FROM MOURZUK TO SOCKNA.
Continued delays.--Confidence of the Slaves in the Kafer
(myself).--Supply them with Water.--Negro Youths exhibit
Sham-Fighting.--Commissions recorded in Journal.--Missionary
Labour in Central Africa.--Beer Tagheetah.--Palms of
Ghurmeedah.--A Fezzanee's description of his Country.--Reading on
the Camel's Back.--Arrive at the Village of Zeghen.--French
Patent Soup.--Young Camels broken in.--Omm El-Abeed.--Essnousee
sermonizes on "What is Good in this World."--Various Races of
Fezzan.--My extreme exhaustion.--The Flogging of the Mandara
Slave by Essnousee.--Illusions of Desert Sands.--Plateau
magnifying objects.--Horrid Waste.--How restored from
Fatigue.--Digging a Well by the order of the Turks.--Slaves
benighted.--Gibel Asoud.--Well of Ghotfah.--Meet Reinforcements
of Arab Cavalry.--Arrival at Sockna.
_13th._--TO-DAY we came but a short distance, leaving late and encamping
about half-past 2 P.M. Our object is to allow the camels to feed well,
for there will now be little or no herbage for them until we arrive at
Sockna, a distance of some six days. Respecting all these delays, I can
say with the most heartfelt sincerity, "Here is the patience of
(travellers)." The poor slaves know by instinct the encampment of the
Kafer to be a friendly one, notwithstanding the Moors and Arabs persist
ungenerously in teaching these poor things to call me kafer, or infidel,
and to look upon me with a species of horror. For water, they come to us
continually. To deposit a little bazeen, or flour-pudding, in the evening
until the morning, they come to us, finding it secure in our hands. Not
to be beaten, they come to us, crouching down by me, and getting out of
the way of the whip behind my back. In this way the poor things show
their confidence in the man whom their masters teach them to look upon as
an enemy of God! Although the wells are numerous, only a certain supply
of water is carried, and a small quantity is served out to the slaves.
They frequently require a little water before the time of departing
arrives, and come to me, looking up wistfully, putting their fingers to
their parched and cracking lips. Said looks after them, and gives them as
much of our water as he dares, fearing we shall be short ourselves.
"Should ye ever be one of a fainting band,
With your brow to the sun, and your feet to the sand,
Traverse The Desert, and then you can tell,
What treasures exist in the cold deep well;
Sink in despair on the red parched earth,
And then you may reckon what water is worth."
The Negro youths are practising some of their wild sports and warrior
tricks. Three on one side and three on the other set to work to bring off
a sham-fight. The youths made arrows of the branches of the palm, and,
holding up a portion of their clothes for a shield, they throw these
palm-branch arrows with great force and precision, almost always hitting
one another. This they continued for some time. As the arrows are thrown
by the party of one side they are picked up by the other. When a man
falls by a slip or otherwise, the opposing combatants fight over his body
with great obstinacy and animation. This was the prettiest scene of the
wild fight. The real arrow used in the interior is usually poisoned. The
Negroes are expert in discovering and preparing vegetable poisons, as
men of all countries are in inventing weapons for their own destruction.
The Negroes have their Captain Warners as well as we. Bundles of these
poisoned arrows were exposed for sale at Ghat, together with
bullocks'-hide shields. Whilst the lads are thus passing their time, the
lasses are combing, dressing, and oiling their hair, or washing and
cleaning, or decorating themselves, or playing with their little trinkets
of glass beads and chains; thus clearly defining the tastes of the male
and female Negro animal. It is much the same amongst us civilized brutes.
Men fight and quarrel one way or the other, and the women flirt and
dress. The occupation of the women is the more harmless. Perhaps we are
getting a little better. Men begin to think there is more noble
employment in the world than cutting one another's throats, and deifying
the wholesale assassins who destroy them; women, too, seem disposed to
prove that they have something else to attend to, besides setting off and
conserving their beauty. We have with us a youth sent for sale to Tripoli
by the Bashaw of Fezzan, who it seems must dabble in slave-dealing,
notwithstanding his imprecations against the merchants of Ghadames for
the same crime. He is from Mandara, and was kidnapped by the Tibboos.
This is the captain of all the sham-fighters, and the leader and prompter
of all other sports on the way. There is always one who assumes
superiority over the rest, in every troop of human beings; so it was in
the beginning, and so it will ever continue to be.
I see by my notes I have various commissions to execute--if--if--if I
return to Mourzuk _en route_. First for the Sheikh of Bornou, I am to
bring a small coining-machine to make a copper-currency, replacing the
present inconvenient system of pieces of cotton called Ghubgha[118].
Next, I am to bring Congreve-rockets, by which the Sheikh may set on fire
the straw-hut cities of his enemies; but I should think a good
drill-serjeant would be better than rockets. Finally, some instructions,
in the Arabic language, for preparing indigo, and bees'-wax, and tanning
leather. This last memorandum of the commission is infinitely more
grateful to one's feelings, as promoting the useful arts in Central
Africa, than either establishing a base currency, or multiplying the
weapons of destruction. For the Bashaw of Fezzan is to be brought a
splendid gold watch. The Greek Doctor wants an Italian Medical
Dictionary, and a small case of surgical instruments; and for Mr.
Gagliuffi I am to bring everything which may be useful to him. The Consul
very justly recommends, the teaching Negroes the useful arts as the only
means of permanently extinguishing the traffic in slaves. He also
recommends the introducing of Missionaries into the Pagan countries,
Mandara and Begharmy, beyond and neighbouring to Bornou, as an important
means of civilizing Africa. But, it is to be understood, that the
Missionaries should go as merchants, and, like Paul, work with their own
hands at mechanical trades. It must not be a wild-goose chase of empty
declamation, but a thoroughly conscientious project, wrought out
according to the circumstances of the country, with discretion and
courage. In this way it would, with the blessing of Providence, succeed
admirably. The Moravians alone have successfully applied themselves to
this kind of Missionary labour.
Passed a well this morning, on our left, called Beer Tagheetah. There is
water in many places where no attempt is made to cultivate the cultivable
soil. I asked an Arab of Timhanah why more land was not cultivated? "We
have no bullocks, no asses; we cannot draw up the water--we want money,"
was the reply. This sort of answer is applicable to almost every country
in Europe. Our encampment is at the place called Ghurmeedah. Here are
only two or three untenanted huts, where the date-watchers sleep or
repose during the season. This small forest of palms belongs to Zeghen.
Took a little cuscasou with some Arabs who have joined us, being hired by
Essnousee to carry dates for the slaves. Giving an account of their
country, they say, "Fezzan is a country of poor people; it always was so:
we have only the date-palm. This is our riches. If the sea came up to
Fezzan, then we would ship dates for Tripoli; but as it is, they are too
heavy--they don't pay the expense of carrying to Tripoli. We have
besides, a little corn, but not cattle enough to draw water to increase
this cultivation. Many of the people live only on dates and hasheesh
(herbs). We eat the ghoteb." In the abandoned huts I found three or four
women just come from Zeghen. They were collecting and boiling the ghoteb,
which they sell in their town; it eats very cooling and pleasant with
dates. If I recollect, it is something like the barilla-plant. I tasted
the herb, but could make nothing of it. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of
Fezzan are apparently healthy and happy. Providence blesses this poor
dish of herbs, and makes it palatable and nourishing.
_14th._--Rose with the sun's rising, and started with the first
scattering of the bright orient beams. Course over an undulating surface
of mostly sandy soil, but firm to the camel's foot. In various places is
scattered a great quantity of the common black volcanic shingle, and
which, indeed, covers a fifth of The Sahara I have traversed. Essnousee
tells me this stone contains iron, for so, reported our countrymen of the
two former expeditions in Fezzan. The Turks of Mourzuk assert the same
thing, though not very great authorities in geology. This shingle has
certainly a most ferruginous appearance. About three hours after leaving
our encampment we passed the town of Semnou on our right. Our people read
on the camel's back. Essnousee pretends to devotional reading. I never
attempted reading on the camel, in order to preserve my eyes, though by
no means difficult. An European who has to traverse these Saharan
solitudes might supply himself with a few entertaining books, in large
type, and while away many lonely and tedious hours, when riding on the
camel's back. Only one of the slaves is sick, to whom I give a ride every
morning. The rest go pretty well--in fact, our short days' journeys,
during these last several days, are a trifle to us all.
Arrived at Zeghen at 2 P.M. Don't feel very strong. Ought to eat more,
but can't get meat. Had a good drink of camel's milk this morning. Tired
of cuscasou, and now like bazeen better. Several of the people come to
see me, apparently more hospitable than those of Sebhah. They are all
very poor, scarcely existing, ground down to the dust of The Desert. Went
into the town. People got talking of religion. The presence of a person
of another faith always suggests the subject to these unsophisticated
people. I declared to them, that as the Great God was "The Most
Merciful," every good man of every nation, be he Mahometan, Christian, or
Jew, might expect the Divine favour. This doctrine was too liberal for
some, others approved. Moors, in all these discussions, speak a good deal
about hell-fire. They think, at least, this will shake a Christian's
courage. They are very sensible to corporal torments themselves, like all
barbarians or semi-civilized people. But, poor idiots, they don't know
that we denounce them as the future inhabitants of the same
place,--"Companions of The Fire." A Marabout came and listened, who
evidently was one of the fools so kindly and humanely taken care of by
Barbary people. The idiot had ostrich feathers round his breast, and a
circlet of large beads in his hands, which he kept telling with a vacant
stare. He begged of me, but I gave him nothing, having nothing to give.
Population of Zeghen, about a third or fourth-rate town of these oases,
is estimated at 200 men, 300 women, and 700 children and slaves. There
are always a few more women than men in these Saharan towns. This surplus
of women is kept up by importing female slaves from Central Africa. There
the men perish in wars, or otherwise are enslaved for the Western Coast,
and a surplus of women is left for the North.
This evening arrived the courier from Mourzuk, who took charge of a
small packet of French patent soup, which I left behind. Mr. Gagliuffi
had had this soup three years, and it was still very good. It is
preserved in thin pieces like dried glue. It requires only boiling with a
little salt, and then is pretty good. In long Desert journeying it would
be easy to take a supply of this sort of preserved soup, as well as
potted meat. On the address of the packet was, "Signore Richardson--Mr.
Gagliuffi--God bless him."
_15th._--This morning, at starting, I was very much amused at seeing two
young camels loaded for the first time with a few trifling things, to
break them in. They are only one year old. The little reprobates cried
and groaned, and grumbled most piteously; one would have thought they
were about to be killed, with the knife at their throats. The Arabs, to
prevent their crying, throw some sand into their open mouths. By this
little bit of barbarity, the poor young things were obliged to cease
crying to chew the unwelcome bolus of sand. When laden, they started off
as mad, trying to throw off their load. Do they know, by their powerful
and foreseeing instinct, that this was the beginning of their painful
labours and journeyings? and do they thus resist the imposition of
burthens with all their youthful ardour and strength? A young camel
remains with its mother and sucks a whole year. It is five years before
the camel attains maturity of growth and strength.
Our route is north, over what the French call _la terre accidentée_. It
was the _bonâ fide_ Sahara, and wore its rugged face of desolation. But,
after continuing five hours, we encamped at the Omm-El-Abeed, or "Mother"
or "Country of Slaves," so called probably because the slave-caravans
stop here to take in a good supply of water for four days on the highway
of Tripoli. Whatever its name, this is a fair spot, abounding with
excellent water near the surface. There are two wells, and both full to
overflowing. The water is slightly impregnated with iron. Herbage around
is abundant, and wild palms give it the appearance of an oasis.
Essnousee, who is a sagacious fellow, justly remarked to me:--"If this
country were in the hands of Christians, they would make it a fruitful
garden, palms would be planted, corn sown, and houses built." The Moorish
merchants can appreciate the superior industry and intelligence of
Europeans. Undoubtedly, the presence of abundant good water, and a soil
composed of a mixture of sand and earth, (the essential ingredients for a
fruitful oasis,) would, in other hands, soon render this spot a paradise
in Desert. It rejoices my heart to contemplate the future--if perchance
that future come--when this Saharan region shall fall into the hands of
another Government, be invaded, circumscribed, and reduced on every side,
and such a conquest over The Desert made by the hand of industry, as to
render it a garden of the Hesperides, and to blossom as the rose. In
another century, or a century after that, this may be the case. Even
Moors, the worst people of the world in looking forward to improvements,
have in many of these oases planted young palms, and already reaped the
benefit in an increasing crop of dates, although, unfortunately, more
from necessity than forethought have they been actuated. What may then be
expected from men who adopt the principle of progress! Oftentimes I have
connected, in imagination, the shores of the Mediterranean with the banks
of the Niger, by a series of uninterrupted palmy oases, with jutting
fountains, and silvery streams of living water, and cool shady
resting-places for weary caravans. Hope is still my consolation in
travelling through this thirsty dreary wilderness. Better to feed the
mind with these expectations, even should they be illusory, than sighing
and groaning over the desolations of Africa.
This evening took a little cuscasou with Essnousee. After supper the
eternal subject of religion was brought forward by this slave-driver. He
cannot comprehend my travelling, and thinks I must have some secret
mission. He was more surprised when I told him I should visit the New
World after exploring Africa, for this shifted his suspicions from
Mahometan countries. Essnousee, like others of his countrymen, cannot
comprehend notions of enterprise and discovery in travel. How should he?
What country has a Moor? What purposes of renown and glory can fill him
with a patriotic ambition? Nevertheless, a Moor has three passions, those
of gain--sensuality--and religion, which latter sentiment often at, or
even before, the close of life, absorbs the other two, yet itself
degenerating into superstition and fanaticism. These passions make up the
end and compass of the being of a Moor, the objects of all his pursuits
through life. On the latter of these sentiments or passions, Haj
Essnousee, a thoroughly bad man himself, took the liberty of addressing
me these words, in reply to my demand of "What is good in this world?"
"If you wish to do a good thing," said the slave-driver, "do this,
abandon your country and your friends. Forget you were born a Christian.
Go to Egypt--there turn Mussulman. Then go to Mecca. There read and
study all the day, and all the days of your life. See and hear the time
of prayers announced from El-Kaaba[119]. Pray at Fidger, Subah and Aser,
Mugreb and Lailah[120]. Observe well the burying-place where the body of
the Prophet is laid, and be assured that if you are buried there, you
will rise up at the Resurrection to Paradise. This is the good work I
counsel you to do, but you won't do it." I smiled at this fine speech,
and asked the slave-merchant to give up his trade, go to Mecca, and carry
out that which he so eloquently recommended me to do. This turning the
thing on himself displeased him, and the zealous preacher dropped his
sermon in a moment.
Fezzan, with its numerous and large oases, offers for investigation to
the physiologist, the three distinct species or varieties of the human
race which overspread all Central Africa, viz., The Arabs and Moors, the
Touaricks, and the Negroes,--and these all mixed and blended together, of
all shades of colour, stature, and configuration. The Arabs and Moors
abound this side Mourzuk. Sebhah and Zeghen are all Arabs and Moors. The
Touaricks are found in the Wady Ghurbee, and are occupied chiefly in a
pastoral life, leading their flocks through open Desert. Some live in the
villages of The Wady. But these Touaricks are not subjects of the
chieftains of Ghat. The Negroes begin at Mourzuk, and extend south in all
the districts of Fezzan, as far as the Tibboos. Ghatroun, I am informed,
has an entire population of coloured people, under the protection of a
Marabout.
_16th._--Another day lost. We stop here to-day to take in water, (as if
we did not arrive soon enough yesterday to take in water for a hundred
times our number,) and to let the camels feed. Felt, however, excessively
weak, and very nervous to-day. At one moment, I seemed as if I were
placed in an exhausting-receiver, and was about to give up the ghost.
It's perhaps as well for my health, we don't go on quicker. According to
the report of the Fezzaneers, there is fever in every oasis during the
summer, and considerable mortality. Eating dates continually in the
summer must create a great deal of heat in the system, and thus it is not
surprising that fever prevails.
Evening, just at sunset, the Mandara slave came near to my encampment and
mumbled something to my Negro servant. Looking at him, I saw he asked
Said to beg me to do something on his behalf. In a few minutes, a slave
belonging to another master came up to him and began to console him,
saying, "Go, go." They both then took up handfuls of sand and scattered
it upon their foreheads and chins, as if performing some incantations to
avert an impending evil. This done, they both burst into tears, and
sobbed aloud. By this time, I learnt from Said that Haj Essnousee had
sent for the Mandara slave to beat him. I then asked, "For what?" The
slaves replied, "For nothing." This I could not believe. Looking towards
the encampment of Essnousee, I saw the slave-driver greatly excited, and
heard him call to two other slaves, "Fetch him, fetch him." These slaves,
(I almost cursed them in my heart,) came running to my encampment like
two bloodhounds, and seized the wretched slave, their brother in bondage,
and dragged him off to the enraged slave-driver. The poor fellow, from
fear and trembling, could not stand upon his legs, and was held up by his
captors. The Mandara slave being brought to Essnousee, and the two
captors having pinned him down, this ferocious Moor took him aside and
flogged him with a huge slave-whip until The Desert was literally filled
with his cries! continuing to flagilate his bare body until he
(Essnousee) was himself exhausted by administering the brutal flogging.
The Arabs of our caravan, who were near, got upon their legs, from sheer
annoyance at the sound of the whip and the cries of the slave, but, like
dastardly wretches, contented themselves with looking on, silent and
motionless. I felt, at the time, extreme contempt for what are called
"the brave and gallant sons of The Desert." I was not near enough, on my
journey to Tripoli, to justify any effectual interference on my part.
Afterwards I went up to Haj Essnousee and asked him, why he had flogged
the slave? He answered still greatly excited, "He'll not eat; he's a
devil; it is necessary there should be one devil amongst my slaves." His
nephew observed, as a hopeful pupil of his merciless uncle, "He's a
thief, he robs us." This is the only satisfaction I could get; but from
the rest of the caravan I learnt that the poor Mandara slave was flogged
for no other reason except to gratify the capricious cruelty of
Essnousee. This Sockna Moor was born to be a slave-dealer and
slave-driver, a cunning ferocity and genuine Moorish sensuality being
impressed upon his Cain-like countenance. I was enabled to study his
character on our way, but study was scarcely requisite to discover the
mark of the first murderer stamped on his brow. When too indolent to beat
his slaves he would throw stones at them; when flogging the female
slaves, if he could not succeed in rousing their sensibilities as they
dropped from exhaustion in The Desert, he would poke up their persons
with a stick. This Saharan villain was thoroughly imbued with the
principle of an English duke, "That he (Haj Essnousee) had a right to do
what he liked with his own," and did not scruple to mutilate a slave to
satisfy his demoniac caprice, in spite of its losing half of its price or
value in the market. Poor miserables are those pro-slavery writers, who
argue that a man will take care of his slaves because they are his own
property! Why did not the imperial tyrants of Rome defend the liberties
of their people, because they were their own people? Neither human nor
divine law can permit any man, even a good man, to have absolute property
in his fellows, much less a bad man or a tyrant. But Haj Essnousee is not
altogether an unmixed monster; he has something of enterprise and an
active intelligence about him, to redeem him from complete execration.
Seeing me disconcerted about his whipping the slave, he observed,
"There are two fine wells here, have you written them? You must give a
good account of everything to your Sultan."
I then returned to the other slave-masters, owners of seven slaves, and
said, "Why do you let a poor wretch be flogged to death in this way and
not interfere?"
They replied, "Oh, you yourself should interefere; we're frightened at
Haj Essnousee."
_I._--"You then wish me to interfere,--I, who am a Christian, and an
Englishman, and we English have no slaves,--and you wish me to meddle
with your business?"
Another Moor said, "Ah, Yâkob, we know if it had been a Christian
flogging a Christian, you would have interfered. But we are an accursed
race, our merchants fear not God. And when one does wrong, another will
not speak to him, and tell him he does wrong to himself and God."
After this we had no more flogging to Sockna. I hinted to these people,
something might be said by the English Consul to the Bashaw of Tripoli
about this flogging work. The remark was probably reported to Essnousee.
I made up my mind, if the poor fellow was flogged again, to get him to
run away at Tripoli, or into a consulate, and then divulge the affair. It
may be mentioned here, that two days before arriving at Sockna, I turned
to look at one of the female slaves, who was last of all, and being
driven along by the whip, with several others, and thought I saw symptoms
of insanity marked in her face. "Why," I observed to the driver, "this
woman is mad!" "Mad!" he replied; "No, she went blind yesterday." On
examining her, I found she was both blind and mad from over-driving. What
a happiness if the poor creature had died or been flogged to death! She
would then have escaped two of the heaviest of human calamities, as well
as the curse of slavery.
_17th._--On leaving Omm-El-Abeed, after a couple of hours, we traversed
some sand hillocks, all dismounting to lighten the camels. The sand
deceived my vision frequently in walking. Looking at some heaps over
which I was pacing, I imagined them at a considerable distance off, when,
to my amazement, I found them under my feet in an instant. It might be
partly owing to the dizziness of riding. The sand was a deep shining
red. At another time a hillock of sand seemed projecting near my face,
and putting out my hand to feel it, I found nothing but thin air. More
sand encumbers this route than that between Ghadames and Ghat. After a
couple of hours of sand we ascended an elevated rocky plateau, continuing
our route north till night. This was a long, long day, full of weariness
and misery. Nothing for the camels to eat, and we were obliged to give
them dates. The poor slaves drooped and were dumb. The frown of God was
stamped on this region! For--
"Here rocks alone and trackless sands are found,
And faint and sickly winds for ever howl around."
_18th._--Continued our course over the plateau. It was now become hard
sun-baked earth, and bare of herbage. As upon the plain of the celebrated
Tenezrouft, objects here become greatly magnified in the distance,
exceeding the most powerful magnifying lens. In the simple and bold
language of our camel-drivers, "A man becomes a camel, and a camel
becomes a mountain." Some bones of a camel, at a distance of less than a
quarter of a mile, looked like a living camel going along with several
people, the white bones representing the burnouses of the men. A small
white stone, not ten inches high, appeared to be several feet in height,
at the distance of a quarter of an hour's ride. And so of the few other
discernible objects on this wide expanse of optical delusion. Mirage was
seen at times, but nothing pretty. We encamped late, midway through the
vast plateau, when shadowy night began to establish her sable throne, in
"rayless majesty," over this silent, sombre Desert. On such a horrid
waste as this, when crime and murder shall have depopulated the world,
the last man will breathe his last sigh! Another long and weary day was
this. With difficulty could I descend from my camel, and when I did, I
was unable to stand. My plan is, immediately on descending from the camel
to take a table-spoonful of rum and swallow it neat. This restores me to
a consciousness of the objects around me, and then I lie down an hour,
whilst supper is preparing. An hour's rest generally enables me to get up
and walk. If restored sufficiently, I go to chat half an hour with my
companions of travel; if not, I never rise till the next morning. I found
the rum of essential advantage in restoring me to consciousness. I am
indebted to the Greek Doctor for it. One bottle lasted me from Mourzuk to
four days within reaching Tripoli.
_19th._--Continued the route of the plateau till the afternoon, when with
a low range of mountains on our left, we entered a hilly undulating
country, having stones, some good sized blocks, scattered thick over all
the surface of the ground. In the small intervening valleys were a few
acacias, and a little herbage for our camels. But behold a wonder! At
noon, we passed through one of these small valleys, when to my thorough
and complete amazement, we found a few men and a tent pitched. Doing
what? Oh, wonder of wonders! These men were digging a well at the command
of the Turks! Formerly the Turks in Barbary did nothing but fill up the
wells, or let them be filled up. Another day has dawned over "the spirit
of their dream." The Ottomans now begin to see that they must step
forward in the march of improvement, or be blotted out of existence, as
a nation of the earth. This is the most difficult part of the route in
coming up from Tripoli to Mourzuk, and the object of digging the well is
to reduce the distance where water may be taken in to two and a half or
three days, instead of four or five, which is now the case. The new well
is already dug very deep, and I am sorry this extraordinary enterprise of
the Turks, that of digging a well in The Desert, has not yet been crowned
with success. Water would be found at last, but I have my misgivings
about their perseverance. The French scientific officers, who have
examined the Saharan districts of Algeria, are of opinion, that Artesian
wells might be bored through every part of The Desert, and all these vast
solitudes be linked together with chains of wells. Nothing is too great
for the enterprising genius of man!
We encamped late in one of these valleys. The male slaves went to fetch
wood. They were benighted, and could not return, or find their way back.
A horse-pistol was fired three times, and these reports brought them into
the encampment. Our Moors recommend me, when at any time benighted in The
Desert, never to move, but wait for some sign or signal, or report of
firearms, or until a person be sent in pursuit of me. This the slaves
did, and were enabled to return. Had they wandered about, they would
probably have got a long way out of the track, or from the encampment,
and not heard the report of the pistol. To show the improvidence of our
Moors, we had only just powder enough for these three discharges.
_20th._--Continued through the undulating country until we got fairly
amidst massy mountainous groups of considerable altitude. These mountains
are covered with small blocks of black (iron) stone, and ferruginous
shingle. These immense groups are called Gibel Asoud, "Black Mountain." I
went, on foot, with Essnousee and his slaves, "the short-cut," or
mountain foot-path of Nifdah, leaving the camels to go round by the
other, or camel route, of En-Nishka. I found, however, this "short-cut" a
very long one, and dreadfully fatiguing. I recommend all travellers never
to believe in the short-cuts of the Arabs, for they are sure to be
deceived. These people have no ideas of distance or time. Only conceive a
weak and exhausted traveller, like myself, climbing up and down groups of
mountains for two weary hours. At length we descended into the valley
where is the well of Ghotfa. We only remained an hour to rest, and drank
a little water, not encamping at the well. We proceeded to meet the
camels by the camel route. On overtaking them, we encamped at night-fall.
This was another long and weary day, and made our fourth from
Omm-El-Abeed. Our slaves were exhausted to the uttermost; their song,
with which they were wont to cheer themselves, was never heard: their
plaintive choruses never broke over the silence of Desert! It was to-day,
whilst threading the precipitous mountain-path, I observed the unhappy
negress, who went blind and mad by overdriving. Our route to-day is
graphically described by Denham, and the passage being short, I shall
copy it. "We had now to pass the Gibel Asoud, or Black Mountain. The
northernmost part of this basaltic chain commences on leaving Sockna. We
halted at Melaghi (or place of meeting); immediately at the foot of the
mountain is the well of Agutifa (Ghotfa,) and from hence, probably, the
most imposing view of these heights will be seen. To the south, the
mountain-path of Nifdah presents its black overhanging peaks, the deep
chasm round which the path winds, bearing a most cavern-like appearance.
A little to the west, the camel-path, called En-Nishka, appears scarcely
less difficult and precipitous, the more southern crags close the
landscape, while the foreground is occupied by the dingy and barren Wady
of Agutifa, with the well immediately overhung by red ridges of limestone
and clay, the whole presenting a picture of barrenness not to be
perfectly described either by poet or painter." By this craggy gorge the
plateau above-mentioned is entered, and it is frequently by such gorges,
which seem to be the buttresses of the plateaus, that the elevated
Saharan plains are approached.
About noon we met a reinforcement of Arab cavalry on the way to Mourzuk,
to intercept the son of Abd-El-Geleel, in the event of his returning
during the spring to Egypt or the Syrtis. I found the reputed six reduced
to two hundred men, and most _triste_ cavaliers, mounted on still more
miserable horses. The stories which we have read of the fondness of the
Arab for his horse were sadly belied by the fact of the condition of this
troop. Indeed, an Arab treats his horse much in the same way as his
wife--most miserably bad. This _triste_ troop, worthy the command of the
Knight of La Mancha, was a faithful picture of the wretched condition of
the province of Tripoli. On passing me, some saluted, and others stared.
Said met a former fellow-slave of the island of Jerbah going under the
protection of this escort. The freed slave gave a confused account of
the last act of abolition of the Bey of Tunis. He was on his way to
Begharmy, his native country. I observed a Turkish officer, having a sort
of sedan-chair, swinging on the back of a camel, a good thing for an
European female travelling in these countries, and not a bad thing for a
worn-down emaciated tourist like myself. I envied him this Desert luxury.
_21st._--Started with the first solar rays, and as we journeyed on, the
valley of Ghotfa widened, till we found ourselves traversing an immense
plain, at the extreme north of which, and on the west, we saw the palms
of Sockna. We had seen them yesterday indistinctly from the peaks of
Gibel Asoud. We continued our route for four hours, when we arrived at
Sockna. There is still a goodly number of palms, notwithstanding the
thousands destroyed by Abd-El-Geleel when besieging this place. The
trunks of the destroyed palms still remain, and look like a leafless
forest in winter, or as if blasted with lightning. But these Arabs,
either in building up or in throwing down, never do their work
effectually. Tired of their work of destruction, they thus, happily, left
the inhabitants a considerable number of palms, affording a good stock of
dates. We were met near the gates of the city by the friends and
relatives of our people. Some of them gave me a salute, but I am now so
half-Moorishly dressed, or Turk-like, that I am not readily distinguished
as a Christian. When within the walls, the heat and the refraction of the
sun's rays from the stone walls were so intense, that I really thought my
face would have been burnt up. With a little patience we were domiciled
in the dark room of an empty house, where I went to bed at 3 P.M., and
did not get up till the evening of the next day. During these hot sultry
glaring days in Desert, how grateful is darkness,--how much better than
light. On arriving at a station, I find it the best thing possible to lie
down an hour or two, and, if in a town, where we are to remain a few
days, to go to bed at once. This is the only way to recover effectually,
and far better than food or stimulants. Since leaving Tripoli I have not
performed a more arduous journey than these last five days. Our days'
journeys were at least fourteen or fifteen hours long. In summer it
requires seven days, or five short days and five long nights. On the
road, there were no animals or living creatures, except a few lizards,
starting from under the camel's feet, as if to look who we were, and ask
why we had come to disturb their solitary basking in the sun; and a few
swallows, which seemed to follow us to the well, or to the shores of the
Mediterranean, whence they will now skim their airy way to the more
temperate clime of Europe. I think, also, we saw two birds not unlike
snipes. But we shall soon get within the region of birds and beasts.
FOOTNOTES:
[118] A _ghubgha_ is a measure of six feet long, and measures
pieces of cotton six feet long (and three inches broad), from
which circumstance the currency is thus named. Four ghubghas form
a rottol or pound, and thirty rottols are of the value of a
Spanish dollar. This was the exchange in 1845.
[119] The Sanctum Sanctorum of the Temple of Mecca.
[120] The names of the five times of the day when Mussulmans pray.