RESIDENCE IN SOCKNA.
Visit to the Turkish Kaed of Sockna.--The Concubine of His
Excellency.--Convoy of Provisions for the Troops of Mourzuk.--The
number of Palms destroyed at Sockna by Abd-El-Geleel.--Population
of Sockna, and position of the Oasis.--Visit to the Sockna
Maraboutess.--The Lady honoured with "_Stigmata_," or "Holy
Marks."--Propriety or impropriety of assuming the Moorish
Character and the Mahometan Religion whilst Travelling in
Sahara.--Gardens of the Environs.--Find several old Charms in my
Lodgings.--Commerce and Merchants of Sockna.--Second Visit to the
Maraboutess; her Character and Occupation--Visit the Kaed; he
compliments Christians.--Panoramic view from the Castle of
Sockna.--Description of the Castle.--Third Visit to the
Maraboutess.--Few Children in Sahara.--The little Turk or Kaed
suffering under the power of Epsom, and very unwell.--Arrival of
another Convoy.--Rain in North Africa.--Parallel Ideas between
The East and Africa.
_22nd._--GOT up to write a little of my journal; found myself greatly
recovered. Essnousee called, and we went to see the Turkish Governor in
the evening. The Governor is called Kaed, Bey, and generally Mudeer
Suleiman, by the people. We found his Excellency in the midst of his
business, squatting tailor-like upon a raised bench of mud and lime,
covered with a carpet. The Mudeer seemed happy enough, his secretary
sitting below at his feet. He was very glad to see me, "For people," he
observed, "don't see Christians every day in this horrid country." The
Mudeer made me mount his throne by his side, giving me his superfine
cushion to repose on, talking all the time; "Foolish men, you
Christians, to come to these horrible countries." From this elevated
position I was enabled to survey his Excellency's receiving apartment,
with the adjoining one. It was a rich and varied scene; only Dickens
could do justice to any description of these state-rooms of the Castle of
Sockna. We had first the Mudeer, a little dirty mean-looking Turk, most
shabbily attired, with some fifty or sixty winters on his Ottoman brow,
but with a sufficiently good-natured face. The Mudeer has been only two
months in Sockna. He was sent from Mourzuk, and enjoys the confidence of
Hasan Belazee. Before him there was another Turkish Kaed of Sockna. The
continual jealousies and rivalries in these towns prevent the Pacha from
appointing them one of their native Sheikhs. The Mudeer has been four
years in Barbary, but, like all the Turks, speaks Arabic very badly, with
a most detestable accent. The apartment of the Kaed is a portion of the
Castle, the passages to which are a mass of ruins, and you are afraid of
the walls or ceilings of dilapidated rooms tumbling on your head. Sockna,
like Mourzuk, has its Castle, separated from the town. The Mudeer's room
is a wretched dirty barn, with a large mud fire-place in the centre.
Around it are now seated a number of Moors, talking violently and
quarrelling. The Kaed cannot understand them, and calls out, "What is it?
what is it?" "Oh, nothing," they scream out in turn, "we're only talking
amongst ourselves." The Turk turns to me:--"Christian, I am a Kaed of
beasts, not men, Drink your coffee now." There is always a great mixture
of freedom and awe, as it may happen, in the intercourse between the
Turks and Moors. But the prime feature of the scene now under
consideration, is the Sockna doxy, whom the little dirty Turk has
closeted in an adjoining room. At first she peeps out, but seeing only a
Christian has come in, she becomes more familiar, and at last sallies out
boldly, and begins romping with the Kaed's Negro lad. This is a great
lout of a fellow, who can't keep from grinning. The Nigger lout is
dressed in the clothes of the new Turkish troops, and, as might be
expected, there is a rent behind, from which issues his dirty linen, in
all its nasty splendour. This the doxy now seizes hold of, to the
infinite amusement of his Excellency the Governor, his Secretary, and
various courtiers, as likewise myself. The lady herself is not quite a
Desert maiden, skipping like a young roe over the mountains, in untutored
innocence or coyish bashfulness. She is young, it is true, but full-blown
and bloated, very big about, and excessively dirty and nasty. The
favourite of the Mudeer is besides almost as black as a Negress, with a
pock-marked face. After dodging about with the Negro clown some ten
minutes, her eye catches the shape of a huge ill-looking Turkish fellow,
walking heavily into our apartment, or hall of audience, and the Moorish
damsel immediately retires to her private boudoir.
I was not aware of the presence in Sockna of another Turk. He is in
charge of a convoy of provisions for the troops of Mourzuk, consisting of
eighty camels laden with oil, and rice, and mutton fat, boiled down. The
convoy has been detained ten days for want of camels. The officer had
been on as far as Ghotfa Wady, and returned, his miserable camels
dropping and dying. These provisions are conveyed at the expense of the
principal towns through which the convoy passes. The discussion going on
to-day between the Kaed and the Sockna people, was about obtaining the
requisite number of camels. The Kaed I now heard exclaim, "By G--d, after
to-morrow the camels must go!" The people, "Impossible! they will die,
they will die." I could obtain no news from the Turk escorting the
convoy. He was an ignorant beast. But, curious enough, the fellow was
dressed as much like an European as he could well be so travelling, with
neckcloth, jacket, trousers strapped over black shoes, and a large pair
of leather gloves, which he told me he found very useful in keeping the
sun from burning his hands.
During my interview, the circumstance of Abd-El-Geleel cutting down the
palms of the suburbs because the Sockna people would not surrender to his
summons, or acknowledge his authority, was mentioned. The number cut
down, by the besieging Sheikh, from 20,000 was now raised to 120,000. Of
course, this is exaggeration. Unfortunately, however, the Sheikh
destroyed nearly all the best palms, those bearing most delicious fruit,
and which palms have rendered Sockna dates so celebrated, whilst he left
all the worst to spite the people. It will require seven years merely to
replace them as fruit-bearing palms, and thirty or fifty years to mature
palms yielding fruit of the quantity and quality of those destroyed. This
it is which fills all Sockna people with a thirst of vengeance to
extirpate root and branch the family of Abd-El-Geleel. The people
themselves have offered Government to defray the expense of an expedition
to Bornou, to cut off his son and all the Oulad Suleiman. Essnousee, a
good patriot, swears he will not rest until he has had vengeance upon the
Oulad Suleiman; yet he is afraid to go to Bornou again whilst they are
there. He says:--"We (Sockna people) muster 2,000 men, all fighting men,
not women or chickens, like the people of Ghadames. We fight like the
French. Our country is like France. The Bashaw sends no troops to our
assistance. He knows we can defend ourselves." It is a fact they have no
troops here, although Sockna is the most important town of these upper
provinces. Since the conquest of Algiers by the French, the Moors think
France the greatest military nation upon the face of the earth. If we
reckon the adult males of Sockna at the half of Essnousee's estimate, the
general population will be something like this amount:--
Men 1,000 souls
Women 1,500 "
Children and slaves 3,000 "
-----
Total 5,500 "
Sockna is often spoken of as distinct from the districts of Fezzan, and
so it really is; but others include both it and Bonjem within the circle
of these clusters of oases, forming one province. The Turkish Kaed is
more or less dependant on the Bashaw of Mourzuk. His salary is not very
extravagant, twenty-five dollars per mensem. His Excellency may make a
little besides on his own account, for this is hardly enough to keep him.
Sockna is placed in 29° 5′ 36″ north latitude, and has always been an
emporium of trade on the ancient line of communication between Northern
and Central Africa. In many respects Sockna is like Ghadames. The
principal inhabitants are a few rich merchants; provisions are scarce,
everything being imported, as the gardens afford but a scanty supply of
edible products, and all things are extremely dear. Leo mentions that, in
his times, both Ghadames and Fezzan were dear places, and food scarce.
_23rd._--Much better to-day in health, and rose early. Wrote several
letters, which were not sent on, curiosities in their way, and scarcely
now legible. Afternoon sent a letter by the Shantah (courier) to Mr.
Gagliuffi. It will reach Mourzuk in eight days. A letter is also eight
days getting to Tripoli, in the opposite direction. This evening all the
town was occupied in buying a few sheep. What people for business are
these Moors! The sheep were brought out, one by one, and bid for, as at
an auction. They were cheap, from two and a half dollars to three each.
Called upon some Sockna ladies, whose acquaintance I made through the
nephew of Essnousee. They were his relations, and received us very
kindly, _en famille_. These ladies were occupied with worsted embroidery,
at which they earn a few paras. One is a Maraboutah, or Maraboutess. She
reads and writes a little, and this, with a mind prone to religious
ideas, constitutes her a saint. Few are the Moorish or Arab female
saints, for woman is hardly dealt with by the Mahometan faith. There is a
celebrated tutelary goddess, or Maraboutah, near the city of Tunis, who
is invoked by all the women of the country, and a pilgrimage is made to
her shrine every morning. The remarkable circumstance about this Sockna
Maraboutess is, that she is very weak about the loins and cannot walk
upright, being frequently carried about. She says, and the people confirm
her testimony, she has "holy marks" upon her, imprinted by some
supernatural being; I think the angel Gabriel was mentioned. This reminds
me of the "Stigmata" of Saint Francis of Assisi, for doubting which
"canonical fact," Pope Ugolino was very near anathematizing the Bishop of
Olmutz. I therefore shall not doubt this prodigy, equally well
authenticated, lest I incur the excommunication of the good people of
Sockna. I had not the pleasure of seeing the "holy marks" of the
Maraboutess, they being imprinted on an unobserved portion of her body,
but I cannot question their existence. It is wonderful (a far greater
prodigy!) what are the analogies of religion and superstition. How like
the feeling and the sentiment! and in this case the very corporal marks
of the body! I asked the Maraboutess if she would prefer the use of her
limbs to these "holy marks." She answered very quietly and properly, "As
God wills, so I will." The Sockna saint then put to me this question, "If
the English knew and worshipped God?" How many times has this question
been asked! And yet we, in the pride of our conceit, imagine that we
monopolize all religion, as well as all virtue and science, presuming all
the world knows it, and recognizes our superiority. My Maraboutess was
pleased to hear that the English knew God.
_24th._--Copied a letter or two. Since my return, looking over the
published journal of the Bornou expedition, I find this paragraph under
the rubric of Sockna. "And in this way we entered the town: the words
Inglesi! Inglesi! were repeated by a hundred voices from the crowd. This,
to us, was highly satisfactory, as we were the first English travellers
in Africa who had resisted the persuasion that a disguise was necessary,
and who had determined to travel in our real character as Britons and
Christians[121]," &c. "In trying to make ourselves appear as Mussulmans,
we should have been set down as real impostors." This is a most
extraordinary passage. The reader will hardly believe, or really cannot
believe after this, that these very parties themselves were circumcised
and attended the mosques. But such was the case; I had it from
unquestionable authority. This is altogether too bad. A little decorating
of an incident, or a conversation, I imagine, is allowed to the
traveller, but this circumstance can hardly be passed by without
animadversion. However, when this was written, the most conscientious man
of the party (Oudney) was dead. Clapperton did not write this portion of
the journal: for its composition Denham alone seems to be responsible. I
shall add no more, thanking God, that, with all my follies, I did not
commit such a folly, as first to ape the Mussulman, and then repudiate it
in print before the world.
_25th._--Took a walk and went to see the Kaed. His Excellency was sitting
outside, washed and clean shaved, for once whilst I saw him, with a thin
white burnouse thrown over his shoulders. It was a saint's day with him.
His Excellency presented to me a cup of coffee without sugar, but,
Turk-like, when indulging in their dreamy taciturnity, did not open his
lips. However I had nothing to say to him, nor he to me. Afterwards I
strolled through the suburbs to botanize. Visited the nearest garden, and
found the slaves occupied in irrigating it. An old Moor gave me a little
horticultural information. It requires twelve years for growing a good
fruit-bearing palm; but, he admitted, a palm might bear fruit within
seven or eight years. Observed a male palm. Instead of white flowers
which the female palm has at this season, the male has enormously long
broad hard pods, but also contains flowers. When the flowers are fit for
germination the pods will burst. The flowers are then thrown over the
female palm to produce impregnation. The madder-root is here cultivated;
it is watered every third day. The leaves are cropped often, but the root
requires three years to come to perfection. Wheat and barley are watered
in Sockna every other day. Observed the tree called gharod, or gharoth,
or gurd; it bears a seed-pod which is used in tanning leather, from its
great astringency. In all the Sockna gardens this tree abounds. It is a
species of mimosa, with a yellow flower, and small delicate leaves like
the acacia. It is a pretty tree, high, and spreading, perhaps twenty feet
in height. The seed-pod is sold one quarter dollar the Fezzan kael, or
measure, half a peck or so. The gurd is also employed medicinally. I was
glad to see several young palms recently planted. I love progress;
everything in the shape and style of progress delights me. Would to God
the entire Desert was covered with palms. But man would be just as
corrupt and unthankful! Being shut up in a dark room three or four days,
I felt the sun disagreeable, paining my eyes. In returning, I stopped at
a school and wrote for the boys,
بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم ربّ واحد وقادراً
which delighted them beyond measure.
A man, ran away to-day with his three camels, not liking Government work,
which is usually performed by Moors and Arabs for the Turks at a price
less than nothing. Some of the Kaed's officers went in pursuit of him.
Evening, called on the Kaed, and found his flaming concubine extended at
her full length upon his elevated seat of authority. His Excellency
himself, meanwhile, had stepped out of the Castle to look after the
camels. The Bashaw of Mourzuk has sent him a wigging letter for the delay
in sending up the convoy of provisions. Picked up several old charms in
my room to-day. They had been placed over the threshold of the door to
keep out the Evil One. Sometimes they are tied round the necks of camels,
and even placed on trees, especially at the time when bearing fruit, for
the purpose of preserving the camel from mange, or the tree from blight.
These talismans usually have a diagram of this and other shapes, with
certain Arabic signs, letters, words, and sentences, written within and
without.
[Illustration]
It will be seen that some of the signs are Greek letters. I brought with
me three of these charms from The Desert; one to obtain me a good
reception from the English Sultan on my return; another to conduct me
safely to Timbuctoo, should I be disposed to attempt the journey; and the
third to procure for me a pretty wife. My charms have not yet compassed
these various interesting objects, but they infallibly will do so. The
taleb who wrote them gets his living by writing charms, and is very
successful in his craft. His paper squibs rarely miss fire, and when they
do it is not the fault of the charms but that of the person who wears
them. It is necessary to kiss them frequently and fervently, and repeat
over them the name of God[122].
_26th._--We were to have started to-day, but, as usual, delay. Time is
not the estate of these people; rather it is their lavish, valueless
waste. Called early on his Excellency. Coffee without sugar. His
Excellency very merry, because he had sent off the oil, grease, and rice
caravan. What a pother it was--it was like the starting of an expedition
to conquer all Central Africa! His Excellency's concubine still occupies
the seat of honour, where she frequently goes to sleep. The courtiers of
his Excellency wink at this little peccadillo. Essnousee remarked to me
it was all right; "The Mudeer must have some sort of a wife." Had some
conversation with an intelligent Moor on the trade of Sockna. It appears
the merchants are in the same predicament as those of Ghadames. They are
all without capital, and are virtually commission-agents of the Jewish
and Christian merchants in Tripoli. They receive their goods on giving
bills for six, nine, and twelve months. These goods they carry to Mourzuk
and Ghat, exchanging them for slaves and other produce of the interior.
Afterwards they return to Tripoli, sell their slaves and goods, pay off
their old debts, and contract new engagements. Meanwhile they have
scarcely a para to call their own. Therefore European merchants, aided by
native Jews, are the _bonâ fide_ supporters of the traffic of slaves in
Sahara.
Visited my dearest lady-saint, or Maraboutess, this evening.
_The Saint._--"In a short time I am going to _Beit Allah_ ('house of
God,' or Mecca)."
"Indeed!" I replied.
"Yes, there I shall repose under the shadow of the Holy Place, resting my
poor broken limbs and spending my days in fervent prayer, preparing
myself for heaven:" continued the pious lady.
_The Traveller._--"What shall you do in Paradise?"
_The Lady._--"I shall eat and drink well, and be dressed in silk."
_The Traveller._--"Shall you have a husband?"
_The Lady._--"Yes."
_The Traveller._--"Shall you bear children!"
_The Lady._--"No."
_The Traveller._--"Where is Paradise?"
_The Lady._--"God knows, you don't know[123]."
This good amiable lady is somewhat _spirituelle_ for a Mooress, and
makes lively and apposite remarks on other things, as well as
religion. The Maraboutess may be twenty-five or thirty years of age,
not good-looking, neither disagreeable. A dark complexion, a
prominent aquiline nose, a fine gazelle-like eye, and hard-looking
features are overshadowed with a _triste_ and melancholy expression,
from the circumstance of her being continually an invalid. I saw the
poor thing was so weak that she could not stand upright. The saint
said, with a heavy sigh, as she attempted to move about, "If I were
to go to Tripoli, would you give me a ride on your camel?" I
answered, "Every morning a couple of hours," during which time I
always walk. She then complained of her poverty. She did not know
how she should get money enough to go on her pilgrimage to Mecca. If
God had given her the strength of others, she would have walked
bare-foot over The Desert. I consoled her by saying, that, being a
saint, all the pious Moslems would relieve her. She would get a ride
from one and another, and God would soon help her over the dreary
Desert. The Maraboutess was busy embroidering in coloured worsted,
chiefly the bodies of frocks, which are worn by brides on their
marriage-days, as well as by lady Mooresses on other festivals. In
ten days she earns two shillings, the price of one embroidered
frock. She has always more than she can do, for the women of Sockna
consider garments made by her, "holy robes," and keep them all their
life-time. For the rest, she, poor thing, lives on alms. She asked,
of course, many questions about women in Christian lands, and was
very much surprised to hear that the supreme ruler of England was a
woman. The Maraboutess observed, however, in her character as such,
"What a pity she (the Queen of England) was not the daughter of
Mahomet, like Fatima!" The saintess then asked if Her Majesty had
any children, and was glad to hear she had so many. Three or four
children is a good number for women in these oases. She was puzzled
to know why I was not married. I told her I could not carry about a
wife in Sahara. Another woman, listening, observed, "Why, you
foolish one, leave her at home till you return." These ladies then
spoke of religious rites, and asked me if a Christian, when he was
buried, was placed on his knees. This notion they have got from our
habits of prayer. Moslems never kneel, properly speaking, at prayer.
Their attitudes at prayer are in style and essence, prostration. The
ladies, growing bolder, began to speak of the "Bad Place," the
_ultima thule_ of Moorish discussion with Christians, imitating the
fire of perdition with their hands and mouth, wafting the air with
those, and blowing and puffing with this, and then asked me how I
should like "The Fire" (النار). But I returned, "Christians say
all Mohammedans will go into that fire." This greatly shocked them,
and they asked if I thought so likewise. I replied, "All who fear
God, and are good to their neighbour, may expect to see Paradise, if
there be one." "Ah, that's good!" these proselyting ladies
exclaimed. The Maraboutess was, however, more thoughtful. "Do you
doubt there is a Paradise?" she asked, looking me full in the face.
_I._--"There must be such a place, at least let us hope so; for this is a
bad world, and everybody in it is miserable--Sultans and Dervishes."
"God is great!" exclaimed the Maraboutah. She then begged for medicine to
cure her, for although she had stigmata like St. Francis, she would
rather be cured of them. I recommended her the baths in Tripoli, and to
put herself under the treatment of the English doctor. "Oh," she added,
"send me some medicine, and I'll give you some milk." Then the poor
thing, groaning with an attack of pain, continued, "Do, make haste." I
could do nothing for the poor sufferer. On returning to my house, I sent
her some cream-of-tartar, and received from her some milk immediately,
showing her high sense of gratitude.
_27th._--Visited the little dirty Kaed. He gave me dates' syrup to drink.
It was more delicious than honey This syrup is made by pouring fresh
water on fresh dates, and covering up the bowl in which they are placed,
allowing it to stand a night. Only one of the species of the Sockna
dates, but that of the most exquisite quality, will produce this Saharan
ambrosia.
Generally, if dates are steeped in water, they will not produce syrup,
and only get a little soft. People never wash dates. They say it deprives
them of their fine fresh and peculiar date-flavour. When the Mudeer
handed me the bowl to drink the syrup, he observed to the Moors and his
precious doxy, sitting wantonly by his side, "The Christians are fine
people. If in Sockna you give them a cup of coffee, or a few dates, and
see them afterwards in Tripoli they will make you many compliments, and
be very kind to you." This remark was made spontaneously, having no
selfish end. The old Turk was too much of a gentleman in his way to allow
such a sordid calculation to enter his mind at the time. I may mention
here, a woman observed when I visited the Maraboutess, (addressing me),
"You must send the medicine, for a Christian _mou yakidtheb_ (never
lies)." It is a pity that these people, who have discernment enough to
see at times the moral superiority of Christians, should not look a
little below the surface and inquire into its cause. Not, however, that
all Europeans, (or myself,) deserve these high compliments of gratitude
and love of truth, although, compared to Moors and Arabs, we are
certainly far their superiors in morals. The little dirty Turk had as
usual his fair concubine installed on the seat of honour. Sockna people
say, "She has no husband," and others, "She is the Kaed's wife," to make
the best of a bad appearance.
_28th._--Shut up writing during the morning, but in the evening paid a
visit to the little nasty dirty Turk, and found the little nasty dirty
fellow very civil. His Excellency complained of being very sick. I
returned immediately to fetch him some medicine. Afterwards we mounted
together to the top of the Castle. From this eminence, we had a splendid
view of the environs, and the various little oases of Sockna and its
neighbouring desert. The distant mountains form an unbroken circular line
on the pale margin of the sky, except on the east, where it is indented a
little, but of several heights and colours, giving a fine and more varied
effect to The Desert scene. Within this circle, at the base of the
various groups, are black-green palms, scattered in little forests,
casting shades on the now white, now light red, and now purple mountain
sides, as if to set off the perspective of The Desert picture. Here and
there are garden-huts or lodges in the wilderness, so many black spots
within little squares of pale-green patches of corn cultivation. There is
a string of moving dots. What is that? A caravan winding along its weary
way. Not a bird is seen to wing the ambient air. The atmosphere generally
is a pale unpolished yellow, inclining in some cloudy flakes to red. The
Saharan sun now fast descends, with a feeble heat and exhausted lustre,
showing the near approach of the dull and drowsy step of shadowy night.
There is something about Saharan views which is peculiar to them and to
Africa; every object is so smoothed down and smoothed over, that the
scenery of Desert looks at a distance more like paint and picture-work,
than the stern realities of the Wasteful Sahara. And yet these
smoothed-down picture-objects are so well defined and sharply
prominent--all the lines traced in the most absolute manner--no blending
of shapes or even colours. Mist and misty objects are not frequent in the
African Desert.
The Castle of Sockna would be considered by us a ruined building, and
condemned as unsafe to be inhabited, but here it is always "The Castle."
It does not contain a single good room; all is tumbling to pieces, and if
you don't take care, you will fall through some of the floors, gaping
open with large holes at your feet to let you in. Only one miserable
piece of cannon was mounted, and two other pieces of ordnance were lying
"below stairs," corroding most delightfully in rust. But the Turks never
pretend that this place can make any serious defence against an enemy.
Were indeed a good piece of ordnance fired from the top of The Castle,
the concussion would knock down all the part of the building where it was
placed. As it is, a portion of the outer walls has fallen down, and the
rubbish is scattered up to the doors of the neighbouring shops. No effort
is made to clear away this rubbish. "Why should it not remain where God
has allowed it to fall?" says the fate-believing Moslemite. The owners of
the shops creep to their magazines of merchandize as they best may. I
remarked to the little dirty Turk, who sat with a dreamy stare looking
over The Desert, smoking very unpolitely with his back to the sun, "This
country without question was formerly in a much better state, and The
Castle in good repair." His Excellency shook his head negatively. The
Turks detest this country, hating its inhabitants with the most cordial
hatred. Yet the lust of rule, (the object of a fatal ambition in all
Moslemite countries,) and the right and power of bastinading a man when
they please, reconciles them to The Desert, and to its weary, dreary,
blank mode of existence. For what toys do men sacrifice the best days of
their life, and the most noble faculties of their being!
Glad to get away from the dirty old Turk. Called later to see my dearest
Maraboutess, with whom I was almost inclined to fall in love. It is a
positive relief to find something, and somebody amiable in this Desert of
human affections. The saint had many visitors, and is evidently held in
high respect by the inhabitants. Her female associates sitting by her,
asked me, what has been so often asked before, if the Christian women
brought three or four children at a birth. From some cause or other,
polygamy, obesity in the women, or the abuse of the marriage-bed, Saharan
females have very few children. There were five elderly men in our
caravan; all were married, of course, for every man marries amongst
Mahometans. These old gentlemen had not more than two children each, and
one of them none. I set the Sockna ladies right, telling them, some of
our women had twins, and now and then three, but that one was the rule.
Every thing about us Christians is exaggerated. The people of these towns
think us a distinct race from themselves. Such is the effect of religion
when misapplied; it estranges men from one another instead of drawing
them together with the cords of brotherly affection. An Arab present with
us, changing the subject, asked why I did not go to Bornou, for all the
Oulad Suleiman (Arabs of the Syrtis) up at Bornou were friends of the
English, and one and the same with them? He continued, "But let them come
here to cut down again our palms, and we will not leave one of them
alive." I gave the poor Maraboutess a few paras, received her blessing,
and bade her an affectionate adieu. Happy would be many, if with such
bodily afflictions they could amuse themselves with such blissful
visions!
His Excellency presented me with half a pound of coffee, and told me to
beware of the Sockna people, who would rob me of it if they could.
_29th._--Called early to visit the "Grand Turk" of the Castle, and
administered to his Excellency a full dose of genuine Epsom. In turn, he
gave me a basin of coffee with milk,--quite a novelty in The
Desert,--which I thought a splendid exchange. I had a good deal to do to
get him to swallow the Epsom. On calling to see him in the afternoon, I
found his Excellency racing about like a real jockey of Epsom, running
out at times very abruptly, to the great amusement of his Sultana, who
admired the effects of the Epsom. Called again in the evening to see my
patient, and found his Excellency suffering from what he called
dysentery, and administered a couple of small opium pills. The Turk
observed, with something of a grin, that Christian doctors knew more of
the inside than the outside of a man.
_30th._--Another Turk arrived this morning with another convoy of
provisions from Tripoli. He is twenty days from that city. He
complains of the camels. Certainly I never saw worse camels than
these of the Tripoline Arabs. The Turk brings good news. Rain has
fallen copiously in The Mountains. It is the "_latter_ rain" in the
Scriptural phrase, ὑετον οψιμον. The "_early_ rain," ὑετον πρωϊμον,
falls in North Africa about September and October. The "_latter_
rain" continues to April, and sometimes falls in May. In December
and January there is often dry weather, and the finest season in the
year for Europeans. Want of rain in Fezzan and Sockna is compensated
for by the abundance of springs. These rains in The Mountains will
establish the rule of the Turks. It is only a question of
provisions. The want of rain for several years has brought Tripoli
to the verge of ruin, and the Sultan is tired of supporting this
Regency. If a few good harvests come, Tripoli will support itself.
Wrote to Mr. Gagliuffi by this caravan, to tell him where I was on
the 30th of March! He expects me by this time to be at Tripoli. We
are to leave this evening.
Amused myself again by noticing several parallel ideas between The East
and Africa, as found in our Scriptures.
In these countries there is always some one great river; for this
reason, Moors will always have the Nile and the Niger to be "one
great river." Mr. Cooley, in his "Negroland of the Arabs," proposes,
for the various names given by ancient and modern geographers to the
Niger, the simple epithet of "The Great River." In The East, we
have, τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν μεγαν τὸν Εὐφράτην (Rev. xvi. 12), "The Great
River Euphrates." It is not to be supposed the prophets and
evangelists were instructed in geography beyond their age. The vial
of wrath is not poured upon Ganges, or Mississippi, or Amazon, but
on Euphrates, the great river of that age and time, although not of
our age and times.
Καλαμον χρυσοῦν (Rev. xxi. 15), "a golden reed." The term
καλαμον, the root of which are the three consonants κλμ,
is the same as قلم, "a reed" first, and afterwards, "a
pen made of a reed." It is difficult sometimes to get reeds in The
Desert, and they are carried about from oasis to oasis. On the salt
plains of Emjessem, near Ghadames, there is a fine lagoon of reeds,
of which pens are made. It is probable the angel _wrote_ the
measurement of the "Holy Jerusalem" with a reed pen, and not
_measured_ it with a reed, as represented in our version.
Και ἡ γυνη εφυγεν εις την ερημον (Rev. xii. 6), "and the woman fled
to the Wilderness." The Wilderness, or Desert, in ancient times, as
now, in this part of the world, was always a place of refuge; but,
as the world becomes civilized, the Wilderness will offer no
resource to the fugitive, and the back-woods of the new colonies
will no longer shelter the runaway, or outlaw of society, or the
innocent patriot fleeing from the pursuit of his country's tyrants.
Gibbon gives an affecting description of the fugitive Roman, who
found Rome's omnipresent tyrant in every clime whither he fled, on
every soil paced by his trembling foot. Before this time arrives,
let us hope liberty will have settled down, with its outspread eagle
wings sheltering every country of the habitable globe.
Εὰν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ, καὶ ζήσωμεν, καὶ ποιήσωμεν τοῦτο ἢ εκεῖνο.
(James iv. 15.) Mahomet and his disciples have made enough of this
divine injunction, which, indeed, ought to be more practised by
Christians. By the Moslems, however, it is carried to a superstitious
excess, and the _En shallah_--ان شاء الله--"_Deo
Volente_," is continually in their mouths. They cannot even say,
"Yes," to anything, although _la, la_, "no, no," is heard frequently
enough. The _aywah_, ايوه, "yes," means rather "well done," than
"yes." But it is a pity they have not adopted, with the same
superstitious strictness, the ομνὑετε, "swear not," of the same
writer; for no people in the world swear so much, and by such sacred
names, as the Arabs and Moors.
Φόβος ὀυκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἀλλ' ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν
φόβον, ὅτι ὁ φόβος κόλασιν ἔχει. (1 John iv. 18.) "There is no fear
in love, but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath
torment." I have never yet heard the Arabs or Moors speak of
"_loving_ God." They say either, "He _knows_ God," or, "He _fears_
God." Nevertheless, such phrases agree with our expression of
religious sentiment. Besides knowing and fearing God, our religion
requires that we _love_ God. This the Saharan Mussulman does not
well understand. All his religious system is: "To know that there is
a God, to be feared and dreaded as an earthly Prince or Sultan, who
at times rules them with a rod of iron." So all their actions,
motives, impulses, whether religions or secular, spring the rather
from fear than love. And so it is, that whenever they speak to a
Christian about religion, their first and last argument is, "The
torments of the Lost," as I have already so often mentioned; and the
fear of the fire of perdition, it may be added, is their continual
"torment." The Koran helps them out, in their dread of corporal
torments. I need not refer to the celebrated passage, which
represents the wicked in the regions of the lost as "gnawing their
fingers and knuckles in the rage and agonies of their pain." But in
Rev. xvi. 10, we also have--εμασσωντο τας γλωσσας αὑτων εκ του πονου
"they gnawed their tongues for pain." In both cases the picture is
too terrible to be calmly contemplated. It is a true observation of
philosophy, that the pictures of the future state of man, as
delineated in the sacred books of different religions, are, the
greater part of them of a painful and horrible character. But the
Koran surpasses all these books, in wire-drawn and elaborately
wrought descriptions, the most mournful, the most disgusting, the
most terrible, of the torments of the damned. Is it because, men
generally can only be moved by fear, and not by love, to the
practice of virtue and religious observances? But in Sahara the
principle of fear is carried into the minutest relations of social
life. The child fears and venerates, not loves, his father; he
approaches his parent with awe, not with the confidence of love. The
wife always fears, rarely loves, her husband. Connubial pleasures
are not the embraces of love and confidence, but of lust and rule;
and the woman slavishly submits to the caprices of the man, as bound
by an absolute and resistless contract, and not from affection or
any inclination. So it was in earliest times,--the weaker went to the
wall, and the stronger was the master; might was right. Peter ungallantly
reminds the women of his age of κύριον αὐτον καλοῦσα,
"(the wife), calling him (the husband) lord," as the practice of the
women of a still remoter age. Nothing flatters an African husband so
much as to hear his wife call him "lord," and "master." But it was
not the intention of the first propagators of our religion to
disturb the social customs and (Oriental habits of) society.
Besides, the apostles, being Jews and Asiatics, would naturally
introduce into their new doctrine the old despotic notions of the
East regarding women. When Christianity spread west and north, these
notions of despotism over women were resisted in Greece[124] and
Rome, and by the Germanic tribes, amongst whom especially women were
treated as dignified and responsible agents, enjoying equal rights
with men. Nevertheless, the condition of women has improved
everywhere with the spread of the pure morality of Christianity.
Near Sockna, or one and a half hour east, is Houn; and two hours
north-east, is Wadan. The water of these two towns is brackish.
FOOTNOTES:
[121] This is probably an allusion to the following observations
of Captain Lyon, in justification of his assuming the Mahometan
religion:--"It may be necessary before I take leave of Mourzuk,
and indeed of Tripoli, to explain that our adoption of the Moorish
costume was by no means a sufficient safeguard in either of those
places, or in traversing the interior of Africa; for, though it
might, to a casual observer, blind suspicion, yet when we had
occasion to remain for a time at any place, or to perform journeys
in company with strangers, we found that it was absolutely
requisite to conform to all the duties of the Mohammedan religion,
as well as to assume their dress. To this precaution I attribute
our having met with so little hindrance in our proceedings; for
had we openly professed ourselves Christians, we might, in Fezzan,
have experienced many serious interruptions; whilst farther in the
interior, even our lives would have been in continual jeopardy.
The circumstance of our having come from a Christian country,
which we always acknowledged, frequently rendered us liable to
suspicion; but by attending constantly at the established prayers,
and occasionally acknowledging the divine mission of Mahomet; or,
more properly, by repeating, 'There is no God but God, Mahomet is
his Prophet,' we were enabled to overcome all doubts respecting
our faith." It must be added, in justice to Messrs. Ritchie and
Lyon, that since 1821 a vast change has been wrought in the minds
of the Moors of North Africa, and especially with regard to
Englishmen. When even Denham and Clapperton visited Mourzuk, they
were not allowed to reside in the town, but kept in the castle,
under the special protection of the Bashaw, lest anything should
befall them from the prejudices of the people.
[122] As a suitable accompaniment of Mussulman charms, I add in a
note, the following specimen of a Christian charm, which I found
in the letter of the _Times'_ Swiss correspondent.--(See _Times_,
10th Dec., 1847):--
"More--I have seen some curious little brass amulets, with the
effigy of the Virgin on one side and the Cross on the other, which
were sold in great numbers to the people as charms against all
possible injuries in battle. Those sold at seven and ten batzen
(about 10_d._ and 15_d._ of our money) were efficacious against
musket and carbine balls; those at twenty batzen (about
half-a-crown) were proof against cannon shot also! The purchasers
of these medals were also presented with a card, of which the
following is a _verbatim_ transcript, capitals, italics, and
all:--
'O MARIE
CONCUE SANS PECHE,
PRIEZ POUR NOUS QUI AVONS RECOURS A VOUS!
'_Quiconque_, portant une médaille miraculeuse, recite avec piété
cette invocation, se trouve placé sous la protection spéciale de
la Mère de Dieu; c'est une promesse de Marie Elle Même.'
Which, being interpreted--if indeed I may be excused for profaning
the honest English tongue with such blasphemy--is,
'Oh Mary!--conceived without sin--pray for us who have recourse to
you. _Any one_ carrying a miraculous medal, who recites with piety
the above invocation, becomes placed under the especial protection
of the Mother of God. This is a promise made by Mary herself.'"
[123] This is the tiresome, frequently-recurring phrase of the
Koran.
[124] So we find Paul declaiming that he will not suffer a woman
to speak in the churches. It was the Greek women who wished to
assert the dignity of woman by teaching in the assemblies of the
saints.