ABANDON THE TOUR TO SOUDAN.
Violent Act of a Touarick on Slaves.--Visit to the Princess Lilla
Fatima.--Mode of grinding Corn.--Dilatoriness of Commercial
Transactions.--Grandees of Ghat Town.--Khanouhen refuses his
Present.--Rumours of the Conquest of Algeria spread throughout
Africa.--Small Breed of Animals in Sahara.--Queer circumstance of
unearthly Voices.--The Cold becomes intense.--Arrival of Sheikh
Berka.--Hateetah in good Humour.--My Targhee friend, Sidi
Omer.--Visit from Kandarka; his Character.--Visit to the aged
Berka, and find the Giant.--Hateetah's Political Gossips.--At a
loss which Route to take, and how to proceed.--Superstitions
connected with the Butcher.--Zeal of an old Hag against The
Christian.--Out of Humour.--Reported departure of
Caravans.--Jabour calls with a Patient.--Visit Bel Kasem, and
find Khanouhen.--Political Factions of Azgher Touaricks.--Giants
in The Desert.--Fanciful analogies of origin of
Peoples.--Hierarchy of the Sheikhs.--Population, Arms, and
Military Forces of the Ghat Touaricks.--The Mahry or
Maharee.--Camels named from their Fleetness.--Touarghee Court of
Justice.--Amphitheatrical style of Touaricks lounging.--Amount of
Customs-Dues paid by Ghat Traders.--Free Trade in Sahara.
_1st January, 1846._--YESTERDAY I saw two slaves, both of whom had gashes
on their arms and legs, the blood flowing from one poor fellow profusely.
I asked,
"Who has done this?"
_The Slaves._--"A Touarghee."
"What for?" I continued.
_The Slaves._--"Nothing."
I found afterwards the slaves were doing some work in the gardens which
the Touarghee thought should have been given to him. Touaricks seldom get
into passion, but when the blood boils the dagger is immediately had
recourse to for the arrangement of their quarrels. The Touaricks have
many slaves, but male slaves, for they rarely mix their blood with the
negro race. Called upon Hateetah with his extra present of four dollars'
value. He then began in an excited humour, "To-morrow come to me, Shafou
will be here. We must arrange to send a maharee to the English Sultan." I
suggested his brother should take it to Tripoli. He sprung up from his
bed with joy, "Yes, good, Shafou and I will arrange everything. Nobody
else must come here but you. It must be all done in secret." Hateetah is
frightened of Khanouhen, and knows the Sultan has no will of his own
unless kept apart from that powerful prince. Touaricks, when something is
to be had, soon gets excited, like the rest of us.
Afterwards, Said and I carried the present for Khanouhen to the prince's
house. I spoke to the Governor, who recommended me, by all means,
notwithstanding the Sheikh's protestations, to send him a handsome
present. I submitted to the Governor's opinion. Khanouhen resides in some
apartments of the Governor's palace; this is the prince's town residence.
We were conducted to the apartment of his lady, Lilla Fatima, (the prince
being out,) by her nephews. Her Royal Highness received us courteously,
and the interview was extremely amusing. I began by apologizing for the
top of "the head of sugar[79]" being broken off. This made the lady
almost faint. "What!" she protestingly exclaimed, "Khanouhen is The Great
Sultan! Shafou is compared to him like the sand! (taking up a little
sand from the floor and scattering it about with her hands.) My husband
is lord and master of all the Touaricks. He has the word ready; from his
lips, all the Touaricks, all the merchants, all the strangers, all the
Christians who come here, receive their commands and instantly obey them.
And you bring him a loaf of sugar with the head knocked off! Oh, this is
not pretty! This is not right, and I am afraid for your sake." I pleaded
inability to find another loaf this morning, but promised to bring one
to-morrow. Her Royal Highness then begged for more things. "You see the
_grunfel_ (cloves) is not for me; it is for Khanouhen's other wife in the
country. Khanouhen will take it all away to her, and leave me none. Now
you must, indeed, bring me some _grunfel_." I then recommended her to get
it divided, at which she laughed heartily, adding, "Ah, Khanouhen likes
her in the country better than me." I then put Her Royal Highness in a
good humour by telling her I would send her some beads, and if I should
return to Tripoli, and come back to Ghat, I would bring her several
presents. She added, "My husband Khanouhen related to me all the things
which you intended to give him, which you showed him in your room. Also,
you said you would give him a little lock and key, where is it?"
This I had not brought with me, thinking the Sheikh would not accept of
such a trifling thing, but I was mistaken. The Touaricks will take
everything you offer them, and not hurt your self-complacency of
conferring a favour by refusal. I must finish with this lady, whose
tongue ran along at a tremendous rate, by adding, that to show her regard
for me, (and for herself likewise, wishing me to return to Tripoli to
fetch her some nice presents,) her Royal Highness gave me this advice:
"For God's sake don't go to Soudan. You'll die there soon. How can you, a
Christian, live there with such a white skin? The people who go there are
all black, and have large swollen faces, (imitating them by blowing out
her cheeks,) they are puffed out and nasty, they become as ugly as the
devil himself." The town wife and lady of the Sheikh, who is
heir-apparent to the Touarghee throne of Ghat, is herself a comely
bustling body, rather stout, of middle size, about thirty-five years of
age; and were she dressed in European style, she might, with her fine
black eyes, look as well as some of our courtly dames. Her Royal Highness
had nothing on but a plain Soudan black cotton gown, with short sleeves,
and a light woollen barracan, as a sort of shawl, wrapped round her
shoulders, partly covering her head. She had a few charms and some
coloured beads adorning the neck; two gold bracelets on her wrist, and
two thick hoops of silver round her ancles. A pair of coloured-leather
sandals, made in Soudan, were bound on her feet. She had no colour, save
the usual sallow of Moorish ladies, on her cheek, but she had no
disfigurement of tattooing or other marks upon her, so common in Saharan
beauties.
After the delivery of the present I called to see the Governor, the
lady's brother. Told him of my sudden resolution of abandoning the
journey to Soudan the present year. He highly approved of my resolution,
and seemed relieved of a great embarrassment, for, although very cautious
in what he said, he always considered himself responsible more or less
for my safety. I found his Excellency, but not to my surprise,
purchasing half a dozen slaves, young lads. The Marabout merchant does
not scruple to deal in human beings. The fact is, his Excellency scruples
at no kind of trade, by which he may "turn a penny," or "save a penny."
Returned home and wrote to Tripoli; but when the letter was finished the
courier was gone. As often happens, was glad afterwards the letter did
not go.
The mode of grinding corn here, if I may use the term grinding, is of the
most primitive character possible. It is nothing more or less than
rubbing the corn between two stones, the lower stone being large and
smoothed off on its surface, with an inclined plane, and the upper stone
very small compared to the lower. Thus--
[Illustration]
A small basket catches the meal as it falls off, or is pushed off by the
person, who holds the upper stone in his hands, and works it up and down
over the surface of the lower stone. Slaves and women so grind wheat,
barley, ghusub, &c. The meal is scarcely ever winnowed. In Aheer, a large
wooden pestle and mortar are used for grinding, rather pounding, the
corn. The slaves living with me have a huge wooden pestle and mortar, and
we frequently use it. It requires great tact in the pounding, otherwise
the grain will be continually flying out. I pounded dates with it, which
with a little olive oil, and roasted grain pounded with them, adding a
few grains of Soudan pepper and a little dry cheese, make very nice
cake, or it is esteemed nice cake in Ghat. Corn and ghusub are given to
day-labourers instead of money. A slave will have about a quarter of a
peck of barley, or other grain, given him for a day's work; occasionally
is added to it, a few dates or a little liquid butter: on this he must
live.
The Souk of Ghat, thank heaven, is nearly closed. The business, which has
been transacted here during the last month, would have been done in
England in one or two days at most. But our Saharan merchants are
determined to do everything, _be-shwaiah, be-shwaiah_, "by little and by
little." The greatest trial of patience for an European merchant
frequenting this Souk would be the dilatoriness with which commercial
transactions are carried on. A month usually passes before the Souk
opens, and six weeks more are consumed before a merchant can or will get
off, although, as his merchandize consists chiefly of slaves, his delay
is all against himself, eating him up and his profits. The details of the
traffic are really curious. A slave is heard of one day, talked about the
next, searched out the day after, seen the next, reflections next day,
price fixed next, goods offered next, squabblings next, bargain upset
next, new disputes next, goods assorted next, final arrangement next,
goods delivered and exchanged next, &c., &c., and the whole of this
melancholy exhibition of a wrangling cupidity over the sale of human
beings is wound up by the present of a few parched peas, a few Barbary
almonds, and a little tobacco being given to the Soudanese merchants, the
parties separating with as much self-complacency, as if they had arranged
the mercantile affairs of all Africa.
_2nd._--Visited this evening Hateetah. He says, the Sultan and himself
will call upon me to-morrow, and arrange the present which is to be sent
to Her Majesty. Afterwards called upon the Governor, to ask him where Haj
Abdullah of Bengazi resided. He leaves for Fezzan in eight or ten days,
and has offered to take me with him. Called afterwards on Mohammed Kafah.
Found him friendly, but he, assisted by his brother, began again to annoy
me about Mahomet, Paradise, and hell-fire. I told them, "All good people,
whatever their creed, must be blessed with the favour of God. Such was
the native sentiment in all our hearts." Kafah said, "Many English have
turned Mussulmans." I told him very few, and those mostly
good-for-nothing runaways. He asked why we did not repeat their formula?
I told him we all did the first part, "There is but one God;" but the
second was prohibited by Christians. I left them very angry. It is next
to impossible to induce Saharan Mahometans to think favourably of
Christianity. If Christianity ever be propagated here, it must be through
the means of youth and children. The merchants Kafah and Tunkana, the
Kady Tahar, and Haj Ahmed the Governor, are the knot of personages and
grandees in this little Saharan town. All the rest are sorry traders,
camel-drivers, and slaves. The Touaricks are only town visitors, and
always retire to their country districts at the close of the periodic
marts.
Weather to-day is excessively cold, the wind blowing from the north-east.
Everybody is frightened at the wind, and there is no Souk, or market,
till very late. I myself feel the cold extremely, so I am not surprised
to see the Soudanese people all shut up in their houses crowding over a
smoking fire, with the rooms full of smoke, and nearly suffocating the
inmates.
To my great surprise, and contrary to every expectation, Prince Khanouhen
has sent his present back in a great rage, not directly, indeed, to me,
but to my neighbour Bel-Kasem, saying, with a thousand different remarks,
embellished with oaths, "I will not accept of such a miserable present."
Bel Kasem calls upon me in a prodigious fright, prostrate under the ire
of the incensed Chieftain, and thus pleads in his favour: "Khanouhen
considers himself a greater Sheikh even than Shafou the Sultan. He is
greatly dissatisfied with so small a present; increase it a little for
God's sake--if you are going to Soudan, you must add something
considerable: if not, just a little to pacify him. Khanouhen has got a
large belly; pray satisfy him, for he can do more for you than any other
Sheikh in Ghat. Indeed, Khanouhen is very angry with you for sending him
such a trifle, and for taking it to his wife. Why did you take the
present to his wife? Now, take my advice: the Sheikh just dropped out, if
you will give him ten dollars in money, he will send you the present of
goods back. Send him only the value of the goods in money, and then he
will be satisfied. Khanouhen has got a stomach bigger than that of all
the Sheikhs. He rages against you like fire: satisfy him for Heaven's
sake."
I immediately sent back Bel Kasem to find the Sheikh, and to propose to
him to take back the goods, and give him money instead, or add a little
money to the goods. So then this is the great bravado of Khanouhen, that
he could not soil his fingers by taking presents! I expect I shall soon
be stripped. There are, unfortunately, so many Sheikhs, that to give
handsome presents to them all, would amount to a large sum. A burning
jealousy rankles in their breasts about these Souk presents. Each wishes
to be the greater man, in order to have more presents, though all
acknowledge Shafou on the principle of "right divine," or "the right of
the Genii." There is a controversy going on about Haj Ibrahim, as to
which of the Sheikhs is his friend, or protector, to whom he is to send
his little present of tribute. Of course I feel extremely annoyed and
disheartened to have a quarrel of this sort with the man who has the
greatest influence in the country. But I must hold out, since my
situation is not yet desperate. As something agreeable, in counterpoise,
I may mention that Haj Ibrahim, on visiting the Sultan, found His
Highness reclining on the carpet-rug which I gave him. His Highness said
to the merchant, smiling with satisfaction, "See, this is what The
Christian gave me." It is the present given to the Sultan which has
excited the jealous indignation of his nephew. But the Sheikhs have
broken through the rule, or I have myself, for Hateetah only has the
right of a present from me.
_3rd._--A fine morning, and warmer, but the wind is still high. Over the
open desert is a sort of a dirty-red mist, which people tell me is the
sand.
Since Shafou and Hateetah did not come this morning as promised, I called
on Hateetah to know the reason. Hateetah had a cold in his eyes, and
could not go out. He added, "Shafou is busy in enrolling troops for the
Shânbah expedition." Hateetah had many visitors whilst I was there. A
Ghatee, to my surprise, asked me, "How long slaves would be allowed to be
sold in Tripoli?" I answered, "Some time yet." He had heard of my being
connected with abolition. Another, just returned from Soudan, said:--"The
people of Soudan say the Emperor of Morocco has taken possession of
Algeria." I was unprepared for such a rumour in the heart of Africa, and
coming from The South, instead of going to The South. Of this
irregularity the Saharan newsmongers never think. But the fact is, the
conquest of Algeria by a powerful Christian nation is felt in every part
of The Desert, and reaches the farthest peregrinations of the merchants.
These wars and rumours of wars, however, are turned whenever possible in
favour of the Mussulmans. It is probable the attempted invasion of Oran
by the son of the Emperor, was immediately transformed into the conquest
of that province by desert reports. Another person asked me, "Whether the
Government of Constantinople was that of the Sultan himself, or the
Christians?" I observed:--"The Sultan's Government is very much
influenced by Christian Powers." It has long been the opinion of Barbary
Moors, that the late Sultan Mahmoud was a Greek in the disguise of a
Mussulman; and the same stigma sticks to his son. This opinion has
acquired strength and obtained general currency by the European reforms
which the Ottomans have lately introduced into their administration. Many
questions of this kind were asked, and, in the presence of Hateetah when
no insolence would be tolerated, the people seemed less bigoted. This is
the advantage of having an English agent, if possible, in these remote
districts, like Hateetah. Passing through the gardens, I saw some horses
and bullocks, and was surprised at their dwarfish dimensions. In Central
Africa, horses are frequently found of a very dwarfish breed. The horses
were unwhisped and sorry-looking ponies, with their bellies pinched in.
The bullocks cut an equally queer figure. I have noticed that fowls here
are very small, but very lively, catching the fire of a long Saharan
summer. The cocks, which are so many bantams, are indeed all fire,
attacking you with fierceness. Two of the Governor's sons called at noon.
One flourished a spear, which he said was "to beat Christians with." I
pushed him out of my apartment down stairs. With such customers it is the
only plan. Another son called a short time afterwards, and asked me to
lend him three dollars, which, of course, I refused. His Excellency knows
nothing of the tricks of these young gentlemen, or they would soon be put
to rights. Two Arabs, just returned from Soudan, called and said:--"Go to
Soudan, there's not much sickness, go _viâ_ Aheer. The road _viâ_ Bornou
is not safe now." This is what I conjectured, after hearing of the
skirmishes and the retreat of the son of Abd-el-Geleel before the Turks
up to Bornou.
Late this evening, on descending to the lower rooms of the house, which
were nearly dark, very little light indeed penetrating the lower part of
the house at any time of the day, I found the street-door open, and two
long huge figures scarcely visible in the gloom, standing up against the
wall on opposite sides of the large room. I retreated back a few paces in
alarm. The slaves were all out, as also Said. Presently I heard two gruff
voices begin from the different parts of the room, in long and measured
and doleful accents. One repeated, "There is no God but God, and Mahomet
is the prophet of God." The words were repeated very slowly and
solemnly, and at considerable intervals, "La - - lillah - -
ella - - ellaha - - wa - - Mo-ham-med - - ra-soul - - ellaha!" The other
voice uttered in equally grave and solemn accents, "Bor-nou-se! Bor-nou-se!
Bor-nou-se!" The first voice appalled me, for I did not know but what I
was going to receive the stroke of a dagger through the deep gloom, in
case of my refusing to comply with repeating the Mahometan formula, or
confession of faith; but the second voice reassured me, I felt the
parties were begging in the style of Ouweek, "Your money or your life." I
besides recognized at once the parties to be some low fellows of the
Touaricks. The street-door was wide open, though no one was passing by.
As soon as I could distinguish the import of these strange unearthly
voices, which seemed to rise from the ground like the mutterings of the
wizard, I saw the only course before me was, as all the servants were
absent, to rush out into the street. I made a spring right by one of the
Touaricks, leaving a portion of my slight woollen bornouse caught by the
hilt of his dagger. I went off to Haj Ibrahim, but said nothing about it,
not knowing correctly what might have been the intentions of the
Touaricks. I always found the Touaricks displeased, even the Sheikhs,
when any complaints were made against them. Shafou, himself, always told
me, "My people will be as kind to you as I am," and would not hear of
complaints. I comprehended the course before me, and complained of no
one. On my return home I heard nothing, and said nothing. I took the
precaution, however, of not allowing Said to leave the house when the
Governor's slaves were out. I may mention now, that Ouweek's affair was
entirely smuggled up, and never even alluded to by the Sultan or
Khanouhen. The policy of Khanouhen is not to allow a suspicion of this
sort to be whispered abroad. In his own words:--"We are hospitable, we
are men of honour, of one word, and we cannot commit a dastardly action."
The reader will hereafter see the result, so far as my visit amongst the
Touaricks was concerned.
_4th._--Awfully cold this morning, and can scarcely bear my miserable
apartment, which affords very little shelter from the wind and cold,
having neither door nor window-holes closed up. No one to be seen in the
streets; all "struck upon a heap" with the cold, and shut up in the
houses. At noon, when the sun began to be felt, went out to see Bel
Kasem, and was pleased to hear that Khanouhen would compound with me, and
receive five or six dollars in cash, instead of the present. The sugar
and cloves, beads and looking-glasses were not to be returned, but to be
left for the Sheikh's ladies. I felt much relieved; it was not very
pleasant to be in a contest with the actual Sultan of the country.
Berka, the most aged and venerable Sheikh of the great families, arrived
yesterday from his district, bringing with him numerous followers.
Called upon Hateetah, and gave him an additional present, the whole now
amounting to eight dollars. He is, of course, in a very good humour, and
considers I have treated him like the English Consul. He proposed to me
that I should get him officially appointed British Consul by the Queen.
His pretensions are not exorbitant; he would be contented with fifty
dollars a year. He might be useful. The difficulty would be official
correspondence. The Touarghee Consul would be obliged to employ an Arabic
Secretary.
My young and kind Touarghee friend Sidi Omer, called this afternoon. He
is more like an English acquaintance of years' standing than a Desert
Touarghee whom I saw but yesterday. I asked him to take cuscasou with me.
He observed, "No, that must not be; a little sugar I'll take, a little
perfume for my wife I'll take, but I must not eat your cuscasou, for you
are a stranger. You ought to eat my cuscasou. The Touaricks must not eat
the cuscasou of strangers, and so friendly like you." I offered to take
him with me to Tripoli. He answered, "No, not now, I must first go and
fight the Shânbah. Then I'll return and come to you in Tripoli, God
willing; nay, I'll visit you in your country, and you shall show me your
Sheikh." In fact, this young man is free from those fanatical prejudices
disfiguring so many of his countrymen. He is most amiable and gentle, too
gentle for these Saharan wilds. Occasionally he escorts me about the
town, and always keeps off the rabble. After my friend, Kandarka called
on me. I did not know the fellow, he having twisted a white turban round
his head. Strange, this Aheer camel-driver visited me before I called
upon him and sent for him, and when he came I did not recognize him
again, on account of his assuming such Protean shapes. To-day I was much
pleased with his intelligence and the frankness of his conversation. I
opened my journal, and showed him his name written in it, that he might
see, if I did not recognize him, yet he occupied my attention, for his
name was already inscribed with Christian letters in my book. He was so
delighted, at the sight of his name in the book, that he sprung up, made
a summerset on the terrace, took up his sword and flourished it in the
air, and then sat down again, staring and grinning in my face as if he
had been imbibing laughing gas. There is more negro blood and negro
antics in him than the ordinary Touaricks of Aheer. He represents Noufee
as a great country of trade, and inhabited by Pagans and Mohammedans.
Kandarka introduced religion, but finding the English prayed and
acknowledged a God, he was satisfied and dropped the subject.
_Kandarka._--"English, pray?" (bending his forehead to the ground.)
"Yes, yes."
_Kandarka._--"Sultan English, cut off plenty heads," (making a stroke
with a sword).
"Yes, yes."
_Kandarka._--"Sultan English, plenty wives has he," (making an indecent
sign).
"Yes, yes."
_Kandarka._--"English women, plenty fat--big all round," (describing a
lady's bustle).
"Yes, yes."
_Kandarka._--"English, slaves, slaves!"
(I shake my head.)
_Kandarka._--"How? How?"
(I shake my head.)
_Kandarka._--"Where are you going?"
"I don't know."
_Kandarka._--"Come to Aheer with me, I fear no one. You fear no one when
you come with me."
"I don't fear any one but God."
_Kandarka._--"G-- it's the truth!" (seizing hold of my hands to embrace
me.)
I cannot but lament my feeble powers, to depict the character of my
various visitors, and to represent their ideas in English. I am obliged
to be content with a bald outline of their characters, and a miserable
translation of their thoughts into English dress. This Kandarka is in
himself a complete character, and a study for the tourist.
This evening paid a visit to Berka, the most aged Sheikh. It was dark
when I arrived at his date-branch hut. I entered; it was a large
enclosure. I found the aged Sheikh with several of his brothers, and they
and their children sitting round a flickering fire. One of them was
dressed in white. I asked the reason. The Sheikh told me he was a
Marabout. The French Government writers of Algeria have distinguished
Touaricks into white and black Touaricks, from the white and black
clothes which they are said to wear. I never heard of this distinction.
Now and then I have seen a Touarick dressed in white cottons, or
woollens; it seemed to be a matter of caprice. All dress in black and
blue-black cottons of Soudan; it is the national colour. And here we have
a new case of contrarieties in Mussulman nations living near neighbours,
for the Moors and Arabs detest black as much as the Touaricks admire
black. The Touaricks seem to have caught the infection from the colour of
their country, which is intersected with ranges of black mountains. In
one of the early skirmishes of the French in Algeria, an officer
describes the appearance of the enemy, as covering the mountain's side,
whence they sallied, with a white mantle, the Arabs were so thick and
their burnouses so white. Berka was very gentle and affable, like every
man of a good old age. "You are welcome in this country," he addressed
me; "this is a country of peace." Whilst conversing with the old Sheikh,
I heard a gruff heavy whisper from the farther end of the hut,
_Hash-Hālik_, "How do you do?" I turned round, and to my no small
astonishment, I saw the Giant Touarick, stretched along the full length
of the very large hut, sweltering in the fulness of his might. The reader
will remember the honourable mention made of The Giant in Ghadames. He
then raised up his massy head and Atlantean chest, and put out his brawny
sinewy arm, and clenched my hand: "Yâkob, the Shânbah have murdered my
little son, _they_ are the enemies of man and God, not _you_ Christians.
I am going to cut them all to pieces. Last year I killed eight with my
own good sword. When you come back from Soudan, you will not hear any
more even the name of the Shânbah." The Giant groaned out this in bad
Arabic. He was greatly afflicted for the loss of his son. The Shânbah
brigands fell upon a troop of Touaricks, in whose care he had left his
little son, a child of very tender age, I presented Berka with a fine
large white turban, and we parted good friends. The Giant is the nephew
of Berka.
_5th._--Called upon Hateetah. He had, as usual, many visitors.
Conversation turned upon politics. They were anxious to know the relative
amount of the military forces of the nations of Europe, and of the
Stamboul Sultan. I always tell them France has plenty of money and
troops. This keeps down their boasting, for the French are near, and they
are alarmed, and they think, as an Englishman, I must tell the truth when
I praise the French. If I abused the French they might suspect me, but I
have no inclination to do so. At the same time, I'll defy any traveller
to write fairly and justly upon the late history of North Africa, without
filling his pages with _bonâ fide_ and well-founded abuse of the French
and their works in this part of the world. They emphatically stink
throughout Africa. Hateetah vexed me by begging a _backsheesh_ for his
brothers. I positively refused; there's no end to making presents. All
the Sheikhs, as Bel Kasem Said of Khanouhen, have "a large belly." On
returning home, I determined to keep the door shut to prevent people
coming to annoy me. Now that I have no sugar or dates left, I have
nothing wherewith to get rid of them. Every visitor who leaves me,
without a small present, however trifling it may be, considers himself
insulted by me, or that I don't like him.
Still at a loss to know what to do, whether to proceed to Soudan, or
return and finish my tour of the Mediterranean. Sometimes I fancy I'll
toss up, and then, checking my folly, I'll try the _sortes sanctorum_; a
feather would turn the scale. On such miserable indecision hangs the fate
of man!
Bought half a sheep for a Spanish dollar. It's not much of a bargain, for
it is one of the Soudan species, and very thin and bony. Touarick flocks
are nearly all this kind of sheep. When the Arab, who was "halves with
me," divided the carcase, he took two pieces of wood, and then sent Said
down stairs. One of the pieces he gave me, and the other he kept. He now,
taking back my piece, called Said to return, and told him to put each
piece of wood on each half of the sheep. My piece determined my half, and
his piece his half. This is the Arab _sortes sanctorum_. The butcher had
sprinkled his hayk with the blood, a drop or two were on it, and he was
distressed to wash them out lest they should prevent him saying his
prayers. A portion of the entrails, the spleen, he applied to his eyes as
a talisman for their preservation.
There is an old woman very fond of annoying me; let us suppose she must
be a witch; she always calls out after me when I pass her stall, "There
is but one God and Mahomet is the prophet of God." To-day, words would
not suffice; the old hag ran after me and thumped me over the back, to
show her zeal for Mahomet, who, begging pardon of his Holiness, has not,
after all, been so very kind to the ladies in his religion, unless it be
the compliment which he has paid them, by placing all the imaginable
felicity of Paradise in their embraces. I took no notice of the virago. I
find it's no use. I was glad, however, to hear she was not Touarick, and
only a Billingsgate Mooress of the place. I am also happy to tell my fair
readers, she was not fair but very ugly. A large party of people followed
me home, hooting me, to give them something to eat. This rabble fancies
they have the right to insult a Christian, unless he gives them something
to eat or to wear. To bear all this, and ten thousand little delicate
attentions of the rabble of Ghat, requires, as Mr. Fletcher hints,
"Conciliation," with an occasional dose, I should think, of that most
necessary of all Saharan equipments, in travelling through The Desert.
PATIENCE.
_6th._--Sulky with the insolence of the rabble, and determined not to go
out till the evening. A brother or cousin of Hateetah called to beg, and
being in a bad humour, I told him I was just going round the town to ask
for a few presents myself, in return for those I had given to the people.
He was not abashed, but answered, "Good, good." He waited half an hour in
silence, for I got to my writing, and went off much pleased, I should
imagine, with his visit. One of the slaves of the Governor came in, and
said sharply, "What's that fellow _douwar_ (_i. e._ go about seeking)?"
"He wants you to give him some of your _gusub_ (grain.)" "_Kelb_" (dog),
he replied. This slave himself was a brazen-faced beggar, and a bit of a
thief, but withal a droll fellow. I asked him how he was captured? He
answered, naïvely, "You know Fezzan, you know Ghat;--well, these two
countries make the war, and catch me a boy." "How do you like Haj Ahmed,
your master?" "He has plenty wives, plenty children: we slaves must
plenty work for all these. Now, I like to eat. Haj Ahmed, he Governor,
but he gives me nothing to eat. I work for him six hours--I work for
others six hours. The people give me to eat, not Haj Ahmed."
This is the character of slave-labour in Ghat. The masters have half of
their labour for nothing, or because they are their slaves: with the rest
of their labour they support themselves. The _meum et tuum_ is not, and
indeed cannot be very strictly observed by the poor people who have to
support such a precarious existence; and when Said went down to bring up
the meat to cook for supper, he found this young gentleman had carried it
nearly all off to cook for his own supper, leaving what remained for us
to make the best of.
It is now reported that every stranger will leave Ghat in five or six
days, one ghafalah going to the south, another to the north, one to the
east, and another to the west. To these five or six days ten or twenty
may be added. This is ordinary calculation of Desert time.
Afternoon, Jabour called with a young man, who had a bullet lodged in his
arm, which he had received in a skirmish with the Shânbah. I could only
recommend a surgical operation, and his going to Tripoli. At this Jabour
was alarmed, and asked "What would the Turks do to the young man?"
begging of me medicine. I offered to take him under my protection, but it
was of no avail. The amiable Sheikh was as friendly as ever. I asked him
to write a letter to England. Jabour replied justly, "You are my letter;
I have written on you. You can tell your Sultan and people the news of us
all." "Don't be afraid to return, there are no banditti in that route.
The Shânbah are in the west," he added. I promised, if ever returning to
Ghat, I would bring him a sword with his name engraven upon it. He said,
"I know you will, Yâkob." I am tempted to think Jabour is the only
gentleman amongst the Touaricks. Another of Hateetah's cousins came to
beg, but went away empty-handed. This evening visited Bel-Kasem in the
expectation of seeing Khanouhen. The prince saluted me very friendly, and
asked, in a sarcastic tone, "How is the English Consul (Hateetah)?" My
appearance then suggested thoughts about Christians. "What is the name of
the terrible warrior who has killed so many Christians in Algeira?" he
demanded.
_I._--"Abd-el-Kader."
"Yâkob," he continued, "come, let you and me fight, for it seems
Mussulmans and Christians must fight. Here, I'll lend you a spear,--take
that" (giving me a huge iron lance.) I took it, and turning to
Bel-Kasem, said, "What's this cost?" so evading the challenge. "The price
of a camel," shouted Bel-Kasem at the top of his voice. "Ah!" cried
Khanouhen, "right, now sit down again; men are fools to fight--why cut
one another's throats?" "Yâkob," he went on, "your Sultan's a woman, does
she fight?" There was now a tremendous knocking at the door. This was two
or three cousins of Hateetah. "D----n that Hateetah," cried Khanouhen,
"Bel-Kasem, turn them away." Hereupon, Bel-Kasem started up in the most
abject style of obedience, and pushed one of his slaves out of the
room-door into the open court, crying "Bago, bago" (not at home). There
are certain foreign words which get currency, and supplant all native
ones. This "bago" is neither Touarghee, nor Ghadamsee, nor Arabic,
although used by persons speaking almost exclusively these languages.
Bago is Housa, as before mentioned. Then the slave called "Bago, bago,
bago;" then half-a-dozen slaves, close to the street-door, called "Bago,
bago, bago." The knocking continued; the "bagos" continued, the uproar
was hideous. Then Bel-Kasem gave his slave a slap, crying, "Bago, you
_kelb_ (dog)." Now the slave was off again to the other slaves, shouting
and yelling "Bagos," till the "bagos" drowned the knocking and the
clamour without, and the disappointed supper-hunters retired growling
like hungry wolves of the evening. Bel-Kasem now gave me a hint to fetch
the money for Khanouhen. I was off and back in an instant, very glad to
give the Sheikh the money according to our new compact. I put it into the
hands of Bel-Kasem. "Go out," said Bel-Kasem, "and see the fine parrots I
have bought." I went out, and in the meanwhile the politic merchant
slipped the money into the hands of the Prince. When I came back, they
both began to ridicule Hateetah. The Prince said, "Yâkob, place yourself
under the sword of Hateetah, and go out with him and fight a hundred
Shânbah." "Oh, he's an ass," replied Bel-Kasem. Such was their style of
ridicule. Bel-Kasem is a well-meaning little fellow, but a sort of fool
or jester of the Sheikh's. Khanouhen allows him to say anything and do
anything, but laughs at him all the time. Bel-Kasem always brings the
Sheikh some pretty present, and Khanouhen throws around him his powerful
arm of protection. The slavish merchant and faithful sycophant always
calls him Sultan, swears by the Sheikh's beard in his quarrels with the
other merchants, and threatens all his rivals in trade with Khanouhen's
wrath.
The Sahara has its factions in every group of its society. It would
appear that without faction neither Saharan nor any other sort of society
could exist. Ghadames gives us its _Ben Weleed_ and _Ben Wezeet_. Ghat
gives us three great factions in its Republic of Sheikhs. We may thus
classify their politics:--
MONARCHICAL FACTION.
Mohammed Shafou Ben Seed, _the Sultan_ of the Ghat, or Azgher Touaricks.
El-Haj Mohammed Khanouhen Ben Othman, the heir-apparent of the throne.
Marabout El-Haj Ahmed Ben El-Haj, Es-Sadeek, Governor of the town of Ghat.
Ouweek (second-rate Sheikh).
ARISTOCRATIC FACTION.
Mohammed Ben Jabour, Marabout Sheikh.
DEMOCRATIC FACTION.
Berka Ben Entăshāf, the most aged of the Sheikhs.
The Sheikh of gigantic stature[80].
Hateetah Ben Khouden, the "_friend_" of the English.
I found the strongest demonstrations of rivalry, and the bitterest
feelings of faction, in the conduct of these several princes of The
Desert, who are the personages of influence and authority amongst the
Ghat Touaricks. In the monarchical class the Governor of the town is
allied to the Sultan by marriage, though Khanouhen has no family by the
Governor's sister. Shafou, the venerable Sultan, is of such gentle
unassuming manners that he exercises no political influence over the wild
sons of The Desert. Khanouhen embodies the Sultan, and is the man of
eloquence, of action, and intrepidity in the national councils. He is
feared by all (Jabour, perhaps, excepted), but, nevertheless, is not
tyrannical in his administration of affairs. Jabour, the Marabout, is a
wise, upright, and amiable prince. His influence extends beyond the Ghat
Touaricks. Jabour told me himself, he had several people subject to his
authority, extending as far as Timbuctoo. To these, the Prince promised
to commit me in case I determined to make a journey to Timbuctoo. Like
Khanouhen, Jabour has two wives; one resides in Ghat, where the Sheikh
has a _town-house_, and the other in the country districts. He has,
besides, four or five sons. I saw one of them, who was as much of an
aristocrat as his father. The merchants assured me that Jabour's
influence, more especially as he is a marabout, although he is no
demagogue priest of the _Higgins' calibre_, is unbounded. "With a slave
of Jabour," they declared, "you may go to Timbuctoo, and all parts of
Sahara." The Sheikh himself does not visit the neighbouring countries.
This is not the custom of the Touaricks, the people being opposed to the
Sheikhs leaving their districts; but they send their slaves or relations
continually about. Berka, the head of the democratic faction, is too old
to exercise power, he has only strength enough to get about. The aged
Prince paid me two visits, and was as gentle as gentleness could be. His
family contains some powerful and intrepid chiefs, amongst the rest the
Giant, the Goliath of the Ghat Touaricks. But, speaking of giants,
_Bassa_, Sultan of the _Haghar_ Touaricks, is the real Giant of The
Desert. Some of the people report this Giant Desert Prince to have six
fingers on each hand, and to be several heads taller than he of Ghat. His
spear, they describe, in the true spirit of the marvellous, to be,
"higher than the tallest palm." I may help their imagination, "And the
staff of his spear is like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighs
six hundred shekels of iron," or is like--
"The mast
Of some great admiral."
Were I to adopt our present fanciful theories of accounting for the
origin and migration of nations, I should here have a fine field before
me, and the Touarghee giants of The Sahara would become, by the
transmuting fancy of our antiquarian theologians, the veritable
Philistines of Gath and Ekron. For many of the Berber tribes, amongst
whom the Touaricks are classed, especially the _Shelouh_ of Morocco,
relate traditionally that their fathers came from the land of the
Philistines, and that they themselves are Philistines. What then is
easier than to find in the name of _Ghat_ the _Gath_ of the Philistines?
But unfortunately, _Azgher_ is the Touarick name of themselves and their
country. Still the name of _Ghat_ must have its origin. As before
noticed, the original signification of the term _Ghat_ has been traced to
mean "_Sun_" or "God," in the ancient Libyo-Egyptian language. I am not
competent to give an opinion on the subject. One of the Latin writers
makes the aboriginal people of North Africa to have been Medes. The
probability is they were Syrians of some class. From the coast they would
naturally pass or migrate to The Sahara.
Hateetah is an extremely pacific man in his conduct, and greatly liked
for his peace-making disposition; but he is only a second-rate Sheikh,
and has no political influence over Touarick affairs, beyond what the
chief of his family enjoys. He has several brothers and cousins, all
esteemed Sheikhs, but with little or no power.
The government of the Touaricks is an assemblage of Chieftains, the
people supporting their respective leaders, the heads of their clans in
the feudal style, and all these controlled by a Sultan or Sheikh-Kebir.
The number of Sheikhs, when the lesser, or second and third-rate, Sheikhs
are included, is very considerable, and makes the country, as the
Governor says, "a country of Sheikhs." In their various districts, each
greater Sheikh exercises a sovereign, if not independent authority. In
any national emergency, they all willingly unite for the common defence
and protection, as now, when they are collecting their forces, in a
common effort to extirpate the Shanbâh banditti. The people, however,
enjoy complete liberty. The Touaricks, though a nation of chiefs and
princes, are in every sense and view a nation of freemen, and have none
of those odious and effeminate vices which so darkly stain the Mahometans
of the North Coast, or the Negro countries of Negroland. Every man is a
tower of strength for himself, and his desert hut or tent, situate in
vast solitudes, is his own inviolable home of freedom!
According to Haj Ahmed, the Touaricks of Ghat muster fifteen thousand
warriors. Let them be ten thousand, this would give an entire population,
including women, old men, and children, and slaves of both sexes, of
about sixty thousand souls. These Touaricks possess a good number of
slaves, but of the male sex to look after their camels. Every able-bodied
Touarick is a warrior, and is equipped with a dagger, suspended under the
left arm by a broad leather ring attached to the scabbard, and going
round the wrist, and a Touarick of adult age is never seen without this
dangerous weapon; a straight broad-sword is slung on his back, and he
carries a spear or lance in his right hand. Most of the spears have
wooden shafts, but others are all metal, and mostly iron. Some are of
fine and elegant workmanship, inlaid with brass, and of the value of a
good maharee, or thirty dollars. They have staves also, which they use
as walking-sticks, or weapons of war, as it may be[81]. These are their
weapons of warfare. The matchlock they despise. "What can the enemy do
with the gun against the sword?" the Targhee warriors ask contemptuously.
They, indeed, use the sword, their grand weapon, as the English soldier
the bayonet. Their superior tactic is to surprise the enemy, especially
in the night, when the Genii help them, and hack him to pieces. The spear
is used mostly to wound and disable the camel. Their manner of disposing
of the booty, is characteristic. "What are we to do with these women and
children?" they asked me, "when we have exterminated the Shânbah men."
Without waiting for a reply they said:--"Oh, we'll send them to the Turks
and sell them." They have the example of the Turks themselves, who, on
the destruction of the Arab men in the mountains, collected the women and
children together, and sent the best of them to Constantinople to be
sold, in defiance of the express law of the Koran.
The maharee cannot be overlooked; this remarkable camel, which is
like the greyhound amongst dogs for swiftness and agility, and even
shape, they train for war and riding like the horse. They do not
rear the ordinary variety of camel found in North Africa and on the Coast.
مَه٘رِي or مَه٘رِ, are the two manners in which I
have seen the Moorish talebs write this word in Arabic. An Arab
philologist says, the term Maharee is derived from the name of the
Arabian province of Mahra, on the south-east coast, adjoining Oman,
whence this fine species of camel is supposed originally to have
been brought into The Desert. The Touaricks, of course, have very
curious legends about their peculiar camel. We have, however, the
Arabic مهر, "to be diligent," "acute-minded," and the term
مهاراة, "flying away," from which مهري may probably
be derived. At least there is no apparent objection to such derivation. The
Hebrew cognate dialect has the word also. מהר signifies "to
hasten," "to be quick;" but I cannot assert positively it has any
relation with this derivation. In the books written on Western
Barbary, we find the terms _heirée_ and _erragnol_ to denote the
"fleet" or "swift-footed camel," the former of which is apparently a
corruption of mahry or maharee. It is said that camels are called by names
derived from the Arabic numerals, as _tesaee_, "ten," (تسعي),
and _sebaee_, "seven," (سبعي) according as they perform
a journey of _ten_ days, or _seven_ days, in _one_; but I never
heard of this distinction in any part of The Desert. It is pretended
that the mahry cannot live on the Coast of Africa on account of the
cold. This has not been sufficiently tried, for Haj Ibrahim kept one
at Tripoli, which thrived very well, and was in good condition. It
is, however, a very chilly animal, and seems to feel the cold as
much as the Touarghee himself. In its healthy state it is full of
fire and energy, and always assumes the mastery over the camels of
the Coast, biting them, and trying to prevent them from eating with
it in circle like other camels. Mounted on his mahry, dressed out
fantastically in various and many-coloured harness, (the small
saddle being fixed on the withers, and the rider's legs on the neck
of the animal,) with his sword slung on his back, dagger under the
left arm, and lance in the right hand, the Touarghee warrior sallies
forth to war, daring everything, and fearing nothing but God and the
Demons. In the year '44 they made an inroad upon the sandy wastes of
the Shânbah bandits; days and months they pursued the brigand tribe
over the trackless regions of sand; and during this expedition they
neither tasted food, nor drank a drop of water, for seven
days!--still keeping up a running fight, pursuing and butchering the
Shânbah, who all disappeared at last, concealed under heaps
of sand. This statement, which shows the extraordinary power of
endurance--the moral and physical temperance in the Touaricks, I had
from the Governor of Ghat himself, and which coming from him
deserves credit. But the Touaricks do not eat every day though they
may have food in the house. They eat generally every other day. And
this amply suffices them when merely reclining in their tents, or
lounging in the Souk. Habit is everything; we might all live on one
meal a day if we could accustom ourselves to it. The people pretend
that, though the Shânbah can count the grains of their desert region
of sand, and know every form of the sand-mountains as well by night
as by day, the Touaricks had nevertheless the advantage over them,
pursuing them better by night than by day, because the Genii were
their guides; and many Shânbah, who had hid themselves under the
sand, were unburied by the Genii, and slain by the Touaricks.
I have given a case of Touarghee justice. During the Ghat Souk, all the
Sheikhs assemble in the great square, the Shelly, for the arrangement of
disputes; but it is mere form, and is more for gossiping and quizzing one
another, the Touarick being fond of a good joke. The principal Sheikh
present mounts a stone-bench, and sits down in a reclining posture,
striking his spear into the ground, which stands erect before him, as if
awaiting his orders. The very first thing a Touarghee does when he stops
and sits down, is to strike his spear into the ground or sand. When my
_friend_ Ouweek was napping near me at the well of Tadoghseen, his spear
was struck into the sand close by his head. So it is said, "And, behold,
Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at
his bolster." (1 Samuel, chap. xxvi. ver 7.) The Sheikh of highest rank
now seated, the Sheikhs next in dignity take their seats around him, at a
short distance off, in the form of a semicircle, these generally
squatting on the ground. Sometimes the principal Sheikh himself squats on
the ground. The cases of dispute are then brought forward, if any. The
infliction of punishment is by fines. There is nothing in the shape of a
prison,--this delectable institution being the work and discovery of
civilization. Our Irishman might indeed, without a bull, with his back to
The Desert, and his face to the civilized communities of the Coast,
exclaim, on sight of the first prison and gibbet, "Thank God, I am out of
the land of Barbarians, and have reached the land of Civilization!" Of
fines, I heard of no other case than that of the Sultan fining two
strangers a couple of dollars, whilst resident in Ghat.
[Illustration]
In some parts of the Shelly there are ranges of benches of two and three
flights. It is an imposing sight, to pass through the square late in the
afternoon, just before they leave, and see all the Touaricks mounted on
these benches. Row upon row, range upon range, they sit, closely jammed
together, as thick as Milton's spirits in Pandemonium, and not unlike
them, with their dark and concealed countenances, so mysteriously muffled
up with the dread litham, having before them ranges of spears, parallel
to themselves, a bright forest hedge of pines, awaiting their orders for
war or warlike pomp. I have frequently passed this forest range of
lances, and looked up fearfully to the dark enigmatical figures or shapes
of human beings, reclining in the most profound death-like silence, not
exchanging a word with one another. A most trivial call of attention, a
rustling or breath of an accident of novelty, nevertheless, is enough to
put instant action and fire into these ranged masses of ice-congealed or
stone statue-like warriors, who will then rush down upon the attractive
object headlong, one falling over the other, until their childish
curiosity being satisfied, the wild tumult subsides, and they themselves
sink into their wonted blank inanity. But it is a fact, they will sit
motionless thus for hours and hours, and not condescend to speak to their
best friend amongst the merchants. This is their idea of dignity and
superior rank over their fellows. It would appear, from the account of
the Sultan of Bornou, that he, also, never condescends to speak when he
receives a foreign envoy. "Slowness of motion," in Barbary, and I imagine
in The East, is also considered a mark of dignity. A full-blown
fashionable Moor always walks extremely slow. The Touarick usually rises
up slowly, and deliberately walks out of the house in the same way, but
otherwise he continues a fair pace. What is curious, a Touarick never
speaks and salutes when he leaves you; his compliments and inquiries of
health, are all on his entrance into your house.
It now seems pretty well agreed upon by all parties who converse about my
affairs, that I should return and make greater preparations, and bring
with me two or three others, fellow-travellers, so as to render an
expedition of this sort more useful and respectable. But the disadvantage
always is, if it get abroad that such a mission is coming, laden with
presents, money and provisions, the danger is tenfold augmented, whilst
an indigent person like myself is in comparative security. A single
person has also his own advantages over a mission of two or three, or
more. He is his own master he is responsible alone for himself. Who
knows, but what something disastrous had happened if I had had with me
some hot-headed companion? A man will lose his life any time in The
Desert in five minutes if he cannot keep his temper. He may occasionally
assume airs of being angry for policy's sake, and check the insolence of
some low fellow, and with other advantages. But the point is, to be cool
in danger and embarrassments, which, if a man cannot be, let him go into
The Great Desert at his peril. It was for the same reason I would not
bring with me an European servant from Tripoli, whose fluency in Arabic
might have been attended with the greatest danger to us both instead of
assistance. Said is pestered with questions about me or my affairs; but
at times Said is stupid enough, and people get tired of asking him
questions. I must mention, however, one thing to his credit and to his
cunning sagacity; although a thousand times questioned, whether he
himself were a slave, and how he came with me, he never let out that he
was a runaway slave from Tunis, not even to his dearest companions of
travel. Generally when asked a question of our affairs, he says,
_Ma-Nârafsh_, "I don't know," and this he does as much from his indolence
in not wishing to talk as from policy. Here I shall take the liberty of
stating the several objections to my proceeding this year to Soudan:--
1st. My health is beginning to sink under pressure of the climate, as
well as under various vexations and annoyances. Amongst the latter, I
have received nothing which I wrote for to Tripoli, to persons whom I
considered friends of the mission, one thing excepted, and certainly not
the least thing, the money. (And I embrace the opportunity of thanking
gratefully Signor Francovich, Austrian merchant of Tripoli, for letting
me have money whenever I asked him, promptly and immediately, and to any
amount which I drew for).
2nd. Amongst the things written for to Tripoli, and which did not arrive,
were medicine, and some common instruments of observation. The medicine
was packed up by Dr. Dickson, but neglected to be sent until the caravan
had left Ghadames. The instruments, which could easily have been procured
in Tripoli, were of the greatest consequence, in making a more extended
tour intelligible.
3rd. Kanou, being reported by all the merchants as "a country of fever,"
it would have been exceedingly imprudent for me to have gone further
without a good stock of medicines. We have no right to plunge ourselves
into the flood of the Niger, and then accuse the hand of Providence for
not saving us from a watery grave. One might have escaped the fever, as
one might have been picked up by the swimming of a black man; but such a
"might" belongs to accident, not the planning and arranging of legitimate
expectation.
I shall not trouble the reader with ten or more reasons, all having more
or less of weight, which I have recorded in my journal, but which are
more curious than sensible. I mention, that, on my departure from Ghat, I
wrote to the Sultan of Aheer, by the advice of my best friends, informing
him of my intention to visit him at some future period. It is a mistake
that, the taking of these Saharan princes unawares; they consider it
infinitely more friendly to be written to beforehand. A stranger, and
especially a Christian, coming down upon them unexpectedly, excites
suspicion which may never be afterwards removed. The Touarick Princes of
Aheer are considered the only difficulty, so far as governments are
concerned, in the rest of the route. The Fullan Princes of Soudan are
represented as eminently friendly to every body, every stranger of
whatever clime or religion. However, I do not pretend to know what effect
the Niger expedition may have produced on the Fullans, with respect to
Englishmen.
* * * * *
_7th._--Stayed at home all the day. The _fœx populi_ is a great
worry to me. They have no encouragement from the Sheikhs, but are
not less the cause of my shutting myself up at home. Evening, when
the streets were clear, visited Haj Ibrahim. He has purchased the
feathers of a splendid Soudan ostrich for five dollars, which in
Tripoli he will sell for ten. The bird is skinned and the feathers
remain unplucked. The _quæstio vexata_, as to who is Haj Ibrahim's
"friend," _sahab_ (صاحب), to whom he should pay his
tribute-present, for visiting the Souk, is at length decided in
favour of Berka. The old gentleman produced witnesses that all
Jerbini belonged to him, or are under his protection, and as Haj
Ibrahim is a native of Jerbah, he claimed the rich merchant. The
several Sheikhs have the several merchants under their protection.
Shafou has those of Tunis, Jabour those of Tripoli, under their
respective protection, and so of the rest. The merchants pay for
their protection from ten to twenty dollars, according to their
means. Frequently a group of traders do not pay more than a single
individual; some get off with paying only a dollar. These demands on
the merchants are certainly very moderate, and the Touaricks
scarcely deserve the epithets of _exigeant_ and extortionate which
are so freely applied to them by the merchants. Haj Ibrahim, who
brings some thousand dollars' worth of goods to this part, pays only
the paltry sum of some twenty or thirty dollars at the most. In
fact, here is free-trade with a vengeance, existing long before it
has been attempted to carry it out, with such tremendous
consequences, as in Great Britain. France and the Zollverein must
send agents to the Souk of Ghat, say half a dozen University
students each, to study free-trade principles from the barbarians of
The Desert. Indeed Touaricks carry out their system beautifully and
like gentlemen, and the Aheer merchants pay nothing in Ghat, and the
Ghat merchants pay nothing in Aheer, for the privileges of commerce,
in the way of customs' dues. The merchants and Arabs of Derge pay
nothing whatever, a privilege of ancient date granted to this class
of Tripoline merchants. But the Souk flourishes with its free-trade
mart, and excites the jealousies of the merchants of Mourzuk, and
their masters the Turks, because some of the merchants pass from
here direct to Algeria and Tunis, not touching the Tripoline
territory, and in this way the Turks lose their much-coveted
_gomerick_, or customs' duty. I am happy to record the present
instance of these extortioners being overreached, or rather,
vanquished by an honourable system of trade. Certainly, were it not
for the high duties levied on merchandize at Mourzuk and Ghadames,
many of the merchants of this Souk would visit those cities, and the
Turks could not fail to benefit by this extra rendezvous of
merchants. Haj Ibrahim does not think the whole of what all the
Sheikhs together collect as presents, at the annual Ghat Souk, to be
more than 250 or 300 dollars. In case Great Britain should think it
worth while to bribe or buy the services of the Touaricks of The
Desert, to intercept the slave-caravans, and so discourage the
traffic, it certainly could be done for some 500 dollars per annum,
or for very little more, if it were a question of money only.
FOOTNOTES:
[79] The merchants call these loaves of French beet-root sugar,
_Ras_, _i. e._, "head."
[80] Having always called him the _Giant_ in my notes, I neglected
to get his name.
[81] The spear is called _âlagh_, علق, the dagger _tayloukh_,
تيلوخ, the sword _takoubah_, تيكوبة, and the
stave, with a spear point, âzallah, عزلّة. The old men,
like indeed Shafou, frequently make use of a large stick, instead
of a spear, when they walk about. Usually the Touaricks carry their
lances with them, and all their arms, even in paying the most
friendly visits. To strangers they look infinitely more formidable
than they are, or they themselves pretend to be.