FROM GHADAMES TO GHAT.
End of the Sandy Region.--No Birds of Prey in The
Sahara.--Progress of the French in the Algerian Oases.--Slave
Trade of The Desert supported by European Merchants.--Desolations
of Sahara.--System of Living of our People.--Various Tours
through Central Africa.--The Desert tenanted by harmless and
Domesticated Animals.--Horribly dreary Day's March.--A Fall from
my Camel.--Well of Nijberten, and its delicious Water.--Moral
Character of the People of our Caravan.--Well of
Tăbăbothteen.--Camel knocked up and killed.--Mode of Killing
Camels.--Pretty Aspect of The Sahara.--Some of the Ghafalah go on
before the rest.--The Plain and Well of Tadoghseen.--Encounter
and Adventure with the _quasi_ Bandit Sheik, Ouweek.--Enter the
region of the _Jenoun_ or Genii.--Mountain Range of Wareerat.
_6th._--ROSE at day-break but did not start until after sun-rise.
Continued through the sand. Scenery as yesterday, hills heaped upon
heap, group around group, and sometimes a plain of sand, furrowed in
pretty tesselated squares like the sands of the sea-shore. I walked
about three hours to ease the nagah. The camels continued to
flounder in the sand, throwing over their necks their heavy burdens.
The ascents extremely difficult: people employed in scooping an
inclined path for the animals. But, in the afternoon, about three,
we saw through an opening of the shining heaps, a blue and black
waste of contiguous desert. I could not help crying out for joy,
like a man at the prow who descries the port, after having been
buffeted about many a stormy day by contrary winds and currents.
Much fatigued with the walking over the sands, and sick with
drinking the brackish water of Mislah. Nothing _en route_ to-day
except four crows, and a skeleton of a camel. This is the small crow of
The Sahara (غراب الصحرا). People pretend it does not drink
water. It may live on the flesh of the few camels which drop down
and die from exhaustion, and on lizards. There are, however, no
vultures and ravenous birds of huge dimensions in this region of
Sahara. So that,
حيثما يكون الجسد ايضا تجتمع النسور
"Where the body is, there also collect the eagles," is not applicable to
this part of The Desert, although the vulture, pouncing voraciously upon
the dead man and dying camel, is an appropriate feature in Saharan
landscapes. The large birds of prey do not find, as the lion, water to
drink in these regions. When we got fairly upon the firm ground of Stony
Sahara, I was refreshed with the sight of seven small acacia trees. This
seems to be the only tree which will not surrender to the iron sceptre of
Saharan desolation, for it strikes its roots into the sterility itself. A
white butterfly also, to my amazement, passed my camel's head! Where does
the little fluttering thing get its food in this region of desolation?
Another of the Souf Arabs said to me this morning, "This sand is the
country of the Souafah and the Shânbah." If so, indeed, it would be a
troublesome country for a military expedition. "However," said a
merchant, "the maharee can pursue the Shânbah to the last heap of their
sands." Speaking of the Shânbah last evening when we were in the midst of
the sands, the Souafah said:--"When the enemy will come, we shall cover
ourselves in the sand, and fire off our matchlocks. They will feel our
bullets, and hear our report, and look about and see no person. We shall
be covered up in the sand." This, the Souf Arab repeated several times,
and the Ghadamsee traders thought it astonishingly clever and courageous.
It is reported five hundred Touaricks are soon to pursue the Shânbah into
the Algerian territory. It is said also, French Arabs will support the
Shânbah bandits against both Touaricks and Souafah. Such is the silly
talk of our caravan. Still the French have got far south, and my Souafah
companions acknowledge that some of their districts pay tribute to the
Algerian authorities. This is something like _progress_, and we ought not
to deceive ourselves about their movements southwards. Nothing is worse
than self-deception. The Romans struggled long before they made any
sensible progress in Africa, nay, several centuries. In fifteen years the
French have induced a whole line of Saharan oases, more or less, to
acknowledge their authority. And the thing is done cleverly enough; they
do not appoint a local governor, or dispatch a single soldier, and yet
they manage to get some money from these distant Saharan oases. However,
this tribute must be very trifling; and were all this line of Algerian
oases to pay their tribute regularly, it would be as a drop in the bucket
compared with the thousands of millions of francs which have been spent,
and will be spent in Algeria. Such a colony as Algeria will not only not
pay, but will ruin the finances of a score of kingdoms as large as
France. The politics of our moving Saharan city are mostly confined to
the Pasha of Tripoli and the French in Algeria. "When will the Pasha go,
soon or late? Will another come after him? Will he be better? Will he
fleece us as this despot, of all our money? Have the French many troops
in Algeria? Have they more than Muley Abd-Errahman? Could they conquer
Morocco? Why don't the English drive out the French from Algeria? The
Mussulmans of Algeria are now corrupted by the money of the Christians.
The Bey of Tunis is the friend of the French. The Sultan of
Constantinople, Mehemet Ali, and the English are against the Bey of Tunis
and the French. Now, the Christians have great power in the world, but
they will soon be cut off, when shall appear the new warrior of the
faithful. Is the Sultan of Stamboul strong? Has he more soldiers than
Moskou (Russia)? Have the French more soldiers than the English? Is
Mehemet Ali to have Tripoli given him, and is he to march on to Tunis and
against the French?" &c. All these, and a thousand other questions and
opinions similar, agitate the sage politicians of our ghafalah: so true
it is, that when we change the heavens above, we do not change our
thoughts on the things below, which are left behind us.
My friend, Zaleâ, of Seenawan, did not come with us, he having contracted
for the building of the caravansary of Emjessem, but his brother, a rough
bold Arab, accompanied us, who assured me to-day,--"That all the goods of
the ghafalah were the property of Christians and Jews in Tripoli, and the
Ghadamseeah merchants were only their commission agents. These goods were
to be exchanged for Soudan merchandise, including slaves, which latter,
after being sold in Tripoli, the money of their sale would be given up to
the merchants under European protection." This is a strong confirmation
of the opinion which I have expressed in my reports, "_That the
slave-traffic of Tripoli is supported by the money and goods of
Europeans_." My informant wished to know and put the question:--"If I
take you (the writer) to Soudan, and bring you back safe, will you get me
free from paying taxes to the Pasha?" Another observed on this,--"That's
ridiculous, Yâkob; if you say that Mahomet is the prophet of God, you can
go safe to Soudan without the protection of any body." I made answer to
this impertinence, that such language was not proper, and if they
continued to pester me with their religion, I should report them to Rais
Mustapha. This at once silenced them.
Felt very sick this evening with drinking the water of Mislah. It is
purging all the people like genuine Epsom.
_7th._--Started a little before sun-rise, when a clear mist was spread
like a mantle of gauze over old Sahara, and lost the sight of the
sand-hills in the course of the morning. I joyfully bid them adieu,
though it may be very fine and Desert-like to talk and write of regions
of sand and sandy billows, furrowing the bosom of Sahara. Winding about,
but always making south. Wind now from the west; the sky mostly overcast,
but no signs of rain. No living things _en route_, but a solitary crow,
and another solitary butterfly. The mirage again visible. Very little
herbage for the camels, and no wood for the fire. On our right long
ranges of low hills, dull and drear outlines of The Desert. In some
masses, the stone and earth and chalk are thrown together in confusion,
as so many materials for creating a new world. Those who traverse these
Saharan desolations, cannot but receive the impression, that old mother
earth, slung on her balance, and revolving on her axis, has performed
eternal cycles of decay and reproduction. Time was, when these heaps of
desolation were fruitful fields of waving corn and smiling meadows, and
fair branching woods, meandered about with running rills of silvery
streams, where cattle pastured lowing, and birds sang on the trees. Now,
heap upon heap, and pile upon pile of the ruins of nature deform the
dreadful landscape, one feature being more hideous to look upon than the
other: and the whole is a mass of blank existence, having no apparent
object but to daunt and terrify the hapless wayfarer, who with his
faithful camel, slowly and mournfully winds his weary way through the
scene of wasteful destruction. . . . . In the sand, the pebbles are as
bright and smooth as those washed by the sea-spray, or chafed by a
running brook.
I have observed minutely the system of living amongst our people, and
really believe they have not enough to eat. When they invite me to
supper, and give me a share of _bazeen_, I always require another supper
on my return, before going to bed. Besides, I always make a slight repast
in the morning, which they do not. Then I eat dates and a piece of cake
during the day's riding, for we never stop during the day's march. They
also munch a few dates themselves. But, altogether, though I'm a moderate
eater, I believe I eat every day twice, and sometimes thrice, as much as
they eat. With respect to clothing, I wear double the quantity they do,
and, nevertheless, feel cold at night. I may say with truth, they are
poorly fed and badly clothed. It is this miserable system of living which
makes them such lanky bare-boned objects. I observe, also, they feel the
fatigue very much, as much as I myself, though unwell with drinking the
water and serving a hard apprenticeship to Desert-travelling.
I believe Europeans, in this season of the year, would travel these
Saharan wilds with less fatigue, and in far superior style. I now walk
two hours first thing every morning. Most of the merchants do the same.
Zaleâ said to me, "Yâkob, we (pointing to three or four of his people)
are the only true men here, and understand affairs; the rest are all
good-for-nothing." Indeed, the Seenawanee Arabs are generally very
excellent camel-drivers, and know the routes perfectly. We have with us a
young Touarick, who never covers his head winter or summer. His hair
grows long, unlike other Mohammedans, who shave the head. This Targhee
tells me he is never unwell. We're encamped in a valley. As the sun sets,
the sky is encharged with clouds. But usually the wind goes down a little
after dark, and rises an hour or two after day-break. Fortunately, this
is not a month of winds, so say the people.
As the camel moves slowly, but surely[64], on to Ghat, I still revolve in
mind the various routes of the interior. I'm still as much at a loss as
ever to determine which route I shall take, and have only Providence for
my guide. There are various routes before me:--
1st.--To go to Soudan, _viâ_ Aheer, and return with the ghafalah of
Ghadames, with which I proceed. This is easy and simple, but does not
offer much variety.
2nd.--To proceed to Soudan, _viâ_ Aheer, as in the first, and return
_viâ_ Bornou and Fezzan. This offers both variety and security.
3rd.--To proceed as before to Soudan, then Bornou, then Darfour,
Kordofan, Nubia, and Egypt. This is various, new, and attended with
danger, but I don't know what extent of danger.
4th.--To proceed to Soudan, Kanou, and Noufee, and then descend the Niger
to the Bight of Benin. This would be a fine journey, and perhaps not
attended with any very great difficulties.
5th.--To proceed to Soudan, as above, thence along the upper banks of the
Niger to Timbuctoo, and return _viâ_ Mogador in Morocco. This I believe
the most perilous of all the routes.
Any of these routes, however, could not fail to be useful to commerce,
geography, and discovery. Those who take the route of descending the
Niger to the ocean, will avoid a three or four months' journey over The
Desert. Noufee, on the Niger, is only fifteen days from Kanou, and seven
to the Atlantic.
To-day passed several tumuli of stones, more than eight feet high,
evidently placed to direct the caravans over the trackless portions of
Sahara. I wonder what the people of Europe will say when I tell them,
that The Desert--pictured in such frightful colours by the ancients, as
teeming with monsters and wild beasts, and every unearthly and uncouth
thing and being, not forgetting the dragons, salamanders, vampyres,
cockatrices, and fiery-flying serpents, and as such believed in these our
enlightened days--is a very harmless place, its menagerie being reduced
to a few small crows, and now and then a stray butterfly, and a few
common house and cheese-and-bacon and fruit flies! these poor little
domestic everyday creatures! Nay, there is not found here the wild ox,
or the oudad, or the antelope, or ostrich, or the wild boar, or any other
animal which inhabit and mark the Saharan regions near the north coast of
Africa. It is, indeed, impossible to conceive of a country so devoid of
living creatures as the route which we have traversed these last twelve
days. To this must be added, that now is the favourable season for
animals, and we should certainly see them if there were any to be seen.
Of the four routes to Ghat, the next to us on the west, is the shortest.
People say the route which we are now travelling is only frequented in
this season, and mostly by large caravans, or scarcely ever in the
summer.
_8th._--Rose at day-break and started at sunrise: as usual, the sky
overcast and in an hour the wind got up and blew a strong gale awhile
from the south-east. To-day Sahara looked unusually dark and drear; night
as a dread pall seemed to hang on the day and all visible things--all
life and animation was extinct but our lone, solitary, melancholy
caravan! We moved on in deep and weary silence, not a noise, a cry, a
murmur, the grumbling of the camels was even hushed. Nothing broke the
horrid silence of The Desert. We wound round long-long winding valleys--
"Through many a dark and dreary vale
[We] pass'd, and many a region dolorous--"
"Where all life dies."
Most of the stone scattered _en route_ was black shingle, and all
the region had a volcanic look. In one wady through which we passed
were found several stones rounded into (shall I call them?)
cannon-balls, scattered about, and some were of prodigious size.
They were as round as if artificially made. There were also a great
many halves, or half balls. Our people to divert their minds from
the gloom hanging around them dismounted and amused themselves with
these cannon-balls of nature. Some would say that nature furnishes a
type of every thing in art. Our Touaricks assured us, "These balls
were made by the Jenoun, who on occasion of quarrels, pelted one
another with them. A traveller was once killed with some of these
balls during the night, although a friend of the Jenoun." In a
former period, I imagine the action of water produced these
specimens of stony rotundity, for they were embedded in a deep wady.
On leaving this valley, I had also something else to relieve me from
the gloom of this day's march. On mounting a small ridge of rock,
abrupt, and full of sharp stones, I was pitched off in a summerset
style from the back of the camel, and if I had not been caught in my
fall by a slave of the caravan, I should have fallen once and for
ever in this world; as it was, I felt stunned and considerably hurt.
This was my first and last fall from the camel. I learnt caution at
a great risk. The people all crowded round to assist me, terribly
frightened. My thick woollen clothes saved my bones. I could not
help remarking the coincidence of being saved by a slave, for the
benefit of whom I had chiefly undertaken this perilous journey. In
general, the camel goes extremely steady, it is only in mounting and
descending that they become unsteady, unwieldy, and dangerous. At
other times, you may sleep, eat and drink, read and write, on the
back of a camel. But as our days are short and nights long, we require
no sleep, and my eyes are too bad for reading. Our people call camels
by the Arabic term _bâeer_ (بعير), the male camel is called
_jemel_ (جمل), and the female _nagah_ (ناقه). As the
she-camel is most valuable for the sustenance of the tribes, the
Touaricks sometimes call the whole race of camels nagah. "We," say
they, "have nothing but the _nagah_ (she-camel)," thereby meaning,
our property alone consists in camels. But the nagah is a great
favourite with the Mussulmans of all nations. Mahomet mounted a
milk-white nagah, when he ascended to paradise. The camels have all
public and private marks, the former for their country, and the
latter for their owner, and, strange enough, the public mark of the
Ghadames camels is the English broad R. So when a camel is stolen, a
man claims his camel by his mark. The marking is done by branding
with a hot iron.
I can't help observing the habits of the camels, for our continued
marching affords us ample leisure. When these melancholy creatures can
find no other occupation _en route_, or when there is nothing _en route_,
or after a full belly, they set to work, like men, and bite one another.
Often one of the camels falls, or throws its load, in a regular
encounter. The Moors and Arabs are bad loaders of the camels, and there
is always some camel with its load falling off. In fact, the people do
nothing neat and well. Even the little gear required for these animals is
continually breaking and getting out of order. People look to the
immediate hour before them: not excepting even the necessary articles of
fodder and water, and food for themselves, of which they often neglect to
take a sufficient supply. And yet if anything could teach a man to be
provident it is The Desert. If this Saharan travelling were placed under
the management of Europeans, it would be infinitely more secure. Our
camels are nearly all coast-camels, we shall soon have to speak of the
maharee. The Touarghee uses quite a different style of address when he
coaxes along the camels; it is bolder and quicker in its intonations,
suited to the language of the Touaricks. A frequent address of
encouragement is, "_Bok, bok bok, bokka bokka_." The Arabs usually
command the movement of the camels by "Tzâ;" and when they are to stop,
by "Ush;" and, to kneel down, it is a prolonged pronunciation of the
guttural خ or Kh-h-h. We may well suppose, however, that the camels
which travel this route are expert linguists in the Touarghee and Arabic.
We continued all day till the last dull departing solar ray of the west
had left us. A long dark, dismal, dreary day it has been. We encamped
amidst two long ranges of Saharan mountains as a shelter from the wind.
Our people detest the wind, they prefer burning heat to wind. The
mountains only deserve the name from their frightfully gloomy aspect, not
from their consistence or magnitude, for in reality they are so much
stony and earthy rubbish shovelled up into long ridges. There is nothing
in shape or consistence of granite. I picked up several pieces of
petrified wood, but none of them pretty or remarkable. So far as I can
judge, there are no minerals or rare stones to repay the researches of
the geologist in these regions of desolation. Noticed a quantity of soft
grey stone, as also of slate stone: observed some lime-stone gradually
acquiring the consistence and colour of fine streaky marble.
_9th._--Rose as the day broke, and started with the first rays of the
sun. Continued through the same kind of country, with an addition of a
little sand here and there, for five hours, until we arrived at the well
of Nijberten, to our great joy, for it is a well of deliciously sweet
water. Around the well, I was pleased with the sight of several dark
bushes scattered upon the small sand-hills. Anything in the shape of a
tree now gladdens the heart. I observe again, that vegetation often
springs out of the sand in preference to the hard or even softer earth in
The Sahara. A little sand, scattered over the hard earth, and oftener
solid rock, enables vegetation to spring up, when the mould of Sahara
produces nothing. But there is little or no herbage for camels. Give my
nagah the barley which I provided for my own use. People ridicule the
choice of Rais Mustapha in the purchase of the camel, and say she will
never carry me to Soudan.
I'm now writing the journal of yesterday. I can't write every day.
Sometimes several days elapse. Often wonder how Denham could write his
journal every day, as he asserts. The wind is high and is scattering sand
in every direction. Certainly I require no supply of sand when turning
over my sheet wet with the ink.
Before we get to the water, we are obliged to scoop out the sand as at
Mislah. Many pits in Sahara are in this predicament. But we are
infinitely more repaid for our pains, for we find most refreshing
nectar-like water, as good as the last was bad. I imagine I drank off a
full gallon at once. I was praying night and day for this water, and was
obliged to go from tent to tent, begging a drop of the water which was
left of Nather well, until all the skins were empty of that water. Some
of the merchants kept a little in a small skin as a luxury. But I must do
our people justice, for seeing I could not drink the Mislah water, they
gave me often their sweet water and themselves drank the brackish. I must
add, I see no striking moral difference between the people of this Desert
caravan, and the people who fill an English mail-coach or a French
diligence. Mankind are morally much the same everywhere. The last sixteen
centuries have added little or nothing to discovery and amendment in
morals, however orthodox we may all have become. Our Christendom has been
chiefly occupied in resisting the worst features of the Mosaic economy as
engrafted by the corruptions of the Church on the Christian system. The
commission to Moses, "to extirpate the Canaanitish tribes," has been the
universal war-cry of the dominant party in the Church to burn and empale
heretics. There are still many divinity professors who think it right to
kill heretics and infidels. The society of the nineteenth century is
still eaten up by the most rancorous bigotry, and morality is
proportionably at a low ebb. Nevertheless, with all our present Desert
hardships, we are an easy journeying caravan; the patience of no one is
particularly tried, and there is no event to draw out the real passions
of the soul. We are now five days from Ghat; to-morrow being the Ayed
Kebir, we shall make but a short day. Had a little private conversation
with a Souf Arab. There are some fifty families of Jews in Souf, occupied
in commerce. Speaking of the eternal quarrel of the Shânbah and Souafah,
I found him a strong partisan of the Shânbah. "Fine fellows are the
Shânbah, like us the Souafah; one Shânbah would kill five Touaricks," he
exclaimed. Souf is a rich country. This Souf Arab has thirty fine dughla
date-trees, one of finest species. Riches are estimated by the number of
date-trees. He has two brothers now returning from Soudan, bringing
slaves and elephants' teeth for the markets of Algeria.
The notorious Mohammed Sagheer, who slaughtered thirty Frenchmen in cold
blood at Biscara, is now at Tozer, in Tunis. This flight of fugitives
will continue as long as France is in North Africa. It is inevitable.
When a political refugee is quiet his person should be held sacred; and
it was very dastardly on the part of the French to demand to have this
Arab Sheikh given up. But the French mind is incapable of comprehending
what is a political asylum, or even what is constitutional freedom. Local
politics still stick close to our ghafalah, and the people have such
faith in my power and influence, that they really believe I could, if I
would, get Ghadames freed from paying tribute to the Porte. An Arab of
Derge said, "If you return from Soudan, and speak to the English Consul
and English Sultan, you will then serve us in Derge and Ghadames, but if
you don't come back we are all lost." The British Consul of Tripoli
might, indeed, do something for these oppressed people, and save the
Saharan commerce from impending ruin. I quiet the people by telling them,
(and which is the fact,) I have repeatedly written to the English Consul
of Tripoli about their affairs, and to obtain some mitigation of the
oppression of their Government.
The bushes springing out of the sand are but a couple of feet high, and
their dark foliage is covered with crystallized salt. They are a stinted
species of acacia. Nijberten is the first Touarghee name _en route_, and
now we are fairly in the Ghat territory. On our right, a day's journey
over some ranges of hills, are tents and flocks and inhabited districts.
Passed several tumuli of stones raised in the shape of graves. To-day the
stone had a better appearance, a good deal of grey and red marble, and
some isolated blocks of granite. No birds, insects, or animals. Course
south.
_10th._--Strong wind all day, and cold. The Ayed Kebir. But our
travellers only prayed a little longer in the morning. Travellers are
exempt from the ordinary religious ceremonies and festivals. This feast
is usually kept up three days. A camel knocked up to-day, and unloaded
this morning. After two hours and half, passed on the right the well of
_Tăbăbothteen_. People say its water is still sweeter than that of
Nijberten. Indeed, we shall find the Ghat water to be usually sweet and
delicious. Scenery as usual, broken in valleys, hills, and high ground.
Some of the hills, covered partly with sand, looked very pretty at a
distance, shrouded as if in a sheet of snow, and dazzling in the
sun-beams. Encamped early in the afternoon. The knocked-up camel
difficult to be got on. A Divan of camel-drivers was held, and the
question discussed, "Whether the camel should be killed?" It was decided
that it should be doctored and left to graze until a Targhee was sent
from Ghat for it. A most piteous sight it was to look upon the poor
camel, prostrate and moaning, as if pleading the excuse of its malady for
not moving on. I could not stop to look at the wretched animal.
Nevertheless, I returned again, and found the camel tied down, with its
mouth pulled open, and its jaws lashed back with cords, to prevent the
poor creature from groaning too loud. The hot iron was being applied to
the shoulder, where there were some festering or dislocation; meanwhile,
the creature groaned in dreadful but silent agonies. At length, this
doctoring finished, it was left to graze; but being actually nearly burnt
to death, it could not get up, and was killed during the night, _to
prevent it from dying_, in order that our orthodox people might eat the
flesh like good Mussulmans.
Rais Mustapha amused me by telling how that the Arabs watched the signs
of immediate death, and just stuck the camel in the last agony of
dissolution, in order that they might eat the flesh with an orthodox
conscience. Camels are killed differently from other animals. Sheep and
bullocks and fowls have their throats cut from side to side, with
"hideous gash," for they are the most slashing throat-cutters; camels, on
the contrary, are stuck in the throat at the bottom of the neck, and the
top of the chest-bones. Next morning (_11th_), was held a Divan of the
whole ghafalah to decide upon the value of the slaughtered camel, for the
owner was in Ghadames. Its worth was estimated at four dollars. I
purchased a quarter of a dollar's worth. The camel was young, but the
meat not very good. Our people soon devoured the meat.
_11th._--Rose early, but did not start till near noon, to give the camels
more rest. Old Sahara looks absolutely pretty with the dark shrubs
bespotting and besprinkling his white shining sand-hills. The heavens are
strewn with soft flaky light clouds; the blue above is clear and
profound, and what other colours there are, look fresh and fair. Our
people catch the lighter and more exhilarating influence, and are more
talkative to-day. Descending to grosser matters, they are joking about
how much of the camel's meat they are to swallow for supper. A part of
the ghafalah left us, as the main body would not start early, thinking
to arrive a couple of days before us in Ghat. I loaded and wished to go
on with them, despising my friend Fletcher's advice. They insisted I
should not accompany them, but come on with the larger body of people. I
was obliged to return, and it happened for the best. This was a short
day's march, but wrote no journal. The advanced party excused themselves
for not letting me go with them, by saying, "We are going amongst the
Touaricks our friends for a few days, and you will arrive first." I
mentioned this to our party, who say, "_They're liars._ Are you so
foolish, Yâkob, as to believe every thing a _Mussulman_ tells you?"
_12th._--Rose and started with the earliest rays of the Saharan sun.
Scenery as usual; but the ranges of Saharan hills assuming a more
battlemental shape, and darker, blacker colour. Fast approaching the
inhabited districts; saw the traces of a route to Fezzan, on which the
foot-prints of sheep were visible. Saw some inhabited mountains at a
considerable distance, but no peculiar feelings started in the mind, and
I grow weary of the journey. A dull drear and long day. Overtook the
advanced portion of our ghafalah, and had the laugh at them. We asked
them, whether they had seen their good friends the Touaricks? whether
they had brought us fresh eggs, milk, and a whole sheep? We, of course,
begging our portion of the rich spoil. The people now told me to place my
tent within the circle of the encampment, as we were getting near the
inhabited districts. I usually encamped at a short distance from the
centre of confusion in the ghafalah, and found it more quiet. As to
fear, I had none, and slept more soundly in the open Desert than in any
part of the world where I had travelled before.
_13th._--Rose at day-break, and, after a few hours' riding, came in full
view of the Touarick camel-grazing country. We descended into a beautiful
plain. After such Desert, how lovely it was! the plain of the Paradise of
Sahara! This plain afforded many a taste of freshest herbage for the
camels, almost approaching to English grass. They cropped it with
rapacious greediness. Every person's eyes sparkled with delight at seeing
the famished camels devour the herbage. We stopped half an hour to let
them graze. Here were butterflies in quantities fluttering about, in
dress of silver white, and gorgeous hues of rubies, and labouring beetles
and industrious ants covering the small turf-hills, all which were to us
"signs of life," and living in the world. We had already seen, before
entering the fair plain, a small flight of larks, and now we feasted our
eyes on a few swallows skimming this "flowery mead," for here and there
were pretty blue and red and yellow wild flowers. A moment I forgot being
in The Desert. The abundance of the herbage arises from there having
recently fallen copious showers of rain--quite unusual in this thirsty
country. But our route is the worst and most desolate of all the routes
from Ghadames to Ghat. The other parallel routes always afford more
herbage, besides having some inhabited tracts, with flocks of sheep and
herds of camels feeding. Indeed, with the exception of a few people at
the well of _Tadoghseen_, which we shall soon mention, we found no
inhabitants in this the most easterly route. Whilst passing through the
plain I espied a little black something moving about. In getting up to
it, to my astonishment it was a little child stark naked! Our people were
as much amazed as myself. I thought within myself, if this be the way in
which the Touaricks bring up their children, exposed to cold and heat,
rain and wind, in such terrible plight in open desert! no wonder then
they can bear all the hardship of The Sahara, as we a spring-day in
Europe. It is impossible for an European to contend with a nature like
that of the Touarick; we can never expect to adopt their habits of
Saharan travelling. The little wretched urchin had been left by some of
the shepherds, for camels, goats, and donkeys were feeding about. The
child was very merry, but not old enough to speak much. Our people gave
the boy a piece of bread, which he put at once to his mouth, and grinned
"a thank you." From the plain rises a huge block of rock in the shape of
a sugar-loaf, a frequent form of blocks of rock in this desert. As we
neared the well, I was greatly rejoiced at the arrival of two slaves, one
of which had been dispatched by the Sheikh Jabour from Ghat, to tell me,
"I was to come with all confidence to Ghat, to fear nothing; no Touarghee
should say an untoward word to me." I augured well of all things on the
receipt of such news. Our people were as pleased as myself on the arrival
of Jabour's slave. They called out to me to take the handkerchief from
off my face, to let the messenger see "the face of a Christian."
After riding further, three or four Touaricks showed themselves. I
saluted them. They asked our people what I said, and did not seem very
friendly. I began to have suspicions[65]. The advanced portion of the
ghafalah had disposed of their camels and baggage before I got up to the
well. Said and myself went up amongst the people encamping, but, looking
on my left about fifty yards' distant, I saw a group of people and a
quarrel going on between our people, four or five Touaricks, and two
slaves. Our people were violently pulling a slave one way, and Ouweek, a
Touarghee chief, tearing him as savagely the other way. At length the
slave, struggling stoutly, got free, and went further off to a horse.
Ouweek thought the slave intended to mount the horse and ride off to
Ghat; so the chief followed the slave and again seized hold of him, and
unsheathing his sword, began beating him with its sides. The Ghadamsee
people and Arabs again interfered and rescued the slave. In the meanwhile
Haj Mafoul Zuleâ passed me, and said, "Go up, go up." I replied, "Why? I
shall stop here, where I am." He answered something; but, being hard of
hearing, I could not catch what he said. I determined not to move.
Afterwards, thinking that Zuleâ wished me not to be mixed up with the
quarrel, I went further on towards Ghat. I imagined the slave had been
overriding his master's horse, and was being beaten for that. After
staying some time up the road, I returned to my camel, tired of waiting,
and sat down, telling Said to unpack. But it seems Said had heard
something which I had not, and said, "Not yet, not yet." I insisted upon
his unloading the camel, and took out some dates and biscuits, and lay
myself down to eat them. The scuffle and uproar was now going on about a
hundred yards from me, and I saw the sword of Ouweek flourishing and
flashing about. This was succeeded by a calm, and a whole circle of
people squatted down around Ouweek. Meanwhile, the three followers of the
Sheikh went a short distance off, spread their heiks upon the ground with
great and solemn parade, and performed the afternoon prayer, as if about
to sanctify some impending act of their Sheikh. I watched them anxiously.
When I had waited half an hour or so, several of our people, with Zuleâ,
returned, and not a little surprised me by making to me the following
announcement:--"Ouweek, the Touarghee Sheikh of this district, wants to
kill you, because you are a Christian and an infidel. He has just been
beating one of the slaves for going to meet you, accompanying the
messenger of Ghat. He wished you to come up to him, that he might
dispatch you at once." To say the truth, I had such confidence in the
Touaricks of Ghat, and had been so confirmed in my confidence by the
arrival of the messenger from Ghat, that I could not believe this speech
of our people, and was disposed to think it a joke. I was perfectly cool,
and myself. But as they most seriously reiterated this story, and let out
a hint, or I gave the hint, I'm sure I now forget in the confusion, that
perhaps the business could be compromised for money, I said to the
spokesman, Zuleâ, "Oh! for God's sake, go, go; yes, yes, make a bargain."
I noticed poor Said at the time, who was staring at me full in the face,
to see, it would appear, how I was affected by this most unexpected
incident. After a great deal of squabbling and bargaining, in a true
mercantile style, it was finally arranged. Ouweek first fiercely
demanded one thousand dollars! Hereupon all the people cried out that I
had no money. The _quasi_-bandit, nothing receding, "Why, the Christian's
mattress is full of money," pointing to it still on the camel, for he was
very near me, although I could not distinguish his features. The
Touaricks who had come to see me before I arrived at the well, observed,
"He has money on his coat, it is covered with money," alluding to the
buttons. All our people, again, swore solemnly I had no money but paper,
which I should change on my arrival at Ghat. The bandit, drawing in his
horns, "Well, the Christian has a nagah." "No," said the people, "the
camel belongs to us; he hires it." The bandit, giving way, "Well, the
Christian has a slave, there he is," pointing to Said, "I shall have the
slave." "No, no," cried the people, "the English have no slaves. Said is
a free slave." The bandit, now fairly worsted, full of rage, exclaimed,
"What are you going to do with me, am I not to kill this infidel, who has
dared to come to my country without my permission[66]?" Hereat, the
messenger from Ghat, Jabour's slave, of whom the bandit was afraid, and
dared not lay a hand upon, interposed, and, assuming an air of defiance,
said, "I am come from my Sultan, Jabour; if you kill the Christian, you
must kill me first. The order of my Sultan is, No man is to say a word to
the Christian." Our people now took courage from this noble conduct of
the slave, declaring, "If Yâkob is beaten, we will all be beat first; if
Yâkob is to be killed, we will be killed likewise." Ouweek now saw he
must come down in his pretensions. The bargain was struck, after infinite
wrangling, for a houlee and a jibbah, of the value of four dollars[67]! I
did not, therefore, "sell for much," and Christians at four dollars per
head in The Desert must be considered very cheap. It is said, every man
has his price; I had not the honour of fixing my price. This was done for
me, and I ratified the bargain. I made a present of a turban to the brave
messenger, whom the people assured me acted a most noble part. It is
strange that this is the second time I have been preserved from something
like a catastrophe by the interposition of a slave. Did Providence intend
this as any sign of approbation of my anti-slavery labours? We were all
uneasy. Everybody had to supply something; and it was hinted, that I
ought to send them supper. Our people did this, and would not allow me,
saying, that I lived with them and had no provisions of my own. I was
indignant at the conduct of the Souf Arabs, who cowered down before the
Touaricks, and belied all their previous pretensions to courage and
intrepidity. Even a Seenawan Arab was frightened at my coming near his
tent, in dread of another quarrel or attack during the night. All our
people more or less were alarmed and agitated, although we numbered sixty
in the presence of five Touaricks! I thought in myself, What arrant
cowards you are! To cover their cowardice they pretended the Sheikh had
hundreds of people not far off. Zaleâ, and his Arabs, certainly behaved
the best. Zaleâ, in fact, was now the only man of the caravan. He told me
afterwards, the Ghadamsee people had proposed to him, that I should run
away on to Ghat, but he would not sanction such pusillanimity. I confess,
however, when the people described to me the character of Ouweek, I
myself felt considerable alarm. During the succeeding night, I slept
scarcely a wink. I made the messenger of Jabour sleep close by my
mattress, and unsheathing Said's old rusty sword, laid it beside me,
determining "to die game," or put a good face upon the matter. At any
rate, I thought an Englishman could not, however he might trust the good
faith of these people, die like an unresisting coward. Ouweek, like a
true politician, feasted the messenger dispatched from Ghat to me nearly
all night, and told him to report on his return to Ghat:--"The Christian
wished to give Ouweek a handsome present, but the Ghadamsee people, who
are sorry dogs, would not let the Christian act from the impulse of his
heart. So Ouweek quarrelled with the people of the caravan." The Sheikh
and his followers kept up a roasting fire all night, a stone's throw from
my encampment. The bandit was merry at the expense of the alarms of me
and our people, telling my messenger, "These Ghadamseeah are all dogs,
but the Christian is no dog, for when I threatened to cut his throat, he
sat down quietly and ate dates and biscuits." The bandit gave me more
credit than I can take to myself, for, at the time of munching the
biscuits, I was not aware of his violent attempt at levying black mail.
There can, however, be no question of the bad character of this Sheikh.
He has murdered several people, and, not long ago, killed a rich
Marabout, going on a pilgrimage to Mecca, plundering him of a great deal
of property. He is therefore no pleasant customer for a Christian to meet
with on the highways of The Sahara, whom he would decapitate with less
scruple of conscience than a Leadenhall poulterer would cut off a goose's
head. He has many people, though a second-rate chief, and is allied by
blood to the reigning family of Shafou. Though a little insignificant
man, he possesses undaunted courage, and has signalized himself in the
wars against the Shânbah. He walks lame with a wound he has received in
battle. He is generally dreaded in the open country, except by the
merchants, who are personally acquainted with him, to whom he behaves as
a very jolly fellow.
_14th._--All our people rose early, and got off as quickly as possible.
We could not breathe freely until we were out of the clutches of Ouweek.
Some of them, however, paid a farewell visit to the Sheikh, who received
them very graciously, as politely as any Spanish bandit, and sent this
message to me:--"Yâkob, go in _amen_ (peace or security) to Ghat, fear
nothing from any one, for you are under my protection." Our people
encouraged me along. The Souf Arab, who was so cowardly, said:--"Why
didn't you say, 'Mahomet is the prophet of God,' then you would have had
to pay no money." I called him a fool, and asked him, if all the people
didn't pay something as well as myself? This stopped his mouth. Zaleâ
fully agreed with me, as did all our people, that if Ouweek had simply
asked for a present, he would have got more from me. I certainly should
have given him at once half a dozen dollars if he had shown himself
friendly, and welcomed me to his district as a friendly stranger. It
appears he refused money, and even the camel, which the people in the
_imbroglio_ said he might, if he choose, take; he took the woollens,
because he knew they would not be made a question of restitution by the
Sheikhs and Sultan. He was clearly entitled to receive something from me,
by the usage of ages, commonly called "safety-money," but not to demand
it at the point of his broad-sword. This was his great offence in the
eyes of all his friends and the authorities of Ghat.
I did not see the well, but the water of Tadoghseen is extremely sweet
and palatable. I should have paid my homage to this well, as I had done
to all the sources of water in The Desert, had not Ouweek taken up his
quarters near it, and I was not anxious to disturb or excite the
curiosity of the bandit by a personal interview. One of his followers
came to see me off in the morning, a tall attenuated black shape of a
man.
We are now fairly in "the region of the Genii," the land of mystery and
disembodied spirits; and the whole country is intersected and bounded on
every side with the battlemental ranges of black, gloomy, and
fantastically-shaped mountains, distinguishing the country of the Ghat
Touaricks, where their friends and confederates, the Jenoun or Genii,
dwell with them in the most harmonious friendship. Here our people say,
"Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep."
[Illustration]
There exists a compact between the Genii and Touaricks to this
effect, a species of _Magna Charta_, and not selling themselves to
the Saharan devils:--"The Touarick fathers solemnly vowed, alone of
mortals, eternal friendship to the Genii, they would never molest
them in the various palaces which they (the Genii) had built in
their (the Touarick) country, nor use any means either through
Mahomet, or the Holy Koran, to injure them or dislodge them from the
black turret-shaped hills: and for this devotion on their part, the
Genii promised to afford them (the Touaricks) protection at all
times against their enemies, more particularly during the night,
giving them vision and tact to surprise their enemy during the dread
hour of darkness." So the Touaricks are reckoned very devils at
night, and usually attack their enemy at this time, and hack him to
pieces with their broadswords. Poor Major Laing was surprised by a
Touarghee chief in this way, two of his servants were killed, and
himself wounded, or cut and hacked in some thirty places. The air of
the region of Genii and Touaricks we now breathed, but found it as
free as that of any part of The Sahara. Our people did not think so,
and they pointed out to me with a shuddering awe all the mysterious
objects. First and foremost, standing out from the lower and more
modest abodes of the Genii, like a huge castle, such as the Titans
might have built when they scaled the walls of heaven, was the _Kesar
Genoun_, (قصر جنون) "Palace of demons," _par excellence_.
This was the hall of council where the Genii meet from thousands of
miles round, and debate upon their affairs of State. It is also the
Jemâ or Mosque, where they meet on a Friday to pray to Allah, for
they also worship Allah, though not properly. These lower and less
destructive grades of Demonii "believe and tremble." This is also
the mint where the Genii keep their bullion. The entire caverns of
this monstrous block of rock are full of gold and silver, and
diamonds, and all precious jewels[68]. A more _mortal_ and sublunary
mystery was now pointed out to me. This was a small block of rock
about fifty feet high, of the shape of the accompanying drawing; the
lower or under part where it comes in contact with the ground, being
so exceedingly small as not to be visible. Here was the dreadful
spot on which several people were murdered, and amongst the rest a
wealthy Marabout, but a saint of great sanctity. The murderer (of
what country it is not said), was so ashamed and horrified at his
own deed of blood, that when he had committed it he begged the Genii
to cover up their bodies from his sight, for he had not courage to
bury them. The Genii listened to his request, detached this piece of
rock from their great palace, where it has rested, occasionally
_rocking_[69], say the people, to this day--a memento against murder
and crime! For this service the murderer begged the Genii to accept
of some of the spoil, but they refused to accept of gold tainted
with blood; and, on the contrary, the avenging spirits of justice
pelted him with pieces of rock till he died. He was fairly stoned to
death, and his bruised and broken carcase was left unburied, a
horror to all passers-by! We see the Genii are a moral people, and
in general the Mussulmans of The Sahara speak of them as a good sort
of folks, not unlike Puck and his merry crew, only playing
occasionally mischievous pranks upon silly inconsiderate mortals.
Beyond the Kesar Jenoun stretches away north and south the long range of
black basaltic mountains, called by our people Wareerat, but I am not
sure if this be the Touarick name. This ridge forms the boundaries of the
Tibboo and Touarick country, for it stretches as far or farther south
than the Tibboos, some fifteen or twenty days' journey. From the town of
Ghat to the base of this range is half a day, eastward, although the
range looks, by the ordinary delusion of Desert optics, to be close upon
the town.
FOOTNOTES:
[64] "Slow and sure," has in no case whatever so good an
application as to the progress of the camel's march.
[65] These were evidently Ouweek's spies. They certainly did not
accost me in that frank manner as the Touaricks had been wont in
Ghadames.
[66] "Without my permission," or literally "tearing the _Litham_ from my
face." _El-Lithām_--اللثام--is the bandage which all
the Touaricks wear around the face, covering every part of it
except the top of the cheek-bones and the eyes.
[67] The houlee, حولي, is the same as the heik, and the
_jibbah_, جبّه, is a huge frock or tobe, with short sleeves,
and coming up close round the neck.
[68] On these words of Shakespear, "_Kept by a Devil_," (King
Henry VI., Part II., Act 4, and Scene 3,) Steevens makes the
following annotation:--"It was anciently supposed, and is still a
vulgar superstition of the East, that mines, containing precious
metals, were guarded by evil spirits." So in _Certaine Secrete
Wonders of Nature_, by Edward Fenton, 1569, "There appeare at this
day many strange visions and wicked spirites in the metal mines of
the Greate Turke. In the mine at Anneburg was a metal sprite which
killed twelve workmen; the same causing the rest to forsake the
myne, albeit it was very riche."
[69] There is an extraordinary co-resemblance between this Saharan
_rocking_, or _logging_, stone, and that of our own in Cornwall,
much noted and visited by all classes of travellers. Among the
truly romantic coast-scenery of Cornwall, at the south-west angle
of the county, are the celebrated Logan, or _rocking-stone_, and
the lofty granite rocks called _Tiergh Castle_. Here is a reef of
rocks jutting into the sea, on the summit of one of which is a
large single mass of stone, weighing about sixty tons, resting on
a sort of pivot, so near the centre that the whole block may be
easily made to oscillate or _log_, to and fro. This _logging_
stone has created astonishment amongst the illiterate, and given
rise to many fabulous stories: whilst others have imagined it was
placed here by the Druids, to overawe and terrify the vulgar.
Geologists, however, says Dr. Paris, readily discover, that the
only chisel ever employed has been the tooth of time--the only
artists engaged, the elements. Some years ago, the upper, or
logging-stone, was thrown from its equilibrium by the bodily
exertions of some sailors; but a general cry of indignation having
been raised against this wanton act, it was shortly afterwards
reinstated in nearly its original position by the perpetrators of
the mischief, who, while thus making honourable amends for their
former folly, evinced great ingenuity and skilfulness.--_Fisher's
Views in Devonshire and Cornwall._
END OF VOL. I.
LONDON: HARRISON AND SONS, PRINTERS, 45, ST. MARTIN'S LANE.
[Illustration: A SAND STORM. _J.E.S. del. J. W. Cook. sc._]
TRAVELS
IN
THE GREAT DESERT
OF SAHARA,
THE YEARS OF 1845 AND 1846.
CONTAINING
A NARRATIVE OF PERSONAL ADVENTURES, DURING A TOUR OF NINE
MONTHS THROUGH THE DESERT, AMONGST THE TOUARICKS
AND OTHER TRIBES OF SAHARAN PEOPLE;
INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF
THE OASES AND CITIES OF GHAT, GHADAMES,
AND MOURZUK.
BY JAMES RICHARDSON
Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,
Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty.
M.D.CCC.XLVIII.
LONDON:
HARRISON AND CO., PRINTERS,
45, ST. MARTIN'S LANE.
TRAVELS
IN
THE GREAT DESERT.