The person who communicated the following intelligence respecting
Timbuctoo and Housa, is a Muselman, and a native of Tetuan, whose father
and mother are personally known to Mr. Lucas, the British Consul. His
name is Asseed El Hage Abd Salam Shabeeny. His account of himself is,
that at the age of fourteen years he accompanied his father to
Timbuctoo, from which town, after a residence of three years, he
proceeded to Housa; and after residing at the latter two years, he
returned to Timbuctoo, where he continued seven years, and then came
back to Tetuan.
Being now in the twenty-seventh year of his age, he proceeded from
Tetuan as a pilgrim and merchant, with the caravan for Egypt to Mecca
and Medina, and on his return, established himself as a merchant at
Tetuan, his native place, from whence he embarked on board a vessel
bound for Hamburgh, in order to purchase linens and other merchandize
that were requisite for his commerce.
On his return from Hamburgh in an English vessel, he was captured, and
carried prisoner to Ostend, by a ship manned by Englishmen, but under
Russian colours, the captain of which pretended that his Imperial
mistress was at war with all Muselmen. There he was released by the good
offices of the British consul, Sir John Peters[a], and embarked once
more in the same vessel, which, by the same mediation, was also
released; but as the captain either was or pretended to be afraid of a
second capture, El Hage Abd Salam was sent ashore at Dover, and is
now[b], by the orders of government, to take his passage on board a
king's ship that will sail in a few days.
In the following communications, Mr. Beaufoy proposed the questions, and
Mr. Lucas was the interpreter.
Shabeeny was two years on his journey from Tetuan to Mekka, before he
returned to Fas. He made some profit on his merchandise, which consisted
of haiks[c], red caps, and slippers, cochineal and saffron; the returns
were, fine Indian muslins[d] for turbans, raw silk, musk, and
_gebalia_[e], a fine perfume that resembles black paste.
He made a great profit by his traffic at Timbuctoo and Housa; but, _he
says_, money gained among the Negroes[f] has not the blessing of God on
it, but vanishes away without benefit to the owner; but, acquired in a
journey to Mecca, proves fortunate, and becomes a permanent acquisition.
On his return with his father from Mecca, they settled at Tetuan, and
often carried cattle, poultry, &c. to Gibraltar; his father passed the
last fifteen years of his life at Gibraltar, and died there about the
year 1793. He was born at Mequinas; his family is descended from the
tribe of Shabban[g], which possesses the country between Santa Cruz and
Wedinoon. They were entitled to the office of pitching the Emperor's
tent, and attending his person. They can raise 40,000 men, and they were
the first who accompanied Muley Hamed Dehebby[h] in his march to
Timbuctoo.
[Footnote a: Confirmed by Sir John Peters.]
[Footnote b: In the year 1795.]
[Footnote c: The haiks are light cotton, woollen, or silk garments,
about five feet wide and four yards long, manufactured at Fas, as
are also the red caps which are generally made of the finest Tedla
wool, which is equal to the Spanish, and is the produce of the
province of that name, (for the situation of which see the map of
the empire of Marocco, facing page 55.) The slippers are also
manufactured from leather made from goat-skins, at Fas and at
Mequinas. The cochineal is imported from Spain, although the
opuntia, or the tree that nourishes the cochineal-fly, abounds in
many of the provinces of West Barbary, particularly in the province
of Suse. The saffron abounds in the Atlas mountains in Lower Suse,
and is used in most articles of food by the Muhamedans.]
[Footnote d: Muls.]
[Footnote e: _Gebalia_ resembles frankincense, or Gum Benjamin, and
is used for fumigations by the Africans.]
[Footnote f: Being idolaters.]
[Footnote g: Shâban is (probably) a tribe of the Howara Arabs, who
possess the beautiful plains and fine country situated between the
city of Terodant and the port of Santa Cruz. There is an emigration
of the Mograffra Arabs, who are in possession of the country
between Terodant and the port of Messa. The encampments of an
emigration of the Woled Abusebah (vulgarly called, in the maps,
_Labdessebas_) Arabs of Sahara, occupy a considerable district
between Tomie, on the coast, and Terodant. The coast from Messa to
Wedinoon is occupied by a trading race of Arabs and Shelluhs, who
have inter-married, called _Ait Bamaran_. These people are very
anxious to have a port opened in their country, and some sheiks
among them have assured me, that there is a peninsula on their
coast conveniently situated for a port. _This circumstance is well
deserving the attention of the maritime and commercial nations of
the world._]
[Footnote h: The youngest son of the Emperor Muley Ismael conducted
the expedition here alluded to, about the year of Christ 1727. For
an account of which see the Appendix, page 523.]
He considers himself now as settled at Tetuan, where he has a wife and
children. He left it about twelve months ago, with three friends, to go
to Hamburg (as before mentioned.) They were confined forty-seven days at
Ostend, were taken the second day of their voyage; the English captain
put them ashore at Dover against their inclination, and proceeded to
Gibraltar with their goods: this was in December, 1789.