who found that he could read Arabic, sent him, from England,
a copy of the New Testament in that language; and he had also
read parts of the Old Testament with attention, as is evident
from some texts quoted in the narrative written on his voyage
from New York to England. On seeing the plates in Mr. Bowdich’s
Travels, he immediately recognised a street in Kumásí, and the
magical ceremonies of the Ashantí soothsayers; in Mr. Dupuis’s
book also the passage of the Basomprá. He mentioned many of the
names of king’s and chiefs, of whom those writers speak. At the
British Museum, instantly he recognized many old acquaintances;
particularly the hippopotamus, who, he said, always came out of the
water at certain hours, and did a great deal of mischief. With the
plants and seeds he seemed equally well acquainted; particularly
the nittah, a species of acacia, and the palms,—most of which he
could never have seen in the West Indies. His acquaintance with the
Korán was no less remarkable. “What became of that wicked king,
Fróna?” said he, to one of his friends from whom he had already
received some information.—“I never heard of Fróna,” said his
friend.—“Oh, yes,” replied Abú Bekr, “you know him,—he
is spoken of in the Bible; he was King of Misr,—he is mentioned
in many places in the Kóran.”—“Write down his name, then,”
returned his friend; and he wrote “Fir’aum,” _i.e._ Pharaoh,
very correctly spelt. It was too late to look for the Korán that
night; but the next morning, he in a few minutes found out almost
all the places where Pharaoh is mentioned—scattered, as need
hardly be said, all over the book. In the summer, he chaunted the
call to prayer—given by the Muedhdhins from the minarets of the
mosque—with the exact pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm, that
is used from Cairo to Constantinople, and from Belgrade to Dehlí.
The Kóran he must have known almost by heart, as he declared he had
never seen a copy of it from the time he left Ghónah till one was
put into his hand by the writer of this paper. He was not old enough,
he said, when captured, to enter on a course of logic and rhetoric,
or to study the commentaries on the Korán; but he knew the names
of the most celebrated commentators. This is a plain proof of the
superior civilization of the negroes in the interior over those near
the coast; and, however incredible at first sight, it is confirmed
by Burckhardt’s account of the Shaïkìyah Arabs in Meroë, and
the well-written Arabic despatches from Bello’s court, now in the
records of the Foreign Office.
* * * * *
In justice to Mr. E. Drummond Hay, the British Consul at Tangiers,
to whom Mr. Davidson once felt disposed to attribute the difficulties
thrown in his way and his protracted stay at Gibraltar, it has been
thought fit to put in the Appendix the letters following:—
“_Gibraltar, Sept. 16,_ 1835.
“MY DEAR SIR,—The advice I thought it my duty to give you was
undoubtedly dictated by political reasons, which, although they may
not in European States interfere with projects purely scientific,
such as that of your gallant enterprize, appear to be of a widely
different kind in Marocco.
“I gave the advice after mature consideration, and with an ardent
desire for the success of your undertaking, in which I take a
peculiar interest.
“I told you, I believe—but if not, I may now assure you—that
I should probably save myself considerable trouble by taking
immediately the step you wish, notwithstanding my advice and the
reasons for it which I laid open to you in unreserved confidence,
which I considered due to you as the bearer of a letter from his
Majesty in furtherance of your object. I felt also the full weight
of the responsibility I took upon myself in proposing some delay
previous to your setting out upon the journey, and I was well aware
how much I should expose myself to the obloquy of society in general,
and to the injurious criticism in particular of the literary world,
of which, although I can hardly presume to consider myself a member,
there is not an individual more zealous than I am, and ever have been,
in the cause of geographical enquiry. I felt that it is impossible,
and would remain for a long time impossible, to exculpate myself,
by publishing reasons that I am not at liberty to divulge, and which
cannot, without going into long and difficult details, be rendered
intelligible, except to the _very few_ intimately acquainted with
all the circumstances of my official position, the relations of
our government with that of Marocco, and the peculiar character of
the latter.
“But since you tell me that you are still decided in your own
views of the matter, not only after duly considering the advice I
gave, and the conversation you had with his Excellency the Governor,
but after what you heard from Mr. Judah Benoliel, the agent for the
Sultán of Marocco; and as you give me the distinct assurance that
you take all the responsibility of failure upon your own shoulders,
I shall not lose a day in complying with your request for me to
write to the Court of Marocco, for permission to present in person
to the Sultán the royal letter, of which you are the bearer, when
and where his Imperial Majesty shall think fit to appoint.
“I leave Gibraltar, if the wind is fair, the day after to-morrow,
and would go sooner if I could; and before I have been twenty-four
hours in Tangier, I hope to have a letter dispatched to the effect
you suggest.
“I beg to repeat, my dear sir, that you will be a welcome guest
in my house at any time; and whenever you do come, nothing shall
be wanting on my part to promote your brave purpose, as far as my
sense of what is politic may allow.
“I may get an answer within a fortnight from the date of my letter
to the court; three weeks may, however, elapse before I receive a
reply. On the very day it comes to hand I will, if you wish it,
dispatch a boat _express_, in case there are no other means of
communicating the answer, which will be sent to you in the original
Arabic.
“With renewed assurances of my admiration for your enterprize,
and of cordial wishes for its success,
“I remain, dear sir, your’s faithfully,
“E. D. HAY.”
“P.S.—Before I seal this letter I shall read it to his Excellency
Sir Alexander Woodford and Mr. Judah Benoliel.”
To the preceding Mr. Davidson gave the reply following:—
“_Gibraltar, Sept. 16,_ 1835.
“MY DEAR SIR,—Pray accept my best thanks for your letter, which
I have just had the honor of receiving, and allow me to assure you
that I shall ever most gratefully appreciate the kindness with which
it teems.
“I presume you are aware that a Mr. Hodgson, who leaves this
place to-morrow, is on his way to Morocco on a mission from the
United States. He has kindly offered, should I obtain the wished-for
permission, to wait a few days here ere he proceeds. I think it right,
and I hope you will not think it intrusive on my part to inform you,
that Mr. Hodgson was three years at Constantinople, has visited
Egypt, and published a biographical sketch of Mehemet Ali; he is
well versed in Arabic, and has a great knowledge of the Mussulman
character. Once again offering you my thanks for your kindness,
and assuring you of my respect, believe me,
“My dear sir, your truly obliged,
“JOHN DAVIDSON.”
* * * * *
As a specimen of the style in which a correspondence is kept up
by the Court of Morocco with strangers, the letters from and to
Mr. Hay relating to Mr. Davidson’s entrance into the Sultan’s
dominions, and his obtaining a personal interview with the Prince,
are herewith subjoined.
“To the Noble Prince, exalted by the Lord, Mulai Abd Errachnan
ben Hussein, whom God protect.
“An English gentleman having arrived at Gibraltar within a few
days past, as bearer of a letter, which he is charged to deliver to
his Imperial Majesty, from the King my most gracious sovereign, may
it please your Imperial Majesty to deign to cause me to be informed
when and where it may be convenient for your Imperial Majesty to
receive the bearer of the royal letter.
“Peace—this 20th day of September, in the year of Christ 1835
(26th Joomad the 1st, 1251).
“EDW. DRUMMOND HAY,
“H. B. M.’s Agent and Consul-General in Morocco.”
“In the name of the merciful God, and there is no power or strength
but in God the high and excellent.
“To the faithful employed Drummond Hay, Consul for the English
nation—this premised—
“Your letter has reached our presence, exalted of God, regarding
the gentleman who arrived at Gibraltar with a letter from the
Pre-eminent of your nation; in consequence whereof, if he please to
deliver the letter to our employed, the kaid ............[202] Essedy,
for the purpose of being forwarded to our presence, exalted of God,
he may do so; but if he wish to bear it himself, he is to proceed
to Swerrah by sea, and thence he may come to our high presence,
since the voyage by sea is more convenient than that by land, and
the journey from the said port to our presence is short.
“Peace—11th Joomad the 2d, 1251 (4th October, 1835).
THE END.
* * * * *
LONDON:
Printed by J. L. COX and SONS, 75, Great Queen Street,
Lincoln’s-Inn Fields.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 127: For the notes at the foot of the page, the Foreign
Secretary is answerable.]
[Footnote 128: Vol. vi. p. 102, and which is reprinted at page 208
of this volume.]
[Footnote 129: Tanjah.]
[Footnote 130: Adwár, plural of dár, a circular tent.]
[Footnote 131: Autád plural of Watad, a peg or stake. Autád is
corruptly pronounced Útséd or Útsét.]
[Footnote 132: Wádí Nun, or Núl, the valley or river of Noon
or Nool.]
[Footnote 133: Rabát, _i.e._ Resting-place, Caravan-seraï; but
here the name of a town.—F. S.]
[Footnote 134: Terjumán, or Tarjumán, interpreter, a word of the
same origin as the Chaldee, ‘Targum.’]
[Footnote 135: The Kubbah (sepulchral chapel) of a saint named
Múláï (Doctor) Ibn ’Abdes-salám.]
[Footnote 136: Mehedíyah (the city of Mehed).]
[Footnote 137: Salá.]
[Footnote 138: Wedáyá (valley-man.)]
[Footnote 139: Dár el beïdá, the white house.]
[Footnote 140: Múlaï Abd-er-rahmán, Duke or Prince Abd-er-rahmán.]
[Footnote 141: Azamúr.]
[Footnote 142: Umm-er-rabí, _i.e._ the mother of spring.]
[Footnote 143: Kantarah, _i.e._ bridge.]
[Footnote 144: Baïrám, or ’Id ed Dohá.]
[Footnote 145: Aswák, plural of Sók, or Súk, the Arab word for
market—bazár in Persian.]
[Footnote 146: Meshwár, Council.]
[Footnote 147: Sídí Ibn ’Abbás, ’Abd el kádir, Abú Sheĭb,
Mubàrek.]
[Footnote 148: Aulád Abú Sebá, the tribe of Father Lion.]
[Footnote 149: Tárúdánt, capital of Sús.]
[Footnote 150: May we be allowed to lament the impetuosity of
our lamented traveller’s zeal. At Téródánt he would, for a
considerable time, have had ample occupation for every leisure
moment. In a country known only by name, abounding with vegetables
and fossils never yet examined, and in the midst of the Berbers,
whose history and habits so few have been able to study, supported
also by the favour of the Court, how largely might Mr. Davidson have
increased our stores of knowledge, had he been willing to yield to
the Sultán’s precautions!]
[Footnote 151: This is doubtless a mistake, unless the Jews call the
place Umm-Síwah. The man did not understand the meaning of the name,
and therefore said this to screen his ignorance.]
[Footnote 152: This is Aghmát Waríkah of the Arabs, so named from
a Berber tribe, to distinguish it from Aghmát Aïlán.—F. S.]
[Footnote 153: Mr. Davidson’s Letter, Journ. of Geogr. Soc.,
vol. vi. p. 430.]
[Footnote 154: Sahrá is a large level area, a plain, but applied
peculiarly to the Great African Desert.]
[Footnote 155: Káfilah, the Arab word answering to the Persian
Kár-raván.]
[Footnote 156: Dar’ah, pronounced Dr’ah.]
[Footnote 157: Delím, or the diminutive, Duleïm.]
[Footnote 158: Abú-s-seba, _i.e._ Father Lion.]
[Footnote 159: Ibn or Bin Dáúd, David’s Son.]
[Footnote 160: A’ra-wán.]
[Footnote 161: Sók, or súk, _i.e._ market or fair.]
[Footnote 162: Ziweïtah or zumeïtah, a kind of paste made of millet
(dhurrah).]
[Footnote 163: Dar’ah.]
[Footnote 164: Háyik, _i.e._ white woollen wrapper.]
[Footnote 165: Abú-l’asel, _i.e._ Father Honey.]
[Footnote 166: El Wád Dar’ah, the Vale of Dar’ah.]
[Footnote 167: El Gharib, pronounced by the Berbers El ’Aríb.]
[Footnote 168: Yahyá ibn Dávid, John the son of David.]
[Footnote 169: Dhú-l-Ka’dah, the 11th Mohammedan month.]
[Footnote 170: Salám, salutation.]
[Footnote 171: Tebíb, physician.]
[Footnote 172: Aulád Hishém, children of Hishám, a large Arab
tribe.]
[Footnote 173: In-sha-llah, “if it please God!”]
[Footnote 174: To Sídí Haj Habíb; salám: To my Lord, the Pilgrim;
Habíb (or the beloved Pilgrim); salutation.]
[Footnote 175: Mohammed el ’Abd. Mahomet the Slave or Servant
[of God].]
[Footnote 176: Ah’med Moulúd.]
[Footnote 177: Sha’ban, the eighth month; A.H. 1252, 29 Sha’bán =
8 December, 1836.]
[Footnote 178: Wold or Aulád Hamdán, an Arab tribe.]
[Footnote 179: Aït-Ata.]
[Footnote 180: Bú Sebá-iyah (a place) belonging to the tribe of Abú
Seba. M. D’Avezac writes Búzebayat, following probably Ibnu-ddén:
an unsafe guide.]
[Footnote 181: El Mohammedí, the Mahometan.]
[Footnote 182: The situation of Tátá has been determined with
great probability by M. D’Avezac, in his Etudes de Géographie
sur l’Afrique Septentrionale. See also Bullétin de la Société
de Géographie, vii. 112.]
[Footnote 183: Afterwards Swekeya, which is probably more correct.]
[Footnote 184: Ramadán, the Mohammedan Lent, is the ninth month;
A.H. 1252, 8 Ramadán = A.D. 1836, 17th Dec.]
[Footnote 185: I’gidí. Mármol, iii. 19.]
[Footnote 186: Before Shehkeya.]
[Footnote 187: Walátah of the Arabs, Aï-weláten (Aít Walâtah?) of
Ibn Batútah.]
[Footnote 188: That is, “Descended from Mohammed.”]
[Footnote 189: “Kabílah,” which properly signifies “tribe,”
but appears to be used by Abú Bekr in the sense of “family.”]
[Footnote 190: The same as Emír.]
[Footnote 191: That is, Abú Bekr’s father, as appears from the
sequel.]
[Footnote 192: Al-súdán for Bilád-as-súdán—the countries of
the blacks.]
[Footnote 193: Literally “with the other tribes.” It probably
means “with the other families of the same tribe.”]
[Footnote 194: That is, kárúis, or blackmoor’s teeth, the Cypræa
Moneta of Linnæus.]
[Footnote 195: He means her name as a Mohammedan; by her countrymen
of Haúsá she was called Nághódí, a significant word in their
language.]
[Footnote 196: Ghilmán means “young men,” but it also means
“slaves;” however, Abú Bekr seems to have used it in the sense
here given.]
[Footnote 197: Sultánán may mean ‘a sultán;’ but the power
of living securely is probably what is here meant.]
[Footnote 198: The price of blood, or fine for having taken away a
man’s life.]
[Footnote 199: This is—the people of Buntukkú, Ashantí, and
Fantí. This is more distinctly expressed in another paper written
by him.]
[Footnote 200: That is—pray five times a day.]
[Footnote 201: Nearly resembling the Tombutto of Leo Africanus,
(p. 642,) and clearly an abbreviation of the Tungubutú of De Barros,
(Asia, i. 220.)]
[Footnote 202: The word in the original cannot be decyphered.]
Transcriber's Note:
pg 22 (footnote 28) Changed: Georg. Journ. to: Geogr.
pg 71 Changed: attained its full heighth to: height
pg 93 Changed: sphynge and kukusú to: kuskusú
pg 102 (footnote 102) Changed: C. C. R. to: G. C. R.
pg 104 (footnote 104) Changed: C. C. R. to: G. C. R.
pg 137 Changed: theatened to leave to: threatened
pg 148 Changed: satified with his to: satisfied
pg 159 Changed: of the Skeïkh to: Sheïkh
pg 165 Changed: the masters are Bebers to: Berbers
pg 176 Changed: view of explaning to: explaining
pg 177 Changed: life in Afric, to: Africa
pg 193 Changed: whom Mr. Daividson to: Davidson
pg 202 Changed: Tâfillêt is only to: Tâfilêlt
pg 203 (footnote 173) Changed: In-sha-Uah to: In-sha-llah
Minor changes in punctuation have been done silently.
Other spelling inconsistencies have been left unchanged.
Blank spaces originally in the text have been indicated as: [Blank]