CONTINUED RESIDENCE IN GHAT.
Commerce of Winter Mart at Ghat.--Visit to Hateetah, and meet the
Sultan.--Means of suppressing Saharan Slave Trade by the
Touaricks.--Hateetah refuses my returning with a Bengazi
Caravan.--Bad Character of Arabs.--Receive a Visit from His
Highness the Sultan; and interesting Conversation with him.--Ghat
Townsmen great Bigots.--Unexpected Meeting with the Sultan.--My
Targhee Friend's opinion of War.--Mode of Baking Bread.--Country
of Touat.--The British Consul is perplexed at his _Master_ being
a Lady.--Vulgar error of Christians ill-treating Mussulmans in
Europe.--People teach the Slaves to call me Infidel.--Visit to
Bel Kasem, and find Khanouhen.--The free-thinking of this
Prince.--Said's apprehensions of Touaricks.--Hateetah's opinion
of stopping Saharan Slave-Dealing.--Shafou leaves
Ghat.--Discussion of Politics with an assemblage of
Chiefs.--Description of the Touarick Tribes and Nations of The
Great Desert.--Description of Aheer and Aghadez.--Leo's Account
of the Targhee Desert.--Daughters of the Governor
Educated.--Touaricks refuse aid from the Turks against the
Shânbah.--A private Slave-Mart.--Ghat comparatively free from
Crime.--Visit from Berka.
IT is not my intention to enter into the statistics of trade, but I
mention a few facts. Caravans from Soudan, including all the large
cities, but especially from Kanou, from Bornou, from the Tibboo country,
from Touat, from Fezzan, from Souf, from Ghadames, and from Tripoli,
Tunis, and the North coast, visited the Ghat Souk of this winter. The
number of merchants, traders, and camel-drivers was about 500, the slaves
imported from Soudan to Bornou about 1000, and the camels employed in the
caravans about 1050. Provision caravans from Fezzan also were constantly
coming to Ghat during the Souk. The main commerce of these caravans
consisted of the staple exports, of slaves, elephants' teeth, and senna,
the united value of which, at the market this year, was estimated at
about 60,000_l._, which value would be doubled, on arriving at the
European markets.
Next to these grand objects of commerce were ostrich feathers, skins, and
hides in considerable quantities. Then followed various articles of minor
character, but of Soudanic manufacture, which are brought to the Souk,
viz., wooden spoons, bowls, and other utensils for cooking; also sandals,
wooden combs, leather pillow-cases, bags, purses, pouches, bottles and
skin-bags for water, &c.; arms, consisting of spears, lances, staves,
daggers, straight broad-swords, leather and dried skin shields. Some of
these weapons are made all of metal; the blades of the swords are
manufactured in Europe and America. These arms are mostly for the
equipment of the Ghat and Touat Touaricks, and are nearly all
manufactured in Aheer. Provisions are also exported from Soudan and Aheer
to this mart, consisting of semen or liquid butter; ghusub or drâ;
ghafouly[82], sometimes called Guinea corn; hard cheese from Aheer, which
is pounded before eaten; beef, cut into shreds, and without salt, dried
in the sun and wind; peppers of the most pungent character, an extremely
small quantity sufficing to season a large dish; a species of shell
fruit, called by the Moors Soudan almonds[83]; bakhour, or frankincense;
and ghour nuts and koudah, which are masticated as tobacco. There is
then, finally, the great cotton manufacture, which clothes half the
people of The Desert. Whole caravans of these cottons arrive together,
and they are even conveyed from Ghat to Timbuctoo, this extremely
roundabout way from Soudan. The colour is mostly a blue-black, sometimes
a lighter blue, and glazed and shining. But the indigo is ill-prepared,
and the dyeing as badly done, and the consequence is, the cottons are
very begriming in the wearing. The indigo plant is simply cut, and thrown
into a pond of water to ferment with the articles to be dyed, and after a
short time the cottons are taken out, dried, pressed, and glazed with
gum. It is these dark cottons which the Touaricks are so passionately
fond of. The only live animals brought over The Desert from Soudan and
Aheer are sheep and parrots.
The articles of import to the Souk from Europe are sufficiently well
known; they are chiefly silks and cloth, but of the most ordinary sort,
and, of showy colours, red, yellow, light green. Raw silk and brocades;
beads, glass and composition; small, looking-glasses; wooden bracelets,
fantastically painted; sword-blades; needles[84]; paper[85]; razors; some
spices, cloves, &c.; attar of roses; carpet-rugs; "Indians," or coarse
white cottons; bornouses and barracans, &c., &c. But it may be observed,
all the European articles introduced into Central Africa are of the most
ordinary description possible. Barracans or blankets are brought from
various places for sale at Ghat, but mostly from the Souf and Touat
oases, where the women weave them in great quantities. They are very warm
and serviceable in the winter months, and are even carried to Soudan,
where during the rainy and damp season these woollens are highly prized
for their usefulness, and found greatly conducive to health. No
fire-arms, which I could observe, are brought for sale here. There is
scarcely any gold trade; a very small quantity is brought here _viâ_
Touat from Timbuctoo. The money in circulation at the Souk is nearly all
Spanish. The exceptions are two small Turkish coins, called karoobs, one
of the value of about an English penny, and the other double this. A few
Tunisian piastres pass amongst merchants of the north. It is not the
large pillared-dollar (mudfah) which is in circulation, but the
quarter-dollars of Spain. Five of these quarter-dollars make up the value
of a whole Spanish dollar, and four are the value of the current or ideal
dollar, called the small dollar. The Soudanese merchants, who are
accustomed to see this money brought from the western coast, flatly
refuse all other monies but the Spanish. There is not a great quantity
of it here; merchants keep up the supply of this currency by exporting it
from Touat and Morocco. No gold coins are in circulation, nor any copper.
The Turkish money, excepting the karoobs mentioned, will not pass here;
people detest it as much as they do the Turks themselves. I once asked an
orthodox merchant how it was, that Mussulmans preferred the money of
infidel Christians to that of the Sultan of the Faithful? He naïvely
replied, "God has taught Christians to make money, because although used
in this world, it is accursed. Mussulmans touch the abominable thing, but
don't pollute themselves by making it. In the next world Mussulmans will
have all good things and enjoyments without money; but Christians will
have molten money, like hot running lead, continually pouring down their
throats as their torment for ever."
There is a very ancient story in circulation (in books) respecting the
peculiar manner of carrying on trade somewhere in the neighbourhood of
Timbuctoo. It is copied by Shaw from former writers on Africa. "At a
certain time of the year," the honest Doctor says, "they (Western Moors)
make this journey in a numerous caravan, carrying along with them coral
and glass beads, bracelets of horn, knives, scissors, and such like
trinkets. When they arrive at the places appointed, which is on such a
day of the moon, they find in the evening several different heaps of gold
dust lying at a small distance from each other, against which the Moors
place so many of their trinkets as they judge will be taken in exchange
for them. If the Nigritians, the next morning, approve of the bargain,
they take up the trinkets and leave the gold-dust, or else make some
deductions from the latter. In this manner they transact their exchange
without seeing one another, or without the least instance of dishonesty
or perfidiousness on their part." This curious instance of Nigritian
commerce has certainly been copied from the following passage in
Herodotus, proving the high antiquity of the ingenious fable:--"It is
their (the Carthaginian's) custom," says the father of history, "on
arriving among them (the people beyond the columns of Hercules) to unload
their vessels, and dispose their goods along the shore; this done, they
again embark, and make a great smoke from on board. The natives seeing
this, come down immediately to the shore, and placing a quantity of gold,
by way of exchange, retire. The Carthaginians then land a second time,
and if they think the gold equivalent, they take it and depart--if not,
they again go on board their vessels. The inhabitants return, and add
more gold till the crews are satisfied. The whole is conducted with the
strictest integrity, for neither will one touch the gold till they have
left an adequate value in merchandize, nor will the other remove the
goods, till the Carthaginians have taken away the gold." This story,
unhappily for the guileless simplicity of our merchants here, is too good
to be true, like most artless stories of this sort. I made inquiries of
merchants who had lived nearly all their lifetimes in Timbuctoo, and not
far from the gold country, but they had never heard of this pretty
primitive mode of barter. And yet the story has a real African or Negro
look in it. One cannot positively assert that something like this might
not have existed amongst the Nigritians and their foreign exchangers of
produce and merchandize. Let us hope, for the honesty of mankind, that
the fable had a genuine origin.
_8th._--Called on Hateetah this morning. Still the Sheikh bothers me
about presents for his brothers; he had also the conscience to ask for
another barracan for himself. I stood out, determined to give nothing to
him or his brothers and cousins. Spent the evening with Haj Ibrahim. His
friend, the Ghadamsee merchant, Ahmed Ben Kaka, who makes the journey
from Tripoli to Noufee, says he saw the English steamers of the late
Niger expedition, so he must have descended lower than Noufee. He says
they came up to _Yetferrej_, "amuse themselves," and look about. He had
not heard of their anti-slavery objects. According to him, "Fever and
sickness prevail more at Kanou than Noufee."
_9th._--A fine morning, but cold. Slept little; these fits of not
sleeping come on repeatedly. The Touarghee who has charge of my camel has
brought her from the grazing districts. On arriving at Ghat, all the
merchants send their camels to graze in these places. The Touarghee asks
for barley or straw whilst the nagah is here. The incident reminds me
of--"Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they
unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his
charge." (1st Book of Kings, chap. iii. 28.) This is the food of horses
and camels to the present day in North Africa; the barley is principally
for the horses, and the straw, when it is chopped into little pieces, is
given to both horses and camels. The Touaricks show the greatest
antipathy to the Arabs, more especially since the late murderous attack
of the Shânbah on their defenceless countrymen. Some of the Touaricks go
so far as to say, "Mahomet was not an Arab." My Touarghee friend Omer
quarrelled violently with two Souf Arabs, who were also visiting me. I
told them it was indecent to quarrel in the house of a stranger whom they
were together visiting, and they made it up, shaking hands.
_10th._--Visited a patient, but had some difficulty in persuading him to
take my nostrums. Afterwards called on Hateetah, and, to my agreeable
surprise, found there the Sultan. I did not at first recognize His
Highness, the _litham_ being entirely removed from his face[86]. I was
vexed at my awkwardness, but the good-natured Sheikhs, several of whom
were present, readily excused me. His Highness and another Sheikh were
eating a sort of _bazeen_ or pudding, with curd milk, out of a large
wooden bowl. Each had a spoon with which they scooped up the pudding one
after another. I have sometimes seen two persons eating from a dish and
having but one spoon, which they used alternately, one fellow watching
anxiously the other with greediness, and measuring with a hungry eye the
size of his friend's spoonfuls. It is an advance on the Arabs, this use
of spoons, and I always took care to praise the Touaricks for their use
of spoons. In the open country, when a Touarghee has finished his meal he
drives the handle into the sand to keep the lower part dry. These spoons
are all made in Soudan, and are extremely neat, the shaft of the spoon
being very much bent, and the bottom very large and deepened in. His
Highness now told me he should send a present to the Queen, and asked me
if I would take a maharee. This I declined, on account of the expenses of
bringing such an animal to England on my own responsibility. Hateetah
said, "Why how foolish, when you get to Mourzuk the Consul will give you
plenty of money." I told him I did not know the Consul there, and must
not trust to any Consuls for such matters. None of the Sheikhs could
understand this objection. On getting up to take leave of His Highness he
asked: "How do you like our country? What do you think of our merchants?
Are the people civil to you? Shall you again return? How old are you? Why
do you travel so far? Will it not shorten your life? Will not your Sultan
give you a great deal of money for coming so far?" &c. Hateetah now told
me to sit down again. All were reclining on mats, and no particular
attention was paid to the Sultan. A merchant present said, "Why don't you
buy and sell, the Souk is open? We wish to see the English come here to
buy senna and elephants' teeth. But the English don't purchase slaves." I
then, half-doubting the propriety of, and greatly puzzled how to
introduce the subject, tried to make an effort. "How much," asked I, "do
the Touaricks get from the merchants who deal in slaves? I don't think
more than three hundred dollars a year?" (Several of the Sheikhs nodded
assent.) "Well, now, if the Sultan and the Touaricks would stop the
traffic in slaves here, perhaps the English would give them three
thousand dollars per annum." They all laughed at this, and the merchant
of Ghat took upon himself to say, for the Sultan and the Sheikhs, "Bring
the money." To this I rejoined, "But see now, I can't interfere, I'm not
the English Consul; Hateetah (turning to him) is the English Consul, let
him write for Shafou, to our Queen and arrange everything. I'll take
Shafou's present and bring back his from our Sultan. This is all I can
do." Hateetah raised himself up at this sally, and looked very
consequentially upon all around, even upon Shafou, as much as to say,
"Don't you hear, The Christian makes me the English Consul, and am I not
the English Consul?" Was glad to escape from the subject in this way,
determined not to pursue it further, knowing the bitter hatred it would
create in the minds of the merchants against me, if the conversation got
abroad. Still felt happy in having broached the subject, and attacked
their selfish feelings on the point. Government might spend a few pounds
out of the million per annum, (the cost of the suppression on the Western
Coast,) in buying the co-operative influence of these Sheikhs, who hold
the _keys_ of The Desert. There is no moral reason for leaving one part
of Africa a prey to this scourge, and concentrating all our efforts in
another region of this unhappy continent. I left the Sultan and Hateetah
in a good humour, after promising them some tobacco. Hateetah showed me
the leather pillow-case which Shafou intended to send Her Majesty.
Hateetah this morning seemed to have got the Sultan's ear, but as soon as
the old gentleman returns to Khanouhen, all the English Consul's
influence will evaporate in smoke.
_11th._--Called upon the Governor and met there Haj Abdullah of Bengazi.
Persuaded him to wait till to-morrow and take me with him to Mourzuk.
Then called on Hateetah, who would not consent to this. He says, "I must
not go this way with a couple of people through The Desert. I must go
either with him or his brother in the course of a few days, carrying the
presents of Shafou and a letter for the Queen." Agreed to this, it being
a matter of indifference whether I stopped a few days longer or not,
after waiting so long and to such little purpose. Was annoyed at my
Soudan journey being cut off in the middle, and sometimes thought I would
still risk it, or "go the whole hog." Perseverance overcomes obstacles
deemed by men impossibilities. Hateetah evidently feels his importance,
and besides thinks he shall get a little more by my delay. He is right,
for Her Majesty's subjects don't ask for his protection every day. The
Governor pretends the Shânbah muster 10,000! This ignorance must be
voluntary, or the assertion is made to render the approaching victory of
the Touaricks more terrible to my conception. An Arab of Tripoli came
here a few days ago and personified himself as Abdullah, who was going to
Bengazi, asking me for an advance of money. Met him this morning and
accused him of his impudent imposture, threatening to get him bastinadoed
by the Pasha. The Arabs are without question the worst class of people
who visit this mart of commerce. What they don't do as brigands they
attempt by fraud. Shaw tells us that, in his time, they lay in ambush in
the morning to attack the strangers whom they had hospitably entertained
the previous evening. Some of them still most richly deserve this
character. The Touaricks are so alarmed at the cold that there is no
prospect of their marching out against the Shânbah for weeks yet. Several
Touarghee camel-drivers will wait for the summer caravan before they
undertake the journey to Aheer, on which route the cold is often severe
at this season.
_12th._--Occupied in reading Hebrew. Learnt a few Touarghee words.
Several Touaricks called to beg dates; "_Bago_," or "Not at home." Did
not go out to-day.
_13th._--Called upon Hateetah, who vexed me exceedingly again by begging.
Her Majesty's Consul must have a regular salary, or Her Majesty's
subjects visiting here will have no peace of their lives. Told him to get
up his camels and prepare for our departure, and then I would give him
another backsheesh.
Afternoon, a messenger came from His Highness with the Sultan's dagger in
his hand, as guarantee that he came from His Highness. This is usual in
Ghat. Mr. Duncan has mentioned in his Travels through Dahomy, how he
often received the King's stick as guarantee that the messenger came from
His Majesty. I inquired,
"What is the matter?"
He answered, "Shafou wishes a dollar or a holee (barracan)."
Not understanding this, I said, "To-morrow I will see."
_The Messenger._--"Should I bring Shafou here to your house?"
"Yes, yes," I answered, very glad to have a visit from the Sultan.
"Now?"
"Yes, bring the Sultan at once," I continued.
In a few minutes, before I could guess or imagine what was this strange
business, I heard His Highness knocking at the door, who, with the
messenger, immediately ascended the terrace. The old gentleman, on
entering my room, refused my most pressing invitation to sit down on the
ottoman, preferring from sheer modesty to sit upon a skin stretched on
the floor. His Highness sat silent a few minutes, looking very
good-natured. As we were quite alone, I embraced the opportunity of
speaking very plainly to the Sultan. "You see," I observed, "our people
are afraid to come here, not knowing whether the Touaricks will kill them
or not. Have you not power to prevent the lesser Sheikhs from stopping
Christians in The Desert, and threatening them with bad language." "No,"
replied the Sultan, "I cannot be everywhere. Some of my children think
themselves better than their father. They will talk and have their own
way[87]. But now, Yâkob, we have all agreed to protect you, why do you
fear?" "I don't fear," I added, "but cannot something be done for the
protection of Christians through The Desert." "Here," said His Highness,
"is the question. You return home, you go to your Sovereign, for I have a
secret to tell you." "What is that?" I demanded anxiously. "Up to now,"
said Shafou, mildly and deliberately, "all the world has paid us tribute.
The merchants who come from the east or west, north or south, all pay us
tribute. But the English do not pay us tribute. How's this? You must tell
your Sultana to pay us tribute, and speak to her yourself." I promised I
would if I had an opportunity, not attempting to dispute a moment such
pretensions. I simply recollected the Khan of Tartary, who, after dining
himself, went out and ordered his servant to proclaim to all the monarchs
of earth his permission for them to dine, now that he had finished his
own dinner. I told His Highness, I thought I should return next year; on
which he said, "Well do, I'll conduct you myself to Aheer." I then
introduced the delicate subject of slavery. I observed, "The Sheikhs of
the Touaricks get very little from the merchants who deal in slaves. If
Your Highness should put an end to this traffic, you would get more from
us English." "Yes, yes, that's what you said before," interposed the
Sultan. "Try us, then, bring the money; at present, the English give us
nothing." I mentioned to the Sultan that the Bey of Tunis had abolished
the traffic in slaves. "Yes," said the messenger to the Sultan, "it's
true." The conversation now dropped, and I did not understand what was to
be done further. The messenger made a sign about the dollar. I had
already folded up mechanically a dollar in a piece of paper before the
Sultan came in, so I put this into the messenger's hand. I certainly
should have given the Sultan a dozen dollars if he had asked me, but the
old gentleman's wishes and wants were few, and his modesty greater than
these. His Highness now got up, and shaking hands departed as pleased as
Punch with his dollar. I question whether His Highness ever has any
money; Khanouhen is treasurer and everything else. So I finished with the
good-natured gentle creature Shafou, having humbly presented The Sultan
of all the Touaricks of Ghat with one dollar!
Just after Shafou left, the messenger wished to play me a trick. He came
running back, and said:--"See this dagger, this belongs to Khanouhen; he
says you must give him half a dollar." I simply replied to the fellow, "I
know nothing about it." I was convinced Khanouhen would never send such
a message. I laughed however at this fashion of sending about daggers. It
had something in it of the style of presenting a pistol to a man's breast
with the agreeable demand, "Your money or your life."
Passing through the gardens, I fell accidentally into conversation with a
gardener. On mentioning, that if God spared my life, I should go to
Soudan next year, he exclaimed:--
"What! do you know God?"
_I._--"Yes, and all Christians know God."
_The Gardener._--"Why, then, are you an infidel?"
I repeated, "All Christians pray and know God;" and left him puzzled out
of his wits. Ghat townsmen are beastly ignorant zealots, and confound
Christians with the Pagan Negroes of Central Africa, whom also they call
"Ensara." Since Negroes worship the "fetish," they think also we don't
know God. The Governor asked the other day, if the children of Christians
learnt to read and write like his children, the noisy hum of their
reading coming into the room whilst we sat talking. I might have
answered, "Some do," but used more general phraseology, "Both boys and
girls with us learn to read and write." "My girls learn also," replied
the Governor, with an air of triumph. I was glad to see female education
encouraged in Ghat by the Marabout, as it is also in Ghadames.
Touaricks are afraid, and distrust Arabs; and Arabs are afraid, and
distrust Touaricks; and both these are afraid of, and distrust Turks.
There is no mutual confidence in these various Mahometan people.
Nevertheless, except the Shânbah incursions, everything goes on pretty
quietly, and I hear of no murders, or acts of violence, in this region of
The Sahara. There is certainly no Irish or Indian Thuggism amongst
Saharan barbarians.
_14th._--The weather during these three days has been fine, no wind (the
horror of our people), and very warm. Our departure is protracted from
day to day. Time may be money in England, here it is as valueless as the
sand of these deserts. Got up very early, as I sometimes do, and went to
see the Governor. I was alone. In the distance (it was scarcely
daylight), I saw a tall figure looming, embodying forth. I continued, and
it neared me. This shadowy figure at length became visibly formed, and
expanded itself into the full stature of Shafou, who was like myself all
alone. His Highness was as surprised to meet me as I was surprised to
meet him at this time of morning. Shafou stopped suddenly, and then
putting his hand to his tobacco pouch, which he carried on his left arm,
and without speaking, gave me to understand that I had not sent the
tobacco which I had promised him. Indeed, I could not get it from Haj
Ibrahim. I addressed this silent admonition of my forgetfulness or
short-coming, by saying, "Yes, I understand, I'll send the tobacco." His
Highness then slowly passed on, just raising his hand to salute me at
parting, but without uttering a word. Afterwards, called on Hateetah, who
had heard from the messenger about my wonderful liberality in giving a
dollar to the Sultan, and was very angry. "Who is Shafou?" he
peremptorily asked. "He is nothing. You have given him a large present,
and me very little. Now, if any body hurts you, I shall be silent." I
took no notice whatever of this ungracious speech. A son of the Governor
paid me a visit on my return, and was very saucy, calling me a Kafer. I
instantly turned him out of the house. Then came in my young Touarghee
friend, which was a positive relief to me. I said:--"Are you not afraid
to go warring with the Shânbah?" He answered me pathetically,
prospectively submitting himself to the Divine Decrees:--"If it be the
will of God that I go warring against the Shânbah, and fall and die
there, what then? for go it is inscribed in the Book of Heaven." As to
the justice of the war, like our young soldiers, it never occupied his
thoughts. He merely goes to war because his master and prince goes to
war. What would the Peace Society say to him?
People in Ghat have a very primitive way of making bread. They place a
large earthen cylinder, with one of the ends knocked out, upon the
ground, and make it fast with clay or mud mortar, like "setting a
copper." This always remains as much a fixture as a copper. When they
want to make bread, they fill it full of lighted date-palm branches, or
other fuel. After the flame is extinguished, and the wood ashes have
fallen to the bottom, the sides of the cylinder are heated red-hot. These
sides are now rubbed round with a green palm-branch, and made clean. This
done, the paste or dough is pulled and made into small loaves like
pancakes, and clapped on the hot sides, until all the surface is covered,
the little cakes sticking on with great tenacity. The top of the cylinder
is now covered over to retain the heat. In a few minutes the covering is
removed, and the new-baked bread is pulled or peeled off the sides of the
fast-cooling cylinder. But sometimes there is heat for baking two batches
of bread. Bread is frequently piled up, layer upon layer, like pancakes,
in a bowl, and a strong highly-seasoned sauce with oil or liquid butter
is poured upon it; from which bowl it is eaten, and called _âesh_, or
"the evening meal." Sometimes a number of very small pieces of meat is
placed on the pile of sopped bread; but this is a delicacy or luxury.
_15th._--Went to call upon Hateetah, and met in the way a son of Abd
Errahman of Ghadames, who has just returned from the oases of Touat. He
describes Ain Salah (or Ensalah), to be like the country where the
Governor of Ghat resides, that is to say, sandy and surrounded with sand
heaps, but abundantly supplied with water, as well as thickly populated.
The oases of Touat have unwalled towns, or scattered hamlets, but the
country is perfectly secure. He gives the inhabitants a good character;
they are a mixture of Moors, Arabs, Touaricks, Berbers, and Negroes, like
nearly all the oases in Central Sahara, or that portion of The Great
Desert, extending from the oases of Fezzan to the Saharan towns of Arwan
and Mabrouk, on the western-route line of Timbuctoo. He thinks I might
travel in safety from Touat to Timbuctoo in summer, for during the dry
season the banditti cannot keep the open Desert. Saw Hateetah, and gave
him a dollar, which put him into a better humour. Although the
_soi-disant_ Consul of the English, and all the Christians who per hazard
visit Ghat, he displayed to-day the greatest ignorance of the maxims and
polity of Christian nations. I thought it as well, since he assumed to be
the Representative of Her Majesty here in Ghat, just to remind him, (for
I thought I had told him before,) there was a Queen in England, and that
Her Majesty was his master. This greatly shocked Her Majesty's Touarghee
Consul, and he asked, "Whether the Queen cut off heads?" I told Her
Majesty's Consul, the servants of Government hanged murderers. The
Touaricks have acquired these sanguinary notions of cutting off heads,
from the reports of the Turkish and Moorish administration of justice.
Such barbarous practices do not exist amongst these barbarians. He then
demanded, "Should I go to England, would the English seize me and beat
me?" This question from the English Consul really surprised me, whatever
I might have expected from others, the vulgar error of Christians
ill-using Moslems, being spread in Sahara. People think, if they were to
visit Europe, we should capture them, beat them, and make them slaves.
This unfavourable opinion of us has descended from the times of the
Crusaders, when European Christians displayed their zeal for
Christianity--notwithstanding its holy doctrines teach the forgiveness of
injuries--by butchering or enslaving Jews, Mahometans, and heretics.
Thank God, the chivalry of those days is gone, though worse may yet come.
To-day, a mob of slaves, who idle about in the road to Hateetah, hooted
after me, and one of the biggest came upon me and pulled hold of my coat.
I could not let this pass, the hooting I don't care about. So I fetched
some people to have the biggest fellow taken to Jabour. This we did to
frighten them, for after one of my friends gave him a crack over the
head, he was let off, promising to do so no more. The lower Moors and
Touaricks, both here and at Ghadames, teach the slaves to call Christians
kafer, "infidel." The blacksmiths, near Hateetah's house, mostly salute
me as I pass by them, with "There's no God," &c. Sometimes they are
extremely insolent. Any resistance to this zeal for The Prophet, would be
putting your head into the fire. It would not be quite so bad if I did
not go out so much alone. I ought always to have a good strong fellow, an
Arab or Touarghee, with me, a sort of physical-force argument against
this moral hooting, which is intelligible everywhere, and more especially
in The Desert. But as I soon leave, I do not wish to adopt any new
measure, which would show want of confidence in the people.
Evening visited my little queer friend Bel Kasem. Found with him as usual
his mighty lord, Khanouhen. The Prince began to ridicule Hateetah and his
brothers, and scold me on the subject of presents:--"Yâkob, if you give
those rascally brothers of Hateetah presents, I shall have to spear you,"
clenching hold of his spear. "_Kelāb_" (dogs), said his jester, "they'll
strip you of everything, leaving you no bread, nor even a water-skin, to
return to Tripoli." I assured Khanouhen I had not given Hateetah's
brothers anything but a bit of sugar for some of their children. "Good,"
said the Prince. Khanouhen now began in the style of _un esprit fort_:
"Yâkob, you're a Marabout. Our Marabouts are all rogues, and are always
exciting the people against us and our authority (as Sultan). Are you
such a rogue?" Here was a glimpse of another contest between the civil
and spiritual power in The Desert. I told the Sheikh I was no priest, but
a taleb. "Ah! good," said the Prince, giving me his hand. "But when you
die, where are you going to? Are you and I going together on the same
camel, or do you take one route of The Desert and I another, with
different camels?" I replied, "What is the use of such conjectures?"
"Right," said the Prince, "don't you remember (turning to Bel Kasem) that
Wahabite the people had here, and how they buffeted him, about? Yâkob,
(turning to me) I saved a poor devil, a Wahabite, from being killed by
the mob in Ghat, and I'm ready to save you. What's the good of killing a
man for his religion?" I thanked the Prince for his noble feelings of
tolerance, and left him and his clown to their _tête-à-tête_. Khanouhen
is one of the few of those strong-minded and right-thinking men, who see
the utter folly and direful mischief of forging a creed for the
consciences of his fellows. Had he been a Christian prince of the times
of Charles V., he would not, like that celebrated monarch, have passed
all his life in binding the religious opinions of men in fetters, and
then at the end of his days, disgusted with his work, repented of his
folly. No, from the beginning of his career, Khanouhen would have
proclaimed and defended with his sword the liberty of the human
conscience in matters of religion.
_16th._--A warm morning and hazy, but the much-dreaded wind got up at
noon. The departure of all the ghafalahs is now fixed for the 25th, and
ours for 23rd. The Rais of Ghadames has sent word for all his subjects to
return together; this I'm sure they will not do. It is extremely
difficult to make up a large caravan. The Soudan caravan is now departing
in small detachments of half a dozen people. Found Said crying to-day.
"What's the matter, Said?" "You are going to Soudan, the Touaricks will
kill you and cut you into bits, and I shall be again made a slave. I wish
to return to Ghadames with the Ghadamsee ghafalah." I had often caught
Said crying, and I imagine his grief came from the same source. I now
told him positively I was about to return to Fezzan, and never observed
him crying afterwards. As at Ghadames, Said is here a great man amongst
the lady negresses, and spends all his money in buying them needles and
beads. Hateetah called and scolded Said for crying, who had not yet dried
his tears. The Sheikh told him the Touaricks were better than the Turks
or Arabs; and I supported Hateetah by reminding Said of what our friend
Essnousee observed, "_Targhee elkoul zain_, (all the Touaricks are good
fellows)." I now spoke to Hateetah seriously about devising some means
for stopping the progress of slave-caravans through the country. He
pretended that the profit derived from the slave-caravans was infinitely
greater than it is, making it some one thousand dollars per annum; he did
not think the Sheikhs would suppress it. "They had carried it on always,
and would for ever," he observed. "But," he continued, and very justly,
"stop it at Constantinople, or at Tripoli, and then it will be stopped
here." Hateetah is right. This is and must be our plan, and I am happy to
see that Lord Palmerston has made, during the present year, a most
decisive effort near the Sublime Porte, to get the demand for slaves cut
off at Tripoli and Constantinople, by the closing up of the
slave-markets. Spent the evening with Haj Ibrahim. The Haj was occupied
in making under-garments for the slaves he has purchased. Moors do
strange things. It is curious to see the richest and most extensively
occupied merchant of the Souk sewing up shirts and chemises for his
slaves.
_17th._--Shafou left this morning for the country districts. The quiet
old gentleman has had enough of the bustle of the Souk, which still
continues. His Highness, before his departure, arranged for the Queen's
letter and the presents. Called early upon the Governor, and found him in
the house of Khanouhen, where there was a full assembly of Sheikhs. I was
obliged to talk politics with them, which were translated as the
conversation proceeded, by the Governor himself, to the Sheikhs. I
surprised them by telling them of the great number of Mussulman troops
employed by the French in Algeira, and how the French Government paid all
the priests of religion, even Mussulmans. They questioned me about, and I
explained to them the existence of deism in France and Europe. Now and
then a solitary Mussulman deist may be found in North Africa. But how few
have courage enough to resist the divine mission of The Prophet! Still
fewer question the probability of a Revelation. In general conversation,
I have always despised the system of running down the Algerian French,
whilst travelling in these wilds. It serves no earthly purpose, but to
increase the arrogance of the Moors and Arabs against Christians of all
nations. Whatever the conduct of the Algerian French, the conquest may
have a salutary influence upon Saharan fanatics, though it increases the
danger of the European traveller. The Moorish Governments of the coast
deserve much censure. They often foster and fan the flame of fanaticism
against European tourists. Besides, the conduct of the Maroquines towards
the Jews ought not now to be permitted by the Governments of France and
England. A missionary to the Jews, (himself a converted Jew,) who visited
Tangier with me, could not help exclaiming, on seeing how badly the
native Jews were treated, "God give the French success in Algeria!" It
is difficult for a philanthropic mind to suppress such feelings, whatever
our national prejudices, and how much soever we may brand the Razzias as
an indelible stigma on European civilization. It would be better, and
certainly more just, to civilize North Africa by civilizing the
established Moorish Governments of The Coast. But if The Coast is to fall
under European domination, it is to be hoped England will secure the Bay
of Tunis for shipping, and the Regency of Tripoli, as being the natural
route of Saharan commerce. The rest may be safely left to France,
excepting our old military post of Tangier, in order to maintain our
influence through the Straits of Gibraltar. The conversation of the
Sheikhs at length turned upon the Turks, and the country of Gog and
Magog--whence they came, whom we all agreed to abuse as much as possible,
since our antipathies were pretty equal. The Sheikhs then began very
naturally to vaunt of their power in The Sahara, and I may embrace this
opportunity of giving some outline of the Touarick nations of The Great
Desert.
The Arab and Moorish writers of the middle ages, as well as the latest
Saharan pilgrims, who have travelled The Desert from the shores of
the Atlantic to the banks of the Nile, have all given us brief
notices of the Touarick nations; but they have sometimes confounded
Touaricks with strictly Berber tribes, and indeed, not without
reason, for apparently the Touarick and Berber tribes are descended
from one original family, or stock of people. The fairest conclusion
is, that they are the descendants of the ancient Numidian tribes.
The Arabic terms employed here to name the Touaricks are توارق
plural and توارقي singular. Vulgarly a Touarick is called
_Targhee_ (ترقي), by the Touaricks themselves, as well as by the
Moors and Arabs. Indeed, Targhee is the more correct name, and
Touarghee is an enlarged Arabic form. So Leo Africanus speaks of
these tribes of The Desert as "Targa Popolo."
The extent of Sahara occupied by the Touaricks is exceedingly great,
embracing many thousands of miles. The northern line begins at Ghadames,
an hour's journey south of that city. This line extends along the north,
south-west as far as Touat, and south-east as far as the oases of Fezzan
and Ghat. On the western side, proceeding directly south, we find
Touaricks on the whole line of route as far as Timbuctoo; on the eastern
side, leaving Ghat, and journeying southward, they abound in the populous
districts of Aheer and Asbenouwa, as far as Damerghou, the first purely
Negro kingdom of Negroland. On the south, they are scattered in villages
and towns, or wandering in tribes, along the north banks of The Niger. I
have not heard of their being located on the southern banks of the great
river of Soudan, nor do they descend the Niger to the Atlantic, for we
hear nothing of them in Noufee or Rabbah. But they are scattered higher
up through the extensive provinces of Housa, subjected to the Fullans.
In The Sahara, comprehended by these immense lines, they have some large
cities and agricultural districts. The principal of them are Ghat, Aheer,
and Aghadez, in the east, Touat and Timbuctoo, in the west. We have the
three principal cities of Ghat, Aheer, and Aghadez, besides numerous
villages, in Western Sahara, entirely under the authority of the
Touaricks. Everywhere they inhabit the agricultural districts of the
open desert. I have not heard of Touaricks on the western line of the
Atlantic Ocean. Captain Riley speaks only of wandering Arabs, almost in a
wild state. On the eastern line of The Desert, they do not extend beyond
the western limits of the oases of Fezzan, and the southern Tibboo
countries. The names of the great sections of the Touaricks, as far as I
have been able to learn, are,--
1st. The _Azghar_--ازقار--of Ghat.
2nd. The _Haghar_--هقار--of Touat.
3rd. The _Kylouy_[88]--كيلوي--of Aheer.
4th. The _Sorghou_--سرقو--of Timbuctoo.
The Sorghou is the Timbuctoo name which is given to them by Caillié, and
probably this is not a distinct section from that of the Haghar[89].
There are some lofty ranges of mountains between Ghat and Touat called
also Haghar, the nucleus of these tribes, and whose Sultan is the
Gigantic Bassa. Besides, we have the Touaricks of Fezzan, a very small
section and distinct from those of Ghat, and who may be considered the
pastoral people, the veritable Arcadians of the oases. All these sections
have their respective Sultans, and the Sultans their respective
subordinate Sheikhs, governing the respective subdivision of territory
and tribes of people. The subdivisions of Ghat tribes are the
following:--Tinilleum, Aiaum, Dugarab, Sacana, Dugabakar, Auragan,
Muasatan, Ghiseban, Elararan, Filelen, Francanan, Botanetum, Skinimen,
Deradrinan, Mucarahsen, Keltrubran, Keltunii, Chelgenet, Ilemtein[90].
These various sections of Touaricks, who wander through the vast
wilderness of Sahara, or are located in its oases, may be distinguished
by some general characteristics, agreeing with and arising from their
peculiar location, or habits of trade and life. The Touaricks of
Timbuctoo are the more faithless and sanguinary in their disposition, and
less addicted to commerce or a regular mode of life. Those of Ghat
represent the Touarghee character in its most original type, these tribes
being a brave and hardy people, reserved and using few words in speech,
of a noble chivalric disposition, and carrying on some commerce. Those of
Touat, I imagine, are the same style of people, from what few of them I
saw at Ghadames; but those of Aheer are more effeminate and milder in
their manners, and are a good deal mixed with the Negro nations of
Soudan. The Touaricks of Aheer bear an excellent character as traders,
and companions of travel, always assisting the stranger first at the
well, before their own camels are watered. They seem, besides, mostly
addicted to the peaceful pursuits of commerce, if we except their
occasionally joining in the Razzias for slaves. A full third of the
traffic of the South-eastern Sahara is in their hands, or under their
control. I may add a few words upon their country and chief places, Aheer
and Aghadez.
_Aheer_, or _Ahir_, اهير and which is often incorrectly spelt on
the maps Aïr, is the name of a town and very populous district,
including within its territory or jurisdiction the city of
Aghadez. Aheer is also called Azben, and its district Azbenouwa
ازبنوة--ازبن which appear to have been the more
ancient names. The town of Aheer is also called _Asouty_,
اسوطي on the maps Asouda, the dentals ط and د
being convertible. These districts are bounded on the north by Ghat and
its tribes; on the east by the Tibboo country and Bornou, on the
west by the Negro, Touarick and Fullan countries of the north banks
of the Niger; and on the south, by the Housa districts, vulgarly
called by merchants, Soudan. Aheer is forty short days from Ghat,
the Soudanese merchants who visit the Ghat mart always travelling
much more _doucement_ and in jog-trot style than the Moorish and
Arab merchants of the north. The line of the Aheer stations measures
about thirteen days, from Tidik in the north to Toktouft in the
south[91]. In this portion of the route, and that previous to
arriving at Tidik, there are twenty days of mountains. The Aheer
route also abounds with springs and fine streams, which gush out
from the base of rock-lands of great height, and some of which form
considerable rivers for several months in the year, on whose banks
corn and the senna-plant are cultivated. Aheer is the Saharan region
of senna, where there are large wadys covered with its crops. The
exportation, especially after a season of rain, is very great and
profitable. Asouty is the principal town of the Aheer districts, and
was formerly the capital of all the Kylouy Touaricks. No less than a
thousand houses are now seen abandoned and in ruins. Here in former
times all the Soudan trade was carried on and concentrated; its
population is still considerable. The houses are nearly all
constructed of hasheesh, or straw huts, and the city is without
walls. Nevertheless, the people still honour it with the title of
_Blad es-Sultan_, "City," or "Country of the Sultan," that is, where
the Sultan occasionally resides, answering to our _Royal_ city.
Aheer is the rendezvous of the salt caravan of Bilma, in the Tibboo
country, situate, almost in a straight line, about ten days east, the
route to which is over barren stony ground. A curious story is told of
the manner in which the camel drivers supply themselves with forage over
this treeless, herbless, naked waste. On their way to Bilma, they leave
at certain places or stations a quantity of forage to supply them on
their return; and it is said, the deposit is sacred, no one daring to
touch it. It is probable, however, that the forage is concealed in hiding
places, as wells are often hidden along some desert routes. Even in the
Tunisian Jereed, the sources of water are frequently concealed, a skin
being placed over the water with palm branches laid thereupon, and the
top of the well's mouth covered with sand. So that a hapless traveller
may perish of thirst with water under his feet! Through the hunting
districts of South Africa, amongst the Namaquas, the sources of water are
concealed in a similar manner. However, a short time ago, the people of
Bornou, who were then at war with the Touaricks of Aheer, discovered the
hiding places of the Touaricks' forage, carried off or destroyed the
supplies, and reduced a large salt-caravan to the greatest extremities;
hundreds of camels perished from hunger. These salt-caravans are
sometimes a thousand and two thousand strong. The greater part of Housa
and the neighbouring provinces is supplied with salt from Bilma.
Aghadez, اقدز is the capital of the Aheer districts. This is the
residence of the Sultan of the Touaricks of South-eastern Sahara.
The present Sultan is called _Mazouwaja_, مزواجى who is
represented as a friendly prince. But it was _En-Nour_ النور,
deputy Sultan of Aheer, to whom I wrote before leaving Ghat, begging
his protection in the event of my return, to complete the tour to
Soudan. Aghadez is now as large as Tripoli, or containing from eight
to ten thousand inhabitants. In a past period it was four times as
large. A great number of the people have emigrated to Soudan, where
less labour is required to till the soil, and nature is more lavish
in her productions. Aghadez is a walled city, but without any
particular strength; the houses are but one story high, built of mud
and stone and sun-dried bricks. Aghadez abounds in provisions of the
most substantial kind, that is, sheep, oxen and grain. The
government is despotic, but the lesser chiefs have great power in
their respective districts, like those of Ghat. The religion of the
people is Mahometan; not a Pagan, Jew, or Christian, is found within
these districts. Trade is carried on to a great extent, and Moorish
merchants visit Aghadez, proceeding no further towards Soudan. The
most interesting district near Aghadez is that of _Bagzem_ بقزم,
(or _Magzem_, the labials ب and م being convertible,)
consisting of an exceedingly lofty mountain, requiring a full day's
journey for its ascent. This mountain figures on the map under the
ancient name of Usugala Mons, but for what reason God knows. The
town is placed a good way towards its loftiest heights, the most of
which heights are both cultivated and inhabited, and there is
abundance of trees, grain, and fruits. Bagzem is three days' journey
from Asouty.
I shall take the liberty of appending the account given of Aheer and
Aghadez by Leo Africanus:--
DISERTO DOVE ABITA TARGA POPOLO.
Il terzo diserto incomincia da'confini di Air dal lato di
ponente, e s'estende fino al diserto d'Ighidi verso Levante; e di
verso tramontana confina con li diserti di Tuat e di Tegorarin e
di Mezab; da mezzogiorno, con li diserti vicini al regno di
Agadez. Questo diserto non è cosi aspro e crudele, como sono i
due primieri: e truovavisi acqua buona, e pozzi profondissimi;
massimamente vicino ad Air, nel quale è un temperato diserto e di
buono aere, dove nascono molte erbe: e più oltre, vicino di
Agadez, si truova assai manna, che è cosa mirable; e gli
abitatori vanno la mattina pertempto a raccorlo, e ve n'empiono
certe zucche; e vendonla cosi fresca nella città di Agadez; e un
fiasco che tien un boccale val due bajocchi; beesi mescolata con
acqua; ed è cosa perfettissima: la mescolano ancora nelle
minestre, e rinfresca molto: penso che per tale cagione li
forestieri rade volte s'ammalano in Agadez, come in Tombutto,
ancorchè vi sia aere pestifero. Questo diserto s'estende da
tramontana verso mezzogiorno trecento miglia.--_Sixth Part_, lvi.
_chap._
It will be observed, that under the name of _Targa Popolo_, no mention is
made of the Touaricks of Ghat. Indeed, all the notices of the Renegade
Tourist on this part of Africa, are extremely meagre and unsatisfactory.
As to his divisions of The Sahara into so many deserts, 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
&c., this is all arbitrary and most unnatural. The story about the
abundance of manna gathered in the districts of Aheer, seems to have been
invented to please the Christian doctors of Rome; at any rate, nothing of
the kind is now seen or known at Aghadez. But with respect to foreigners
who visit Aheer and Aghadez enjoying good health, I have no doubt the
Renegade is correct, for I have not heard of either of these places being
unhealthy, their salubrity arising, we may imagine, from the elevation at
which they are placed. The Aheer Saharan region is emphatically
mountainous.
Afternoon, visited Hateetah, who has made up his mind to accompany me to
Fezzan, of which I'm glad, not wishing to meet with any more Ouweeks in
this neighbourhood. Was pleased this morning to observe amongst the
children of Haj Ahmed, who were busy reading passages from the Koran,
several girls. This circumstance raises my opinion of the Governor. No
doubt it is because he is a Marabout that he grants this privilege to his
daughters. The Marabout has no less than a dozen small children, of all
complexions, features, and hues, from lily white to sooty black. My
sweetest enjoyment in Ghat is to listen to the song of the tiny singing
sparrows hopping about my terrace. My days of childhood return with their
song, when, if I were not innocent, a little matter made me happy. Sing
on you pretty little things, tune your wild Saharan notes, for you
gladden my sad heart!
_18th._--A fine warm sunny day. The departure of the ghafalah is now
fixed for the 27th. According to some accounts, 8000 Touaricks are being
mustered, to march against the Shânbah. The Touaricks evidently expect
the robber tribe to be reinforced from Souf and the Warklah districts, or
the robbers must number 5000 instead of 500. Haj Ibrahim tells me, he has
just read a letter addressed by the Pasha of Tripoli to the united
Sheikhs of Ghat, offering them assistance against the robber tribe. The
Touaricks have politely declined the proffered aid, feeling strong (and
wise) enough to manage their own battles. Not much troubled with visitors
lately, one now and then. The Touaricks are leaving Ghat to reinforce the
new levies of troops. Soon the town will be emptied of Touaricks. The
Ghadamsee ghafalah is returning, and a small one to Tripoli _viâ_ Shaty
and Misdah.
Haj Ibrahim continues to repeat his story about the people of Ghadames
having a great deal of money hoarded up. I visited him this morning, and
found him surrounded with a group of Soudanese merchants. The large
court-yard of his house was full of bales of unsold goods, here and there
scattered about, and some unpacked, all in the most business-like
disorder. In one quarter was a cluster of a dozen slaves, waiting to be
bartered for, the poor wretches being huddled up together in this private
mart of human flesh. The Moor was calm and collected amidst the dirt and
noise of Kanou and Succatou merchants, who with violent gestures were
disputing the progress of the bargain inch by inch. Here was a great
assortment of rubbish, for I can't call very coarse paper, green baize
cloth, glass and earthen composition beads, bad razors, and a few common
woollens, and some very inferior raw silk, merchandize. And such rubbish
was offered in exchange for a group of God's creatures, with his divine
image stamped upon them! At length the progress of the bargain came to
what might be called a crisis. The Soudanese merchants jumped up
suddenly, with shouts and curses, as if they had discovered a perfidious
fraud, and rushed to the door, pulling their miserable slaves after them.
I felt shocked at the sight, and my horror must have been depicted in my
countenance. For Haj Ibrahim, who well knew I disapproved of this
traffic, said to me angrily, "Why do you come here now?" I got out of his
way as quick as I could, but did not leave the house. The people of the
Moor followed hard after the runaway merchants, seizing first hold of
their slaves, dragging them back by main force into the court-yard. Then
their owners raised a hideous cry, calling Haj Ibrahim and his people
"thieves," and "robbers," and "cheats," and "accursed," and many other
similar compliments in the way of slave-dealing. This would make a nice
counter-picture to a sketch of one of those Congressional squabbles which
so frequently take place on the presentation of Anti-Slavery petitions to
the American Congress, when there is an occasional flourish of the
bowie-knife, and a good deal of expectoration to damp the ardour of the
combatants, fighting over the victims of Republican Tyranny. After this
came a cessation of every kind of noise, for Haj Ibrahim, disgusted with
the business, (he was a fair-dealing man though a slave-dealer,) said to
Omer, his Arab servant:--"Tell them to be off, and take their slaves with
them." Now interposed a merchant of Ghat, and a friend of the Soudanese,
who thus upbraided them:--"Fools that you are! Do you think Haj Ibrahim
is a cheat? Haj Ibrahim gets nothing by you; Haj Ibrahim buys your
slaves, because Haj Ibrahim will not be at the expense of carrying his
goods back again to Tripoli." The merchants replied, and I dare say with
truth:--"You told us 300, now there are only 200; 20 of this, and only
10; 50 of that, and only 20," &c. This Ghatee was a broker, and a species
of sharper; he had been impudently imposing on the Housa merchants. But,
to cut a long story short, the bargain was finally arranged. Haj Ibrahim
made these quondam merchants a present of some almonds and parched peas,
"to _wet_ the bargain." The poor slaves had been dressed up for the sale,
and, with other ornaments, large bright iron hoops had been hammered
round their ancles. It was a tough job to get them off, and a blacksmith
only could do it. Haj Ibrahim called each new slave to him, and looked at
their features, in order to know them. This he told me he was obliged to
do, to be sure of his own slaves, and prevent quarrels with other
merchants, for the slaves often get mixed together.
During Souk there is going on some petty thieving, mostly done by the
Negro slaves and Arab camel-drivers. They have stolen many little things
from me. It is useless to complain. One must take care of one's things.
But I am informed the Touaricks never steal. At any rate, large bundles
of senna are left out in the suburbs, night after night, and in the open
fields amongst the sand, and no one touches a leaf of it. This could
neither be done in Tunis, nor in Tripoli. The Touaricks are beggars, but
not thieves; they will also beg hard and with authority. Rarely,
however, will a Touarghee take anything away from you without your
knowledge. So, if Touaricks are poor, they are honest, which is so seldom
the case, poverty exciting as much or more to crime than exuberant
wealth. On the whole, this country must be considered free from crime.
Hungry slaves pilfering about, can hardly be designated crime. I saw a
little slave to-day, who had just been brought from Aheer; he was rolling
naked on the sand, with some fresh green blades of wheat before him.
These he was devouring, and this was his food. How can human beings fed
this way be expected to refrain from stealing food when they have an
opportunity? The Touaricks of Aheer, though not cruel masters, feed their
slaves mostly on herbage, which is picked up _en route_. At least, so the
people tell me.
Afternoon, the aged Berka paid me a visit. I gave him his tobacco, or
that which I had promised him. Whenever you promise a person anything in
this country, in reminding you of it, if you forget your promise, he
calls the article his own, and demands it as a right. Berka can hardly
move about, he is so very old a man; I should say the Sheikh is upwards
of a hundred. The Saharan veteran made no observation in particular. He
replied to my questions about Saharan travelling:--"Don't fear, the
Touaricks will do you no harm. You can go to Timbuctoo in safety." I was
making ghusub water, and asked him to drink of it. "No," he said, smiling
with benignity, "you must drink ghusub water with me, not I with you.
This is the fashion of us Touaricks." Ghusub water, is water poured on
ghusub grain after the grain has been par-boiled or otherwise prepared. A
milky substance oozes from the grain, and makes a very cooling pleasant
beverage. Saharan merchants prize the ghusub water chiefly for its
cooling quality in summer. A few dates are pounded with the ghusub to
give the drink a sweeter and more unctuous taste. The aged Sheikh, on
taking leave, begged a little bit of white sugar. "I wish to give it to
my little grandson," he added. I question which was the more childish, he
or his little grandson, so true it is the intellect decays as it grows,
spite of our theories of the immortality of mind. I have now had visits
from all the great chieftains of the Ghat Touaricks, Shafou, Jabour,
Berka, and Khanouhen. The three former are the heads of the great
divisions of confederated tribes. These centres of the large tribes and
families separately constitute an oligarchical nobility, by which the
destinies of this Saharan world are governed.
FOOTNOTES:
[82] _Ghafouly_--قفولي--_Holcus sorghum_, (Linn). Ghafouly
grows higher than a man; the stalk is as thick round as
sugar-cane; the grain is of white colour, and half the size of a
dry pea, of a round flattened shape. It is much coarser eating
than maize.
[83] _Arachis hypogæa_, (Linn). This shell fruit has two names in
Housa, _goújĕeă_, and _gaýda_. Many of the shells are double; they
are smallish, very soft, and easily broken. The taste of the fruit
is not disagreeable, a good deal like the almond, but more viscid,
and a little insipid.
[84] Mostly with the mark "_porco_" on the packets.
[85] Mostly with the mark "_tre lune_" on it. I complained to a
merchant that the paper was very coarse, and asked him why he did
not purchase finer paper. He replied, "_It's all the same in
Soudan, fine or coarse._" The same answer would be given to every
complaint about the coarseness and bad quality of these imports
into Africa. Fine or coarse cloth, and fine or coarse silk, sell
much the same in Negroland.
[86] This is frequently the case. When a Touarghee wears his
_litham_, and when he pulls it off, he undergoes a complete
metamorphosis, so that strangers cannot recognize the parties in
their change of dress.
[87] איש בץניו הישר יעשה Judges xxi. 25. The conduct
of the Sheikhs and their tribes is much like that of the
Israelites under the Judges.
[88] Sometimes called, Killiwah.
[89] Different Negro tribes call Touaricks by different names.
[90] These names are but imperfectly given, and they must be
pronounced in Italian style, being written from the dictation of a
Targhee chief by Mr. Gagliuffi, according to that language. To
these may be added _Haioun_, a tribe of Marabouts.
[91] For the rest of the Stations see the Map.