAiN RILey's NARRATIVE.
blown out frorii amoug the rocks by the strong trade winds at eVery"
lew tide, and almost as soon as the dashings of the waves among them
had prepared it : this sand, and in fact all we had seen since we came
tc the cultivated country, was the same in appearance as that which we
saw and passed through on the desart, and must have been produced
and heaped up by the same causes. After passing the Cape about
one hour's ride,, we came to the high bank of a river, and descending to
its left shore, we found its mouth was filled up with sand that had been
washed in by the sea, though the river was about a half a mile wide at
its end, and appeared quite deep : here we stopped to take some food,
namely, biscuit and butter.
Bel Mepden had also brought some dried figs, dates, and nuts. Ha
ving finished our repast, we were again placed on our beasts, and pro
ceeded round the mouth of the river on a sandy beach, about one
hundred yards wide, and twenty feet above the level of the freshwater
within, and thirty feet above the sea water on the beach at high tide.
Our guides informed me that this river was called "el woed Tensha;"
that it had formerly been a very wide and deep one, and used to empty
itself into the sea ; that in the rainy season it was impossible to pass.
it without going twenty miles up the country ; but for the last few
years ere nad not been rain enough in this part pf the country to
force open its mouth.
Having left the margin of the river, we entered on a plain, and
struck off to our right in a direction nearly east, and we went forward as
fast as possible towards the high land. We had passed many sanctu
aries, but had not observed a single dwelling house, nor even a tent,
since we left Santa Cruz. We now beheld several square walled
places, which answer the double purpose of dwelling house and castle,
crowning the top of the high mountain, which appeared'very dry and
sterile, mostly composed of layers of huge rocks ahd very steep, with
a few dry shrubs scattered thinly about the crevices and small flat
spots or spaces. Approaching the foot of the mountain, we came to
a very deep hollow, apparently formed by the washings of a small
stream of water, assisted by rains that have poured through it from
time immemorial. Our way wound up through this steep hollow, and
alongside of the little brook before mentioned. As we entered it, the
eye was delighted with the beauty of the scene. The bottbm of the
hollow had been made level by art, and was covered from its base with
gardens, which rose one above another in the form of an amphitheatre :
they were kept up to a level by means of solid stonewalls laid in lime,
and had been filled in with rich soil : the longest was not greater in
extent than twenty yards by ten. The sides of the hollow were so
steep, that the upright walls were not less than ten or fifteen feet in
height between each garden : they were well stocked with most kinds
of vegetables cultivated in kitchen gardens, and with melons : gutters
were curiously disposed around these gardens, to cpnvey water to
every part, at the pleasure of the proprietor : they had growing on
their sides an abundance of fig and date trees, and grape vines running
up the sides of the rocks ; and a little higher up, hundreds of the dwarf
arga tree, whose yellow fruit contributed to enliven the prospect. We
were at least two hours in gaining the summit, when it had beccme
dark, and we had to pass down the meuptain on its east side through

Sufferings In" AfffcicAi 14)
another hollow, though not a fertile one ; for here was' no funning
water. The narrow path we travelled in, had been worn into the lime*
stone rock, by the feet of mules and horses that had passed along it,
no doubt, during the course of many centuries ; and, assisted by the
rain water streaming- through it from above, it was in some places
channelled put to the depth of ten or fifteen feet, and just wide enough
for a camel or mule to pass. In one place it became necessary, forthe
wapt of sufficient room to get through, to take the lading from the
mules and carry it down by hand. After descending about three hours
we came to a plain, and kept on in an eastern direction until about
midnight, when we approached the walls of a small city, or dwelling-
place, and took up our lodgings near it on the flat top of a long cis
tern, which afforded pleoty of water. The chief men of the city,
alarmed by the barking of their dogs, soon came out and welcomed
their visitors by the well known Arabic salutation, " Salerno Alikom,
Labez," &c.
They furnished our company with a supper of cous-koo-soo, while
[ and my men ate some dates and dry figs. The night was damp and
cold, and this, with my fatigues, rendered it imppssible for me to sleep.
We stayed here for about three hours, when daylight appearing, (Oc
tober the 6th,) we were again mounted, and proceeded on our journey.
My companions, as well as myself, were so weak, being really worn
out, and completely exhausted, that it was with the greatest difficulty
they could be supported on the mules. As daylight increased, we
saw a number of towns or dwellings handsomely enclosed with high
walls of stone, cemented with lime : the land on the plain was divided
off' and fenced in with rough stone walls made with great labour : nu
merous flocks of goats were feeding on the oil nut : some herds of
cattle, with a few old horses, asses,' and camels, were nibbling off the
green leaves and branches of small shrubs, for the want of grass : we
also saw many regularly planted orchards of fig trees ; and the land
was in many places ploughed and ready to receive the seed barley, so
soon as rain should fall sufficient to ensure its vegetation.
We went forward to the northeastward, and on rising a hill, we saw
two mountains before us to the north, over which I was informed we
must pass : the farthest one north appeared to be twenty miles distant.
We soon began to climb the nearest, and when we reached its summit,
looking to the east, the Atlas was fairly in view, and all its lofty peaks
covered with snow. Descending this mountain, we met large droves
of camels, mules, and asses, laden with salt and other merchandise, and
driven by a considerable number of Moors and Arabs. The Moors
were easily distinguished by their dress : they had each, besides his
haick, a caftan or close jacket next his skin, and the most of them
, had turbans on their heads. They were armed with daggers, or scimi
tars, suspended from their necks by a cord of red woolen yarn thrown
over the left shoulder : the scabbards were such as 1 have before de
scribed. The dagger is worn outside of the haick ; its handle is made
of wood, handsomely wrought. The point of the dagger hooks in
ward like a pruning knife : when they have occasion to use it, they
seize it with their right hand, the lewer side of the hand being next
to the blade, and strike after raising it above their heads, ripping
open their adversary : they never attempt to parry a stroke with their
daggers.

148 CAPTAIN RttEr's NARRATIVE,
The valley between these two mountains had been well cultivaterl
, and would be very productive with seasonable rains, but at this time
those dreadful scourges, severe droughts, and myriads of locusts, had
destroyed almost every green thing : even the leaves of the trees and
shrubs had not escaped their devastations. I was informed by Rais
bel Cossim that we were now in the province ot Hah hah, and that the
locusts had utterly laid waste the country for the last six years, so that
the land now groaned under a most grievous famine ; nor could oui
company procure any bailey or other food for their beasts. This pro
vince must be naturally a very strong military country ; it is very
mountainous, and rendered almost inaccessible by the craggy steeps
and narrow roads, or defiles, through which an army would be under
the necessity -of inarching. The cities, or rather castles, in which
the inhabitants reside, are built strong with stone and lime, and are
fifteen or twenty feet in height, generally of a quadrangular form of
from fifty to two hundred yards square, and the tops crowned with
turrets : within these walls all the flocks and herds are driven every
night for safe keeping. All the men in these parts are well armed
with long Moorish muskets, and with sabres, or daggers, by their sides :
there are no Arabs dwelling in this part of the country, as they always
live in tents, and will not be confined within walls ; nor had we seen a
tent since our arrival at the dwelling of Sidi Mohammed.
The valley now spread out to the right, and might be termed a
considerably extensive plain, on which but few castles or dwellings
appeared, and we saw no river or stream of water, though there were
high mountains on both sides. The little herbage that had sprung up,
in consequence of the recent rains, was destroyed by the locusts,
which were to be seen thinly scattered over the ground, and rose in
considerable numbers on our approach, skipping like grasshoppers.
Rais bel Cossim informed me that the flights of locusts, from which
these few had strayed, had gone to some hitherto more favoured part
of the country to continue their ravages.
While we were tranquilly travelling along, 1 asked Rais in what
'manner the oil was extracted from the nuts that grew in such quantities
on the arga tree, which entirely covered the sides of the hills. He told
me that in the country these nuts were swallowed by the goats, (and
in fact we saw these animals picking them up under the trees;)
that the nut passes through, after being deprived of its bark, which,
though very bitter, was highly relished by the goats, and when voided,
the women and children, who tend them, pick up the nuts and put
them into a bag, slung about them for the purpose, and carry them
home, where they crack them between stones, get out the kernel, and
expressing the oily juice from them, they boil it down in a jar until it
becomes of a proper consistence, when it is poured off and fit for use.
The appearance of this fruit growing thickly on the trees, different ip
size, and variegated in colour from green to red, and from that to
bright yellow, had a pleasing effect : " the ground beneath the trees
was also covered with them.
Having come to the foot of the high mountain, we ascended it,
winding up its steep side in a zigzag path very difficult of ascent,
and indeed almost impracticable. On our left was a deep gully, with
a considerable stream 6f water running down through it, like a small

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 149
mill-stream: it poured ever the precipices, making a loud roaring,
that might be heard at a great distance ; though the whole stream
seemed to lose itself entirely in the sand before it reached the bottom
of the mountain. The sides of this gully were shaded by the arga
and bean tree, and many other bushes ; and near the water 1 disco
vered a few yew or hemlock bushes, that reminded me of scenes I had
been familiar with in my own country. As we rode near the top of
the mountain, this gully assumed the appearance of a rich valley,
filled with gardens one above another, supported by strong stone walls
in the same manner as those I have already described, though much
larger, and they were apparently well watered by the stream that was
carried around them in gutters fitted for that purpose. These gardens
looked as if they were well cultivated, and stored with vegetables ;
and numbers of men and boys were at work tilling and dressing them.
On the highest part, of the mountain that we reached, 1 was much
surprised to find a considerable plain spot, nearly covered with stacks
of salt, which stood very thick, and must, 1 think, have amounted to
several hundreds. To sec marine salt in such quantities on the top
of a mountain, which I computed to stand at least fifteen hundred
feet above the surface of the ocean, excited my wonder and curiosity ;
but we stopped short of them, for ihe camels we had started with from
Stuka, were to carry loads of this salt back ; so that after Rais had
paid the owners of them for their trouble and assistance, they went
towards the salt heaps, wishing us a prosperous journey. While we
were stopped to settle with tliem, we were taken from the mules and
seated on the ground, when many of the inhabitants came near to
have a look at us, Christian slaves. They brought with them a few
raw turnips, which they distributed among us : they were the sweetest
I had ever tasted, and very refreshing. We were soon placed upon
the mules again, and I rode a little to the left, in order to find out in
what way this great quantity of salt had been procured and deposited
in this singular situation ; and on a near approach, I saw a great num
ber of salt pans formed of clay, and very shallow, into which water was
conducted by means of small gutters cut for the purpose in the clay.
The water issues in considerable quantities from the side of the moun
tain, in the northwest part of the plain, (which has been levelled down,
and regulated with great labour,) and is very strongly impregnated
with salt : the pans or basins being very shallow, the water is soon
evaporated by the heat of the sun, and a crystallization of excellent
salt is the result. It is small grained, and tinged by the reddish
colour of the clay of which the pans ale formed. The highest peak
of the mountain did not appear to rise above the salt spring more
than about one hundred feet. A great number of men and boys were
employed in raking and heaping up the salt, and numbers more in sell
ing and measuring it out, and loading it on camels, mules, and asses.
Rais bel Cossim informed me that this spring furnished the greatest
proportion of the salt that is made use of in the Moorish dominions,
and in Suse; and I should estimate the number of camels, mules,
and asses that were there at that time waiting for loads, at from four
to five hundred. We had met hundreds on the route since we left
Stuka, loaded with this article, and I afterwards saw many loads of
the same kind pf salt enter Mogadore, Saffy, and Rabat.
13 *

l&d CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE^
We proceeded tc the nerthward dpwn the mouptain, which is pot
so steep op its porth as op its sputh side. The country, after de
scending it, was tolerably smooth, with much of the arga wood flour
ishing on every side. Soon after dark we came to a wall that enclosed
a space of ground forty or fifty yards square : it was built of stone and
lime, six or eight feet in height, with an open space like a gateway on
its northern side, through which we entered, and took up our lodgings
on the ground, which was very smpoth. A walled village was near
this yard on the west, and on the north, outside of both walls, stood
a mosque, or house of worship: the inhabitants were chanting their
evening or eight o'clock prayers when we entered the yard ; yet none
of them came out to look at us, their attention being wholly confined
to their religious duties. We were taken from the mules and placed
near the wall, which kept off the night wind, and after we had nibbled
a little biscuit and drank some water, we thanked God for his good
ness, and tried to get a little sleep. The wind did not molest us,
and we rested until about midnight, when we were awakened by the
noise occasioned by a company of men with loaded camels and
mules : they had already entered the yard without ceremony, to the
number probably of thirty men, with three times as many camels,
mules, and asses. I was awakened by the bellowing of the camels,
as they were forced to lie down with their heavy loads. The men
did not speak to ours, and as soon as they had tethered their mules by
tying ropes round their footlock joints, and fastening them to pegs
driven into the ground for that purpose, they laid themselves down to
sleep, wrapped up in their haicks.
Our whole company being awake, they saddled their mules, put us
thereon, and we proceeded on our journey. It was very dark, and
the path lay through a rough stony country. We were so weak, that
we could not sit on the mules without one being behind to steady our
tottering frames : at daylight we found ourselves near some substan
tial buildings, and 1 begged of Rais to .buy some milk if it was possi
ble : he rode near the gates and asked some of the inhabitants fpr
milk ; but they would not sell any. This to me was a sore disap
pointment, as I was benumbed with cold, and so much fatigued that I
thought it would be impossible for me to ride much further ; which
Rais observing, said to me, " Keep up your spirits, Captain, only a
few hours longer, apd you will be in bwearah, if God Almighty con
tinues his protection." I was so reduced and debilitated, that I could
not Support even good news with any degree of firmness, and such
was my agitation, that it was with the utmost difficulty 1 could keep
on my mule for some moments afterwards. We had been constantly
travelling for three days and most of three nights, and though I con
cluded we must be near Swearah, 1 did not think we should reacli it
before late in the evening. Passing along a narrow footway between
high bushes, we came to a long string of sand hills on our left, drifted
up like the sand heaps ,on the desart, apd alopg the coast: it was
thep about eight o'clock in the morning, when mounting the side of
one of those hills, the city of Swearah broke suddenly upon our view,
with the island of Mogadore forming a harbour, in which was a brig
riding at anchor with English colours flying : — " Take courage, Cap
tain," said the good Rais ; " there is Swearah," pointing towards the

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. l5l
town ; " and there is a vessel to carry you.tp your country aud family :
if God please you will soon see the noble Willshire, who will relieve
you from all your miseries. 1 thank my God your sufferings are
nearly at an end, and that 1 have been found worthy to be an instru
ment in the hands of the Omnipotent to redeem you from slavery."
He next returned thanks to the Almighty in Arabic, with all that fer
vour and devotion, so peculiar to Mohammedans, and then he ejacu
lated in Spanish, " May it have pleased Almighty God to have preser
ved the lives of my wife and children."
We now proceeded down the sand hills towards the city — but very
slowly. Sidi Hamet had been for some time missing: he had gone
privately forward, to be first to carry the news to our deliverer of pur
approach ; and now Bel Mooden and Sidi Mohammed left us for a
similar purpose, and made the best of their way towards the city. It
would be idle for me to attempt to describe the various emotions of
my mind at this exquisitely interesting moment : I must leave that to
be conceived by the reader. We soon approached the walls of an
imperial palace, which is situated about two miles southeast of Swea
rah, or Mogadore. The walls are built in a square of probably one
hundred yards at each side, and about twenty feet in height- — they
enclose four small square houses, built at'the four corners within, and
which rise one story above the walls : the houses have square roofs,
coming to a point in the centre, and handsomely covered with green.
tiles — they, as well as the other walls, are built with rough stone,
cemented with lime, "plastered over and whitewashed.
Near the western angle of the walls we stopped, and were taken off
our mules and seated on the green grass. A small stream of fresh
water, running from the east, was spreading over the sand near its
northern wall, flowing and meandering slowly towards the bay over
the beach, in a number of small rills. The water in the bay was quite
smooth; small boats were moving gently on its glassy surface, or
were anchored near its entrance, probably for the purpose of fishing :'
this, together with the sight of great numbers of men driving camels,
cows, asses, and sheep, and riding on horses, all at a distance, and
going different ways, together with the view of the high steeples in
Mogadore, infused into my soul a kind, of sublime delight and a hea
venly serenity that is indescribable, and to which it had ever before
been a stranger. The next moment I discovered the American flag
floating over a part of the distant city: at this blessed and transport
ing sight, the little blood remaining in my veins gushed through my
glowing heart with wild impetuosity, and seemed to pour a flood of
now life through every part of my exhausted frame. We were still
seated on the green sward near the western wall, and the mules that
brought us there were feeding carelessly before us at a little distance.
Our deliverer, who had received news of our coming from Sidi Hamet,
having first directed the flag of our country to be hoisted as a signal,
had mounted his horse, ridden out of the city, and came to the eastern
side of the palace walls, where Rais bel Cossim met him — unknown
to me. I expected him soon, but did not think he was so near. He
had dismounted, and was prepared to behold some of the most mise
rable objects his imagination could paint. He led his horse along the
south angle, and near the wall : Rais was by bis side, when opening

152 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
past the corner, I heard Rais exclaim, in Spapish, " Alia estap" —
"there they are:" — at this soupd we looked up aud beheld our deli
verer, who had at that instant turned his eyes uppn us. He started
back one step with surprise. His blood seemed to fly from his visage
for a moment, but recovering himself a little, he rushed forward, and
clasping me to his breast, he ejaculated, " Welcome to my arms, my
dear sir; this is truly a happy moment." He next took each of my
companions by the hand, and welcomed them to their liberty, while
tears trickled down his manly .cheeks, and the sudden rush of all the
generous and sympathetic feelings of his heart nearly choked his
utterance : then raising his eyes towards heaven, he said, " 1 thank
thee, great Author of my being, for thy mercy to these my brothers."
He cculd add no more ; his whole frame was so agitated that his
strength failed him, and he sunk to the ground. We, en our part,
could only look upwards in silent adoration, while our hearts swelled
with indescribable sensations of gratitude apd love to the all wise, all
powerful, and ever merciful God of the universe, who had conducted
us through so many dreadful scenes of danger and suffering ; had con
trolled the passions and disposed the hearts of the barbarous Arabs in
our favour, and had finally brought us to the arms of such a friend.
Tears of joy streamed from our eyes, and Rais bel Cossim was so
much affected at this interview, that in order to conceal his weeping,
he hid himself behind the wall ; for the Moors as well as the Arabs,
hold the shedding of tears to be a womanish and degrading weakness.
After a short pause, when Mr. Willshire had in some measure recover
ed, he said, " Come, my friends, let us go to the city ; my house is
already prepared for your reception." — The mules were led up, and
we were again placed on them, and rode off slowly towards Mogadore.
Mr. Savage and Clark were on one mule, and Burns and Horace on
another, for the purpose of mutually supporting each other ; but their
debility was such, that they fell off on the beach two or three times
before they reached the city; — however, it was on the soft sand, and
as they were very light, they seemed tp have received no material
injury : they were again placed on the inules, and steadied until our
arrival at the gates of Swearah, by Moors walking beside them. The
gateway was crowded with Moors, Jews, and negroes — the news of our
ccming having spread through the city, and a curiosity tc see Christian
slaves, had brought them together in great numbers ; and the men
and boys of the rabble were only restrained from committing violence
on us, by the gate-keepers and a few soldiers, who voluntarily escorted
us to Mr. Willshire's house, and in some measure kept off the crowd :
there we were taken from our mules ; but some soldiers coming in at
that instant, said it was the Bashaw's orders that we should appear
before him immediately, and we were constrained to obey: it was but
a few steps, and we were enabled to walk there by supporting one
another. When we came to the door, we were ushered into a kind of
entry-way, which served as an audience chamber, by Mr. Willshire's
Jew interpreter, who in token of submission, was obliged to pull off
his cap and slippers before he could enter. We were ordered to sit
down on the floor, and we then saw before us a very respectable look
ing Moor, of about sixty years of age: he was sittipg cross-legged on
a mat or carpet that lay on the floor, which was terrace work, drinking

Q
z

c — r.

.t,

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 153
tea from a small cup — his dress was the haick. After he had finished
his cup of tea apd looked at us a moment, he asked me, through the
interpreter, what countryman I was ? where my vessel was wrecked ?
how many men I had in all, and if the remainder were alive ? how
long I had beep a slave, and if the Arab, my last master, had treated
me Ttindly? He wanted, further, to know how much money from my
vessel fell into the hands of the Arabs, and what other cargo she had
on board. Having satisfied his inquiries in the best manner I was
able, he said we were now free, and he would write to the emperor
respecting me and my men, and hoped he would give us leave to go
home to our ccuntry : he then dismissed us. Mr. Wdlshire was with
us, aud apswered all the questiops the Bashaw chose to put to him,
and then assisted us in returning te hishouse.

CHAPTER XXIV.
The author and his companions are cleansed, clothed, and fed — He be -
comes delirious, but is again restored to reason — The kindness of Mr.
Wiltshire — Letter from Horatio Sprague, Esq. of Gibraltar — Au
thor's reflections on his past sufferings, and on the providential chain
of events that had fitted him for enduring them, and miraculously
supported and-restored him and his four companions to their liberty.
Upon our arrival at Mr. Willshire's house, some Jews were ready
to shave off our beards ; and as the hair of our heads was also in a
very unpleasapt condition, being literally filled with vermin, that, as
well as our beards, underwent the operation of the scissors and razor:
the hair was cut off at least as close as the horrible state of our skin
and flesh would admit of: this may be imagined, but it is absolutely
too shocking for description. Our squalid and emaciated frames were
then purified with soap and water, and our humane and generous friend
furnished us with some of his own clothing, after our bodies, which
were still covered with sores, had been rubbed with sweet oil. Mr.
Willshire's cook had by this time prepared a repast, which consisted
of beef cut into square pieces, just large enough for a mouthful before
it was cooked ; these were then rolled in onions, cut up fine, and
mixed with salt and pepper ; they were in the next place put on iron
skewers and laid horizontally across a pot of burning charcoal, and
turned over occasionally, until perfectly roasted : this dish is called
Cubbub, and in my opinion far surpasses in flavour the so much adrai
red beef-steak ; as it is eaten hot from the skewers, and is indeed an
excellent mode of cooking beef. We ate sparingly of this delicious
food, which was accompanied with some good wheaten bread and
butter, and followed by a quantity of exquisite pomegranates : for our
stomachs were contracted to such a degree by long fastings, that they
had lost their tope, and could ppt receive the usual allowance for a
healthy man. A doctor then appeared, and administered to each of us
a dose oft physic, which he said was to prepare our stomachs for eating.
He was a Jew, who had been bred at Moscow in Russia, had studied
medicine there, and had since travelled through Germany, Italy, and

154 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
Spain ; he spoke the Spanish language fluently, and I was ccpvinced,
before I left Mogadore, that he possessed much medical as well as
surgical skill. He had only been in Megadpre two months, and there
was ne other physician in that city, or in that part cf the country,
except jugglers or quacks. Good beds had been fitted up for myself
apd Mr. Savage in the same room, and after being welcomed by Mr.
John Foxcroft and Don Pablo Riva, who had heard of pur arrival, we
retired terest.
My mind, which (though my body was worn down to a skeleton) had
been hitherto strong, and supported me through all my trials, distresses,
and sufferings, and enabled me to encourage and keep up the spirits
of my frequently despairing fellow sufferers, could no longer sustain
me : my sudden change of situation seemed to have relaxed the very
springs of my soul, and all my faculties fell into the wildest confusion.
The unbounded kindness, the goodness, and whole attention of Mr.
Wiltshire, who made use of all the soothing language of which the
most affectionate brother or friend is capable, tended but to ferment
the tempest that was gathering in my brain. 1 became delirious —
was bereft of my senses — and for the space of three days knew not
where 1 was. When rny reason returned, I found I had been constantly
attended by Mr. Wiilshire, and generally kept in my room, though he
would sometimes persuade me to walk in the gallery with him, and
used every means in his power to restore and compose my bewildered
senses : that 1 had remained continually bathed in tears, and shud
dering at the sight of every human being, fearing I should again be
carried into slavery. 1 had slunk into the darkest corner of my room ;
but though insensible, I seemed to know the worth of my friend and
deliverer, and would agree to, and comply with his advice and
directions. In the mean time, this most estimable and noble minded young man,
had neither spared pains nor expense in procuring for us every com
fort, and in administering, with his own hands, night and day, such relief
and refreshment as our late severe sufferings and present debility
required. He had sent off persons on mules to the vicinity of the city
of Morocco, more than one hundred miles, and procured some of the
most delicious fruits that country can produce, such as dates, figs,
grapes, pomegranates, &c. He gave us for drink the best of wines,
and I again begap to have an appetite for my food, which was prepared
with the greatest care. My men were furnished with shirts, trowsers,
and jackets, and being fed with the most nourishing soups and other
kinds of food, gained a considerable degree of strength. Captain
Wallace, of the English brig Pilot, then being in the port, furnished
us with some pork, split peas, and potatoes, and seemed very friendly.
Clark and Burns were but the skeletons of men : Mr. Savage and
Horace were nearly as much reduced, but not having been diseased in
bo great a degree, they were consequently stronger. Many of my bones
had appeared white and transparent through their thin apd grisly co
vering, like dry bones, when on the desart'; but they were now nearly
covered again with skin, though we still might with some reason be
termed the dried skeletons of Moorish slaves. At the instance of Mr.
Wiilshire I was weighed, and fell short of ninety pounds, though my
usual weight for the last ten years had been over two hundred and

SUFFERINGS IN AFRICA. 155
forty pounds : the weight of my ccmpanions was less than 1 dare to
mention. The sight of my face in a glass called to my recollection all the try
ing scenes I had passed through since my shipwreck. I could con
template with pleasure and gratitude the power, and wisdom, of the
Supreme Being, as well as his mercy and unbounded goodness. I
could plainly discover that the train of events which, in my former life,
I had always considered as great misfortunes, had been directed by
unerring wisdom, and had fitted me for running the circle marked out
by the Omnipotent. When I studied the French and Spanish lan
guages, I did it from expectations of future gain in a commercial point
of view. All the exertions I had hitherto made to become acquainted
with foreign languages, and to store my mind with learning and a
knowledge of mankind, had procured forme no wealth; without which
acquirement a man is generally considered on the stage of the world
as a very insignificant creature, that may be kicked off' or trampled
upon by the pampered worms of his species, who sport around him
with all the upstart pride of (in many instances) ill-gotten treasure. I
had been cheated and swindled out of property by those whom I con
sidered my friends ; yet my mind was formed for friendship ; — I do
not speak of this in the way of boasting. My hand had never been
slack in relieving the distresses of my fellow men whenever 1 had the
power, in the different countries where I had been ; but I had almost
become a stoic, and had very nearly concluded, that disinterested
friendship and benevolence, out of the circle of a man's own family,
was not to be found ; that the virtuous man, if poor, was not only
despised, by his more fortunate fellow creatures, but forsaken almost
by Providence itself. 1 now, however, had positive proof to the con
trary of some of those hasty and ill-founded opinions ; and I clearly
saw that 1 had only been tutored in the school of adversity, ip order
that 1 might be prepared for fulfilling the purpose for which 1 had been
created. In the midst of those reflections, 1 received, by a courier from Con
sul General Simpson, at Tangier, to Mr. Wiilshire, the following let
ter : — it speaks the soul of the writer and needs no comment.
Gibraltar, 13th November, 1815.
MY PEAR RILEY,
1 will not waste a moment by unnecessary preamble. 1 have wrote
to Mr. Wiilshire, that your draft on me for twelve hundred dollars, or
more, shall be duly paid for' the obtainment of your liberty, and those
with you. I have sent him Iwo double barrelled guns to meet his
promise to the Moor. — In a short time, after ihe receipt of this, I hope
to have the happiness to take you by the hand under my roof again.
You will come here by the way of Tangier. Your assured friend,
Horatio Sprague.
My sensations on reading this letter, and on seeing that written by
Mr. Sprague to Mr. Wiilshire, 1 must leave to the reader to imagine,
and only observe that my acquaintance with that gentleman was but
very slight, (of about ten days,) while I remained at Gibraltar, imme
diately before my disaster— It was sufficient for him to knpw his

156
fellow creatures were in distress, and that it was in his power to relieve
them. Mr. Sprague is a native of Boston, the capital of the state of
Massachusetts, and had established himself as a respectable merchant
in Gibraltar a little before the breakipg out of the late war. In the
early part pf that war a number of American vessels were despatched
by individuals with cargoes of provisions, &c. for Spain and Portu
gal — these vessels were navigated under enemies' licenses, but from
some cause or other, many of them were seized on the ocean by
British ships of war, and conducted to Gibraltar, where both the vessels
and their cargoes were condemned, and their crews turned adrift in
the streets without a cent of money in their pockets, and left to the
mercy of the elements. Mr. Gavine,the American ccnsul, wpuld npt
act in their behalf, because (as he stated) his functicns had ceased by
reasen pf the war ; — when this humane and genereus gentleman took
them under his protection, hired an old vessel for them to live in, fur
nished them with provisions and other necessaries and comforts for
the term of one whole year or upwards, and in this manner supported
for the greater part of that time as many as one hundred and fifty
men : this he did from his own purse, and out of pure philanthropy :
of this I was informed by Mr. Charles Moore, of Philadelphia, and
other gentlemen of respectability and veracity. He also furnished and
sent a considerable sum of money to Algiers, which bought from hard
labour our unfortunate countrymen, comprising the officers and crew
of the brig  , Captain Smith, of Boston, who were made slaves by
that regency ; in this he was assisted by Messrs. Charles H. Hall &,
Co. merchants at Cadiz, and several other worthy and respectable
Americans ; but the loss of the United States' sloop of war the Eper-
vier, (this ship was spoken with, when homeward bound, by a Genoese
schooner eighty miles from Mogadore, all well, and was probably
Wrecked and destroyed, on the iron bound coast of South Barbary,)
having on board all the redeemed slaves after the peace with Algiers,
rendered it impossible for them to communicate their sense of grati
tude for Mr. Sprague'3 humanity. These facts were stated to me by
several respectable individuals in Gibraltar, and can be fully authen
ticated. After my mind had been again tranquillized by a refreshing night's
sleep, my reflections returned to my providential preservation, when
my vessel was wrecked, I was endued with presence of mind, judg
ment, and prudence, whereby my whole crew was saved in the first
instance, and safely landed. When 1 was seized on afterwards by the
Arabs, a superior intelligence suddenly suggested to my mind a stra
tagem by which my life was saved, though one of my unfortunate
companions was sacrificed to glut the brutal rage of the natives, whilst
1 was conducted to the wreck in safety through a tremendous surf that
rolled over me every instant. The ways of Providence were next
traced out to my wondering eyes in the smoothing down pf the sea
so- that we were enabled to row our shattered boat out with safety to
the ocean, and in our preservation in an open boat amidst violent galea
of wind, though her timbers and planks seemed only to hpld together
by the pressure of the sea actiug upop their ooter side. When des
titute of provisions and water, worn down with privations and fatigues,
we were again landed on the coast, carried on the top of a dreadful

SOTFERiNes MTAtfRtCAi IS?
wave 6Vei' the heads of craggy rocks that must have dashed us and our
boat to atoms, without a particular divine protection. We were next
forced to climb over the most formidable precipices and obstructions,
before it was possible to arrive on the dreary desart above us : these
delays were necessary to bring us, at a proper time, within sight of
fires kindled by Arabs, whp had arrived there that day, (and who were
the first, as I was afterwards informed, who had been there to water
their camels within the last thirty days,) and whe were providentially
sent' to save our lives, as we could not have existed a day longer with
out drink. Though my skin was burned off by the sun's rays, and
myself given a slave to those wandering wretches — the same Almighty
power still preserved my life, endowed me with intelligence to com
prehend a language I had never before heard spoken, and enabled me
to make myself understood by that people, and in some degree re
spected. Sidi Hamet (though a thievish Arab) had been sent from
the confines of the Moorish empire before I left Gibraltar : he was
conducted by the same unerring wisdom to my master's tent ; his
heart was softened at the recital of my distresses, and instead of trading
in the article of ostrich feathers, (which was his whole business there,
as he believed,) he was persuaded by a wretched naked skeleton of a
slave, merely retaining the glimmering of the vital spark, against his
own judgment, and whilst directly and strenuously opposed by his
brother and partner, who insisted that if even I told the truth, and had
a friend in Morocco to purchase me on my arrival there, yetmy death
must certainly happen long before it was possible to get me to that
place : yet this same brother, one of the most barbarous of men, was
forced, though against his will, to agree, and to lend the aid of his
property in effecting the purchase, and to exert himself to support and
to defend myself and four companions, through the desart, whilst all
his schemes for selling and separating us had constantly proved abor
tive. A Spanish barque had been destroyed by the natives on the
coast of Suse, north of Cape Nun, and nineteen men had been either
massacred by the natives, or were then groaning out a miserable exis
tence in the worst kind of barbarian slavery — this event had furnished
a piece of paper on which 1 wrote the note, at a venture, to Mogadore :
my note fell into the hands of a perfect stranger, whose name I had
never even heard of, and who was as ignorant of mine. This excellent
young man was touched by the same power who had hitherto protect
ed me : he agreed to pay the sum demanded without reflection, though
his utter ruin might have been the consequence, trusting implicitly to
the written word of a wretched naked slave ; a persop of whom be
had no knowledge, and who was then three hundred miles distant,
and even out of the power of the government that protected him; and
his impatience to. relieve our distresses was so great, that he instantly
paid the money demanded by my master, on his simply agreeing to
stay in Swearah (Mogadore) until we came up, but without the power
to keep him one instant if he chose to go away ; nor would he allow
time to the magnanimous Moor, who kindly volunteered to go down
after us, at the imminent risk of his life, scarcely to take leave of his
family : mounting him on his own mule, and begging him to hurry on,
day and night, until he reached us, and to spare neither pains or ex
pense in fetching us to Mogadore.
14

1£§ CAPTAIN raLEv's'NARRAfiV'K.
I canriot here omit mentioning the maimer in which Mr. Willshir'8
get my first note. Sidi Hamet (the bearer of it) was one of those
Arabs belonging to a tribe, surnamed by the Moors, sons of lions, on
account of their unconquerable spirit; when he came to the gate of
Swearah, or Mogadore, he providentially was met by Rais bel Cos
sim, who, though a perfect stranger, asked him, "From whence come
you, son of a lion?" Upon which Sidi Hamet stopped, and made
known his business. This Mooi was the only one which Mr. Wiilshire
placed confidence in, or treated as a friend : he conducted Sidi Hamet
to Mr. Willshire's house, and offered to leave his family, who were
then sick, and to do his utmost to restore me and my men to liberty.
Providence had also caused us to be stopped at Stuka, where we had
time to recover, in part, from our illness, and to gain strength enough
to support us through the remainder of our journey ; nad turned the
contrivances and wisdom of Sheick Ali into nothingness, and finally
provided for us such a friend as Mr. Sprague of Gibraltar, one of the
most feeling and best of men.
This providential chain of events, thus planned and executed, even
against the will of the principal agents, employed, .filled my mind with
unutterable thankfulness and wonder at the wisdom, the goodness, and
the mercy of God towards me ; and the emotions which these reflec
tions excited, kept me almost constantly batned in tears for the greatest
part of a month. When 1 retired to rest, and sleep had closed my
eyes, my mind still retaining the strong impression of my past suffer
ings, made them the subjects of my dreams. I used to rise in my
sleep, and think 1 was driving camels up and down the sandy hills near
the desart, or along the craggy steeps of Morocco ; obeying my mas
ter's orders in putting on the fetters, or beckets, on the legs and knees
of his camels, and in the inidst of my agonizing toils and heart-sick
ening anxieties, while groping about my room, I would hit my head
against something, which would startle and awaken me: then I would
throw myself on my bed again to sleep, and dream, and act over sim
ilar scenes. Fearing 1 should get out of my chamber and injure
myself in my sleep, I always locked the door, and hid the key
before I went to bed. There was a grating to the windows of the
apartments I slept in, and 1 often awoke and found myself trying to
get out. My mind at length became more composed and serene, as
my strength increased, and by the first of December 1 was able to ride
out, and to walk about the city. Mr. Wiilshire, whose whole attention
had been shown to me and my companions, tried every means to
divert my mind from the subject of my reflections, and would ride
out with me to a garden two miles out of the city, accompanied by a
Moor, where we passed away many pleasant hours, which were en
deared by every feeling and sentiment of gratitude and esteem on
the one part, and of generous sympathy and godlike benevolence on
the other.
In this garden stood a venerable fig tree, whose body and boughs
were covered with the names, and initials of the names, of almost all
the Europeans and Americans who had visited Mogadore, carved out
with knives in the thick bark, accompanied with the dates of their seve
ral visits, &c. This was a kind of monument I delighted to examine ;
it seemed to say that Mogadore was once a flourishing city, when its

bBsKRVAxtdNS 6ii Africa. 1s9
cflmmerce was fostered by .the Moorish government ; but now, that
superstition, fanaticism, and tyranny bear sway, they have swept away,
with their pernicious breath, the whole wealth of its once industrious
and highly favoured inhabitants ;— have driven the foreigner from their
shores, and it seems as if the curse of Heaven bad fallen on the whole
land, for in spite of all the exertions of its cultivators, and the fertility
of the soil, severe droughts, and the ravages of the locusts, have fre
quently caused a famine in. that country, from whence wheat was ex
ported in immense quantities but a few years past for Spain and Por
tugal, at half a dollar per bushel. Not a single bushel had been ship
ped for some years past, and at this time nope was to be had at any
price, except now and then a few bags, brought from the province of
Duquella, which could only be purchased by the most wealthy : the
others were provided with scanty portions of barley, of which they
made their cous-koo-soo.

CHAPTER XXV.
The author's motives for requesting of, and writing down, his former
master's narrative of Travels on the Desart when in Mogadore, toge
ther with Sidi Hamet's narrative of a journey across the great Desart
to Tombuctoo, and back again to Widnoon, with a caravan.
Frpm the time I had a prospect of being redeemed from slavery, I
had determined (if that should ever happen) to write an account . of
our sufferings, which I considered greater than had ever fallen to the
lot of man, and also to embody such observations as I had been ena
bled to make while a slave, in travelling the great desart, &c. &c. for
the satisfaction of my family and the friends of my fellow sufferers.
My late master was yet in Mogadore, for he remained in the house of
my deliverer about two weeks after our arrival, and he now mentioned
to me, that he and his brother had been three times to Tombuctoo (as
he had before informed Mr. Wiilshire) with caravans, and had crossed
the desart in almost every direction. I felt •interested in making
every inquiry that could suggest itself to my mind, respecting the face
and the extent of the desart and the countries south of it: and although
1 was convinced, by my own observations, that both he and his bro
ther, probably in common with the Arabs of the desart, knew the
courses they steered, notwithstanding they had no compass or any other
instrument to direct them in their journeys, yet wishing to be fully-
satisfied in this particular, I took them up upon the roof of the house
(which was flat and terraced with stones laid in lime cement, and
smooth like a floor) one clear evening, and then told them that 1
wanted to know by what means they were enabled to find their way
across the trackless dssart. Sidi Hamet immediately pointed out to
me the north or polar star, and the great bear, and told me the Arabic
names of the principal fixed stars, as well as of the planets, then visi
ble in the firmament, and his manner of steering and reckoning time
by the means of them. His correct observations on the stars, per
fectly astonished me : he appeared to be much better acquainted with

160 captain riley's narrative.
the motiotts of the heavenly bodies than 1 was, who had made itmy study
Tor a great many years, and navigated to many parts of the globe by
their assistapce. Tp convince rhe that he knew the cardinal points,
he laid twe small sticks across at right angles, one pointing directly
towards the polar star — he next placed two others across, dividing the
circle into eighths, apd then in like manner into sixteenths, so that 1
was satisfied he knew the- requisite divisions of the compass: and
on the next day I requested him to give me a narrative of his journey-
ings on, apd across the desart, with which he very readily complied,
and related as follows ; — while 1 sat in my room with pen, ink, and
paper, and noted it dow,n, having the Moor Bel Mooden to interpret
and explain to me in Spanish such parts of the narrative as 1 did not
perfectly comprehend in Arabic. 1 give it to the reader as nearly as
possible in the words of the narrator, and do not hold myself respon
sible for Sidi Hamet's correctness, or his veracity, though for my own
part I have no doubt he meant to, and did tell the truth as near as his
recollection served him ; and as he had' a retentive memory, and the
incidents related were calculated to impress themselves strongly on
his intelligent mind, I have no doubt that his whole narrative is sub
stantially true. SECTION I.
Sidi Hamet's narrative of a journey from Widnoon across the great
Desart to Tombuctoo, and back again to Widnoon.
" The first time 1 set; out to cross the great desart, was several
years ago, (about nine or ten,) being in the vicinity of Widnoon, where
I had the year before been married to the daughter of Sheick Ali, (a
beautiful woman, who is now my wife, and has two fine boys and one
girl.) I, with my brother Seid, joined the caravan at Widnoon, by the
advice of Sheick Ali : we had four camels loaded with haicks and
some other goods. The whole caravan consisted of about three
thousand camels and eight hundred men, with goods of almost every
kind that are sold in Morocco. The men were all armed with good
muskets and scimitars, and the whole under the command of Sheick
ben Soleyman of Waldejeim, (Woled Deleim on the map,) with four
competent guides. We set out from Widnoon in Suse, which is a
great place of trade, late in the fall of" the year, and travelled six days
to the west, when we came to the last mountain — there we stopped
ten days, and let our camels feed on the bushes, while half the men
were employed in getting wood from the mountain, and burning it
into charcoal, which we put into bags, as it was light, and laid it on
the camels over the other goods; then setting off for the desart, we
mounted upon its level, which is a great deal higher than the country
near it to the north, and travelled four days on the hard level; we
then passed amongst the high sand hills, which you saw when we
were coming up, in order that we might keep along by the great sea,
so as to be sure of finding water: we travelled through and among
these great mountains of sand, which were then very, bad to pass,
beciuse the wind blew so hard we could scarcely keep together, being
almost covered up by the flying sand : it took us six days to get through
them ; after which the ground was smooth, and almost as hard as the

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. Ifit
floor of a house, for ten days more, when we came to a watering place,
called Biblah; there we watered eur camels, for they were very^ thirsty,
and eight of them had died and served us for food. We stopped at
that great well seven days, and afterwards kept on our journey to the
S. W. twenty days, to apother well, called Kibir Jibl, but there was
no water in it, apd we were obliged to go six days' jpuroey to the sea
Coast, where there was a well close to the sea, the water of which well
was very black and salt : here we were forced to unload the camels,
and get them down the bank to the water, and after drinking, they
yielded us some milk, which had been almost dried up before : we
found, however, nothing for them to feed on, and had been obliged to
give them of the coals to eat once a day for many days : this kept
them alive, hut it made their milk almost as black as the coals them
selves ; yet it was good, and we were glad to get it. It took up six
days to water the whole of them, when we set out again and travelled
pear the sea, where we found wells about every tep days, like the ope
we had already visited, but very few green leaves on the little bushes,
in the few small Valleys we saw; for no rain had fallep for a great
while on that part of the desart.
" After a journey of four moons, we came to the south part of the
desart, and went down into the country of Soudan, where we found a
little stream of good running water, and some bushes, and grass, and
a very large tribe of Bessebes Arabs, (Libdessebas on the map,) who
had plenty of barley and maize or Indian corn, of which we bought
some and made bread, and stopped here one moon. We lost on the
desart more than three hundred camels, which died of fatigue, and
the want of water and food, but not one man. All the tribes of Arabs
we came near, took their stuff on their camels, and rode away as fast
as they could, so as not to be robbed, and we did not find any party
strong epough to attack us, although we saw a great many tribes, but
they were very poor on the Zaharah, or great desart." I then asked
him how the face of the desart looked in general, as he passed over it,
taking the whole together, or if there was any material difference in
different parts of it, near the sea coast I to Which he answered : — ¦ ,
"The whole extent of the desart near the sea coast, is like that we
came over in bringing you up here, except ip one place, where we
travelled for nearly one moon without meeting with so much as a val
ley with green hushes in it for the camels to feed on : the whole isra
trackless waste. Cjose by the sea we were obliged to pass mountains
of sand that was blown up from the shore, before the wind, but the
guides always went before us, to show which way the caravan rmist
go, and to find a place to stop in. Our camels had eaten up all the
coals we had laid upon them before we got off the desart, and two pf
them had died, so that, my brpther and I had only two remaining, but
we kept all our goods. After We had rested one moon, and got our
camels recruited, we setoff to the east on 'the border of the desart,
close by the low country, with mountains in sight to the south, most
of the way, and in two moons more we came near Tombuctoo, where ¦
we stopped in a deep valley with .the. caravan, and went every day close
to the strong walls of the city with our goods (but without our guns)
to trade them' off with the negroes, who had gpm, and gold rings, and
gold powder, and great teeth, such as are sold ip Swearah, (i. e. ele
U * 31

1§3 . CAPTAIN RiLfiv's NARRAfiVI.
phant's teeth,) ahd slaves, and fine turbans : they had p'ierity of cow^
aPd asses, and a few sheep, and barley, corn, and rice : but the little
river that runs close to the wall on the west, was quite dry, and all
the people in the city were obliged to fetch water for themselves to
drink, with asses, from the great river south of the city, (about one
hour's ride on a camel,) and we were forced to go there to water our
camels, and get our drink.
" After staying near Tombuctoo one moon and a half, the season
being far advanced, we set out again for Widnoon. I had not been
in the city all the time we stopped here, because I was chosen cap
tain of two hundred men that kept guard all the time about the caravan,
to keep off the thievish Arabs and the bands of negroes that were
hovering around us to carry off our camels, if any of them strayed
away: but we lost only twenty during our whole stay at Tombuctoo,
and the, Sheick gave me for my trouble a fine young negro girl slave,
which I carried home with me, and she now lives with my wife. We
set out for home from Tombuctoo, in the month of Rhamadan, after
the feast, and went back by the same route we Had come — that is to
say, we went first to the west one moon, along the border pf the desart.
We durst not take any thing without paying for it, because we were
afraid of the inhabitants, who were a mixture of Arabs and negroes,
and all of them Mohammedans, but very bad men : they had also
many white men slaves. I saw sixteen or eighteen myself, and a
great many blacks. These true believers have very fine horses, and
they go south to the country of the rivers, and there they attack and
take towns, and bring away all the negroes for slaves, if they will not
believe in the prophet of God; and carry off all their cattle, rice, and
corn, and burn their houses ; but if they will adopt the true faith, they
are then exempt from slavery, and their houses are spared, upon their
surrendering up one half of their cattle, and half of their rice and corn ;
because, they say, God has delivered their enemies into their hands.
The negroes live in small towns, fenced in with. reeds or bushes, and
sometimes with stones, but the Arabs live only in tents, and can move
off in a minute on their horses, whilst their wives and children ride on
camels and asses. Before we struck off N. W. on the desart for the
sea coast, we stopped in the hill country and fatted our camels, and
bumed wood to make charcoal to carry with us : we were encamped
on the bank of a Uttle river, one day's journey from a large town of
negroes, named Jathrow. 1 did not go to it, but the Sheick went and
bought some corn and barley, and forty oxen for our provisions.
" After we had prepared our coals, and laid in our provisions, we
went up on to the level desart, and set off to the N. W. and in three
moons and a half more we reached Widnoon again, having been gone
almost a year and a half. We had lost about five hundred camels,
that either died, cr were killed tp give us meat ; and while we stayed at
Tpmbuctoo, and were coming home, thirty-four of our men had died,
and we lost eighty^slaves." 1 asked him what 'were the goods they
carried down at that time ? he answered : —
' " We had about one hundred camels loaded with iron and knives,
and two hundred with salt ; all the others carried haicks, and blue and
white cloth, and amber, and tobacco, and silk handkerchiefs, and chilly
weed, and spices, and a great many other articles. Seid and myself

OBSERVATIONS ON AFftlCA. 163
had lost t*6 of oiif camels, but had got two negro slaves, and some gold
dust, worth six camels, and ornaments for our wives ; but Sheick Ali
was not satisfied because I did not give him two slaves ; so that he made
war against me, and battered down my town which 1 built, (it was but
a small one,) and took away all I had, together with my wife, because
he said 1 was a bad man, and he was stronger than me : 1 myself,
however, escaped, and after one year I asked him for my wife again,
and he gave her to me with all he had taken, for he loved his daugh
ter : but I had no house, so I removed into the sultan's dominions,
near the city of Morocco, close by the Atlas mountains, and lived
there with my father and brothers two years without going forth to
trade." SECTION II.
Sidi Hamet sets out on another journey far Tombuctoo — The caravan is
mostly destroyed for want of water, by drifting sand, and bymutiny,
$)C — The few that escape get to the south of the Desart.
" About that time one of our party, when we first went to Tom
buctoo, named bel Moese', came to see me — he was going to join the
caravan at Widnoon again, and persuaded Seid and me to go with
him ; so we bought eight camels between us, and sold off our cattle
and sheep, and bought goods and powder, and went with him to Wid
noon, and joined the caravan. Sheick Ali came to meet me like a
friend, and gave me two camels laden with barley, and wished me a
safe journey. The Sheick who was chosen by all the people to com
mand the caravan, was named Sidi Ishrel; he was the friend ef Sidi
Ishem, who owned almost one half of the whole caravap, and we set
out from Widnoon with about four thousand camels, and more than
'one thousand men, all well armed. We laid in an abundant store of
barley, and had a great many milch camels, and it was determined to
go south across the desart, nearly on a straight course for Tombuc
too, by the way the great caravans generally travelled : though there
had been several of them destroyed on that route, that is to say, one
within every ten or twelve years. We went to the south, around the
bottom of the great Atlas mountains, six days' journey ; then we stop
ped close by it, and cut wood and burned coals for the camels, for the
caravans never attempt to cross the desart without this article : four
hundred camels out of the number were loaded with provisions and
and water for the journey, and after having rested ten days, and given
the camels plenty of drink, we went up op the desart and steered off
southeasterly. — We travelled~along, and. met with no sand for fifteen
days ; it was all a smooth surface, baked together sp hard that a load
ed camel could not make a-.track on it to be seen : we saw no tracks
to guide us, and kept our ccurse by the stars, and sun^ and moon. We
found only one spot in all that time where our camekv could satisfy
their appetites by eating the shrubs in a shallow valley, but the great
well in it was filled up with stones and sand, so we could procure no
water there ; at the end of fifteen days, however, we came, to a very
ruie deep valley, with tweoty wells in it ; but we found water in only
six of them, because the desart was very dry : here we watered all our
camels, and replenished our bottles or skins, and havipg rested seven

J 64 Captain Riley's NARRATIVE.
days, we departed for the southeastward, our camels being well filled
with leaves and thorn bushes.
" We travelled along three days on the hard sand, and then arrived
araoog innumerable drifts of fine loose sand ; not such coarse sand as
you saw near the sea ; it was as fine as the dust on a path, or in a
house, and the camels' feet sunk in it every step up to their knees :
after travelling amongst this sand' (which in the day-time was almost
as hot as coals of fire) six days, there began tp blpw a fierce, wind from
the southeast, called the wind of the desart, bringing death and de
struction with it : we could not advance nor retreat, so we took the
loading from off our camels, and piled it in one great heap, and made
the camels lie down. The dust flew so thick that we could not see
each other nor our camels, and were scarcely able to breathe — so we
laid down with our faces in the dust, and cried aloud with once voice
10 God — ' Great and merciful God, spare our lives !' but the wind
blew dreadfully for the space of two days, and we were obliged to
move ourselves whenever the sand got so heavy on us that it shut out
all the air, and prevented us frpm breathing ; but at length it pleased
the most High to hear our supplications : the wind ceased to blow ;
all was still again, and we crawled out pf the sand that had buried us
for so long a time, but not all, for when the company was numbered,
three hundred were missing1 — all that were left having joined in thanks
to God for his mercy ip sparing our lives ; — we theu proceeded to dig
out the camels from the sand that had buried their bodies, which,
together with the re-loading of them, took us two days. About two
hundred of them were dead — there was no green thingtp be seen, and
we were obliged to give the camels a little water from the skins, to
wash their parched throats with, and some charcoal to eat : then we
kept en twenty-four days as fast as we could through the dry, deep,
and hot sand, without finding any greenbushes worth noticing for our-
camels to eat, when we came to a famous valley apd watering place,
called Haherah. All our camels were almost expiring, and could not
carry the whole of their loads ; so we threw away a great deal of the
salt before we got to Haherah, where we intended to stop twenty days
to recruit our beasts, but who can conceive our disapppintment and
distress, wherfwe found there was no water in any of the wells of this
great valley : not one drop of rain had fallen there for the last year.
The caravan, that amounted to upwards of pne thousand men and
four thousand camels when we set out, was already reduced to about
six hundred men, and thirty-five hundred camels. The authority of
Sheick Ishrel could now scarcely restrain those almost desperate men ;
every one was eager to save his own life and property, and separately
sought the means of relief by running about the valley in a desultory
mariner, looking for water ; this disorder continued for two days, when
being convinced that nothing could be done without union, they be
came obedient, and joined together in great numbers ip diggipg out
the different wells. After digging five days without the smallest sign
of water, all subordination was entirely at an end. The Sheick, who
was a wise and a prudent man, advised and insisted that all the camels
should be killed but three hundred, so that the little water found in
them, together with their blood, might keep the rest alive, as well as
all the men, until, by the aid of Providence, they should reach some

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 165
place where they could find water ; but the company would not hear
ken te this advice, thcugh the best that could possibly be given ; no
one being willing to have his own property sacrificed. Sli£ick Ishrel,
however, directed thirty of the oldest and most judicious men to pick
out the three hundred camels that were to be spared, who acccrdingly
selected the most vigorous ; but when they began to kill the others, a
most furious quarrel and horrible battle commenced. The Sheick,
though a man of God, was killed in a moment — two or three hundred
more were butchered by each other in the course of that dreadful
day ; and the blood of the slain was drank to allay the thirst of those
who shed it. Seid was badly vvoupded with a dagger ip his arm.
About five hundred camels were killed this day ; and the others drank
the water from their bodies and also their blood.
" Fearing there weuld be no end to this bloody conflict until all
had perished, and as I had been a captain in the other caravan, and
knew how to steer a course oh the desart ; and as both Seid and my
self were very strong men, we killed four out of six of our own camels
that remained, in the first part of the night, and gave their water and
blood to the other two : we saved a small package of goods, and some
barley, and some meat, and persuaded thirty of our friends privately to
do as we had done, and join us, for we meant to set off that night.
This was agreed on, for to stay there Was certain death, and to gd
back was no less so. We were all ready about midnight, and without
making any noise, we moved off with our company of thirty men and
thirty-two camels. The night was very clpudy and dark, and it thun
dered at a distance, as if the Almighty was angry with us for fighting
together ; but there was no rain. We went towards the southwest, in
the hope of reaching Tishlah, another watering place, before our
camels died : the desart was dry and hard, and as we went alnng, we
found only now and then a little hollow, with a few prickly shrubs in
it: these the camels devoured as we passed among them; but many
died, so that on the twelfth day we had only eighteen camels left;
when the great God saved our lives by sending a tempest of rain, but
he thundered so as to make the whole earth tremble, because of our
sins, and we all fell upon our faces and implored his forgiveness. The
rain that fell upon the ground gave plenty of water t5 our camels,
and we filled thirty skins with it; when we steered to the south, to
wards the borders of the desart. Nine of our company had died, and
many of our camels, before we went down from the desart to the cul
tivated land, and we then made to the south towards a little river' of
fresh water, to which some Arabs whom we met with directed us, after
they had first given us some rice and some milk, for all our milch ca
mels had died on the desart." SECTION III.
Sidi. Hamet's journeyings— His arrival on the banks of the river called
by the natives Gozen-Zair, and at Tombuctoo — Description of that
city — Its commerce, wealth, andinhabitants.
" Those of us who had escaped with our lives from the desart, only
twenty-one in number, with twelve camels, out of a caravan of one
thousand men and four thousand camels, slopped near a small town,

166 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
called Wabilt, on the bank of a river abput half as broad as from the
city of Mogadore to the islaud, that is to say, fifty yards We had po
provisions,hut the negroes seeing us in distress, came out and gave
us some meat, and bread made of barley-corn : here we remained
ten days to recruit ourselves and our camels, which were just alive.
The river on whose bank we remained, was called by those who spoke
in Arabic, el Woed Tenij, and by the negroes, Gozen-Zair. A very
high ridge of mountains, great like Atlas seen from Suse, (but not
capped with snow,) lie to the southwestward, and at a distance. After
resting ourselves and our camels for ten days, we set forward for Tom-
ihuctoo. We travelled for four days to the eastward through Soudan,
» hilly country, but of a very rich soil, and much pf it cultivated with
the hoe." 1 then asked him what he meant by Soudan ? and he said,
" The whole country south of the great desart from the great ocean,
a great way east, and including the district of Tombuctoo, is called
by the Arabs and Moors, Soudan ; of which Tombuctpo is the capi
tal. Having watered our camels again, and finding the hill country
tedious to get through, by reason of the trees, we bought some bar
ley-corn, and killed two cows, and went northward to the border of
the desart, and travelled on to the eastward for eight days, when we
fell in with the great path used by the caravans, and in two days more
came near to the walls of Tombuctoo. We had seen a great many ne
groes near the river : they live in small towns, fenced in with large
reeds, to keep off enemies and the wild beasts in the night ; they dwell
in small round huts made with cane standing upright, are covered
with the same materials, and daubed with mud, to fill up the openings
between them. The negroes were afraid of us when we came near
their little towns, and those who were outside rah in and blocked up
the passage in a minute ; but finding we did not come to rob them,
as the large companies of Arabs often do, but that we were poor and
hungry, they were willing to exchange barley-corn and meat for some
of our goods. Nearly all the few things we had were expended to
keep us alive until we came near Tombuctoo. The king and the peo
ple of that city had been looking out for the caravan from Widnoon
for two moons, but not one soul had arrived before us, and we were
permitted to go into that city after delivering up our guns, powder, and
lead, to the King's officers to keep until we should wish to depart.
Tombuctoo is a very large city, five times as great as Swearah : it is
built on a level plain, surrounded en all sides by hills, except on the
south, where the plain continues to the bank of the same river we had
been to before, which is wide and deep, and runs to the east ; for we
,were obliged to go to it to water our camels, and here we saw mapy
boats made of great trees, some with negroes in them paddling across
the river. The city is stropgly walled in with stone laid in clay, like
the towns and houses in Suse, only a great deal thicker : the house of
the king is very large and high, like the largest house in Mogadore,
but built of the same materials as the walls : there are a great many
more houses in that city built of stone, with shops on one side, where
they sell salt, and knives, and blue cloth, and haicks, and an abun
dance of other things, with many gold ornaments. The inhabitants
are blacks, and the chief is a very large and grey-headed old black
man, who is called Shegur, which means sultan, or king. The prin-

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICAi 167
cipalpavt of the houses are made with large reeds, as thick as a man's
arm, and stand upon their ends, and are covered with small reeds first,
and then with the leaves of the date trees : they are round, apd the tops
come to a point like a heap of stones. Neither the Shegar nor his
people are Moslemins, but there is a town divided off from the princi
pal one, in one corner, by a strong partition wall, and one gate to it,
which leads from the main town, like the Jews' town, or Millah in
Mogadore : all the Moors or Arabs who have liberty to come into
Tombuctoo, are obliged to sleep in that part of it every night, or go
put pf the city entirely, and no stranger is allowed to enter that Millah
without leaving his knife with the gate-keeper ; but when he comes
out in the morning it is restored to him.\ The people who live in that
part are all Moslemin. The negroes, bad Arabs, and Moors, are all
mixed together, and marry with each other, as if they were all of one
colour : they have no property of consequence, except a few asses:
their gate is shut and fastened every night at dark, and very strongly
guarded both in the night and in the day time. The Shegar or king
is always guarded by one ljundred men on mules, armed with good
guns, and one hundred men on foot with guns and long knives. He
would not go into the Millah, and we only saw him four or five times
in the two meons we stayed at Tombuctoo, waiting for the caravan :
but it had perished on the desart — neither did the yearly caravan from
Tunis and Tripoli arrive, for it had also been destrpyed. The city pf
Toqibuctoo is very rich, as well as very large ; it has four gates to it ;
all of them are opened in the day time, but very strongly guarded and
shut at night. The negro women are very fat and handsome, and wear
large round gold rings in their noses, and flat ones in their ears, and
rold chains and amber beads about their necks, with images and white
fish-bones, bent round, and the ends fastened together, hanging down
between their breasts ; they have bracelets on their wrists and on their
ankles, and go barefoot. I had bought a small snuff-box filled with
snuff in Morocco, and showed it to the women in the principal street
of Tombuctoo, which is very wide : there we're a great many about
me in a few minutes, and they insisted on buying my snuff and box ;
one made me one offer, and another made me another, until one, who
wore richer ornaments than the rest, told me, in broken Arabic, that
she would take off all she had about her and give them to me for the
box ahd its contents. I agreed to accept them, and she pulled oft' her
nose-rings and ear-rings, all her neck chains with their ornaments, and
the bracelets from her wrists and ankles, and gave them to me in ex
change for it : these ornaments would weigh more than a pound, and
were made of solid gold at Tombuctoo, and I kept them through my
whole journey afterwards, and carried them to my wife, who now wears
a part of them. Tombuctoo carries on a great trade with all the cara
vans that come from Mprroeco and the shores of the Mediterranean
sea. From Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, &c. are brought all kinds of cloths,
iron, salt, muskets, powder, and lead, swords or scimitars, tobacco,
opium, spices, apd perfumes, amber beads, and other trinkets, with a
few other articles ; they carry back in return elephants' teeth, gold
dust, and wrought gold, gum Senegal, ostrich feathers, veiy curiously
worked turbans, and slaves ; a great many of the latter, and mapy
other articles of less importance : the slaves are brought in from the

I

168 Captain riley's narrative.
southwest, all strongly ironed, and are sold very cheap ; so that a good
stout man may be bought for a haick, which costs in the empire of
Morocco about two dollars. The caravans stop and encamp about
two miles from the city, in a deep valley, and the negroes do npt mo
lest them : they bring their merchandise near the walls of the city,
where the inhabitants purchase all their goods in exchange for the
above mentioned articles ; not more than fifty men from any one ca
ravap beipg allowed to enter the city at a time, and they must go out
before others are permitted to enter. This city also carries on a great
trade with Wassanah (a city far to the southeast) in all the articles that
are brought to it by caravans, and get returns in slaves, elephants'
teeth, gold, &c. The principal male inhabitants are clothed with blue
cloth shirts, that reach from their shoulders down to their knees, and
are very wide, and girt about their loins with a red and brown cotton
sash or girdle : they also hang about their bodies pieces of different
coloured' cloth and silk handkerchiefs : the king is dressed in a white
robe of a similar fashion, but covered with white and yellow gold and
silver plates, that glitter in the sun ; he also has many other shining
ornaments of shells and stones hanging about him, and wears a pair of
breeches like the Moors and Barbary Jews, and has a kind of white
turban on his head, pointing up, and strung with different kinds of
ornaments ; his feet are covered with red Morocco shoes : he has no
other weapon about him than a large white staff or sceptre, with a golden
lion on the head of it, which he carries in his hand : his whole countenance
is mild, and he seems to govern his subjects more like a father than a
king. The whole of his officers and guards wear breeches that are
generally dyed red, but sometimes they are white or blue ; all but the
king go bareheaded. The poor people have only a single piece of blue or
other cloth about them, and the slaves a breech cloth. The inhabi
tants in Tombuctoo are very numerous ; 1 think six times as many as
in Swearah, besides the Arabs and other Moslemin or Mohammedans,
in their Millah, or separate town ; which must contain nearly as many
people as there are all together in Swearah."
NOTE BY THE AUTHOR.
Swearah or Mogadore contains about thirty-six thousand souls ;
that is, thirty thousand Moors and six thousand Jews: this may be a
high estimation for Tombuctoo, making it two hundred and sixteen
thousand inhabitants ; yet considering the commercial importance of
the place, and the fertility of the country around it, there can be no
doubt but it contains a.vast number of inhabitants ; and 1 must also
observe, that if it was a small town, and contained the riches attribu
ted to it, they would require a very strong force to prevent the Arabs
from the desart, together with the caravans, from taking it by surprise
or by storm.
"The women are clothed in a light shirt or under-dress, and over it
a green, red, or blue covering, from their breasts to below their knees
— the whole girt about their waists with a red girdle : they stain their
cheeks and foreheads red or yellow on some occasiops. and the mar
ried women wear a kind of hood on their heads, made of blue cloth or
silk, and cotton handkerchiefs of different kinds and colours, and go
barefooted. The king and peeple of Tombttctoo do riot fear and

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. , 169
wbrship God, like the Moslemins, but like the people of Spudan they
only pray one time in twenty-four hours, when they see the moon,
and when she is not seen they do not pray at all : they cannot read or
write, but are honest, and they circumcise their children like the Arabs :
they have no mosques, but dance every night, as the Meors and Arabs
pray. The Shegar or king had collected about one thousand slaves,
some gums, elephants' teeth, gold dust, &c. to be ready for the yearly
caravans \ but as three moons had passed away since the time they
ought to havearrived, he gave them up for lost, and concluded to send
a caravan with part of his goods that came across the desart ; viz. some
salt, iron, clothes, &c. to a large city at a great distance from Tom
buctoo : and having formed a body of about three thousand men, well
armed with muskets, long knives, and spears, and three thousand
asses, and about two hundred camels, which were all lqaded with
heavy goods, such as iron, salt, tobacco, &c. he hired my brother
Seid and myself, (with ten more of our companions,) to carry loads
on our two camels to Wassanah, for which he was to give us, when
we came back, two haicks each and some gold. As we were com
pletely in his power, we did not dare to refuse to go, and he put us
under the care of his brother, whose name was Shelbaa, who had com
mand of the whole caravan. It was in the month of Shual (  )
when we departed from Tombuctoo for a place we had never before
heard of. We had in the company about two hundred Moslemin,
but the master of the caravan would not permit us Moslemin to keep
our guns, for fear we should turn against him, if he was obliged to fight.
SECTION IV.
Sidi Hamet sets out for Wassanah — His arrival there, and description
of that city, the country, and its inhabitants; of the great river
which runs near it, and of his return to Tombuctoo — Containing
also the author's geographical opinions, founded on this narrative,
on the sources of the river Niger ; its length, course, and outlet, into
the Atlantic ocean. *
" All being prepared, we went from Tombuctoo about two hours'
ride, tewards the south, to the bank of the river which is called at
that place Zolibib, and was wider than from Mogadore to the island ;
(i. e. about five hundred yards ;) here was a miserable village built
with canes, and mudded over: it had about two hundred small houses
in it, but no walls. We then set off near the side of the river, and
travelled on in a plain even country for six days, every day within
sight of the river, which was on our right hand, and running the same
way we travelled, and our course was a little to the south of east;
when we came to a small town called Bimbinah, walled in with canes
and thqrn bushes, and stopped two days near it, tp get previsipns and
rest cur beasts : here the river turned mere tp the sputheastward,
because there was a very high mountain in sight to the eastward : we
then went from the river side, and pursued our journey more south
wardly, through a hilly and woody country, for fifteen days, when we
came to the same river again. Every night we were obliged to make
up large fires all around the caravan, to keep off the wild beasts, such
as lions, tigers, and other animals, which made a dreadful howling
15 23

5 70 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
Here was a small town of black people belongipg to another nation,
who were enemies to the king of Tombuctoo, but were friendly to
the king of Wassanah ; and not beipg stropg, they did pot molest us,
but furnished us with what corn we wanted, and twenty oxen. We
saw a large number of armed black men, nearly naked, on the pthei
side of the river, whp seemed tp be hostile, but they could pot get
across to attack us : we also saw two very large tpwps, but walled in
like the others we had passed. We stopped here aud rested pui
camels and asses five days, and then went onward again in about a S.
E. direction, winding as the river ran, for three days ; and then had
to climb over a very high ridge of mountains, which took up six days,
and when we were on the top of them, we could see a large chain of
high mountains to the westward ; those we passed were thickly covered
with very large trees, and it was extremely difficult to get up and down
them ; but we cculd not go any other way, for the river ran against
the steep side of the mountain; so having gotten over them we came
to the river's bank again, where it was very narrow and full of rocks,
that dashed the water dreadfully ; then finding a good path, we kept
. on tp the S. E. winding a little every day, sometimes more to the
east, then to the south again. We kept travelling this way for twelve
days after leaving the mountains, during which time we had seen the
river nearly every day on our right hand, and had passed a great many
small streams that empty into it : it was now very wide and looked
deep — here we saw many trees dug out hollow, like the boats at Tom
buctoo, and they were used to carry negroes across the river, and
were pushed along with flat pieces of wood : we also saw the high
mouatains on the west side of the great river, very plainly. Having
rested seven days at the ferrying place, we then travelled op for fifteep
days, most of the time in sight of the river. When we came close to
the walls of the city of Wassanah, the kipg came out with a great
army, consisting of all his soldiers, to meet us, but finding we had
only come to trade by the orders of, and with the goods of, liis friend
Shegar of Tombuctoo, he invited the chief, and the whole of the
caravan, to abide within a square enclosure near the walls of the city :
here we remained twp mppns, exchanging our goods for slaves, gold,
elephants' teeth, &c.
" The city of Wassanah is built near the bank of the river, which
runs past it nearly south, between high mountains on both sides,
though not very close to the river, which is so w)de there that we
could hardly see a man across it on the other side : the people of
Tombuctoo call it Zolibib, and those of Wassanah call it Zadi. The '
walls of the city are very large, and made of great stonesj laid up like
the stone fences in the province of Hah Hah, in Morocco, but without
any clay or mud amongst them : they are very thick and strong, and
much higher than the walls of Tombuctoo. I was permitted to walk
round them in company with six negroes, and it took me one whole
day : the walls are built square, and nave one large gate on each side.
The country all around the city is dug up, and has barley, corn, and
Other vegetables planted on it : and close by the side of the river ail
the land is cpyered with rice, and there ate a great many oxen, and
cews, and asses, belpnging to the city, but no camels, nor horses,
mules, sheep, nor goats ; but all abput and in the city, speckled fowls

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 171
jibeund, and there are plenty pf eggs. The peeple ef the caravan
were allewed to enter the city, but only twenty at a time, and they
were all obliged to go out again before night.
"We had beep there more than a moon, when it came to my turn to
gp in. 1 found almost the whole of the ground inside of the walls was
covered with huts made of stones piled tip without clay, and some
reeds, laid across the tops, covered over with the large leaves of the
date or' palm tree, or of another tree which looks very much like a
date tree, and bears a fruit as large as my head, which has a white
juice in it sweeter than milk ; the inside is hard, and very good to eat:
the trees that bear this big fruit grow in abundance in this oountry,
and their fruit is very plenty : their huts have narrow passages between
them'. The king or chief is called Oleeboo, which means, in the negro
talk, good sultan : he is a very tall, and quite a young man : his
house is very large, square, and high, made of stone, and the chinks
filled up with something white like lime, but not so hard : they would
not let me go into his house, and told me he had one hundred and
fifty- wives, or more, and ten thousand slaves : he dresses in a white
shirt, that looks like the one worn by Mr. Wiilshire, and long trowsers
made like them you have on, and coloured like an orange." Those I
then had on were common wide sailor trowsers. " He has over his
shirt a caftan cr robe with sleeves to it, made of red cloth, tied about
wilh a girdle that goes from his breast to his hips, made of silk hand
kerchiefs of all colours, and has slips of fine coloured silk tied round
his arms and legs : his hair is also tied in small bunches, and he wears
on his, head a very high hat made of canes, coloured very handsomely,
and adorned with fine feathers : he has sandals on his l'eet, bound up
with gold chains, and a great gold chain over his shoulder, with a
bunch of ornaments made of bright stones and shells, that dazzle the
eyes, hanging on his breast, and wears a laige dagger by his side in a
gold case. He rides on the back of a huge bea,st, called Ilfement,
three times as thick as my great camel, and a great deal higher, .with
a very long nose and great teeth, and almost as black as the negroes :
he is so strong, that he can kill an hundred men in a minute when he
is mad ; this is the animal that'the teeth grow in which we bring from
Tombuctoo to Widnoon, which you call elephants' teeth, and thiswas
the only one of the animals I ever saw, but ithey told me these crea
tures were very plenty down the'river from Wassanah." This answers
to the description of, and no doubt is, the elephant.
" The king of Wassanah has a guard of two hundred negroes on
foot, one hundred of them armed with muskets, fifty with long spears,
and fifty with great bows and arrows, with long knives by their sides :
they always atteud him when he goes out on his beast : he has also a
very large army : they fight with guns, spears, and bows and arrows.
The city has twice as many inhabitants in it as Tombuctoo, and We
saw a great many towns near it on the-other side of the river, as well
as several small settlements on the same side below. The king nor
the people do not pray like the Moslemins, but they jump about, fall
down, tear their faces as if they were mad when any of their friends
die, and every lime they see the new moon, they make a great feast,
and dance, all night to music made by singing and beating on skins
tied across a hollow stick, and shaking little stones in a bag or Shell;

172 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
but they do not read nor write, and are heatheps. Though the frefl
people in this place do pot steal, and are very hospitable, yet 1 hope
the time is near when the faithful, and they that fear God and his pro
phet, will turn them to the true belief, er drive them away from this
goodly land.
" The principal inhabitants of Wassanah are dressed in shirts of
white or blue cloth, with short trowsers, and some with a long robe
over the whole, tied about with a girdle of different coloors : the free
females are generally very fat, and dress in blue or white coverings tied
about their waists with girdles of all colours ; they wear a great many
ornaments of gold, and beads, and shells, hanging to their ears and
noses, necks, arms, ankles, and all over their hair ; but the poorer sort
are only covered about their loins by a cloth which grows on the tree
that bears the big fruit I have told you about before." This fruit, I
imagine, must be the cocoa-nut, and 1 have often in the West-Indies,
and elsewhere, observed the outer bark of this singular palmtree: it
is woven by nature like cloth, each thread being placed exactly over
and under the others. It appears like regular wove coarse bagging,
and is quite strong: it loosens and drops from the trunk of the tree of
its own accord, as the tree increases in size and age. I had long be
fore considered that this most singular bark must have suggested to
man the first idea of cloth, and taught him how to srjin, and place the
threads so as to form it of other materials that have since been used for
that purpose, and this first hint from nature has been improved into
our present methods of spinning and weaving.
" The male sjaves go entirely naked, but the women are allowed a
piece of this cloth to cover their nakedness with : they are very nume
rous, and many of them kept chained : they are obliged to work the
earth round about the city. The inhabitants catch a great many fish :
they have boats made of great troes, cut off and hollowed out, that will
hold ten, fifteen, or twenty negroes ; and the brother of the king told
one of my Moslemin companions who could understand him, (for I
could not,) that he was going to set out in a few days with sixty boats,
and to carry five hundred slaves down the river, first to the southward,
and then to the westward, where they should come to the great water,
and sell them to pale people, who came there in large boats, apd
brought muskets, and powder, and tobacco, and blue cloth, apd knives,
&c. : he said it was a long way, and would take him three moons to
get there, and he should be gone twenty moons before he could get
back by land, but should be very rich." 1 then asked, him how many
boats he supposed there were in the river at Wassanah ? he said, " A
great many, three of four hundred, 1 should think ; but some of them
are very small : we saw a great many of these people who had been
down the river to see the great water, with slaves apd teeth, and came
back again : they said the pale people lived in great boats, and had
funs as big as their bodies, that made a noise like thunder, and would
ill all the people in a hundred negro boats, if they went too near
them. We saw in the river and en the bank a great number of fish
with legs and large mouths, and these would run into the water in a
minute, if any man went near them, but they told us they would catch
children, and sometimes men, when in the boats : (these are, no doubt,
croccdiles pr hippopptamus'.) The negroes are very kipd, and would

Observations on A#RicA. HA
always give US barley, corn, or rice, milk or meat, if we were hungry,
though we could pot speak a lapguage they understood. While wo
stopped at. Wassanah, it rained almost every day. Havipg traded
away all the gopds we carried there, Shelbar took three hundred slaves
and a great many teeth, dazzling stones, and shells, and gold — with
these we set off again, and went the same way back to Tombuctoo,
which took us three moons, and we were gone from the time we left it,
to the time we returned, eight rpoops. On my arrival at Tombuctoo,
we were paid by the chief of the caravan according to promise, and a
few days afterwards a caravan arrived there from Tunis, which we join
ed, to return by that way to our own country."
1 must here beg the reader's indulgence for a moment, in order to
make some remarks, and a few geographical observations that this
part of the narrative has suggested. Ihis narrative 1, for my own part,
consider strictly true and correct, as far as the memory and judgment
of Sidi Hamet were concerned, whose veracity and intelligence I had
before tested : he had not the least inducement held out to him lor.
giripg this account, further than my own and Mr. Willshire's curiosi
ty ; and his description of Tombuctoo agrees in substance with that
given by several Moors, (Fez merchants,) who came to Mr. Willshire's
house to buy goods while Sidi Hamet was there, and who said they
had known him in Tombuctoo several years ago. From these con
siderations combined, and after examining the best maps extant, 1
conclude that I have strong grounds on which to found the following
geographical opinions, viz.
1st, That the great Desart is much higher land oo its southern side
(as I had proved it to be on the north by my own observations) than
the surrounding country, and consequently that its whole surface is
much higher than the land near it that is susceptible of cultivation.
SJdly, That the river which Sidi Hamet and his companions came to
within fourteen days' ride, and west of Tombuctoo, called by the
Arabs el Woed Tenij, and by the negroes Gozen-Zair, takes its rise in
the mountains south of, and bordering on, the great desart, being pro
bably the northern branch of that extensive ridge in which the Sene
gal, Gambia, and Niger rivers have their sources ; and that this river
is a branch of the Niger, which runs eastwardly for several hundred
miles to Tombuctoo, near which city, many branches uniting in one
great stream, it takes the name of Zotibib, and continues tp run nearly
east, about two hundred and fifty miles from Tombuctoo ; when meet
ing with high land, it is turned more southeastwardly, and running in
that direction in a winding course, about five hundred miles, it has met
with some obstructions, through which it has forced its way, and
formed a considerable fall : for Sidi Hamet, having spent six days in
passing the mountains, came again near the river, which was then filled
with broken rocks, and the water was foaming and roaring among them,
as he observed, " most dreadfully." This must be a fall or rapid.
3diy,That from these falls, it runs first to the southeastward/and then
more to the south, till it reaches Wassanah, about six hundred miles
where it is by some called Zolibib, and by others Zadi. 4thly, Thai.
as the inhabitants of Wassanah say they go first to the southward, and
then to the westward, in boats to the great water; this 1 conceive must
be the Atlantic ocean, where they have seen pale men apd great

1T4 CAPTAIN ftltEV's NARRATIVE.
boats, &6. These 1 should naturally conclude were Europeans, witil
Vessels ; and that it takes three moons to get there, (about eighty-five
days,) at the rate of thirty miles a day, which is the least we can give
them with so strong a current : it makes a distauce from thence to the
sea of about two thousand five hundred miles : in computing this dis
tance, one-third or more should be allowed for its windings, so that the
whole length of the river is about four thousand miles, and is probably
the longest and largest on the African continent. 5thly, That the
waters of this, river in their passage towards the east, have been ob
structed in their course by high mountains in the central regions of
this unexplored continent, and turned southwardly ; that they are borne
along to the southward, between the ridges of mountains that are known
to extend all along the western coast, from Senegal to the gulf of
Guinea, and to round with that gulf to the south of the equator ; that
they are continually narrowed m and straightened by that immense
ridge in which the great river Nile is known to have its sources, and
which mountains lie in the equatorial region ; that this central river
receives, in its lengthened course, all the streams that water and ferti
lize the whole country between the two before mentioned ridges of
mountains : the waters thus accumulated and pent up, at length broke
over their western and most feeble barrier, tore it down to its base, and
thence found and forced their way to the Atlantic ocean, forming
what is now known as the river Congo. In corroboration of this opinion,
some men of my acquaintance, who have visited the Congo, and traded
all along the coast between jt and the Senegal, affirm, that the Congo
discharges more water into the Atlantic, taking the whole year toge
ther, than all the streams to the northward of it, between its mouth
and Cape de Verd. SECTION V.
Sidi Hamet's journey from Tombuctoo to Morocco by the eastern route
— His description of the Desart, and of the country on both sides of
it — Of a dreadful battle with the wandering Arabst — Sidi" Hamet
takes his leave, and sets out to join his family.
" The caravan we joined at Tombuctoo, was a very large one, be
longing to Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Fez, four united together.
They remained near that city two moons, and bought twp thousand
slaves, besides a great deal of gold dust, and teeth, and turbans, and
gold rings, and chains, and gum ; but Seid and I had only our twp
camels, and they were but partly loaded with gum, for account of Ben
Nassar, the Sheick of the Tunissian part of the caravan, for there
were three Sheicks in it. When every thing was r?ady, we set off
from Tombuctoo, and travelled east-northerly twenty days through the
hilly country, crossing a great many little streams Of water that ran to
the south and west towards the great river, it having rained very hard
almost every night whilst we were at Tombuctoo.
"When we were going amongst the hills and trees, we saw a great
many small towns or cities, most of them fenced in with good stone
walls, but some with cane and thorn bushes. The land of that coun
try is very good, and pleuty of corn grows on it, and some rice and
dates, and we saw some oxen, sheep, arid asses, and a few horses.

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. l7fl
The inhabitants ai'e Moors and Arabs mixed with the hegrfleS, and
almost as black as the latter ; all of our own religion : they are very
stout fierce men, but they did not attempt to molest us, and sold us
every thing we wanted at a cheap rate : they wear no clothing but a
strip of cloth about their middles, and a ring of bone or ivory round
the women's ankles and wrists, and some beads in their hair ; they are
peaceable people, and never attack the caravans unless the latter
attempt to rob them : they are armed with muskets, and with long
knives, and with bows and arrows. When they are forced to fight,
they do it with the greatest fury, and never take prisoners1 or receive
quarter, and oply defend their rights. Some of the people in our
caravan told us, that a few years ago a caravan, going from Tombuctoo
to Tunis, Algiers, &c. in passing through this country, surprised apd
stole about four hundred of the inhabitants for slaves, and a great
number of cattle and much corn, and went towards the desart; but
these people assembled a large host, and came up with them in the
night near the edge of the desart, and cut the whole "of them to
pieces, though they were more than two thousand men strong, and
well armed ; only about fifty of the people of the caravan escaped and
got back to Tunis to tell the news, and they only by riding on the
swiftest camels'without any loads. After having refreshed our camels
for ten days in a beautiful valley, where there was a good stream of
water for them to drink, and filled the sacks with coals, we mounted
up to the desart, and steered on the flat level away to the north. As
we went. along we came to some small valleys, where the Arabs feed
their camels and live on their milk, and think themselves the most
learned,' virtuous, and religious people in the world, and the most
happy too, though they have neither bread, nor meat, nor honey, nor
any clothing but a rag tied round their waists, and live in tents, wan
dering about. We steered about north for eighteen days, when we
came to the usual watering place, called Weydlah ; here was a great
deal of water in a pond, but it was black and quite salt, like the water
in the wells close by the great sea : it was very dead and stinking,
and tasted of sulphur: it is in a very deep pit and difficult to get at,
there being only one place by which we could lead the camels down
to the water : it is said to be very deep in the middle, and was never
known to be dry : it was almost covered over by a thick green scum :
we could see the tracks of wild beasts, such as tigers and lions, near
the water. We had seen a great many of these animals in our travels
to Wassanah, and when we were coming from Tombuctoo to the
eastward. Our caravan' ccnsisted of about fifteen hundred men, mest
of us well armed with double barrelled guns and scimitars, and we had
about four thousand camels. It was a long journey to the next well ;
so we stopped here six days peaceably, having encamped in a valley
a little distance west of the pond or lake. We had always made the
camels lie down in a circle, placing the goods in the centre, and the
men between the camels and the goods : we had two hundred men on
guard, and always ready for any emergency. In the pight of the sixth
day, about two hours after midnight, we were attacked by a very large
body of wandering Arabs : they had got to within a few yards of us'
before they were discovered, and poured in a most destructive fire of
musketry, at the same time running in like hungry tigers, with spears

\1& CAPTAIN RILEy's NARRATIVE.
and scimitars in their hands, with dreadful ycllings : they threw the
whole caravan into confusion for a moment ; but we were in a tight
circle, formed by the camels, which with the guards kept them off
for a short time, till the whole of our men seized their arms and rallied.
The battle now raged most furiously : it was cloudy aod very dark ;
the blaze ef the powder making enly a faint light, whilst the cracking
of musketry, the clashing ef swords, the' slwuts pf the combatants,
and the bellowings of the weunded andfrighteped camels, tcgether
With the groans of the wounded apd dyipg men, made the most dread
ful and horrid uproar that can be conceived. The fight continued for
about two hours, hand to hand and breast to breast, when the assail
ants gave way and ran off, leaving their dead and wounded on the
field of battle. We rernained with our arms in our hands all night.
I was wounded with a ball in toy thigh, and Seid with a dagger on
his breast." They then showed me their scars. " In the morn
ing we numbered our men, and found that two hundred and thirty
were killed, and about one hundred wounded : three hundred of
the camels were either slain or so badly wounded that they could
not walk, and so we killed them. We found seven hundred of our
enemies lying on the ground, either dead or wounded ; those that
were badly wpunded, we killed, tp put them eut of pain, and carried
the others that could walk along with us for slaves ; of these there
were about one hundred. As the enemy fled, they took all their good
camels with them, for they had left them at a distance, so that we only
found about fifty poor ones, which we killed ; but we picked up two
hundred and twenty gcpd double barrelled guns from the ground:
the gun which Seid now uses is one of them; we got also about four
hundred scimitars or long knives. We were told by the prisoners that
the company who attacked us was upwards of four thousand strong,
and that they had been preparing for it three moons. We were afraid
of another attack, and went off the same day, and travelled all the
night, steering to the N. E. (out of the course the caravans commonly
take) twenty-three days' journey, when we came to a place called the
Eight Wells, where we found plenty of good water. Fifty of our
men had died, and twenty-one of the slaves. We remained near these
good wells for eleven days; our camels feeding on the bushes in the
valleys near them, when we again travelled to the northwestward ten
days to Twati, a good watering place. For the last three days wc
waded through deep sands, like those we passed among while going
from Widnoon. We rested here two days, and then went down north,
into the country of dates, and came to the town of Gujelah, a little
strong place belonging to Tunis — there we found plenty of fruit and
good water, and meat and milk : we stopped there ten days, and then
the part of the caravan going to Tripoli left us and went towards the
east, by the mountains, and the rest went on northeasterly twelve days
to Tuggurtah, close by a mountain near the river Tegsah, that is said
to go tp the sea near Tunis; here we stopped twenty-five days, and
the caravan for Tunis left us. Tuggurtah is a very large city, with
high and thick walls, made tight, and has a great many people in it,
all of the true religion, and a vast number of black slaves, and a few
white ones. After stopping here twepty-five days, we set off to the
northwestward through a very fipe couutry, full of date and fig trees,

OfellftVAfiOlil ON AMtOAi lft
ted cattle, and goats, camels, sheep, and asses ; we then travelled ten
nays to the high mountains, where the caravan for Algiers parted from
us, and we remained with about two hundred camels and eighty men
going to Fez. We then travelled over the great mountain, which we
Were told belongs to the same ridge we see close to Morocco and in
Suse ; (the Atlas ;) and in two moons more wc passed through Fez,
where what remained of the caravan stopped, and we returned to our
father's house, and our families, op the side of the Atlas mountains,
near the city of Morocco, having been gone more than two years.
We brought back only one camel, and a' small load of merchandise,
out of the eight camels richly loaded when we set out ; yet we thank
ed God for having preserved our lives ; for the whole caravan with
which we started. had perished on the desart, and out of the twenty-
eight men who left it with us,-only four reached their homes, apd they
on foot, and eptirely destitute of property. 1 foupd my wife and all
my children and my father's family in good health. Sheick Ali came
to see me as soon as he got the news of my arrival, and after staying
with me one moon, he invited me apd Seid to go with him to his place,
which invitation we accepted, apd he furnished us with one camel
and some haicks and blue cloth, and advised us to go up on the desart
and trade them away for ostrich feathers, to sell in Morocco or Swea
rah; so, being poor, we accepted his offer, bought his goods and his
camel, and he was to have been paid when we came back. We set
off for the desart, and had passed a great many tribes of Arabs without
finding any feathers of consequence, when the great God directed our
steps to your master's tent, and 1 saw you. I was once as bad a man
as Seid, but 1 had been in distress and in a strange land, and had found
friends to keep me and restore me to my family; and when 1 saw you
naked and a slave, with your skin and flesh burnt from your bones by
the sun, and heard you say you had a wife and children, I thought of
my own former distresses, and God softened my heart, and I became
your friend. 1 did all 1 could to lighten the burden of your afflictions :
I have endured hunger, thirst, and fatigues, and have fought for your
sake, and have now the high pleasure of knowing I have done some
good in the world; and may the great and universal Father still pro
tect you : you have been true and kind to me, and your friend has fed
me with milk and honey ; and 1 will always iu future do what is in
my power to redeem Christians from slavery."
Here Sidi Hamet finished his narration : he then said he wished to
go and see his wife and children, and that as soon as he had rested
for a few days, he would set off again with a large company to seek
after the rest of my men. The next morning I made him a small
present, and Mr. Wiilshire also gave him some fine powder, and many
other small articles. After he was prepared to go, he swore by his
right hand, he would bring up the remainder of my crew if they were
to be found alive, and God spared his life : he then took his leave ol
me by shaking hands, and of all my companions, wishing us a happy
sight of our friends, and setoff for his home. I did not part with him
without feelings of regret and shedding tears; for he had been a-kind
master to me, and to him I owed, under God, my life and deliverance
from slavery; nor could I avoid reflecting on the wonderful means
employed by Providence to bring about my redemption, and that of a
part ol my late unfortunate crew, 23

captain Riley's NARRATiv£,

CHAPTER XXVI.

An account of the face of the great African Desart, or Zahahrah ; of its
inhabitants, their customs, manners, dress, Sfc. — A description of the
Arabian camel or dromedary.
1ft giving an account of the great western desart, or Zahahrah, and
of its iphabitants, &c. it must be remembered, that in journeying
across, or on the desart when a slave, I did not go over but a very
small part, comparatively speaking, of that extensive region ; I can
not therefore undertake to describe what did not come under my own
observation. I can, however, state, without fear of future contradic
tion, the following facts, viz. that the face of this desart, from about
the latitude of 20 to 22 degrees north, where we were forced ashore
in our boat, to near the latitude of 28 degrees north, and from the lon
gitude of Cape Barbas, about 19 to 11 degrees west, is a smooth sur
face, consisting partly of solid rocks, of gravel, sand, and stones mixed,
and in some places of what is commonly called soil ¦.this mass is baked
down together in most places, by the extreme heat of the sun, nearly
as hard as marble, so that no tracks of man or beast are discoverable ;
for the footstep leaves no impression. The whole surface is as smooth,
when viewed on every side, as the plain of the ocean unruffled by
winds or tempests, stretching out as far as the eye can reach ; not a
break that might serve as a landmark, or guide to the traveller ; not a
tree, shrub, or any other object, to interrupt the view within the hori
zon ; the whole is in appearance a dreary waste : the soil is in colour
of a light reddish brown: not a stream of water (at least for many
centuries past) has refreshed this region, which is doomed to eternal
barrenness ; but as we went forward on this flat hard surface, we met
. from distance to distance with small valleys or dells, scooped out, in
appearance, by the hand of nature, from five to thirty feet below the
plain — those we saw and stopped in were ten, fifteen, and twenty miles
apart, and contained from one to four or five acres each — they seem
to serve as receptacles for the little rain water which falls on the desart ;
for the inhabitants always expect some in the winter months, though
they are frequently disappointed ; and none had fallen on those parts
on which we were thrown for the last two years.
It was already September, and they were offering up prayers to the
Almighty every day, and most fervently imploring him to send them
refreshiPg rains. These little valleys appear mostly in the form of a
bowl, though in some the sides are steep, and bottoms nearly level,
and the whole irregular. Here grows a dwarf thorn bush, from two to
five feet in height ; it is generally scattered thinly over the valley.
The leaves of this shrub, which is almost the only one that is to be
found on that part of the desart, are a fourth of an inch in thickness,
one and.a half inches in width, and from two to two and a half inches
in length, tapering to a sharp point, and are strongly impregnated with
salt, so much so, that neither myself nor my companions could eat
them, though nearly perishing with hunger and thirst, and a green
fresh leaf would have been a great relief to us, when neither meat por

OBSERVATIONS On AMIGA. 170
drink Was to he procured. Such is the face of the desart ovet' which
we passed, until we came within a short distance of Cape Bajador,
where we fell in with immense heaps of loose sand, forming mountains
of from one to three or four hundred feet in height, blown and whirled
about by every wind, and dreadful to the traveller, should a strong
gale arise from the southward whilst in the midst of them ; for he and
his beasts must then inevitably perish, overwhelmed by flying surges
of suffocating sand.
The face of this part of the desart is still the same as that before de
scribed, when laid bare and seen between the sand hills, by reason of
the sand being blown oft'. This sand has evidently beep drivep from
the seashore, and in the same degree as the ocean has retired, by means
of the trade wind blowing constantly on to the desart, and that too
very strongly in the night time, through a long succession of ages.
The heavy surf dashing perpetually among the rocks, gradually re
duces diem to grit, which then mixes with the sand that is washed up
upon the shore, where it is left by the tides that rise on this coast to
the height of twelve or fourteen feet, and only once in twenty-four
hours ; this becomes dried by the excessive heat of the sun, and is
whirled about and driven before this constant gale, upon the surface,
and then into the interior of the desart. Such have unquestionably
been the causes which have produced such astonishing accumulations
of sand on that part of the desart ; and I am further confirmed in this
belief by the enormous strings of sand hills to be found all along the
coast of Suse and Morocco, near the seashore. These accumulations
are in many parts so great, as to have raised new bounds to the ocean
some miles beyond its original limits, which have evidently been wash
ed by the sea at a former period, and the intermediate spaces are filled
up with loose sand Hills ; which circumstances all together amount,
in my opinion, to a demonstration of the origin of the sand on this pan
of the desart.
Some authors have supposed that there were many fertile spots on
the great western desart which were cultivated, &c. &c. but this is, 1
think, an impossibility : the whole desart being a level plain, it can
produce neither spring or stream of water, and no herbage can conse
quently grow unless by means of rain, and this falls on the desart so
seldom, and is so soon evaporated, as to render even a passage across
it with a caravan of Arabs and camels, at all times dangerous in the ex
treme, as is proved by Sidi Hamet's narrative of his journeys, con
nected with my own observations. That there are more shrubs grow
ing in some parts than in others, is true, from natural causes. This
smooth dry surface can produce no vapour, and if it did, there are no
breaks or mountains to arrest it, and it flies off to the north or south,
where more is produced : the neighbourhood of mountains condenses
the atmosphere and produces the rain, which is driven sometimes only
from thence on to the desart by strong gales, and even then in scanty
quantities. The small valleys or dells which now furnish a , scanty
subsistence for the hardy camel, and that only by feeding on the
coarsest shrubs and leaves, serve as basins to catch the little water that
sometimes falls there : this is immediately dried away by the intense
heat of the sun, which beats down upon the surface in all parts most
violently, and scorches like actual fire ; — yet that moisture, little as it

ISO eAM'AIN rILey's NARftAWfl,
is, causes the growth ol" the dwarf thorn bush, and of two 6r three other1
prickly plants,' resembling weeds ; these grow only among sand, and
there are spots on the desart which produce a shrub that grows up in a
bunch at the bottom as thick as a man's leg, and then branches off in
every direction to the height of two feet, with a diameter of four Of
five feet. Each branch is two or three inches in circumference, and they
are fluted like pillars or columns in architecture, and almost square at
their fops : these are armed with small sharp prickles all over, two or
three inches long, and yield, when broken off, a whitish liquid that is
very nauseous, and bites the tongue like aqua-fortis,so that the camels
will nip it off only when they can find nothing else : they are so numerous
in some places, that it is difficult for the camels to get along amongst
them, and they are obliged to< dodge about between these bUnehes.
This plant resembles a chandelier in appearance : the barren moun
tains of Suse are nearly covered with it : 1 believe it is a species of
euphorbium, and each of the branches were surmounted at that time
with a red blossom of three or four leaves, half an inch long, resem
bling in some degree the blaze of a candle ; from this flower the bees
that are found in such quantities in Suse extract their honey.
In many valleys the thorn bushes.furnish a few snails. A few ground
nuts are also to be found, resembling in shape and size small onions ;
and there are also to be seen under the shade of the thorn bushes, an
herb known by the name of shepherd's sprouts in America ; but like
the other things before mentioned, they are very rarely to be met with.
These are, as far as came within piy knowledge, the whele pf the pro
ductions of the desart.
It has been imagined by many, that the desart abounded in noxious
animals, serpents, and other reptiles ; but we saw none, nor is it pos
sible for any animal that requires water to exist on the desart of Za
hahrah, upless itis under the care of, and assisted by man in procuring
that necessary article. I saw no animal that was wild, except the
ostrich, nor can 1 conceive how that animal exists without fresh water,
which it is certain he cannot procure, nor what kind of nourishment he
subsists on. There are neither beasts, nor birds, nor reptiles, to be
seen on that dreary waste on which we travelled, and itis certain that
there are other districts still worse, bearing not the smallest herb nor
bush wherewith the camel can fill his stomach ; but near the borders
of the desart, where more shrubs are produced, sheep and goats are
fed in considerable numbers, and we saw many of those light-footed
and beautiful animals called the Gazelle, tripping across the sand hills,
and near watering places ; some tigers also now and then made their
appearance. Such is the great western desart, or Zahahrah, which
cap only afford a description as dry and as barren as its dreary surface.
For its extent, see the map.
Nearly all parts of this vast desart are inhabited by different tribes
of Arabs, who live entirely on the milk of their camels, and wander
from valley to valley, travelling nearly every day for the sake of finding
food for their camels, and consequently food for themselves : they live
in tents formed of cloth made of camels' hair, which they pull off by
hand, and spin with a hand spindle ; this they twist round with the
fore-finger and.thumb of the right hand, after they have pulled out the
thread sufficiently long from a bunch of camels' hair; which they hold

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. l8l
in their left haud, whilst the spindle descepds to tho ground, when
they take it up in their hand again, and wind off the yarn in a ball, apd
thep spin another length in like manner : they afterwards double and
twist it by hand, making a thread as thick as a goose quill. When
they have spun a sufficient quantity, and have agreed to stop for two
or three days in one place, (which they always do when they can find
sufficient food for their camels,) they drive into the ground two rows of
pegs, in parallel lines, sufficiently wide for a tent cloth, that is, about
two and a half feet apart : they then warp the yarn round the pegs,
and commence weaving it by running a kind of wooden sword through
the yarn under one thread and over another, in the manner of darn
ing : this sword they carry with them, and it appears to' have been
used for ages : they then tuck through the filling by hand, after turn
ing up the sword edgeways, haul it tight, and beat it up with the sword,
as represented in plate No.*6. They weave it the whole length which
they intend the tent to be, and then roll up the pieces or length, until
they have niade enough to finish a tent. This, in my opinion, must
have beeo the very first method of weaving practised in the world, and
the idea, I imagine, was takep from a view of the outer bark of the
cocoa-nut tree, as I have before obseived. The tent is then sewed
together with the same kind of twine, through holes made with an iron
bodkin. After it is sewed together to a proper width, from six to ten
breadths, they make four loops on its ends, by fastening short crooked
sticks to the cloth, and two on each side. When they are about to
pitch the tePt, they spread it out, stretching the cords by which it is
fastened, and driving a stout peg into the ground for each cord ; this
is done with a hard smooth stone, which they always carry with them,
in place of a hammer ; then getting under the lent and raising it, they
place a block, whose top is rounded like a wooden bowl, under its
centre, and set the tent pole into a hole made for that purpdse, and
set the pole upright, which keeps the lent steady in its place. After
the tent is raised, all the ropes that hold and steady it (ten in number)
are tautened : these ropes are made of skins partly dressed, or of ca
mels' hair, so that the tent is suspended in form of an oblong um
brella, and the lower edge is about two feet from the ground. In the
day time they raise up the south part of their tents (as those on the
desart are always pitched facing the south) with two small stanchions
fixed under the cords that hold it in front, so that they can go under
the tent by stooping : this tent serves all the family for a shelter. Each
family has a mat, which serves as a bed for the whole : they lie down
on it promiscuously, only wrapped up in their haick or blanket, if they
have one ; if not, in the skin that covers their loins only, and lie close
together, to keep off the cold winds which blow under the tents in the
night : the children lie between the grown persons; their heads are as
low, and frequently lower than their feet, and their long bushy hair,
which is never combed, and resembles a woollen thrumb mop, serves
them instead of a pillow. The families consist of the father, and one
or more wives, and the children that are unmarried, (generally about
four to a family, but sometimes six or eight,) and their slaves, who
are blacks.
The rich Arabs have one, two, or three slaves, male^and female;
these are allowed, to sleep op the same mat with their masters andmis-
16

182 captain riley's narrative^
tresses, and are treated in all respects like the childrep of the family
in regard to apparel, &c. ; they are pot, however, permitted to marry
or cohabit with the Arab women, under pain of death, and are obliged
to take care of the camels and follow them, and to do other drudgery.
such as getting fuel, &c. but they will not obey the women, and raise
their voices higher than their master or any of his children in a dis
pute, and consequently are considered smart fellows. They marry
among their own colour while they are slaves, with the consent of
their masters, but the children remain slaves. After a slave has served
his master faithfully for a long time, or has done him some essential
service, he is made free : he then enters into all the privileges that
the free Arabs enjoy, and can marry into any of their families, which
he or she never fails to do, and thus become identified with the fami
lies of the tribe in which they were slaves^ and may rise to the very
head of it. The negroes are generally active and brave, are seldom
punished with stripes, and those who drive the camels do not scruple
to milk them when they are thirsty, but take care not to be discovered :
they are extremely cunning, and will steal any thing they can get at
to eat or drink, from their masters, or indeed any one else. If they
are caught in the act of stealing, they are only threatened, and pro
mised a flogging the next time, (this being the common practice of
their masters.) 'The father of the family is its absolute chief in all re
spects, though he seldom inflicts punishment: his wives and daugh
ters are considered as mere slaves, subject to his will or caprice ; yet
they take every opportunity to deceive or steal from him : he deals
out the milk to each with his own hand, nor dare any one touch it
until it is thus divided : he always assists in milking the camels, then '
puts the milk into a large wooden bowl, which has probably been in
the family for ages : some of the largest bowls will contain five gallons:
they are frequently split in every direction, and the split parts are
fastened together with small iron plates, with a rivet at each end, made
of the same metal. All the milk is thrown into the great bowl ; then,
if in the old man's opinion, there is a sufficient quantity for a good
drink round, he takes a small bowl, (of which sort they generally have
two or three,) and after washing or rubbing it with dry sand, he begins
to distribute the milk, by giving to each grown person an equal share,
and to the children in proportion to their size, measuring it very ex
actly, and taking a proportionate quantity to himself. If there is any
left, (which was very seldom the case with those 1 lived among,) he has
il put into a skin, to serve for a drink at noon the next day : if there
is not a sufficient quantity of milk for a good drink all round, the old
man fills it up with water (if they have any) to a certain mark in the
bowl, and then proceeds to divide it as before related.
The camels are driven out early in the morning, and home about
dark, when they are made to lie down before the tent of their owner,
very near, with their tails towards it : a doubled rope with a large
knot in one end is then put round the knee joint when the leg is dou
bled in, and the knot being thrust through the doubled part at the
other end, effectually fastens the knee bent as it is, so that the camel
cannot get up to walk off, having but the use of three of his legs.
This kind of bepket is also fixed on the knees of the old camels that
lead the drove ; apd the others remain quiet when their leaders

observations on africAi 183
are fast: in this manner they are suffered to lie until about mid
night, when they have had time to cool and the milk to collect in their
bags — the beeket is then taken off, and as soon as they get up, the
net which covers the bag to prevent the young ones from consuming
the milk, is loosened : this is fastened on by two cords, that go over
the back of the camel, and are knotted together. As each camel is
milked, the net is carefully replaced, and she is made to lie down in
the same place again : here they lie until daylight, when all the ca
mels are made to get up ; a little milk is then drawn from each, and
the young ones are suffered to suck out the remainder, when the net
is put in its place again, not to be removed until the following mid
night. While the head of the family is busied milking the camels
and suckling the young ones, assisted by all the males, the wife and
females are striking and folding up the tent, selecting the camels to
carry the stuff, and bringing them near, where they make them lie
down and pack on them the tent and all their other materials. This
being done, they fasten a leather or skin basket, about four feet wide,
fitted with akind of tree, like a saddle, on the back of one of the tamest
camels, in which the women place the old men and women that can
not walk, and young children, and frequently themselves, and proceed
forward according to their daily custom. The women take care of
the stuff and the camels that carry it, and of the children : the other
camels are driven oft' by slaves, if they have any, if not, by some of the
boys, and kept where there are some shrubs to be found, until night.
The old man, or head of the family, generally precedes the women and
stuff, after having described to them the course they are to steer. He
sets off on his camel, with his gun in his hand, at a full trot, and goes
on until he finds a. fit place in which to pitch the tent, when he gives
the information to his wife, who then proceeds with all possible des
patch to the spot, unloads her camels, and lets them go ; then she
spreads her tent, puts all the stuff under it, clears away the small
stones, and spreads her mat, arranges her bowls, hangs up the skins,
containing water, (if they have any,) on a kind of horse or frame that
folds together, &c. &c. They start long before sun-rising in the
morning, and calculate to pitch their tents at about four o'clock in
the afternoon, if they can find a convenient spot ; otherwise a little
sooner or later. When one family sets off, the whole of that part of the
tribe dwelling near travel on with them ; and 1 have frequently seen
from five hundred to one thousand camels in one drove, all going the
same way, and I was greatly surprised to see with what facility they
could distinguish and separate them ; each knowing his own camels,
even to the smallest : they would sometimes march together for half
a day ; then in a few minutes they would separate,, and each take his
own course, and would generally pitch within a few miles of each
other. As soon as the place is agreed on, the men go out on their
camels, with their guns, different ways, to reconnoitre and see if they
have enemies near.
When they rise in the morning, after having first milked their ca
mels, and suckled the young ones, they next attend to prayers, which
is done in the following manner : they first find a sandy spot, then un
wrap themselves, and take up sand in both their hands; with this they
rub their faces, necks, arms, legs, and every part of their bodies,

184 captain riley's narrative.
except their backs, which they cannot reach: this dor*., as if they
washed with water, they stand erect, facing towards the east; Wrap
themselves up as neatly as they can in their blankets or skins ; they
look up towards heaven, apd then bow their heads, bending their
bodies half way to the ground, twice, crying aloud at each lime, Allah
Hooakibar. They next kneel down, and supporting themselves with
their hands, they worship, bowing their faces ip the dust, twice suc
cessively ; then, being still on their knees, they bend themselves for
ward, nearly to the ground, repeating, Hi el Allah-Shcda Mohammed
— Rahsoot Allah ; then rising, they again repeat, Allah Hooakibar, two
or three times ; and this -is the common mode of worshipping four
times a day. In addition to this, at sun-setting, they implore the Al
mighty tp send rain to moisten the parched earth ; to cause the food
to grow for their camels ; to keep them under his special care, with
their families and tribes ; to enrich them with the spoils of their ene
mies, and to confound and destroy them that seek their hurt : they
thank the Almighty for his past mercies, for food, raiment, and his pro-
tectipp, &c. &c. ; they then repeat part of a chapter from the Koran,
in which God's pretended promises to the faithful are made known by
their prophet ; and repeating at all times the Hi el Allah, or, " Great
is the Almighty God, and Mohammed- is his holy prophet." Their
times of prayer are, before sun-rising in the mornipg, about Poon, the
the middle of the afternoon, about sun-setting, and again two or three
hours after the sun has set : this makes five times a day, washihg
themselves (at least their faces and hands, when they have water) be
fore praying ; when they cannot get water, (which is always the case
with those on the desart,) they perform their ablutions by substituting
sand. Mohammed, their prophet, when he arrived with an army on
the desarts of Arabia, found that there was no water either for himself
or his followers to wash in ; yet by the laws he had already promulga
ted, ablutions could not be dispensed with ; a new chapter, however,
of revelation, soon relieved him from this dilemma, and he directed
his followers to use sand, when no water was to be had. In the ninth
chapter of the Book of Numbers, it appears that Moses, in a similar
dilemma, found it necessary to apply for a new command from the
Lord on a particular subject.
The Arabs always wash when it is in their power, before they eat,
nor does any business divert them from the strict observapce of their
religious ceremouies : and with respect to particular stated times,
while pursuing their journeys, and going on in the greatest haste, when
the time for prayers arrives, all step, make the camels lie down, and
perform what they conceive to be their indispensable duty ; praying,
m addition to the usual forms, to be directed in the right course, and
that God will lead them to wells of living water, and to hospitable
brethren, who will feed them, and not suffer them to perish far from
the face of man ; that he will enrich them with spoils, and deliver
them from all who lie ip wait to do them mischief : this done, they
mount again cheerfully, and proceed, encouraging their camels by a
song, a very lively one, if they wish them to go on a trot ; if only to
walk, something more slow and solemn.
The Arabs who inhabit the great western desart, are in their persons
about five feet seven or eight inches in height ; and tolerably well set

Observations on Africa. 185
in their frames, though lean : their complexion is of a dark olive :
they have high cheek bones, and aquiline noses, rather prominent ;
lank cheeks, thin lips, and rounded chins : their eyes are black, spark
ling, and intelligent : they have long black hair, coarse, and very
thick; and the men cut their's oft' with their knives, to the length of
about six pr eight inches, and leave it sticking put in every directicn
from their heads : they all wear long beards : their limbs are straight,
and they can endure hunger, thirst, hardships, and fatigues, probably
better than any other people under heaven : their clothing in general
is nothing more than a piece of coarse cloth, made of camels' hair,
tied round their waists, hanging nearly down to their knees; or a
goat-skin so fastened on, as to cover their nakedness ; but some of the
rich ones wear a covering of linen or cotton cloth over their shoulders,
to their knees, hanging something like a shift or shirt, without sleeves ;
and some have, besides, a haick or a woollen blanket, about four feet
wide, and four yards long, which they wrap about them ; but this is
the case only with the rich, and their number is very small. These
haicks and blue shirts they get from the empire of Morocco, in ex
change for camels' hair and ostrich feathers ; the only commodities
in which they can trade. The Arab women are short and meager,
and their features much harder and more ugly than those of the men ;
but tliey have long black hair, which they braid and tuck up in a bunch
on their heads, and fasten it there by means of thorns. They gene
rally wear strings of black beads round their necks, and a white cir
cular bone, of three inches in diameter, in their hair, with bands of
beads or other ornaments around their wrists and ankles. Their cheek
bones are high and prominent ; their visages and lips are thin, and the
upper lip is kept up by means of the two eye-teeth. They take great
pains to make these teeth project forward, and turn up quite in front
of the line of their other fore-teeth, which are as white and sound as
ivory. Their eyes are round, black, and sparkling, very expressive,
and extremely beautiful, particularly" in the young women, who are
generally plump and lascivious. The women wear a dress of coarse
camels' hair cloth, which they manufacture in the same way they make
their tent cloth:, it covers their shoulders, leaving their arms and
breasts naked ; it is sewed up on each side, and falls down nearly to
their knees ; they have a fold in this, like a sack, next their skiu on
their shoulders, in which they carry their little children ; and the
breasts of the middle aged women become so extremely long, lank,
and pendulous, (being in appearance not unlike a wrinkled stocking
with a small bunch at the bottom,) that they have no other trouble in
nursing the child which is on their backs, when walking about, than to
throw up their breasts over the top of their shoulders, so that the child
may apply its lips.
All the Arabs go barefoot ; the children, both male and female, be
fore they come to the age of puberty, run about entirely naked, and
this exposure to the sun is one great cause of their black cofour. The
males are all circumcised at the age of eight years, not as a religious
rite, but because it is found necessary as a preventive of a disease in
cident to the climate, (the venereal.) The men are very quick, ac
tive, and iptelligent — more so, taken collectively, thap apy other set
of men 1 had ever ceme across in the different parts of the world 1 had
16 * U

18(3 captain riley's narrative.
before visited. They are the lords and masters in their families, and
are very severe and cruel to their wives, whom they treat as mere ne
cessary slaves, and they do not allow them even as much liberty as
they grant to their negroes, either in speech or action : they are con
sidered by the men as beings without souls, and consequently, they
are not permitted to join in their devotions, but are kept constantly
drudging at something or other, and are seldom allowed to speak
when men are conversing together. They are very filthy in their per
sons, not even cleansing themselves with sand, and are covered with
vermin. The continual harsh treatment, and hard drudgery to which
they are subject, have worn off that fine edge of delicacy, sensibility,
and compassion, so natural to their sex, and transformed them into
unfeeling and unpitying beings; so much so, that their" conduct
towards me and my companions in distress, was brutal in the
extreme, and betrayed the extinction of every humane and generous
feeling. The Arab is high-spirited, brave, avaricious, rapacious, revengeful ;
and, strange as it may appear, is at the same time hospitable and com
passionate : he is proud of being able to maintain his independence,
though on a dreary desart, and despises those who are so mean and
degraded as to submit to any government but that of the Most High.
He struts about sole master of what wealth he possesses, always ready
to defend it, and believes himself the happiest of men, and the most
learned also ; handing down the tradition of his ancestors, as he is
persuaded, for many thousands of years. He looks upon all other
men to be vile, and beneath his notice, except as merchandise: he is
content to live on the milk of his camels, which he takes great care to
rear, and thanks his God daily for his continual mercies. They consider
ed themselves as much above me and my companions, both in intellect
and acquired knowledge, as the proud and pampered West-India plan
ter (long accustomed to rule over slaves) fancies himself above the
meanest new negro, just brought in chains ffrom the coast of Africa.
They never correct their male children, but the females are beat with
out mercy. The men were not cruel to us farther than they thought we
were obstinate, and always gave us a small share of what they them
selves had to subsist on.
I never witnessed a marriage among them, but was told that when
a young man sees a girl that pleases him, he asks her of her father,
and she becomes his wife without ceremony. Polygamy is allowed,
but the Arabs of the desart have but very seldom more than one wife,
unless amongst some of the rich ones, who have need of servants,
when they take another wife, and sometimes a third.
They all learn to read and write : in every family or division of a
tribe, they have one man who acts as teacher to the children : they
have boards of from one foot square to two feet long, and about an
inch thick by eighteen inches wide : on these boards the children
learn to write with a piece of pointed reed,; they have the secret of
making ink, and that of a very black dye : when a family of wandering
Arabs pitch their tents, they set apart a place for a school : this they
surround with broken shrubs in tho desart to keep off' the wind:
here all the boys who have been circumcised of from eight to eighteen
or twenty years old, attend, and are taught to read and to write verses

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 10?
from the Koran, which is kept in manuscript by every family on skins :
they write their characters from right to left— are particular in the for
mation of them, and make their lines very straight: all the children
attend from choice or for amusement. The teacher, I was told, never
punishes a child, but explains the meaning of things, and amuses him
by telling tales that are both entertaining and instructive; he reads or
rehearses chapters from the Koran or some other book, for they have
a great many poems, &c. written also on skins : when the boaud is
full of writing, they rub it off with sand, and begin again : they enu
merate with the nine figures now in use among all European nations,
and in America, and were extremely astonished to find that 1 could
make tliem, and understand their meaning, saying one to another,
" This man must have been a slave before to some Arabian merchant,
who has taught him the manner of using the Arabic figures, and con
trary to his law, unless indeed he is a good man and a believer." The
boards on which they wrote seemed to have lasted for ages — they had
been split in many places, and were kept together by small iron plates
on each side, fixed by iron rivets : these plates, as well as their rude
axes, of which each family has one, are made of tempered iron by
the smiths which belong to and journey with the tribe : 1 saw several
of them at work : they burn small wood into charcoal, and carry it
with them on camels: their anvil is made of a piece of iron a foot
long, and pointed at the end — this they drive inio the ground to wprk
on; the head of the anvil is about six inches over: they make their
fire in a small hole dug in the ground for that purpose, and blow it up
by means of two skins curiously fixed : so that while one is filling with
air, they blow with the other, standing between them — with a hand
placed on each, they raise and depress them at pleasure. By means
of a clumsy hammer, an anvil, and hot irons to bore with, they manage
to fix the saddles for themselves to ride on, and to make knives and a
kind of needles, and small rough bladed axes. This forge is carried
about without the smallest inconvenience, so that the Arabs even of the
desart are better provided in this respect than the Israelites were in
the days of Saul their king, Samuel, chapter xiii. verses 19 to 23 —
"Now there was no smith in all the land of Israel; for the Philistines
said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears."
There appeared to be no kind of sickness or disease among the
Arabs of the desart during the- time I was with them: I did not hear
of, nor see the smallest symptom of complaint, and they appear to live
to a vast age: there were three people 1 saw belonging to the tribe in
which 1 was a slave, namely, two old men and one woman, who from
appearance were much older than any I had ever seen: these men and
the woman had lost all the hair from their heads, beards, and every
part of their bodies ; the flesh on them had entirely wasted away, and
their skins appeared to be dried and drawn tight over the sinews and
the bones, like Egyptian mummies: their eyes were extinct, having
totally wasted away in their sockets, the bones of which were only
covered by their eye-lids : they had lost the use of all their limbs, and
appeared to be deprived of every sense, so that when their breath should
be spent and their entrails extracted, they would in my opinion be
perfect mummies without further preparation; for from their appear
ance there was not sufficient moisture in their frames to promote cor-

188 CAPTAIN RILEy's NARRATIVE.
ruption; and I felt convinced, that a sight of such beings (probably on
the desarts pf Arabia) might have given the Egyptians their first idea
of drying and preserving the dead bodies of their relations and friends.
An undutiful child of civilized parents might here learn a lesson pf
filial piety and benevplence from these barbarians: the old people
always received the first drink of milk, and a larger share than even the
acting head of the family when they were scanted in quantity : when
ever the family moved forward, a camel was first prepared for the old
man, by fixing a kind of basket on the animal's back; they then put
skins or other soft things into it, to make it easy, and next lifting up
the old man, they place him carefully into the basket, with a child or
two oh each side, to take care of and steady him during the march,
while he seems to sit and hold on, more from long habit than from
choice. As Soon as they stopped to pitch the tents, the old map wa3
taken from his camel, and a drink of water or milk given him, for they
take care to save some for that particular purpose. When the tent
was pitched, he was carefully taken up and placed under it on their
mat, where he could go to sleep : — this man's voice was very feeble,
squeaking, and hollow. The remarkably old man I am speaking of
belonged to a family that always pitched their tent near ours, so that
1 had an opportunity of Witnessing the manner of his treatment for
several days together, which was uniformly the same.
After 1 was redeemed in Mogadore I asked my master Sidi Hamet
of what age he supposed this old man to have been, and he said about
eight Zille, or Arabic centuries. Now an Arabic century, or Zille, is
forty lunar years of twelve moons in each year, so that by this com
putation he must have been nearly three hundred years old: he also
told me, that it was very common to find Arabs, on different parts of
the great desart, five Zille old, retaining all their faculties, and that
he had seen a great many of the ages of from seven to eight Zille.
He further said, that my old master from whpm he bought me had lived
nearly five Zille or centuries, though he was very strong and active j
and from the appearance of a great many others in the same tribe, 1
could have no doubt but they were much older. I then asked him
how they knew their own ages, and he answered, " Every family keeps
a record of the ages and names of its children, which they always pre
serve and pack up in the same bag in which they carry the Koran."
Each family had a bag as large as a camel's skin, full of manuscripts,
written on skins prepared for the purpose, resembling parchment, but
not stiff; they were whole goat or sheep skins, covered on all sides
by writing : one skin, I understood, contained the whole Koran. I
told him that few people ip other parts of the world lived to the age of
two Zille and a half, and the people of those countries would not
believe such a story.
" The Arabs who live on the desart (said he) subsist entirely on the
milk of their camels ; it is the milk of an animal that we call sacred,
and it causes long life : those who live on nothing ^Ise, have no sick
ness nor disorders, and are particularly favoured by heaven; but only
carry the same people off from the desart, and iet them live on meat,
and bread, and fruits, they then become subject to every kind of pain
and sickness when they are young, aod only live to the age of about
two Zille and a half at the most, while a great many die very yonng,

68!§MVAtI0NS ON AtfftieA. 160
ftnd not one tenth part of the men ot women live to the age of one
SrVille. I myself (added he) always feel well when I live on the milk
bf the camel alone, even though 1 do not get half as much as 1 want,
for then I am Strong and can bear heat, and cold, and fatigue, much
better than whew I live on flesh, apd bread, and fruit, and have plenty
bf good fresh water to drink, and if 1 could always have as much
camels' milk' as I could drink, I would never taste of meat again; but
1 love bread and honey very much." This account from an Arab
who was my friend and the preserver of my life, and one who had
traversed the desart in many directions, and who was alsp a good
scholar for an Arab, and on whose veracity I could rely, together with
what fell under my own observation, has removed all doubt from my
mind on that subject, and 1 am fully of opinion, that a great many
Arabs on this vast expanse of desart, actually live to the age of two
hundred years and more of our calendar. My reasons for this belief,
in addition to those already given, are,
1st. That their lives are regular, from the day of their birth to the
day of their death.
5jd. That there is no variation in their food, which is of the most
pure and nutritive kind, and cannot cause in them disorders originating
from indigestipn, &c. &c.
3d. That the climate they inhabit, though hot, is perfectly dry, and
consequently must be healthy for those born there; and,
4th. That in their wandering life they are never subjected to hard
bodily labour, and their daily movements afford them sufficient exer
cise to promote a due circulation of the fluids; nor do they ever taste
wine or any ardent spirits, being entirely out of the way of those arti
cles, and are besides strictly forbidden by their religion. 1 am no
physician, and cannot therefore enter into any learned disquisition on
this subject, but merely give my own impressions respecting it, with
out pretending to be less liable to err in judgment than others. It
cannot be doubted but that the Arabs existed as a wandering race long
before the time of the Greeks, and it is possible that they possessed
irt those early ages the art of writing, and reckoned time by the same
method they do at this day ; say forty lunar years for a Zille or cen
tury, and that in translating or quoting from their writings, a Zille may
have been taken for a hundred of our years.
The tribe of Arabs to which I belonged owned four horses, or
rather mares : they were the general property, and were fed on milk,
and watered every two days : with these animals ihey hunt the ostrich,
ahd with this view, having agreed on the time and place, the whole of
the men assemble before daylight on their camels, and surround a
certain spot of ground where they calculate on finding ostriches, with
the horses to windward, and their riders with loaded muskets in their
hands : they then approach each other until they start the ostriches,
who seeing themselves surrounded on all sides but one, run to the
southward before the wind, followed by the horses, which itis said run
extremely swift, and pressing on the ostrich very hard, the bird runs
himself out of breath in about three hours, when the men on horse
back come up and shoot him : but let these birds run against the
wind, and no horse can overtake them, for then they do not lose their
breath.

130 CAPTAIN RtLEv's NARRATIVE.
After my arrival at Mogadore, 1 heard of the Heirie, or small swift
camel of the desart, but I never saw any camel that differed from the
common one either in size or shape,, and can only suppose that it may
be a camel of the same race trained for running sivift, and fed on milk
like the horses. The common camel can easily travel one hundred
miles in a day. A good new milch camel gives at one milking when
on the desart about one quart, which is very rich and good : this is be
sides what suffices to sustain the young camel, and is drawn at mid
night — they only draw about a gill in the morning.
Most of the Arabs are well armed with good double barrelled French
fowling pieces, (which have excellent locks,) and with good scimitars
and knives : each has a kind of bag to carry his slugs, &c. in, slung by
his neck and hanging down to his waist on the left side : their big
powder-horn is suspended in like manner : this contains coarse pow
der, and is used for loading the muskets, but they all have a little horn
in which to carry their fine powder for priming. Many of the gun
barrels that I saw were worn through, and the holes were stopped up
by brazing: they have procured many of their guns, no doubt, by ship
wrecks on the coast of the desart ; many more from caravans that they
have overpowered, and others in the way of trade from the French
settlements of Senegal, and from Tunis, Tripoli, and other ports on
the Mediterranean sea, and Morocco. 1 did not see a single Moorish
musket or lock during the time I was among the Arabs of the desart :
they were all made in Europe, and generally in Paris, with themaker's
name on the locks. They have tolerably good powder, which they
say.they know how to manufacture, but do not make it fine, so that
the first rate English pr French musket powder is much in request,
and looked upon as invaluable for priming. Their swords or scimi
tars they most probably obtain by the same means as their muskets,
or from Turkey : they are ever ready to attack an inferior, pr even ap
equal force, and fight for the sake of plunder.
Their language is the ancient Arabic : is spoken with great fluency,
and is distinguished for its powerful emphasis, and elegant cadence.
When they converse peaceably, (and they are much given to talking
with each other,) it thrills on the ear like the breathings of soft wind-
music, and excites in the soul the most soothing sensations ; but when
they speak in anger, it sounds as hoarse as the roarings of irritated
lions, or the most furious beasts of prey. They attack the small
towns in the vicinity of the desart, on all sides ; which are walled in
to ward off their incursions : if they are successful, they put all to the
sword, burn the towns, and retire again to the desart with their spoil.
Such is the wandering Arab of the great African desart : his hand is
against every man, and consequently every man's hand is against him.
DESCRIPTION OF AN ARABIAN CAMEL OR DROMEDARY.
The Arabian camel, called by the ancients and by the naturalists
the dromedary, is, perhaps, the most singular, and at the same time
oue of the most useful animals in nature. He is, when full grown,
from eight to nine feet in height, and about twelve or fourteen feet in
length, from the end of his nose to the root of his tail : his body is
small, compared with his height : his neck resembles in shape that of
a goose more than any other animal, being long and slender, and it

OBSERVATIONS ON AMIGA. Ill
Seems to grow out of the lower part of his body, between his fore legs «
lie raises his head to the height of his back, poking his nose out hori
zontally, so that his face looks directly upwards, and his nose bene so
high as to be on a line with the top of the bunch on his back : his
head is small, his ears short : his eyes are of various colours, from a
black to almost a white ; bright, and sparkling with instinctive intelli
gence, and placed on the sides of his head in such a manner that he
can see before, behind, and one very side at the same time. His tail is
short, and hangs like that of a cow, with a, small bunch of hair at the
end : his legs are long and slender, though their joints are stout and
strong : his feet are divided something like those of an ox, but he has
no hoof except on the extreme points of the toes — in other parts they
are only cpvered with skin, and are soft and yielding : the soles of
his feet are not thicker than stout sole leather : he is generally of a
light ash colour, but varying from that to a dark brown, and sometimes
a reddish brown : many of them are also marked with white spots or
stripes on their foreheads, and on different parts of their bodies : the
hair on his body is short and fine,-like the finest of wool, and serves the
Arabs instead of that necessary article, with which they make their tent
cloth and coarse covering : it is pulled or else falls off once a year : the
hair about the throat and on the hump is eight or ten inches in length,
and hangs down : he has a high bunch on his back, which rises from
his shoulders, and comes to a blunt point at about the centre of his
back, and tapers off to his hips : this bunch is from one to two feet
high above the back bone, and not attached to it nor to the frame ot
the camel, so that in skinning him the Arabs take off the bunch with
it, which is larger or smaller, as the camel is fat or lean. He who rides
on a camel without a saddle (which saddle is peculiarly constructed,
so as not to touch the bunch) is forced to get on behind it, where the
breadth of the body keeps the rider's legs extended very wide, while
he isobliged to keep himself from slipping off over the beast's tail,
by clenching both hands into the long hair that covers the bunch.
The camel is a very tractable animal ; he lies down on his belly at
the command of his master, folding his legs under him something like
a sheep ; there he remains to receive his rider or his burthen, when he
rises at a word, and proceeds in the way he is driven or directed, with
the utmost docility and readiness, while his master encourages him by
singing. The Arabs use neither bridle nor halter, but guide, and
manage the camel (whose head is quite at liberty) by means of a stick,
assisted by words and sounds of the tongue ; having one sound to
urge him on faster ; one to make him go slower; and a third, which
is a kind of cluck with the tongue to make him stop. He chews his
cud like an ox, and has no fore teeth in his upper jaw ; but his lips
are long and rough, so that he nips off the rugged shrubs without dif
ficulty, on which he is obliged to feed. The carpel seems to have
been formed by nature to live on desarts : he is patient, fleet, strong,
and hardy ; can endure hunger and thirst better than any other ani
mal ; can travel through deep and dead sands with great ease, and
over the flinty parts of the desart without difficulty, though it is hard
for him to go up or down steep hills and mountains, and'to travel on
muddy roads, as he slips about and .strains himself; but he is sure
footed, and walks firmly on a hard dry surface, or on sand. I have

10i CAWAiM RILeVs NARRATIVE.
never Matle ttie natural history of animals my study, and1 it cahftot be
expected that 1 should be acquainted with the particular formation pf
their interier parts ; but 1 will venture to say a few words in regard to
those of the camel, without fear of contradiction from any pne who
shall see and examine for himself, having assisted ip butchering three
camels while a slave.
The camel is described by naturalists as having, besides the fofif
Stomachs common to ruminating animals, a fifth bag, exclusively as a
reservoir for water, where it remains without corrupting or mixing with
the other aliments : this is a mistake — for the bag that holds the water
contains also the chewed herbage, and is in the camel what a paunch
is in an ox. Into this bag all the rough chewed herbage enters, where
it is spftened by the water, thrown again into the.mouth, chewed over,
and passes off by another canal, and the fceces are so dry that the day
after they are voided, the Arabs strike fire on them instead of touch
wood or spunk. Having to draw water for these animals, 1 am certain
that the largest sized ones drink at leaSt two barrels of water at one
time, when they have been long without it, and that the whole of the
camels belonging to the tribe by whom I was made a slave, which were
then at a well, did not again get a drop of water within twenty days :
these camels were at least two thousand in number, and were then on
one of the hottest apd dryest parts of the great western desart, where
there was scarcely a green leaf or shrub to be found, and their owners
knew how far it was back to the same watering place at which myself
and Crew were seized, and to which they drove them again at the end
of that period — and even that water was almost as black as ink, owing
probably to its stagnant state in the well, and very brackish, because it
filtered through the sand beach from the ocean, which was not more
than three hundred yards from the well ; and these camels went twen
ty days without water under such circumstances ; and 1 have not the
smallest doubt that they can go thirty or forty days without water be
fore they would die with thirst. At the end of fifteen days after wa
tering the camels, my old master, Mohammed Bessa, killed an old and
very poor camel, and I was obliged to assist in dressing, though not
in eating it, for its flesh, bones, and intestines, were divided among the
whole tribe ; a small piece to each family : they cut open the paunch
of this camel, (for he had no other bag to'contain water,) and dipped
out the contents, though thick with fceces, in order to boil the intes
tines in it, as well as to drink. When my master, Sidi Hamet, killed
a camel to give me and my companions some meat, and procure some
thing to sustain us on our journey across the desart, the paunch was
rolled out of the camel, and the water taken from it, thick as it was, to
boil the uncleansed intestines. After drinking this stuff, we put the
remainder (about two gallons) with the filth it contained, into one of
our bottles, or goat skins, and it served to sustain life, though the most
rank and nauseous both to the smell and taste that can be imagined.
These bottles sufficiently explain why Christ said, " Put new wine
into new bottles," in order to preserve both, as an old skin bag, being
in scripture termed a bottle, is evidently weaker than anew one, and
more liable to burst during the fermentation of its contents.
The camel is considered by the Arab as a sacred animal : with him
he can transport a load of merchandise of several hundred weight with

observations on africa. 193
tefertalnty and celerity through desarts utterly impassable with any
other animal : on him the wandering Arab can flee with his family
from any enemy, across the trackless waste, one hundred miles or more
in a single day if he wishes, and out of the reach of his pursuers, for
the desart, Uke the ocean, neither retains nor discloses any trace of
the traveller. Its milk is beth food and drink for the whole family,
and when they have a sufficiepcy ef that article, they are contented,
apd desire nothing more : with his camel the Arab is perfectly inde
pendent, and cap bid defiance to all the forces that civilized' pr up-
pivifized foes can sepd against him : with him they collect ip strong
bands, all well armed, apd fall upop the caravans, slaying without
mercy ail they can overpower, and divide their spoil : should they
meet with a repulse, they cap flee and soon be out of sight : they also
attack the settlements and small walled towns in the cultivated country
near the desart, and if strong enough, destroy all the inhabitantSi and
drive off the cattle : all the goods of the slain they carry away on
their camels, and return to the desart, where no force can pursue them
without meeting with certain destruction.
The camel's motions are extremely heavy and jolting: his legs being
long, he steps a great distance, and though he appears to go slowly
when on a walk, yet he proceeds at about the rate of four miles ap
hour, and it is difficult for a man to keep pace with him without run
ning. When the camel trots, he goes very fast ; the small trot being
about six, and the great one about eight miles an hour — this they can
do with great ease with light loads for awhole day together, and will re
plenish their stomachs at night with the leaves and twigs' of the sullen
thorp-bush, that is barely permitted by nature to vegetate in that most
dreary and desolate of all regions. The flesh of the camel is good
for food ; and that of the young ones js esteemed preferable to that of
the ox : they bring forth a single young one at a time, and generally
opce ip about two years, their time of gestation being about ope year.
Whep the camel is ip heat, he is extremely vicious, so that none dare
come near him : they are said to pair like doves, apd not to have pro
miscuous intercourse like horses, neat cattle, &c. The formation of
the camel, in one particular, resembles that of a horse, but it has a
contrary direction, so that the .water is voided behind ; and whep obey
ing pne of the most important instincts of nature, he is obliged to
make his approach in a retrograde manner. In the year 1804, I was
ip (he islapd of Lanzarote, one of the Canaries, and loaded my vessel
(the brig Eliza and Mary, of New- York) with barilla, which I carried
to Belfast, in Ireland ; — the barilla is brought from the interior of the
island to the port, on camels, from whose backs I received apd weighed
it, Their common loads were from nine to twelve quintals of ooe
hundred pounds ; hut many loads overran that weight, and one lqad in
particular weighed over fifteen hundred pounds. Those were the same
kjpd of camels used in Barbary, and op the desart, and indeed 1 never
saw any other kind : they are said to come to their full growth in six
or eight years, and to.live in many instapces, te the ageefnfty er sixty.

17 25

194

CHAPTER XXVII.
Some account of Suse, or South Barbary, and of its inhabitants, cities,
fyc. — the primitive plough and made of using it — primitive churn, and
method of making butter.
The country of Suse, ox South Barbary, is bounded by the Moorish
province of Rah-Hah, on the east, by the Atlas mountains and the
great desart, south, and by the Atlantic ocean on the north and west :
its length from east to west is about two huodred apd fifty miles ; its
breadth from north to south one to two hundred miles. In coming
from the desart, its principal towns are, Waldeleim, which is said to be
very large and strong, and to contain ten thousand inhabitants. Akka
is much the largest town in Suse, and its inhabitants are computed by
the Arabs at thirty thousand. Widnoon is said to contain twenty
thousand. Schelem contains four thousand. Stuka, where I was shut
up a slave, does not appear to be a principal town, but is made up of a
cluster of small ones, nor could I learn the names of the many little
towns or castles, in sight of which I passed coming up. Suse was
formerly a kingdom, and was afterwards united to those of Morocco
and Fez, which now forms the Moorish empire : it has, however, be
come entirely independent, for though the emperor of Morocco claims
jurisdiction over the whole of Suse, and indeed of the whole desart as
far south as Soudan, yet, all those countries are in fact independent,
and the emperor's power extends only a few leagues south and west,
from a line drawn through Santa Cruz or Agader, and Tarudant,
southeast to the Atlas.
The soil of this country is very rich and fruitful : here wheat, barley,
and Indian corn, or maize, are cultivated, and most kinds of kitchen
garden vegetables thrive with great luxuriance ; the date, fig, pome
granate, olive, orange, lemon, sweet and bitter almond, arga, and
many other fruit and forest trees, thrive exceedingly well, and pro
duce, it is said, great abundance in their seasons : the gum arabic and
sanderach are also produced there ip great quantities. The country
being speckled over with small cities, towns, and castles, all strongly
walled in with stone, laid in clay, is calculated to remind one of the
times of the feudal system ; each place is under the government of
its own chief, who is by common consent the head of the family :
they are under a kind of patriarchal government, and each individual
feels himself perfectly free and independent. In case of attack or
danger, all unite for the general defence, under such leaders as shall
have proved themselves brave, enterprising, and worthy of command :
and by this means they are enabled to secure themselves, in some
measure, against the frequent inroads and insults of the wandering
Arabs, who inhabit the great desart in their vicinity, and to repel the
more formidable attacks of the forces of the Moorish emperor. They
raise great numbers of camels, horses, asses, mules, oxen, goats, and
sheep, which are guarded by their pegro slaves, (of whom they have
many) or by the young boys, and they are driven into their towns or
castles every night, to prevent their being surprised and carried off by

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 195
the Arabs, or other predatory neighbours : their horses are very hand
some, strong, and fleet, of the real Arabian kind, apd very high spirited.
The inhabitapts are, of a tawny colour, like the Moors,, though not
quite so dark, and I was informed they were principally descendants
of the ancient inhabitants of the country before it was overrun by the
Arabs or Saracens : they are in their persons about five feet eight or
nine inches in height, stout built, robust, and athletic, and are very
straight limbed : they have rather a roimd visage, with prominent
features, black hair, sharp pointed noses, and great bushy beards :
their eyes are black, but not so lively, expressive, or intelligent, as
those of the Arabs: their mouths lire wide, and their lips plump.
Their dress consists of a kind of shirt made of blue Guinea or linen
cloth, or coarse white muslin, that passes over their, shoulders, and
falls down near their knees, but without sleeves : over this, they wear
a haick or blanket made of woolen cloth, of about five yards in length,
and an ell in width : this they wrap round them; some of them also
wear the cloak, or sulam, and Moorish trowsers ; and have on their
heads either turbans or white cotton cloth, or a fold of their haick.
The heads of the men are generally shaved smooth, at least once a
month : their women, like those of tbe Moors, are not to be seen by
the men, except their husbands or fathers; the men are very indus
trious, and work their land by ploughing itup with a plough formed
out of the trunk of a tree, hewn sharp to a point that projects about
two feet forward, from a stout crooked limb, that serves as a beam to
the plough ; while a smaller, and particularly formed limb, is used as
a handle to steady and govern it. In order to fix their animals to the
plough, they first attach them tegether, say a cow and an ass, (for
this seemed to make a favourite pair, and I observed a great many
such pairs, yoked together) by fastening a rope round the horns of the
cow, and about the nose of the ass, in form of a halter: they next
place a short piece or stick of wood, hollowed out like one end of an
ox yoke across the neck of each animal, and fasten it by means of
a rope tied to one end of the stick ; this going (round under their
necks, is made fast to the other end of the -short yoke; they then run
a long pole through under their bellies, just behind their fore legs,
and fasten it there by means of two ropes, like the draw ropes or
traces of a horse's harness : these are fixed to the rope that goes round
the animal's neck at one end, and the pole under their bellies serves
for a yoke, and projects out a foot or two on each side : to the centre
of this pole, the end of the plough beam is lashed fast. The point
which enters the ground, is hewn in a triangular shape, but the edges
soon wear off, so that it becomes nearly round. In loamy and sandy
soils they plough with the naked wood, but in stony places tbey pointy-
it with a round piece of iron, tapering to a sharp point that lets on
with a socket: it lums up the earth on both sides, and goes into the
' ground about eight inches "de*. The people of Suse, and those of
Morocco, use only one pair of beasts, whatever they may be, and have
lines leading from the heads of the animals into the hands of him who
steadies the plough, by means of which he directs and governs them :
he also carries a thick stick sufficiently long to reach them with a
sharp-pointed iron like a spear in its end ; by the help of which he
pricks and goads his beasts aleng at .pleasure. This iustrumept is an

196 CAP? A1N RILEv's NARRATIVE.
ox goad, and no doubt is similar to those spoken of in Sacred Wrjt— «
1st Samuel iii. 1. But these Maors do not obey that part pf the Jaw
of Moses ; " Thou shaft not plough with an ox and an assi together."
See 22d chapter of Deuteronomy, 10th verse, except by seipetimes
substituting a cow instead of an ox. This, I imagine, was the primi
tive plough, or something very near it, and the first method hit upon
for using it.
I have also promised to treat of the primitive churn, and manner of
making butter, which is simply this. The Arabs, or people who
inhabited the country near the river Euphrates, as long agci as the
time of Abraham, the father of the Jews, and probably much earlier,
knew the use of the camel, and actually kept.him ip auomestfo state :
they would very naturally feed on its-milk, and they, no doubt, in
those days, made use of the same means to carry their ni'dk about
with them, that the wandering Arabs do at present — that is, whatever
milk is left of what the family has been usiug over night or in the
morning, is put into a goat skin, or some other skin, and slung on u
camel to serve for drink in the heat of the day ; thus equipped, they
set off together: and when they stop to take refreshment, or tp pitch
their tent, they find a lump of butter in the milk ; for the violent and
continued agitation, occasioned by the heavy motions of the camel,
has churned, or forced it to produce butter: this simple method was
suggested to my mind by seeing a lump of butter in my old master's
milk bag, when we were wandering on the desart, and this must, with
out doubt, have been the first mode found out by chance of making
butter; for what reason would he have, who had never seen such a
thing as butter, for supposing milk could be converted into that sub
stance, more than any other fluid? For a further illustration of tips
subject, and a view of the camel, see plate, figure 7, copied from an
original drawing by the author.
The country of Suse, altogether, resembles the narrow country as
described in Holy Writ, called the land of Canaan : its vast number of
small cities, or rather castles, with high and strong walls, with gates
and bars, each under its own sovereign, must be similar to the cities
there described, as taken and destroyed by the Jews, (together with
their kings) soon after they emerged from the desarts of Arabia, uiuje'r
the command of their chieftain and prophet, Joshua, and have, doubt
less, been constructed for the same purpose ; i. e. to guard against
the irruptions of the wandering inhabitants of the contiguous desarts,
<&.c. The inhabitants are brave and warlike: all well armed with
single barrelled muskets, stocked and mounted in the Moorish man
ner, and with Moorish locks ; they have also knives, daggers, scipii-
tar^, and swords, and are the best of horsemen: they seldom' or eYer
go out of their little cities unarmed; but like the wanderiqg Arab on
the desart, they are completely equipped either for offence or defence,
even when they go to visit their nearesffriends. They are said to be,
like the Arabs, warm and sincere in their friendship ; in their ennii-
ties implacable, cruel, and revengeful; and in trade, cunning and
deceitful. The whole number pf inhabitants in Suse, includipg white and
black slaves, is estimated at more than one million: they are all strict
observers of the Mohammedan doctrine and ceremonies, and appear to

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 197
be enthusiasts in religion, though like the Moors they are not geoe-
raily taught the arts of reading and writing, and are in consequence
considered by the, wandering Arabs much beneath them in acquire
ments, as well as in point of natural abilities. Their language is the
corrupt Arabic, not easily understood by the Arabs of the desart, who
pretend to speak and write that ancient and beautiful lapguage ip its
greatest purity.

CHAPTER XXVIII.
.Sortie account of an insurrection in Morocco — The Bashaw of Swearah
is seized and put in irons — change of governors — the Jews are forced
to pay their tribute or turn Mohammedans — their treatment by the
Moors — a Jew buried — a circumcision — a Jexvish Priest arrives from
Jerusalem — f/ie author obtains from him some account of the present
Jerusalem, and its inhabitants, and of the method pursued by the
priests for getting money from the Jews in Europe and in Barbary —
a Moorish execution and maiming — of tile Jews in West Barbary.
Thkre had beep an insurrection in the province of Duquella the
last year, (1815) which had spread itself into the provinces of Abdah
and Siedmah, and was said to have originated from a false report of
the emperor's death. The governor or Bashaw of these provinces,
whose name was Mohammed ben Absedik, resided in Swearah, and
had been a Bashaw and a man of great power during nearly the whole
reign of Muley Soliman, the present emperor — he was the officer be
fore whom I was carried on my arrival at Swearah, or Mogadore. I
was informed that he had used all the means in his power to quell this
insurrection, but could not succeed until the emperor joined him with
an army of thirty thousand men, when a most desperate battle was
fought, which terminated in the destruction of more than fifteen thou
sand of the rebels, and the remainder were reduced to unconditional
submission. The whole of their flocks, herds, and substance, fell into
the hands of the Sultan, or rather his black troops, who showed them
not the least mercy, but seized on ihe wretched fugitives wherever
they could be found, massacred many thousands, and carried thosev
that remained of the revolters, with their families, ipto the provinces
that had not rebelled, where they were distributed as slaves.
This war being thus terminated, Mohammed ben Absedik had re
turned in triumph to Mogadore, or Swearah, a few days previous to
my, arrival there, when he caused presents to be made to him, as if he
had taken possession of a new government. In the mean time the death
of the Sultan's first minister, named Ben Slowy, was announced : he
had beep the firm friend of Mohammed ben Absedik, and with the aid
of Muley a Tea, (the Sultan's princely tea maker,) who was always
about his person, managed the whole affairs of the Moorish empire^
Ben Slowy being dead, and Muley a Tea sent to Fez to transact the
imperial business in that quarter, the emperor then at Morocco, the
enemies of Mohammed ben Absedik, (for he had been long in power,
and had a host of them) found means to transmit heavy ccmplaints to
17 *

198
the Sultan against him, (Ben Absedik) and his administration, who
perceiving the cloud lowering upon him, set out for Morocco about the
20th of November, 1815, hoping by an early interview with the em
peror, to dispel the impending storm — he had only been gone from
Mogadore, or Swearah four days, when late in the evening a new go
vernor arrived, accompanied by six hundred horsemen. The gates
had been shut for the night ; the brother of the Bashaw was civil
governor of the city and port: the emperor's order was sent to him
over the wall ; — the gates were soon opened, and the new governor,
or alcayd, entered amidst the general and joyful acclamations of the
inhabitants, both Moors and Jews. These ignorant and discontented
people (ever fond of change) flattered themselves that this arrange
ment would be for the better, and in the morning all were ready to pre
fer complaints against their former governor, when they waited on the
new one, and made their customary presents. This governor took
charge of the civil affairs of the city and the custom-house, in the
room of Ajjh Haniet, (or Hamet the pilgrim,) the Bashaw's brother,
who was ordered to repair with his family to Morocco, and set out for
that city the next day, accompanied by a strong guard of black troops.
In the eveping ol the same day, a commander of the troops, or
military governor, arrived : he was a black man, and had three hun
dred horsemen for an escort, all of the same colour : he was received
with considerable pomp, and took on himself the immediate command.
We now learned that Mohammed ben Absedik had been put in irons
on his arrival at Morocco, and sent off to Fez, and, that all his proper
ty was seized by order of the Sultan, as soon as it could be found.
" New lords, new laws," says the old adage : — a small vessel had ar
rived from Gibraltar — no goods could be landed — new duties were an
nounced, and new regulations, by which no vessel was allowed to be
supplied with provisions except for daily consumption : the duties and
impositions to be paid every day amounted to more than the first ccst
of the articles consumed.
The Moors, who had rejoiced at the fall of the old Bashaw and civil
governor, or aicayd, soon changed their tone, and began to wish them
back again : all the Moors in the town, up to that time, were consider
ed as imperial soldiers or sailors, and accordingly received a monthly
allowance out of the Beetle mell, or treasury — this was now ordered to
be stopped from the white Moors, but that all the black Moors, or negro
tropps, should be paid double : new officers were appointed, and many
of the old ones confined and sent to Morocco, or despoiled of their
property. The Christian merchants residing there, four in number,
were obliged to make costly presents to the new governor. The
Christians are, William' Wiilshire, Esq. my deliverer, of the house of
Dupuyand Wiilshire, the most respectable there in point of property,
as well as op every other account, being connected in business with
James Rensluiw if Co. of London, and George Allardyce Sf Co. of
Gibraltar, both houses of long standing and great respectability ; 
Don Estevan Leonardi, and his nephew, Don Antonio, French, Por
tuguese, and Genoese consular agents ;— Don Pablo Riva, a respec
table Genoese, and Alexander W. Court, and Mr. John Foxcroft.
The Jews, that were overjoyed at the recent change, soon turned their
joy into mourning, when they received, a day cr two after, an order to

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 199
pay their Gazier, or yearly tribute to the Sultan : the order was for
about three thousand five hundred dollars, including expenses, (for
the Moor who brought the order must be paid,) in a gross sum to be
raised directly : the gates, of the Jews' town, or Millah, were imme
diately closed upon them, nor were any suffered to go out until the
money was forthcoming.
The whole number of Jews here does not probably exceed six
thousand souls, and they are very poor : the priests or rabbie3 soon
convened them in their synagogues, and apportioned the tax accord
ing to their law ; they were classed thus : the four Jew merchants,
Ben Guidallas, Macnin, Abilbol, and Zagury, formed the first class, and
I was told their share was two thousand dollars or more ; the few petty
traders the seeaed,,, the mechanics the third, and the lowest order of
miserable labourers the fourth class : the priests and rabbies (who are
a great proportion of their number) were of course exempted, as the
other classes support them at all times : not a Jew, either man, wo
man, or child, was allowed to go out of their town for three days, ex
cept they were wanted by the Moors or Christians to work, and not
then without an order from the alcayd.
During this period I visited the Jews' town several times, but never
without seeing more or less of these miserable wretches knocked down
like bullocks by the gate-keepers, with their large canes, as they at
tempted to rush past them, when the gates were opened, to procure a
little water or food for their hungry and thirsty families^ On the fourth
day, when the arrangements had been made by the priests and elders,
they sent word to the governor, and the three first classes were order
ed before him to pay their apportionment. 1 knew of it, because 1
was informed by Mr. Willshire's interpreter and broker, who was a Jew
of considerable understanding, named Ben Nahory — he was one of the
committee of arrangement to wait on the governor. I wished to see
the pperation, and went near the house of the alcayd for that purpose.
The Jews soon appeared by classes ; as they approached, they put
off their slippers, took their money in. both their hands, and holding
them alongside each other, as high as the breast, came slowly forward
to the talb, or Mohammedan scrivener, appointed to receive it; hetook
it from them, hitting each one a smart blow with his fist on his bare
forehead, by way of a receipt for his money, at which the Jews said,
Ncdima Sidi, (thank you, my lord,) and retired to give place to his
companion. Thus they proceeded through the three first classes without much
difficulty, when the fourth class was forced up with big sticks : this
class was very numerous, as well as miserable: they approached very
unwillingly, and were asked, one by one, if they were ready to pay
their gazier: when one said, yes, he approached as the others had
done, paid his money, took a similar receipt, and then went about his
business; he that said, no, he could not, or was not ready, was seized
instantly by the Moors, who throwing him flat on his face to the ground,
gave him about fifty blows with- a thick stick upon his back and pos
teriors, and conducted him away, I was told, into a dungeon, under a
bomb proof battery, next the western city wall, facing the ocean : there
were many served in this way— the Jews' town was all this time strongly
guarded and striptly watched. At the end of three days more, I was

200 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
informed that those who were ccnfined in the. dungepp were brought
forth, but I did put see them : the friends of some of these poor crea
tures had made up the money, and they were dismissed; whilst the
others, after receiving more stripes, were remanded and put in ireps.
Before the pext three days had expired, many ef them changed their
religien, were received by the Moors as brothers, and were taken to
the mosque, and highly feasted, but were held responsible for the last
tax notwithstanding. The foui- above-named Jew merchants, in Swea
rah or Mogadore, live in high style ; are absolute in the Jews' town,
and manage nearly all the English trade at Mogadore: at present,
their stores are allowed to be kept in the fortress part of the towp, or
el Ksebbah. where Guidallas and Macnin axe permitted to reside and
stay at nignt, by paying a handsome sum to government : Guidallas
wears European cut clothing, the others the Jew dress.
I had the pleasure to see two brigs arrive from England, and to
receive a letter from Mr. Simpson at Tangier, and a kind letter from
Mr. Sprague at Gibraltar, which are before mentioned and inserted.
Two days after the arrival of these vessels from London, the one com
manded by captain Mackay, and the , other by captaip Hepdersop, 1
went down to the water port to see these geptlemen when they should
land in the morning: on my arrival there, I saw a great concourse of
soldiers, and on inquiring the cause, found that an execution was
about to take place, and some malefactors were at the same time to
be maimed. The governor arrived at this moment, and the prisoners
were driven in with their hands tied : the order for punishment was
read by the Cadi or Judge, and the culprits told to prepare them
selves, which they did by saying, Hi el Allah Sheda Mohammed Rah-
sool Allah, and worshippipg. They were then made to sit down in a
line upon their legs on the ground: a butcher next came forward with
a sharp knife in his hand ; he seized the first in the line on the left, by
the beard, with his left hand ; two men were at the same time hold-
ipg the prisoner's hands : the butcher began cutting very leisurely
with his knife round the neck, (which was a very thick one,) and kept
cutting to the bones until the flesh was separated ; he then shoved the
head violently from side to side, cutting in with the point of the knife
to divide the sinews, which he seemed to search out among the streams
of blood, ope by ooe : he finally got the head off, and threw it on a
mat that was spread to receive the mutilated limbs of the others.
There were eight more who were sentenced to lose a leg and an arm
each, and nine to lose only one arm. The butcher began to amputate
the legs at the knee joint, by cutting the flesh and sinews round with
his knife, which he sharpened from time to time on a stone : he would
then part the joint by breaking it short over his knee, as a butcher
would part the joint in the leg of an ox. Having in this manner got
off the leg, and thrown it on the mat, he proceeded to take off the arm
at the elbow, in the same leisurely and clumsy manner; he seemed,
however, to improve by practice, so that he carved off the hands of the
last eight at their wrists, in a ve*ry short time — this done, they next
proceeded to take up the arteries, and apply a plaister, which was soon
accomplished by dippipg the stumps into a kettle of boilipg pitch that
stood near, or something that had the same appearance and smell. Is
not this last circumstapce an improvement in surgery 1 They then

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 20l
carried the lifeless trunk and mutilated bodies, with the head and other
limbs, to the market : the head and limbs were carried on a mat by
six men, who were making as much sport as possible, for the specta
tors : the bodies were thrown across jack asses, and they were ex
posed in the most public part of the market place, nearly the whole
(lay. The twp governors, and other, officers who were present during
the execution of the sentence, were sitting on the ground next to a
wall, appearing quite unconcerned, and were conversing gaily oo other
subjects. The Moors, who came from mere curiosity, did not shew'
the least mark of disapprobatipn, or any signs of horror : they jested
with the butcher, who seemed highly gratified with the part he was
acting. 1 now asked Itais bel Cossim, who attended me, concerning the
mode of procuring an executioner, &c. &c. He told me, that when
an order came to execute or maim any culprits, it generally embraced
Several at the same time, so as to make but one job of it: that the
butchers were called on by the alcayd or governor, and forced to find
one out of their pumber to do this work : that they then made up a
purse agreeably to a rule, made among themselves in such cases;
that is, two and a half ducats per man for cutting off heads, and two
ducats per man for maiming ; (two and a half ducats make one dol
lar; or forty cents per ducat;) they then question each other to knpw
who will accept of the money, and do the job : if no one appears will
ing, they cast lots, and the one on whom it falls, is obliged to undertake
it : this man is protected by the governor for twenty-four hours after
the execution, when he is left to take care of himself, brave the public
odium, and the revenge of the friends of the sufferer ; or else to fly :
he generally goes off the first night afterwards to some other place,
and never returns : his wife, if he has one^ can be divorced from him
by applying to the Cadi or Judge, and swearing, that as her husband
has served as an executioner, she is afraid to live with him, lest he
should be tempted to commit some violence on her, in a similar way.
The butcher who acted on the present occasion, was a voluntary
executioner for forty-eight ducats, and he decamped the next night,
leaving, as I was informed, a wife and seven children to shift for them
selves: he was poor, and carried away his wages of death with him.
Mr. Wiilshire and Don Pablo Riva, confirmed this statement, sub
stantially. Taking a walk round the walls of the city one day, to make obser
vations on it at low water, in company with Mr. Savage, and being
esc&rted by a Moor, in order to protect us from insults, we came to
the Jews' burial place : it is situated a little without the walls, and on
the north side of the City, near the ruins of a couple of wind-mills,
which I was informed, used to do all the grinding for the city; but
this work is now performed in the town by horse-mills. On our ap
proach, we observed a great concourse of Jew women, and heard a
great outcry : curiosity led us to the spot where they were collected :
here was a uewly dug grave, and the dead body of a man lying on the
ground Pear it, enveloped ip a cotton wrapper, with his face partly
covered : some men were busied in clearing out and preparing the
grave; others had brought and were bringipg lime, mortar, and stones,
to fill it up with : whilst upwards of one hundred women were stand-
37

202 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
ing in a circle eastward of the grave, hpwling ip an extraordinary
manner. On a nearer approach, 1 observed about a dozen women in
tattered garments, who formed an inner circle. As I gazed with pity
on this spectacle, these twelve women, who were before quiet, seemed
to be seized with a sudden paroxysm pf grief; and they began to
approach each other with their hands uplifted above their heads ;
stretching the palms towards each other's faces, and ccrpmenced howl
ing, at first moderately, but which soon increased to wailings the most
violent, and yellings that it is impossible to describe ; they tore their
faces with their long finger-nails, and made the most hideous contor
tions of their features : the mania was now communicated to all the
womeu present, who joined in the lamentation, but the others did not
tsar their faces like the twelve, who kept it up, stamping with their feet,
and going round in their circle; their blood and perspiration mixing
together, and streaming from their faces, ran all over their filthy gar
ments, and dyed them red in streaks from head to foot : this paroxysm
lasted fifteen Pr twenty minutes, when they were so much exhausted
ns to be under the necessity of ceasing for a few moments, to take
breath, when they commenced again, and went over the same cere
mony, seemingly wiih redoubled vigour. The grave being at last
ready, the body was put in by the men, who then built up over it a
wall, of mason work, even with the surface of the ground. The grave
was dug in a direction north and south; the head was placed towards
the south, and space enough left on one side of the body to support
the weight of the mason-work, without bearing upon the corpse : they
next rolled a stone on it, formed of lime and small pebbles about two
feet square, and as long as the grave; this they placed level on a bed
of lime mortar, and then retired without speaking, except as much as
was necessary to prompt mutual assistance: the women all this time
keeping up their howlings. After the men had retired, the women
ceased their wailings, and seating themselves alongside the wind-mill,
were refreshed by eating cakes, and drinking copious draughts of
anniseed, Jew brandy, which had been previously preparedfor the
purpose, and they soon became as merry in reality, as they had before
appeared to bo sad. While these women were regaling themselves in
this manner, I observed an old woman washing the corpse of a child
of about two years old, in the surf: she then wrapped it up in a dirty
piece of woollen cloth, and carried it to a man who had been digging
a hole for it in the side of another grave, where he shoved it in ; put a
flat stone before it ; filled up the hole with stone and lime, and went
away: one woman only attended the burial of the child, besides her ¦
who wrapped it up ; and this must have been its mother, as I judged
from her emotions : she sobbed aloud, while an abundance of tears
trickled down her wo-worn, and furrowed cheeks. I concluded she
was poor and a widow : not a soul seemed to join her, or pay the least
attention |,o her grief: after a short pause, she kissed passionately the
stone that covered, I presume, the remains of both her husband and
child ; wet it with her tears ; wiped it with a clean white cloth she had
jn her hand, and returned weeping, amid the brutal scoffs of the
Moorish boys, as she dragged herself along towards her cheerless
abode. The women who had assisted at the other burial, had by this
time eqrfod their repast, and they went round amongst the graves ;

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 203
many kissed their hands and laid them on the grave-stones of their
deceased relations, while others kissed the rude resemblance of a face
carved on the stone : others plucked up the weeds and grass that
encroached on the grave, or replaced the earth and small stones which
had been dug out by the rats, or broken off by the corroding tooth
of time.
On my way home to Mr. Willshire's house, 1 learned that the
corpse ot the man that was buried, was that of a rabbi, Who was> poor,
and had not been able for a long tiuie to perform the duties of his
office, and was buried by charity ; i also learned from Ben Nahory,
Mr. Willshire's interpreter, that a priest, or rabbi, had arrived from
Jerusalem, to gather the tribute paid yearly by all the Jews in Barbary,
towards the support of the few Jewish priests, or Levites, who are
permitted to reside in Jerusalem, by paying a tribute to the^ Grand
Seignior, or Sultan of the Turkish empire, and for purposes of traffic :
this is called a voluntary contribution for the support of Jerusalem.
All the Jews in these countries believe that their nation is one day to
sway the sceptre of universal dominion, and that Jerusalem must be
kept as a kind of possession until the time arrives predicted by their
prophets, when the little stone is to be cut out without hands from the
mountain of Jerusalem, and is to fill the whole earth. This and other
predictions, constantly and adroitly handled by their crafty teachers,
together with, the miseries inflicted on the Jews in Barbary by the
merciless Moors, tend to nurse their natural superstitions, and render
them completely subservient to the will of those who are considered
their spiritual guides, and who rob them without mercy, under the
pretext of applying the money to good purposes.
A schooner arrived from Gibraltar under the English flag, though
a Genoese vessel, as the Barbary powers were at war with Genoa : she
brought a cargo of dry goods, iron, steel, cotton, &c. to Ben Zagury,
a Jew : one of his sons came passenger in the vessel ; his name was
Elio Zagury; he was a young Jew, was dressed in the European
fashion, had been educated in England, and spoke the English lan
guage fluently. As soon as he had sjeen his father, he called on Mr.
Wiilshire, and to. see me; expressed great joy at my deliverance, and
invited Mr. Wiilshire, myself, and Mr. Savage, to dine with him at his
father's the next Saturday : the invitationwas accepted, because I
wanted to learn some of the Jewish customs, and get acquainted with
the priest from Jerusalem, who was a guest in his father's house. On
our arrival there, I was presented to the priest: he was a man of mid
dling stature, dark complexion, short hair, and a most venerable,
manly beard, that reached down nearly to his eeinture, or girdle: his
dress was a brown striped mantle, that buttoned close round his neck,
and fell loosely to his feet, on which he had a pair of black slippers, .
down at the heel, as is the custom of Moorish Jews : his head was
covered with a camblet coloured turban, very high : in his hand he held
a string of very large beads, which he was continually counting or
telling over: his mantle was girt above his hips with a brown silk gir
dle that took several turns round him; and was about six inches wide.
I accosted him in Spanish, which he spoke very fluently — and made
inquiries of him respecting the present city of Jerusalem and its in
habitants, From -his answers (as he was very intelliger.fi 1 learned.

204 Captain riley's narrative.
that Jerusalem now contains thirty thousand Turks, and twenty thou
sand Jews, Armenians, and Greeks : that a very brisk trade is carried
on there, principally by Jews, between it, Persia, Constaptinople, apd
Jaffa, which Jews are permitted to reside there apd trade, op paying a
tribute to. the Grand Seignior: that the language mostly spdkenhy
the Jews and Christians at Jerusalem is the Spanish : that there is a
convent of Christian monks near it, containing a number of St. Fran
cisco's order, &c.
The walls of Jerusalem are strong and well built : all religious deno
minations ate there tolerated by paying contributions, and protected
by order of the Grand Seignior, provided they pay the scldiers well
for their trouble. The name of this priest was Abraham ben NdsSar :
he said he should get about twenty thousand dollars from the Jews in
the Bloorish dominions, and carry the amount of contributions in gold,
'embarking again at Tangier for Gibraltar, where he should deposit the
money while he went to England, France, Holland, and Germany,
for the same purpose : that there were six more associated With him
on the collecting expeditions : one of them had gone to Alexapdfia,
ahd other parts of Egypt, to collect from the Jews there, from whence
he would return by way of the different islands in the Archipelago :
one had sailed for Tripoli, who would take money from the Jews there
and at Malta; thence to Italy and back; one had gone to Tunis and
its various towns, and would go from thence to Sicily and Sardinia,
and back; one had gone to Algiers and the towns in that regency,
and would go from thence to ancient Greece, including Venice, ahd
that part of Germany bordering on the Venetian gulf; one had gone
over land to Russia, and would meet him in Germany, after passing
through Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Prussia, &c. 1 wished to haVe
an estimate of the sums likely to be collected in all those places, and
then he began to be a little reserved. However, after considerable
Conversation and solicitation, he one day gave me what he stated to be
the amount of collections as per the last returns of 1813, which he had
with him in Hebrew, and I set it down as he interpreted, after he had
first brought the several sums into Spanish dollars ; it made up in the
countries already mentioned, five hundred and eighty thousand dol
lars ; this was exclusive of the expenses of collecting, and travelling
out and returning again to Jerusalem. Mapy individuals of the priests
also came from Jerusalem to Barbary, begging on their own account.
Out of this fund a yearly tribute is paid to the Grand Seignior, besides
impositions in the form of presents to the Turkish officers ; add the
remainder serves to support the rabbies, who are very numerous in
Jerusalem, and for commercial purposes : thus the superstition and
credulity of the ignorant Jews in all Europe and Africa, as well as in
Asia, are made subservient to the purposes of the elders of that sin
gular people, who still reside, by permission, at Jerusalem.
The city of Jerusalem lies from thirty to forty miles east of Jaffy, a
small port on the Mediterranean sea : from thence to Jerusalem the
road is good, aod the priest told me he had walked the distance io two
days. Jaffy is the port apciently called Joppa : it has a small town
and fortress, and considerable trade with Jerusalem, the islands m the
Archipelago, and with Egypt, and some with Malta and Italy ; here
the Jewish priests, who are sent out pn begging expeditions, embark,

OBSERVATIONS. ON AFRICA. 206
anci return by way of the same place, generally in Greek vessels pf
small burthen, but very well built and manned.
The priest asked me many questions respecting America, of which
he knew but very little, and thought it was a wilderness or a desart.
After I had put him right in regard to those poipts, and informed him
we had many Jews in America, where they enjoyed every kind of pri
vilege in common with people of other religions ; that they could hold
landed estates, &c. and that many of them were very rich, he declared
that as soon as he should have finished his present tour, which would
still detain him more than a year, he would try to obtain leave to visit
Amprica, and collect the dues there. 1 informed him that our Jews
were pot so superstitious, nor in such bad repute, as those in Africa or
Europe, where they were looked upon as a set of sharpers and villains :
't That may be, (said he,) but if they are Jews, they must conform to
the laws pf Moses, and must contribute towards the support of those
pf their nation who reside in the Holy Land, in order to be ready for
the future conquest of Jerusalem, which would be the fulfilment of
God's promises to his people." I asked him in what manner they
collected this contribution 1 and he told me, that " having letters front
the chief rabbies and elders at Jerusalem, the collectors (who are
always rabbies) were kindly received and well treated by all Jews
wherever they came ; that soon after their arrival in any place where
synagogues qre established, they convene all the Jews together, and
helving laid before them the authority by which they make the demand,
they then proceed, with the assistance of the priests and chief Jews of
the place, to cjass them, and apportion the sum to he raised amongst
therh according to their ability : when this is done, the tax must be
paid without de|ay : it takes up six or eight months time to make up
the sums and finish the collections in the empire of Morocco."
The Jews in West Barbary are as completely under the control of
the Moors, as if they were slaves, though they fancy themselver in
some measure free : even theft dress is regulated by a Moorish law ;
that of the pien consists of a shirt, without a cpllar, and wide petticoat
drawers that come tight below the knees ; the sleeves of the shirt,
which are of the full breadth, of coarse muslin cloth, fall a little below
their elbows, apd are not plaited in apy way, but hang flowing : they
wear above the shirt, a jacket with short sleeves to their elbows — the
jacket is generally made of green woollen cloth, with a small collar,
buttoned tight round the lower part of the neck ; it is sorpelirnes
wrought wifh needle-wqrk frbni the collar to the waist in front, with
which, and small round buttons, made from the same materials, it is
almost covered : they hook this together with wire hooks ; and again
over this, those who cap afford it have a black cotton mantle, which
comes over their shoulders, and falls dpwp tp the calves pf their legs —
this, is so contrived, that one end can be thrown over the left shoulder
in. such a planner as to discover the drawers : they are girded with
sashes of various colours over the mantle round about their loips: they
wear long beards, and black woollen caps on the back part of their
heacjs, leaving the forehead uncovered, which is shaved often, and kept
smooth. The four merchants, that lived in Mogadore, wpre coloured
silk handkerchiefs on their heads, covering their caps, and tied loosely
under their chins : they also go bare legged, and wear black slippers
18

206 on their feet, as the luxury of coloured slippers is forbidden them. In
riding, they were formerly restricted to the ass alone, but now they use
mules, which they are not, however, allowed to mount or ride within
the gates of the city. When Jews or Jewesses are about to pass a
mosque, or place of worship, they must take off their slippers, and
carry them in their hands, going barefoot past it, and that too, until
they enter another street.
The dress here described, is that of the wealthy who can afford it,
but the greater part of the Jews in West Barbary, are poor, miserable,
and covered with rags and vermin. A Jewess of the first class, is clad
with a shirt made of muslin', that is very wide ; the sleeves, not less
than a yard, hang loosely down to the elbow, when the two hinder
parts are doubled and fastened together behind their backs ; the bosom
of this shirt is wrought with fine needle-work on both sides ; it laps
over before, and covers part of the breasts : a white waistcoat, wrought
in like manner, is superadded : the lower extremity of this is covered
by a wrapper, in form of short petticoats, wrapped around above the
hips, and just laps over in front ; this is commonly made of green
broadcloth, and falls down below the knees : the two lower corners in
front, are covered with a fancifully cut piece of red broadcloth — the
whole is fastened together by a girdle round the hips, to which are
suspended behind a number of red woollen cords of different lengths,
hanging down with a piece of plated silver, or other metal, bent round
each at its lowest end; these make a kind of tinkling when they walk
by, striking against each other. Their hair is long, coarse, and black,
and the principal part turned up, and fastened on the top of the head,
while two small braids from behind each ear, are attached together at
their extremities, and fall down to their girdles.
Married women of the first class, cover their heads with a flowing
silk handkerchief. Both married and single women^ are extremely
fond of ornaments, and are generally corpulent : they wear amber and
pearl necklaces, with golden hearts, set about with fine diamonds and
other precious stones : many other ornaments are also hung to their
necklaces, which are frequently connected by golden chains: they
wear silver or gold bracelets around their wrists and ankles, from one
to two inches wide, enriched with enamel and precious stones. I ex
amined several of these ornaments : they are made of the finest gold,
silver, and stones, and the best amber : the weight of the four bracelets
on the wrists and ankles of a young girl, (a broker's daughter,) was
fourteen ounces, and they cost, together with her necklaces, ear and
finger-rings, apd other ornaments, about two thousand dollars. Those
of the Jews who can get money, are excessively fond of ornamenting
their wives and daughters, and setting off their charms to the very best
advantage ; but there are very few of them that have the ability : not
more than twenty Jews in Mogadore can afford this expense ; and but
few of the rest can furnish their wives and daughters with bracelets
of even base metal, washed over with silver or gold; yet every wo
man feels as if she were naked, without some ornaments of this de
scription. The Jews are forced to live in a town by themselves, called el Mil
lah, but the Moors enter it whenever they choose, without the smallest
restraint. Should a Jew attempt to resist a Mopr on any occasion,

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 207
he is sure of, getting- a sound drubbing, and as his testimony cannot
be taken against a Moor, any more than that of a negro slave in the
West Indies and the soothem states of America, cap be given against
a white man ; he is forced to pocket every affront, and content himself
therewith. The Jews' Sunday begins on Friday evening at sunset, after which
time no Jew can even light a candle or lamp, or kindle a fire, or cook
any thing until Saturday night, at the same hour; so that they heat
their ovens on Friday ; put in their provisions before night, for their
next day's meals, and let it stand in the ovens until Saturday noon,
when it is taken out, and set on the table, or on the floor, by' Moors,
whom they centrive to hire for that purpose. Every Jew who can af
ford it, has brass or silver lamps hanging up in his house, which are
lighted on Friday and not extinguished until Sunday morning : they
burn either olive or argan oil. Their principal ' and standing Sunday
dinner, is called skanah ; it is made of peas baked in an oven' for
pearly twenty-four hours, with a quantity of beeves' marrow bones,
(having very little meat on them) broken to pieces over them : it is a
very luscious and fattening dish, and by no means a bad one : this,
with a few vegetables, and sometimes a plum-pudding, gopd bread,
and Jews' brandy, distilled from figs and anniseed, and bittered with
wormwood, makes up the repast of the Jews who call themselves
rich. The poor can only .afford skanah and barley-bread on their
Sunday, ' and live the rest of the week as thfey can. The men and
boys attend their synagogues, (on their Sundays,) but these are no
more than small rooms, where all join in jabbering -over prayers in
Hebrew, as fast as they can speak, every one in his own natural tone
of voice, making altogether a most barbarous kind of jargon.
The Jewish women are considered by the men as having no souls,
nor are they allowed generally to enter the synagogues, nor do the
women partakeof their sacraments. The sacraments consist of bread
and wineV and of circumcision. While in Mogadore, 1 attended a
Jewish.circumcision. The child being ready, and the friends present,
the priest took him on his left arm, having a pair of silver tongs in his
left hand, with which he gauged and prepared the parts, and performed
the operation with a sharp knife he had in his right hand, cutting off
a piece of the flesh, as well as all the foreskin : this appeared to me to
be a painful and cruel operation, and it made 'the infant scream out
most piteously. The Jews circumcise at the age of eight days, and
the Moors and Arabs at the age of eight years ; the Arabs cut the
foreskin and flesh off square, as well as the Jews ; but with the Arabs,
as 1 have before observed, it is a preventive of venereal, disease, and
not a religious rite. For a view of the* Jewish costume, and manner
of performing this ceremony in West Barbary, see plate No. 8.
During my journey towards Tangier, we put up at Saffy, during
the Jews' Sabbath, having two Jews in company, who had friends
or relations in that place that entertained them, and furnished a sup
per. Before eating, they brought forward a cup in the form of a tan
kard, and some white bread, ip which some green herbs had been
chopped up, and mixed with it before baking : they all arose at once,
formed a circle round the supper dish, consisting of boiled fowls,
which was set op the floor, and when standing, all begap to chant

808 CAPTAIN RiLEY's NARRATIVE.
over their prayers in Hebrew, as fast as they could speak : there vy$ri
spout twenty in all, relations and visitors. As I was ignorant of the
Hebrew language, which they spoke, and which I am told, differs ma
terially from that taught in the schools and colleges of our country. 1
pqujd npt joip with them. This chant, discordant enpqgh to be sure,
ip my ear", took up at least a quarter of an hour. When they were
abput tp finish, they passed round the bread, of which each one topk a
pjece, and pot tp he singular, 1 took one also and ate it. After saying
oypr a-fow more words, they handed round the cup to all, and each topk
a. jjrink, keeping up their chant all the time — when it capie round to
Kip, 1 topk it and drank a little : it was wine, made by steeping dry
iraisips in water, and to me not very palatable, being somewhat sour
apd bittpr. After the cup had goneround^ all turned their faces tp the
cast, bowri'd thrice, bending their bodies more than half way tp the
ground, still going on with their chant. As soon as they had done
Worshipping, they resumed their places round the dish, seized each
other by the hand, giving it a convulsive grasp, and stamping at the
samp rime with their feet : this terminated the ceremony. The chapt
being finished, all took their seats around the dish as near as fhey
cppld get, on their legs and on the floor, having first washed their
hands ; some vigorously seized the boiled fowls, which they soon
carved, by pulling them to pieces, and then passed those pieces
round to the company. Their bread was made of barley-meal ;
this .they dipped in the dish, after each bite, and called it a sop : the
¦jravy ip which they dipped their bread, was the liquor in which the
owls had heep boiled, mixed with vinegar- This was on Friday eve
ning, January the Oth, 1816, about iTo'dock, P. M. On the next
evening, they repeated the same ceremonies. After supper, they
amused themselves by singing songs in Arabic, and telling stories,
which they kept up with great glee until near midnight, when, at my
entreaty, they retired for the night, as I wished to get some rest.

£

CHAPTER XXIX.
Nty> orders arrive from the emperor — Mr. Wiilshire is grossly insulted
by Moors — A description of the city and port of Swearah, or Moga
dore — Us inhabitants, commerce, manufactures, fyc.
About the last of November, a courier came to Mogadore from the
emperor tp the governor, ordering him not to suffer a Moor to serve
either a Christian or Jew, under any pretence whatever, or to live in
their hpuses, under the severest penalty : this letter was no sooner
read, thap the news flew to every part of the town. In consequence of
this order, ilais Bel Cossim, Bel Mooden, and a Moor of the name of
Soliman, who had been constantly in and about Mr. Willshire's house,
dursf npt return even to take their leave : the fife of a Christian pre
vious to this was hardly safe, even ip the city, without a Moor iu com
pany to ward) off the insults of the boys and those of the Moors who
wefe vicious or fanatical, tiew orders had also beep given to the
guards of the water-pert, npt tp alfow apy one to go op board ves-

observations on Africa, 209
*|U, except the captalni and crews, without a special order from the
governor. Op pew-year's day, captaips Mackay and Henderson, of whom I
liave before spoken, dined with Mr. Wiilshire : when they went down to
goon board their vessels, Mr. Wiilshire and myself went to take a walk
ropnd the water-port, it being low tide : the guards ran after us, seized
holfj pf Mr. Wiltshire, and turning hint round, bid him, in an insulting
tone, to go back, uttering the most abusive language ; and drawipg
their spimitars, they threatened to cut him down. We had no Moor
with us to witness this insult, but Mr. Willshire's spirit could not
brook this indignity, apd he rebuked these fellows ip a very resolute
manner, biddipg defiance to them and the alcayd, and told them that if
they pffered to touch him again, he would revepge himself instantly,
apd at apy rate would complaiu to the emperor, aod would cause them
to lose their heads for insulting a consul and a merchant. 1 advised
him to return to the port, which he did ; but the Moors were so en
raged, that they ran with all speed to the alcayd, and told him that
Mr. Wiilshire had beat them ; that he called them hard pames, and
defied the power of the Sultan. Immediately soldiers were sept after
him, who came up with us before we got to his house : they insisted
on taking him before the alcayd forthwith by force, if he wpuld npt
fp withput ; he told them, however, that he must and wopid wait for
is JeV interpreter, Nahory, and that theu he would come : this an
swer was carried to the alcayd, apd in a few mpments Ben Nahpry
made his appearance, and they went hefbre the alcayd together. The
alcayd reprimanded Mr. Wiilshire for having cursed the Sultan, and
advised him to settle the business, by giving a present to the guards,
as they would depose against him before the Cadi, which if they
should dp, he wpuld be obliged to go up to Morocco tp the emperor,
and he (the governor) said he could not be answerable for the resujt.
Mr. Wiilshire defended himself so well by the help of his interpreter,
who was a cunning Jew, that his accusers began tp lower their tone a
little : he stated that he had the Sultan's letter, which ordered the go
vernors apd alcayds to see his person protected from insult, as welj
as bis property, and that the late order had deprived him of the aid
and evidence pf a Moor, to which he was entitled by that letter ; he
added, that h? would write the Sultan an account of the insult imme
diately, apd of the villainy pf the pert guards, but would not pay a
blapqujlle, (i. e. a farthipgj to any one. The alcayd said he was
ordered to protect him and the other Christians in the port, and wished
them to be respected, but they must respect themselves, apd byway pf
ap excuse, remarked that the consuls at Tangier did npt go dowp with
tiie captaips that have the hopour of diping with them, to their bpats
after dinner ; that this was derogatory to the etiquette due to their
office ; but, at the same time, calling the guards, he told them that
Mr. Wiilshire was the Sultau's consul ; that they must never lay a
finger on him ; but if he should wish tp go off in one of the boats pf
the vessels jp port, they rpust permit him to get into the boat, but pre
vent it from going off until they sept him information, ip order that he
might give a permit for him to go op board. He further told the
guards that they had dope very wropg, apd if they were not careful ip
future he should dismiss them. The guards were very angry, and said
18 * 27

210 CAPTAIN RILEy's NARRATIVE.
it was intolerable for a Mpor to be insulted with impunity by a Chris*
tian dpg ; that they would swear against him before the Cadi that
instapt ; that they did not fear his (the governor's) power, and they
would appeal to the Sultan and abide his decisicn. As they were
gping to the Cadi, the alcayd told them if they did contrary to his
orders it would cost them their heads, and bid them return to their
duty immediately ; and in order that there might be no further com
plaint on their part, he would make inquiry, and have justice done to
them as well as to the consul : thus ended the affair, which I at first
was apprehensive would be attended with more serious consequences.
Mr. Wiilshire, however, took care tp send presents tp the Addals, or
four assistants of the alcayd, who took occasion to convince the
alcayd, that the guards were in the wrong — however, we durst not
go out walking or riding as formerly, but were obliged to restrict
ourselves to the city, and I had time to examine it within and round
about. The city pf Mogadore, called Swearah by the Mocrs and Arabs, pr
the beautiful picture, is situated pn the Atlantic ccean, in latitude 31.
15. (thirty-one degrees, fifteen minutes) north, and longitude 9 — (nine
degrees) west from London. It is built somewhat ip form of an oblong
square : its length from north to south is about three-fourths of a mile,
and its greatest breadth is not more than half a mile: it stands on a
peninsula that has been recovered from the sea, which washes its
walls on the W. N. W. and south sides every tide, and is sometimes
completely surrounded by water at high spring tides. The walls are
built of stone and lime, generally six feet thick at their base, and
about twenty feet in height, surmounted with small turrets ; and have
batteries of cannon on them at every angle : the walls generally are
made of rough stone and small sea pebbles, mixed and cemented
together by liquid lime-mortar, filling up every crack solid ; they are
plastered over with this kind of stucco within and without, and are
thick, solid, very firm, and hard. On the eastern angle, as jfcu
approach the gates, there is a round tower built of hewn stone, thirty
feet high, mounted with about forty pieces of brass ahd iron cannon,
that command the approaches of the city on the east side, assisted by
the four batteries on the N. E. angle, and a heavy battery on the water-
port. If is divided into- three parts — el Ksebah, or, the strong and
lion-like fortress, is the southernmost, and is surrounded by a double
wall on the east and south sides ; a single wall, but very thick, next
the sea, where there is a strong bomb-proof battery, mounting about
forty pieces of cannon of different calibers, and mest of them are of
brass: this is its whole defence, on the seaboard. Vessels of war
might anchor, in smooth weather, within half cannon shot pf the town,
in thirty fathoms water, rocky bottom. This town is separated from
the main town by a strong wall, whose gates are regularly shut at 8
o'clock every evenipg, and not opened until broad daylight the next
morning. The Christian merchants reside in the fortress, and the
four Jew merchants keep their goods in it. The next is the main
town, where the market is held, and where the artificers live : there is
a very, handsome square set apart in that section of the town for a
grain market, surrounded by small shops, kept by Moors and Jews :
these shops are on the ground flppr, have a depr, but np windnw to

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA, 211 •
diem, and are so very small that the keeper can sit at his ease in the
centre and reach nearly every article in them. They, among other
things, manufacture at Mogadore large quaptities of haicks, which
are made ef wpollep yarn, spun by hand with a common ircn spindle,
and weve in common rough loqms similar to such as we made use of,
even in America, pot mpre than fifty years ago — they throw the shut
tle by hand, and weave their pieces about five yards long and five feet,
wide, and they are sold from thelooms at about two dollars each, but
are pot allowed to be exported by sea : they also make axes apd mapy
other iron tools, such as adzes, scimitars, knives, &c. East of the
main town is the town occupied by the blacks, in a corner or kind of
a triangle made by the outer wall: it is said to contain two thousand
free blacks : this part is also walled in by itself, and has its gates shut
every night. The negroes that are free enjoy nearly all the privileges
of the Moors, being of the same religion ; still they are not allowed to
live together with the Moors promiscuously.
The fourth division is the Jews' town, or Millah: it is very confined,'
and occupies the northwest angle of the city : the sea washes its outer
wall every tide, and has nearly beat it through on the west side : it is
divided from the principal town by a high strong wall. The Millah
has but one outer gate, which is on its eastern side, near the north
city gate; this is always strongly guarded by Moors, and has a gover
nor or alcayd to adjust and settle disputes between the Jews, and
between them and the Moors. The water-port is two hundred yards
south of the city, within the outer wall — this is a wall built of hewn
stone, with several broad and lofty arches, through which the tide
flows and ebbs : the wall is about twenty feet thick, and has a strong
battery of heavy cannon well mounted on it, for the defence of the
harbour : it is extremely well built ; its arches are well turned, and
the whole work would bear a comparison with a European fortress. v
The harbour spreads itself before the town to the south, and is shield
ed from the sea by an island about two miles long, and half a mile
broad, only distant from the water-port poipt about'five hundred yards.
Between the island and the water-port, the vessels enter, keeping the
island side close on board, until they run down half- the length of it,
when they may anchor in two and a half fathoms at low water, within
a cable's length of the island, and with good cables and anchors ride
safe during three quarters of the year ; but vessels drawing over four
teen feet water cannot ride secure on account of the shallowness of
the harbour. In the months of December, January, and February,
strong gales prevail from the westward, which heave in such heavy
swells round the two ends of this island, that what seamen call the
send or swing of the sea, breaks the strongest cables, and forces all
the vessels in this port on shore. In the winter of 1815, an English
brig was driven on shore with a full cargc, and totally Ipst ; another
parted her cables, and was driven fast towards the water-port, when
the master and crew deserted her in their boat, in hopes of saving
their lives ; but the boat was upset, and all hands were either drowned
or dashed to pieces against the rocks ; the, brig's cables, however,
caught round some craggy rocks, which held her through the remain
der of the gale, though within a few feet of the rocks astern. An
American schopuer's crew were also lost in this port a few years ago,

gl2 CAPTAIN RILEY*S NARRATIVE.
together with her supercargo, in consequence of quitting the vessel,
apd taking to their boat, while the captain, whc was soliciting assist
ance from the other vessels in port, was saved, and the schooner was
also finally saved, though she had been totally abandoned : it is in
the winter a very dangerous port, and any vessel entering it should
have three good cables and anchors, to moor her head and stern by,
and should strike her yards and topmasts immediately.
The island is called Mogadore by the Europeans, and was thus
named by the Portuguese or Spaniards, when they first partially sur
veyed this coast, and thence the Europeap pame of Mogadore, is
derived for the towo, and not from the sanctuary or saint-house near
it, which in Arabic is called Milliah. This island serves as a State
Prison for the Moorish empire ? it is fortified and strongly guarded,
commonly containing not less than one thousand state prisoners,
who have mostly been alcayds and military men, and who are fre
quently pardoned and restored to their former posts again, after a few
years' trial of their fortitude and patience there in irons. Provisions
are sent to the island twice a week in good weather. All communi
cation with the island is forbidden to strangers, under pain of death.
On a rocky point, without the water-port, nearest to the island, stands
a circular battery, to defend the entrance of the harbour, and protect
the island : on the east side of the harbour, near the Sultan's palace,
there is also a circular battery, well built of stone, calculated te mount
twenty guns, but the guns that had been mounted on it were taken
away, under an impression that they might fall into the hands of the
Arabs, who attacked Swearah during the quarrel for the succession,
which was terminated in the elevation of the present Sultan, Muley
Snliman, to the Moorish throne.
Swearah or Mogadore was built by Sidi Mohammed, the father of
Muley Soliman, who spared no pains or expense in making it corres
pond with its name : it is the only tolerable seaport in the Moorish
dominions, except Tangier, and the only one in which foreign vessels
are allowed a kind of free trade, or one without special licenses : the
houses are built of rough stone and lime ; are from one to three stories
high, and nearly all have flat terraced roofs : the streets are narrow,
and some of them almost entirely covered with houses arched or pro
jecting over them, particularly in the fortress part : the buildings at
first, it is said, were erected under the inspection of artisans, who
were brought from Europe for the purpose; it is by far the neatest
town in the empire, and is computed to contain about thirty thousand
Moors and blacks, and six thousand Jews. During the contest for
the succession, at the death of Muley Eitzid, who reigned a short
time after the death of Sidi Mohammed, Swearah was attacked by
surprise in the night, and about three thousand of the assailants enter
ed the fortress part over the walls, and actually got possession of the
streets ; but they were soon destroyed by the garrison and town's
people, from the roofs of their houses; and the army1 before it, con
sisting of field-Moors and Arabs, were put to flight. It has been since
visited and nearly depopulated twice by the plague, which spread ter
ror and devastation in all foe western part of the empire. Mercantile
, trade was here epcouraged by its founder, and flourished to a great
extent; large quantifies of wheat were sent from hence to Spain and

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 21 3
Portugal ; sheep's wool and the gums were also shipped in great
abundance; namely, gum-sandaraeh, arabic, &c. &c. — almonds,
olives, dates, dried figs, and large quantities of olive oil, bees-wax,
and honey — annls, cummin, worm, and other medicinal seeds — pome
granate peel, aod many other drugs—goat, calf, and a few camels'
skins, and camels' hair — haicks for the Guinea trade, and mapy other
articles. Their imports were bar-iron add steel, knives, and other
cutlery, raw cotton, and many kinds of manufactured cotton goods,
woollen cloths, sdks, and silk- handkerchiefs, teas, sugars, spices, gold
and silver ornaments, pearls, amber beads, small Dutch looking-glasses,
German goods, platillas, nankeens, lumber, &c. &c. There were at
one time no less than thirty Christian mercantile houses established
there : the duties on imports are ten, per centum, taken in kind when
the goods are Janded, except on the article's of iron, steel, and cotton,
on which the duties are paid in cash at the same rate : (the govern
ment allowing the importer a short credit on the duties :) this is the
duty the Sultan is entitled to by the Koran as tithes, or'tenths, accord
ing to their sacred code, for he is the religious, as well as the temporal
sovereign. The duties on exports are regulated by an imperial order,
and are not steady.
Trade has been depressed of late years by enormous duties on
exports, and by prohibitions, so much so, that there are now only two
or three respectable Christian establishments in Mogadore, and those
who conduct them are forced to put up with frequent insult and impo
sition : they do little business to a profit, and must, if it does not soon
alter for the better, quit the place altogether. It is the policy of the
present emperor, who is absolute, to keep the people as poor as pos
sible, that they may not have it in their power to rebel ; for a rebel-
lious army cannot be supported there without money, or kept together
without an immediate hope of plunder, and the Moorish government
has very little to fear from a partial and ill organized insurrection, the
chiefs of which must have money as well as bravery, and display good
conduct, or they will soon be forsaken. The Sultan commenced his
system by shutting the ports of Santa Cruz, Saffy, Rhabat, Azamore,
Darlbeida, &c. and ordering the foreign merchants residing in them
to go to Mogadore or Swearah, where he said they should be protected.
Soon afterwards they began to prohibit the introduction of some arti
cles, then the exportation of many — such as wool, wheat, olive oil,
&c. and laid a duty that amounted to a prohibition on several other
articles of exportation; when the people murmured, they were told it
' was a sin to trade with men who did not follow the true and only holy
religion on earth : that their prophet had strictly forbidden such traffic
as would be liable to corrupt their morals and defile them in the sight
of God : that this sin had been committed, and that God was now
taking vengeance of his people by sending the locusts add the plague
that followed them, laying waste the country, and unpeopling so many
Tine cities. These were arguments which had great weight with the
superstitious Moors, aided by the plague which at that time raged
with dreadful fury, and swept off three-fourths of the inhabitants of
Mogadore, Saffy, and several other towns ; the whole garrison of el
Ksebbah, on Tensift fiver, &c. &c. Several .of the Christian mer
chants died also of the plague, and many of the most respectable

214 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
mercantile Moors : this caused an almcst total stagnation of business,
which stagnation has been increasing, if possible, ever since, owing to
these causes and other heavy commercial restraints imposed by the
presept emperor.
Should any of the maritime nations declare war against the Moors,
Mogadore might be easily taken and destroyed, though the place could
not be retained any length of time: a few stoops of war of a light
draught of water might enter the harbour and sail down near the south
end of the island, where they might land troops and take possession
of it, which being high, commands the town ; here they might con
struct batteries, and beat down its walls at their leisure. The country
near it is covered-witb nothing but drifts of sand for a distance beyond
cannon shot. The Moors are very awkward gunners, though as brave
as men can be, believing that if they venture even up to the very
mouth of a cannon, they cannot die one moment before the time ap
pointed by fate, nor in any other manner than that which was predes
tined by the Almighty before they were created, and even from the
fo undation pf the world.

CHAPTER XXX.
Of the Moors and Moorish Arabs— -feast of erpiation — a Moorish
review and sham fight — horsemanship — of the Arabian horse and his
furniture. The Mpors are a stout athletic race of men, and are generally of
about five feet ten inches in height. They sprung from the Berebe-
ries, or old inhabitants of the north and western parts of northern
Africa, together with the descendants of the Carthageniaps, and va
rious Greek and Roman colonies on those coasts, conquered by apd
commixed with the Arabs or Saracens who passed the isthmus of
Suez, and subjugated the north of Africa under the caliphs of the pre
tended prophet Mohammed. Fez is at present the great capital of
the empire, and chief residence of the emperor, who is styled by the
Moors and Arabs el Sultan, (the Sultan,) or as they propouuee it,
Sooltan. Suse has become independent of the Moors. The Moors
are all strict followers of the Mohammedap doctrine, and firm predes-
tinariaps. I call the doctrme Mohammedan instead of Mahometan,
because the name of their prophet is pronounced, both by the Moors
and Arabs, Mohammed, and both of them pronounce their letters very
distinctly, and with their mouths open like the Spaniards, giving to
every letter its full soupd ; for though they write with characters, and
do not know how to form a Roman letter with a pen, yet a person
understanding letters, who hears them speak, would say they were
perfectly familiar with the Roman alphabet, and laid more emphasis
and stress on the letters, by means of which they speak their language,
than any other people on earth.
The Moots, in general, do not learn to read and write, but their
Talbs are learned men, who take great pains to become acquainted
with the principles of their own and the ancient Arabic language, and

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 215
with the laws of the Koran, which is held by them, as the Bible is by
Christians, to be a sacred book, and to contain nothing but divipe reve
lation. The Talbs transact all the business that requires writing, and
serve alternately as scriveners, lawyers, and priests. The Moors use
no bells for their places of worship, but in die towns and cities, their
religious houses have high minarets or steeples, with flat tops and a
kind of balustrade round them : to the tops of these the Talbs ascend
to call the people at stated times to prayers, and as the steeples are
very high, and the Talbs are accustomed to call aloud, they are heard'
at a great distance, particularly when all is still in the city. Their
times of prayer are before daylight in the morning, at about mid-day,
about the middle of the afternoon, at sunset, and again before they
retire to rest, about 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening. The Talbs, who
are on the steeples before daylight in the morning, commence by call
ing all the faithful to prayers : their voices sound most harmoniously,
and thrill through the air in a singular manner. I was always awaken
ed by them myself while I staid at Mogadore, and often went to the
window to hear them ; their call reminded me of my duty also. After '
they summoned all the faithful to attend prayers, they either rehearsed
particular passages from the Koran, or sang some sacred poetry with
a loud and piercing, but at the same time a very melodious and plea
sing tone of voice. The Moors 'who live near the places of worship
go in, join with the Talbs, and pray aloud together ; but by far the
greatest number perform their devotions in their own rooms. The
Talbs, 1 am informed, perform their religious duties, which are very
fatiguing, merely from motives of piety — they do not receive the
smallest remuneration either from the prince, or people, in any shape
or way whatever. All worship by turning their faces to the east, and
bow their heads in the dust like the wandering Arabs : they wash their
bodies all over with water before prayers, as well as their hands and
faces, for which purpose, within the walls of their mosques or churches,
they have wells or fountains of water, and large stone basins in which
to bathe. When they appear before God (as they call it) in their
places of worship, they divest themselves of all superfluous ornaments
and clothing, and even of their breeches ; after purifying with water,
they wrap themselves decently up in their haick or blanket only, and
fo through their ceremonies with signs of the most profound devotion.
fa Christian enters a Mohammedan place' of worship, without one
of the Cadi, or with a guard, he must either change his religion, by-
having his head shaven, undergoing the operation of circumcision, and
confessing thbre is but one God, and that Mohammed is his holy pro
phet, &c. or suffer instant death — but I have ventured to look into
them from the street. The court leading to the mosque was paved
with tiles, and kept very clean, with stone basins filled with pure wa
ter on each side for the purposes of purification ; though I durst not
approach so near as to see in what manner the interior part was ar
ranged, but 1 was informed they were entirely free from ornaments.
The women are not generally permitted to enter their houses of reli
gious worship, nor even to appear in the streets, unless they are com
pletely covered by their clothing, which going over their heads, is held
in such a manner by their hands on the inside, as only to permit them
to peep- out with ene eye, to discover and pick their way ; so that no

216 captain riley's narrative.
Moor or Christian can see their faces. In the streets, they are very
seldom seen, and ate so extremely fleshy, that they waddle, rather
than walk along, like fat and clumsy ducks. No Moot will marry a
wife until she is well fatted by her father ; and if it is npt in the hus
band's puwer afterwards to keep her in the same geod case and con
dition, or rather, to improve upon it, he Is dissatisfied, and endeavours
to get dear of her, which he very often effects, for he will not keep a
wife uuless she is very fleshy, or bed with what he calls "d death skele
ton." The women visit each other, and walk together on the tops pf
their houses, but evep the husband capnot "epter the room they are in
when uncovered, or get a sight of his neighbour's wife or daughter,
being strictly forbidden by his religion to look op any other woman
than his own wife or wives : — thus the Moors, when they receive com
pany, sit down with them on the ground outside of their nouses, where
they converse together ; but notwithstanding all these precautions, as
the women are very amorous, they manage to introduce their gallants
by means of the female covering, and the privilege they enjoy of
visiting each other, and get their lovers off by the same means un
discovered. The Moors go off in large numbers every year, forming a great ca
ravan, on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and return in three or four years ;
every Moslemin being by law obliged to visit the tomb of his prophet
once in his lifetime, if he can afford to pay the expenses of his journey.
The men who have been to Mecca and returned, are dignified by the
name of el ajjh, (or the pilgrim,) and the women who go and return,
(for there are a few who venture,) are allowed the privilege of wearing
the haick, or man's blanket ; of walking the streets uncovered, like
men, and of conversing with them promiscuously, as they may deem
fit, being considered holy women, and as- possessing souls by special
grace and favour. Every Moor who is bom an idiot, or becomes de
lirious, is cousidered a saint, and is treated with the greatest atteption
and respect by every one ; is clothed, and fed, and taken the greatest
care of by the whole community ; and; do what he will, he cannot
commit a crime in the eye of their law.
Soon after my arrival at Mogadore, about the 15th of November,
1815, the feast of expiation was celebrated by the Moors, at which
every Mohammedan is by law obliged to kill a sheep, if it is possible
for him to procure one ; if not, each kills such other animal as he can
obtain : the rich (if liberal) kill a number proportipned to their wealth
and inclination, and distribute them amongst their relations, or the
poor who have none to kill. Rais belCossim (i. e. Captain bel Cos
sim) killed seven sheep : they had been bought lopg before, apd
were well fatted for the purpose. The first day of the feast was spent
in visiting, and in giving and receiving presents or gifts ; apd the
secopd in military parade. On the morning of that day, 1 accompa
nied Mr. Wiilshire to the top of a house, formerly occupied by a Mr.
Chiappi, deceased, who was the Portuguese Consul at Mogadore for
many years : this house was, before it went to decay, the largest and
most elegant in that city : it stood near, and overlooked the eastern
wall.- From that place, we saw from thirteen to fifteen hundred Ara
bian horses, fleet as the wind, and full of fire, mounted by Moors and
Arabs, who sat on strong Moorish saddles that came up high before

OBSERVATIONS ON AFRICA. 217
and behind, covered with rich quilted scarlet broadclcth. They were
paraded between the outer and main walls of the city : — the horsemen
were dressed with red caftans or vests, not generally worn by them,
except on great occasions : these were covered with worsted haicks,
wove transparent like bunting for ships' flags : each rider was armed
with a long Moorish musket, and had a knife or scimitar hanging
loosely by his side : they wore on their heads either white turbans,
twisted and wound many times around, or a red cap, in token of their
Being regular imperial soldiers, or else a fold of their haick : their
bridle-bits were the most powerful of the Arabian kind. The horses
were all studs, and wore their whole natural quantity of main and tail
unniutilated in any part, and consequently retained all their natural
fire, beauty, strength, and pride : each horse was furnished with a
head-piece, resembling the stall of a bridle at top, and a halter below
— this stall or head-piece, was made of the richest scarlet cord and vel
vet, with fringe hanging down over, and nearly ccvering his eyes, and
a large pendulous pad of scarlet velvet cloth under each ear: the neck
of each was adorned with a very elegant scarlet cord, havipg a hand
some knob and tassel underneath :' these trappings were solely for
ornament, and not for use, and put on before the bridle. Each had
besides, a small red cord about his neck, to which was fastened a num
ber of Uttle bags, made of fine red Morocco leather — these bags, 1
learned on inquiry, were stuffed with scraps of paper, covered with
Arabic writing, furnished to the owner of the horse by jugglers ; and,
as they pretend, serve as a charm to ward off the effects of " evil
eyes," or witchcraft, in which they all believe : the Moors and Arajis
. are so firmly attached to this superstitious opinion, that they believe
both themselves and their horses are in imminent danger without this
favuurite charm.
., The Moorish and Arabian saddle, which 1 consider to be the very
best that can be invented by man to keep the rider steady in his seat,
is fastened on by a strong girth under the horse's belly, and by one
round his breast, but without any crupper : the stirrups are made of
broad piecesof sheet iron or brass, and for the most part plated with
Bilyer — the bottom of them is as long as a man's foot, so that he can
shift the position of his feet in them at pleasure : they are kept exceed
ingly bright, and are taken up short and tied to the saddle by braided
leather thongs, so that in order to support himself firmly in his saddle,
the rider has only to press his feet to the horse's sides, near his flanks,
his knees on the lower part of the saddle; thus resting at five points
at one and the same time. The bridle is of that kind which will either
Stop the fiercest horse in an instant, or snap off his lower jaw — so that
the rider has his horse under the most perfect command possible.
This body of horsemen, thus mounted and equipped, were reviewed
by the Bashaw and Alcayd, or military and civil governors. There
Were also five or six thousand foot soldiers assembled for the same
purpose: these were dressed in haicks and red caps, and armed with
muskets and daggers. After the review, the exercises began by a dis
charge of twenty-four pieces of cannon, mounted on the different bat
teries about the city, and then followed a kind of sham fight, which
was begun near the northern gate, between two bodies of infantry ;
they marched forward to the attack, and each poured in an irregular
19 38

218 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
fire, which was supported and kept up in almpst pne continual blaze
by successive advancing lines, until it seemed necessary to bring for
ward the heavy cavalry, in crder to arrest the progress of a solid
column of men, that kept slowly and constantly advancing upon the
opposing troops. The expected signal was at length given : the whole
of the cavalry was instantly in motion : it advanced in squadrons of
about one, hundred, in close order, and at full speed, and seemed to
fly like the wind : the distance between the opposing forces was near
one fourth of a mile : the horsemen shouting loudly, " hah-hah! hah-
hahl" raised themselves on their stirrups, took a deliberate aim with
their long muskets, when within five yards of the enemy's lines, and
poured in their fire while going at their greatest speed. .1 expected
they would inevitably dash in amongst the infantry, and trample many
of them to death ; but the moment the men had fired, they brought
their horses down upon their haunches, and stopping them short,
reined them instantly round, to make room for the next approaching
squadron, while the horses of the first squadron walked steadily and
leisurely back, giving time for the riders to re-load their muskets at
their ease : thus furiously attacked by numerous squadrons, in quick
succession, and so closely, the .infantry were soon broken and dis
persed, by which means the cavalry remained apparent masters of
the field.
Nothing of the kind could exceed the ardour, activity, and intelli
gence, displayed by those noble looking apd well traiped horses ; they
seemed almost to fly to the attack, and looked as if determined to
rush through the opposing host, and trample it to atoms ; but when
the riders had fired their muskets, and the Horses were turned about
the other way, they were perfectly calm in an instant, and walked on
leisurely until they were again faced round towards the enemy ; then
their eyes seemed to kindle with fire ; they pawed up the dust, which
they seemed to snuff up into their wide-stretched nostrils, and into
which one might see, as they then appeared, nearly up to their eyes :
they snorted and pranced about in such a manner, that nothing short
of the heavy and true Arabian bridle could have been capable of
checking or keeping them in subjection, and nothing short of the
Moorish or Arabian saddle, could have prevented their riders from
being dashed against the ground. The long spurs of the horsemep
had gored their flanks, so as to make the blood stream out, which,
uniting with their sweat, formed a kind of streaked froth, that nearly
coveriog their sides, dropped fast upou the ground, whilst the severe
workipg of the bit upou their mouths, caused them to bleed profusely.
The dazzling of their stirrups and arms in the sun, the rattling of their
spurs against their stirrups, and the clashing of their arms against each
other; the beautiful appearance of the squadrons of horses; the
cracking of musketry, and continual shouting of the mock combatants,
produced an effect truly imposing, and I was of opinion that no iines
of infantry, of equal numbers, however well formed and commanded,
would be capable of withstanding their impetuous and repeated shocks,
when actually attacked : this was truly a superb schopl for horse
manship. Sidi Hamet, my old master, had borrowed and mounted Mr.'Will-
ahire's Sue horse, and seemed to be in all his glory while exercising

OBSERVATIONS 'ON AFRICA. 219
him like the others. After they had nearly finished the sham-fight,
he, tpgether with a line of Moors, consisting of about fifteen or twenty,
commenced, their last career towards the enemy: they had a quarter
of a mile to ride, and all with long muskets in their hands : they set
off their horses at full speed, in a line when on their seats ; then turn
ing over, they placed their heads upon their saddles, and rode with
their feet iu the air, and their backs towards the horse's heads, for a
considerable, part of the distance ; then regaining their seats by a sud
den movement, they rose in their stirrups, fired off their pieces close
to the wall, reined their horses around, and returned again to their
post. Many of these horses were extremely fleet and beautiful, and
seemed as much to exceed in spirit, strength, and courage, the first-
rate racfe horses I Jlyd ever seen in Europe or America, as those fine
animals excel the common plough horse. '
The Moors soon wear their horses down by hard service, and then
prrt them into mills to grind their grain, as there is scarcely such a
thing as a wind or water-mill, wherewith to grind their breadstuff, to
be found in the Moorish empire. The mares are never rode or worked,
and are kept solely for the purpoSe of breeding ; and 1 found that what
I had considered as an exaggerated account of the good qualities
attributed to the Arabian horse, fell far short of his real merits ; for
though the most proud, fierce, and fiery of the horse kind, he is, at the
same time, the most docile of those noble animals. The true Arabian
horse is about fourteen to sixteen hands in height; .his body as long,
round, and slender; his limbs small, clean, and straight; he is square-
breasted and round-quartered ; his neck well set and slender, with a
beautiful natural curve ; his head small, with a face inclining to a
curve, from the top of the head to the nostrils, with eyes full, bright,
quick, and intelligent — many of them are of a beautiful cream colour,
and frequently spotted with black, and. vary in colour from a light
sorrel, through all the shades of bay and chesnut, to the deepest jet
black : they are strong-jointed, and full of sinew — naturally docile,
and very active ; but if they become in the least vicious, they are
doomed to the mill for the remainder of their days. It was with
much regret 1 learned that these beautiful and serviceable animals
could not be exported from either the Moorish dominions, or any
other of the Barbary states, without a special permission, as a pri
vate favour from the reigning prince, which is very seldom granted,
and only on particular and important occasions.
The Arabs inhabiting Morocco, live in tents, in a wapderjpg state ;
for the true Arabs will not be confined within walls, and are a distinct
race of men from the Moors. They keep large herds/ff cattle, horses,
camels, sheep, goats, and asses, making use of the milk of all the
females for butter and for drink : they supply the cities with butter,
which they make by the simple process of putting the milk into a goat
skin, the. hair side in, hanging it up by the legs, and shaking it by
the help of a rope, by which it is fastened : when the butter is made,
they pack it, hair and all, into earthen jars that hold from two to four
pounds each, and in that state, carry it to market .without salting,
selling the butter, jar, and all, for a mere trifle : they cultivate nearly
all the plain land that is cultivated in the empire of Morocco, (as the
Bereberies^till the hilly country and sides of mountains,) except

220 captain riley's narrative.
the grounds in the immediate vicipity cf the cities, which they de net
approach for the purposes of agriculture, those being cultivated and
dressed by the Moors and their slaves. They live in families or sec-
tibns of tribes, and pitch their tents in companies of from twenty to
one huudred and fifty tents, each tent containing one family : these
tents when pitched, are called a Douhar ; they elect a chief to each of
these douhars, whom they dignify with the title of Alcayd or Sheick,
for the time being; their authority, however, is rather of an advisory
than mandatory kind. Near seed time, they remove and pitch their
douhar (or eucampmept) near the spot they mean to cultivate, and
plbUgh and sow the land with wheat, barley, corn, or peas : they fepce
in some parcels of land with good high stone fences, particularly
orchards of fig-trees, but for the most part they ate entirely open :
the sowing being finished, they remove, again, for the sake of pasture,
to other parts of the same province, in which they continue to reside,
as they cannot move out of a province without leave being first obtained
from the emperor : thus they wander from place to place, until near
harvest time, when they return and gather in their crops which they
have sowed, and which are considered safe from the flocks, herds,
and hapds of other tribes, by common consent or interest, as all rove
about in a similar way, having po fixed habitatiops ; yet sometimes
one tribe sows, apd another reaps the fruit of its labour, but that is
only done by force of arms.
The Moorish Arabs are rather below the middle stature : of a dark
complexion, resembling that between the mulatto add a white man,
with long black hair and black eyes : they are strong ahd healthy :
they wear round their bodies a woollen haick, which does not cover
their heads, aod go without any other clothing : their legs and feet are
generally bate ; their beards long ; their cheek-bones high ; their
noses regularly hooked ; , their lips thin ; and they are as hardy a race
of men as exists ; perhaps, indeed, with the exception of the wander
ing Arabs. The women wear a kind of a garment made of a haick,
through the midst of which they thrust their head and arms to keep it
up — it hangs down to their knees, and nearly covers their breasts ; they
have a fold behind, like those living on the desart, in which they carry
their young children ; they all stoop forward very much ; are treated
by their husbands as mere necessary* slaves; are obliged to milk the
cows, camels, mares, goats, sheep, and asses ; make the butter, and
spin and weave the tent-cloth apd clothing by hand for themselves and
families. They both spin and weave in the same mapper as the Arab
women of the desart, and bring all the water they use in large pitchers
on their shoulders, let ihe distance be ever so great : they take car©
of, apd help to draw the water for the flocks of sheep, and goats,
and herds of cattle ; but the men manage the camels and horses.
They grind their wheat and barley in their hand-mills, which are the
same as on the desart and in Suse, as already described, and they make
cakes, which they roast in the fire. The women are, in fact, complete
slaves : they are obliged to strike their tents when they remove, and
pack them on camels, with all the other stuff that is possessed by the
family — to pitch the tent again, and pack away the stuff, &C. &C. while
the men take upou themselves to lord it over them, and drive them
about at pleasure, only looking after the flocks and herds, and punish-

OBSERVATIONS ON APRjCA. 221
ing the women and girls, if any are lost : the men also plough and sow
the lapd, apd attend tp the reaping apd threshing eut the ecru. The
Sickle they reap with is nothing more than a knife with a blade of
about a fopt lppg, with the point bept inwards : the principal part cf
the labour in this bps'mess, they alse pblige the women to perform.
Their law permits them to have sevep wives, but it is recommeuded
to thenj by their prophet to have only one, ip order to prevent conten
tion in the family. When they increase, however, in wealth or sub-
Stance, they need more help, and instead of hiripg or buying slaves,
they take more wives ; apd on this economical and agreeable plan,
they make out to manage the affairs of their household. They are the
same race of people in appearance and manners, as the Arabs of the
desart, and have bartered their liberty for the comforts afforded by a
country susceptible cf cultivaticn. The Arabs are said to have con-
tinued migrating gradually from the desarts and other parts of Arabia
into Africa, ever since the irruptions of the first Saracens, by joining
themselves ip small pumbers to the returning caravans which go yearly
from Mprocco, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli, &c. on a pilgrimage to visit
the tomb of their prophet at Mebca. These caravans carry large
quantities of gopds with them, and make a trading trip of it, as well
as a religious duty ; and many of the pilgrims return home very rich
for Moors.

CHAPTER XXXI.
The present Arabs and ancient Jews compared.
Soon after I was seized on as a slave by the wandering Arabs of the
great Western Desart, I was struck with the simplicity of their lives
apd manners, apd contrasted the circumstapces of their keeping ca
mels, living ip tents, apd wandering about from day to day, with the
simplicity of the lives of the old Jewish patriarchs, who also lived in
tents, had camels, and wandered about from place to place; possessed
men-sevants and maid-servants — that is, they owned slaves ; but as
they for the most part lived in countries where the soil was capable of
culture, they also had flocks of sheep and goats, and herds of cattle,
apd asses ; yet the patriarchs lived in a thirsty land for a part of the
time, and were often in want of water, as well as of bread. My mind
was also strongly impressed with the similarity between the patriarchal
form of government, and that prevailing among the Arabs at the pre
sent day, which is, in the strictest sense of the word, paternal ; the
father of each family being its supreme and absolute head : the wan
dering Arabs will submit to no other control, and they actually reve-
repce their fathers and the old mep of their tribe pext to the Deity
himself, and pay, without the least apparent compulsion, the most
cheerful and implicit obedience to their orders and wishes. When
1 became more acquainted with the Arabs, I observed that the
manner of salutation between strarfgers was very much like that of
the Jewish fathers, as recorded in Holy Writ, and which also
prevailed among the inhabitants pf the ccuntry where they se

222 CAPTAIN riley's NARRATIVE.
jeufned. When a stranger approached an Arab's tent, he first finds
out which way it hf pitched ; then, going round until he gets directly
in front, he draws hear slowly, until within about one hundred yard9,
and stops, but always with his weapon in his hand, ready for defence,
and then turns his back towards the tent : when he is perceived by
those in and about the tent, (who are always upon the look-out,) and
they come forth, he bows himself nearly to the earth twice, and wor
ships : upon which one from the tent takes some water in a bowl, and
advances towards him ; this is done by the head of the family, if he
be at home, or by his eldest son : if none of the males are present,
one of the women goes forward with her bowl of water, or something
else, either to eat or drink, if they have any ; if not, they take a skin,
or roll of tent-cloth, to make a shelter with for the stranger. As they
come within a few yards of the stranger, they ask, " Is it peace ?" and
being answered in the affirmative, they mutually say, " Peace be with
you, with your father's house, your family, and all you possess ;" then
touching the fingers of the right hands together, they snap them, and
carrying them to their lips, kiss them, which is the same with them as
to kiss each other's hand ; and thence, 1 presume, is derived the com
pliment now in such general use among the polite Spaniards, which
is to say, in saluting a gentleman, " Beso de usted las manos" — I kiss
your hands ; if a lady, "I kiss your feeh"
The Arab manner of worshipping the Deity, as 1 have already de
scribed, is by bowing themselves to the earth, and touching their faces
to the ground : after bowing to the ground six times, they say, " God
is great and good, and Mohammed is his holy prophet :" this is their
confession of faith. After that, they offer up their petitions, that God
will keep them under his special protection ; that he will direct them
in the right way ; that he will lead them to fountains or wells of living
water ; that God will scatter their enemies, and deliver them from all
those who lie in wait to do them mischief; that he will prosper their
journeys, and enrich them with the spoil of their enemies,- &c. and
they afterwards recite some poetry, which they call sacred. Since my
being redeemed, I have been told that the form of worship now in
practice among those people, was taught them by Mohammed ; but
as these forms do not differ materially from the forms of worship prac
tised by Abraham and the other old patriarchs, and those of the peo
ple among whom they dwelt in the land of Canaan and elsewhere, I
am inclined to believe that the artful prophet did not change their
ancient mode of worshipping the Deity, but on the contrary, simplifi
ed and sanctioned their long established customs, which had continued
among that singular race of men ever since the time of Abraham; and
that the only innovations or alterations he ventured to make in that
respect, were in appointing set times for performing those religious
duties ; enjoining, besides, frequent purificatiens, by washing them
selves with water, and thus inculcating cleanliness,! so indispensably
necessary to. preserve health in hot countries, as a religious duty.
When travelling along the great desart, near its northern border, we
fell in with flocks of sheep and goats, which were kept by the women
and children, who were also obliged to water them ; and when, after
our arrival in Suse, while we were travelling on its immense plain, and
many small cities or towns were in sight at the same time on every

observations on africa, 223
»idei with high stone walls, gates, and bars,- and I learned that each
bne was independept, and under the command or government of its
own chief, who generally styled himself a prince ; and when 1 heard
the story of the destruction of Widnah, and other devastations commit
ted by the wandering Arabs in their vicinity, I could not avoid figuring
to myself, and observing to my companions at the same time, that the
country of Suse must now resemble in appearance the land of Canaan
in the time ef Joshua, both in regard to its numerous little walled
cities ; its fertile soil ; and in many other respects ; and that the fre
quent irruptions of the hordes of wild Arabs from the desart, destroy
ing and laying waste the country, and the cities they are able to over-
f lower, bore a strong resemblance to the conduct of the ancient Israe-
ites, when led from the desarts of Arabia into the cultivated country
near them ; with this difference, however, that the Israelites were then
particularly guided, supported, and protected by Divine power, and
consequently were enabled to act in unison, and with decisive effect
against those small, feeble, and ill-constructed cities.
In travelling' from Mogadore to Tangier, in the empire of Morocco,
and Goming to those parts of the provinces of Abdah and Duquella,
which are entirely peopled by Arabs living in tents, and in a primitive
- or wandering state, (their tents being formed of the same materials,
and pitched in the same manner as those of the Arabs on the desart,)
I observed, that these people were of a much lighter complexion than
those on the desart ; but that circumstance, in all probability, was
owing to the climate's being more temperate ; to their being less ex
posed to the rays of the sun, and better clothed ; yet their features
were nearly the same, and those of both bear a strong resemblance to
those of the Barbary Jews, who also have black eyes and Arab noses,
lips, hair, and stature, and whose complexion is but a shade or two
lighter than that of the Moorish Arabs, which is chiefly occasioned by
their different modes of life, the Jews all living in cities, and the Arabs
in the fields : the Jews, however, are stouter men than the Arabs,
owing, most likely, to the unrestrained intercourse between the lusty
Moors and Jewesses, &c. That these Arabs and those who live on
the desart, are the same race of men, I have not the smallest doubt :
their height, shape, eyes, noses, and other features, together with their
customs, manners, and habits, being essentially the same. Between
the Barbary Jews and the present Arabs, there is only a slight diffe
rence in their religious ceremonies and belief, and both very much re
semble those forms which were followed by the old Jewish patriarchs,
and their fathers and brethren, as recorded in the Book of Genesis.
There is one more singular coincidence between the customs of the
old Israelites and present Arabs, which, though seemingly unimpor
tant, 1 shall, nevertheless, mention. The Arabs, both on the desart
and in Morocco, when they have occasion to go abroad from their tent,
in order to obey one of the most pressing calls of nature, always
carry a stick or paddle with them, in the manner and for the same
purpose as is mentioned of the ancient Israelites in the twenty-third
chapter of Deuteronomy, the twelfth and thirteenth verses. The men
always sit close to the ground to urinate, and compelled us, while
slaves, to do the same : the men never touch the virile member with
their hands,

92.4 captain riley's narrative.
In journeying through the province of Duquella, I learner) fjroffl
occular demonstration what was meant when certain personages are
described in Holy Writ as having an abundance of floCks and herds,
&c. We stopped and pitched our tent one night within a douhar,
which I found in the morning to consist of one hundred and fifty-fopr
tents : they were pitched in form of a hpllow square, and about fifty
yards apart, occupying a large space of ground, and all of them facing
inwards : before each of these tents, the owner had made his beasts lie
down for the night. I felt a desire to know the number of animals
each man possessed, and in order to make an estimate of the whole -
with correctness, I stopped^ counted, and set down the whole number
that lay in separate flocks before thirty of the tents nearest tp where 1
was, and then made an average of their numbers for each tent, which
were nineteen camels, eleven head of neat cattle, six asses, fifty-five
sheep, and fifty-two goats : the whole of the horses within the douhar,
1 couuted separately ; they amounted to one hundred apd eighty-six.
I think the flocks 1 counted were a fair average of the whole, apd I
compute them accordingly ; that is, two thousand nine hundred and
twenty-six camels; one hundred and eighty-six horses ; eight thou
sand seven hundred and seventy sheep ; eight thousand and eight
goats ; apd nine hundred and twenty asses : — they had besides
a considerable number of dung-hill fowls, and a great plenty of
dogs. I also counted the number of inhabitants occupying fifty tents,
which averaged, including slaves and children, nipe to a tent, or pne
thousand three hundred and eighty-six in all. These Arabs lead a
pastoral life, and though the amount of their flocks, at first sight,, ap
pears great, yet when it is taken into view that their enly emplpyment
is to feed cattle, in which consists their whole riches or wealth, and
their daily support, the number will not be considered as unreasonably
great. This douhar was said to belopg to the Sheick Mohammed ben
Abdehla, a very old man, (whom I saw,) and to consist of his family
only; if so, this Arab must have been very rich and powerful, even like
Abraham the patriarch, who had three hundred and eighteen servants
born in his own house, able to go forth to war, (Genesjs xiv. 14,) or
like pious Job, who was pre-eminently blessed with flocks and herds,
and was also, most probably, an Arab.

CHAPTER XXXII.
The author ships his companions on board a vessel for Gibraltar, and
sets out himself to travel by land for Tangier — Villany of his Jewcom-
panion^Account of a great Moorish saint — Description of ihe coun
try — of the town of el Ksebbah and Saffy.
Having recovered my strength, sp as to be able to uudertake a
journey by land, and being desirous pf viewing that part of the empire
of Morocco which lies between Mogadore and Tangier, and also to
visit the American Consul General residing at that place, in order to
make effectual arrangements for the redepiption of the remaipder of
my unfortunate crew, should they be yet alive, I shipped my compa
nions op board a Genoese scboooer that navigated uuder the English

TlAViiJ In MoA6rJfc6i I^i
file, bounti for Gibraltar^ Where 1 intended to meet them, 1 flfe*
bills oh my ffiepd, Mr. Horatio Sprague, of Gibraltar, for the amount
of Cash actually expended by Mr. Wiilshire ip Obtaining our rederhp-
tion, and in furnishing us with clothing, though he had given, both to
me and my mep, many articles of his own clothing, for which he would
not receive payment, por would he accept of any Compensation for
his trouble, for our board, nor for the extraordinary expenses incurred
in consequence of his exertions to render us every assistance, as Well
as every service and Comfort in his power, during the whple of our
stay with him for about two months.
Elid Zagury, the Jew whom I haVe before mentioned, was also go
ing to set out for Tangier by land, and as my friend did not wish me
to 06 troubled with the arrapgements for provisions, &c. op the road,
he agreed with Zagury, for him to furnish me every thing necessary
duribg the journey, except a bed, and paid him the amount agreed on
beforehand, which was a handsome sum.
On the 4th day of January, 1816, all being previously prepared,
the schooner sailed with Mr. Savage, Burns, Clark, and Horace on
board. After seeing her safe out of the harbour, I went, accompanied
by Mr. Wiilshire, into the Jews' town, to the house of old Zagdry,
where 1 took my leave of the Jew priest before meotioned, and we
proceeded without the northern city gate, where the Jews are permit
ted to mount their mules or asses. I then found that the mule on
which I was to travel, was already loaded with two large trupks, one
mattress, and provisions in proportion, and was told by Zagury that I
must get on the top of this cargo, and ride the best way I could, as
he should procure no other mule on my account. I was not at all
pleased at this plan, but my frieud told me it was only a Jew's trick,
ahd SUCh a one as every man may expect to be served who has any
dealings with those villains : he then ordered his own mule to be
brought for rne, which was ready saddled in the gateway, and kept
there, I believe, for the purpose, anticipating deceit on the part of the
Jew ; though in this, as in every other instance, he endeavoured to
lighten as touch as possible, the weight of the obligations he had laid
trie under. His mule Was one of the handsomest and fipest I had ever
Seep : to have refused riding it at that time, would have been to doubt
his friendship ; so I mounted the mule, and proceeded northward in
Company with Mr. Wiilshire and his trusty friend, Rais bel Cossim,
on horseback, We rode on, conversing together, for about two hours,
along the sand beach, when we stopped a few moments, and took
some refreshments. It was there I took my leave of my benefactor.
This painful parting I shall not attempt to describe : a last look was
at length taken, apd a final adieu uttered, when he rode back towards
th* city, apd I proceeded on my journey. We went silently along,
and mounted up the bank. Our company consisted of young Zagu
ry-'; an old Jew named David ; a Jew servant ; two Moors, who were
the rfiuleteefs, and an imperial soldier for our guide, well mounted on
a high Spirited horse, and fully armed : he was a fine looking fellow,
though half negro, and possessed all that suavity of manners so Con
spicuous in a first rate Modr Or Arab. From these soldiers the enn>
BeTOr chcbses his alcayds and cfficers for the army; if they only
. possess tareltts and bravery, their Colour is disregarded. The Jews

@2<j < , CAPTAiN RILEy's NARRATIVE,
called him alcayd, by way of making themselves appear more fCSpec*
table, and me they styled el Tibib del Sultan, or the Sultan's doctori
We proceeded on till near dark through a dreary couutry, whep we
came to the Omlays, or three springs ; there we found a number of
travellers watering their camels, mules, and asses. 'Having let our
beasts drink, we turned aside a little to the south, iu a ploughed field,
near a few stone houses, and pitched for the night. We had a bell
tent, which was a very good one, made of two thicknesses of canvass ;
it was large enough to contain two beds spread out, and very tight,
and left plenty of 'room besides for our other things. We had with
us a box containing tea, coffee, sugar, &c. coals to make a'fire, and
all the utensils necessary for cooking : so we had a cup of tea, and
ate some coos-coo-soo for our supper, and went to sleep very com
fortably. The soldier and the muleteers slept outside the tent on
the ground, wrapped up only in their haicks : this is the constant
practice of the Moors and Arabs when travelling, and they wonder
that people of other nations do not prefer that method to any other ;
they carry this custom so far, that many of the male inhabitants of
the cities sleep on the tops of their houses (which are flat) in prefe
rence to sleeping on their mattresses under cover.
At daylight on the morning of the 5th, all our company were in a
bustle, being busily engaged in striking our tent, and loading the
mules, while a cup of coffee was preparing, and some eggs boiling
for our breakfast; and we set off on our journey long before sunrise.
We travelled along this day on uneven ground, through groves of
arga trees, which grew thereabouts spontaneously, and were then
loaded with the oil-nut of various sizes and colours, from a deep
green through, to a lively yellow. The very shnibs and bushes
among which our path lay, were in blossom, and diffused a most de
lightful fragrance. We still heard the roaring of the troubled ocean
dashing agaipst this inhospitable coast, and which had been constant
ly dinning my ears for more than two months ; for it being urged
towards this coast by the continual trade-winds, it never ceases its
loud roarings, which may generally be heard at the distance of from
twenty to thirty miles from the sea. The Atlas mountains were still
in view, whose pointed tops, now covered with snow, seemed to glitter
in the sun, though at a very great distance. About sunset we came
near a village consisting of about twenty stone houses, flat roofed, one
story high, and as many more built with reeds or sticks, in form of a
sugar-loaf, with a small mosque or place of worship in the midst.
Near this village, which was not walled in, the first I had seen of the
kind, we pitched our tent, and soon after this was done, a great num
ber of unarmed Moors, probably four or five hundred, came by turns
to look at us, and inquire who I was. At the same time the owner
of the village sent to tell us we were welcome, and that he was sorry
it was not in his power to -furnish barley for our mules, for his whole
crops had been cut off by the locusts for the last three years : that he
had bought twenty ducats worth that day, but it was all gone, as an
upusual number of travellers had called on him ; however, he sent us
a loin of good mutton, which I was pressed to accept, and about two
dozen of eggs ; our Moors were also supplied with coos-coo-soo.
J learned from Zagury, that this map was esteemed a great saint by

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. 22?
all the Moots ; that his pame was Mohammed Ilfactesba ; that he taught
all pious Moors who wished it, to read in the Koran, and the Moham
medan laws : that he generally had from one to three hundred scholars
or students, who came from every part of the empire; that he taught
all who came, and supplied them with provisions gratis ; that his wife
and one daughter prepared the victuals and cooked for all those peo
ple, without .any assistance whatever, which was considered by tne
Moors a continual miracle, and this, Zagury assured me, he for his
own part, firmly believed ; that he entertained all travellers who chose
to call on him, free of expense ; but, added he, where all his property
oomes from to enable him to pay these enprmpus expepses, nobody
knpws. It was soon reported about that an English doctor was in the tept,
apd the old saint sent and begged me to call and see him : so taking
Zagury with me to act as interpreter, 1 was conducted by some MoOrs
to his presence, where I was welcomed by a withered old man, who
was seated on a mat on the outside, and leaning against the wall of
his house — it was the saint : he requested me to sit down near him,
and then inquired of Zagury who I was : Zagury satisfied him on that
point, and gave him besides a short sketch of my late disasters : the
saint said he was a friend to Christians, and men of every other reli
gion ; that we were all children of the same heavenly Father, and
ought to treat each other like brothers : he also remarked that God
was great and good, and had been very merciful to me, for which 1
ought to be thankful the remainder of my life. He next informed me,
that he was very lame in his legs, occasioned in the first place by a
stone falling on one of his feet, that had lamed and laid him up for
three or four mouths, and when he had so far recovered as to be able
to ride out on his mule, the animal fell down with him, and injured
his lame foot and leg so much that he had not since been able to use
it : this, he said, happened about a year ago, and within the last few
months, his other leg had become affected, and he had ppw lost the
use of both of them, which was extremely painful : he said he did
not murmur at h'i3 lameness, because he knew it came from God, and
was a punishment for some of his sins ; yet he hoped the Almighty
would be merciful, and pardon his offences, and permit him to walk
again, so that he might take care of his guests, and do more good in
the world : he also told me that the number who were then studying
the Sacred Writings with him, amounted to about three hundred. I
examined his legs ; they were very thin, and yet seemed to be consu
ming with a feverish heat ; no skin was broken, and 1 concluded that
he laboured under an inveterate chronic disorder, particularly as the
joints were much swelled. 1 asked him if he had ever applied any
thing as a remedy, or taken any medicine for this disorder : he said,
no, except that he had bound some Arabic writing round them, fur
nished by a man eminently skilled in the science of witchcraft ; that he
had also kept them wet with oil, but had received no bepefit whatever
from either of those applications : he further said, he kpew some men
were endowed with the gift of healing, and hoped that I could pre
scribe something that would ease his pains. 1 told him that 1 felt dis
posed to render him all the service ip my power ; that I would see
what mediciue 1 had, and would copsider of his case : then assuming;

iU CAK'Aiii rileY'S tfAfettAtfiVili
the air oi a qffack dtictdf, t ietifed to My' tefft With a very thoughtful
countenance. Oiif conversation was carried on by the help of Zagury
aS an interpreter. I really wished to administer sOfne relief to this
good man, who was afflicted with such a painful disorder, and accor
dingly prepared some soap pills, which was the only medicine I had
with me, apd seiit them to him, with directiops how to take them. I
also advised him to discontinue the use of oil ; to rub his limbs fre-
queutly with flapnel cloths, in order to promote the circulation of the
fluids ; tp endeavpur to walk every day with the assistance of two men,
using His legs as much as possible, even if they did pain him, and to
bind them up iii fine salt every night, while the heal continued : this,.
I fancied, might allay the fever. 1 also directed a drink to be made
for him, by boiling the roots of some particular herbs in water, and
thus forming a kind of decoction. Having explained the nature of his
disprder to him, in the best manner 1 was able, which gave him some
encouragement, 1 retired to my tent. Many of the Moors came and
wanted me to prescribe something for their various disorders, which 1
did according to the best of my judgment, and the medicines I had
within my power. Among the rest, was a poor old grey-headed man ;
he came near, aiid thrusting his head under tlie tent, cried out — Tibib;
Tibib : (doctor, doctor:) my guard was going to drive him away, but
I told him to let him alone, that I might find out what ailed him, for he
seemed to be in great distress — so 1 told Zagury to ask him what his
disprder was : this he made known without ceremony — he said, he
had been a husband to three wives ; that two of them, who had died,
loved him exceedingly ; that his present wife was very young, fat, and
handsome, and yet she was so cold, that notwithstanding all his ca
resses, she could not return his love : his case was, indeed, a very
plain one, but to prescribe a remedy, needed some reflection — so the
Jew told him to go away.and return in half an hour. When he re
lumed, 1 pretended to, and did sympathize with him in his afflictions,
and recommended that he should set her about no kind of work ; that
he should entreat her kindly ; feed her on the dish called shanah ; r. e.
peas baked in an oven, and swimming in beefs marrow, with a plenty
of soft boiled eggs and rich spices in her coos-cpo-soo, &c; fee-
that he should join with her in all her repasts, and chew opium him
self, if he couldprocure any, and by no means to lodge in the same
room with her oftener than once in two weeks- He promised very
faithfully to obey my directions, though he did not seem to relish the
last item of advice ; but I assured him, with much gravity, that I had
done my very best ; sp he left me with a shower of blessings for my
kindness, after having bestowed two dozen of fresh eggs on my Jew
interpreter for his trouble. The Moors who were the pupils of the
saint, joined in prayer, and chanted over sacred poetry for about ari
hour, on account of his disorder, begging of God to heal their bene
factor, &c.
January the 6th, we started early in the morning, after 1 had taken
leave of the good old man. We proceeded on our journey, descend
ing the hills to the north about half an hour, when we saw one of the
Moors who waited on the old man the night before, running after US;
and hallooing very loudly to make us stop, which we did, and he soon
came up, bringing Zagury's gold watch, which he had put under hia

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. 22SJ
head the night before on the ground where our tent was pitched, and
had left it through forgetfuloess and haste : this watch, together with
an elegant gold seal, chain, and trinkets, was worth at least three hun
dred dollars. The Moor generously refused any compensation for his
trouble, and 1 told Zagury it was well for him that the people where
he left it were not Jews : to this he assented, and said that he believed
that the saint was the most honest man in the world.
After travelling about two hours in a northerly direction, we came
near the ruins, or rather the walls of an old town or fortress — it was
situated on the left bank of the river Tensift : the walls were built in a
square form ; were about one mile in circuit, and flanked with thirty
small towers, with embrazures, where cannon might have been mount
ed. A part of the southern wall had fallen down ; it was very thick,
arid within wasnothingbut a heap of stones and ruins. On inquiry, I
was told by my guard that this town was built by the former Sultan,
Sidi Mohammed, in order to secure a passage across the river, when
the people of the province of Abdah rebelled against him ; that it wag
well garrisoned and mounted with a great many cannon, and called el
Ksebbah, or the strong lion-like fortress ; that it was dismantled by the
present emperor, who took away the cannon ; and that the garrison,
and all the inhabitants were destroyed a few years ago by the plague,
since which no soul has ventured to live in it. We rode on, and cross
ed this stream, dignified by the name of river, but which, in fact, is no
more in the dry season than an American brook. The country, in its
valley, which is very wide, is rich and level ; is said to be overflowed
in a rainy season, and was at this time cultivated in many parts. We
went along its right bank, and saw the site or ruins of what is called
old Swearah, on its left bank, near its entrance into the sea : there are
now only a few huts and four saint-houses to be seen ; all the other
parts of the town are buried in sand, blown from the seashore. The
river, near its mouth, is both deep and wide, and the soldier said, it
was once a considerable port, where vessels could enter, but its mouth
is now entirely dammed up with sand ; only leaying a small passage
for the water, which runs off in a shallow stream to the sea, over a
beach of two hundred yards in breadth, and so high that the tide can
not enter the river's mouth. From the banks of this river, -we proceed
ed towards the seashore, and descending the high steep bank, we
entered between it and the first bank from the ocean, and travelled
along a delightful inclined plane, about four miles in breadth : the
surface of this plane was covered with verdure, and flowers of all the
variegated colours of the rainbow, resembling in appearance the richest
Turkey carpet.
About the middle of the afternoon, we met a courier fourteen days
from Tangier : having an inkhorn and paper with me, I wrote by him
a few lines to my friend Wiilshire, and we proceeded alcng towards
Saffy, pronounced by the natives S'fee. This inclined plane was
the most beautiful that can be imagined ; speckled over with herds of
cattle and numerous flocks of sheep, which were quietly grazing on
its rich herbage. As it was the sixth day of the week, and the Jews
with me were obliged by their religion to stop the seventh, during
their Sabbath, I had a mind to pitch our tent on this delightful plane,
and pass the Sabbath of rest, by reposing pn its dpwny bosom, and

230 . CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
inhaling its delicious fragrance : but Zagury assured me it was not
safe te lodge there, and that he must enter h'fee in erder to recruit
his stock of provisions, for that a Jew could eat no kind of meat ex
cept it was killed by a priest of his nation. He was exceedingly
superstitious, though educated ip England, and we kept on towards
Saffy. Whep in sight of the walls of that city, we came near a large
saint-house, on a cliff near the sea's brink — here our soldier and
muleteers made the Jews dismount, and pass this house barefooted,
though at half a mile's distance from our path: he told me that the
house was built over the remains of a great saint ; that every man who
was not a Moslemin must walk past it barefooted ; that people came
to visit it from all quarters to be cured of their diseases; but, added he,
as you are a good man, and very weak, you may ride past, but must
pay the saint one dollar towards keeping his house in repair. I did
not much relish this mode of giving away my money, and told the
soldier so ; but he replied, that no Christian must pass it without this
tribute, and that it would be demanded from him on his entrance into
S'fee. 1 was convinced it was only a trick of his to extort money ;
but there was no getting off, and so I paid him the dollar, telling him
at the same time 1 should set it down as a debt due to the saint's
account, and presumed he would have no objection to repay me ip
another world: "No, (said he,) that saint was very liberal in this
world, and will, no doubt, pay you both principal and interest in the
other, and intercede for your admission into paradise in the bargain :"
he was a shrewd fellow, and understood my feelings on the subject
perfectly. After the Jews had walked about a mile, they were again permitted
to ride. We approached the city on its southeast or fortress side :
some ruins of its ancient walls were still visible, which proved it to
have formerly been, at least, four times larger than at present. It was
near night, and we wept round the fortress, which appeared to be very
strong, and was defended by a double wali : it is situated on an emi
nence, which not only commands the city that is attached to it below,
but is also well situated for defending all the entrances into the town,
and has a good number of cannon mounted on it : the whole appears
extremely well calculated for defence, and I imagine it must origi
nally have been constructed by some eminent European engineer;
A small brook of water runs from the east- near the northern wall of
the city. We entered it at the eastern gate, and proceeded through
a crowd of spectators to the house of Zagury's Jew friend. The
Jews were obliged to dismount, and walk into the city, but they allowed
me to ride. Having entered the court, (for the building was very
spacious, but had very much decayed, and was fast crumbling to the
ground,) we ascended a broken staircase to the gallery of the first story.
and were conducted to a small room that had been shut up, appa
rently, for a long time : the unhinged door and shattered window-
shutter were, however, removed to accommodate our company, and 1
topk a peep into the apartment : it was about ten feet square, and
nearly filled with filth of almost every description ; the whole ferment
ing in rancid argan oil, which far exceeded in scent the most stinking
fish or blubber oil. The effluvia arising from this newly opened bed
of nastiness entering my olfactory nerves, was immediately transmit-

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. 231
ted to my, stomach, and brought on an instantaneous vomiting, which
centinued for about two hours without iiitermissioo, until my stomach
was ccmpletely empty, and it threw up besides a considerable quan
tity of freshblood : this abominable stench caused a nausea even in
the Jews' stomachs ; however, as there was no other place to lodge
in, and the weather looked likely for rain, they cleared out this cham
ber, washed it with hot water, and fumigated it afterwards with burn
ing charcoal and brimstone ; Zagury taking care to observe, by way
of recommendation, thut this house, was built by a Christian, and that
its occupants, who were his father's friends, were the most respecta
ble Jews in S'fee. The house was, indeed, large, and had been very
commodious; but its tenants, consisting of about twenty miserable
dirty families, did not choose to lehd nor let to us a better apartment,
and after refreshing myself with a cup of strong tea, my stomach
became composed, and 1 went through, in the course of the evening,
with their religious ceremonies, in company with the Jews, as 1 have
before described.
In Saffy the Jews live in company with, i. e. promiscuously among,
the Moors in adjoining houses. On their Sabbath, all the men belong
ing to the house went to the synagogues, and the women, in the meap
time, decked themselves in their best attire ; they had already stained
the insides of their hands and fingers, between every joint, and their
finger-nails, yellow ; had borrowed and put on fine ear-rings and neck
laces of pearl and amber, and golden chains, golden hearts, and other
trinkets ; these hung down upon their naked bosoms : they wore brace
lets on their ankles and wrists. Their hair, which was long and black,
was newly braided, and greased over smoothly with argan oil: they
had painted their eyes and eyebrows black, and the most of them wore
slippers ; thus tricked up in all their finery, two of the most hand
some and stylishly dressed damsels, with a number of the second-rate,
came round to that side of the gallery where 1 sat quietly and alone,
writing down notes for my journal : they first expressed their wonder
at my manner of writing from left to right ; then at the letters I formed,
&c. — and having, by this method, succeeded in diverting my atten
tion from what I was about, the two smartest looking girls, who were
about sixteen and eighteen years of age, with quite pretty faces, and
richly dressed, invited me to go with them, and see their father's room :
my curiosity prompted me to comply, and 1 suffered them to lead me
along into their chamber, where their mother, ,i very fleshy middle
aged woman, was siting on a mattress ; and as they had no other seat,
they invited me to sit down on the same bed beside her. After due
salutations, the old lady left the room, shutting the door after her.
The object of these sirens was to get money from me ; but finding i
'was able to withstand all their temptations, they at last permitted me
to retire, but not before they had tried every indelicate art and entice
ment, of which they were complete mistresses, to effect their purpose.
After 1 had withdrawn from the room, I was shown into all the other
apartments on that floor, in succession, and. their artifices were still
played Off to win my cash, until, at length, finding that all their wiles
proved abortive, they next had recourse to begging for money, but I
had none to spare therp.
The Jews ip Saffy are very poor and miserable ; they were geperally

232 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
about half clothed, and that with filthy rags. Saffy is a small place,
and has no trade ; so that the Jews are hard put to it, and are obliged
to resort to every base expedient in order to gain a mere subsistence.
1 could not but pity their condition, and lament the depravity to which
they all seemed to be prone, though, perhaps, oftentimes plunging
into guilt from sheer necessity.
This day 1 went in company with my guard to view the town apd
port pf S'fee : the tewp is small, and strongly walled in on all sides :
the walls, for the most' part, are made of rough stone and lime, like
those of Mogadore or Swearah, except that part hext the sea, which
is laid up with large hewn stone, and appears very strong : the walls
are flanked with four towers, besides the el Ksebbah, on which cannon
are mounted, and a battery at the water-port. The town lies very low,
and is surrounded on all sides by hills, and appears to be the receptacle
of all the filth of the country near it. Its streets are very narrow,
crooked, irregular, and not paved: the houses are built of rough stone
and lime ; have few windows next the streets ; are from one to three
stories high, and flat roofed ; but, like the houses in the cities in Spain,
have a court, the interior of which serves for a stable. The public
buildings are three mosques, with high square towers, and a large hewn
stone building, formerly occupied as a custom-house, but now unin
habited and falling to pieces. The Jews have also twelve small rooms,
for the purpose of worshipping, which they call synagogues. The
number of inhabitants in Saffy is computed at twenty thcusand, that
is, sixteep thousand Moors apd four thousand Jews. The walls of
the present town, including the fortress, are about one mile in circum
ference. The inhabitants of the city are supplied with good water,
brought in kegs on asses from the brook that washes its northern walls.
All the cattle, sheep, &c. that are owned in and feed near S'fee, are
driven within the walls every night, and from its appearance, no dirt is
ever carried out of the city : the filth iu the streets was in many parts
two feet deep at the least, so that it was quite impossible for me to get
along through the mire without being besmeared with it up to my
knees. Passing along one street as well as I could pick my way, I
lost both my shoes in the mud, but some Jew boys recovered them
again ; for which service 1 had to pay thgm half a dollar.
The bay of Saffy is formed by the projectiou of Cape Cantin ; is
very spacious, and well defended by that cape from the common trade
winds. Vessels visiting that place are obliged to anchor very broad in the
offing, and where the ground is said to be very foul : the landing-place
is either op a sand beach, upon which the surf breaks with considera
ble violence, or else in among some rocks, where there was formerly a
kind of basin, which is now nearly filled up with sand. There were
about twenty fishing boats on this beach, which were in a bad state
of repair. The port of Saffy has been shut, by order of the Sultan,
for several years. A circular fort stands on a hill to the north, and
within half cannon shot of the town, and which completely commands
it : it had been lately dismantled, and the cannon carried into the city,
for fear it would be taken possession of by the field Moors and Arabs
during the late rebellion. The land in the vicinity of this city is for
the mpst part uncultivated-

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO.

233

CHAPTER XXX1T1.
Continuation of the journey — Description of Asbedre — Of a flight of
locusts — Of the destroying locust of Africa — Mazagan, Azamore,
Darlbeda, Fidallah — Arrival at Rhabat — Of Rhabat.
' We left Saffy early on the morning of the 7th of January, and found
the country, as we proceeded northward, more open, but not much
cultivated : the ground was covered with flowers of different kinds,
and every shrub was also in full blossom, and seemed to vie in beauty
with its neighbour, while their blended fragrance rising, with the ex
haling dews, and wafted along by a gentle land breeze, conveyed to
the soul sensations of the most exquisite delight. We travelled along
during this whole day on uneven ground, frequently meeting large
droves of loaded camels and mules, and passing many groups of tents,
some formed of woollen cloth, and pitched in the same manner as the
Arab tents on the desart, and others with reeds ; regaling ourselves
occasionally with milk, which we found to be excellent, and in great
abundance, and at night pitched our tent near one of those flying
camps which are here called douhars-
Ori the morning of the 8th, we started very early, and after riding
about three hours, came to the walls of an old Portuguese town and
fortress, now called Asbedre, but in ruins and deserted. It is situ
ated on the second bank from the sea, one hundred feet above a
beautiful harbour or small port and sound, formed by an opening
through the first bank, which resembles the entrance of a dock-: it ap
peared shallow, and one vessel only can enter at a time. This port
seems to be capable of containing a vast number of small vessels, where
they might ride in perfect safety in all seasons of the year : here is
also, near the walls of the ruin, a small Moorish settlement of badly
built houses and tents. Passing this, we entered into one of the
richest valleys ever formed by nature : the face of the earth here was
smiling with cultivation, and speckled over with flocks and herds :
here thousands of oxen, sheep, goats, and camels, horses, and asses,
were peaceably feeding in concert, while hundreds of the inhabitants
were husied in tilling the rich soil, in sowing wheat and barley, and
cutting down, with a common sword, the weeds that grew where they
had reaped their last crops, higher than their headi, and some of them
more than ap inch in thickness, in order to admit the plough. This
valley is bounded on the west by a long sound or narrow arm of the
sea, in which the tide ebbs and flows many feet : the sea water enters
it near Asbedre, and on its right: the valley is bounded by a hill of
easy ascent: its mean breadth is about four miles, and its length about
twenty miles. The valley contains hundreds of wells of excellent
water, fitted with solid stone basins around their mouths, which were
covered with large stones ; these serve to give drink to their flocks,
and to quench the thirst of the weary labourer aud traveller. Some of
these wells were immensely deep, and a windlass was rigged to them
to craw the water.
Near the middle of this valley we stepped to take our dinner : my
*° 30

934 CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
mind was absorbed in contemplating the riches and beauties of boun
tiful nature, when 1 observed something that appeared like a cloud of
thick smoke rising over the hill at the northeast, and with the wind
approaching us rapidly. I remarked to my Jew, that there must be a
monstrous fire in that quarter ; no, said he, they are only locusts. In
the mean time, the flight was fast approaching, and soon came within a
short distance, and directly towards us. Every labourer's attention
was instantly turned from his plough and other employment ; the
oxen were stopped, and every one stood aghast with apprehension and
dismay painted in strong colours on his anxious countenance, fearing
his field was to become the prey of this devouring plague. The lo
custs began to descend, and alighted to the northward of us ; very few
passing where we sat : we soon mounted and rode on, and as we pro
ceeded we found the whole surface of the ground covered with them
as thick as they could stapd, and all busy in the work of destruction.
As it was necessary for them to clear our road to avoid being crushed
to death by the trampling of our mules, those in and near the path rose
as we passed along, filling the air around us like one continued swarm
of bees ; whilst thousands came in contact with our faces and bodies.
In this situation, fearing my eyes would be injured, I covered my face
with a transparent silk handkerchief, and pushed on my mule as fast
as I could ; we were about two hours in passing this host of destroyers,
which when on the wing made a sound, as finely described in Holy
Writ, " like the rushing pf horses into battle." The space covered
by this flight extended iu length for about eight miles along the road
and three miles in breadth. After they had fairly alighted, the Moors,
each resuming his labour, left the locusts in the full enjoyment of
their repast, assuring us, that when they had filled themselves, which
would be in the course of that day and the night, they would move off
iu a body with the wind, probably one day's march further, where they
would again repeat their ravages, leaving the remainder for other suc
cessive flights ; but which they hoped, by the blessing of God, would
not destroy the whole of their crops and all the herbage, as they had
done some years within the last seven, during which space they had
continued to lay waste the country. To see such fair prospects of
crops thus blasted in a moment, would fill the inhabitants of more re
fined countries with feelings of despair, and their fields would be left
nntilled; while the Mohammedan considers it either as a just chastise
ment from heaven for his own or his nation's sins, or as directed by
that fatality in which they all believe ; — thus when one crop is de
stroyed, if of wheat, they sow the same ground over again with barley,
or plant it with Indian corn or peas, so as to have every possible
chance for subsisting. These Arabs, while at their labour, are entirely
naked, except a small piece of woollen cloth about their loins : — they
make use of the same plough and harness as the people of Suse,
already described, but in this part of the country they plough with a
pair of oxen : — and here let me beg the reader's indulgence for a few
moments, while I undertake to give him a description of that wonder-
ful insect, the destroying locust, that so. often lays waste the fertile
plains of Asia and the northern regions of Africa. I call him the de
stroying locust of Africa, because, as far as my memory serves me, he
is first described in Holy Writ as a destroyer in the land of Egypt.

QM

r3

ft A

I
fa

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. &35

DESCRIPTION.
The locust of Africa is a winged insect, which resembles both in
size and appearance at the first view, the largest sized grasshopper of
America ; but on a close inspection, differs from him very materially :
the shape of his head and face is similar to that of a common sheep,
or goat, being crowned with two long and tapering protuberances,
which turn backwards like the horns of a goat. He has attached to
his muzzle a pair ol smellers or feelers, by the help of which he feels
and gathers up the, herbage about him, which he nips off, making a
champing noise like a sheep when eating : he has four wings, and the
hinder pair are quite transparent : he has six legs, with two claws to
each foot, which are divided something like the hoof of a sheep, but
are more spread in proportion to their size, and pointed : he is stout
about the neck, breast, and body ; the hinder part of which is forked,
and armed with a hard. bony substance, by t;he help of which he can
make a hole in the ground.
The largest African locust is above three inches in length, and nearly
one inch in diameter : he has the most voracious appetite of any in
sect in the world, and devours grass, grain, the leaves of trees, and
every green thing, with indiscriminate and merciless avidity. They
go forth by bands or flights, and each flight is said to have a king,
which directs its movements with great regularity. Locusts can only
fly when their wings are perfectly dry ; and when they rise they always
fly offbefore ihe wind, and fill the air like an immense cloud of thick
smoke : when tho leader alights upon the ground, all the flight follows
his example as fast as possible. They are" at times so numerous, that
they may be said to cover the whole face of the country ; then they
devour every spear of grass and grain, even eating it into the ground,
dislodging it root and branch, cutting off all the leaves from the shrubs
and trees, and sometimes all the bark from tender-trees in a whole
province, and that too in a very short space of time.
The present African locusts are of the same race of insects that
are mentioned in the Bible, as one of the plagues sent upon the land
of Egypt, by the Almighty : they have always been considered in the
countries where they usually commit ravages as a scourge from hea
ven, and as a punishment for the sins of the people. The locust has
been described as being produced by some unknown physical cause,
different from the ordinary mode of animal production : this is a mis
take : when I was in Mogadore, Mr- Wiilshire told me that the locusts
Wre produced by a very well known and natural cause; that the
female, a little before, the flights disappear for the season, thrusts her
hinder parts into the surface of the ground up to her wings, first havipg '
found a suitable spot of earth for that purpose : here she forms a cell
iu shape like that made by the bee, but from one to three inches in
depth, and one to two inches in diameter. Having made the sides of
the cell strong by means of a glutinous matter, which she has the
power of producing, she deposits her eggs, which are blackish, and
so small as scarcely to be distmguishable with the paked eye : each
cell is filled full, and contains an immense number of eggs : she then
seals it ever carefully with the same kind of glutinous matter of which

23fj CAPTAIN RILEY'S NARRATIVE.
the inside of the cell is formed, and covering it over with earth, shd
leaves it to be hatched out by the heat of the sup in due time, which
generally happens in the month of January : the eggs in one ceil alone
produce a host of locusts, amounting to near a million. I opened and
examined several cells in and near a garden, two miles from Jloga-
dore, and was much surprised to see the eggs lie thick together in
one mass, like the spawn of fishes. I took up some of it on the tip
of a sharp pointed penknife, and separating and counting the eggs, by
means of a microscope, as accurately as possible, 1 enumerated seven
hundred and forty-one. Admitting that every egg would produce a
locust, and that the number contained ip the small portion on the
point of the penknife was the one thousandth part of the whole mass,
(which is a low estimate,) it proves that a single locust could produce
in one season, even if she fills but one cell, upwards of half a million
of her species. When the locust is hatched, he crawls out of the
earth a little, worm, of a light brown colour, and the whole cell of
them are said to hatch about the same time. This host of worms
creep forth from the ground, and commence their march, all going
one course, generally towards the north or west, devouring every
thing green that comes in their way, and leaving' behind them a
dismal scene of desolation. These reptiles grow so rapidly, that
within the space of one week they are prepared for their transforma
tion, when they climb up a stout spear of grass or a twig, attach their
skin fast to it, and by a sudden effort, burst the skin asunder at its
head, and come forth a four-winged insect, with six legs ; they
remain a short time ip the sun to dry themselves and their wings
before they attempt flying, which they commence by trying separately
to fly a short distance at a time, and continue fluttering and skipping
like grasshoppers for two or three days ; next they set off in a body
on the wing, and fly from five miles to one hundred, without stopping,
just as the country seems to please their taste, and they then go on,
as I have before described.
Dry warm seascns are favourable to the breeding of locusts, and a
very wet cold one is sure to destroy them in the empire of Morocco
until the flights come agaip from other parts. 1 do not know precisely
the months in which the female locust makes her deposit of eggs, only
that it is in the latter part of the summer", or first ot the fall months.
The old locusts having done their share of mischief, are either driven
off by the winds into the sea, or die a natural death; thus making room
for a new and more hungry swarm. When all have disappeared in the
Moorish empire, a few flights are seen to come from the borders of the
desart, or from the coasts of Egypt, which again lay waste the whole
country, until they are in their turn destroyed by frequent rains and
cold damps, or strong gales from the land, which sweeps them into
the ocean. It is said at Mogadore, and believed by the Moors, Chris
tians, and Jews, that the Bereberies inhabiting the Atlas mountains,
have the power to destroy every flight of locusts that comes from the
south and from the east, and thus ward off this dreadful scourge from
all the countries north and west of this stupendous ridge, merely by
building large fires on those parts of the ridge over which the locusts
are known always to pass, and in the season when they are likely to
appear, which is at a definite period, within a certain number of days

fftAVMy is' Moftdoce. 8§t
ill utmost every year. The Atlas being higlU and tine peaks ccVefed
with show, these insects become chilled in passing over them, when
|feeing thj firesi they are attracted by the glare; and plunge into the
flames. 1 do not know what degree of credit ought to be attached to
this opinion, but It is certain that the Moorish Sultan used to pay a
considerable sum of money yearly to certain inhabitants of the sides
of the Atlas in order to keep the locusts out of his domiuions. The
Moors ahd Jews further affirm, that during the time in which the Sultan
paid the aforesaid yearly stipend punctually, not a locust was to bfe
seen in his dominions north and west of the Atlas, but that about six
years ago the emperor refused to pay the stipulated sum, because no
locnsts troubled his country, and he thought he had beep imppsed
upon ; but it so happened that the very same year the ldcusts again
made their appearance, and have continued to lay waste the country
ever since.
Locusts, are esteemed very good food by the Moors, Arabs, and
J6WS, in Barbary, who catch large numbers of them in their season,
ahd throw them, while jumping alive, into a pan of boiling argan oil :
here they hiss and fry until their wings are burned off, and their bodies
afli sufficiently cooked, whep they are poured out and eaten. I have
sebn many thousands cooked in this manner, and have had the curi
osity to taste them : they resemble in consistence and flavour, the
yelks of hard boiled hen's eggs. After my arrival at Tangier, on
conversing with our Consul Greneral, Mr. Simpson, respecting the
lpcusts, he ccnfirmed the substance cf what I had before heard and
dbsfer'ved myself in Barbary concerning them. This ravenous insect
had acftlally caused a famine in that part of the country, So that Mr.
Simpson, and the other Christian Coosuls at Tangier, were obliged
tO seud tp Gibraltar, and buy American flour for the ordinary con-
sUmptioP of their families ; inferior American flour was then selling at
TanMer for fifteen dollars per barrel, although before the scarcity
occasioned by the locusts,, the finest Barbary wheat used to be sold
for Ode dollar and a half per barrel.
Mr. Simpson further stated, that in the year 1814, (to the best of
my recollection as to the time,) being with his family at his house on
Mount Washington, near Cape Spartel, and where the locusts covered
the Whole face of the ground at night,when he arose'the next Plow
ing, h'C could hot perceive a single one, and observed to his lady, that
all the locusts which had remained with them for a long time, and
destroyed most of the herbage about the coUPtry, had disappeared ;
he Wopdered at first what had become of them; but after the fog in
the strait was dissipated, looking at a' vessel through his glass, that
was passipg out, he observed that the whole surface of the water was
covered with something that appeared like a reddish scum, and on
reflection, it struck him, that the locusts had attempted at night to
migrate across, the straits into Spain, flying before the wipd, which
was fair, and blowing from the southward ; but that they were either
lost in the fog, or checked On their passage by contrary winds, (which
getiefally. prevail at night, particularly in the' summer time,) in the
middle of the strait; and were thus forced by fatigue and the humi
dity Of the atmosphere, to settle upon the surface of the water, from
whence they could oot rise, and were> consequently, all droSvrted,

£38 CAPTAIN riley's. NARRATIVE.
That two days afterwards, a vessel arrived at Tangier from Gibraltar'
the captain of which confirmed his conjecture, by assuring him that
vast numbers of dead locusts had been driven ashore on the rock of
Gibraltar, and along the coast of Spain, from Algeciras to Tariffa, a
distance of nearly twenty miles, and that there were still greater num
bers of their carcasses floating in tlje straits, near the Spanish shore.
I was also informed, that several years ago, nearly all the locusts in
the empire, which were at that time very numerous, and had' laid
waste the country, were carried off in one night, and drowned in the
Atlantic ocean; that their dead carcasses a few days afterwards were
driven by winds and currents on shore, all along the western coast
extending from near Cape Spartel to beyond Mogadore, forming, in
many places, immense piles on the sand beach : that the stench
arising from their remains was intolerable, and was supposed to have
produced the plague which broke out about that time in various parts
of the Moorish dominions. I have thus faithfully embodied what in
formation I could obtain regarding the locusts, from living authority,
which I deem indubitable, and to which I have added such facts and
circumstances as fell under my own observation, unassisted by books ;
and I trust the whole will be found essentially correct. As I do not
profess to be a naturalist, it cannot be expected that I should under
take to give a description of his interior formation, &c. — but for a
side view of this famous and formidable animal, sec plate No. 9. To
return to my Journal :
Leaving this beautiful valley, embellished and enriched by many
thousands of fig and other fruit trees, as well as many clumps of grape
vines that seemed to thrive exceedingly well, we ascended the hill on
our right, and about dark approached a douhar or encampment that
was surrounded by a stone wall: the chief of the douhar was not will
ing to let us enter within the walls, but our soldier telling him that I
was the Sultan's doctor, and must go in, he reluctantly consented,
telling my guard, however, we must take care of our baggage our
selves, as the whole of the people in the douhar, both men and women,
were ill of the venereal disease. They offered us milk and eggs,
and asked my advice in regard to their disorder. I told them, 1 had
no medicine with me — 1, however, recommended a milk or light diet,
and a drink to be made by steeping a certain root, having an affinity,
in appearance, to sarsaparilla, that is common in this part of the
country ; and to let all drink plentifully of this decoction, for ten
weeks, not doubting but it would prove beneficial. We slept here
without molestation, started early on the morning of the 9th, and
passed, iu the course of the day, many douhars of tents in the open
fields ; many orchards regularly planted, consisting of several hundred
fig-trees, feuced in with stope walls very thick, and from five to six feet
in height: the land on both sides of the path was principally cultiva
ted. Zagury had despatched our guide on to Azamore before us, to
a Jew in that towp, in order to engage him to prepare some provisions
against our arrival ; for they are so superstitious, that they would not
even eat bread that had been baked in any other but a Jew's oven,
and received the priest's blessing, for which, of course, he has his
tithe. Proceeding forward, at about teo, A. M. we saw at some dis
tance on our left, what David and Elio told me was 'the famous old

Travels In MORoecdi 25V
fowa of Mazagan! stopping here to take refreshment, a large ntifhber
of Arab women came from some neighbouring douhars, to stare at
me and my dress : some of them were quite young, and Zagury began
to rally them in a very coarse and rude manner, asking them if they
loved Christians, &c. upon which one very old woman said to him,
" there is Mazagan ; (pointing towards the .distant town;) when that
place was taken from the Christians, 1 helped to cut off one of their
lieads, and yet I love Christians better than the mean, cheating, infidel
Jews." Zagury, not relishing this retort, dropped the conversation.
Riding on briskly, we arrived at Azamore about 3 o'clock, P. M.
On our approach, our Jews were obliged to dismount, and walk for
about two miles to pass a saint-house, which the Moors hold in high
veneration . this was the fiftieth saint-house I had seen since I left
Swearah. Azamore is a town strongly walled in : it lies on the left
bank of the river Ormorbear, one league from its mouth : it is built in
the form of an irregular quadrangle, and is about one mile in circum
ference : the river washes its eastern wall, while the other sides are
defended by a deep ditch. We did not enter it, butfrom it appearance,
it is an old-fashioned Portuguese town, badly built, and within and
about the walls, very dirty. This stream was the only one I had yet
passed on this continent, that deserved the name of river : it has a
dangerous bar at its mouth, which is said to be navigable only for ves
sels drawing six feet water at high tides and in smooth weather ; these
may come alongside the walls of Azamore, where there is a very neat
water-port for the reception of their cargoes, but it has now no exter
nal commerce whatever : there are, however, some large manufactories
of Morocco leather, and coarse earthen ware, in the suburbs outside
the walls. We passed this river, which is here about two hundred
yards wide, in a good boat, built after the Spanish manner, large and
well managed by expert hands. We found here a good shad fishery :
there were ten large nets, and about one hundred and fifty stout Moors
employed in this business at that time, and in the proper season, which
is from the first of January to April : they catch large quantities of
shad, which are much esteemed in this country, and are sold at the
landing for about six cents apiece : they are carried from hence to
Fez, Mequinez, Morocco, Mogadore, and all the adjoining country.
We remained on the bank of this river until dark, waiting for our pro
visions, which came at last, and we pitched our tent under three date
trees, about one mile from the bank. We had bought some shad,
which, when roasted, afforded us an excellent supper, as they were
very fat and delicious.
On the 10th, at two o'clock in the morning, we started from this
place, and owing to the darkness, lost our path, and wandered about
for two hours before it was found : we rode all the day through a fine
even country, passing many douhars, and travelling as usual ; and at
night pitched our tent in the midst of one of the douhars, which I shall
here describe, (having made mention of them frequently before,) and
this description will answer for the whole of them, with little variation.
On our approach to within fifty yards, we halted, and were soon met
by the chief, for they all have one head man, whom they honour
by the title of Sheick: he welcomed us in very handsome terms;
invited us to advance ; pointed out a place which was the safest

t$ BA^TAiM fliLliA NAHftA'llV^I
Within the douhar tot out relit; and fdfhisherl ds with milk and e£0
gratis, while the Moors that accompanied us were plentifully regaled
With bread, water, apd coos-coo-soO. This douhar was composed of
one hundred ahd fifty-four tents, pitched in the form of a hollow
square ; the tents being placed about fifty yards apart; an equal num
ber occupying each side, and at equal distances— all made of very
boarse strong woollen cloth, of the same colour, and set up ih the
same manner as those on the desart, and all facing inward. Before
each teht, ahd at a very short distance from it, all the camelSj iiattle,
goats, and asses, are made to lie down, where they are taught 10 re
main until they are roused up to be milked in the mornihg, when the
Shepherds or herdsmen drive them out into the open country to feed,
and return with them again at night-fall. They milk the mares, ca
mels, cows, asses, goats, and sheep ; and in order to effect this with
the two last mentioned animals, which are very tame, they divide the
sheep and goats into two rows, facing each other; as soon as they
approach so as to interlock their necks, they are caught by two ropes
which are ready strung for the purpose, and by this means they are
kept close together, while the women and gills go behind and milk
them between their hind legs ; the lambs having been previously tied
or secured in a similar way. A good ewe will yield a pint of milk in
a morning, and a goat more : sheep's milk is reckoned the richest by
the natives, but 1 preferred that of the goat or the camel to any Pf the
others, though asses' and mares' milk is very rich and good. They
make butter by putting the new milk into a goat-skin, the hair on the
inside ; the butter is of course a little hairy, but they can pick it clean
With their fingers, and they generally have white-haired goat-Skihs for
churns. The Arabs who inhabit exclusively these douhars, are ex
tremely hospitable, and not only furnish the traveller with the best
they have to eat an'd drink, but also set a watch over his tent and bag
gage, which they strictly take care of : the Sheicks themselves are
responsible for every article that may be missing in the morning, and
which if not immediately found, they pay the stranger his own price
for it in money without hesitation. Thus the Moorish and Arab tra
vellers can pass from one end of the empire to the other without ex
pense, and at their leisure, and transact ftieir commercial business in a
cheap Way, only buying the barley for their beasts which early their
burdens when they travel on mules or horses, being obliged to feed
them on barley and straw ; but when they use camels, which is by far
the most common method, these hardy beasts Jive on the herbage add
shrubbery which they nip passing alpng the road, taking a bite now
and then as they continue walking, and as soon as they stop, their two
fore legs are tied within a foot of each other, and they are turned out
to feed. Without this precaution, the camel is such a wandering crea
ture, not unlike his Arab master in that respect, that be the herbage
ever so good and plentiful where he is turned out, he is continually
restless, and keeps moving on, so that in the course of an hour or
two he will stray many miles from the place where he was first turned
loose. On the 1 1th, at daybreak, we left this dpuhar, and proceeded ever
a Brwooth beautiful plain, every where covered with fields of grain Or
grass and flowering shrubs, with uumerous herds of cattle, camels,

*tnnu in Maaoeea. S4t
ftsses, and nocks of sheep and goats ) while the road, of father foot*
path, (for such they all are in this country,) was covered with loaded
camels travelling each Way to and from Darlbeda, and at about 8 o'clock,
A. M. we reached that city. Darlbeda is a walled town of about two
miles in circumference, situated at the bottom of a broad bay ; its port
is tolerably good for landing cargoes, although the bay where vessels
lie is very rocky, and can only be approached with safety in the sum
mer months and in mild weather. Large quantities of wheat were for
merly shipped at this port for Spain and Portugal. I peeped into it
for a few minutes *, it is much on the decay ; the houses, which are
built chiefly of stone and clay, as well as the walls, are falling down
in every direction, and evep the gateway is ip a totteriog condition :
itis a very dirty place : the houses are from one to three stories high,
and the streets very narrow : there still remains an open aqueduct, that
used to convey water for a distance of several miles into this town ; it
is in good repair, being built of stone and lime ; the water runs in it to
within twp hundred yards of the wall, where it has been cut off for the
convenience of roads : thus the destructive hands of the Moors are
employed in marring and spoiling even their own town, which must
soon become no better than a heap of ruins.
We passed Darlbeda, and came to Afidallah, a town built by Sidi
Mohammed : this town is enclosed by a tolerable mud and stone wall,
and is situated about one mile from the sea. The whole coast from
Darlbeda to far beyond Afidallah, is lined with huge heaps of beach
sand, hove up by the almost coustant trade winds, blowing direct on
shore. Afidallah stands on a beautiful plain: it was built for the purpose
of receiving and storing the large quantities of wheat and barley that
usually grew near its site; and its harbour, only one mile distant from
it, is sheltered by a long and narrow island, within which vessels of a
small size can anchor, and be tolerably safe. This is said, by Mo
hammed, one of our muleteers, and an old sailor, to be by far the safest
open harbour in the empire during the winter months ; but the land
ing is bad, apd can only be effected in light winds and good weather.
Large quantities of wheat, barley, big acorns, fruit, &c. were shipped
from Afidallah during thereigp of Sidi Mohammed, and a part of the
presept reign ; but Muley Soliman, the present Sultan, Pas of late
become sohigoted, that he thinks, or pretends it is a sin for his sub
jects to trade with the Christians ; he has, therefore, forbid the expor
tation of almost all the articles of commerce, and rendered, by this
means, his people poor ; ruined most of his towns, and involved him
self in many broils with his subjects, while he is straining every nerve
to take away the little remains of their property, in contributions and
presents extorted from them by rapacious officers appointed for the
purpose. The goods for shipping were carried from Afidallah on ca
mels, across the sand hills that shelter the town from the violent sea-
gales^ This place is about six hundred yards square, flanked by four
square forts joined to each corner, and so constructed as to be able
to rake the whole length of the wall on the outside, with cannon and
musketry. We passed on, and pitched our tent at night withip the walls of an
old town called Sebilah ,' there is no house standing in it, except a part
31 31

242 CAP* AtN RILEY'S NARRAflVfi.
of a large fnesqfie, and a tall well-built tower, though it Was phce a cea=>
siderable place. Within these walls, in one corner, was a large gar
den, well stocked with vegetables, and about a hundred tents were
pitched, as if in the open field ; so we pitched our tent near the walls
of the mosque. There were several women here that wanted medi
cines, and though 1 had none to give them^yet my mere advice, which
was thought important, procured milk and eggs sufficient for our sup
pers. Soon after sunset, all the flocks and cattle belonging to the
inhabitants were driven within the walls, and disposed of as in the
common douhars, when the stout gate was shut and strongly barred.
Many travellers arrived in the evening, and wished to enter, but
found no admittance, and they took up their lodgings outside of the
walls. January the I2th, at daylight, our soldier had the gate opened, and
we went forward : there were outside of the gate several large droves
of camels with their owners, which had put up there in the night — they
were principally loaded with sacks of salt or barley, and going towards
Rhabat. We rode on fast, and passed three considerable streams,
which the Moors call rivers, and say they are not fordable in the rainy
season; but we got over without difficulty, being then only brooks:
the country was ievel and well cultivated, and we passed innumerable
droves of light and loaded camels, mules, and asses.
At about eight o'clock, A. M. we saw a high tower east of us, which
stands at the head of the aqueduct that conveys waterto Rhabat : 'and
at about three, P. M. we came to the outer wall of that city, which
stands half a mile from the main wall, and encloses a great number of
fine gardens of fruit and vegetables, besides some wheat fields : it ex
tends from the palace (which is spacious, and situated on the left upon
the bank of the sea between the outer and main walls) round to the
river eastward of the city : here the Jews were obliged to dismount be
fore they could enter the town, and there I left them, and proceeded
with my guard, followed by my muleteer into the city. My friend
Mr. Wiilshire, had given me an introductory letter to Mr. Abouder-
ham, the English Vice Consul at Rhabat, and we proceeded directly
to his house, which is situated in the principal town. On my arrival,
I was received by that gentleman with every mark of politeness and
respect 1 could wish : he furnished me with a room and every thing I
needed for my comfort. The next day being the Jews' Sabbath, I
had time to visit different parts of the city, and the Jews' town, or
Millah. Rhabat is situated at the mouth of the river Beregreb — on its left
bank, within a mile of the sea ; it is defended on the south by a dou
ble wall and some batteries of cannon ; on the west, facing the sea,
by a very strong fortress ; and along the river on the north, by very high
and steep cliffs, a wall, and a number of strong batteries. I should
compute the circumference of the outer walls at six miles, but the
inner one not more than three.
The city is situated on uneven ground ; is very well built for a
Moorish town, though the streets are narrow, crooked, and dirty ; yet
the houses in general are in good repair, and two stories high, built of
stone apd lime mortar, and flat roofed, with ap inner court ; a few win
dows next the streets, which are only air holes, and secured with

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. 243
w&bden shutters and grates, without glass. There are in this city ten
mosques of different heights and shapes : it is the largest seaport
town in the Moorish dominions, though at present the bar at the
river's mouth is so heaped up with sand, as only to admit of vessels
drawing six feet water, and yet the tide rises within it about ten feet,
and runs very rapidly. The Millah, or Jews' town, is walled "J.sePa-
rately, to prevent the Jews from mixing with and defiling the Moors,
and that they may more easily be kept in subjection with the/ aid of
the bastinado. This Millah has been built only about six years ; has
but one gate, which is guarded and kept by Moors ; and , there are
some very good Houses in it. It is said to contain eight thousand
Jews, who are (for the most part) very poor, miserable, and depraved,
and live in the most degraded condition : they worship in twelve rooms
called synagogues, and 1 was told that nearly one half of the male in
habitants were rabbies. , ' .
Rhabat is very well peopled : the whole number of its inhabitants
is computed by Mr. Abouderham to exceed sixty thousand. Many of
the Moors here are rich, and live in great luxury, keeping large se
raglios of women, and havipg beautiful gardens. Vast quantities of
haicks, and other woollen and cotton cloths, are here fabricated, and
great quantities of sole and Morocco leather, and coarse earthen ware,
such as pots, bowls, jars, &c. are also manufactured in this city. It
carries on a brisk inland trade, and the Moorish inhabitants seem to be
more civilized than in any other town 1 passed through. Here is the
principal navy-yard of the emperor, where his ships are built ; for the
Moors have none for commerce. Here was one new frigate iying by
the walls, partly fitted ; she appeared to be about five hundred tons
burden ; was pierced for 32 guns, and the Moors said she would be
ready to go round to Laresch, where their ships of war are fitted out^
in two or three months : to get them over the bar at the mouth of the
, river, they are obliged to go out perfectly light ; to buoy them up as
much as possible, and lay them sideways on the bar, at high tide, and
in mild weather, where they are steadied by means of cables and an
chors, until the yielding sand is washed away, and they are forced over
by the power of the ebb tide, which runs like a mill-race.
Rhabat is supplied with water by a considerable stream led into the
city by means of an old fashioned aqueduct from the south, that is
four or five leagues in length: the aqueduct was either built or tho
roughly repaired by the old and liberal emperor Sidi Mohammed. I
wished to visit the town of Salle, so famous in history for its piracies
on the ocean, situated on the other side of the river, and directly
opposite Rhabat, but I was dissuaded from making the , attempt, by
Mr. Abouderham and my guide, who said that the whole people of
Sallee still retained their ancient pride, prejudices, and patural fero
city : that no Christian, or even a Barbary Jew in a Christian dress,
could enter their walls if he was ever so well guarded by imperial
soldiers, without beiog in imminent danger of losing his life. Mr.
Abouderham said he had visited it twice ; that it coptained about
forty thousaud fierce apd haughty Meprs, and four thpusand misera
ble Jews.

244 eAfTAitf RtLEYn NA&fHTlVfi

CHAPTER XXXIV.
Description of a horrid show of two venemous serpenis-^Sets out front
Rhabat — Of Salle, Marmora, Laresch — Spanish Missionaries-*,
Moorish Navy — Arrival at Tangier.
On Sunday, the 14th January, 1816, being anxious to get forward
pn my journey, I went into the Jews' town to make the necessary pre
parations ; for I intended to proceed without my Jew's ccmpanV,
whom 1 had found out to be deceitful and dishonest, having already-
manoeuvred me out of most of my money. The soldier and muleteer
wept along with me : this muleteer, as I before observed, had been a
sailor; had visited Spain and Portugal, and spoke the Spanish lan
guage so that 1 could understand him ; his name was Mohammed.
Soon after our entrance into the Millah, we saw a concourse of people,
consisting of Moors and Jews, crowding about one of the single storied
houses, which stood alone. Going near it, 1 inquired the cause of
this assemblage, and was informed that a couple of that kind of Moors,'
called serpent-eaters, were about to amuse the Moors and Jews with
a sight of two of the most venemous serpents on earth; together with
their manner of attacking the human species : and that each one who
chose to see the exhibition through the windows, (for it was to take
place in that room,) must pay half a dollar. Being desirous of havipg
a look, I offered a dollar for a station at a window ; but all the win
dows were already occupied, and the places paid for. My guard,
observing my disappointment, asked me if 1 wished for a birth ? which
1 answered by putting two dollars into his .hand : whereupon he called
out to the Jews at one of the windows to clear a place for el Tibib del
Sultan. (The Sultan's doctor.) Those, however, who had paid their
money, not liking to lose their places, were unwilling to move: upon
which my guard brushed them away with hishig cane without cere
mony; giving me a whole window to myself, saying he would keep
guard; and Hooked into the room without interruption : it was about
twenty feet long, and fifteen feet broad, paved with tiles, and plastered
within. The windows had also been secured by an additional grating
made of wire, in such a manner as to render it irdpossible for the ser
pents to escape from the room: it had but one door, and that had a
hole cut through it, six or eight inches square; this hole was also
secured by a grating. In the room stood two men who appeared to
be Arabs, with long bushy hair and beards ; and I was told they were
a particular race of men that could charm serpents. A wooden box.
about four feet long and two feet wide, was placed near the door, with
a string fastened to a slide atone end of it: this string went through
a hole in the door. The two serpent-eaters were dressed in haicks
only, and those very small ones. After they had gone through with
their religious ceremonies most devputly, they appeared te take an
eternal farewell of each other : this done, one of them retired from the
room, and shut the door tight after him. The Arab within seemed to
be in dreadful distress : I could observe his heart throb and his bosom
heave most violently; and he cried put very loudly, "Allah huuaki-

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. §45
bar!" three times, which is, as I understood it, "God have mercy
upon me !" The Arab was at the farthest end of the room : at that
instant the cage was opened, and a serpent crept out slowly ; he was
about four feet long, and eight inches in circumference ; his colours
were the most beautiful in nature, being bright, and variegated with
deep yellow, a purple, a cream colour, black and brown spotted, &c.
As soon as he saw the Arab in the room, his eyes, which were small
and green, kindled as with fire : he erected himself in a second, his
head two feet high, and darting on the defenceless Arab, seized him
between the folds of his haick, just above his right hip bone, hissing
most horribly : the Arab gave a horrid shriek, and another serpent
came out of the cage. This last was black, very shining, and appeared
to be seven or eight feet long, but not more than two inches in diame
ter : as soon as he had cleared the cage, he cast his red fiery eyes on
his intended victim, thrust out his forked tongue, threw himself into
a round coil, erected his head, which was in the centre of the coil,
three feet from the floor, flattening out the skin above his head and
eyes in the form and nearly of the size of a human heart ; and, spring
ing like lightning on the Arab, struck its fangs into his neck, near the
jugular vein, while his tail and body flew round his neck and arms
in two or three folds. The Arab set up the most hideous and piteous
yelling, foamed apd frothed at the mouth, grasping the folds of the
serpent, which were round his arms, with his right hand, and seemed
to be in the greatest agony — striving to tear the reptile from around
his neck, while with M3 left he seized hold of it near its head, but
could not break its hold : by this time, the other had twined itself
around his legs, and kept biting all around the lower parts of his body,
making apparently deep incisions : the blood, issuing from every
wound, both in his neck and body, streamed all over his haick and
skin. My blood was chilled in my veins with horror at this sight, and
it was with difficulty my legs would support my frame. Notwith
standing the Arab's greatest exertions to tear away the serpents with
his hands, theytwined themselves still tighter, stopped his breath, and
he fell to the floor, where he continued for a moment, as if in the
most inconceivable agony, rolling over, and covering every part of
Ifis body with his own blood and froth, until he ceased to move, and
appeared to have expired. In his last struggle he had wounded the
black serpent with his teeth, as it was striving, as it were, to force its
head into his mouth ; which wound seemed to increase its ra<re. At
this instant, I heard the shrill sound of a whistle ; and looking towards
the door, saw the other Arab applying a call to his mouth : the ser
pents listened to the music; their fury seemed to forsake them by
degrees; they disengaged themselves leisurely from the apparently
lifeless carcass; and creeping towards the cage, they soon entered it,
and were immediately fastened in. The door of the apartment was
now opened, and he without ran to assist his companion : he had a
phial of bjackish liquor in one hand, and an iron chisel in the other :
finding the teeth of his companion set, he thrust in the chisel, pried
them open, and then poured a little of the liquor into his mouth ; and
j Llf5 j¥."P3 together, applied his mouth to the dead man's nose,
and filled his lungs with air : he next anointed his numerous wounds
with a little of the same liquid; and yet no sign of life appeared. 1

246 thought he was dead in earnest; his neck and veins were exceedingly
swollen ; when his comrade, taking up the lifeless trunk ip his arms,
brought it out into the open air, and continued the operation of blow
ing for several minutes, before a sign of life appeared : at length he
gasped, and after a time recovered so far as to be able to speak. The
swellings on his neck, body, and legs, gradually subsided, as they
continued washing the wounds with clear cold water, and a sponge,
and applying the black liquor occasionally : a clean haick was wrap
ped about him, but his strength seemed so far exhausted, that he
could not support himself standing; so his comrade laid him on the
ground by a wall, where he sunk into a sleep. This exhibition lasted
for about a quarter of an hour from the rime the serpents were let loose,
until they were called off, and it was more than an hour from that
time before he could speak. I thought that I could discover that the
poisonous fangs had been pulled out of these formidable serpents'
jaws, and mentioned that circamstance to the showman, who said
that tliey had indeed been extracted ; and when 1 wished to know how
swellings on his neck and other parts could be assumed, he assured me,
that though their deadly fangs were out, yet that the poisonous quality
of their breath and spittle would cause the death of those they attack:
that after a bite from either of these serpents, with all their fangs, no
man could exist longer than fifteen minutes, and that there was no
remedy for any but those who were endowed by the Almighty with
power to charm and to manage them, and that he and his associate
were of that favoured number. The Moors and Arabs call the tliick
and beautiful serpent El Effah, and the long black and heart-headed
one El Buschkah. I afterwards saw engravings of these two serpents
in Jackson's Morocco, which are very correct resemblances : they are
said to be very numerous on and about the south foot of the Atlas
mountains, and border of the desart, where these were caught when
young, and where they often attack and destroy both men and beasts.
The Effah's bite is said to be incurable, and its poison so subtile as
to cause a man's death in fifteen minutes. When I saw the Effah, it
brought to my mind the story of the fiery serpents that bit the chil
dren of Israel in the desarts of Arabia, near Mount Hor, as recorded
in the 21st chapter of the Book of Numbers ; merely because the
Effah resembled in appearance a brazen serpent : the two serpent-
eaters said they came from Egypt about three years ago.
This exhibition of serpents, (the first, I was told, of the kind that
had lately taken place at Rhabat,) and our preparations, detained us
the whole day ; however, I had made all the necessary arrangements,
got the tent, provisions, &c. in order to be ready for a start the next
morning, and on January the 15th, very early, 1 took my leave of Mr.
Abouderham, who, though a Jew, was nevertheless a man of feeling,
and much of a gentleman : he is a native of Leghorn, had received a
good education, and spoke the French language flueptly.
We crossed the river, which is here about half a mile wide, and
proceeded towards the walls of Sallee : the river has eotirely left the
Bailee side, which is now filled up with sand and mud, leaving the
town nearly a mile from the water : there were still to be seen some
remains of its ancient docks, and wrecks of vessels. 1 looked atten
tively at Sallee, in passing its walls, which are high and strong, built

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO.

247

of stone, and well cemented ; they had been repaired lately, apd are
flanked by many circular and square towers, on which about two hun
dred pieces of cannon are still mounted, of all calibers ; and it appear
ed that it must have formerly been mounted with seven hundred pieces
more. Near its walls, on the east, north, and west sides, are beautiful
gardens that appear to be extremely fertile, well laid out, and culti
vated : great numbers of orange, lemon, and sweet lemon trees, were
bending under their loads of rich vellow fruit: hundreds of fig, pome
granate, almond, and other fruit trees, were now leafless, but budding
forth, and thus promising abundance in their season. Many of the
gardens are of great extent, and planted with the cotton tree, which
is small, and produces cotton inferior to the American, called Geor
gia Upland, and only in small quantities.
As we proceeded on our road, we came to the aqueduct which sup
plies Sallee with fresh water: this aqueduct serves as an outer wall to
the city on the north : it is nearly a mile from it, and about thirty feet
high where we passed through it: here are three large arches resem
bling gateways, and marks are still to be seen, where gates were once
hung : the wall is eight or ten feet in thickness, and the aqueduct
appears to be about four miles in length. The canal for conducting
the water is near the top, but uncovered ; this aqueduct is said to
have been built by the Romans ; it is formed of large hewn stones,
and is extremely solid.
We travelled on through a fine champaign country, every where
cultivated, until two, P. M. when we saw on our left, and passed a
lake of fresh water, about two miles in length, and half a mile in
breadth : this was the first lake, or indeed pond, 1 had ever seen in
this country ; and soon afterwards we arrived on the bank of the river
Mediah. On the left bank of this river, near its mouth, stands, though
mostly in ruins, the ancient Portuguese town and fortress of Mamora ;
the fortress is situated on a high hill that overlooks the surrounding
country, commands the ruins of the town, and is now garrisoned by
about three hundred black troops. The town was built Close along
the brink of the river, and its northern wall was washed by every tide ;
and though very old, has not yet sustained much injury. The river
enters the sea over a bar in a N. W. direction : the lower wall has an
excellent circular battery, built of large hewn stone, and was calculated
for mounting thirty heavy guns for the defence of the harbour; though
now dismantled. This town wall is about half a mile in length along
the river, and the ruins twp hundred yards in breadth ; the place was
once very strongly walled in on the land side, but this wall is now in
ruins : not a soul inhabits this town at present. Here some of my
former opinions were confirmed ; for it is certain that the sea has re
ceded from this coast : the evident marks of the water high on this
wall, and on the point of land near which the town stands, that must
from appearance have been worn in by the dashing of the sea, together
with the situation of the present bar, prove to an observer, without any
possibility of doubt, that the ocean has receded since this place was
built, for more than a mile distance, and that its perpendicular height
has decreased at least fifteen feet since' that period. I / do not
pretend to account for this fact, but leave it to be explained by phi
losophers.

248 CAPTAIN RILEY S NARRATIVE.
We were to cross this river in a good boat that took over fifteen
camels with their loads at a trip ; but there were on the bank, waiting
for their turns to cross, at least five hundred loaded camels, besides
mules and asses, chiefly with burdens of wheat and barley, going on
to Tangier and Tetuan, where all kinds of bread-stuffs were said to be
very scarce and dear. I told my soldier that it was necessary to in
form the boatman that 1 was the emperor's surgeon, and himself an
alcayd ; that we could not wait, but must pass over immediately, for
the wind blew fresh from the S. W. and thNey had but one bpat, which
cculd nut make above six trips in a day ; and it would not be our turn,
from the then appearances, in less than a week : this,1 with an offer of
two dollars to the boatman, had the desired effect, and we were ferried
over with the second boat-load, though not without much opposition
aj\d dispute between my guard and those who were waiting before us,
and which was only settled by the interference of the black garrison ;
for my guide had the address to persuade them that he was indeed an
alcayd, and I the Sultan's doctor. After crossing the river, we mount
ed the sand hills, and at 10, P. M. pitched our tent in the midst of a
douhar, where we got some milk and eggs for our money.
Tuesday, the 16th, we started very early : it had rained hard with
heavy squalls of wind most part of the preceding night, but my tent
being sound, kept off the storm : it was now clear and serene ; pearly
the whole face of the ground was covered with violet and pink colour
ed flowers, not more than an inch or two in height, which seemed to
have sprung up during the night, and as the sun exhaled the dews
from around them, the fresh air of the morning was filled with the
most delightful fragrance. The country on our right was a low mo
rass, partly covered with water, which soon grew into a lake of con
siderable breadth. We travelled, during the whole day, along its left
margin : its surface was spotted over with innumerable wild ducks
and other aquatic birds, which some of the' inhabitants were shooting
at. In lieu of boats they use a kindof catamaran, which is made by
lashing three small palm tree logs together by means of cords made
of the bark of this useful tree ; they have a Cfotched stick set up near
one end of their float for a rest to their guns, and instead of oars, use
long poles to force it along : when the gunner gets on his raft, he
leaves his haick behind him for fear of wetting it, and shoves out en
tirely naked : their guns are very long and clumsy, with Moorish locks ;
so that mode of fowling supplies them with but little game, though the
lake is nearly covered with it. The sight of this catamaran brought
to my miod those made use of in the Atlantic ocean along the coast
of Brazil, and in some other parts of the world : the fishermen on
those coasts form a raft by laying three rough logs alongside of ope
another, thirty feet in length, and pinning them together with wooden
tree nails ; they then place two more logs partly on the upper side of
the exterior logs, and pin them on fast ; sharpen the two epds of all
the logs, and the float is finished. To make it manageable, they raise
a four-legged bench in it, near the centre, which serves to steady a
mast, on which they hoist a shoulder-of-mutton sail, and go out to sea.
I have seen them twenty leagues from land. These boats are perfectly
safe, for they can neither leak, upset, porfouuder, apd sail remarkably
fast, apd are steered with a stout oar.

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. 24i)
There are several islands in this lake, on one of which there is a
very spacious sanctuary, many fruit trees, and several apparently good
gardens. Since leaving Darlbeda, we had seen po high lapd, oply
moderate acclivities, po more than to make it agreeable to the cultiva
tor. This afternoon we discovered the ridge of mountains which lie
behind Fez apd Miquinez, stretching from the Atlas to the straits of
Gibraltar, and forming one of the far-famed pillars of Hercules. At
first they were scarcely visible in the distant horizon, and appeared
iike the tops of high'islands, when approaching them on the ocean :
not a tree or bush ot any magnitude had we seen for several days, ex
cept the fig, palm, or other fruit trees, which were generally planted
in clusters, or in gardens near the towps : at night we pitched our tent
at a douhar near the border of the lake.
Wednesday, January the 17th, we started early, and went down the
bank near the sea, to pass round the former outlet of this lake, which
was now dammed with sea-sand very high ; and on the sides of the
bank which formed the outlet, stood four saint-houses, nearly covered
up with sand-drifts. Continuing our journey until about noon, we
began to come among trees of considerable size ; they looked like a
species of oak with a thick shaggy bark, but are an evergreen : this
Wood is very brittle, and the trees produce a kind of acorn of a very
large size, which the Spaniards and. Portuguese used to carry away in
large quantities from this country : they were as highly esteemed as
the chesnut, and used for food by the people of those nations : they
also fed their swine on them.
Passing through a large forest, we came to a small lake on our right,
and, at sunset, approached the walls of LUresch. Having heard that
some Spanish friars resided here, I inquired for them, and was soon
conducted to their dwelling, a very good house of European construc
tion. The principal friar came out to meet me ; and after 1 had given
a short account of myself in Spanish, said he would lodge me for
charity's sake ; aftd then conducted me into a tolerably well furnished
room: and, as he had lived in Mogadore, he asked me many questions
concerning that city, and his old acquaintances there, some of whom
1 happened to know. He treated me with some wipe, which he said
was of his own manufacture ; it was none of the best, however : and,
at 10 o'clock at night, an excellent supper of fowls and sallads, dress
ed in the Spanish style, was served up. This Padre, whose name is
Juan Tinaones, told me that he had lived in Barbary for ten years, four
of which he had spent at Mogadore, three at Rhabat, and three here,
secluded from the civilized world ; that the court of Spain allowed a
large premium to those Padres, or Fathers, of good character, to be
approved of by the Archbishop, who are willing to spend ten years in
Barbary as missionaries, and a stipend of three thousand dollars a
year for the remainder of their lives. 1 asked him of what use he
could be in Barbary tp the cause of Christianity, since he dare not
even attempt to convert a Moor or an Arab, or mention the name of
the Saviour as one of the Godhead to either, or even to a Jew ?
" Nope at all," said he, " but still we bear the name of missionaries at
home, to convert the heathen : our allowance of money is ample: we
live well, as you see, (he was indeed fat and in fine order,) laugh at the
folly of our countrymen, and enjoy the preseot as well as we can."
32

250 (The circumstance of there being two young and pretty Jewesses in
the house, and plenty of good cheer, did not tend, in any great de
gree, to discredit his representation.) " When this ten years expire,"
continued this pious Padre, " we get leave to return to our country,
where we are received as patterns of piety, that have rendered vast
services to the Christian world : every respectable house is open to
receive us : our company is much sought after : our yearly salary of
three thousand dollars affords, us many gratifications ; and, for these
ten years spent in such privations and severe gospel labours, we are
allowed absolution for the remainder of our lives, which, you will readily
believe, we try to make as comfortable as possible." Padre (i. e. fa
ther) Tinaones wanted to know if I was a Catholic ? To this 1 answer
ed in the negative. He said it was a pity ; and that, unless 1 came
within the pale of the Church, he feared my precious soul would be
for ever miserable. Our conversation next turned upon the Jews: he
said, "there were about two hundred miserable families of them in
Laresch, who, though they are, in a manner, slaves to the Mohamme
dans, will not believe in our holy religion : there were two Jews who
applied to me, and said they were converted to the true Catholic faith,
and believed Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, apd the Saviour of
mankind : they were accordingly baptized as Christians ; yet, as soon
as they had obtained a loan of four hundred dollars from me, in small
sums, and found they could getno more, they turned back to 'Judaism
again, and left me no means of redress ; which fully convinced me
that their pretended conversion to Christianity was nothing more than
a premeditated scheme to rob me of my money ; and that, whenever a
Jew professes to become a Christian, it is but a false pretence, and he
is actuated entirely by mercenary motives. The Jews," added he,
" hold Christ and his followers in the greatest possible contempt, and
pretend to believe that all men, who are not Israelites, will be doomed,
at the day of judgment, to eternal punishment." This night was
principally spent in conversation with the Padre, on various subjects.
Thursday, January 18th, I made ready to go on early, but the tide
ran so rapidly at that time, that it was impossible to pass the river
without the risk of being driven into the sea ; so I had time to make
observations. Laresch is handsomely situated on the left bank of the river Saboo,
near its entrance into the sea : the town lies along the river's bank,
and is half a mile in length, but very narrow: it is strongly walled in
all around, and has two gates, one on the east, and the other on the
south side: the fortress is on a hill south of the town, from which itis
only separated by a wall ; it is strongly built, and flanked by eight
towers ; has about one hundred pieces of cannon mounted on its
battlements, and stands too high to be battered down by the shipping,
even if they could get into the river. This town is said to have been
built by the Portuguese originally, and only occupies the. same space
it did formerly, tliat is to say, about one mile in circumference : it
contains about eighteen thousand inhabitants, i. e. sixteen thousand
Moors, and two thousand Jews, who are all very poor, as no trade is
carried on here by sea or by land : they are obliged to work hard in
the adjacent gardens, and till the impoverished fields, in order to gain
a scanty subsistence. This is the only safe port the Emperor of Mo-

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. 25l
Wco has for fitting out his large cruisers, from whence they can get
to sea with their armament : the river here is very narrow, runs close
along the walls of Laresch, and is very deep opposite the town : there
is said to be on the bar at its mouth eighteen feet of water at high
springtides. The river within the town'is both broad and deep ; the
tides run very rapidly both atflood and ebb, so much so, that we were
obliged to wait until it was nearly spent before it was deemed safe to
cross : directly in the ferrying place, an old brig lay sunk, which had
been captured under the Russian flag, and the crew kept as slaves or
prisoners for about a year. The Emperor's navy was now lying along
side of the opposite bank, consisting of one frigate-built ship, copper
ed to the bends, of about 700 tons burden, and mounting 32 guns, ap
parently 18 pounders, on the main dtick ; and a brig, called the Swe
arah, also coppered — a beautiful vessel, mounting 18 guns, said to
sail, and from her appearance, would sail very fast : she was built in
England, and there fitted in the best possible manner, and presented
to the emperor by a Jew of Mogadore, named Macnin, a most noto
rious character, but called a very rich merchant : this Jew has a brother
in London, who, it is said, has heretofore managed to get goods on
credit to very large amounts, and he then' sends them to Mogadore,
where his brother loads back the ships with less, generally, than half
the value of the outward cargo, and thus continues to gull the English
merchants in the true Barbary style : the principal in London fails —
his creditors compound with him: he begins anew; obtains, from
some quarter or another, all the credit he wishes; sends out the goods
to Barbary; gets no returns ; fads again, and again compromises, and
commences the old business. The emperor, some time ago, attempt
ed to give this worthy Jew merchant a gentle squeeze, and seized his
goods, houses, cash, and every thing valuable that his officers could
lay their hands on ; upon which Macnin, to conciliate ' his majesty,
and to get a part of his ill-gotten property back again, made him a
present of this fine brig, which could not have cost him much, for
" Ios Inglesislo pagan," (the English pay for it,) is his motto. These
two vessels and the ne\y frigate at Rhabat, now constitute the whole
of the emperor's naval force : his maxim is to be at war with every
nation who has not made a treaty with him, or which has not a Consul
General residing at Tangier, to make him the customary presents on
his annual holidays, or pay him tribute agreeably to the terms of his
treaties. According to this system, he sends out his cruisers from
time to time, who, if they find a vessel bearing a flag, whose nation has
not made a treaty of peace with him, they capture tier, bring her in as
a good prize, anil retain the crew as slaves or prisoners. About eigh-
teun months ago, this brig Mogadore, then on a cruise, captured the
Russian brig before mentioned, and carried her into Laresch: now the
emperor of Russia had not stipulated for a peace with his Moorish
majesty, and had no Consul residing at Tangier ; so the vessel's cargo
was soon disposed of as a prize, and her officers and crew, ten in
number, were thrown into prison, and frequently compelled to work
on board the vessels of war. After about a year's captivity in this
manner, finding no. Christian power claimed the jnen, and having no
pse for them, the emperor ordered them to be removed to the prison at
Tangier. Padre Tiaaones told me these facts, and said he bad done

252 CAPTAIN uiLEY's NARRATIVE.
all he could for the Christians while they were in Laresch prison, and
that their brig had sunk in the ferrying-place for want of care.
Proceeding on our journey, we soon mounted the high hills on the
right bank of this river, where we found many huts constructed of -
stones and mud, with steep roofs thatched with straw, after the manner
of the Scotch apd Irish hovels : these were the first buildiogs of the
kind I had seep in Africa, and contrary to the Moorish custom, they
were quite defenceless. Continuing our journey through a long wood,
and over a hilly, sandy soil, all this day as fast as possible, we pitched
our tent at night in a deep valley, near a small douhar, where we ob
tained some milk for our suppers. It commenced raining in the eve
ning, and continued to pour without intermission, attended with strong
gales and squalls, until daylight, but as our tent was tight and stropg,
I experienced from it no material inconvenience.
Friday the 19th, soon after daylight, jt ceased to rain, and we pro
ceeded on our journey. After passing many douhars and some huts
of the construction mentioned near Laresch, we entered a deep valley,
the breadth, of which was about six miles : the rain had soaked the soil
so much, as to render it almost impassable, so that the mules sunk into
the mud nearly up to their bellies, and we were obliged to dismount
and wade through it on foot. This valley contains two small rivers,
which are not fordable at high tides : the little town of Azila stapds at
their mouth, and lay about ten miles to our left : the 'quantity
of rain that had fallen the preceding night, had rendered them quite
deep even at low water, so that in attempting to ford one of them on my
mule, he was carried away by the current, and 1 was forced to swim;
however, I held the mule by the bridle, and landed safely. My soldier
and muleteer seeing 1 had got safe across, at length ventured in dif
ferent places, and also succeeded in getting over. Our way now became
very mountainous and woody, and the deep valleys, through which a
number of brooks ran winding along in very serpentine courses, ren
dered our path muddy and slippery.
At 3, P. M. we gained the summit of a mountain, when I saw dis
tinctly the bay of Tangier, part of the straits of Gibraltar, and to my
great joy, the coast of Spain; it was the hospitable shore of civilized
Europe! The crowd of sensations that rushed upoh my mind at this
grateful sight, can be more easily conceived than described. It
brought to my recollection the trials and distresses I had undergone
since leaving it, as well as my great deliverances : all these sensations
together so pvercame my faculties, and agitated me in such a manner,
that 1 had not power to keep myself steady, and I actually fell from
my mule no less than three times in travelling from thence to Tangier,
a distance of five or six miles. As 1 had not before fallen from my
mule during my whole journey from Mogadore, the soldier who guard
ed me thought it very extraordinary, nor could I persuade him that I
was not too ill to ride : he, therefore, after helping me on again the
third time, gave his horse to the muleteer, and walked by my side,
holding me pn for some time: my head, however, became so dizzy
from the state of my feelings, that I was obliged to alight and walk
with his assistance for about a mile, until we came near the walls of
Tangier, when he again, at my. request, placed me on my mule.
It was in the dusk of the evening when wS arrived at the gate, and

TRAVELS IN MOROCCO, 233
the soldier having; apnouuced me to the guards, I wad'cohducted
directly into the city, and before the governor, who ordered me to be
escorted te the American Consul's house, where I soon arrived, and
was received most hospitably by James Simpson, Esquire, the American
Consul General, who immediately introduced me'to his amiable lady
and fapiilyi and requested me to copsider his house my home. 1 ac
cordingly took up my day-quarters with him, apd remained under his
truly hospitable roof during my stay at Tangier. Having made a pre
sent to my guard and muleteer for their attention and fidelity to me
on the journey, and made up a packet for my friend Wiilshire, 1
despatched them with his mule, &c. on the 22d of January, 1816,
back for Mogadpre.

CHAPTER XXXV.
Moorish captives — of Tangier, and Christian Consids — passage to
Gibraltar — reception there — embarks for America — observations on
Gibraltar — passage in the ship Rapid — arrival at Neur-York — visits
his family — goes to Washington City, (the scat of governmeiit,)
and concludes with brief remarks on slavery.'
During my stay at Tangier, I was made acquainted with Mr. Green,
the English Consul General, a gentleman ef talents, high respectabi
lity, and worth ; and with Mr. Agrill, the Swedish Consul General,
who had lately arrived there from Sweden. On his arrival, he found
the crew of the before mentioned Russian brig, in Tangier prison,
and findipg there was no one to claim or redeem them, and that they
were natives of what once was Swedish Pomerania, he purchased
them from the Sultan for about two thousand dollars, which he paid
out of his own private funds, and set them at liberty. I saw and con
versed with the master and most of the crew of that vessel, who told
me they had been imprisoned at Laresch about a year; had been
robbed of most of their clothing, and then brought to Tangier, where
Mr. Agrill had the charity and humanity to redeem them, though they
were captured under the Russian flag, and did not owe allegiance to
the Swedish government. Mr. Agrill kept them in his own house,
waiting for a Swedish vessel of war, which was daily expected, and
by which he'meant to send them to their country. The captain men
tioned to me that his vessel was in fact English property covered by
the Russian flag, in order to avoid capture by the American cruisers.
I had before known Mr. Agrill in St. Petersburg, Russia — theu in a
public character : he is a man of much real worth.
Tangier bay is said to be the best harbour in the Moorish domi
nions : its bottom is clear, and it might contain at one time one thou
sand sail of large vessels, which would ride in safety; being sheltered
from all but the northerly winds, which have only the rake of the
breadth of the strait, and the holding ground is excellent : the best
anchorage is in seven and a half fathems water ; where the Portuguese
flag-staff (which is the westernmost, and near the water) is on a line
with the American flag-staff, which latter is high, and can always be '
(Sti

S64 CAPTAIN RItEY's NARRATIVE.
known by having its flag hoisted when an American vessel approaches
the bay. The city of Tangier is built on the west side and near the
mouth of the bay, on the declivity of a hill, two miles east of Cape
Spartel, rising like an amphitheatre ; the'houses are built of stone,
and whitewashed, and the town, when seen from the bay or strait, has a,
very handsome appearance ; but it is badly built ; the houses being gene
rally small, and but one story high, with flat terraced roofs : the streets
are narrow, crooked, badly paved, and commonly very dirty. There
are, however, some handsome buildings in Tangier; among which are
the Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, French, Danish, and Portuguese con
sular houses: the old English consular house has been lately aban
doned on account of its Bad construction, but they are now building
a very elegant one, that is said to have already cost the British govern
ment ten thousand pounds sterling, and will cost nearly as much more
by the time it is finished and furnished. The American government
has no consular house at Tangier; the consul general resides in a
house that was formerly attached to that of the Swedish consulate : it
was purchased by Mr. Simpson, on his own private account, for his
own use, and for an office for the use of the United States, in order to
save the expense of house rent; and the dwelling part is so small and
inconvenient, that when his own children visit him from abroad, he is
forced to hire lodgings for them in Jews' or other houses. 1 believe
every government having a consul residing at Tangier, except that of
my own country, has either built or purchased a mansion for the ac
commodation of that officer. Mr. Simpson's eldest son, with his lady,
were now on a visit to their parents ; and the consul had to hire apart
ments in a Jew's house for a few days to accommodate them : he was
also under the necessity of procuring lodgings forme in a Jew's house
during a few nights of my stay there.
Tangier is an irregularly built walled town of about one mile in cir
cuit, including the fortress which overlooks and commands it: it is
well supplied with water by a covered acqueduct, and generally well
furnished with provisions : the several batteries are lined with many
pieces of ordnance, among which are two pieces of long brass cannon
of about fourteen inches caliber ; they are mounted on carriages, and
stand in a battery near the landing without the city gate : these two
enormous brass pieces were made by the Portuguese, and are (judging
by the eye) 'about eighteen feet in length.
Tangier was taken from the Moors in the year 1441, by the Portu
guese, whe gave it to King Charles the II. of England, in a dowry for
Catharine of Portugal, his queen. The English kept possession of it
for about twenty years; but, finding it subject to the continual attacks
of the ferocious Moors, from whom it was with great difficulty defend
ed, they blew up its fine mole or basin, (which had before rendered it
a safe harbour for small vessels,) to low water mark, together with
some of the fortifications, and abandoned the place : the mole has not -
since been rebuilt. I walked over it at low water : a great quantity of
the large blocks of hewn stone are now to be seen lying on the solid
foundatiops, which still remain almost entire. On the east side of,
and near the bottom of the bay, are to be seen the ruins of an old town,
which is said to have been built by the Romans. It must formerly
have been very extensive, from the present appearance of its ruics

TRAVELS IN tiORC-CCOi 953
and was watered by a small river that runs into the bay hear its site.
There are several forts and batteries on the eastern shore of the bay,
and pn Cape Malibat, but they are so badly garrisoned as not to be
formidable to their enemies, if any should chance to take shelter in
the bay during bad weather : they have only to keep out of the reach
of the shet from Tangier. All the Christiap ccnsuls near the Empe
ror of Morocco reside at Tangier, where their persons are protected
by order of the Sultan. Those at Tangier are — for the United States
of America, James Simpson, Esq. ; Great Britain, Mr. Green ; France,
Mr. Sourdian; Sweden, Mr. Agrill; Spain, Don Orne, vice-consul ;
Depmark, Mr. Scomboe ; Holland, Mr. Nijsoip ; apd Portugal, Mr.
Coloso. The coosuls at Tangier keep up a sort of etiquette, in cele
brating the memorable epochs in the history of their respective coun-:
tries, and their particular national holidays, which custom is peculiar
to Tangier. They also keep up the long established custom of giv
ing consular dinners all in turn round on the arrival of any new consul,
or when an old one is recalled, &c. These customs are extremely '
expensive, but have now become absolutely necessary in order to
impress the minds of the Moors with respect for the dignity of the
respective nations which those consuls represent. The Christian
consuls general, near the Emperor of Morocco, are, generally speak
ing, mep eminent on account of character, talents, and learning, and
have a large salary ; for, like foreign ministers plenipotentiary, they
are not allowed to derive any emolument whatever from commerce.
By accepting of this appointment, they exclude themselves from the
society and comforts of the civilized world, and live besides in exile,
and in continual jeopardy, being always in the power of real barba
rians. They are under the necessity of sending to Europe for all
their clothing, liquors, stores,- furniture, &c. except a few articles of
provisions, and those who have families are obliged to send their
children to other countries for their education, though at a very heavy
expense. Mr. Simpson left a lucrative commercial establishment at
Gibraltar, in 1798, and went to Tangier, merely to serve our govern
ment, at a time when "war was intended by the Moorish Sultan against
our commerce. He succeeded in averting the threatened blow, and
in establishing our present treaty with that sovereign. He is a gentle
man of unblemished character and pleasing manners, and has expend
ed a handsome fortune in the service of the United States, over and
above his consular salary. He has passed the best of his days in the
service of his adopted country, and, in my opinion, deserves a hand
some maintenance from government during the remainder of his life,
free from the cares, vexations, and anxieties that are always attached
to a consulate in such barbarous countries. Mr. Simpson is a native
of Scotland, but a firm American in principle, and an enthusiastic
admirer of our excellent institutions.
The whole sea force of the Emperor of Morocco, as 1 before obser
ved, consists of two frigates of 32 guns each, and the brig Mogadore
of 18 guns : the only port he has which can shelter and secure them
from the reach of an enemy, is Laresch, which they can neither epter
nor sail from when equipped, except at high-water spring tides. There
are no corsairs or small vessels belonging to individuals as formerly,
nor is there even a merchant vessel belppging to the Mpprs. Jji

$&$ (UmtN R1LEY*S NARRA'f'lViC.
order to show how much value the present Sultan sets on his ships
of war, I must relate in what manner.he sometimes disposes ef therm
About twp years since, the Bashaw of Tripoli sent as a present to the1
Emperor of Morocco, a beautiful Circassian girl : she was a virgin,
and possessed charms with which the old Sultan was so enraptured,
that he asked the ambassador who escorted her from Tripoli,, what he
could Send to his friend, the Bashaw, in return for this jewel? 1 have
nothing but wheat, said he, of which the Bashaw, your master, can
always have as much as he pleases. The Bashaw, my master, said
the ambassador, is always in want of wheat : but, replied the Emperor,
1 would send him something more valuable ; lip has made me a most
superb present, and I wish to return the compliment in a handsome
manner. Your majesty has frigates, said the ambassador : — so I have,
indeed, answered the Sultan, and that gives me much pleasure ; go to
Laresch, and make choice of one from amopg my navy : I will have
her fitted out in the best manner, and sent round to your master
directly : the ambassador did not wait a second bidding, but went in
haste to Laresch, for fear the sovereign might change his mind ; chose
a fine new frigate of 32 guns that had but a short time previous been
coppered to the bends, which was immediately fitted according to
promise, and sent to Tripoli, with the ambassador on board, and
where she arrived in safety, being escorted by an English vessel of
war. Both Mr. Simpson and Mr. Green assured me, that this state
ment was in substance correct. The Emperor's squadron might be
blockaded, at all times, by a very small force ; his large ships are,
therefore, pot at all to be dreaded by any maritime power who has
timely notice of his hostile intentions, as they are badly equipped
and manned, having now no maritime commerce, and, consequently
no nursery for seamen. The only port from which he could do any
mischief of importance to Christian commerce, is Tangier. Should
this or any future Sultan, think proper to declare war againSt "any
maritime state, he has only to send money oyer to Cadiz, Algeciras,
or Gibraltar, and purchase fast sailing latteen rigged boats; fit and
man them in Tangier immediately, and send them to cruize in the
mouth of the straits : thus they might seize on the unsuspecting and
unarmed merchant ships, as they pass along — conduct them into Tan
gier bay, or to any place along the coast, where they would soon
upload and run the vessels on shore, keeping their crews as slaves.
In this light alone can the Emperor of Morocco be reckoned formi
dable to commercial states, and this game could only be played for
a short time, until the nation thus attacked could send a force suffi
cient to destroy the marauders. It would be good policy, however,
to keep at peace with the Moorish sovereign, as his rovers, lying at
the door of the Mediterranean, might do much mischief; aud to be a
slave to the Moors, is, indeed, dreadful to a Christian.
Tangier has but little commerce with Europe, and this is chiefly
carried on by the Jews; but the English government get their supplies
of cattle and other fresh provisions for the garrison of Gibraltar, from
that place and Tetuan : this and the other trifling trade is carried on
in Gibraltar boats and Spanish small craft. There is a considerable
coral fishery along the Moorish coast, about Cape Spartel ; and while
I remained at laiigier, two Spanish boats came into the port wilh

*RAvML8i m
what coral they had beeh able to procure for the last six months ! It
was of a beautiful colour, and of an excellent quality : I was ihformed
by one of the boatmen, that in order to get the coral, they anchor ih
deep water, amongst the rocks, and let down their nets, which soon
become entangled amongst the coral, apd they then draw it on board :
this man said that they came over from Tariffa, and obtained leave
from the Albayd of Tangier to fish on the coast, by agreeing to give
him bite-third of the coral they should obtain ; that he put two MOors
ort board their boats (one each) to assist them in procuring provisions,
water; &c. and serve as safeguards : he said, the whole of the coral
they then had was to be divided the next day, when they shculd Sell
their share at public sale tc the highest bidder ; and I afterwards
understood from Mr. Simpsop, that the French Consul purchased it
for twelve hundred dollars, and there were twelve fishermen te share
the money.
On the 29th of January, 1816, a small schopner being ready te Sail
for Gibraltar; I took my leave of Mr. Simpson and family, and pro
ceeded On to the mole, in order to embark. This vessel had been
hired by a certain Jew, named Torrel, to carry his family across to
Gibraltar, which, with two or three other families of European Jews,
who would not conform to the dress in which all Jews in Moorish
Barbary had been ordered to appear, nor pay the tribute lately levied
on them by the Sultan, were ordered to depart forthwith from his
dominions. These families came out of the gates of the city, in order
td embark together, and proceeded with their baggage to the ruins of
the did mole, to go off in the bpat, it being low water : they were
accompanied by a considerable number of Jews and Jewesses : a few
Of the latter, very decently dressed, wished to escort them to the boat,
and there to take their leave, &c. j but the Moorish captains of the
port, without ceremony, began to brush them back with big staffs
they carried for the purpose: these sticks were about five feet in
length, and one inch in diameter, and they applied them so unmer
cifully, and with such singular dexterity, peculiar to the Moors, as to
lay many decent looking Jewish females, as well as niales, prostrate
upon the beach ; when they renewed their blows, in order to raise them
on their feet again, and drive them into the city gate, like so many of
the brute creation.
At about 8 O'clock, A. M. I got oh board this vessel, in compaoy
With Mr. John Simpson and his lady, who were on their return from a
visit to their parents ; and after waiting nearly three hours for a letter
which the Governor wished to send to Gibraltar, we set sail arid left
the bay With a fair but a light breeze. The scene df inhumanity apd
oppression I had just witnessed, prempted me to thank my God again
that I was once more free from a country iohabited by the wotst of
barbarians. Passing Op the strait, which ip one place is only eight miles broad,
we arrived safe in Gibraltar, bay in the evening ; but as we did not get
up before the town uptil the gates of the garrisbp were closed, We
were Obliged to remain (forty nt number) on board the vessel during
the night. On the 30th we were visited very early by a boat from the
health office and permitted to land. I went pn shore immediately
tntlwas rtd bytnyftiehd Sprague with demonstrations of no-
! 33

S5S fiAPtfAtti RiLEy's NARRATIVE.
feigned joy, and heartily welcomed to that portipn pf the civilized
world, and treated with all the attention that flows from the warmest
friendship, apd the tenderest commiseration. The American Con-
SpI was also attentive to me, and he had previously paid attention to
the wants of my companions in distress, who had arrived there from
Mogadore by sea a few days before me. An acquaintance told me that
Mr. Sprague had received Mr. Willshire's letter, informing him of my
captivity, on one Monday morning at the moment of his return from
Algeciras, a famous Spanish town on the opposite side of the bay,
about ten miles from Gibraltar, where he generally spent the Sabbath;
that he opened the letter in the presence of, and read its contents to
Mr. Henry, United States Consul, a Mr. Kennedy of Baltimore, and
some other American gentlemen : that Mr. Henry suggested that a
subscription should be opened and sent up to all the Consuls in the
Mediterranean, in order to raise money as soon as possible, and trans
mit it to Mogadore to release us : that Mr. Sprague made no answer
whatever to this proposition, but sent a trusty young man out with
orders to purchase two double-barrelled guns, while he hastily wrote a
few lines to Mr. Wiilshire and myself, as before mentioned : that
there was but one double-barrelled fowling-piece to be procured in the
garrison ; this was bought at the price of eighty dollars, and taking it,
together with his own, which was a very highly finished and favourite
piece, he mounted his horse and proceeded as fast as possible to Al
geciras, carrying the guns along with him ; from whence he immedi
ately despatched a courier to Tariffa with the guns and his letters, or
dering them to be sent by an express boat to Tangier, and to the care
of Mr. Simpson, to be again forwarded by express to Mogadore.
Such disinterested goodness, and such prompt and animated exertions
to relieve a fellow-creature in distress, have seldom been recorded, and
are above all praise : they are examples of pure benevolence, that do
honour to human nature ; and ever honoured and beloved shall he be,
who has the heart and the spirit to imitate them.' ¦
Mr. Sprague had already paid the bills I had drawn on him in Mo
gadore for my ransom, &c. and he now furnished me with provisions
and stores for my voyage home, I havingdetermined to go by the first
vessel for the United States. The ship Rapid, of New-York, Captain
Robert Williams, being in readiness to sail for that port, I embarked
in her, acccompanied by Mr. Savage and Horace ; Clark, and Burns,
having beep previously accommodated on board the ship Rolla, Cap
tain Brown, of Newburyport, that was to proceed to the United States
by way of Cadiz. We set sail for our native country pn the 2d of
February, 1816, with a fair breeze, and on the 3d were safe without
the straits.
As Gibraltar has been so frequently mentioned in my narrative, a
few descriptive observations respecting it may not be uninteresting to
some of my readers. Gibraltar is situated at the entrance of the Me
diterranean sea, and is attached to the continent of Europe by a iow
and narrow neck of sandy land which, as it lies neither in Spain nor
Gibraltar, is called the neutral ground. The rock appears to me to
have been originally an island, and the beach or neutral ground to have
been formed by the heaving up of sand and gravel from the Mediter
ranean sea on the one side, and from the bay pf Gibraltar pn the ether.

TRAVELS* §59
1?he foelt is about two miles iu length from porth to south, sad one1
mile ip breadth from east to west. It rises from the south point in
abrupt cliffs, one above another, for about half a mile, when it comes
to its extreme height, which is said by some to measure fourteen hun
dred feet, and by others, seventeen hundred feet from the surface of
the water : the top extends, in uneven craggy points, for about one
mile to the northward, when it breaks off in one sudden cliff, which is
nearly perpendicular, to the neutral ground, forming a face nearly as
wide as the rock itseif, and completely inaccessible. This rock forms
probably the strongest fortress in Europe : it has been long in the
hands of the English ; and is surmounted with batteries of heavy
cannon in every direction, and is strongly walled in at every accessible
point, so as to be considered impregnable. The western side of the
rock, near its base, is more flatted and less inaccessible :Jiere the town
is built, which consists of about two thousand stone houses, and it is
said now to contain thirty thousand inhabitants, who may be said to
compose a very heterogeneous mass ; for, as it is a free port, where the
vessels and subjects ot all nations who are at peace with Englapd,
enter with their goods, traffic and depart at pleasure, and are wholly
free from governmental duties and impositions, people of all nations,
tongues, and kindred, are there to be found. The bay is very spacious,
and is capable of containing a vast number of shipping, which may-
ride iu safety, except in heavy gales from the east or south. This
fortress is held by the English government as a key, or rather a lock
and key to the Mediterranean sea, the door of which the Moors apd
Spaniards consider as their property. Its garrison is composed of na
tive English troops, which, in time of war, ought to be seven thousand
strong : it is commanded by a military governor, and is always under
martial law. The British, with indefatigable ipdustry, apd immense
labour, have formed roads up its steep western side, and constructed
batteries, which are mounted with heavy artillery, on its very summit.
Its eastern side is steep and inaccessible. In its northern side, next
the neutral ground, but some hundred feet above it, excavations have
been formed inthe massy rock, in which heavy artillery is placed, and
pointed through port-holes penetrating the solid front: these batteries
completely command the land side, and are of course bomb proof —
they are called the upper and lower galleries, and are of great extent.
Among its natural curiosities, St. Michael's cave is the most remark
able.: this commences near the top of the rock, and no bottom to it has
ever yet been found by the English, though it has been explored
(such is the popular story) for many miles, and the Moors have a
notion that it forms a passage under the strait to the cpast pf Morocco.
Thousands of monkeys also inhabit the summit and recesses of this
singular and barren rock, but which in time of war is the emporium
of the Mediterranean trade.
After beating about for several days, near Cape St. Vincent, with
heavy gales of wind from the westward, we steered to the southward
into the latitude of Madeira, and I found that the reckonings of the
officers on board were up fifty miles before we saw that island, though
they had good opportunities to get meridian and other altitudes, which
further confirmed me in the opinions I had already formed respecting
the Gulf Stream, as elucidated in the. Appendix. After passing IVIa •

rjAi^AiN RtLEY's NAftRAtflVfii
delra, we made the best of put way Into the latitude of the constant
trade wipds,. say from 25 to 28 degrees, and ran down as far as about
the lpngitude pf 70° : then steered northward, apd arrived in New-
York on the 20th of March, 1810, where 1 was received by my friends
and fellow-citizens with demonstrations of joy and commiseration. 1
hastened to Middletown, Cpnnecticut, to visit my family, whom 1
found in gppd health. Our meeting was one of those that language
is inadequate to describe. I spent only a week with them, our hearts
beating in uniscn, and swelling with gratitude tp God for his mercies ;
when what 1 owed to my friend Sprague, and the remainder of my
fellow-sufferers, called me to the seat of government. On my arrival
in Washington, I was introduced by the Hon. Samuel W. Dana, Se
nator in Congress, to the Hon. James Monroe, Secretary of State,
who received me in the most kind and feeling manner. The adminis
tration paid from the "treasury my own and my crew's ransom, thus
far, amounting to one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two dollars and
forty-five cents, and assured me that provision should be immediately
made to meet the amount that might be demanded for the remainder
of the crew, should they ever be found alive. The Secretary, together
with many distinguished members of both houses of Congress, ad
vised me to publish a Narrative of my late disasters, which I have
faithfully performed, and shall now close my labours with a few brief
remarks. 1 have spent my days, thus far, amidst the bustle and anxieties in
cident to the life of a seaman and a merchant, and being now fully
persuaded that the real wants of human nature are very few, and easily
satisfied, I intend henceforth to remain, if it is God's will, in my na
tive country. 1 have been taught in the school of adversity to be
contented with my lot, whatever future adversities I may have fo en
counter, and shall endeavour to cultivate the virtues of charity and
universal benevolence. I have drank deep of the bitter cup of suffer-
ipgs apd wo ; have been dragged dowp to the lowest .depths Of human
degradatioo apd wretchedness ; my naked frame exposed Without
shelter to the scorching skies and chilling night winds of the desart,
enduring the most excruciating torments, and groaning, a leretched
slave, under the stripes inflicted oy the hands of barbarous monsters,
bearing indeed the human form, but unfeeling, merciless, and malig
nant as demons ; yet when near expiring with my various and inex
pressible sufferings ; when black despair had seized on my departing
soul, amid the agonies of the most cruel of all deaths, I cried to the
Omnipotent for meroy, and the outstretehed hand of Providence
snatched me from the jaws of destruction. Unerring wisdom apd
goodpess has since restored me to the comforts of civilized life* to the
bosom of my family, apd to the blessipgs of my native land, whose
political and moral institutions are in themselves the very best of any
that prevail in the civilized pcrtions of the globe, and ensure to her
citizens the greatest share of personal liberty, protection, and happi
ness ; and yet, strange as it must appear to the philanthropist, My
proud-spirited and free countrymen still hold; a million and a half,
nearly, of the human species, in the most cruel bonds of slavery, many
of whom are kept at hard labourand smarting under the savage lash of
inhuman mercenary drivers, and in many instances enduring k

TRAVELS. 261
the miseries of hunger, thirst, imprisonment, cold, nakedness, and
evep tortures. This is po picture of the imagioation : for the hopour
of human nature 1 wish its likeuess were indeed no where to be found ;
but I myself have witnessed such scenes in different parts of my own
country, and the bare recollection now chills my blood with horror.
Adversity has taught me some noble lessons : 1 have now learned to
look with compassion on my enslaved and oppressed fellow-creatures ;
1 will exert all my remaining faculties in endeavours to redeem the
enslaved, and to shiver in pieces the rod of oppression ; and I trust 1
shall be aided in that holy work by every good and every pious, free,
and high-minded citizen in the community, and by the friends of man
kind throughout the civilized world.
The present situation of the slaves ip our country ought to attract
an uncommon degree of commiseration, and might be essentially
ameliorated without endangering the public safety, or even causing
the least injury to individual interest. 1 am far from being of opinion
that they should all be emancipated immediately, and at once. I am
aware that such a measure would not only prove ruipous to great num
bers of my fellow-citizens, who are at present slave holders, and to
whom this species of property descended'as an inheritance ; but that
it would also turn loose upon the face of a free and happy country, a
race of men incapable of exercising the necessary occupatiops of
civilized life, in such a manner as to ensure to themselves an hopest
and comfortable subsisteoce ; yet it is my earnest desire that such a
plan should be devised, founded on the firm basis and the eternal prin
ciples of justice and humanity, and developed and enforced by the
general government, as will gradually, but not less effectually, wither
and extirpate the accursed tree of slavery, that has been suffered to
take such deep root in our otherwise highly-favoured soil : while, at
the same time, it shall put it out of the power of either the bond or
the released slaves, or their posterity, ever to endanger our present oi
future domestic peace or political tranquillity.

APPENDIX.

Observations on the icinds, currents, Ifc. in some parts of the Atlantic
ocean, developing the causes of so many shipwreck!" on the western
coast of Africa — A mode pointed out fir visiting the famous city of
Tombucioot, on the river Niger, &fc.
Being safely at sea on board a good ship, and on my way to join my
family, my mind was more tranquillized than it had before been since
my redemption, and 1 turned mythoughts to the natural causes which
had produced my late disaster. Upon taking a full view of the sub
ject, according to the best of my capacity, I felt convinced that not
only my own vessel was driven on shore by a common current, but
that most of the others that are known to have been wrecked from
time to time on the same coast, have been operated upon by the same
natural causes. In order briefly to illustrate my position, I shall be
gin by stating, that to men who are conversant with maritime affairs,
and, particularly, practical navigators, who have for a pumber of years
traversed the Atlantic ocean to Madeira and the Canary Islands, the
West Indies, or Cape de Verds ; who have sailed along the African
coast — from thence southeastward towards the negro or Guinea settle
ments, and to those who have been accustomed to navigate towards the
continent of South America, sailing along the coast of Brazil, and be
tween that coast and the west coast of Africa, and north of the Cape
of Good Hope to the equator, it is well known that when sailing south
wardly from Europe near the coast of Africa, and in fact nearly across
the northern Atlantic ocean, the trade winds, as they are called, set in
and generally prevail, blowing from north to northeast or east, from
about latitude 32. N. on the African coast ; — that farther westward,
they only begin in the latitudes from 30. to 26. — in the last mentioned
latitude near the coast of America. They generally blow from the
northeast to the parallel of 23. of north latitude, when they turn more
to the eastward as you gain the offing from the African continent.
The coast of Africa from Cape Spartel, in latitude 34. 40. to Cape
Blanco, in about latitude 33. tends about southwest, thence about
south-southwest to Santa Cruz de Berberia, or Agader, the southern
and westernmost port in the empire of Morocco, in about the latitude
30. north, and lopgitude 10. west, from London — it then turns abrupt
ly off to the west-southwestward, to Cape Nun, and continues nearly
the same course, about west-southwest, with little variation to Cape
Bajador, about latitude 26. north, longitude 16. west. — The whole
length of this coast the winds blow either diagoually, or directly op
shore perpetually ; the reason of this I take to be, that the empire of
Morocco west of the Atlas ridge of mountains is very dry and very hot,

APPENDIX. 263
having few rivers, and those very small during the greatest part of the
year.' - There are no lakes of consequence, except one near Laresch,
to cool the atmosphere, nor any showers of rain, except in winter, to
refresh the thirsty earth. From Santa Cruz west, through what was
formerly the kingdom of Suse, it blows right on shore, from the same
causes operating in a stronger degree together, with a variation in the
rending of the coast, and thence to Bajador, and along the coast of
the great desart to the latitude of 17. north, and the trade wind con
tinues to haul round, and actually near the land blows eastward into
the gulf of Guinea. This desart is scorched for about ohe half of the
year by the rays of a vertical sun : here nature denies the refreshing
rains that fall "in other regions ; the smooth even surface Strongly re
flecting the rapid sun's beams, while there are no trees or other objects
to ihtercept the rays and prevent the most powerful accumulation of
solar heat, which, consequently becomes so excessive during the day
time that it scorches like fire, and the air you breathe seems like the
dry and suffocating vapour from glowing embers : here the wind
ceases in the day time, being literally consumed by the sun ; the
whole surface, thus becomes heated and baked in the day time, and
when the sun disappears from above the horizon, the cooling wind
rushes on to the desart from the ocean to restore the equilibrium of
the atmosphere.
The sea breeze begins about six o'clock in the evepipg, and conti
nues to increase gradually all along this coast until four o'clock in the
morning, at which period it has risen to a strong gale, so that vessels
navigating near the land are frequently forced to take in all their light
sails by midnight, and to reef down snug before morning, when it be
gins to lull a little, and about mid-day becomes very moderate, and
sometimes quite calm. Every practical man knows that the winds
drive a current before them on the bosom of the ocean, as well as along
its shores, that becomes more or less strong in proportion as the gale
is light or heavy, and of long or short duration. On this coast the
current sets before the wind against the shore — if there meets with
unconquerable resistance, and is turned southward: it is always felt
from about Cape Blanco, (lat. 33.) southward, and grows stronger and
stronger until it passes Cape Bajador, because it ismore and more
compressed — thence it strikes off, one part to the southwest towards
the Cape de Verd Islands, and the remainder keeps along the coast to
Cape de Verd, whence it spreads itself towards the equator, and some
part follows the windings of the coast round the gulf of Guinea.
The southeast trade winds blow almost continually from the lati
tude of 30. south in the Atlantic ocean to the equator, and often to
the 5th degree of northern latitude— these southeast trades assist those
from the northeast in heaping up the water in the equatorial region,
when both the northeast and southeast winds uniting, blow from the east
ward, bearing the whole mass of water on this surface towards the Ame
rican continent: it strikes that continent to the northward of Cape la
Roque, between the parallels of 6 degrees south latitude and the equa
tor, on the coast of Brazil, where the coast turns to the westward ; 
being much compressed, it runs strongly along this coast to the mouth
of the mighty river Amazon, with whose current it is united and borne
down alopg the coast of Cayenne, Surinam, and Guyanpa, receivjpg

264 APPENDIX.
in its way all the waters brought agaipst those coasts by the constant
trade wipds from the east apd portheast, and all the great rivers which
flow in from the southward, among which is the Orpppkp, one of the
longest on the continent of South America, and that rolls, in the
rainy season, an immense body of water to the ocean : I have
ascended that river five hundred miles. The current runs so strong at
times towards the west along this whole line of coast, (which is mostly
low land, and has principally been made on the seaboard by the
alluvial qualities of the waters jp the rivers, brought down by freshes,
which are then thick with mud, like those of the Mississippi,) as to
render it impossible for any vessel to get to the windward or eastward
by beating against the wipd and current. Its velocity has been known
to exceed three miles an hour. This great current is driven westward
along the coast hetween it and the West India Islands, a great part ot
it entering the Gulf of Paria, south of the Island of Trinidad, where it
receives and is strengtheped by the waters of the western hranch of the
Oronoko river ; — here the high land, that evidently joined this island
to the continent formerly, has been burst asunder, perhaps indeed
assisted by an earthquake, or some other convulsion of nature: there
are here several passages for the current, 1 think four, (for I write
entirely from memory,) through the same mountain, which is of an
equal height on the islands and on the continept, and the fragments of
rocks which have been torn out and rolled away by this tremendous
shock or current leave no dpubt in the mind of the beholder of the
reality of such an event. The widest passage is not more than two
miles over ; the narrowest not more than one fourth of a mile : these
passages are called by the Spaniards, who first explored and settled
that part ef the ceuntry, (as well as the Island of Trinidad, i. e.
Trinity,) Las Bocas del Dragon, or the Dragons' Mouths. This
body of water rushes through these passages with such force, that it
is next to impossible, at times, for a fast sailing vessel to enter against
the current, with, a strong trade wipd ip her favour, apd I have known
many vessels bound to Trinidad, obliged to bear up and try for
the Leeward Islands, and scarcely able to fetch Hispaniola or
Jamaica. This, with what passes northward of Trinidad, is pent in
and forced against the Spanish coast of Terra Firma, following its
windings round the Bay of Honduras to Cape Catoche: by the con
stant trade winds which blow from the N. E. to east, they are then
driven through between that Cape and Cape St. Antonio, or the west
ern part of the Island of Cuba, into the Gulf of Mexico. From the
similarity in the appearance of Cape' Catoche and Cape St. Antonio,
the lpwpess of the land on both sides, the strait that divides them being
only about sixty miles wide, and the fact of soondipgs being found
nearly or quite across the channel, it has heen thooght, apd with
every probability of truth, ip its favour, that the Islapd of Cuba was
ooce attached tp this point of the coptinept, and the waters heaped np
by the. foregoing causes iu that great bay south of Cuba, at some
remote period broke over the low sandy land, tore it down, and formed
for themselves a free passage into the great gulf of Mexico.
The circumstance of the Island of Cuba stretching nearly east and
west about seven hundred miles in length, and in many places very
high, with the well kpewp fact cf the pewerful currents already men-

FPEND1X §65
tioned setting it upon the coast south apd west of it, and the constant
easterly winds that prevail on its southern side, leaves very little room
to doubt that these strong trade winds, opposing the passage of the
current up the south side of that once vast peninsula, have raised
them to such a pitch that they have formed a channel for themselves.
This immense mass of water, thus forced into the Bay of Mexico,
runs tp the N. W. to its northern border, and strikes that shore a few
leagues west of the Mississippi river's mouth — thence taking a circular
direction round south towards Vera Cruz and along the south coast
of the gulf, seems to lose itself near where it entered at Cape Catpche.
In sailing in the Gulf of Mexico, you meet with whirlpools and very
strong currents in every part of it, sometimes setting one way, and
sometimes another ; the gulf being of a circular form, there is np cer
tainty in the currents. During the summer months it is visited by
the most dreadful squalls of thunder and lightping, and by water
spouts that have often destroyed vessels. Storms or hurricanes are
also very frequent, and calms of a month or twp often occur : here
that astonishing body of water is joiped by that of all the rivers that
empty into the gulf, particularly those borne' down by that father of
rivers, the Mississippi ; — thus accumulated and become much higher
in the Bay of Mexico than in any other part of the Atlantic oceap, it
forces its way eastward between Cape Florida and the northern side
pf the Island of Cuba, uptil meeting the great bank of Bahama in its
front, with its numerous keys aud rocks, if is turned nethwardly
along the coast of Florida. Its velocity there in the narrowest part,
where it is only about forty miles wide, has been ascertained (and',
indeed, I have known it myself) to exceed five miles an hour at some
particular seasons. After leaving this narrow passage, it keeps its
course northwardly, spreading a Tittle as it proceeds, until it strikes
soundings off Savannah and Charleston — the coast then narrows in its
western edge again uptil it approaches Cape Hatteras, where the stream
is not more than fifty miles broad, and frequently runs with almost as
great rapidity as between the Bahama Bank andFlorida shore. From
Cape Hatteras its course is N. E. to the shoals off Nantucket Island
apd George's Bank, where its velocity is about twp miles an hour ;
these obstructions give it a more easterly direction, until it strikes
the Great Bank of Newfoundland in the latitude of 42. N. or there
abouts : here it meets with the resistance of the bank, and is turned
by it to the E. S. E. There is in this part of the ocean a cur
rent which perpetually sets from the northward, south-eastwardly
along the coast of Newfoundland ; it is this current which brings
from the coast of Labrador and Hudson's Straits the islands of ice
that are so often met with by ships on and about the grand Newfound
land Bank in the first part of the summer, and which have proved
fatal to ao many ships and their crews : the appearance of these islands
proves beyontf a possibility of doubt the existence of that current,
which pressing upon, is joined to that of the Gulf Stream, and the
whole sets away together towards tbe Azores, or Western Islands, at
the rate of from one tp two and a half miles an hour :— this current i*
felt by all vessels beund from the United States to the Western Islands
and Madeira, or the Canaries, that sail in the parallels of the Azores,
which all those vessels bound to Madeira, the Canaries, or the coast
23 34

266 Appendix.
of Spain and Portugal, aud the Mediterranean sea, generally do
Those vessels that make the Western Islands, when bound to Europe,
generally feel it until they lose sight of those islands ; when in stand-
ipg away for the porthern or central ports of Europe, they feel it no
more, and it has therefore generally been thought to lose itself near
the Azores, in the ocean. This is a mistake — for it Continues its
course for the coast of Africa, making no account of the island of
Madeira, though the most of it passes northward of that island in a
southeasterly direction, and strikes the African continent from Cape
Blanco to the latitude of 29° north. When it comes near this coast,
it is again contracted as it feels the effects of the trade winds near
the coast, and rushes forward at times with great velocity against the
coast between Cape Blanco and the island of Lanzarote, the north
ern and easternmost of the Canary Islands, being attracted, as it
were, by the vacuum occasioned by the trade winds and currents
which have been before noticed, and which have in a measure drained
the waters from the coast, and the continuation of the Guff Stream
increasing in velocity, restores the waters nearly to their former level,
which still are kept rolling along before the wind, against and along
the coast towards the equator, and are again driven by the same
causes to the coast of America into the Gulf of Mexico and back
again, in what is usually termed the Gulf Stream, to the coast of
West and> South Barbary, making their continual round. Ships
bound from Europe, say England, France, Holland, &c. to the West
Indies, the Cape de Verd Islands, the coast of Guinea, Brazils, or
India voyages, or to the west coast of America, generally steer south
ward along the coast of Portugal, until they cross the mouth of the
straits of Gibraltar, where if they meet with southerly winds they
are drawn towards the coast of Africa by a small indraught setting to
wards the strait, where a current always runs in ;' for the waters of
the rivers which empty into the Mediterranean sea are not sufficient
to supply the loss from evaporations rendered necessary in order to
moisten in some measure the parched earth and sand on its southern
border, and to cool the heated atmosphere, and support by dews the
scanty vegetation on the coast, during the greater part of the year,
where no rain falls except a little in winter ; so that the surface of the
Mediterranean sea is always lower than that of the adjoining Atlantic.
The same causes, viz. great evaporations, tend also to reduce the
quantity of water in the open ocean near the west coast of Africa, and
particularly that part bordering on the desart, where very little or no
rain ever falls, and the smooth surface of which, baked almost as hard
as stone by the heat of a vertical sun, is during the night in some de
gree refreshed by the strong winds and vapours which come from the
sea, as before noticed. These reasons, together with the facts which 1
have before stated, demonstrate to my understanding, satisfactorily,
that in the offing all along this Coast, the water must incline towards
it, contrary to any general principle of currents ; and this is proved,
if any doubt did exist, by the vast number of vessels that, have from
time to time been wrecked on these wild and inhospitable shores, gene
rally near Cape Nun, and from thence to Cape Bajador, and as far
south as Cape de Verd. Ships from Europe, bound round the south
ern capes of Africa and America, generally stop at Madsira pr Tene-

APPENDIX. 261
riffe for refreshments, and are not unfrequently obliged to run for Ma
deira after they get in its latitude, and their reckoning by account is
up one, and sometimes two degrees westward before they find that
island ; when, had they kept on the courses which they would natural
ly have steered to reach Teneriffe, they would have been sucked or
drawn in by the current between Lanzarote and Cape Captin, and
driven ashore near Cape Nun, before they could' suspect they had >
reached the latitude of that island, and in the firm belief that they
were near the longitude of Teneriffe, and consequently two hundred
and fifty miles from the coast where they in fact are, and where no
human effort can save them from either perishing in the sea, or be
coming slaves to the Bereberies, Moors, or Arabs, who inhabit this
country. Most merchant vessels steer courses that ought to carry
them within sight of the Canary Islands when bound to the southward,
or from the strait of Gibraltar; they generally experience a southerly
current after passing the latitude of Cape Blanco, and have a fait wind
when near the coast, with thick hazy weather, so that they cannot
get an altitude of the sun : this is a sure sign they are in the southeast
current, over which hangs a vapour similar to that observed over the
Gulf Stream near the American continent, and when these portending
signs occur, they should stand directly off W. N. W. or N. W. until
they reach the longitude of Madeira, and never pass the latitude of
Teneriffe or Palma, without seeing one of them. , Near these Islands
the atmosphere is more clear, and they can be seen from sixty to one
hundred miles distant in clear weather. I am particular in advising
those ship-masters who are bound that way, by all means to make the
island of Madeira ; it takes them but a little out of their route, and
from whence they will be sure of making Teneriffe or Palma, in steer
ing the regular courses, when by due precaution against indraughts
southward of those islands, they avoid the dangers of this terrible
coast, and the dreadful sufferings or deaths which await all that are
so unfortunate as to be wrecked on them : I have learned from a long
experience in trading and navigating from Europe as well as America,
to the Madeira and Canary Islands, to the coast of Brazil and South
America ia general, thence northward across the southern Atlantic,
all along the coast of Guyanna and Terra Firma, from the river Ama
zon to the Bay of Honduras, through the passages between Trinidad
and the Main, Cape Catoche and the island of Cuba — in the gulf of
Mexico, and in the Mississippi river, to Cuba ; — through the Gulf
Stream backwards and forwards — along the coasts of Florida to and
from different ports in the United States, thence to and from all the
West India islands, and to and from almost every part of Europe, and
I can assert, without fear of contradiction from any practical man, that
the particular currents 1 have here mentioned do in reality exist in all
those parts of the ocean. 1 have endeavoured to find out their causes,
apd pow give the reader those 1 judge to be the correct ones. 1 pre
sume no man ever took more pains to examine and ascertain the facts
on which this theory is founded ; having tried the currents whenever
I had an opportunity, in different parts of the Atlantic, and very few
men have had better opportunities : how far 1 have succeeded, must
hereafter be determined.
When I tppk my departure from Cape Spartel, bpund to the Ca.p«

268 APPENDIX.
de Verd Islands, on my <ast voyage, 1 steered W. N. W. by compass,
until that Cape bore E, S. E. distant four or five leagues, to give the
coast a good birth ; then 1 shaped my course W. Is. W. and took
care to have the vessel always steered her course. — she was a very fast
sailer, and steered extremely easy, and what little she did vary from
her course was to the westward : we had a ccnstant fair wind, and
generally a geod breeze, and were only three days northward of the
Canary Islands. I had frequently tried the compasses pn the outward
bound passage, and found them to be correct, their variation being no
more than is generally calculated, i. e. nearly twp points about the
straits uf Gibraltar ; I therefore made all the allowance 1 could sup
pose necessary, and my courses steered ought to have carried my ves
sel to the westward of Teneriffe ; but I was near the coast, and the
indraught so strong, setting at the rate of at least two miles an hour
E. S. E. or two and a half S. E. that my vessel was carried by it out
of her course in three days nearly two hundred miles directly east
broadside towards Africa, and she must have entered the passage
between Lanzarote and Fuertaventura (the easternmost of the Canaries)
and the coast of Africa, and so far from the islands that we could not
discover them, though the island of Fuertaventura is very high. The
current here ran more to the south, sweeping my vessel along with
great rapidity towards Cape Nun and the coast — but my course being
so far westward, I was carried by the help of the current, which is
turned by the coast to S. W. near to the pitch of Cape Bajador, before
I could suppose it was possible that we wore near it, and having been
carried in three days one hundred and twenty miles of latitude.
Of the great number of vessels wrecked on this part of the coast,
very few get as far down ; almost all go on shore near Cape Nup, and
before they believe themselves in the latitude of Lanzarote, being
drawn in by this fatal current and indraught, when they think they are
far to the westward, and are many times on the look-out for Teneriffe.
The weather is always extremely thick and foggy along this coast
within the vortex pf this current. If the crews of vessels, even in the
day time, discover lapd to leeward, westward of Santa Cruz de Berbe-
ria, as it tends in some places nearly east and west, having always a
strong wind, swell, and current, right on shore, and a tremendous sea
rolling pn, it is next to impossible for the fastest sailer to escape total
destruction by running on shore, where the crew must either miserably
perish in the sea, starve to death after landing, be massacred by, or
become slaves tc the ferocious inhabitants, the most savage race of
men, perhaps, to be found in the universe. These barbarians know
and obey no law but their own will ; their avariee alone sometimes
prompts them to save the lives of their fellow mortals when in the deep
est distress, in the hope of gaining by the sale, the labour, or the future
ransom of their captives, whom, they say, God has placed in their
hands as a reward for some of their virtues or good actions; and it is
a sacred duty they owe to themselves, as well as to the Supreme
Being, to make the most they can by them. Not less than six Ameri
can vessels are known to have been lost on this part of the coast sines
the year 1800, besides numbers of English, French, Spanish, Portu-
§uese, &c. which are also known to have been wrecked there, and bo
oubt many other Vessels that never have been heard from — but it is

bitty Americans and Englishmen that are ever heard froth after the
first news of the shipwreck. The French, Spanish, Portuguese, and
Italian governments, it is said, seldom raosOiri their unfortunate ship
wrecked subjects, and they are thu3 doomed to perpetual slavery and
misery— po friendly hand is ever stretched forth to relieve their dis
tresses and to heal their bleeding wounds, nor any Voice of humanity
to sooth their bitter pangs ; till worn out with sufferings indescribable,
they resign their soUls to the God whp gave them, and launch into
thO eternal world with pleasure, as death is the only relief from their
sufferings. 1 cannot omit to inform my readers, that en the 1st of January, 1816,
when in Mogadore, I went in company with Mr. Wiilshire, to pay a
complimentary visit to Don Estevan Leonardi, an old map, a Genoese
by birth, who had lived a long time in Mogadore — he has, I was inform
ed, exercised the fupctiops of FrePch Vice-tCopsul there for a pumbCr
of years — he received us with the compliments of the season; congratu
lating me coldly on my redemption from slavery; inquired some par
ticulars, &c. &c. after which, apd whep we had refreshed ourselves
with a glass of wine, he told me, that " about the years 1810, 11, he
received a long letter from Suse, brought te him by an Arab, written
by a Frenchman : this stated that the writer and another Frenchman,
whom he named, had escaped from a prison in Teneriffe a few weeks
previously, whfefe they had been loog confiped as prisoners of war ,
that they stole an open boat in the night, and set sail in the hope of
escaping from the Spaniards, who had treated them with great harsh
ness and croelty ; that they steered to the eastward, expecting to
land on the coast of Morocco, where they trusted they might regain
their liberty, and get home through the aid of the "French Con
suls ; that they made the coast of Suse, and landed a few leagues
below Santa Cruz or Agader, after great sufferings and hardships,
where they were seized on as slaves, and stripped naked ; and the
letter concluded by begging of him to ransom them, apd thus save
the lives of two unfortunate men, who must otherwise soon perish,
&S; &C.— but said Leonardi, I had po orders from the Copsul-Geue-
ral to Expend money on account of his government, and accordingly
persuaded the Arab who brought the letter to stop with me a few day's
—Ms price was two hundred dollars for the two, aud he was their sole
proprietor. In the mean time I sent off a courier express to Tangier,
Ki orders from the Consul-General, who returPed at the epd of thirty-
five" days, with leave to pay one hundred dollars a man for them, but
no other expenses. The Arab stayed fifteen days with me, and then
returned home in disgust; he Could not believe I would ransom them,
is I did not do it immediately ; but when my express returned from
Tangier, giviog me leave to buy them, 1 sent a Jew dowo with the
money to pay their ransom, but when he came to their master, he
would npt sell them at his former price, for he said he had foupd
them to be mechanics, and demanded three hundred dollars for the
two, Ot one hundred and fifty dollars each. The Jew said he saw the
men; they Were paked, hard at work, and appeared to be much
exhausted, Very miserable, and dejected : — he might have bought one
for one hundred and fifty dollars, but would not, as he had no orders
te do so. When the Jew was about to return, their master told him if
S3*

ItO AHGtiDlX,
he went away without the men, and the Consul wanted them, he must
bay four hundred dollars for them : — now on the Jew's arrival at
Mogadore with this news, (continued Leonardi,) I sent, oft' another
express to Tangier, who brought back leave to pay the four hundred
dollars, at the same time cautioned me not to make any further ex
penses on their account. I sent down the four hundred dollars to Suse
again, and ordfered the messenger to buy one, if he could not get
both ; but their master said he had been played with and deceived
until that time ; that if I wanted them, 1 must pay five hundred dollars,
and that he would theu escort them up to Swearah, and be answerable
for their safety until they arrived there, but he would not take the
four hundred dollars, nor would he separate them; and so the mes
senger returned without them. 1 have expended (said he) about two
hundred dollars that I shall never get again, and I suppose the men
are dead, as I have not heard from them since." This, if not in the
precise words, was the substance of what he said, and 'I could scarcely
suppress the indignation I felt at this recital, nor avoid contrasting
the behaviour of this man with that of my noble friend Wiilshire.
This old man is very rich; has no family but himself, and is one ef
the most zealous Christians, in professions at least, in Barbary; but a
sordid wretch, who never knew the pleasure arising from the con-
. sciousness of having done a good deed, in my opinion.
While I remained at Mogadore, a schooner arrived there, as 1 have
before observed, from Gibraltar : she was a Genoese vessel, but
sailed under English colours, as the king of Sardinia was at war
with all the Barbary powers, or at least they were at war with him :
the captain, officers, and crew, were Genoese and Spaniards. She
had been more than twenty days on her passage lrom Gibraltar,
haviog beep carried by the current down the coast below Santa Cruz
or Agader. The captain told me he must inevitably have gone ashore
near Cape Nun, had not God in his mercy favoured him with a south
wind, out of the usual course of nature, on that coast, when he was
close to the land : he had been beating for three days against the trade
wind, nearing the coast every day, and could not fetch off either way,
though his vessel was a fast sailer, and only in ballast trim. He
arrived at Mogadore about the 1st of December, after the wind had
beep blowing strong, with some rain from the south, for four days : it
is only in December and January that these winds occur, and always
bring a storm with them, either of wind or rain : this schooner was
the vessel in which my second mate and three men went round from
Mogadore to Gibraltar.
\ As the geography of that part of Africa lying in the equatorial re
gions eastward of that extensive ridge of mountaips which borders its
western coast from the latitude 18. N. to the Congo river, and west
ward of the Mountains of the Moon, in which the Nile has its sources,
has excited much speculation aud interest ip the learned world, (though
it dogs not come Strictly within my province,) 1 will, nevertheless,
make a few brief observations on the practicability of exploring
those hitherto unknown countries, in the hope that they may hereafter
be useful. And first, it is my decided opinion, that no European or
civilized armed force, however large or well appointed, can ever
penetrate far into the interior of these wild and dismal recesses by

AfrpmiX. §?1
land, either from the sheres of the Atlantic ocean, er the Mediterranean
sea; because an army en such an expedition, would not only have to
eocounter powerful hosts of savage enemies at every turn, and undergo
the severest privations, fatigues, and hardships, but would besides
have to encounter the raging heat of this scorching climate, surpassing
any thing they may ever have experienced, and the pestilential dis
orders incident thereto : — these circumstances' taken together, could
scarcely fail to produce its total annihilation in a short period, and
thus frustrate the boldest and best planned military attempt. — Indivi
dual bravery, enterprise, skill, and prudence, in the ordinary way,
by travelling unprotected, are also, in my opinion, entirely unequal
to the task, and such enterprises must, I think, always prove abortive.
Something might, perhaps, be done by black travellers, natives of
that country, tutored expressly for that purpose, and sent off singly
from different stations and on different routes ; but owing to their con
fined education, and particular train of ideas, nothing very valuable
could be expected from their researches. Steam-Boats, strongly built,
and of a suitable construction, well armed and appointed, might ascend
the river Congo, (which 1 am induced from many considerations to
believe is the outlet of the river Niger,) and traffic up that river, and
other rivers, making important discoveries ; but the whole of their of
ficers, as well as all the men employed on board them, should first be
inured to such climates, and be persons accustomed to fatigues, priva
tions, hardships, and sufferings ; and, above all, should be guided by the
greatest degree of human prudence. A plain and very simple method
for visiting Tombuctoo in safety, and returning again, might bepointed
out by either the American or English Consuls residing at Tangier,
Algiers, Tunis, or Tripoli ; — to accomplish this journey, the travel
ler, after being qualified ..knowing the Arabic language, and being duly
circumcised, has only to become a Slave by his own consent, and a
secret understanding with his hired master ; being bargained away by
the Consul to one of the principal merchants trading to that city in
the yearly caravans, and who might be induced tc enter intc the pro
ject for aa ample remuneration.

FINIS