Produced by Carlo Traverso and the Online Distributed

[Illustration: JAMES RICHARDSON ESQ^R.
             _In the Ghadamsee Costume._
ENGRAVED BY GEORGE COOK FROM THE ORIGINAL DRAWING.
            London: Richard Bentley, 1848.]

TRAVELS

IN

THE GREAT DESERT
OF SAHARA,

IN THE YEARS OF 1845 AND 1846.

CONTAINING

A NARRATIVE OF PERSONAL ADVENTURES, DURING A TOUR OF NINE
MONTHS THROUGH THE DESERT, AMONGST THE TOUARICKS
AND OTHER TRIBES OF SAHARAN PEOPLE;

INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF

THE OASES AND CITIES OF GHAT, GHADAMES,
AND MOURZUK.

BY JAMES RICHARDSON.

Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,
Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty.
M.D.CCC.XLVIII.

LONDON
HARRISON AND CO., PRINTERS,
ST. MARTIN'S LANE.

[Illustration: MAP _ILLUSTRATING_ THE TRAVELS AND RESEARCHES _OF
JAMES RICHARDSON IN_ THE GREAT DESERT OF SAHARA _BY_ JAMES WYLD
_GEOGRAPHER TO THE QUEEN London, Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street,
1848._ ENGRAVED BY J. WYLD, CHARING CROSS EAST]

INTRODUCTION.

THE sentiment of Antiquity--that "The life of no man is pleasing to the
gods which is not useful to his fellows,"--has been my guiding principle
of action during the last twelve years of my life. To live for my own
simple and sole gratification, to have no other object in view but my own
personal profit and renown, would be to me an intolerable existence. To
be useful, or to attempt to be useful, in my day and generation, was the
predominant motive which led me into The Desert, and sustained me there,
alone and unprotected, during a long and perilous journey.

But, in presenting this work to the British public, I have to state, that
it is only _supplementary_ and _fragmentary_. If, therefore, any one were
to judge of the results of my Saharan Tour merely by what is here given,
he would do me a great injustice. I had expected, by this time, that
certain Reports on the Commerce and Geography of The Great Desert, as
well as a large Map of the Routes of this part of Africa, would have been
given to the public. It is not my fault that their publication is still
delayed. I can only regret it, because what I am now publishing comes
_first_, instead of _last_, and consequently deranges my plan, the
following pages being, indeed, _supplementary_ to the Reports and Map. I
come, therefore, before the public with no small disadvantage.

With regard to these supplementary and fragmentary extracts from my
journal, I have also to state, they consist only of about two-thirds of
the journal. For the present, I deemed it prudent to suppress the rest.
But this likewise may disturb the harmony and mar the completeness of the
work. However, if these portions of the journal are favourably received,
other extracts may yet be published.

On entering The Desert, my principal object was to ascertain how and to
what extent the Saharan Slave-Trade was carried on; although but a
comparatively small portion of the following pages is devoted to this
subject. I have already reported fully on this traffic, and it was
unnecessary to go over the ground again, which might defeat, by
disagreeable repetitions and endless details, the object which I have in
view,--that of exciting an abhorrence of the Slave-Trade in the hearts of
my fellow countrymen and countrywomen.

In these published extracts from my journal, I have endeavoured to give a
truthful and faithful picture of the Saharan Tribes; their ideas,
thoughts, words, and actions; and, where convenient, I have allowed them
to speak and act for themselves. This is the main object which I have
undertaken to accomplish in this Narrative of my Personal Adventures in
The Sahara. The public must, and will, I doubt not, judge how far I have
succeeded, and award me praise or blame, as may be my desert. If I have
failed, I shall not abandon myself to despair, but shall console myself
with the thought that I have done the best I was able to do under actual
circumstances, and in my then state of health. It would, indeed, ill
become me to shrink from public criticism, after having braved the
terrors and hardships of The Desert. However, the publication of this
journal may induce others to penetrate The Desert,--persons better
qualified, and more ably and perfectly equipped than myself, and who may
so accomplish something more permanently advantageous than what I have
been able to compass. Acting, then, as pioneer to others, my Saharan
labours will not be fruitless.

But, if any persons obstinately object to the style and matters of my
Narrative of Desert Travel, I shall likewise as obstinately endeavour to
hold my ground. To all such I say,--"Go to now, ye objectors and
gainsayers, and do better." My mission was _motu proprio_, and I plunged
in The Desert without your permission. But I am but one of the two
hundred millions of Europe. You can surely get volunteers. You have the
money, the rank, the patronage, and the learned and philanthropic
Societies of Europe at your back. Send others; inspire them yourselves,
and they may produce something which you like better than what I have
given you. If I am not orthodox enough,--if I have not reviled the Deism
of The Desert sufficiently to your taste,--send those who will. A little
less zeal in Exeter Hall, and a little more in The Desert, would do
neither you nor the world any harm. A little less clamour about Church
orthodoxy, or any other doxy[1], and a little more anxiety for the
welfare of all mankind, would infinitely more become you, as Englishmen
and Christians, and be more in harmony with that divine injunction, which
sent out the first teachers of Christianity amongst the Greeks and
Barbarians, in The City and The Desert, to preach the Gospel to every
creature under heaven. If I be too much of an abolitionist, send one who
admires slavery, and who will write up the Slave-Trade of The Desert. I
have written in my way: you write in your way. If my pages disclose no
discoveries in science, this I can only lament. When a man has no science
in him, or no education in science, he can give you none. But what are
your European Societies of Science for? Are they play-things, or are they
serious affairs? Have you neither money nor zeal to equip a scientific
expedition to The Desert? If not, I cannot help you. By the way, I was
astonished to receive, since my return, a note from one of your eminent
geologists, repudiating and protesting against all knowledge of the
subject of "The Geology of The Desert." And The Desert is a fifth part of
the African Continent! Yet this gentleman dogmatizes and theorizes on
all geological formations, and can tell the whole history of the geology
of our planet, from the first moment when it was bowled by the hand of
The Omnipotent in the immensity of space, of suns and systems! If such
presumption and self-willed ignorance discover themselves in great men,
what are we to expect of little men?

In the following pages, I have encroached upon my Reports, to describe
several of the Oases of The Desert, besides giving as much of the routes
as was necessary to render the Narrative of my journey intelligible. But
this is all I could conscientiously do. For the rest of the geographical
information, the public must wait.

I return for a moment to the traffic in slaves. Born with an innate
hatred of oppression, whatever form, or shape, or name it may take, and
under what modes soever it may be developed, mentally or bodily, in
chaining men down under a political despotism, or in forging for them a
creed and forcing it on their consciences,--I have, since I could
exercise the power of reflection, always looked upon the traffic in human
flesh and blood as the most gigantic system of wickedness the world ever
saw; and which I most deplore, in this our late, more humane and
enlightened age, stands forth and raises its horrid head, impiously
defying Heaven! In very truth, it is a system of crime, which dares

    "Defy the Omnipotent to arms!"

The reader must, therefore, excuse the language with which I have
execrated this traffic in the pages of my Journal. There may be some men
who think it no crime to buy and sell their fellow-men; I have seen many
such amongst the Moslems. But he who thinks the traffic in slaves to be a
crime against the human race, has a right to denounce it accordingly. I
must therefore make a few preliminary observations, though painful to my
feelings.

It is notorious that the agitations of the Anti-Corn-Law League have
given very lately a powerful impulse to the Slave-Trade, and slaves have
risen in Cuba to 30 and 50 per cent. above their previous average value,
since _slave_ sugar has been admitted upon the same terms, or nearly so,
as _free-labour_ sugar, into England. This is entirely the work of The
League. Some of these gentlemen think we must have cheap sugar at any
risk, at any cost, even if wetted with the blood of the slaves. A
ridiculous incident occurs to me. I once saw a child frightened into a
dislike for white loaf sugar, by holding up a piece to the candle, and
pretending it dropped blood. But there is no delusion or metaphor here,
for the sugars of slave-plantations are really obtained by the
blood-whippings and scourgings of the victimized slaves!

As to Cobden, his Cobdenites, and Satellites, they would sell their own
souls, and the whole human race into bondage, to have a free trade in
slaves and sugar. This new generation of impostors--who teach that all
virtue and happiness consist in buying in the cheapest, and selling in
the dearest markets--are now dogging at the heels of Government, in
combination with the West India agents, to get them to re-establish a
species of mitigated Slave-Trade, because, forsooth, there should be
right and liberty to buy and sell a man, as there is right and liberty to
buy and sell a beast.

I am not an enemy to Free Trade. I have duly noticed and praised the
free-trade mart of Ghat, and shown how it prospers in comparison with the
restricted system of the Turks, prevalent at Mourzuk. But this I do say,
the case of Slavery was an exceptional case, as the Ten Hours' Factory
Bill was an exceptional case in the regulation and restriction of labour.
I fear, however, there are some of the Leaguers so outrageous in their
advocacy of abstract principles, that they would have a free-trade in
vice--a free-trade in consigning people to perdition! They are of the
calibre of the men who wielded that dread engine of the "Reign of
Terror," the "Committee of Public Safety," and made it death to speak a
word against the "One Indivisible Republic[2]." These Leaguers are bent
upon establishing an equal, although differently-formed, tyranny amongst
us, and we cannot too soon and too energetically resist their odious and
intolerable pretensions.

But I know not, whether these civil tyrants be so bad as the spiritual
tyrants who have just set up for themselves what they call a "Free Kirk."
These reverend gentlemen have received the fruits of the blood of the
slaves, employed on the laborious fields of the Southern States of
America, to build up their new Free Church, pretending they have a
Divine right to receive the value of the forced-labour of slaves, and
quoting Scripture like the Devil himself. When called upon to refund they
refuse, and make the contributions of the Presbyterian slave-dealers of
the United States a sort of corner-stone of their Free Kirk. Why these
priests of religion out-O'Connell-O'Connell, who point-blank refused, for
the support of his sham Repeal, and sent back contemptuously, the dollars
spotted and tainted with the blood of the slaves! . . . . . . . . It is
the old story, the old trick of our good friends, the Scottish divines,
and their old leaven of Scottish fanaticism. We know them of ancient
date. We have read a line of Milton, who in his time so admirably
resisted their bigotry. It is immortal like all that our divine bard
wrote. Here is the line--

    "New Presbyter is but old Priest writ large."

The Free Kirk has cut its connexion with the State, because it says the
State wishes to enslave its ministers. Yet it has no objection to receive
monies from the slave-holders in America. The Free Kirk will build up its
boasted freedom on the wasting blood and bones of the unhappy children of
Africa! Why, indeed, should these Scottish divines, headed by the
Presbyters Candlish and Cunningham, seek or advocate the freedom of the
slaves held by their fellow Presbyters of the United States? Is it not
enough that they seek and maintain their own freedom, and at whatsoever
cost? Have they not received the pro-slavery mantle of the late
venerated Dr. Chalmers, and can they, poor pigmies, possibly shake it
off? Would it not be impious to do so? No, they cannot,--dare not do
this. For, as it was said by Lord George Bentinck, of a quondam champion
of the people, in the last Session of Parliament, "Liberty is on their
tongues, but despotism is in their hearts."

What can be more humiliating to a generous and tolerant mind, than to see
a body of Christian ministers struggling to obtain by a Parliamentary
enactment, the cession of plots of land for building of churches for the
worship of God in liberty and truth, from the tyrannical holders of the
soil; and, at the same time, this very body of priests does not scruple
to receive the money of American slave-holders, to build and endow these
self-same churches? Such incredible inconsistency makes one sick at
heart, and inclined to question the existence of Christian feelings in
the professors and teachers of Christianity!

It is deeply to be deplored that our Anti-Slavery Society confines itself
so much to protests, and what it calls "the moral principle." No people
of the world has done more for the liberties of Africa than the Society
of Friends in England, and no people more admirably exemplify in their
conduct the humane and pacific morals of Christianity. But when the
Founder of our religion resisted his enemies by the remonstrance, "Why
strikest thou me?" something more was meant than a protest. We have had
lately a _triste_ example of the end of protests in a neighbouring
country. The annual protest of the French Chamber of Deputies against
the extinction of the nationality of Poland, not only ended in barren
results, and excited public ridicule, but actually terminated in the
triumph of the nefarious scheme against which it was made. Never was a
country so humiliated as France in this case!--Its Chief, the Sovereign
of its choice, consenting at the time, to the damning act of the
extinction of Polish nationality, for the sake of accomplishing a low and
scandalous family intrigue in Spain! This was something more than
ridiculous, and is one of the many infamies of our age, perpetrated on so
large a scale. Now, I do not assert, that the protests of the
Anti-Slavery Society will end in the re-enactment of the Slave-Trade by
the British Parliament. But the last and present Sessions of Imperial
Parliament, show symptoms of our country abandoning Africa, after the
labours of half a century, to all the horrors of the Slave-Trade. Mr. P.
Borthwick and Mr. Hume, more especially the latter, pleaded, in
conjunction with others, during last Session, for the withdrawal of the
British cruisers from off the Western Coast of Africa, and free trade in
emigration, if not in slaves. In this good work, of course, they have the
sympathies of the Anti-Slavery Free Trading League. Some of our journals
opine, in their late articles, that a change has come over the spirit of
our abolition dream, and suggest that the clerk, in charge of the
Anti-Slavery Papers at the Foreign Office, is an old antiquated,
superannuated being. In a word, these journals and Mr. Hume's pro-slavery
clique, see no reason why Great Britain should not exhibit to this and
succeeding ages, the most dreadful bad faith in the case of British
abolition. They would have us say to the world:--"All our Anti-Slavery
efforts, our Parliamentary enactments against Slavery, our huge blue
books of published Anti-Slavery papers, our protocols and treaties with
Foreign Powers, all, each, and singular, are one grand organized system
of selfishness and hypocrisy." I know very well that, in general,
foreigners give us no credit whatever for our anti-slavery feelings and
public acts for the suppression of the Slave-Trade. This they have
reiterated in my ears. And, how can they give us credit for sincerity in
abolition, when our public men and public writers call for something like
the re-enactment of the British Slave-Trade?--and, whilst our quondam
champions of Free Churches receive the blood-stained money of
slave-labour to build up their new ecclesiastical establishments? Mankind
reason from actions, and not from verbal or written declarations. Our Act
of Abolition, and the famous twenty millions, are not such wonderful
things after all, when we owed a hundred millions to the descendants of
our slaves. We were also nearly half a century in abolishing the traffic,
after it had been denounced as robbery and murder by our highest and
greatest statesmen, Pitt and Fox[3]. This slowness of our work has given
the cue to the suspicions of our national enemies; and, certainly, to
use a gross vulgarism, has "taken out the shine," or very much dimmed the
lustre of this great act of justice to the African race.

Here I cannot restrain myself from giving a word of caution to the
working-classes of our country, to those more especially who head the new
"National Society," and form other and similar leagues. You say the
politicians of the Anti-Corn Law League are your men; you adore your
Humes, and Duncombes, and Wakleys. You, English democrats, or reformers,
as you may call yourselves, admire the self-government and cheap
government of the Transatlantic Model Republic. You do well. But now read
some of their latest handiworks, without note or comment on my part. The
violent impulse given to the Slave-Trade in Cuba and the Brazils--the
advocacy of a free trade in Slaves by the Leaguers in and out the British
Parliament--the invasion and subjugation of Mexico, on the joint
principles of lust of conquest and the extension of Slavery. Deny these
facts if you can. Learn, then, to think, there may be democracy and
republicanism without liberty or freedom.

I pray God, that the protests and public appeals and remonstrances to
Government of the Anti-Slavery Society may not end in barren results. But
if the Leaguers and Democrats have their own way, its voice, though just
and righteous, will be at length reduced to a faint cry, a last shriek of
despair--overwhelmed by the loud laughs and jeers of the fiends, which
possess the dealers in human flesh and blood, and surround unhappy and
doomed Africa with a cordon of rapine and murder, of blood and flames!

    "Where the vultures and vampires of Mammon resort,
        Where Columbia exulting drains
        Her life-blood from Africa's veins,
    Where the image of God is accounted as base,
    And the image of Cæsar set up in its place."

If I were asked, "What can be done for Africa?" I should reply with no
new thing, no nostrums of my own concocting, but what has been reiterated
again and again. Teach her children to till the soil--to cultivate
available exports by which they may obtain in exchange, through the
medium of a legitimate commerce, the European products and manufactures
necessary for their use and enjoyment. Until this be done, nothing
effectual will be done. In vain you send missionaries of religion, or
agents of abolition; in vain you contract treaties with the Princes of
Africa. It is humiliating to think, equally a disgrace to our religion as
to our civilization, that our connexion with Africa has only served to
plunge her into deeper misery and profounder degradation. With truth we
here may apply the strong censure of a Chinese Emperor, "That the march
of Christians is whitened with human bones." Wherever we have touched her
western shores there our footsteps have been marked with blood and
devastation. We have fostered and encouraged within the heart of Africa
the most odious and unnatural passions. We have stimulated the prince to
sell his subjects, the father to sell his child, the brother to sell the
sister, the husband the wife, into thrice-accursed and again accursed
slavery! We have done all and more than this, whilst we have convulsed
every state and kingdom of Africa with war, for the supply of cargoes of
human beings. And for what? To cultivate our miserable cotton and sugar
plantations! These are the doctrines of mercy and charity which we have
taught the poor untutored children of Africa. Happy for poor forlorn,
dusky, naked Africa, had she never seen the pale visage or met the
Satanic brow of the European Christian! Does any man in his senses, who
believes in God and Providence, think that the wrongs of Africa will go
on for ever unavenged? Already, has not Providence avenged the wrongs of
Africa upon Spain and Portugal, by reducing their national character and
consideration to the lowest in the European family of nations? And as to
the United States of America, has not the boasted liberty of our
Republican countrymen, who colonized America, become a by-word, a
hissing, and a scorn, amongst the nations of the earth? Have not these
slave-holding Americans committed acts, nationally, within the last few
years, which the most absolute Governments of Europe would blush to be
guilty of? And what is one of their last acts, on a smaller scale, but
not less decisively indicative of their national morality? The New York
Bible Society has declared that it will not give the Bible to slaves,
even when they are able to read the Bible! Would the Czar of Russia
permit such an impious rule as this to be made by his nobles for their
slaves or serfs? Such an action would render the liberties of a thousand
republics a mockery, a snare, and a delusion, and their names infamous
throughout the world.

And the time of us Englishmen will come next--our day of infamy! unless
we show ourselves worthy that transcendant position in which Providence
has placed us, at the pinnacle of the empires of Earth, as the leaders
and champions of universal freedom.

In noticing the efforts made for raising Africa from her immemorial
degradation, we are bound to confess our obligations to the Mahometans
for what they have done. If they have extirpated Christianity from the
soil of North Africa, and planted, instead of this tree of fair and pure
fruit, the more glaring and showy plant of Islamism, they have, at the
same time, endeavoured to raise Africa to their own level of
demi-civilization. Whilst we condemn their slave-traffic as we condemn
our own, we must do justice to the efforts which they have made, by the
spread of their creed and the diffusion of their commerce, during a
series of ten or twelve centuries, for promoting the civilization of
Africa. They have succeeded, they have done infinitely more for Africa
than we ourselves. They have organized and established regular
governments through all Central Africa, and inculcated a taste for the
occupation and the principles of commerce. A great portion of this
internal trade is untainted by slavery. Bornou, Soudan, Timbuctoo, and
Jinnee, exhibit to us groups of immense and populous cities, all
regularly governed and trading with one another. They have abolished
human sacrifice, which lingers in our East India possessions to this day.
They have regulated marriage and restrained polygamy. They have made
honour and reverence to be paid to grey hairs, superseding the diabolical
custom of exposing or destroying the aged. They have introduced a
knowledge of reading and writing. The oases of Ghat and Ghadames furnish
more children, in proportion, who can read and write, than any of our
English towns. The Koran is transcribed in beautiful characters by Negro
Talebs on the banks of the Niger. The Moors have likewise introduced many
common useful trades into Central Africa. But above all, the Mohammedans
have introduced the knowledge of the one true God! and destroyed the
fetisch idols. Let us then take care how we arrogate to ourselves the
right and fact of civilizing the world. Nay, there cannot be a question,
if we would abandon Africa to the Mohammedans, and leave off our
man-stealing trade and practices on the Western Coast, the dusky children
of the torrid zones would gradually advance in civilization. But is not
the bare idea of such an alternative an indelible disgrace to
Christendom?

Mr. Cooley, in his learned work, entitled "The Negroland of the
Arabs[4]," seems to doubt if the Slave-Trade can be abolished or
civilization advanced, in Central Africa, because of the neighbourhood of
The Desert. This, however, is transferring the guilt of slavery and of
voluntary barbarism, if barbarism can be crime, from the volition of
responsible man to a great natural fact, or circumstance of creation--The
Desert; and is a style of observation perfectly indefensible, as well as
contrary to philosophy and facts. First, we cannot limit the stretch or
progress of the Negro mind any more than that of the European intellect.
Mr. Cooley himself admits that the Nigritian people have advanced in
civilization. And if they have advanced, why not continue to advance? But
so far contrary are facts to Mr. Cooley's theory, that The Desert,
instead of being an obstacle to civilization, is favourable to it, whilst
the Nigritian countries beyond the influence of The Desert are plunged
into deeper barbarism. The reader will only have to compare my account of
the Touaricks, with the recently published account of the social state of
the kingdom of Dahomy, to convince himself how completely fallacious in
application is Mr. Cooley's theory[5]. Slaves, too, abound in thickly
populated countries as well as desert countries: witness China and India.
The Sahara, also, has its paradisical spots, or oases of enjoyment, as
well as its wastes and hardships. It is likewise, not true, that the
Saharan tribes depend for their happiness on the possession of slaves, or
that life in The Desert is galling and insupportable. Many a happy oasis
is without a slave. However this may be, it is always an extremely
dangerous line of argument, to represent moral depravity as springing
necessarily from certain physical and unalterable circumstances of
creation. Finally, to represent The Great Desert as the buttress of the
Slave-Trade, is contrary to all our experience. In deserts and mountains
we find always the free-men: in soft and luxurious countries we find the
slaves. It is not the free-born Touarick who is the slave-dealer, or the
stimulator of the slave-traffic, but the Moorish merchant, and the
voluptuary on the coast who sends him. All that the Saharan tribes do, is
to escort the merchants over The Desert; and they would still escort them
over The Desert did they not deal in slaves, carrying on only legitimate
commerce.

I may conclude by a word on Discoveries in The Sahara. It is now twenty
years or more since The Sahara was explored, or before my present
hap-hazard tour. From what I have seen since my return, and the little
encouragement given to this sort of enterprise,--the public of Great
Britain being so much occupied with railways, free-trade, and currency
questions, educational schemes, and State endowed, or voluntary
ecclesiastical establishments,--it is difficult to foresee how and when
another tour may be undertaken, or how a tourist will have the heart to
make another experiment. Unhappily, the spirit of discovery, like
Virtue's self, is difficult to be satisfied with its own reward.
Something, however, may in time be expected from the French, who will get
restless in their Algerian limits, and make a bold effort to disenthral
themselves, by leaping the bounds of the mysterious Sahara. Evidently the
French Government have prohibited all isolated attempts. But should their
colony succeed, and they must make it succeed, then a grand stroke of
policy and action will be struck upon the lines of the Saharan routes,
for diverting The Desert trade, if possible, into Algerian channels. We
must wait patiently this time for further researches. Necessity propels
nations in the march of discovery. England has some considerable stake
likewise in the commerce of The Great Desert. But our governmental
affairs are so vast, and ramify over so large a space of the world, that
it is extremely difficult to get a Minister to strike out a new path,
unless he has the sympathies and hearty support of the public with him.
And certainly the last thing in the imagination of the British public is
the undertaking Discoveries in The Great Desert.

A remark may be made respecting the English spelling of Arabic words and
names. I have not adopted the new system, as very few people understand
it. I have endeavoured to represent the sounds of the original words in
the ordinary way, giving sometimes the Arabic letters for those who
prefer greater correctness. The spelling of Oriental and African names is
also occasionally varied for the sake of variety, and sometimes I have
written the words in various ways, according to the style of
pronunciation amongst different Saharan tribes. I have also omitted
accents and italics as much as possible, to avoid confusion and trouble
to the printer. With respect to the contents at the head of the chapters,
numberless little things and circumstances are besides unavoidably
omitted in the enumeration.

I have few acknowledgments to make to those who rendered me assistance in
the prosecution of my Saharan tour and researches. I have rather
complaints to prefer against professed friends. I was unable to get up in
The Desert a single thing, the most trifling, to aid me in my
observations, when I had determined to penetrate farther into the
interior; whilst, somehow or other, a Memorandum was obtained from the
Porte to recal me instead of a Firman to help me on my way. Fortunately I
was beyond its power when it arrived at Tripoli, from Constantinople. But
if I feel the bitterness of this want of sympathy, and these acts of
hostility, I have the pleasure of being triumphant over all the obstacles
thrown in my way. I felt freer in The Desert, unloaded by obligations.
Indeed, the fewer of these a traveller has, the better. He always
supports his trials and privations with lighter spirits and a more
cheerful heart. His success is his own, if his failure is his own also.
Nevertheless I have not forgotten, nor can I ever forget, to the latest
day of my life, the acts of kindness shown to me by the rude and
simple-minded people of The Desert, and I have duly and most scrupulously
chronicled them all.

                                           JAMES RICHARDSON.

        LONDON,
    _December, 1847._

POSTSCRIPT.--It is hoped, for the honour and humanity of our Government,
that they will resist the clamour to withdraw the Cruisers from the
Western Coast of Africa, and that they will NOT WITHDRAW the British
Cruisers. If a blow is to be struck, let it be struck at Cuba, or the
Brazils, and not on the defenceless Africans, because they are
defenceless. If a burglar prowls about, a whole neighbourhood is on the
alert to protect itself against his depredations. If a band of pirates
swarm in a sea or infest our coasts, a fleet is fitted out to capture
them. But it is attempted to let loose upon weak, defenceless Africa a
legion of pirates and murderers--for such will be the result if the
British Cruisers are withdrawn from the Western Coast.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See the newspapers for the correspondence between some of the
    Bishops of our Church and the Premier. As the question is, Whether
    Dr. Hampden be a Heretic or a Christian? I may here observe that
    the term "Christian" is used in the following pages for
    "European." To the epithet "Christian," in the strict sense of the
    term, I have no other pretensions than that of being a
    conscientious reader of the New Testament.

[2] "Une et indivisible."

[3] Lord Brougham, in his Life of Pitt, very properly takes off
    some discount from the Anti-Slavery zeal of this great Statesman,
    for being so tardy in the work of Abolition, and allowing his
    Under Secretaries and subordinate Ministers to support the
    Slave-Trade against himself, and whilst he was advocating its
    extinction.

[4] "It is impossible to deny the advancement of civilization in
    that zone of the African continent which has formed the field of
    our inquiry. Yet barbarism is there supported by natural
    circumstances with which it is vain to think of coping. It may be
    doubted whether, if mankind had inhabited the earth only in
    populous and adjoining communities, slavery would have ever
    existed. The Desert, if it be not absolutely the root of the evil,
    has, at least, been from the earliest times the great nursery of
    slave hunters. The demoralization of the towns on the Southern
    borders of The Desert has been pointed out; and if the vast extent
    be considered of the region in which man has no riches but slaves,
    no enjoyment but slaves, no article of trade but slaves, and where
    the hearts of wandering thousands are closed against pity by the
    galling misery of life, it will be difficult to resist the
    conviction that the solid buttress on which slavery rests in
    Africa, is--The Desert." (p. 139.)

[5] See MR. DUNCAN'S _Travels in Western Africa_.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

VOLUME I.

PLATES.
Portrait of the Author
Map of the Desert
Slave Caravan

WOOD-CUTS.
Arab Tents
Facsimile Specimen of the Writing of a Young Taleb
Manner of drawing Water from Wells
Great Spring of Ghadames
Bas-Relief
Square of Fountains
City of Ghadames
Cistern of an Ancient Tower
Negro's Head
Ancient Ruins of Ghadames
Region of Sands
Rocking Rock

[Illustration: A SLAVE CARAVAN. _J. E. S. del. J. W. Cook. sc._]

TRAVELS

IN

THE GREAT DESERT.

CHAPTER I.

FROM TUNIS TO TRIPOLI.

     Project of Journey.--Opinions of People upon its
     practicability.--Moral character of Europeans in Barbary.--Leave
     the Isle of Jerbah for Tripoli in the coaster _Mesâoud_.--Return
     back.--Wind in Jerbah.--Start again for
     Tripoli.--Sâkeeah.--Zarzees.--Biban.--The _Salinæ_, or
     Salt-pits.--Rais-el-Makhbes.--Zouwarah.--Foul Wind, and put into
     the port of Tripoli Vecchia.--Quarrel of Captain with
     Passengers.--Description of this Port.--My fellow-travellers, and
     Said the runaway Slave.--Arrival at Tripoli, and
     Health-Office.--Colonel Warrington, British Consul-General.--The
     British Garden.--Interview with Mehemet Pasha.--Barbary
     Politics.--Aspect of Tripoli.--Old Castle of the Karamanly
     Bashaws.--Manœuvring of the Pasha's Troops.--The Pasha's opinion
     of my projected Tour.--Resistance of the Pasha to my Voyage, and
     overcome by the Consul.--Departure from Tripoli to Ghadames.

ACCIDENT often determines the course of a man's life. The greater part of
human actions, however humiliating to our moral and intellectual dignity,
is the result of sheer accident. That the accidents of life should
harmonize with the immutable decrees of Providence, is the great mystery
of an honest and thinking mind. The reading accidentally of a fugitive
_brochure_, thrown upon the table of the public library of Algiers, gave
me the germ of the idea, which, fructifying and expanding, ultimately led
me to the design of visiting and exploring the celebrated Oasis of
Ghadames, planted far-away amidst the most appalling desolations of the
Great Saharan Wilderness. This should teach us to lower our pretensions,
and take a large discount from our merits in originating our various
enterprises; but, alas! our over-weening self-love always manages to get
the better of us. The _brochure_ alluded to was a number of the _Revue de
L'Orient_, published at Paris, containing a notice of Ghadames by M.
Subtil, the notorious sulphur[6]-explorer and adventurer of Tripoli.

On leaving Algiers, in January, 1845, I carried the idea of Ghadames with
me to Tunis; and thence, after agitating an exploration to The Desert
amongst my friends, some of whom plainly told me, if I went I should
never return, I should be consumed with the sun and fever, or murdered by
the natives, and to attempt such a thing was altogether madness, I
journeyed on to Tripoli, where I entered with all my soul and might into
the undertaking. But as in Tunis so in Tripoli, I heard the birds of
evil-omen uttering the same mournful notes of discouragement:--"I should
never reach Ghadames, no one else had done so, or no one else had gone
and returned. I should perish by the hand of banditti, or sink under the
burning heat. I was not the man; it required a frame of iron. Enthusiasm
was very well in its way, but it required a man who was expert in arms,
and who could fight his way through The Desert." And such is the absurd
character of men, and some people pretending to be friends of African
discovery, that, on hearing of my safe return after nine months' absence,
they felt chagrined their sagacious vaticinations were not verified. Like
a man who writes a book, and ever so bad a book, he cannot afterwards
adopt a right sentiment, or course of action, because he has written his
book. It is true, the fate of Davidson, in Western Barbary, and the late
disastrous mishap of the young Tuscan on his return from Mourzuk,
favoured the pretensions of these Barbary-coast prophets, who cannot
comprehend a deviation from what had happened before, but it is equally
true that the violent deaths of these individuals, so far as we can
gather from the details, were brought about by the greatest possible
imprudence on their part. However, I may say without hesitation, no
people dread The Desert so much, and have in them so little of the spirit
of enterprise and African discovery, as the naturalized Europeans of
Tunis and Tripoli, and other parts of Barbary. To purchase the
co-operation of a volunteer in these countries would require more money
than defraying the expense of an expedition, and after all, from the love
of intrigue and double-dealing which Europeans long resident in Barbary
acquire, as well as other drawbacks, you would be very badly served.

I shall begin the narrative of my personal adventures in The Sahara with
my departure from the island of Jerbah to Tripoli.

_May 7th, 1845._--Left Jerbah in the evening for Tripoli in the coaster
_Mesâoud_ ("happy"). The captain and owner was a Maltese, but the colours
under which we sailed were Tunisian. Generally, a Moorish captain _di
bandeira_ commands these coasters, because it saves them dues at the
various ports. Indeed, most of the small coasting craft of Tunis and
Tripoli, though the property of Europeans, sail under the Turkish, rather
Mahometan (_red_) flag. Although May, our captain told me, it was the
worst month in the year for coasting in Barbary. The wind comes in sudden
puffs and gales, blowing with extreme violence everything before it,
prostrating and rooting up the stoutest and strongest palm-trees. So, in
fact, as soon as we got out, a _gregale_ ("north-easter") came on
terrifically, and occasioned us to return early next morning to Jerbah.
During the night, we were nearly swamped a few miles from the shore. The
_gregale_ continued the next two days, striking down several of the
date-trees with great fury. When these trees are so struck down, the
people do not make use of the wood for months, nay years, because it is
ill-luck. Jerbah is a grand focus of wind, and it sometimes blows from
every point of the compass in twelve hours. Æolus seems to patronize this
isle; and, as at Mogador on the Atlantic, wind here supplies the place of
rain. The inhabitants of Mogador have wind nine months out of twelve; but
seasons pass without a shower of rain.

_10th._--Evening. Left again for Tripoli. We passed the night about ten
miles off the island, amongst the fishing apparatus, which looks at a
distance like so many little islets. They consist of mere palm-tree
boughs, struck deep into the mud as piles are driven; and large spaces
are thus enclosed. When the tide[7] falls, the fish get entangled or
enclosed in these enclosures, and are caught. Very fine fish are taken,
and a fifth of the ordinary sustenance of the islanders is derived from
this fishing. Unhappily the poor fishermen are obliged to pay from
twenty-five to fifty per cent. of the fish caught to Government; so the
poor in all countries are the worse treated because they are poor.

_11th._--The wind becoming again foul, we put into a little place called
Sâkeeah, a port of the island in the S.E. Here is nothing in the shape of
a port town, only a small square ruinous hovel of mud and plaster, and a
rude hut put up temporarily by a Maltese, who is building a boat. I often
think the Maltese are the _Irish_ of the South. Maltese enterprise is
prevalent in all parts of the Mediterranean but in their own country. The
port, such as it is, is defended by a little round battery, four feet
high, with three rusty pieces of cannon. If these could be fired off, the
masonry would tumble to pieces. This is the _present_ state of all the
fortifications of Mahometan Barbary. It frequently happens that when a
vessel of war visits the smaller Barbary ports, and wishes to fire a
salute in honour of the governors, it is kindly requested this may not be
done, because it is necessary etiquette to return the salute, and, if
returned, the masonry of the fortifications may tumble down. The scene
was wild and bare; the colours of the landscape light and bright. There
were some Moors winnowing barley. An ox was treading out the corn, in
Scripture fashion. Crops of barley and other grain are grown all over
this fertile isle, under the date-palm and olive trees. Small boats were
waiting to carry off the grain to Tunis. As in Ireland, little remains to
feed the people. They must feed on dates, or fish, or vegetables and
roots.

_12th._--Left Sâkeeah with a strong breeze. On looking back on the island
it had the appearance of thousands of date-palms, boldly standing out of
the sea, the land being so low as not to be discernible a few miles'
distance. Jerbah, from this appearance, as from reality, deserves the
name of the "Isle of Palms." After crossing the channel, which runs
between the island and the continent, whose waters were deep and rough,
we got aground in the Shallows, off Zarzees. This place is a round tower
(_burge_) on the continent, with a few houses and plantations of olives
and dates. Here commences the shoal-water, or _bassa-fondo_, as our
semi-Italian boatmen called it, which continues east along the coast for
eighty miles, as far as Rais-el-Makhbes. When we got off again, at the
flow of the tide, we passed Biban ("two doors"), the frontier place of
the Tunisian dominions. Biban is a castle, with some fifty Arab houses,
built of palm-wood and leaves in the shape of hay-stacks, and is situate
on an islet, on each side of which the sea passes inland and forms a
large lagoon. There is at Biban a single European resident, an Italian,
who acts as a French agent and spy on the frontiers of Tunis and Tripoli.
He is paid about eighteen-pence a day, cheap enough for his high
political mission. The French are mighty fond of planting spies all over
Barbary; but espionage is their forte. In the evening we arrived at the
_Salinæ_[8], "salt pits," on the coast, where we found several small
coasters loading with salt for Tripoli. Salt is also exported from this
place to Europe. Here we brought up for the night, creeping and feeling
our way as in the days of ancient navigation. Our bringing up, however,
was fortunate, for the wind suddenly blew a gale from the N.W.,
continuing all night, and until next day, when it fell a dead calm again.
Strange weather for the fine month of May. But the Mediterranean, which
is called the "_home_ station," is one of the nastiest chafing seas in
the world, and in this fair season of the year is exposed to the most
tremendous squalls, nay, continuous gales of wind.

_13th._--We weighed again our little anchor, and in the afternoon cast it
before Rais-el-Makhbes, the last anchoring ground of the _bassa-fondo_.
The shore from Zarzees to Rais-el-Makhbes is extremely low. The
_bassa-fondo_ stretches off the coast in some places at least thirty or
forty miles, and is so shallow, that boats of the smallest burden often
ground. Here our Maltese captain observed to me, with great mystery,
"See, _Signore_, we must now be very cautious how we act, and watch the
wind, so as to take it on the very first breath of its being favourable,
for from here it is all deep water to Tripoli." In general, however, the
Maltese captains display more courage than the Italians in these
coasters.

_14th._--In the morning we cleared Cape Makhbes. The captain was to have
rounded it and entered the little port of Zouwarah, where there is a
quarantine agent, and landed me there according to agreement. I had
letters for this place, and was to have gone thence to Tripoli by land,
two or three days' journey. On remonstrating, he gravely asked, "Whether
I wished to do him an injury, compelling him to go to Zouwarah, from
which port he couldn't get out for the wind?" Perceiving the captain had
fully made up his mind to break a written agreement, signed before the
Consul, for the temporary advantage now offering, I left off
remonstrating, though extremely dissatisfied. We continued our course. It
soon fell calm, and, as usual, the calm was again succeeded with a
violent _gregale_, against which we could not make head. I now told our
Palinurus it was necessary to look out for the port of Tripoli Vecchia,
otherwise we should be obliged to go back or keep the open sea all night,
for we could not reach Tripoli to-day. Half an hour elapsed, and the wind
continuing to freshen, the captain took my advice. We turned direct
south, and sought the port. After experiencing some difficulty, during
which the captain, to my surprise, discovered the most serious alarm, we
found and entered the wished-for haven. It was a real miracle of good
luck, for the wind came on dreadfully, the angry spray was covering us
with water, and our sufferings would have been beyond description if we
had been obliged to keep the sea. Our bark was a mere cockle-shell, into
which were rammed and jammed and crammed twenty-two mortal and immortal
beings: _C'est à dire_, four sailors, fourteen Moorish passengers,
including a woman and a child, two Jews, myself, and a runaway slave. So
that our heartfelt thankfulness to a good Providence, pitying our folly
and imprudence, may be easily imagined. In the midst of our confusion
while searching for the port--having only three or four hours' daylight
before us--the most ludicrous scene was enacted, which might have ended
in the tragic. Some of the Moors professed to know the port of Tripoli
Vecchia. Hereupon each fellow gave a different description, a thing
perfectly natural, as each would have seen the port under different
circumstances of time and place. "It was surrounded with white
cliffs,--it was black,--rocky,--it was a sandy shore." All bawled and
clamoured together. The captain put his fingers in his ears with rage. He
had never been in before, or his men. At last, losing all patience, the
Maltese fire got up, blown to fury, and, seizing a knife, the captain
swore he would cut their throats if they didn't hold their tongues, or
give a more distinct account of the port. This menace cowed them down
like so many bullies, and they fell into a moody but vindictive silence,
their looks discovering the internal oaths of revenge. It was really
droll, if the words used allow the expression, to hear how the captain
blended Italian, Maltese, and Arabic oaths and abuse in his rage. Now
"_Santo Dio!_" now "_Scomunicat!_" _Sacrament!_ now "_Allah!_" "_Imshe_,"
"_Kelb_," "_Andat_," "_per Bacco!_" &c. At length, when a sailor from the
mast-head descried the port, and a tremendous surf was seen or said to be
seen rolling near the entrance, the Moors, who although mostly sulky
under the influence of their fatalism, and show very little courage in
the dangers of the sea, cried out with fear, "Allah, Allah!" "Ya,
Mohammed!" (O God! O God! O Mahomet!) The captain even felt disposed to
blubber at the sight of the furious surf, so nothing less could be
expected from the passengers. A bad example is this to the sailors and
people, but one which often occurs aboard Italian and Maltese vessels.

_15th._--The wind continued all night and the following day. It dropped
down on the afternoon of the 16th; on the 17th a pleasant breeze sprung
up, and continued until we got within a couple of miles off Tripoli. We
were followed for three hours by a shoal of porpoises, some nearly as big
as our bark, which enjoyed highly the run with us, "_perceiving_," as the
captain said, "_our motion_." The first night of our anchorage in the
Tripoli Vecchia, we had several alarms that the tiny bark had dragged its
anchor, and was about to take us out into the open sea: no one could
sleep. After the wind subsided, our _Christian_ sailors were alarmed that
we might have our throats cut by the _Ishmaelite_ Arabs from the shore
the next night. When it was quite calm we went on shore to search for
water; we found a well of good water on the N.E. landing of the port. A
palm beckoned us to the spring, but a single palm is often found where
there is no well or water; and it is not true, as vulgarly supposed, that
where there are date-palms there must be water. The country in this
vicinity is a perfect desert, yet on this arid waste shepherds drive
their flocks in the spring, and up to May and June. The captain
considered Tripoli Vecchia, which is a very ancient port, and the site of
a once famous city, more secure than that of Tripoli itself, though
certainly much smaller. Whilst we were here no bark visited it.
Good-sized ships occasionally anchor in it. Like Tripoli, it is defended
with a sunken reef of rocks, some peaks of which rise several feet out of
the water. Along this line is a strong surf always chafing and roaring.
There are two mouths of entrance; the deepest water within is about
twelve or fourteen feet. There is another but much smaller port, two
miles further east; the coast from this to Tripoli offers nothing to the
tourist. Twelve miles this way begin those forests of fine broad-waving
palms, which form so noble a feature in the suburban landscape of
Tripoli. When we got off Tripoli we had a dead calm, and myself looking
about for the wind, the Moors got angry, and said, "Be still; if you
restlessly stare about, and wish the wind to come, it will never come:
you cast the '_eye malign_' upon it." These superstitious ideas are not
peculiar to the Moors. An English captain once told me, if I continued to
stay below, the wind would never be fair. Tripoli looked here very bold,
massive, and imposing from the sea; its broad lime-washed towers, and the
graceful minarets beyond, all dazzling white in the sun, contrasting with
the dark blue waters of the Mediterranean. Such is the delusion of all
these sea-coast Barbary towns; at a distance and without, beauty and
brilliancy, but near and within, filth and wretchedness.

A word of my fellow passengers and crew. Our Maltese _Rais_, although he
broke his agreement with me, behaved well; I therefore paid him,
requesting the Chancellor of our Consulate only to scold him, and warn
him for the future. He is a good Maltese Christian; and when I told him
Malta had fifty years' possession of Tripoli, he replied, "Ah, how the
world changes! what a pity God has given this fine country into the hands
of rascally Turks." Sometimes he would kick the Moors about and through
the ship like cattle: at other times he would say, "Aye, come,
_bismillah_[9]," and help them to a part of his supper. The Moors
provided for only _four_ days' provisions, a day over the average time,
and they were all out of bread before arriving at Tripoli. The captain
consulted me as to what was to be done; we arranged to supply them with a
few biscuits every day, I taking the responsibility of payment, pitying
the poor devils. If a Moor has a good passage at sea, he says, "Thank
God!" if not, _Maktoub_, ("It is written,") and quietly submits to the
evils which he has brought on himself by sheer imprudence. Their
provisions, in this case, consisted of barley-meal, olive-oil, a few
loaves of wheaten bread, and a little dried paste for making soup. The
soup was made of a few onions, dried peppers, salt, oil, and the paste.
On first starting, some of the more respectable had a few hard-boiled
eggs, with which the Jews most frequently travel; and others had a little
pickled fish. When the paste was finished, the barley-meal was attacked,
and when this was gone, the greater part lived on biscuits sopped in
water. We tried to buy a sheep from a flock driven by the shore, for
which I furnished a dollar; but the current was so strong, that the man
could not reach the land. One poor old Moor lived actually on bread and
water all the time he was on board, and would have nothing else, telling
me, "What God gives is enough." Yet he was cheerful and talkative. One of
the two Jews was also a very old blind man, clothed in rags. He, too,
mostly fared on biscuits sopped in water; nevertheless, he also was quite
happy! "Where are you going, Abraham?" I said to him. "Where God wills I
go," he replied; "but I wish to lay my poor bones in the land of our
fathers. Many long years God has afflicted us for our sins, but it will
not be for ever." The old gentleman was going to get a passage from
Tripoli to the Holy Land. How little suffices some! How much does faith!
So mysterious are the ways of the Creator in distributing contentment.
For myself, I fared extremely well in the midst of this _happy_ melée of
misery and starvation, Mr. Pariente, of Jerbah, having filled for me a
large box of provisions, consisting of a leg of lamb, a fowl, pigeons,
fish and bread, besides wine and spirits. But this was as liberally
distributed amongst all as given to me, and not a crumb was left on
arriving at Tripoli. When we were getting safe into port, I gave the grog
to the crew; they had often cast wistful eyes at the _acquavite_, but
none was poured out whilst at sea. Two or three drunken sailors would
have sent our cockle-shell to the bottom; still, in spite of the
coffee-drinking vessels, a little spirits may occasionally be very
usefully distributed to men, fighting and wrestling with the wild waves
and the tempest. Our bark was from six to eight tons' burden, and the
cabin was just big enough for me and the captain to move in; the woman
and child slept in the forecastle, and all the rest on deck. Each Moorish
passenger paid half a dollar for the voyage. I have been thus particular
in describing our coaster and its _live_ freight, to show what misery is
endured in these coasting voyages. It was, however, a fit introduction to
my painful journeyings through the still more inhospitable _ocean_
desert.

I have now to mention my runaway servant, Said. This negro was the slave
of Sidi Mustapha, Consular Agent of France in Jerbah. Mustapha was
formerly Consular Agent of England, and being found to possess slaves, he
was dismissed. He got up however false documents, to show that he had
disposed of his slaves; but this being discovered, the cheat did not
avail, and he was not allowed to be any longer England's Consul. Then,
seeing his imposture had failed, he again resumed power over his slaves,
and Said was still his slave on my arrival at Jerbah. Hearing of this, I
told Said to go on board, and wait till the boat left. He did so. The
captain winked at it, and apparently every one else, for Said was
securely numbered on the vessel's _papers_ as a passenger. This, of
course, happened before the Bey of Tunis finally abolished slavery, which
important event took place in the beginning of the year 1846, to the
eternal honour of the reigning Mussulman prince. But, even if slavery had
continued in Tunis, Mustapha, the French Consular Agent in Jerbah, could
have had no legal right over Said, after having given a document to the
British Consul-General, certifying that he had liberated all his slaves.
The runaway Said was in reality a freed man. The reader, however, will be
pleased to understand that I am not justifying my conduct for enticing a
slave to run away. I despise such an attempted justification. On the
contrary, I consider that every man, who has the means of striking off
the chains from a slave, and does not embrace the opportunity of doing
so, is the rather the man who commits an offence against natural right.
As to the French Consular Agent, I asked some people why the French
Government did not dismiss him also for his premeditated forgery of
public documents? I was told that, on the contrary, this was a reason for
keeping him French Consul--that he could not be _disavowed_ in connexion
with _British_ affairs, or, if disavowed, he must be pensioned off. A
French Consul, whose acquaintance I made in North Africa, replied to me,
on rallying him on the various disavowals of French functionaries in
different parts of the world: "I assure you, the only way to get
distinction in our consular service is to get disavowed. When disavowed
about English differences, we must be decorated, or the mob of Paris and
its journals would not be satisfied."

Our captain gave me a hint that, on arriving at Tripoli, there would be
exhibited a good deal of _fantazia_, ("humbug[10]") by the health-office
department. Accordingly, after we had been an hour in port, the health
officer came alongside, and affected great surprise at our not having
_passports_, and asked me, with great pomposity, what was my "_reverito
nome?_" The Turks always adopt and caricature the worst parts of European
civilization, leaving its better forms wholly unimitated. This is,
perhaps, in the nature of the struggles which a semi-barbarous power may
make to attain the standard of its civilized neighbour.

On landing, I went off with Said to the British Consulate. Although I had
seen Colonel Warrington at Malta, I was now so sea-worn and browned with
sun and wind, with an _incipient_ desert beard, that he did not
immediately recollect me. I therefore presented my letter of
introduction, mentioning my name, when at once the Colonel recognized me.
"Ah!" observed the Colonel, "I don't believe our Government cares one
straw about the suppression of the slave-trade, but, Richardson, I
believe in you, so let's be off to my garden." I rode one of the
Colonel's horses, which had been so long in the stable without exercise,
that I found the Barbary barb no joke. A most violent _gregale_ swept the
bare beach of the harbour as we proceeded to the gardens and plantations
of the Masheeah, and the restive prancing of the horse was not unlike the
dancing about of the cockle-shell bark to which I had been condemned for
the last ten days. The _British Garden_ I found to be a splendid
horticultural developement, containing the choicest fruit-trees of North
Africa, with ornamental trees of every shape, and hue, and foliage--all
the growth of thirty years, and the greater part of them planted by the
hands of Colonel Warrington himself. The villa is on the site of an
ancient haunted house--for what country does not boast of its haunted
house? The spot which once was visited nightly by some Saracen's-head
ghost, in the midst of a waste, is now the fairest, loveliest garden of
Tripoli! Amongst its rich fruit-trees is an immense peach-tree--the
largest in all this part of Africa. It is a round, squatting,
wide-spreading tree, not nailed up to the walls, but the size of its
girth of boughs is enormous.

I must take the liberty of leaving off daily dates here. I detest daily
note-writing, although the reader may find for his peculiar infliction so
long a journal as these pages.

_19th._--A _ghiblee_ day. The wind from The Desert is coming with a
vengeance. Its breath is the pure flame of the furnace. I am obliged to
tie a handkerchief over my face in passing through the verandahs of the
garden. I had not the least idea it could be so hot here in the middle of
May. At 2 P.M. the thermometer in the sun was at 142° Fahrenheit.

Neither Tunis nor Tripoli has been sufficiently appreciated by the
politicians of Europe. Indian and American affairs are the two ideas
which occupy our merchants. And yet the best informed of the consuls in
Tripoli say, "The future battles of Europe will be fought in North
Africa." At this time there is considerable agitation and political
intrigue afoot here. Algerian politics, also, envenom these squabbles.

The aspect of the city of Tripoli is the most miserable of all the towns
I have seen in North Africa. And they say, "It grows worse and worse."
Yet the present Pasha, Mehemet, is esteemed as a good and sensible man.
Unfortunately, a Turkish Governor can have very little or no interest in
the permanent prosperity of this country. His tenure of office is very
insecure, and rarely extends beyond four or five years; so that whilst
here he only thinks of providing for himself. The country is therefore in
a continual state of impoverishment as governed by successive pashas.
Each successive high functionary works and fleeces the people to the
uttermost. Even in our own colonies the exception is, that the Governor
cares more for the welfare of the colony than for his own immediate
benefit. In Turkish colonies we must therefore expect the rule to be,
that the Pasha should govern only for his private benefit and personal
aggrandizement.

_21st._--This afternoon His Highness Mehemet Pasha had arranged to grant
me an interview. I was introduced, of course, by our Consul-General,
Colonel Warrington. Mr. Casolaina, the Chancellor of the Consulate, and
his son, were in attendance as interpreters. His Highness receives all
strangers and transacts all business in an apartment of the celebrated
old castle of the Karamanly Bashaws, whose legends of blood and intrigue
have been so vividly and terrifically transcribed in _Tully's Tripoline
Letters_. On entering this place I was astonished at its ruinous and
repulsive appearance. Nothing could better resemble a prison, and yet a
prison in the most dilapidated condition. Walking through the dark,
winding, damp, mildewy passages, shedding down upon us a pestiferous
dungeon influence, Colonel Warrington suddenly stopped, as if to breathe
and repel the deadly miasma, and turning to me, said: "Well, Richardson,
what do you think of this? Capital place this for young ladies to dance
in, so light and airy. Many a poor wretch has entered here, with promises
of fortune and royal favour, and has met his doom at the hand of the
assassin! In my long course of service, how many Kaëds and Sheikhs I have
known, who have come in here and have never gone out. I'm a great reader
of Shakspeare. It's the next book after the Bible. But a thousand
Shakspeares, with all their tragic genius, could never describe the
passions which have worked, and the horrors which have been perpetrated,
in this place." The Colonel's tragic harangue was not without its effect
in these dungeon passages, and the old gentleman seemed to enjoy the
shiver which he saw involuntarily agitate me. Indeed, the darksome
noisome atmosphere, without this tragic appeal, could not fail to make
itself felt, as Egyptian darkness was felt, after leaving the fiery heat
and bright dazzling sun-light without. Winding about from one ruinous
room to another, and ascending various flights of tumbling-down steps and
stairs, we got up at length to the eastern end, where there are two or
three new apartments constructed in the modern style. In one of them, not
unlike a city merchant's receiving-parlour, we found the Pasha and his
court. We were immediately introduced, and somewhat to my surprise, I
found His Highness an extremely plain _unmilitary_-looking Turkish
gentleman, of about fifty years of age, and dressed without the least
pretensions of any kind. How unlike the ancient gemmed and jewelled
Bashaws! flaming in "Barbaric pearl and gold." The present Ottoman
costume is most simple. His Highness had only the _Nisham_, or Turkish
decoration of brilliants upon his breast, to distinguish him from his own
domestics, coffee-bearers, or others. As soon as he saw us, he hurriedly
came up to us and seized hold of our hands and shook them cordially. The
troops were at the moment being reviewed, and we had a good sight of them
from our elevated position. They were manœuvring on the sea-beach between
the city and the Masheeah. "Tell the Bashaw," cried out the Colonel to
Casolaina, "I never saw such splendid manœuvring in all the course of my
life. They do His Highness and Ahmed Bashaw, the Commander-in-Chief,
infinite credit." This compliment was interpreted and graciously
received though its value was no doubt properly appreciated by the
politic Turk. The Colonel continued:--"Tell the Bashaw, that as long as
the Sultan has such troops as these, he will be invincible." This was
answered by, "_Enshallah_, _enshallah_, (If God pleases, if God
pleases)". The Colonel still laid it on:--"Casolaina, tell the Bashaw, I
myself should not like to command even English troops against these fine
fellows." To which the Bashaw and his Court replied, "_Ajeeb_,
(Wonderful!)" Ahmed Bashaw, the Commander-in-Chief, a most
ferocious-looking Turk, seized hold of my shoulders and pushed me to the
window to admire his brilliant men. I could just see that their
manœuvrings were in the style of the "awkward squad;" but their arms and
white pantaloons dazzled beautifully in the sun upon the margin of the
deep-blue sea.

After we had satisfied our curiosity or admiration in looking at the
troops, the windows were shut down, and all sat down to business. His
Highness began by asking my name, when I came, and what I was going to be
about? The Consul replied to these first and usual questions of Turkish
functionaries, and more particularly explained my projected visit to
Ghadames. The Pasha immediately consented, as a matter of course, with
Turkish politeness; but before the interview was concluded, various
objections were started and insisted upon, showing the _not_ suddenly
excited jealousy of these functionaries, who, previous to my interview,
knew all about my anti-slavery and literary projects. His Highness
observed:--"The heat is killing now, the distance is great, the road is
infested with robbers; I shall have to send an escort of five hundred
troops with your friend, (addressing the Consul); not long ago two
hundred banditti attacked a caravan. All Tunisian Arabs are robbers; the
Bey of that country cannot maintain order in his country; besides, an
Arab will kill ten men to get one pair of pistols; but I'll make further
inquiries." His Highness also related a feat of his own troops, who
captured seven camels from the banditti, which he said he distributed
amongst the captors. He also gave his own people, the Tripolines, a very
bad character. But, of course, the Tripolines and the Turks must mutually
hate one another. We were served with pipes, coffee, and sherbet. I
pretended to sip the pipe two or three times, as a matter of politeness,
for though I have been in Barbary some time, where smoking is universal,
I have not adopted the dirty vice. Near the Pasha sat the second in
command, or Commander-in-Chief of the forces, the Pasha himself devoting
his attention almost exclusively to civil affairs. As I have said, this
functionary was a most savage-looking fellow, and his acts in Tripoli and
his reputation accord with the character broadly stamped on his
countenance. He has risen from the lowest ranks--one of the _canaille_ of
the Levant--and is blood-thirsty and vindictive whenever he has the means
of showing these dreadful passions. How many tyrants have risen from the
ranks of those who are the victims and objects of tyranny!

The Consul hinted to me afterwards, that this military tyrant would
oppose my journey to the interior, and throw all sorts of obstacles in
the way, but thought the Pasha would not listen to his insinuations. On
asking the Consul what he thought of the objections of the Pasha? he
said: "Oh, they are only to increase the merit of his facilitating your
trip." Mehemet Pasha has the rank of three tails, and the Pasha of the
Troops two tails. There was present also Mohammed Aly, a Moor, who
interprets between the Moors and Arabs, and the Turks. He is said to be
entirely in the interest of the English. He frequently visits the
Vice-Consul, Mr. Herbert Warrington, who treats the interpreter with a
bottle of champaigne, and in this way things are greatly smoothed down
before His Highness. A glass of wine is often more potent than an
elaborate speech in these and other diplomatic transactions. It is but
justice to these functionaries to say, whatever money they may take away
from Tripoli, that they are very moderate in their style of living and
dress in this place. The apartment in which we were received was
exceedingly plain. All the furniture was of the most ordinary European
stuff; there was nothing oriental in it but a large square ottoman. A few
flowers were placed gracefully on the table, and there was a pretty
bronzed lamp. We visitors sat on cane-bottomed chairs. The costume of
these high functionaries was the usual large Turkish frock-coat, tightly
buttoned up, and white or other light-coloured pantaloons, for summer
wear, and these strapped over thick heavy black leather shoes, the straps
often inside the shoes as an Ottoman improvement on the European fashion.
The head was covered with the _shasheeah_, or fez, with a large blue silk
tassel hanging prettily from the crown. On the breast hung the _Nisham_
decoration, distinguishing the various grades and rank.

We left His Highness under the impression that he would do every thing in
his power to forward our views, and never dreamt of a future memorandum
of recall after having reached Ghadames with His Highness's permission.

It is not now my intention to give an account of Tripoli, so I pass on to
a second interview I had with the Bashaw. This was on the 7th of July. In
this long interval, I had been waiting for letters from England, and in
every way was learning lessons of most imperturbable patience.

I was visiting some sick officers in the castle with a Maltese doctor of
the name of _Gameo_, whose acquaintance I had made, and whom I found
useful in collecting information on Tripoli and the interior, when one of
the functionaries of the Castle came to tell me the Bashaw would like to
see me. I felt some delicacy in going, but thought it better to comply
with the wish of His Highness. There was immediately presented to me, as
usual to all visitors, a pipe, coffee, and sherbet. Our interview lasted
about half an hour, and the conversation was _to the point_, referring
solely to my journey to the interior. But, although I exerted all my
skill and tact, I could not remove the jealousies of His Highness, and I
believe for one, and only one reason. It had been given out in Tripoli
that I was to be appointed Consul at Ghadames. The Bashaw fearing that
such an appointment would interfere with his system of extorting money
from the inhabitants of that country (the treasury being empty in
Tripoli), set his face against my journey, and endeavoured to delay it
until he could get a _counter_ order from Constantinople. His Highness
was however very polite, and promised to furnish me with tents, if I had
need, and a large escort. The Turks are getting sensitive of the press.
The Bashaw said he had heard I was a great newspaper writer, and asked me
if I had any objection to writing an article in his praise.

At the end of the month of July (30th), Colonel Warrington suggested to
me the propriety of writing to him a letter, stating my wish and objects
in visiting the interior. I did so, and received an answer from the
Colonel the same day. Mr. Frederick Warrington, who had great influence
with several people about His Highness, and myself, went again to the
Bashaw, in order to conciliate His Highness and persuade him to give a
_bonâ fide_ protection to me through the interior of Tripoli, as also to
obtain a passport. It unfortunately happened, that about a week ago, a
Ghadames caravan had been captured by some hostile Arabs on the frontiers
of Tunis. His Highness immediately produced this case, and said it was
impossible for me to go whilst the routes were so insecure. He also
alleged, and with more reason:--"The season was now too late, the heat
was intolerable, and an European of my delicate constitution must
succumb." We therefore returned much depressed. Colonel Warrington then,
annoyed at the Bashaw's resistance, wrote the next day a letter to his
Chancellor, requesting him to wait upon the Bashaw, and demand formally a
passport for me, my servant, and camel-driver. I went with Mr. Casolaina,
but did not see His Highness, waiting only at the door of the hall of
audience, in case I should be wanted. His Highness apologized for his
opposition, stating his objections of the season and the insecurity of
the routes, but gave the order for the passports. I find the following
note in my journal:--"Left Tripoli for Ghadames on the 2nd August, 1845;
I had grown completely tired of Tripoli, and left it without a single
regret, having suffered much from several sources of annoyance, including
both the Consulate and the Bashaw."

FOOTNOTES:

[6] Many newspaper articles have been written, and companies
    formed, for the promotion of exploring for sulphur in Tripoli (the
    Syrtis); but somehow or other, all these schemes have failed. I
    have been told there is sulphur in the Syrtis, and the failure of
    obtaining it in remunerative quantity is to be attributed alone to
    the chicanery or want of skill in the agent.

[7] There is a far greater ebb and flow of tide here than at any
    other coast of the Mediterranean, the sea rising and falling no
    less than ten feet. This tidal phenomenon extends to the Lesser
    Syrtis and to Sfax.

[8] Like the fish-lakes of Biserta in Tunis, these salt-pits were
    worked by the ancients, and have been inexhaustible and
    unchangeable through two thousand years. Whatever may be the
    geological changes in other regions of the globe, those of North
    Africa are not very rapid, beyond filling up a few of the
    artificial harbours, or _cothons_, with mud. Barbary contains
    several Roman bridges which have spanned a stream remaining the
    same size, and running in the same bed, through a course of
    centuries. The salt of the _Salinæ_ is of good quality.

[9] _Bismillah_, "In the name of God," the formula used by Moslems
    when they partake of food. In the _Lingua Franca_ we have
    sometimes "_Avete_ bismillah?" or "bismillah_ato_?" that is,
    "taken your meal?"

[10] In the present application, for this _Lingua Franca_ word
    generally means "vain silly shewing off." The "playing at powder,"
    or "firing off matchlocks for amusement," is also called a
    _fantazia_ in Algeria and Morocco.

CHAPTER II.

FROM TRIPOLI TO THE MOUNTAINS.

     Leave Tripoli for the Interior.--Feelings on
     Starting.--Ghargash.--Gameo, the great quack of
     Tripoli.--Janzour.--Account of my Equipment.--Camels fond of the
     Cactus.--Arab Tents.--Jedaeen.--Zouweeah.--The
     Sahara.--Beer-el-Hamra.--Squabbling at the Wells.--The strength
     of Caravan, and character of Escort.--Shouwabeeah.--Difficulty of
     keeping the Caravan together.--Camels cropping herbage _en
     route_.--The _Kailah_ or _Siesta_.--Arab Troops seize the Water
     of the Merchants.--Wady Lethel.--Irregular March of the
     Caravan.--Aâeeat.--Descent into Wells.--Learn the value of
     Water.--The Atlas and its Tripoline divisions and
     subdivisions.--The ascent of Yefran, and its Castle.

NOTHING is more common than that, after long delay and various
negotiations, in waiting and preparing for a journey, everything at last
is hurried with a most reckless dispatch; this, at least, was the case
with me. I was to have been escorted out of Tripoli by the Consular
corps, with the British Consul at their head, in the wonted style of
Europeans setting out for the interior. But on the morning of the 2nd
August, before I could finish my letters for England, or get my luggage
together, came my camel-driver Mohammed, who, at the sight of my papers
all spread out, began whining and blubbering, protesting, "The
_ghafalah_[11] is gone; we can't overtake it--we shall be murdered, if we
delay behind." Without saying a word in reply, I amassed and bundled up
everything together, and gave him the baggage; then went off to the
_Souk_, or market-place, to buy some fresh bread,--and found myself on
the way to Ghadames, before I was conscious of having left Tripoli. Such
is the excitement and vagaries of human feeling! Not being accustomed to
mount the camel, I determined to hire some donkeys to ride to the first
station; Gameo and one of his brothers accompanied me. When I could
breathe freely, as I rode on my unknown way, with a boundless prospect
before me, I felt my heart rebound with joy, and commended myself humbly
to the care of a good God, not knowing what was to happen to me. I had
consumed three months of most suffering patience in Tripoli before I
could start on this journey, and was otherwise schooled for what was
about to take place. But I must not begin too early the record of my
complaints.

Our first day's ride was mostly through desert lands, for The Desert
reaches to the walls of the city of Tripoli. The little village of
Gargash was seen at our right, near the margin of the sea. Gameo
exclaimed, "There's the little mosque--there's the little cemetery--there
are the little gardens, little palms!"--and little this, and little the
other: indeed, it was a perfect miniature of congregated human existence.
Arrived at Janzour, Gameo and his brother prepared to return. But
previous to his leaving, Gameo, who was a tabeeb of great notoriety,
determined to display his healing art. He took out his lancet, and
forthwith bled everybody in the Kaëd's caravanseria. When his brother
begged of him not to bleed any more people unless they paid him
something--not to be such a _sciocco_ ("ninny,") he turned round upon
him, and indignantly exclaimed "Ancora voglio lasciare il mio nome qui"
(Here I will leave my name also!) It was the delight of Gameo to be the
grand tabeeb of Tripoli, and even to prescribe for the officers and
subordinate bashaws; and yet Gameo and his family many days were without
bread to eat, to my certain knowledge. I relieved them as much as I
could. The Moors and Arabs are very funny about bleeding, and the matters
of the tabeeb; they will ask you to bleed them when in perfect health.
All these persons who were bled at Janzour had no ailments; they will
also swallow physic, whether well or ill. One of them consulted Gameo
privately how he was to obtain children from his wife, who was barren.
Another wished to obtain the affections of a girl by administering to her
a dose of medicine. They consider a doctor in the light, in which our
fathers of the time of Friar Bacon did, of a magician, and a person who
holds some sort of illicit intercourse with the devil, or, at any rate,
with the genii. They never give the doctor credit for his skill, but
attribute his wit and success to the blessing or interposition of God.

After taking leave of Gameo, I waited for Mohammed and Said; we had gone
on quickly with the donkeys. They came up with the camels, but instead of
encamping within the village, the ghafalah had brought up outside. This
annoyed Mohammed, who kept exclaiming, as we went to the rendezvous of
the merchants, "Ah! Gameo, that's him, Gameo, Gameo! What trouble he has
brought upon us, Gameo! Gameo! he a tabeeb? Not fit to give physic to a
dog. Gameo! Gameo! always talking--always talking; the devil take him,
for he's his son." We reached the encampment as the shadows of night
fell fast; we did not take supper, or pitch tent. My spirits gave way,
and I felt fearful and saddened at the prospect of going into the
interior absolutely alone. I had not a single letter of recommendation to
any one, after waiting so long at Tripoli, and so much talk with all
sorts of people about the necessity of having letters for the chiefs of
The Desert. This was, indeed, bad management; yet I could not insist upon
the Pasha giving me a letter, nor could I importune the British Consul:
but it often happens, where there is less help from man, there is more
from God. Many of the Ghadamsee merchants, whose acquaintance I had made
in Tripoli, came now to me and welcomed me as a fellow-traveller. Janzour
is a small village, with gardens of olives and date plantations.

_August 3rd._--Before starting to-day, it is necessary to give some
account of my equipment. I had two camels on hire, for which I paid
twelve dollars. I was to ride one continually. We had panniers on it, in
which I stowed away about two months' provisions. A little fresh
provision we were to purchase _en route_. Upon these panniers a mattress
was placed, forming with them a comfortable platform. As a luxury, I had
a Moorish pillow for leaning on, given me by Mr. Frederick Warrington.
The camel was neither led nor reined, but followed the group. I myself
was dressed in light European clothes, and furnished with an umbrella for
keeping off the sun. This latter was all my arms of offence and defence.
The other camel carried a trunk and some small boxes, cooking utensils,
and matting, and a very light tent for keeping off sun and heat. We had
two gurbahs, or "skin-bags for water," and another we were to buy in the
mountains, so each having a skin of water to himself. Said was to ride
this camel, and now and then give a ride to Mohammed the camel-driver, to
whom the camels belonged. We were roused before daylight. I made coffee
with my spirit apparatus (_spiriterio_). In half an hour after the dawn,
we were all on the move, and soon started. The ghafalah presented an
interminable line of camels, as it wound its slow way through narrow
sandy lanes, hedged on each side with the cactus or prickly-pear. We
progressed very irregularly, and the camels kept throwing off their
burdens. The Moors and Arabs, who manage almost everything badly, even
hardly know how to manage their camels, after ages of experience. It is,
however, very difficult to drive the camels past a prickly-pear hedge,
they being voraciously fond of the huge succulent leaves of this plant,
and crop them with the most savage greediness, regardless of the
continual blows, accompanied with loud shouts, which they receive from
the vociferous drivers to get them forward. I wore my cloak for two hours
after dawn, and felt chilly, and yet at noonday the thermometer was at
least 130° Fah., in the sun. We emerged from the prickly-pear hedges upon
an open desert land. Here was an encampment of Arabs, with tents as
"black" and "comely" in this glare and fire of the full morning sun, as
"the tents of Kedar!" (See Solomon's Songs i. 5.) Nothing indeed is more
refreshing than the sight of these black camel's-hair tents, when
travelling over these arid thirsty plains. The whole households of the
tents were alive, but their various occupations will be seen better in
the following sketch than pictured to the mind by any elaborate
description.

Encamped at Jedaeem about 10 o'clock, A.M. Remained here only two hours
and proceeded to Zouweeah, a large village, situate in the midst of most
pleasant gardens, or rather cultivated lands, overshadowed with date
groves. These gardens are considered superior to those of the Masheeah
around Tripoli. Passed through the whole district by 3 P.M., and then
entered what is usually called the Sahara, this side the Mountains. This
desert presents sand hills, loose stones scattered about, dwarf shrubs,
long coarse grass, and sometimes small undulations of rocky ground. It
is, however, overrun by a few nomade tribes, who feed their flocks on the
ungrateful and scant herbage which it affords. Tripoli, in general offers
a remarkable contrast to Tunis and other parts of Barbary, in having its
Arab tribes located in stone and mud houses or fixed douwars, whilst
nomade Arabs are found thickly scattered all over the West, as far as the
Atlantic. Zouweeah is the last _belad_, or _paesi_, (_i. e._,
"cultivated country,") before we reach The Mountains, which are two
days' journey distant. I therefore sent Mohammed to buy a small sheep,
but he could not succeed although there were many flocks about, the
people absurdly refusing to sell them, even when the full price was
offered. The Arabs themselves never eat meat as the rule, but the
exception, supporting themselves on the milk of their flocks and
farinaceous matter. Olive-oil and fat and fruit they devour. Of
vegetables they eat, but with little _gusto_. Their flocks are kept as a
sort of reserve wealth, and to pay their contributions. Our course to-day
and yesterday was west and south-west. At sunset we encamped at
Beer-el-Hamra ("red-well"), which is a well-spring of very good water,
ten feet deep, the water issuing from the sides of the rocky soil. Here
we found artificial pits or troughs for the sheep and cattle to drink
from, and trunks of the date-palms hollowed out for the camels. When a
ghafalah passes a well there is the greatest confusion to get all the
camels to drink, and the people quarrel and fight about this, as well as
for their turn to fill their water-skins. This quarrelling at the wells
forcibly reminds the Biblical reader of the contest of Moses in favour of
the daughters of Jethro against the ungallant shepherds. (Exodus i. 17.)
We take in no more water till we get to The Mountains.

Here mention must be made of the strength of our caravan, as all are to
rendezvous at this well for safety, to start together over The Desert to
The Mountains. It was half a day's advance of this where the Ghadamsee
ghafalah had been lately plundered of all its goods and camels. As soon
as the Sebâah banditti appeared, the merchants, who were without escort,
all ran away like frightened gazelles. One man alone had his arm
scratched. Our ghafalah, besides casual travellers going to The
Mountains, consisted of some two hundred camels, laden chiefly with
merchandize for the interior, Soudan, and Timbuctoo. Thirty or forty
merchants, nearly all of Ghadames, to whom the goods belong, accompany
these camels. To ascertain its value would be hopeless, for the
merchants, with the real jealousy of mercantile rivalry, conceal their
affairs from one another. Two of the principal Ghadamsee merchants are
with us, the Sheikh Makouran and Haj Mansour, besides a son of the great
house of Ettence. These merchants belong to the rival factions of the
city, and accordingly have separate encampments. The greater number of
the merchants of our ghafalah are only petty traders, some with only a
camel-load of merchandize. We are escorted by sixty Arab troops on foot,
with a commandant and some subordinate sheikhs on horseback. They are to
protect us to The Mountains, where it is said all danger ends. They are
poor, miserable devils to look at, hungry, lank, lean, and browned to
blackness, armed with matchlocks, which continually miss fire, and
covered with rags, or mostly having only a single blanket to cover their
dirty and emaciated bodies. Some are without shoes, and others have a
piece of camel's skin cut in the shape of a sole of the foot, and tied up
round the ankles: some have a scull-cap, white or red, and others are
bare-headed. I laughed when I surveyed with my inexperienced eye these
grisly, skeleton, phantom troops, and thought of the splendid invincible
guard which the Pasha promised me. And yet amongst these wretched beings
was riding sublime an Arab Falstaff.

_4th._--Morning. Find the greater part of the ghafalah has not yet come
up. We are to wait for them, being the advanced body. Expect them in the
afternoon. It is exceedingly difficult to keep these various groups of
merchants together; each group is its own sovereign master and will have
its own way. The commandant is constantly swearing at each party to get
all to march together; now and then he draws his sword and shakes it over
their heads. "You are dogs," he says to one; "you are worse than this
Christian Kafer amongst us," (myself,) he bawls to another.

Have, thank God, suffered little up to now, although intensely hot in the
day-time, and my eyes so bad that I cannot look at the sun, and scarcely
on daylight without a shade. They were bad on leaving Tripoli, having
caught a severe ophthalmia from the refraction of the hot rocks when
bathing. My left arm is also still very weak, from the accident of
falling into a dry well a little before I started. I can't mount the
camel without assistance, but begin to ride without that sickly
sensation, not unlike sea-sickness, which I felt the first day's riding.
Drink brandy frequently, but in small quantities and greatly diluted, and
find great benefit from it; drink also coffee and tea. Eat but little,
and scarcely any meat. The Arabs of the country brought a few sheep to
sell this morning, but asked double the Tripoli price; so nobody
purchased. Bought myself a fowl for eighty Turkish paras. The people of
the ghafalah civil, but all the lower classes will beg continually if you
are willing to give. Each one offers his advice and consolation on my
tour; but Mohammed keeps all the hungry Arabs at a respectable distance,
lest I should give to them what belongs to his share, like servants who
don't wish their masters to be generous to others if it interferes with
their own prerogatives.

We left in the afternoon and encamped in The Desert at Shouwabeeah. The
Desert here presents nothing but long coarse grass and undulating ground.
I observed a patch which had been cultivated, the stubble of barley
remaining, which the camels devoured most voraciously. Chopped
barley-straw is the favourite food of all animals of burden in North
Africa; horses will feed on it for six months together, and get fat. _En
route_ the chief of the escort had great trouble to keep the caravan
together; he made the advanced parties wait till the others came up, so
as all to be ready in case of attack. One would think the merchants, for
their own sakes, would keep together; but no, it's all _maktoub_ with
them; "If they are to be robbed and murdered they must be robbed and
murdered, and the Bashaw and all his troops can't prevent it." This they
reiterated to me whilst the commandant bullied them; and yet these same
men had each of them a matchlock and pistols besides. The Sheikh Makouran
had no less than four guns on his camel. I asked him what they were for.
He coolly replied, "I don't know. God knows." The camels browse or crop
herbage all the way along, daintily picking and choosing the herbage and
shrubs which they like best. My chief occupation in riding is watching
them browse, and observing the epicurean fancies of these reflective,
sober-thinking brutes of The Desert. I observe also as a happy trait in
the Arab, that nothing delights him more than watching his own faithful
camel graze. The ordinary drivers sometimes allow them to graze, and
wait till they have cropped their favourite herbage and shrubs, and at
other times push them forward according to their caprice. The camel, with
an intuitive perception, knows all the edible and delicate herbs and
shrubs of The Desert, and when he finds one of his choicest it is
difficult to get him on until he has cropped a good mouthful. But I shall
have much to write of this sentient "ship of The Desert." It is hard to
forget the ship which carries one safely over the ocean, whose plank
intervenes between our life and a bottomless grave of waters: so we
tourists of The Desert acquire a peculiar affection for the melancholy
animal, whose slow but faithful step carries us through the hideous
wastes of sand and stone, where all life is extinct, and where, if left a
moment behind the camel's track, certain death follows.

_5th._--Rose at daybreak, and pursued our way through the Desert. Saw the
mountains early, stretching far away east and west in undefined and shadowy
but glorious magnificence,--some of deep black hue, and others reddened
over with the morning sunbeams. It is a gladdening, elevating sight. The
presence of a vast range of mountains always raises the mind and
imagination of man. Encamped during the _Kailah_ قايلة, or from
10 o'clock A.M., to 3 P.M. This is the siesta of the Spaniards, and it is
probable the Moors introduced it into Spain. It is also the mezzogiorno
of the Italians and the Frank population of Barbary. But the Italians
usually dine before they take their midday nap. Our object here is to
shelter ourselves from the greatest force of the heat of the day. None of
us dine. In the afternoon the Arab soldiers, being without water, began
to seize that of the merchants, after having demanded it from them in
vain. In one case they robbed a merchant under the pretext of getting
water. They also attempted to take water from my camels, but I resisted,
threatening to report them to the Bashaw. After a scuffle with my negro
servant and camel-driver, in which affair Said drew out manfully from the
scabbard the old rusty sword which I presented to him on leaving
Tripoli--to gird round him as a warrior badge--they desisted and
retreated. The sub-officer of the escort came up to me afterwards, and
begged that I would say nothing about the business. I gave him a suck of
brandy-and-water, and we were mighty good friends all the way. Our course
was south to-day, striking directly at The Mountains. We encamped about
midnight at the Wady Lethel, the name of which is derived from the tree
_Lethel_ لذل, frequent in the Sahara.

With regard to the conduct of the poor Arab soldiers, justice requires it
to be said, that they are allowed nothing for the service of the escort,
whilst if they do not serve when they are called upon, they are fined.
The consequence is, they generally have nothing to eat, and no skins to
put their water in. Perhaps a camel with a couple of skins is allowed to
twenty men. As there was water for scarcely two days of our slow
marching, (we only march about twelve hours per day,) these miserable
victims of Turkish rule had no water left. It is hunger and misery in
this, as in most cases amongst the poor, and not the native unwillingness
of the heart to perform good actions, which excite them to deeds of
violence and plunder. This night the heavens presented an appearance of
unexampled serenity and soft splendour; all the constellations glowed
with a steady beauteous light; there were the "sweet influences of
Pleiades," the bright "bands of Orion," "Arcturus with his sons," and the
infinitude of sparkling jewels in "chambers of the South." All the stars
might be seen and counted, so distinctly visible were they to the naked
unassisted eye. In encamping our ghafalah carried on its delightful
system of confusion, and the night fires of the various groups glared
wildly in every direction. I had not yet become familiar with these
nocturnal lights of Saharan travelling, and my senses were confounded. I
felt tormented as with an enchanter's delusive fire-works in some
half-waking dream.

_6th._--Rose at day-break. Our route was now over a vast level plain, and
we were within four hours of The Mountains. They now discovered the true
Atlas features, a part of which chain they were. We marched in the most
glorious disorder. Some were before, some behind, straggling along,
others far to the right, and others as far to the left, a mile or two
apart. We had the appearance of an immense line moving on to invest The
Mountains _en masse_, for there seemed to be no common point to which we
were advancing in such tumultuous array. The Arabs pay little attention
to marching in order, and in a straight line, so that the camels traverse
double the quantity of ground that there would be any occasion for did
they attend to plain common sense. The Desert now showed more signs of
cultivation, and, indeed, a great portion of this so-called Desert is
only land uncultivated, but capable of the highest degree of
cultivation;--all which might be effected by supplying any scarcity of
rain by irrigation.

We passed the kailah, or in Scripture phrase, "the heat of the day," at a
place called Aâeeat, below The Mountains, where we found two wells
without water, or with very little bad, dirty, nay, black water.
Nevertheless, many descended these wells, about thirty feet deep, to
bring up the muddy filthy water, and swallowed it immediately. I myself
was so thirsty, that I drank it greedily. Said had very severe thirst,
and I believe he drank in one of the last two days nearly a bucket and a
half of water. I finished two bottles of brandy, having diluted it with
large quantities of water. I believe this was the only thing which kept
me alive, the heat was so intense and prostrating in the day-time. I am
astonished to see these people descend into the wells with such facility.
I expected, on the contrary, to see them break their necks. They descend
by the sides, only assisted by their hands and feet, clinging to naked
stones, the interstices of which in some places not even allowing space
on which to rest the foot. Here again is hubbub and vociferation of the
wildest form, all sorts of quarrelling over this sewer-like water. I now,
for the first time in my life, experienced the real value of water, and
in these climates more clearly understood the vivid and frequent
allusions in the Holy Scriptures to this essential element of existence.
Mohammed went several miles in The Mountains, and returned with a skin of
fresh water. In his absence the torment of thirst prostrated me, and I
lay senseless on the ground:

    "The water! the water!
      My heart yet burns to think,
    How cool thy fountain sparkled forth,
      For parched lips to drink."

After the Kailah, we ascended that portion of the Tripoline chain of the
Atlas called Yefran. This chain has various names, according to its
different links, or groups, more properly, for the usual phenomena of the
Atlas are groups, pile upon pile. The following are some of the principal
names of this part of the Atlas, beginning east and proceeding west:
Gharian, Kiklah, Yefran or _Jibel_, ("Mountain," par excellence,)
Nouwaheeha, Khalaeefah, Reeaneen, Zantan, Rujban, Douweerat. All these
larger districts are divided into smaller ones, descending to very minute
subdivisions. Every dell, and copse, and glade, and brook, and stream,
and drain, (to use English nomenclature,) of these mountains, is defined,
and owned, and cultivated, as the most cultivated, divided, and
subdivided estate in England. It is quite ridiculous to look upon the
Atlas chains as so many vast uninhabited wastes. The French, whose forte
in colonization is blundering, rushed into the plateaus and groups of the
Atlas as into lands unowned and undefined, and were quite astonished to
hear of claimants for their newly acquired lands and farms. They imagined
that the plains of the Metidjah and the adjacent Atlas chain had lain
desolate since the Creation, or were only wandered over by savage hordes
of barbarians.

We found the ascent of Yefran difficult. The Arabs call all places
difficult of traverse, Wâr--وعر--whether applied to stony rocky
ground, sandy regions, or mountains. The camels in the ascent are timid,
and besides the evident fatigue which they experience, show great caution,
picking slowly their way with the greatest circumspection. Only a portion
of the ghafalah got up to-day. Some camels were labouring up the mountain
sides, others threw off their burdens and stood still. As our party was
always the advanced, we managed to get up soon. Beneath a huge old black
olive-tree, which seemed to have begun with Creation, but still as
vigorous as ever, we found a comfortable shade in a snug retired place.
It was cooler on the top of The Mountains, and I took a walk in the
evening to the Castle (Kesar) of Yefran, a most formidable thing to look
at from a distance, but a wretched mud-built place in reality. To the
Arabs, however, it is a terrible bulwark of strength, and for them
impregnable. Everything in the shape of a fort or a blockhouse, be it
ever so untenable or miserable, terrifies the Arabs. It is repeatedly
asserted that the Arabs of Algeria never took a blockhouse. An authentic
anecdote was recently related to me of a French civilian keeping a whole
tribe in check for two days, by fortifying his house and firing from
loop-holes which he made in its walls. Not so the Kabyles. Their genius
is defending their little forts, often constructed of loose stones, in
their mountain homes. Behind these and other forts of nature they
maintain for days an obstinate resistance, and pour deadly mitraille. The
Turkish soldiers were here lounging about; they gaped and stared at me. I
am, perhaps, the first European who has been to Yefran in the memory of
the present generation, nay, the first European Christian who has visited
this spot. The sun now set fiery red, and night was fast veiling The
Mountains with her sable curtain. I retired to my olive-tree, and under
its shade slept most profoundly. This was repose--this, sleep! I shall
never sleep in more profound slumbers until I sleep my last.

FOOTNOTES:

[11] Ghafalah, قفله, is the ordinary term for a caravan in North
     Africa.

CHAPTER III.

FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO GHADAMES.

     Interview with the Commandant of The Mountains.--Military
     Position occupied by the Turks.--Subjugation of the Arabs.--My
     different Appellations.--Departure for, and arrival at, Rujban,
     native place of my Camel-driver.--Aspect of The
     Mountains.--Miserable condition of the Inhabitants.--Cruelty of
     the Tribute Collectors.--Marabouts exempt.--Curiosity of the
     Women to see The Christian.--Social Habits of the
     People.--Politics in The Mountains.--Visit from The
     Sheikh.--Various Conversations and Visitors.--Heat of the
     Weather.--The Sheikh offers to sell me his Authority.--Want of
     Rain.--Population.--The playing with the Head.--Pervading
     principle of Religion.--The Sheikh in a bad humour, and misery of
     Life in The Mountains.--Departure from The
     Mountains.--Description of the four days' journey from The
     Mountains to the Oasis of Senawan.--Dreadful sufferings from Heat
     and want of Sleep.--Provisions of the Caravan.--Stratagem to
     preserve Water.--Second Christening in The Desert.--Senawan and
     its group of Oases.--Resume our Journey.--Emjessem.--Met by a
     party of Friends from Ghadames.--Quarrel about Said.--First sight
     of Ghadames.

_7th._--WAS awaked by a young man, who said he had brought for "the
Consul of Ghadames" (myself) a brace of partridges, some milk, and
grapes, from the secretary of the Commandant. Drank a large basin of milk
and coffee, and went to pay a visit to the Commandant. Found all the
principal Ghadamsee merchants at the Castle, closeted in a small
apartment with the Commandant, Ahmed Effendi, talking over the affairs of
the ghafalah. At first I imagined this officer had brought them up from
Yefran to make them pay black-mail in various presents. But it was only
his vanity which dragged up the poor camels this fatiguing route, an
ascent of four hours. Our direct route to Ghadames would have been half a
day farther west. He said he had merely sent for the merchants to ask
them how they were, and give them his blessing. When I entered, a stool
was brought me to sit upon. The Rais[12] was seated on a raised bench
covered with an ottoman, and the merchants were squatted on their hams
upon the matting and carpets of the floor. Coffee was brought me, as to
most visitors. The Rais asked me where I was going? and what I was doing?
as if he knew nothing about me. I then had my palaver, and represented to
the Rais the case of taking by force water from the merchants, which took
him quite aback, and astonished all present, the merchants secretly
admiring the boldness of the remonstrance. But it was one of those
unpleasant duties which are absolutely necessary to be performed. In our
case it was necessary for our own health and the order and security of
the caravan. The Rais surprised and displeased, nevertheless gave strict
orders that it should not happen again. The merchants afterwards
expressed their thanks to me; seeing plainly also the advantage of having
one amongst them who was not immediately subject to the Pasha and his
soldiers. Besides, I hinted to the Rais it would be better if the
ghafalah marched more in order, and had a chief. This the Rais discussed
with the merchants, and it was considered advisable to adopt these common
sense measures, they, however, laughing heartily at my European ideas of
order. I then begged the Rais to persuade the people to travel by night,
as this was the hottest season in the year, and being a new traveller in
The Desert, I could scarcely support the heat. He replied it would be
better for all as we were not now likely to be molested with hostile
Arabs. Before separating, a marabout made a short prayer (the _fatah_)
for the safety of the caravan. This prayer, the first chapter of the
Koran, is never omitted on these occasions. Ahmed Effendi is a very smart
Turk, in the vigour of age and health, and has the character of being
very stringent in his administration. People call him "_kus_," or hard
and determined in disposition; but he is not ferocious, like the
Commander-in-Chief. His countenance betrayed a very active intelligence.
He said to me aside: "Now these people you are travelling with are
barbarians; you must humour their whims and respect their religion. If
they were not now present, we would have a bottle of wine together."

The garrison of Yefran contains some two or three hundred Turkish
soldiers, as also that of Gharian, besides Arab troops. The Arabs of
these districts are entirely subdued, their native courage apparently
dried up and extinct. This has been done chiefly by forced emigration or
extermination. The French acquired their _razzia_ system from the Turks
whom they found in possession of the government of Algiers, on the
conquest of that country; but they have improved on it, for a superior
intelligence imitating a bad system, will always increase its cruelty and
wickedness. We passed many villages depopulated, their humble dwellings
razed to the ground--the work of the ferocious Ahmed Bashaw, who came in
person to these mountains. A great deal of fighting had taken place near
the Castle, and there were the ruins of a very large village on one of
the neighbouring peaks. Yefran is a very strong position, and was hotly
contested by both parties. In all these mountain districts very few
inhabitants are seen, and the present cultivation is therefore
insignificant. The people are without money or stock, and have scarcely
anything to eat. The single advantage of Turkish rule here is, a large
military road cut from the plain to the summit, on which the fort stands,
but, of course, as a military road, it was not made specifically for the
improvement of the people. Certainly the Turks must show more civilized
and polite manners to the mountaineers, but the Arabs will not imitate
them, or, if anything they do imitate, as in the case of all subjected
nations in relation to their conquerors, it is the vices of their
masters. It is unfortunately much the same when the Turks imitate us
Christians.

Bought some meat cheap at Yefran, but my camel-driver afterwards stole
the greater part. The secretary of the Rais, Bou Asher, who knew the
Vice-consul of Fezzan, showed me some kindness, and sent me again milk,
which he said was the right of "The Consul." I had also received a nice
delicious little present of a melon from the Sheikh Makouran _en route_.
These were the first proofs of a friendly disposition of the natives
towards me, and were most thankfully appreciated. The people called me
_Taleb_ ("learned man"), or _Tabeeb_ ("doctor"), or Consul, or the
Christian, just as their caprice or information led them[13]. Here all
the merchants determined to stop a week, some going to one part of The
Mountains, and some to the other, to purchase oil, barley and _gurbahs_
("water-skins"). Many travellers, who had availed themselves of our
escort to The Mountains, here left us.

I left in the afternoon for the native country of my camel-driver, and
encamped for the night in The Mountains. Our party consisted only of the
camel-driver, Said, and myself, with three camels. I must say I felt
rather queer knocking about in The Mountains, almost alone.

_8th._--Rose early, and pursued our way. The air of this elevated region
invigorated my mind and body; and so by a mishap I took no coffee before
starting. Passed the kailah under a group of olive trees, called "The
Sisters[14]," where also flocks of sheep and shepherds were dosing and
reposing under the shade. We exchanged biscuits for milk. The shepherds
were giving their dogs to drink, and made me wait until they had drunk
their fill, thinking no doubt that their dogs were as good as "a
Christian dog," (the ordinary epithet of abuse applied by Mussulmans to
Christians). I had my revenge, for when I had drank my milk, I took good
care to give them only a fair and exact return of biscuits, which made
them ask for more, but which I refused. Started again, and did not arrive
at Mohammed's village, in the district of Rujban, till after midnight. It
was a most wearisome ride. I kept asking Mohammed, "how far the village
was off?" He would say, "Now three hours;" in two hours after, it was
still "three hours;" in two hours after that, it was still "two hours and
a half;" it was "near" when it was six hours before we arrived; it was
"close by us," three hours before we arrived, &c. &c. But an Arab will
often tell you a place is just under your nose when it is at a day's
journey distant, pointing to it as if he saw it within a musket-shot. I
was highly exasperated at Mohammed, because we had delayed to eat
anything all day long, upon his representing to me that we should arrive
an hour after sunset. But the milk acted like a purgative, and was
perhaps advantageous. No people were seen in The Mountains, and very
little cultivation. There were a few modern antiquities, chiefly the
stones of Moorish forts and castles. Many villages in ruins, destroyed in
the late wars. And Mohammed, like a thoughtless idiot, ridiculed the rude
desolations of his brethren, exulting and calling out to me to see "the
cooking places." Many parts had the geological features of the Sahel, or
hilly country in the neighbourhood of the city of Algiers. The air was
pure and cool. But though it was calm this day and the evening, a sudden
tempest got up after midnight. I was lying on the bare ground rolled in a
blanket, when the wind tore it from off me, and I was obliged to retreat
to a hovel. I am told these tempests are frequent in The Mountains, no
doubt arising from the intense heat rarefying the air.

_9th._--Slept the greater part of this day to recover from the fatigue of
the preceding days. Do not suffer much, and am surprised I do not suffer
more. Asked Mohammed for the quarter of sheep purchased at Yefran, and
taxed him with stealing it: told him I would give him no backsheesh on
arriving at Ghadames. He had stolen the meat to make a feast for his
friends on his arrival, and afterwards brought me a piece of my own meat
cooked as his own, but which I refused. This is a fine illustration of
being generous at another person's expense. In the evening went to see
Rujban. There are seven villages forming the district of Rujban. These
consist of so many mud and stone buildings, but some of the houses are
excavations out of the solid rock, the principal object being protection
from the fiery summer heat, and the intense winter cold. Many of the
houses have a yard before them, which is walled round, and three or four
are mostly clustered together. Sometimes excavations are made in a pit or
hollow found on high ground, and then a subterraneous passage leading to
them is excavated from the mountain sides: these are reckoned very
secure. From the heights where I write, there is a boundless view of the
plain and undulating ground which lie between the Mediterranean and this
Atlas chain. The Arabs call it their sea, and it certainly looks like a
sea from these heights. A marabout sanctuary and garden at the base of
the mountains, is called their port. There is frequently a freshness
rising from the subjected plain like that of the sea. The camels, they
say, are their ships. There are besides some pretty views in and over the
Atlas valleys, where you overlook the small scattered oasisian spots of
cultivation, with here and there a palm and little groups of inclosed
fig-trees. Then again, there are heights crowned with olive-woods, as if
The Mountains had put on a black scull-cap. Some of the precipices are
so profound, as to deserve the epithet of "horrid." In different parts of
these heights are flights of natural steps, by which they are ascended,
and which seem to have received some finish from Arabian ingenuity.

In spite of the freshness and coolness of mountain air, it has been very
hot these last two days. On the plains, the people say the heat is now
overpowering.

There is scarcely any natural produce about. A few sheep and goats, a
camel or two, and a few asses, are all the animals I have seen. The
fig-trees produce something, but I have seen no prickly-pears, which
support many poor families on The Coast, during several months every
year. The olive plantations are the principal resource of these poor
mountaineers, which are also a sensible relief for the eye on these bare
heights. In the houses there is hardly anything to be got. No pepper, no
onions, no meat killed or sold. No bread can be obtained for love or
money. I laid in a stock of fresh bread in Tripoli for a fortnight, but
my gluttonous camel driver devoured all in three or four days! There were
no less than fifty twopenny loaves. He was accustomed to eat in the
night, when I was asleep, and used to threaten to beat Said if he
blabbed. I mentioned the circumstance after, to the Rais of Ghadames, who
observed: "If you had brought a thousand loaves, all would have been
devoured."

Notwithstanding this abject poverty, a bullying tax-gatherer, with half a
dozen louting soldiers, have been up here prowling about, and wresting
with violence the means of supporting life from these miserable beings.
The scenes which I witness are heart-rending, beyond all I have heard of
Irish misery and rent-distraining bullies. One man had his camel seized,
the only support of his family; another his bullock; another a few
bushels of barley: the houses were entered, searched, and ransacked;
people were dragged by the throat through the villages, and beaten with
sticks; and all because the poor wretches had no money to meet the
demands of these voracious bailiffs. Poverty is, indeed, here a crime.
One poor old woman had a few bad unripe figs seized, and came to me, and
a group of wretched villagers, crying out bitterly. One or two men, who
were imagined to have something, though they had nothing, were held by
the throat until they were nearly suffocated. I cursed over and over
again in my heart the Turks. I was not prepared for such scenes of
cruelty in these remote mountains. We shall find, that amongst the
so-called barbarians of The Desert there was nothing equal in atrocity to
this. What wonder that the Arab prefers, if he can, to pasture his flocks
on savage and remote wastes to being subjected to these regular
Governments--of extortion! And yet we, in our ignorance of what is here
going on, are surprised at their preference. If the people are not ready
with their money, the little barley, their winter's store, is seized, and
they must pay afterwards their usual quotas of money. Several bags of
barley are illegally gotten in this way. The amount of tax or tribute for
the whole district of Rujban is five or six hundred mahboubs, which is
paid in three instalments, three times a year; but, which though nothing
in amount, is more than all the people are worth together, for riches and
poverty are relative possessions, if the latter can be possessed. If they
can't pay in money they pay in kind. The Sheikh of the district, with
the elders, determine how much each man and family shall pay. This, of
course, gives rise to ten thousand disputes, heart-burnings, and eternal
wranglings amongst themselves. The Arabs, on these occasions, however
silent and sulky they may be on others, show that they have the gift of
speech, as well as Frenchmen and Italians. Then, indeed, God's thunder
can't be heard. Marabouts do not pay these taxes. This is a privilege of
religion, which successfully exerts itself against the oppressive arm of
the civil power. Such privilege has been enjoyed in all ages and
countries. My camel-driver is a Marabout, and is consequently exempt. I
rallied him upon his privilege, and he replied: "The villains are afraid
to come here; see my flag-staff and green flag, they dare not come over
my threshold--God would strike them down!" It is impossible to tell how
much of the five hundred mahboubs gets into the treasury of Government,
but, I am told, a good portion gets into the pockets of the officials.
The whole administration of The Mountains, and the Saharan oases of
Tripoli, is conducted on the same principles of finance and extortion.

I am lodged in the house of my camel-driver. The women show the greatest
curiosity to see me, and declare that I am more beautiful (_bahea_) than
they. They wonderingly admire everything I have. The greater part of
these women never left their mountain-homes--never saw a Christian or
European before--and this is the reason of their surprise at my
appearance. The children, of course, are equally astonished, but are too
frightened to reflect steadily on an European. Both the women and men say
it is _maktoub_, ("predestination") which has brought me amongst them,
and they are right. These poor people are very civil to me. In my quality
of tabeeb they consult me. The prevailing disease is sore eyes. Two
children were brought to me, a girl with a dropsy of a year's standing,
and a boy with only one testiculum, for neither of which did I prescribe.
The employment of the men is camel-driving between Tripoli and Ghadames.
Agriculture, there is scarcely any. The women weave barracans or holees
for their husbands, themselves, and children, and for sale. They are
mostly dirty, and ill-clothed. The men have but a single barracan to
cover them, one or two may have a shirt; the children are nearly naked;
and the women wear a woollen frock, charms round their necks, armlets,
and anclets, sometimes throwing a slight barracan or sefsar round their
heads and shoulders. I observed, however, that often women wear great
leather boots, made of red leather or camel's skin. None of them were
pretty, but some were fine-looking, with aquiline noses, and rolling
about their large, black, gazelle-like eyes.

_10th._--Spent the day in writing notes. Expect to remain three more
days. I am, however, comfortably sheltered from the heat, which has been
to-day excessive. Mohammed, my camel-driver, is useful to me as a writer
of Arabic, giving me the names of places in Arabic. But he knows nothing
of Arabic grammar, and writes very poorly, like most of these Marabouts,
although he passes for being a very learned man. He purchased some old
dirty leaves of an Arabic book, and exhibited them to the people as
sacred works. The Sheikhs of Rujban and all the great people of the
villages came to stare at them. They were shocked at my presumption in
wishing to handle these sacred leaves, which were a portion of a
commentary on the Koran. My Marabout is the Katab, or writer of the
village, there being only another who can write here besides himself, and
who writes very badly. Mohammed, though a saint and a writer, is an
enormous hog, and dishonest, when he can be so with safety. He has begun
badly, but may turn out better. Said is not of much use yet; he is very
stupid, but not malicious. I must make the best of both, and of every
body and everything in my present circumstances, conciliating always
wherever I can, and passing by all offences. If I can't do this, I may go
back. I cannot finish these trifling memoranda to-day, without expressing
my thankfulness to a good Providence, that I enjoy good health and
spirits up to this time, and there is every appearance of my arriving
safely in Ghadames. "All is from God!" (_Men ând Allah El-koul_, as the
people say.)

_11th._--Yesterday evening conversed with the Arab villagers, and asked
them if the soldiers of the Government were gone, _i. e._, the collectors
of the tribute. They replied, "Yes, thank God, and may they never return!
The curse of God upon them!" They then asked me, if the people were
treated so by our Government. I observed to them, "Not always. But that
sometimes the British Government sorely oppressed the people, as all the
Governments of Europe; and I was often tempted to think that there were
only two classes of people in the world, the oppressing and the
oppressed, (_i. e._, the eaters and the eaten)." To which latter remark
they all answered with a loud "Amen," and swore it was the truth. They
then asked me, "If the English were coming to Tripoli?" I told them,
"No," for the English had now more countries than they knew what to do
with. Surprised at this remark, they continued, "What are the French
vessels doing at Tripoli?" (There were then a French steamer and a brig
at this time.) I told them to keep away the Turks from attacking Tunis.
They were anxious to know if the French would come to Tripoli. I
answered, I thought not, as they had enough of Algeria. "We hope (_en
shallah_,)" said they, "the English are our friends." I replied they
were, but, being friends of the Sultan of Constantinople, they would not
take possession of Tripoli. The fact was, these poor people were just
smarting under the oppressive acts of the Turkish tax-gatherers, and they
would then have sold their country to the first comer for an old song,
were the buyer Christian, Jew, or Pagan. But I have always found the
Arabs fond of talking of politics; it seems instinctive in their
character; and it is astonishing how much policy is always going on
amongst their tribes, and how intricate are the various negotiations of
the Sheikhs. I asked them "If they had any arms?" To which they replied,
"No, none whatever; the Turks have taken them all away." And so these
once formidable mountaineers have not only lost all spirit and courage,
but have not even arms to defend themselves against the most petty
annoyances. Robberies of the small kind are frequent about the
neighbourhood, and the people are often obliged to gather their figs
before they are ripe, lest they should be stolen. At other times they
display great impatience of the seasons, and gather the fruit before
ripe. Those who steal provisions are poor famished devils, having
nothing to eat. There is no poor-law here. It is simply a question of
theft or starvation to death. This is the alternative of Arab life in
many parts of these mountains.

This morning received a visit from the Sheikh of Rujban, Bel Kasem by
name[15], and his head-servant, or factotum. I made them the best coffee
I could, putting into it plenty of sugar. The Arabs are curious people;
they like things either very bitter or very sweet. Their eyes sparkled
with satisfaction; they had never tasted coffee before like it, and were
rejoiced--"Tripoli always belongs to the English!" Speaking of the
Marabouts, and alluding to my Mohammed, the Sheikh said, "These fellows
pray God and rob men." "Mohammed," he added, "is a rogue, he pays
nothing, and I am obliged to eat up all the people to make up the amount
for the Bashaw." It is curious to observe everywhere this eternal contest
between the civil and spiritual power. To pacify him, I told him
Christian priests were many of them as bad as Marabouts (and which is
quite within the mark). The Sheikh and his men had very white teeth. I
observe nearly all the Arab men and women, as well as the negroes, to
have extremely white teeth. This has never been medically accounted for;
I believe it arises from the simplicity of the food they eat. Some
Tunisian Arabs have reported that large bodies of troops are being
concentrated at the Isle of Jerbah, in expectation of the Turks. The
trading Arabs are the gazettes of North Africa.

Said's feet are very sore, arising from Mohammed refusing to allow him to
ride. I was obliged to tell him, at last, that, unless he permitted him
to ride, Said should not help him to load the camels. This had some
effect, and he allowed Said to ride an hour or two before reaching here.
This Marabout is, indeed, a cruel, selfish fellow. He also pretends to be
very jealous, and will not allow any person, much less a Christian, to
see his wife. He won't allow me to present her a cup of coffee. But I
found out the reason; the rascal wished to carry it himself, and drink
half of it on the way. Afterwards his wife told me herself the reason. An
indiscreet conjugal disclosure this: but such is the character of the
man.

An old blind man is calling on me. He tells me his country is my country,
and his people my brothers and sisters. He prays God to bless me and
preserve me. How soft and gentle--how full of good-will and patience--are
the manners of the blind in all countries! Full fed flesh and the
prosperous are proud and cruel, those stricken with infirmity and misery
show the milk of human kindness. This poor old gentleman prays all the
day long. Prayer is his daily bread. The Arabs ask me if Said is my
slave. I tell them the English have no slaves, and that it is against
their religion, but that some other Christian nations have slaves. They
are greatly astonished that slavery is not permitted amongst us. The
women of the village continue to visit me as an object of curiosity. They
never saw a Christian before. They are always declaring me "bahea,"
handsome, of which compliment I am, indeed, very sensible.

This evening, however, the women of our two or three huts, and their
neighbours, played me an indecent trick, with, of course, a mercenary
object. Although the Barbary dance is rare amongst the Arab women, they
can have recourse to it at times to suit their objects. The men were gone
to bring the camels, and the women sent Said after them on some frivolous
message. Four of the women now came into my apartment, and taking hold of
hands, formed a circle round me. They then began dancing, or rather
making certain indecent motions of the body, known to travellers in North
Africa. At once nearly smothered and overpowered, I could scarcely get
out of the circle, and pushed them back with great difficulty. At this
they were astonished, and wondered all men, Christians and Mussulmans,
did not like such delicate condescension on their part. "Don't you like
it, infidel?" they cried, and retreated from my room. I now saw their
object. They began begging for money vehemently, saying, "Pay, pay, every