_Siwah._
Siwah is a small independent state; it acknowledges, indeed,
the grand Sultan paramount, but it pays him no tribute. Round its
chief town called Siwah, are situated at one or two miles distance,
the villages of _Scharkie_, (in Siwahian dialect termed _Agrmie_,)
_Msellem_, _Menschie_, _Sbocka_, and _Barischa_. Siwah is built
upon, and round, a mass of rock; in which, according to tradition,
the ancient people had only caves for their habitation. Indeed the
style of building is such, that the actual houses might be taken
for caves; they are raised so close to each other, that many of the
streets, even at noon, are dark, and so intricate, that a stranger
cannot find his way into or out of the town, small as it is, without
a guide. Many of the houses built on the declivity of the rock, and
especially those terminating the descent towards the plain, are of
more than ordinary height, and their walls particularly thick and
strong, so as to form a circumvallation of defence to the town within.
The people of our caravan compared Siwah to a bee-hive, and the
comparison is suitable, whether regarding the general appearance
of the eminence thus covered with buildings, the swarm of its
people crowded together, or the confused noise, or hum and buz
from its narrow passages and streets, and which reach the ear to a
considerable distance.
Round the foot of the eminence are erected stables for the camels,
horses, and asses, which could not ascend to, or could not be
accommodated in, the town above.
The territory of SIWAH is of considerable extent;[5] its principal and
most fruitful district is a well watered valley of about fifty miles
in circuit, hemmed in by steep and barren rocks. Its soil is a sandy
loam, in some places rather poached or fenny; but, assisted by no
great industry of the natives, it produces corn, oil, and vegetables
for the use of man or beast: its chief produce, however, consists
in dates, which, from their great quantity and excellent flavour,
render the place proverbial for fertility among the surrounding Arabs
of the Desert. Each inhabitant possesses one or more gardens, making
his relative wealth; and these it is his whole business to water and
cultivate. A large garden yielding all such produce as is natural
to the country, is valued at the price of from four to six hundred
imperial dollars, there termed _real-patuacks_. The gardens round the
towns or villages, are fenced with walls from four to six feet high,
and sometimes with hedges; they are watered by many small streams of
salt or sweet water, falling from the bordering rocks and mountains,
or issuing from springs rising in the plain itself, and which, for
the purposes of irrigation, being diverted into many small channels,
expend themselves in the vale, and in no instance flow beyond the
limits of this people’s territory. The dates produced are preserved
in public magazines, of which the key is kept by the Sheik: to these
storehouses the dates are brought in baskets closely rammed down,
and a register of each deposit is kept.
North-west of Siwah, there is a stratum of salt extending a full mile,
and near it salt is found on the surface, lying in clods or small
lumps. On this spot rise numerous springs, and frequently a spring
of water perfectly sweet is found within a few paces from one which
is salt. North of Siwah, on the road leading to _El-Mota_, I found
many of these salt springs quite close to others which were sweet.
It is not easy to ascertain the general population of a place, with
so little police, and so little regularity of government as Siwah,
unless opportunity occurred of seeing its people assembled at some
general meeting or festival. The number of its warriors, however,
is more easily known; and on such data, further estimate of its
population may be made. According to the ancient constitution and
laws of the state, the government should be vested in twelve Sheiks,
two of whom were to administer its powers in rotation; but a few
years past, twenty other wealthy citizens, forced themselves into
a share of authority, assumed the title of Sheik, and enlarging
the circle of aristocracy, increased the pretensions and disputes
for power. On each matter of public concern, they now hold general
councils. I attended several of these general meetings, held close
to the town wall, where the chiefs were squatted in state; and I
observed, that a strong voice, violent action, great gesticulation,
abetted by party support and interest, gained the most applause, and
carried the greatest influence: perhaps such result is not uncommon
in most popular meetings. Whenever these councils cannot agree
ultimately on any point, then the leaders and people fly to arms,
and the strongest party carries the question. Justice is administered
according to ancient usage, and general notions of equity. Fines,
to be paid in dates, constitute the punishments: for instance, the
man who strikes another, pays from ten to fifty _kaftas_ or baskets of
dates; these baskets, by which every thing in this place is estimated
and appraised, are about three feet high, and four in circumference.
The dress of the men consists of a white cotton shirt and breeches,
and a large calico cloth, striped white and blue, (manufactured
at Cairo,) which is folded and thrown over the left shoulder, and
is called _melaye_. On their heads they wear a cap of red worsted
or cotton. These caps, chiefly made at Tunis, are a covering,
characteristic of the Mussulman; and no Jew or Christian on the
coasts of Barbary is permitted to wear them. At times of festival,
the Siwahans dress themselves in _kaftans_ and a _benisch_, such as
the Arabs commonly wear when in towns.
The women of Siwah wear wide blue shifts, usually of cotton, which
reach to the ankles, and a _melaye_ (as above described), which they
wrap round their head, from which it falls over the body in manner
of a cloak.
They plait their hair into three tresses, one above the other;
in the lowermost tress they insert various ornaments of glass, or
false coral, or silver, and twist in long stripes of black leather,
hanging down the back, and to the ends of which they fasten little
bells. On the crown of their heads, they fix a piece of silk or
woollen cloth, which floats behind. As ear-rings they wear two, and
some women three, large silver rings, inserted as links of a chain:
their necklace is glass imitating coral; those of the higher class
wear round their necks a solid ring of silver, somewhat thicker
than the collar usually worn by criminals in some parts of Europe;
from this ring, by a chain of the same metal, hangs pendant a silver
plate, engraved with flowers and other ornaments, in the Arabian
taste. They further decorate their arms and legs, (just above the
ancle,) with rings of silver, of copper, or of glass.
I can give no favourable account of the character of the people of
Siwah, either from general repute, or from my own observation. I found
them obtrusive and thievish. Our tents, and especially my own, were
constantly surrounded and infested by this people; and our merchants
were under the necessity of guarding their bales of goods, with more
than ordinary attention, under apprehension not merely of pillage,
but of general and hostile attack.
I was told much of the riches of this people, and should suppose there
must be men of considerable property amongst them; as they have a
very extensive traffic in dates with different and remote countries,
pay no tribute, and have little opportunity of dissipating the money
they receive. The policy of the Siwahans leads them to cultivate a
strict and close amity with the Arabs to the north of their country,
and who occasionally visit Siwah in small troops or parties, and
carry on a trade of barter for the dates. Here our caravan disposed
of part of its merchandize, receiving in exchange, dates, meat, and
small baskets, in the weaving and context of which, the women of
Siwah are remarkably neat and skilful, and in the making of which
consists their chief employment. Diseases incident to the country
and climate, and from which the natives most suffer, are the ague
and fever, and opthalmic affections, or disorders of the eyes.
The language of Siwah, whatever words or expressions may have crept
in, from various intercourse of people, is not fundamentally Arabic;
and this has led me to various conjectures. At first I looked for
the root or origin of this language to the East; but on maturer
consideration, and from communications with one of the _Tuaricks_
from _Twat_, with whom I was in habits of intimacy, I am now satisfied
of my former error,[6] and that the language of Siwah is a dialect of
that used throughout the great nation of Africa, to which my friend,
the Tuarick, belonged, and which may be considered as the aboriginal.
The larger collection of Siwahan words, which I had first made,
was lost with other papers, by an accident which I shall hereafter
have occasion to mention.
The following list I had from a man of Siwah, whom I afterwards got
acquainted with at Augila.
Sun, _Itfuct._ | Horse, _Achmar._
Clouds, _Logmam._ | Horses, _Ickmare._
Ear, _Temmesocht._ | Have you a horse? _Goreck Achmar._
Head, _Achfé._ | Milk, _Achi._
Eye, _Taun._ | Flesh or Meat, _Acksum._
Eyebrow, _Temauin._ | Bread, _Tagora._
Beard, _Itmert._ | Oil, _Tsemur._
Hand, _Fuss._ | Water, _Aman._
Penis, _Achmum._ | Dates, _Tena._
Camel, _Lgum._ | House, _Achbén._
Sheep, _Jelibb._ | Houses, _Gebeun._
Cow, _Ftunest._ | Sand, _Itjeda._
Mountain, _Iddrarn._ | Cap, _Tschatschet._
Sabre, _Aus._ | Catacombs, _Tum-megar._
Sword, _Limscha._ |