Leave Mizdah--Gloomy Country--Matrimonial Squabbles in the
Caravan--"Playing at Powder"--Desert Geology--A Roman Mausoleum--Sport--A
Bully tamed--Fatiguing March--Wady Taghijah--Our old Friend the
Ethel-Tree--The Waled Bou Seif--Independent Arabs--A splendid
Mausoleum--One of the Nagahs foals--Division of a Goat--March over a
monotonous Country--Valley of Amjam--Two new Trees--Saluting the New
Moon--Sight the Plateau of the Hamadah--Wady Tubooneeah--Travelling
Flies--The Desert Hour--A secluded Oasis--Buying Barley--Ghareeah--Roman
Remains--Oasian Cultivation--Taxation--Sand-Pillar--Arrangements for
crossing the Hamadah--An _Emeute_ in the Caravan--Are compelled to
discharge the quarrelsome Ali.
We started for Mizdah, at length, towards noon, Sheikh Omer bringing us
a little on our way, and, begging to be well spoken of in high quarters;
and after passing the ruins of two Arab castles that frown over the
southern side of Wady Esh-Shrâb, got into a gloomy country, exactly
resembling that on the other side of the oasis, except that the strata
of the limestone rocks, instead of being horizontal are inclined. The
whole desert, however, wears a more arid appearance. Yet there were some
lote-trees here and there, and a few tholukhs. The, traces of the aoudad
were noticed; and the blacks, picking up its dung, smelt it as musk,
saying, "It is very good." As I jogged on upon my camel, the oppressive
heat caused me to sleep and dream in the saddle of things that had now
become the province of memory.
More quarrels! The chaouches are boiling over again; they must fight it
out between them. No doubt they are both correct in exchanging the
epithet of "thief." Scarcely has the grumbling of these two terrible
fellows died away, when the blacks are at it amongst themselves. He who
has two wives gets hold of his blunderbuss, and threatens to blow
himself to pieces. Nobody interferes; there is little public spirit in a
caravan: so he consents to an explanation, saying sententiously, "My
little wife is mad." The fact is, his two helpmates, one young and one
old, are vastly too much for him, as they would be for most men. He
moves along in a perpetual family tornado. The mother of the young one,
a sort of derwish negress, is a tremendous old intriguer, and stirs up
at least one feud a day. Quarrelling is meat and drink to her.
It would have been out of character had not Ali got up a little
convulsion on his own account. One day, in the Targhee's absence, he
took his gun to "play at powder," and using English material, succeeded
in splitting the machine near the lock. When the Targhee returned, and
found what damage had been done, he began first to whimper, and then
working himself up into a towering passion, swore he would shoot the
culprit. Scarcely with that weapon, O Targhee! When his excitement was
over, I offered to make a collection among the people to indemnify him;
but he shook his head, laughed, and refused. The gun was nearly all his
property, and he had just bought it new at Tripoli.[2]
[2] The Orientals are prevented by superstitious fear from
allowing any article destroyed by accident to be replaced
in the way mentioned.--Ed.
All this part of Northern Africa may be compared to an archipelago, with
seas of various breadths dividing the islands. Three days took us from
Tripoli to Gharian, and three more to Mizdah. We were now advancing
across the preliminary desert stretching in front of the great plateau
of the Hamadah, which defends, like a wall of desolation, the approaches
of Fezzan from the north. At first occur broken limestone hills, as
previous to Mizdah; but when we approach the plateau the aspect of the
hills changes, and they are composed chiefly of variegated marl mixed
with gypsum, and with a covering of limestone. Fossil shells were picked
up at intervals. Some huge, irregular masses, that appeared ahead during
the first day, were mistaken by us for the edge of the plateau; but we
broke through, and left them right and left as we proceeded. They are
great masses of limestone and red clay, in which are scooped deep
valleys, many of them supplied with abundant herbage. As yet we have
never attained a level of more than 2500 feet above the level of the
sea. Water must exist underground, if we may argue from the presence of
the aoudad and the gazelle. Indeed, out of the line of route, amongst
the hills, there are wells and Arab tents. The presence of Roman remains
reminds us that the country has seen more prosperous times. We encamped
on the 11th in a wady, overlooked by the ruins of a mausoleum, which had
assumed colossal proportions in the distance. Some Berber letters were
carved upon its walls; probably by Tuaricks, who had formerly inhabited
the district.
One of our blacks this day killed a lêfa, the most dangerous species of
snake; and several thobs or lizards were caught. The greyhound of the
Fezzanee also ran down a hare. Next day it procured us a gazelle; but
with these exceptions were seen only ground-larks, and what we call in
Lincolnshire water-wagtails.
It is worth mentioning that at this place our chaouch sprained his
ankle, and Dr. Overweg applied spirits of camphor as lotion. This
terrible fellow, this huge swaggerer, this eater-up of ordinary timid
mortals, was reduced to the meekness of a lamb by his slight accident;
and for the first time since the caravan was blessed with his presence
did he remain tranquil, breathing out from time to time a soft
complaint. In the course of the day he had contrived to make himself
particularly disagreeable. First he fell out with the servant of the
Germans, Mahommed of Tunis. Then he quarrelled with us all, because he
picked up a blanket for somebody and was refused his modest demand of
three piastres as a reward. We are heartily glad that he is tamed for
awhile.
On the 12th, shortly after we started, I happened to look behind and
saw, coming from the west, some clouds that seemed to give promise of
rain. Already I felt the air cooled by anticipation, but was soon
undeceived. In the course of an hour a gheblee began to blow, and
continued to increase in violence until it enervated the whole caravan.
Our poor black women began to drop with fatigue, and we were compelled
to place them on the camels. Here was a foretaste of the desert, its
hardships and its terrors! The air was full of haze, through which we
could scarcely see the flagging camels, with their huge burdens; and the
men, as they crawled along, were apparently ready to sink on the ground
in despair. We breathed the hot atmosphere with difficulty and
displeasure.
Right glad were we then, at length, to reach the Wady Taghijah, where I
at once recognised my old desert friend, under whose spreading and heavy
boughs I once had passed a night alone in the Sahara,--the ethel-tree!
It is a species of _Pinus_, growing chiefly in valleys of red clay on
the top of mounds, which are sometimes overshadowed by a gigantic tree,
with arms measuring four feet in circumference. Of its wood are made the
roofs of houses, the frames of camel-saddles, and bowls for holding milk
and other food. With the berries and a mixture of oil the people prepare
their water-skins, as well as tan leather. The valley is strewed with
huge branches, cut down for the purpose of extracting resin. The ethel
and the batoum are the most interesting of desert-trees, and I shall
regret to exchange them for the tholukh. I wrote down the names of
fourteen shrubs found in the valley of Taghijah: two of them, the sidr
and the katuf, are edible by man; the rest, with the exception of the
_hijatajel_, afford food for the camels.
In this valley, amongst the trees, we found the flocks and horses of the
Waled Bou Seif feeding. This tribe--the children of the Father of the
Sword--are wandering Arabs, who have never acknowledged the authority of
the Tripoli Government. They possess flocks, camels, and horses,--every
element, in fact, of desert wealth. All the mountains near and round
about Mizdah are claimed by them as their country, which has never,
perhaps, been reduced by any power but the Roman. A young man of the
tribe, who was tending some sheep in the valley, came to visit us. He
was a fine, cheerful fellow, with an open countenance, well dressed,
having, besides his barracan, red leather boots, trousers, and a shirt.
All his tribe, according to his account, are so dressed. He boasted of
the independence of his people, who number three thousand strong, and
extend their influence as far south as Ghareeah. The name of the tribe
is derived, he tells us, from a great warrior who once lived, and was
named by the people Bou Seif, because he always carried a sword.
Our chaouch gave us an account of this young man in the following
strain:--"He is in very deed a marabout! His wife never unveiled her
face to any man; and his own mother kisses his hand. He is master of
wealth, and never leaves this valley. He has a house and flocks of
sheep, and a hundred camels, which always rest in the valley, bringing
forth young, and are never allowed to go into the caravans," &c. &c.
We were detained during the whole of the 13th, because the water was at
a distance and our people had to fetch it. There were marks of recent
rain in the valley, but there is no well; only a few muddy puddles. Dr.
Barth, in wandering about, discovered here a splendid mausoleum, of
which he brought back a sketch. It was fifty feet high, of
Roman-Christian architecture,--say of the fourth or fifth century. No
doubt, remains of cities and forts will be discovered in these
districts. Such tombs as these indicate the presence in old time of a
large and opulent population.
One of the nagahs foaled this day, which partly accounts for our
detention. For some time afterwards the cries of the little camel for
its mother, gone to feed, distressed us, and called to our mind the life
of toil and pain that was before the little delicate, ungainly thing. It
is worth noticing, that the foal of the camel is frolicsome only for a
few days after its birth--soon becoming sombre in aspect and solemn in
gait. As if to prepare it betimes for the rough buffeting of the world,
the nagah never licks or caresses its young, but spreads its legs to
lower the teat to the eager lips, and stares at the horizon, or
continues to browse.
Our people clubbed together and bought a goat for a mahboub. They then
divided it into five lots, and an equal number of thongs was selected by
the five part-owners of the meat; these were given to a stranger not
concerned in the division, and he arbitrarily placed one upon each
piece, from which decision there was no appeal.
On the 14th we rose before daybreak, and were soon in motion. No change
was noticed in the country, limestone rocks and broad valleys running in
all directions. The ground is sometimes scattered with fossil shells,
some of the _exogyra_, others of the oyster species; all flints. There
were apparent traces of the hyæna, but of no other wild animals. Some
sheep were at graze; and the long stubble of last year's crop of barley,
in irregular patches, told us that when there is copious rain the Arabs
come to these parts for agricultural purposes. We noticed the English
hedge-thorn here and there, and thought of the green lanes of our native
land.
Nine hours' journey brought us to the valley of Amjam, where there was a
khafilah of senna encamped among the trees. Water--rather bitter,
however--may be found here in shallow excavations; and the whole place,
with its patches of herbage, is highly refreshing to the eye.
There are two new trees in this wady, both interesting; the _Ghurdok_
and the _Ajdaree_. The _ghurdok_, on which the camels browse, is a large
bush with great thorns, and bears a red berry about the size of our hip,
or, as the marabout says, of sheep's dung. People eat these berries and
find them good, with a saltish, bitter taste, and yet a dash of
sweetness. The _ajdaree_ is also a thorny bush, and at a distance
something reminds one of the English hedge-thorn. On a nearer approach
the leaves are found to be oval and filbert-shaped. The berry, called
_thomakh_, is nearly as large as haws, but flatted at the sides: it is
used medicinally, being a powerful astringent in diarrhoea.
When the moon was two days old our people practised a little of the
ancient Sabæanism of the Arabs--saluting it by kissing their hands, and
offering a short prayer.
On the 15th we at length sighted the edge of the plateau of the Hamadah;
and pushing on still through desert hills and valleys, arrived at Wady
Tabooneeah, having been _en route_ four days from Mizdah. This valley is
not so fertile as Amjam; and the water is more bitter. Common salt, the
companion of gypsum, was observed to-day; and wherever this is found
there are bitter salts. Swallows were skimming over the shrubs, and
birds of prey hovered about, now lying-to, as it were, overhead, with
beak and talons visible, now circling upwards until they became mere
specks. Lizards and beetles abounded as usual; but the only plagues of
the place were the flies, which had followed the camels from Gharian,
and even from Tripoli. Men usually carry their "black cares" along with
them in this way.
As we could not expect to commence the traject of the dreaded plateau
immediately, I resolved to go upon a visit to the village of Western
Ghareeah. The camel-drivers of the caravan, of course, told us that it
was at the distance of one hour--_Saha bas!_ but we found it to be three
hours in a north-east direction. Time is of little consequence in the
desert, and no means are possessed or desired of measuring it with
exactitude. It has already been observed by a traveller, that the
Bedawin will describe as _near_ an object a hundred yards off, or a well
two days' journey from you. Western Ghareeah was likewise described as
_grayeb_, but we thought for some time that we had ventured upon an
interminable desert. However, the ground at length dipped, and a green
wady disclosed itself. We could scarcely, at first, find anybody to
receive us. But after waiting some time, the people came unwillingly
crawling out one after the other. We told them our errand--"To look at
the country and buy barley." They swore they had none--not a grain; but
when we swore in our turn that we would pay them for what we wanted,
they admitted having a little that belonged to some people in Fezzan. I
was amused with the eloquent indignation of our burly chaouch when they
professed complete destitution at first. "You dogs! do you live on
stones?" cried he. This was a settler; and showed them that they had
knowing ones to deal with. Of course their original shyness arose from
fear lest we might rob them. When a bargain was struck they became quite
friendly, and brought us out some oil, barley-cakes, and boiled
eggs--all the luxuries of the oasis!
Ghareeah Gharbeeah stands on the brow of a limestone rock, on the
western side of a valley, which we had to cross in approaching between
date plantations and a few fields of barley. It was an ancient Roman
city; and there remains still an almost perfect bas-relief of a Victoria
on one side of the eastern gateway, which is composed of limestone
blocks a foot and a half square. We could trace also the imperfect
letters of a Latin inscription, together with some Berber characters.
The houses of the present inhabitants are formed of rough blocks of
limestone mixed with mud, and roofed with palm-trunks and palm-trees.
The water resembles that of the well of Tabooneeah, coming "from the
same rock," as the people say: it is slightly bitter and saltish.
With the exception of the little valley we had crossed, nothing could be
seen from Ghareeah but a dreary waste, especially to the south and east.
A tower of modern date rises to the east, on a solitary rock; and we
knew that Eastern Ghareeah was concealed among the hills at a distance
of six hours. The inhabitants of these secluded towns are called
Waringab, and promise shortly to become extinct. In this Western
Ghareeah there are twenty heads of families, but very few
children,--scarce sixty souls altogether; and the population of the
other place, which gives itself airs of metropolitan importance, is not
more than double. How they have not abandoned the place long ago to
jackals and hawks is a mystery. They do not possess a single camel; only
two or three asses and some flocks of sheep; and depend, in a great
measure, on chance profits from caravans, for their valley often only
affords provision for a couple of months or so. At intervals, it is
true, when there has been much rain, they sell barley in the
neighbouring valleys; but this season has been a dry one, and the crop
has consequently fallen short. When they have no barley, they say, they
eat dates; and when the dates are out, they fast--a long, continual
fast--and famine takes them off one by one. The melancholy remnant
preserve traditions of prosperity in comparatively recent times.
Notwithstanding their miserable condition, however, these wretched
people are drained by taxation of thirty mahboubs per annum--so many
drops of blood! The eastern village pays in proportion. Possibly in a
few years this cluster of wadys may be abandoned to chance Arab
visitors, so that the starting-point for the traverse of the Hamadah
will be removed farther back, perhaps to Mizdah. There is no life in the
civilisation which claims lordship over these countries unfriended by
nature. The only object of those who wield paramount authority over them
seems to be to extract money in the most vexatious and expeditious
manner.
I purchased of the people of Ghareeah a greyhound bitch for four
Tunisian piastres, so that we may now expect some hares and gazelles. In
returning to the encampment I observed the phenomenon of a column of
dust carried into the heavens in a spiral form by the wind, whilst all
around was perfectly calm. Such columns are not of so frequent
occurrence in the desert as is imagined, but from time to time, as in
this instance, are seen.
The evening was spent in making arrangements with Dr. Barth and Dr.
Overweg, who had agreed to traverse the Hamadah by day, whilst I was to
follow by night, with the blacks. Next morning, accordingly, the caravan
separated into two portions, and my companions rode slowly away over the
burning desert.
This important day could not be allowed to pass by my people without a
tremendous quarrel. Our blacks seemed to be in a peculiarly excitable
state. Ali, especially, who has distinguished himself for several days
in the obstreperous line, has had a regular turn-to with his
father-in-law; and not satisfied with this, nearly strangled Moknee's
son. The Mandara black threw himself on the ground and called
out,--"Load my pistol, O Chaouch; I must shoot this reprobate Ali!"
This fellow is a pest in the caravan, and I have been obliged to send
him off and insist on his return to Tripoli. He may be brought to his
senses in this way.