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Rtc(eioY{ Jr-ci^

-1

A MooK OF Barbart,

THE

COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

^ your

iiey

from

Tripoli in

to the City

BY EDWARD
Author of

'

TIte

Barbary

of Kairwdn.

RAE, RR.G.S.

Land of

tJte

North Wind!

MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1877.

The right of Translation

is

reserved.

Digitized by the Internet Arcliive

in

2007

witli

IVIicrosoft

funding from

Corporation

littp://www.arcliive.org/details/countryofmoorsjoOOraeeiala

DT
}

?^

I?I3

Wll'ff /RESPECT

AND LOVE

BOOK TO

DEDICATE THIS

MY DEAR MOTHER

AND

SISTER.

PREFACE.
Respected Reader,
I

AM

led to hope that

tain interest in the subject

you

which

trying your patience again.

will feel a cer-

is

my excuse

for

I have endeavoured

to sketch the existing state of a portion of the

country of the Moors, the

most interesting of
of

civihsation

all

race

which

to

me

the

shed the light

on the Dark Ages of Europe.

These notes are the result of two journeys into

the region where the remnant of the
their present abodes.

Moors have

I cannot hope, save per-

haps in the case of the city of Kairw^n, to

convey much original or novel information.

A peasant once presented himself at the Third

Section,

or

Secret

Pohce

Department, in

St.

PREFACE.

viii

demanded a hundred roubles

Petersburg, and

The money

the price of a certain communication.

was promised on condition that the

not already

known

the

to

as

were

facts

When

police.

the

peasant had finished, the agent called his secre-

him

tary from behind a screen, desiring

such and such a document, and to read

It

to bring
it

aloud.

was the peasant's story word for word.

I can't

out

make

went

that out, he said aghast, as he

The

for I invented the story myself.

Well,

tary had written behind

the

secre-

screen while

the

In like manner, though I can

peasant spoke.

take no credit for inventiveness, I

am

inclined to

fear that the reader, turning to his bookshelves,

may

find

more

much

of the information I have to give,

solidly conveyed.

To

several gentlemen I

kind recommendations

am much

indebted for

Messrs. Eye, Stephens,

Wright, Newsome, Fraser, Young, and especially

Mr. Murray and his son,

to

make my

fair

who have

task a pleasant one.

also helped

me most

kindly.

contributed

Colonel Play-

I have to

PREFACE.

ix

recognise the indulgence of the reviewers of a

former account of very

those

who encouraged me

who remarked

one

different

man who
seen so

We

from

scenes

to write again, to the

do not know any young

has travelled so

much

as Mr. Eae,

and

little.

My

journey was a solitary one.

had not

the hardy and invaluable companion of Arctic expeditions, or the genial friends

so

many rambles

enough.

mend

elsewhere.

To Kairwan
visit,

who have

cheered

The journey was easy

alone I should not recom-

without various precautions and a

certain respect for the prejudices of the unalter-

ing Faith of

Mohammed.

Even

then,

it

is

not

unlikely that an accident might happen.

Briefly,

Leo

kind Eeader, as the old geographer

says in closing his Chronicle

things

These are the

memorable and woorthie of knowledge

scene and obserued

by me Eduard Eae

Countrey of the Mores

in the

wherein whatsoeuer I

sawe woorthie the obseruation, I presently committed to writing

and those things which I sawe

PREFACE.

not, I procured to

by most

credible

were themselves

be at large declared vnto

and

eie- witnesses of the

so hauing gotten a

good
this

substantiall persons,

to reduce these

fitte

Claughton,

Birkenhead.
October 1877.

which
:

and

opportunitie, I thought

my trauels

one volume.

same

me

and

studies into

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER

I.

PAGE

The

Provence

Junon

SamboVale"tta Franciscan
Circe

Stonn Passengers
Tripoli The
Priest Sail
for

for

Sail

Malta

........

Expectations

CHAPTER
The

II.

Its Origin and History The Eomans Vandals

Spaniards Knights of Jerusalem Ottomans The

Tripolis

Saracens

Bej-s

CHAPTER

III.

The CityBazaarsLeo AfricanusPrepare for

EecommendationAnnibale and Giovanni

Trablus Gharb

Journey to Lebda

CHAPTER

IV.

Among the PalmsThe Dellou^Tadjoura

The DesertEas HamraWe reach Djefdra Reception
AccommodationThe KaidThe Plagues of Barbary Taphra
A Rencontre Abd Atti Syrian LandscapeWeirCountry of the BedouinsRuinsHorns

Set out from Tripoli

al

Sidi

el

25

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

V.
PAGE

The Kaid Murderers Our Quarters

Ride to Lebda Debris Columns Heat Wadi Lebda Group
of Ruins Temples Severus The Evil Eye Triple Arch
Depredations Lepide Its Origin and History A Legend of

Received at the Castle

Leptis The Gulf of Syrtis Major

35

CHAPTER

VI.

HomsA Deputation The Kaid's Hospitality Copper

The Dead City Start for Tripoli Wearisome Journey
The Gharian A WeddingDjefara in the Twilight The
Owl-slayer Continue Journey Great Heat The Mecca Caravan A Bargain Tadjoura The Hermitage Frederick Warrington The Times of the Beys The Harbour Mussulman
Fanaticism The Bazaars

Return to
Coins

49

OstrichesJohn Leo on the Naturall HisTombs and CoinsGiovanni incorruptible

The Triumphal Arch of Aurelian Roman Numerals Prayers
for Rain Offering to the God of Rain Alteration of Plans
Cyrene in Prospect The Cyrenaica

62

CHAPTER

VII.

The Pasha's Gardens

torie of Barbarie

......

CHAPTER

Vin.

Esparto GrassBlack Families An Ingrate The

Usury, Caravans, and the Slave Trade The Pashalik
of Tripoli Resources Fall of the Leaf Charity Arab Home
Outer BazaarsLove Charms The Sheikh Biled

Evening Ride
Allegra

el

CHAPTER

74

IX.

Djemma '1 Basha Djemma '1 Gordji Djemma '1 Sheikh Bel Ain
Djemma Sidi Dragut Panorama The Crescent City Delu'1

sions

Productions

Genowaies

and Misfortunes

Voiage of

The

the lefus

89

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

X.
PAGE

The Jews' Quarter The Place of Stoning The Dyers An AusBab el Djedid Jeivish Reception The Synagogue
tere Sentry
The MurdererThe Dutch ConsulThe Black VillageIn
the Palm Groves Orange Garden Essence Distilling Fruit
and Blossom The Castle ^A Eoman Lady Bouba The Circe

The

Last of Tripoli

CHAPTER

XI.

.08

GolettaPermquierThe
Kairwin Sketch of Tunis
Purchases in the Bazaars Scenes in the City EoseBuds and
Orange Blossoms Adopt a Young MoorBraham the Silver-

Malta

Cape

Bon

Tunny

smith

Fishery

Preparations

City of Verdure

for

The Bardo The Great Aqueduct.

.109

CHAPTER Xn.

His Antecedents, Career, Characteristics, and AccomOld Times MosaicsStroll through the City
Panorama The Diamond Market SanctuariesThe Mosqu of

Bakkoush

plishments

Departure from Tunis

126

the Olive Tree

CHAPTER

XHI.

SusaBazaars The Sahel Adrumetum

The Port of KairwanThe EevolutionMonastirLepti
Parva Eas di MasMehdiaThe Patriarke of Cairaoan

Sail for the East Coast

Salectum

138

CHAPTER

Palus Tritonis

XIV.

The Barbary Coast The Khassir Kerkeneh The Flying Camp

Djerba The Lotos Eaters Skull Pyramid Gulf of Kabes

150

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

XV.
PAGE

Gale A Mistake A Deaf MuteThe Quarters of

Sfax Mosques A Caravan of Dates The Bazaars Gracefulness of Sfaxins Environs The City of Twelve Thousand GardensSlave Caravans Street Auction Costumes The Great
Mosque A TragedyThe Silversmiths Bakkoush at Home
An Eccentric DervishA Modest Marabout Ruins of Lebda

Arrival at Sfex

CHAPTER

XVI.

PrivationsFacts about Sfax Sail for

Embark on

Corsica

161

the

North Sponges of the Lesser Syrtis The Oulad Azim Octopi

Sponge Culture and Chicken Manufacture Mehdia Sardines
Arab Cemetery Port of Mehdia Turris Hannibalis Relics
of El Djem A Moslem Companion Monastir Collectors

Susa

CHAPTER

.180

XVII.

HutmenHucbaMuse ConSite of KairwanDecline

Dr. Shaw on Kairw&n and
Mosque Origin of Name
Sacredness and Exclusiveness Plans and Preparations A Recommendation Outfit Disappointment

Of the Great

Citie of Cairaoan

quest of Andaluzia and Castilia

Its

its

CHAPTER

196

XVIII.

The SahelBedouins A Discovery in NaDroughtM'sekenThe Great PlainFootPilgrimsThe Great Minar The Walls Enter

Departure from Snsa

tural

prints

History
of

Kairw&n

ObservationsMaledictions

210

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

XIX.
PAGE

The Year of the Hejra 1292The Kaid's HouseSidi Mohammed

A Pervert Supper a I'Arabe
el Mour4bet Hospitality
Fanatical Mosquito Visit the Kaid The Bazaars Curiosity
and Precautions The Tunis Gate A Horse Sale My BodyCivility The "Walls
guird Progress to Citadel Soldiers
221
Eough Usage

CHAPTER

XX.

The Great Mosque Sketches The Khasinah Decaying City

Size The
Bazaars Slippers Marabouts The
Its Former
Mosques Tombs of the Saints Curiosity An Aspiration
The Suburbs Djemma 1 Zituna Yahtuli Postern Gate
236

CHAPTER
Moorish Calendar

XXI.

Chronicles of the CityOkhbah Conquest of

SpainIbn Aghlab The

CHAPTER

246

City's Decline

XXII.

The Frenchman Servants Soldiers Ride round Walls A fine

Barb The /\irican Mecca The Haj The Kaid's Predecessors
Colleges The Renegade of Kairwan
268

CHAPTER

.....

XXIII.

A Bargain Mosque of the Three GatesTombs

^Measure the Great Mosque FanaticismDetails of Exterior

The Bazaars

Sacred Well

of

Kafiyat The Minar The CourtyardThe

Interior Columns of the Great Mosque

An Intrigue Writing on the Wall

Prayer Chamber

Its

281

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

XXIV.

Its Mosque and Kibleh Vicissitudes

Cordova ConstructionsEaccadahThe Last of the Aghla-

Foundation of Kairwan

LitesThe

PAGE

Its

New Mecca

292

CHAPTER XXV.

The Gate of Greengages Measure the City Ruined Bastion

Call to Prayer The CitadelA Mob Leylet al MoolidElmawahel

Imprecations Form of City An Incident Opinion of

Prepare to LeaveFarewell to the KaidLast

.........

the Bazaars

Night

in

Kairwan

CHAPTER
Issue from the City

Traverse

Kuined

XXVI.

the Plain

Interview with Bedouin Ladies

304

Camp of Bedouins

Halt

under Olive Trees

Tomb Nablus HammametThe

Foudouk of

Birlou-

The Dakkhul PromontoryThe Lead Mountain Suleiman Gulf of Tunis Hammam 1 Anf Ehades Enter Tunis

buita

CHAPTER

314

323

XXVII.

A Hammam A NegotiationLeave Tunis Footsteps of Bruce

A Touch of Nature Sad News The Last of Perruquier
Cape Carthage The Malta Channel A Swell Cagliari
Amphitheatre Antiquarian Museum A Visit from Sards
The Colony of Tunis

LeghornAn IncidentGenoa Paris

LIST

OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

A MOOR OF BARBARY

Frontispiece

Etched by Ldon Richeton.

RUINED MONUMENT AT LEBDA

.To face p.

36

Photographed and Etched by the Author.

RUINS BY THE RIVER OF LEPTIS

Etched by

TRIPLE

Edwin Edwards from

40

the Author's Photograph.

GATEWAY AT LEBDA

44

,,

104

Photographed and Etched by the Author.

PALMS BY THE

SEA. TRIPOLI
Drawn and Etched by the Author.

THE GREAT MOSQUE OF KAIR WAN

236

Etched by Lion Richeton from the Author s Sketch.

SKETCH PLAN OF THE GREAT MOSQUE

Engraved from

the

SKETCH PLAN OF THE CITY OF KAIRwAn

Engravedfrom

MAP

the

288

306

Authors Drawing.
.

Author s Drawing.
334

Errata.
Page

11, line 20,

39,

14,

83,

24,

146,

o,

for Zobeir read Ibn Zobeir.

for Windsor read Virginia Water.
for knows read admires.
read:' Barth says Leptis means port. Tliere is a Hebrew
root lapat, to enfold or encompass but no such word, I
;

tliink, in

210,

3,

218,

13,

Greek or Latin.

for Arab read Moorish.

for Arab read Arabic.

THE

COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

CHAPTER
Provence

I.

The JunonSail for Malta StormPassengersSambo

Franciscan PriestSail for Tripoli^The CirceExpec-

Valetta

tations.

It

was a lovely morning

It was the early spring

as

we entered Provence.

green leaves were sprouting,

and the almond-trees were thick with blossom.

Beside

us was the swift Ehone, and eastward were the purple

mountains with snow on them.

its

beautiful

seum

seilles.

and

Roman

finally

We passed

arch, Aries

and

its

Orange and

noble Colos-

whirled into the busy town of Mar-

In the train was a pleasant Englishman, also

on his way to the Hotel du Louvre and to Malta.

We
learned

walked
that

down

the

following evening.

down

the steamship

to

Junon would not

We

sail

office,

until

and
the

engaged our berths, and went

to see the steamer.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

On the
and

for

chap.

i.

second afternoon we went on board iheJunon,

two hours watched the

last cases

marked Malte,

Alexandrie, lowered into the hold by a terrible steam

crane.

At dusk we moved

slowly out of the Joliette

harbour, rounded the lightship, and were on our way

over the luminous waters of the Central Sea.

a dead calm

It

We

the sky looked very threatening.

steamed under the Chateau

d'lf,

and

left

was

the twinkling

lights of the city behind.

Towards midnight the wind burst upon us in a

hurricane

the sea

became wild and mountainous,

great waves broke over our stern, and water poured in

sheets

down

into our cabin.

The

doors and windows

of the deckhouse were nailed up, and covered with

boards and canvas.

After a miserable night in the

dark stuffy state-room, daylight came.

Great green

seas were sweeping aloft, breaking in a furious mass

of foam, and burying the JunoTi's

stern

as

she

if

could never rise again.

It

was scarcely dawn when we went on deck

sky was bare of

out of

but

every cloud seemed blown

seas were prodigious.

sail.

Nothing could be put upon

our negro steward, from Martinique, was in

despair, his woolly hair stood straight

plates

and

the

fortunately aft, drove us along fast, though

could hoist no

the table

stars,

The gale was violent, the

it.

The wind,

we

all

glasses clattered

on end

and smashed.

the

His white

CHAP.

THE yUNON'S PASSENGERS.

I.

as he clenched them,

teeth glittered

out sacres as

We

if

and he ground

he had been educated in France.

were but few passengers, and

if

some of us had

had a second opportunity of sailing in the Junon,

there would have been fewer

We

still.

had asked

There were

the agency after our fellow-passengers.

two English

officers,

the agent said, Messieurs Chol-

Mackintosh, an especially

melee and Maquintoche.

pleasant

fellow,

at

was Lieutenant in the 71st High-

landers, on his way to join his regiment

and Chol-

meley, a powerful young Yorkshire squire, was to be

attached to the regiment for a few months.

At daybreak on the third morning the gale had

abated, and this day

we could take our meals

in the

saloon.

The captain was a

a Legitimist

jolly good-looking

Frenchman

his political discussions with the other

were very entertaining, and he was as much at

officers

home and

had taken us to

familiar with us as if he

Malta a dozen times.

This want of

in a short acquaintance.

a charm

stifiFness is

French story

is told

of

an Englishman and a Frenchman, who met one rainy

night in an inn, and sat before the

warming themselves.
conversation,

the

Frenchman gave

he stooped politely forward.

he said

'

fire

drying and

After one or two attempts at

it

up.

beg your pardon,

some of the ash of your cigar has

P 2

Presently
sir,'

fallen

on

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

your knee.'
that

it

been on
about

Well,' said the Englishman,

Why,

concerns you.
fire for

the last

the

The steward. Sambo,

it.'

tells

i.

I don't see

'

your coat has

tail of

half-hour, and

chap.

I said

nothing

Mar-

us tales of

tinique, but he refuses to sing us one of the old planta-

tion songs.

He has an

but he says that

it

excellent

mouth

for sugar-cane,

As he

disagrees with him.

eats the

cane after sucking the sap, we are not surprised at

this.

At length we sighted, towards noon one day, the

Island of Gozo

and late in the afternoon we were

steaming into the entrance of the Grand Harbour of

Valetta.

and

I was glad to find the Tripoli steamers Circe

Trahlus Oharb lying alongside of

opposite to Fort St. Angelo.

us, as

we moored

The Trahlus had

sailed,

but put back, owing to the heavy weather, which had

detained

many vessels

in Malta.

I landed,

and drove in

one of the inexpensive light carriages up to Dunsford's

Hotel.
It is
streets,

a curious city

and innumerable

its

narrow tapering

flights of

steps, tall yellow

with

stone houses, and their projecting green

wooden

mediaeval outlines of auberges and palaces

restored Rhodes.
their yellow

bays,

sort of

natives, with

sunburnt skins, are the greatest busy-

bodies in Europe.
all

The bustling barefooted

Accredited with the knowledge of

European languages, they scarcely know one.

In

CHAP.

VALETTA.

I.

their miniature world all

mutual relations are defined

in the shortest possible time,

and with the most won-

They have been described

derful accuracy.

an ugly

as

English sentries were pacing

race of Catholic Arabs.

in front of the guard-house

over which are the in-

signia of England, with the dedication

To

the great

and unconquered Britain the love of the Maltese and

the voice of Europe confirms these islands,

There were

sailors

but not English

sounds of

fife,

faces

quick parties of redcoats

bugle, and

drum

baskets of violets and

other flowers, and piles of golden oranges

warm sunny

1814.

a.d.

with broad collars and blue shirts,

air of the

all

in the

Malta spring.

This City of the Knights, this surprising group of

natural fortresses,
less

is

familiar to us

remarkable and interesting.

possession for England,

all,

but none the

It is a magnificent

and probably

will not

who would have exchanged

up

until the party

for

Ceuta have acquired a

little

be given
Gibraltar

more importance.

Passing down to the Marina, to learn the hour at

which the Circe was to

sail,

church of the Franciscans.

chanced to enter the

There were large numbers

of people and priests, and a strong odour of incense

lighted tapers.

and

In the centre of the church, amid a

crowd of kneeling men and women, flanked by two

tall

rows of candles, stood a high catafalque, covered with a

black and silver pall.

Upon

this reposed, in full sacra-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

mental robes and hat, a Franciscan

chap.

His eyes

priest.

were closed, and his hands clasped on his breast.

man, he died on the previous day, and

old

funeral service.

On my

up the Strada Eeale.

just as he

had

i.

this

Poor

was his

return I saw a crowd passing

The

priest

was being carried,

lain in the church, to the catacombs of

the Franciscans.

At ten

in the morning, with all the bells in Valetta

clanging for church service, we steamed slowly out of

the harbour, and set

sail for

the Country of the Moors

Ahead of us was the Turkish

boat, Trablus Gharh, ar

older but faster steamer than the Circe, also

Tripoli.

It

was a bright fresh day

steamer was, she rocked but

little

which remained from the

gale.

bound

foi

and, light as th(

little

on the sweP

Mr. Said, who wa

agent for the Circe in Tripoli, was on board

Captain Kirkpatrick, a bright worthy

seaman, to

whom

the owners had very kindly

the day passed quickly.

little

and with

recommended me,

The passage

is

often a

bad

one, Tripoli harbour being almost inaccessible in northerly

winds

and, instead of arriving in

twenty- four

or thirty hours, the steamers have to lie off for several

days together, and even to return from within sight of

the houses of Tripoli to Malta.

Lest

it

should be imagined that I could regard this

journey in the light of a holiday and a diversion, I will

mention some of the requests which reached

me

from

CHAP.

RESPONSIBILITIES.

I.

friends

and from strangers before I

England.

left

can only recommend any future traveller to Tripoli to

conceal his destination from his nearest relatives.

was from an old friend and travelling companion

'

Dear Rae

you would get

I send a list of a few things I wish

for

me.

cabinets, such as

coffee-cups

old

and

Twelve inlaid hand mirrors,

and ivory

with mother-of-pearl

soft silk scarfs,

This
:

we found

five or

in Tunis

of scarlet and

plum

and Cairo
colour

must be

any blue and white china worth having

Some

don't want yourself.

bracelets

two

a set of

silver holders set in turquoise

ever large pieces of silver-work

essence

six

what-

&c.

you

brass

old embroidery.

Jewish lamp and a brass ewer and basin.'

The next was from a gentleman

had the pleasure of hearing before

of

whom

'Sir

had not

Hearing from

a relative of yours that you are about to travel in

Barbary, I venture to ask you to collect for
shells

and

birds' eggs.

Such and such

me some

shells exist in

Barbary, and the eggs of such and such birds are to be

met
it

with.

Pray be

careful, in

only in the following way.'

blowing the eggs, to do

Then came a diagram of

the only way in which I could be a successful blower of

The next was from a gentleman distantly acquainted with a member of my family : Sir As I
eggs.

'

understand you are just starting for the North Coast of

Africa, I should feel extremely indebted to

you

if

you

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

would spend

for

me

fifty

chap.

i.

or a hundred pounds in old

Then followed many excuses and

Oriental embroidery.

no directions, the matter being unfortunately

left to

my

taste.

One

friend asked for ten pounds worth of attar of

One merely wanted me

roses.

to spend ten pounds for

him on something or

other.

line silver bracelet

one for a bottle-shaped gourd, to be

set in

silver filigree.

One asked

for

Another modestly wished

photograph of a lonely ruined column.

spend a hundred pounds in carpets

feathers

the

an old Tripo-

and a gazelle back with me

for a

was asked to

to bring ostrich
:

to

proceed to

Atlas and report upon the Touaregs, one of the

oldest races in Africa.

desired to

pleased

buy

Finally, I was very handsomely

for myself, as a present, the object

me most

in Tripoli.

that these commissions caused

uneasiness of mind.

which

I can assure the reader

me much

anxiety and

FOUNDATION OF THE TRIPOLIS.

CHAPTER
The

Of

Its Origin and

SpaniardsKnights

History

Tripolis

Sai-acens

II.

The Eomans Vandals

OttomansThe Beys.

of Jerusalem

the three capitals of the Tripolis

obtained

its

name

in like

manner

the region which

as the Decapolis

and

Pentapolis, and contained the cities of Leptis, or Neapolis,

New

Tripoli

cities of

Leptis

Sabrata, or Old Tripoli, aDd (Ea, or

only the

latter city remains.

The

and Sabrata, one lying seventy miles

forty-seven miles west from

of ruins.

It

Phoenicians,
established

is

generally understood that,

driven
these

east,

the

when the

from home by domestic

colonies

strife,

on the northern coast of

Africa, between the gulfs of the Greater

Syrtes

and one

Tripoli, exist only as heaps

country being more or

less

and Lesser

unproductive,

the settlers had in view the creation of emporia for

trade with the interior, in gold, gums, spices, ivory, and

other precious articles.

The frequency

of oases in the

country lying south of Libya Tripolitana, rendered

it

very suitable for such

traffic,

and

its

three seaports

acquired wealth, refinement, and luxury.

The building of

Tripoli proper

is

attributed

by

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

lO

some

to

Emperor Severus

the

chap.

ii.

while the generally

accurate geographer, Leo Africanus, declares that

it

was

not built until after Old Tripoli had been captured by

the Goths, and destroyed by the

time of the Khalif Omar.

Mohammedans

in the

This would injure Tripoli's

claim to a decent antiquity, but the existence of a

Eoman

arch of the period of Aurelian refutes Leo.

Phoenician inscriptions of the same period also exist.

The founders of the

Tripolis, as is well

settlements farther East

from Djerba

known, made

to Algiers:

and

these Barbary provinces, having Carthage for their capital, flourished after

The sun
of

the Pentapolis had begun to decay.

of Phoenician Carthage set on the fatal plain

Zama, but Eoman Carthage

took the lead, and maintained

rising from her ashes

it for six centuries.

limits of civilisation contracted as

Roman power

The
de-

clined in Africa, and at length Valentinian called in

the aid of the Vandal king.

Those predatory bar-

barians gladly overran and occupied the country.

series of desolating

wars followed, in which the brave

and able Belisarius eventually recovered

who reigned
cies

for Justinian,

in Constantinople, these African dependent

but their ruin was complete.

Fresh wars under

Solomon, the successor of Belisarius, had a similarly pernicious result

Africa was desolated.

numbering a hundred and

alone,

were

extirpated.

sixty

The Vandals, once

thousand warriors

Of Berbers an

infinitely

CHAP. n.

greater

number

THE SARACENS.

II

When

Procopius, historian

perished.

of the Vandals, landed in these parts of Africa, he was

astonished at the population and
cities

prosperity

and country.

scene was converted into a silent solitude.

that five millions of
of

the Emperor

In

the

of the

In less than twenty years the busy

human

It is said

beings perished in the wars

Justinian.

seventh century, during

the rapid and

astounding rise of Mohammedanism, the Arabians, called

Sharak, East

Saracens or Orientals
to the setting sun.

turned

their

arms

Under the Khalifat of Omar, Okhbah,

at the head of the

Mohammedan army,

desert of Barca, destroyed Leptis

appeared under the walls of

traversed the

and in the year 647

New Tripoli.

Gregory, the

Carthaginian Prefect, appeared in relief of the city, and

offered his daughter's

hand and a hundred thousand

pieces of gold for the Arabian Emir's head.

On

the

Saracen side the same conditions were offered to the

man who

should slay Gregory, and in a bloody battle

the Prefect

fell.

Zobeir, the Saracen chief

him, however, declared

who

slew

probably after seeing the lady

that he laboured for a recompense above the charms of

beauty or the riches of this transitory

life.

This

may

have been disinterested or not.

The

Tripolitans purchased the withdrawal of the

Saracens by the payment of six million dollars.

For

which step the government of Byzantium reproached and

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

12

chap.

ii.

taxed them, so that on the reappearance of the Saracens

in 668, they welcomed both their government and their

Okhbah

faith.

then overran the northern part of

Africa, from Djerba

the Atlantic, and from the

to

Mediterranean to the Great Desert

establishing his

capital in Kairwan, thenceforth the seat of Mohammedan

Once the aboriginal

splendour and learning.

Kabyles,

Berbers

Touaregs,

of

the

races rose

Atlas

and

under their Queen Cahina, drove the invaders into

Egypt

but as they then set to work to destroy what-

ever in the cities they considered tempting to an

inhabitants invited the Arabians back,

invader, the

who

definitely established their language

After

many

lifat,

Tripoli

vicissitudes,

and customs.

on the dissolution of the Kha-

became an independent Moorish

In the year 1510,

dinand the Catholic

it

state.

into the hands of Fer-

fell

but twelve years later Charles V.

surrendered the city, together with Malta, to the Knights

of St. John,

Rhodes.

power:

whom

the Turks had just expelled from

The Ottoman Empire was

its corsairs

in the zenith of its

infested the Mediterranean.

Knights strengthened and fortified Tripoli but,

:

The

after a

short possession of less than thirty years, the Turkish

corsairs,

entered

Sinan
into

and

Dragut,

possession

of

overcame

the city.

them,

and

Dragut Eeis

was made Pasha, and governed Tripoli as part of Sultan

Suleiman's dominions.

CHAP.

VICISSITUDES OF TRIPOLI.

II.

During the next century and a

known

Eegency

of the

13

but

half,

little is

Pashas and Sanjaks,

or city.

with a garrison for the castle, were sent from Constantinople to govern

it,

and

its flag

was a terror of the

After bombarding Goletta, Blake in 1655

Inland Sea.

imposed a treaty on the Tripolines

for

a breach of

which Sir Cloudesley Shovel and Sir John Narborough

attacked

in

it

655.

In the year 1714,

Hamet Pasha

with the Moors of the

garrison

night.

city, rose,

the Caramanian,

and put the Turkish

in

one

Hamet was proclaimed independent ruler,

and,

to

death

three

hundred of them

sending large tribute to the Porte, he received recognition.

He

invited foreigners to

settle

in Tripoli,

exerted himself to improve manufactures and industry,

made

treaties with the various foreign powers,

subdued

the mountaineers of the Gharian, conquered Fezzan,

reduced the Cyrenaica, and acquired

the title of Great.

Becoming

among

blind, he

is

his subjects

said to have

shot himself, in the year 1745.

Hamet was

succeeded by his son and grandson

the

latter

being Ali Pasha, a mild and well-meaning man,

whose

life

san,

was embittered by his

Hamet, and Yussuf

sons.

These were Has-

the latter murdered Hassan in

the presence of their mother, and fought again and again

with Hamet.

In this state of civil war, the Turks took

the city, and Ali and his family had to escape abroad.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

14

chap.

The Turkish governor, however, behaving with

cruelty,

was superseded, and

Ali's

ii.

gross

family were re-estab-

lished.

On
as

the death of Ali, Yussuf became Pasha.

Brute

he was, his views were broad and enlightened

he

was anxious to remain on good terms with Europeans,

and aiforded them

He

facilities for

captured Murzouk, and established the slave trade,

much

to his

own

profit

mercantile transactions.
its

exploring the Regency.

Tripoli

had not yet washed

Yussuf winked at

hands of piracy.

own

he also entered largely into

it

indeed, his

fleet of eleven sail and a hundred guns did a good

deal of business of the kind, under the

notorious

Morat Reis

command

of the

once Peter Lyle a Scotch rene-

gade.

In 1801, and thrice in 1804, American squadrons

bombarded the

city

on one occasion losing a frigate,

the Philadelphia, which struck on the reef, and was

captured by the Tripolines.

In course of one desperate

engagement the Moors fought

losing their lives

med

splendidly

one

but the naval commander

half

Moham-

Sous, for the loss of his ship, was paraded round

the city on the back of an

strokes of the bastinado.

ass,

and received

five

hundred

In consequence of this unjust

and brutal treatment, none of Yussuf's captains would

put to

sea.

YuBSuf incurred debts, to enforce payment of which,

CHAP.

II.

END OF YUSSUF'S GOVERNMENT.

Tripoli was successively

Sicilians,

15

bombarded by the Sardinians,

and French. In 1832, Yussuf's sons rekindled

the family feud

the city was besieged for a year

Yiissuf abdicated in favour of his second son.

One day

May

1835

20,

Turkish squadron

The Pasha was enticed on

entered Tripoli harbour.

board of one vessel under promise of protection, and

there presented to
of Tripoli.'

'

Mustapha Nedjib Pasha, Governor

The Sublime Porte has

the Pashas of Tripoli

tenure of

office.

since

nominated

generally with a four years'

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i6

chap.

CHAPTER III.
Trablus Gharh The City Bazaars Leo Africanus Prepare
Journey
Lebda Recommendation Annibale and Giovanni.

m.

for

to

Early on the second afternoon we were

off a

white-

walled town, having a black reef running out in front of

it,

We

over which the waves were breaking.

rounded

the extremity of the reef, and cautiously entered the

harbour, across the end of which the city wall stretches
in

almost

straight

line,

the

facing

rising

sun.

It has at one extremity the tall massive citadel,

on

its

seaward extremity a yellow

reef extends to the north-east.

and

from which the

fort,

Above the

city wall

stand flat-roofed houses, half-a-dozen minarets, and a

single palm.

In the harbour lay two steamers

Trablus, and a Turkish war-steamer

vessels

of moderate

size.

and

Beyond the

a white beach, with low walls and

and

Behind
reach, to

beyond these, as

the extremity of the

far

castle extends

a few domes.
as

little

a vast and beautiful grove of palms.

the eye can

bay, stretches

Thick, feathery,

and green, they form a noble background to the

The

pilot,

the

a dozen

city.

a good-looking sunburnt man^ came on

CHAP.

ARRIVE AT TRIPOLI.

III.

we steamed

board, and

slowly in

17

through the trea-

cherous passages, which admit vessels only drawing

The wind came whistling

sixteen or eighteen feet.

from the

east, the

curled and crested

in

sky grew grey and thick, the waves

:

the pale yellow sand, where camels

and white-robed Arabs were pacing, was caught up and

the

filled

air

the palm trees swayed and stooped

and became enveloped

in time.

in dust.

boat came

We had

only got in

pulled by four Arabs in

off,

striped cashabbiyehs, the anchor was dropped, and we

were fairly in the harbour of Trablus Gharb.

city

is

Tripoli of the

West

Tripoli of Syria

is

This

Trablus

Shark, Tripoli of the East.

A number

of Tripolines were assembled on the little

jetty to see us land, and

we went through the comedy

of passing the customs authorities,

established in a

Captain Kirkpatrick pointed out to

shed.

gentleman with a bronzed

face.

That

is

me

a burly

Mr. England,

he said, who will be happy to receive you in his house.

I

made the

gesture of remuneration.

said the little captain

don't go, I said.

it

would be an

You must,

are no quarters available

Certainly not,
affront.

said the captain

in the city.

Then
:

there

So I was in-

my host, who expressed himself very hospiporters took my baggage on their shoulders, and

troduced to
tably

we made our way through an

old stone gateway

the house, a few minutes' walk from the harbour.

c

up

to

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i8

Mr.

few birds, an antelope, and a

man

Eobinson

young

consisted of a dog, a cat, a

it

resembled

household

England's

Crusoe's

chap. hi.

Peppo.

goat, a

Maltese

gentleman, Dr. Camilleri, a very zealous antiquarian,

While

lived with him.

all

the news from Malta was

being told, Mr. England's servant was preparing

room, the

ashamed

best in the house, which

my

was rather

to monopolise.

In the afternoon we sallied forth into the city, which

is

of the form of a half moon, or half octagon, mea-

suring eight hundred and

It is

yards.

bastions,

fifty

yards by a thousand

surrounded by a high wall, flanked by six

and has at one

tip the castle, at the other the

The

sea face runs in a gentle curve

half-ruinous forts.

round the end of the harbour.

Tripoli has three gates.

Bab

by which we first entered Bab

:

el

el

Bahhr, the Sea Gate,

Meshiah, opening upon

and Bab

the sea beach under the castle walls:

Djedid,

and

the

New

GTate,

behind

the

leading to the Jewish cemetery.

of Tripoli are of Moorish character.

Jew

el

quarter,

All the houses

The Europeans live

chiefly in the quarter

between the harbour gate and

the centre of the city.

Behind

this lies the

Jew quarter.

Between the European quarter and the bazaars

lies

the quarter of habitations, chiefly of the better classes.

The

city

is

much

The population

smaller

than Algiers or Tunis.

of Tripoli has been estimated variously

CHAP.

A CITY OF THE MOORS.

III.

at from twenty-five to fifteen thousand.

19

Wars and plague

have rendered the latter figure more probable

perhaps

two thousand Turks, ten thousand Moors, two thousand

and two thousand Jews, represent the ap-

Christians,

proximate present population.

The bazaars occupy the southern end, under the

wing of the

castle.

To reach them from the harbour

gate, one traverses the

habitations.

We

European quarter and that of

entered the long blank white alleys of

this neighbourhood, where flying buttresses overhead cast

broad shadows whenever the sun

We

is

not in the zenith.

came, after a few turns, to the Turkish bazaar,

the chief and broadest thoroughfare of the city.

White

walls on either side carried a rude roof, under which vines

trailed,

and through which the sunlight streamed. Here

was a low Moorish gateway to a khan or fondouk, of

which the interior was colonnaded.

of the shop-

Here were the barbers and

fronts were painted blue.

grocers, the silk

Many

and cotton merchants.

The crowd was

a picturesque one, though falling far short of a Tunisian

crowd.

Jews in dark blue turbans. Moors in white

turbans, Turks in the fez, Arabs in brown rough barra-

cans of undyed wool, with bare brown

and

fro.

strolled

Turkish soldiers

hand

cially neat,

in hand.

legs,

wandered to

in Zouave dress and gaiters

The

barbers' shops were espe-

having gaily coloured racks

combs, and clean matted divans.

c 2

for razors

They had,

and

too, old

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

30

ivory and mother-of-pearl,

hand-mirrors, inlaid with

and jars of

leeches.

chap. hi.

In the cafes sat Moors, with

clean turbans of straw-coloured silk and white stockings, while the attendants

and the

brass trays

Parrots

hung in

little

wooden

capital.

coffee.

and leopard and jackal skins

Many

houses had the Cairene

latticed windows, now, alas

Egyptian

quietly about with

cups of scalding

cages,

in some of the shops.

moved

disappearing in the

In cooks' shops Arabs were devour-

ing yellow cakes, fried, by perspiring negroes, in copper

pans.

Next came the blacksmiths' bazaar, the entrance

to

the

Djemma

We

watched the shops of dates and milk, one of the

most common

'1

Basha, and the apothecaries" bazaar.

resorts of the poorer classes

who found
The

there their breakfast, and too often their dinner.

dates were pressed in esparto paniers, and fresh milk

was constantly arriving in

Honey
Candia

stood in vast jars

esparto

borne

vessels

much

of

it

by

asses.

comes from

baskets stood full of raisins, beans, red

pepper, and ground corn for kouskousou.

shop stood prodigious jars of olive

oil,

In an

oil

like those of Ali

Baba, and one had only to travel to the silversmiths'

bazaar, to find the forty thieves.

Much

of the

oil

comes from Zleitun and Imsellatah, among the Grharian

hills.

Sellers of oil,

passed us.

having asses laden with skins,

BAZAARS OF TRIPOLI.

m.

CHAP.

Near the long colonnade of Djemma

21

'1

Bash a

the

is

Close by was a cafe, and on seats placed

flower market.

along the white steps, a crowd of soldiers in white

Facing the mosque

linen were enjoying themselves.

were shops

of ironmongers,

with

sheep-shears, flat

horse-shoes, tin powder-horns, primitive shot-pans,

of cowrie

strings

Men

from

brought

shells

and

Tomboukto.

were selling coarse quilted linen skullcaps

boys

carrying baskets of mulberry leaves and blossom were

crying out for proprietors of silkworms.

cary's

shop hung ostrich eggs

In an apothe-

a little farther was a

leather-worker.

We

went out by the south-eastern gate on to the

seashore.
like the

The great

bow

citadel wall at this point runs out

of an ironclad ram, and forms the southern

extremity of this city of the Moors.

We
called

rambled back along the harbour wall, and

upon Mr.

I visited

Said,

my

fellow traveller from Malta.

Mr. Hay, our consul-general, who received

very kindly.

I mentioned

Leptis Magnawhich

my

lies

about seventy miles east-

ward, on the verge of the Grreater Syrtis, and Mr.

promised to obtain
to the Kaids, or to

for

me

me

wish to travel to Lebda

Hay

a letter of recommendation

commanders of

forts.

In the evening we went to the club, as

it is

called

a simple billiard room, where native merchants and

Europeans generally meet in the evenings, to talk busi-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

22

Near

ness and gossip.

chap.

in.

this club is the Catholic church,

with a school attached.

My

first

impressions of the city had been disap-

pointing, as regards costumes, bazaars, and buildings.

Leo Africanus

up

Moor, born in Barbary and brought

as a Christian in

tionally

the quaint and uninten-

Granada

humorous geographer of the sixteenth century,

says the houses

and bazaars of Tripoli are handsome,

compared with those of Tunis.

They have

sadly altered

for the worse since Leo's time, or those of

vastly improved.

The

first

few days after

Tunis have

my

arrival

were spent in prowling about the bazaars, and through

the city in various directions.

Mr. Osman Warrington, son of the former consulgeneral here, called, and most kindly offered
services.

He

me

his

was vice-consul at Misratah, farther east

than Lebda, on the coast, and the journey to Lebda was

very familiar to him. The vice-consulate at Misratah was
to be given up,

and removed to Homs, a rising

within sight of the ruins of Lebda.

was then building, with many

little

port

Osman Warrington

difficulties, a

house at

Homs which, poor fellow, he hardly lived to enter.

He recommended to me a Maltese servant named Grio:

vanni, and kindly brought from the castle the letter

of the Pasha of Tripoli.

lation to a

favours.

am

indebted for

gentleman who has done

me

its trans-

several similar

CHAP.

PREPARATIONS FOR LEBDA.

III.

With

we allow

respect and honour

23

to be known,

it

by the present, to those who are invested with power,

honour, and dignity here

and elsewhere,

that

the

honourable person called Monsieur Eae, from England,

accompanied with

letters

and documents of introduc-

tions, as also by the acquaintance and dignity of the

honourable British consul of the Pashalik of Tripoli

and who has now our

and recommendation, to

will

those dignitaries, &c., during

travelling in this realm
his wishes

said

and

his sojourn

to assist

and help him in

and

desires during his stay

gentleman has obtained this

all

and while

travels.

all

The

our Free Will, to

may go and

show, with our grant and favour, that he

return back (there and here) with safety.

Delivered

on this day, 11th of the month Safar, 1294 of the

Hejra.

By

order of the Divan Dawlet of this realm,

Potentate

MOUSTAPHA.

Mr. England's servants prepared and

me

meat,

potted

purchased

bread,

salad,

eggs, wine, coffee, &c., &c., for seven days

and

dates,

walnuts, and oranges for fourteen days.

They sought

necessaries for

fish,

out mules, and a muleteer, who, with his boy, was to take

charge of the animals.

An

MalteseAnnibale by name

indolent

who,

only Italian and Arabic, and

dreamy young

like Giovanni, spoke

who was

assistant apothe-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

24

recommended

cary by profession, was also

pensable to a journey of this kind

idling on a mule's back, with a

occupation which afforded

gun

him

Annibale was a failure

what

journey of

and

indis-

in his hand, was

especial

an

satisfaction.

or a humorist,

have often asked myself

special purpose in this journey, or in the

generally, Annibale fulfilled.

life

to do nothing, to
fact he

as

apparently because

As a guide, a muleteer, a sportsman,

since,

chap. hi.

know

He seemed

nothing, to expect nothing

in

was a kind of Maltese Nihilist.

An

active

day's

work,

which included

all

the

packing for the morrow, made a good night's rest

welcome

and

Going down

was awakened soon after daybreak.

stairs,

I found Giovanni and Annibale,

with two Arabs, in a state of high excitement, loading

our worldly effects upon the mules.
false starts,

of Tripoli.

After one or two

we ambled away through the empty

streets

LEAVE TRIPOLI.

2$

CHAPTER IV.
Set out from Tripoli Among the Palms The Dellou Tadjoura The
Eas al Hamra We reach Djefara Reception AccommoThe KaidThe Plagues of BarbaryTaphra A Eencontre
Sidi Abd AttiSjrian LandscapeWeirCountry of the
Bedouins Bains Homs.
Desert
dation

el

The sun was

shore,

just rising as

we emerged on

to the sea-

and we cantered along the fresh breezy beach to

the pahn

groves.

Looking back, we could

see the

cream-coloured city of Tripoli glittering in the early

rays of the sun.

The wind blew

and broke the surf which met

it

freshly

from the land,

into showers of vapour.

Dozens of fishermen's boats with white lateen

skimmed

swiftly to

and

fro, like

Sand blew from the beach

sails

swallows fly-catching.

into the sea

the white-robed

Arabs on their way into the city drew their barracans

closely

We

round them.
passed through the Wednesday's market-place,

and entered a sandy way between rows of high

walls

moulded,

blocks.

as

mud

though of concrete, in huge cubical

Within the walls were gardens with delicious

green grass

here and there stood a

marabout, and beside

it

little

white tomb or

the dusty grey trunk and trans-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

26

parent tender leaves of the

The

fig tree.

chap.

iv.

thin delicate

branches of the pomegranate bore red sprouting leaves

poppies of brilliant scarlet stood
prickly pear, with

among

the grass

trees

and

tall as

trees,

the

Above and

cork trees.

through which we were to ride for miles.

This forest of palms

coast.

clear pale sky the noble

round us towered into the

palm

its

the leafless

were covered with pink blossom

olives were graceful

the

great uncouth trunk and

its

prickly developments, formed a hedge

almond

is

the finest on

all

the North African

Every now and then the gusty wind came

sweeping through the palms, which hissed and rustled

overhead.

Four miles from

Djemma, the

site

Tripoli

we passed the Soukh

of the Friday's market

el

with the

invariable marabout, over which fluttered a little green

and yellow

flag.

The Arabs were busy irrigating. Their

apparatus, which takes the place of the Egyptian shadouf

or saklyeh, is the sinieh.

Two

uprights of stone, or

sun-dried brick, standing a yard and a half apart, sup-

port a pulley and axle.

At the lower end of a cord

which runs over this into the

round leather bag or

vessel,

well, is the dellou, a half

with an iron rim, and

with a leather spout depending from

elephant's proboscis.

water and

filled

The dellou

its

centre like an

down

is let

into the

the bullock at the other end of the

cord begins to draw, and the dellou rises

the proboscis,

CHAP.

FOREST OF PALMS.

IV.

having a cord attached to

end of the spout

its

When

advance by an Arab.
is

drawn up in

is

both reach the pulley, the

water gushes

the

released, .^nd

An

out into a reservoir.

end,

27

inclined plane

excavated in

is

the ground, down which the bullock marches, his weight

assisting in raising the dellou

get back

He

explained.
incline.

How

and water.

asked a young lady to

whom

this

does he

was being

turns round and walks back up the

In every garden or enclosure we heard the

melancholy creak of the axle and the gush of the water.

It

was

life

The
ride,

to the thirsty soil.

villages of Tadjoura

we reached

a straggling collection of

gardens.

after

two hours'

white houses and

little

There was towards the centre an old mosque,

rather of Christian appearance.

we

After three hours the

gardens and walls,

country became barer

but there were

palms waving in the wind.

still

lost the

To

our left we passed a small lake or Salina, from which the

We emerged on

Tripolines get

salt.

The sun beat

fiercely

to the

open

desert.

down from a blue sky upon the

yellow sand.
I was full of regret at not having

gone by sea

wind was strongly in our favour, and, as we trudged

the
for

hours through the desert in the hot sun, I grew sadder

and sadder.

Hour

after hour

melancholy waste, having

we passed through the

to our

right,

beyond the

pale sand, the distant range of the Gharian, and to our

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

28

left

till

we seemed

a river of sand streaming along with

with camels joined us

one poor

to travel all night to arrive in

the morning.

Eoumel, a

We

small

was Ras

the

river

al

and having

for the

market in

afternoon the

Wadi

stream winding down among

reeds into the sea,

it

Some Arabs

being bound for

Lebda

time

passed in the

to be riding in

us.

man

Imsellatah, only fifteen miles from

where

it

Oinoladon, of the

the

Amarcea upon

Phoenicians

abruptly rising ground, stood a

where,

marabout.

on

Among

the green reeds and rushes stood three palms, the

we had

tall

Above

soon vanished.

Hamra, Red Point

iv.

The wind drove

the heavy surge on the seashore.

the fine sand in sheets,

chap.

first

seen since leaving the forest at Tadjoura.

On we

went, through the soft yielding sand, our

mules sinking to their knees, and at times stumbling

We

heavily.

came, towards

five in

the afternoon, to

a second Wadi, El Msid, with a larger stream than the

We

Roumel.
one halt

had ridden

since daybreak

with only

and, being rather exhausted, threw ourselves

down on the ground, while the poor mules had a few

mouthfuls of brushwood.

Riding on again we saw

two or three white ainiehs, and some palms growing

apparently out of the desert >and.
tially cultivated district,

Traversing a par-

and turning our backs upon

the sea, after half an hour we espied in front of us a

low white quadranglar building, the Castle of Djefara.

CHAP.

A
it.

THE CASTLE OF DJEFARA.

IV.

29

few Arabs and blacks were loitering in front of

The sun had

quickly on.

just set,

and the dusk was coming

The Bedouins, whose low brown

tents

we saw a few hundred yards away, were bringing

their herds of goats

and kids homewards

under a low archway into the

We

quite ruinous.

room

from the

floor,

them.

little

it

one or two

it

were

the courtyard.

officials

sat the

squatted near

to the

letter

Kaid

Kaid

he

upside down, and the novel form of the

large handwriting

passed

it

brick platform raised half a foot

handed the Pasha's

looked at
fine

Parts of

fort.

and covered with a mat,

and his secretary

we rode

were taken to the Raid's principal

a small miserable outbuilding in

At one end, on a

as

He

pleased him.

evidently

on to his secretary, who spelled through

the Kaid smiling and bowing to

related to him.

He had

me

as its contents

given up to

me

it,

were

the seat of

honour, and seemed so glad to see people, that he liglited

a cigarette and prepared to spend the evening with us,

making me various complimentary

vanni to

make my

speeches. I told Grio-

excuses to him,

and

to say that I

was very tired after our long journey, while I endeavoured to impart to

my

face a grateful

and joyous

expression.

When we had bowed

the Kaid out, the Arabs un-

loaded the mules, our saddle-bags and hampers were

brought into the hut, and Giovanni and the good-natured

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

30

Nihilist prepared dinner.

and the

Kai'd's people

It

its

better
lay

was a piercing cold night,

The

door, too, had lost one

width.

The

in spite of

my

I adopted the Kaid's straw pillow,

and

planks, and therefore one-third of

Maltese rolled

oif to sleep

judgment

iv.

brought us a small three-cornered

clay pot, full of charcoal.

of

chap.

on the

floor

its
:

down on the brick platform with a thin straw mat

alone under me.

In a quarter of an hour I was over-

run by a needy and indefatigable swarm of

two hours' misery I was falling

asleep,

After

fleas.

when the mules

outside our door took fright, reared, plunged, and the

castle

resounded with unearthly braying.

at last and

my

chances improved, when

They ceased

my

attention

was directed to a curious scratching and scuttling about

the matting and baskets.

colony of rats had emerged

from a hole in the corner of the hut, and with angry

little

squeaks were eating their way into our esparto

At times they varied

paniers.

tering joyfully over

Maltese.

my

their recreation

by can-

body and those of the sleeping

Looking out of

doors, the castle walls

were

white as snow in the moonlight, one or two brilliant

stars glittered in the cloudless sky,

two miles away

the

I could hear

magnificent roar of the

longed desperately for sleep, and

ing,

and

it

sea.

seemed to be com-

when two cocks suddenly awoke, and, imagining

the moonlight was the day, began to crow vigorously

in turns

the success of one stimulating the

other.

It

c\uv.

THE CASTLE OF DJEFARA.

IV.

was now three in the morning.

31

Awakened and en-

couraged by the cocks, a pair of owls set themselves to

and hoot, the mules tuned up again, the

screech

frolicked about, and the fleas sallied out in

At

like ants.

last,

in spite of

them

all,

rats

numbers

I fell asleep.

It was half-past three, and we were to be on our

way

to

Lebda

We

at six.

awoke then, and

of coffee and a mouthful of bread, rode

Djefara.

This interesting spot

mark the neighbourhood of

New

Tripoli.

about
By

cup

away from

that remains to

is all

Pliny's Taphra, Ptolemy's

Garapha Portus, Scylax's Gaphara, lying

authors agree

after a

those

as all

midway from Leptis Magna

the Greek geographers

as Oinospora, lying nearer to the coast

it

to

was known

than the Castle

of Djefara, and having once a double, but very exposed,

anchorage at the point

We

now known

as

el Djefara.

passed over a better track, in places

covered with sand.

We

On

Bedouin encampments.
the

low

much

were two miles from the sea

on our right, among the Gharian

passed

Kas

hills,

were

many

either side of our path

brown tents

in

dozens,

their

we

sun-

burnt owners tending their herds of goats or ewes, and

watching over their poor sparse crops of wheat and

barley.

After sunrise

An Arab met

us,

it

grew very

hot.

hurrying towards Tripoli.

He

was an intimate friend of our Arab mule-proprietor,

and their greeting was long and

affectionate.

How

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

32

are you

Goodness

you ?

are

you

bless

how

how

Well,

how

are

Thank God

are you ?

gracious

you ?

chap.

how

When

are

you

each was

how

God

satisfied

the other was, the stranger told us he was carrying

to Tripoli the news of a savage murder.

Maltese

blacksmith living at Horns had a young Maltese

assist-

This youth appeared to have concerted with the

ant.

blacksmith's wife the unfortunate man's murder.

this

iv.

morning she admitted him

to the house,

Early

when,

upon the sleeping blacksmith, he stabbed him

falling

The

repeatedly.

wife

then sprinkled sand upon the

floor in a vain attempt to cover the blood, gave the

murderer a change of clothes, and he returned to his

lodgings.

In the morning the soldiers knocked at his

door and took him to the Castle of Horns, where he

mained chained hand and

We

re-

foot.

passed the dry watercourses of the

Wadi Turbat

and the Wadi Bijibara, and rode along

as

before.

Towards noon we met a party of seventy Turkish

soldiers,

their

trooping along, poor fellows, on foot^ and having

baggage carried by camels.

In the midst, on a

camel, was a high scarlet palanquin carrying the lady

of the officer.

The

and looking as

if

old boy himself, in his shirt-sleeves,

he had not shaved for a week, rode at

the end of the procession on a large donkey.

short halt at mid-day, in sight of the famous

of Sidi

Abd

el Atti

and

its

palm woods

After a

marabout

near to which

an encounter.

chap.it.

the English traveller Captain

33

Smyth found

traces of

a Troglodyte village, and of tesselated pavement

we

pushed on.

The Gharian range had been gradually approaching

the coast, and we came

among the high ground.

country grew remarkably like the Holy Land

stony hills

The

round

and grey rocks with brushwood, and rich

sheltered patches of cultivation in the valleys.

wound up among the

hills,

and came early in the

We
after-

noon to the ruins of a weir which ran across the end of

a valley and ended against the face of a

was no water now.

In some of the valleys we entered

In the rich red

were delicious gardens.

sprouting pomegranates,
leaves,

and almond

There

cliff.

fig

soil

stood

tender young

trees with

We were in
We

trees in full blossom.

the Djebel Tarhuna, part of the Gharian range.

passed hundreds of Bedouins' tents,
palisades

of matting to

shelter

come tearing out open-mouthed

little

Dogs would

them.
as

we

passed,

and the

Bedouin children would run away, scared at our

looks.
is

and dark, with

flat

Euined towers stood on the

strewn with

ruins.

To our

hills

right,

the country

thirteen

miles

inland, lay Imsellatah.

All
sea,

day we had had but occasional glimpses of the

but in the afternoon we came in

full sight of it,

some miles away down by the shorethe

and could see

dark shapeless masses of the masonry of Lebda.

Near

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

34

the promontory of
of Horns or

how

Hermes

lay the little white

Khommos Chickpeas, though

the town got that name.

Arab town

I don't

It contains

twelve hundred inhabitants, and

chap.it.

know

now perhaps

acquiring yearly

is

more importance from the development of the esparto

trade.

Building

is

is

Magna extended

as far as these

ruins of considerable buildings cover

an

ally of

public

is

I cannot help

more than would

The great

place

to be transferred hither.

thinking that Leptis

hills

little

I have said that the vice-consulate

rapidly expanding.
of Misratah

going on, and the

indicate the

Leptis, too

the

mere

them thickly,

outskirts of a city.

birthplace of an Emperor,

Eome, possessed of splendid temples and

buildings,

renowned

for

its

wealth, yielding

tribute at the rate of one talent a day to the Imperial,

Treasury

could

not

have been comprehended, as

is

believed, within the space of ten thousand square yards.

EJv^.'Hat.tgry

THE CASTLE OF HOMS.

CHAPTER

35

V.

The Kaid Murderers Our Quarters Ride to

Lebda Debris Columns Heat Wadi Lebda Group of Ruins
Temples Severus The Evil Eye Triple Arch Depredations
Lepide Its Origin and History A Legend of Leptis The Gulf of

Received at the Castle

Syrtis Major.

We rode down

into Horns after the sun had set.

had come in two days from Tripoli

often

made one

We

the journey

of four days, generally of three.

is

We

rode up to one of the two whitewashed castles or forts,

that where the Kaid resided, and dismounted.

were

we

officers,

said

and

soldiers,

we had come

officials

There

idling about, and

iipon a short visit.

As

this did

not awaken any sudden cordiality, we said we had a

letter

to see.

from the Pasha to the Kaid,

They

said the

whom we

Kaid had joined

wished

his family for

the evening, and hinted that he must not be disturbed.

We
as

asked them not to put themselves out of the way,

we should go

to the other fort

Kaimakam commanding

and stay with the

the soldiers.

This alarmed

them, and they begged Us not to go away, as

distress the

Kaid very much.

D 2

Some

of

it

would

them hastened

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

36
off to

chap. y.

inform his Excellency, and we were promptly

ushered through the courtyard, up an outer staircase

of stone, into a large

handsome room, with a cushioned

divan at one end.

Very soon the Kaid appeared, an astute-looking

Turk
dially

room

in spectacles,

who expressed himself very

He

and hospitably.

me

for

sent at once to prepare a

in a house overlooking the sea,

servants brought

coffee

cor-

and

cigarettes.

long chat, he speaking Turkish

and his

We

had a

and Griovanni, who

was a fluent interpreter, and expressed himself excellently, rendering his

assured

me

words into Italian for me.

He

gave him profound pleasure to receive

it

me, and trusted I would not fail to express any wish

I

He

might have.

beyond belief
least

if I

a week.

minded me

tering

it

would grieve him

did not remain at

of home,

and that

He

I should

for at

remain as long

spoke of the tragedy of the

the victim had been buried as

Homs.

Homs

I said that his friendliness quite re-

as possible his guest.

morning

added that

we were en-

There were twelve or fourteen murderers,

he told me, under his charge

several under sentence

of death, and he only awaited confirmation of their

sentence from Constantinople.

The Kaid himself was

formerly Grovernor of Pera.

We went downstairs, and,

in the gateway,

as

we spoke

we heard the clank of

to the officials

chains,

and saw

CHAP.

NIGHT AT HOMS.

T.

37

beside us a dozen Arabs chained two-and-two, trooping

work down by the beach, and guarded

in from building

by a few armed

soldiers.

and stared at us

Many had

defiantly.

evil-looking faces,

They were

some of them would complete

the murderers

their sentence in a few

weeks by swinging from a rope in the Castle yard.

Poor wretches, the look of death was already in their

faces.

Twelve murderers chained together

it

was not

a pleasant sight, and there was something very horrid

in the jangle of their chains.

"We found a bare room,

made comfortable by divans and

soft quilts,

from the

Raid's

own rooms, prepared

storey,

and the roof below us formed a terrace looking

It

for us.

was an upper

over the sea.

Very early in the morning we were under way,

on the mules, for the ruins of Leptis, two miles distant.

We

reached

solitary standing

monument

a tall

slender panelled and pilastered erection, with the lower

portion remaining of the pyramid which once formed

its

apex.

It

had been

the half facing

among

split

from summit to base, and

landwards had fallen away, and lay

other strewn fragments on the ground.

sea front was

still

tolerably perfect.

It

The

was a delicious

morning, and the ripple on the Mediterranean broke

musically on the white beach as
of the

monument.

we took a photograph

Close behind

it,

near a strip of

palms, was the grave of the murdered Maltese.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

38

We

rambled on through

sand-drifts,

chap. v.

and over ground

covered with fragments of stone, pottery, marble, particles of mosaic, angles of

pediments, broken frusta, and

We

chips of acanthus and of shafts.

wasting half-an-hour in groping

polished marble
coins

tiles,

could not resist

among them,

pieces of opal glass,

finding

and copper

the ground simply teems with them.

I sent

the Nihilist to a Bedouin douar

among the palms

to borrow or steal a spade or pickaxe

but the Bedouins

would not lend anything to such an irresponsible looking stranger, and he returned shrugging his shoulders

and saying,

Non

In

c'e.

my disappointment

I delivered

myself ot a bitter smile which I had been maturing,

and

called

him an

Italian word.

As we advanced, the

accumulations of sand became wider and deeper, extremities of columns and angles of buildings protruded,

mournfully calling attention to their helpless

buried city, however,

mind than a vanished

a greater satisfaction to the

city.

was greatly disappointed with what I

I confess I

had seen

is

state.

so far

velling remains

nothing was in sight but a few gro-

among

rolling sand-hills,

quivering in the sun's glare.

white and

thought the whole place

was a fraud, and said morosely that I had been sent on a

fool's errand.

I told

Giovanni,

who

by conversation, that he was tedious

said nothing, that he

tried to

amuse me

and Annibale, who

had barely escaped being an imbe-

LEBDA.

CHAP. T.

cile.

When

3^

thought of the sleepy stubborn muleg,

the two days' ride, the fearful night at Djefara, and con-

templated the repetition of them, I gave way to disgust.

"We went down to the beach and photographed,

want of anything

better, three prostrate

They were of

considerable diameter.
line, or pale

columns of

beautiful cipol-

green and white streaked marble, and had

Early in the century the

history of their own.

little

for

Pasha of Tripoli presented to the British Grovemment

The

Weymouth was

forty of

the Lebda colunms.

sent to

embark them, and transported

to

England

thirty-seven fine shafts, which were placed in the court

of the British
transferred

Museum.

In the year 1824 they were

The

by order of Greorge IV. to Windsor.

hatchways of the Weymouth would not admit the three

cipolline

and they were abandoned.

shafts,

down by the beach were numerous

Farther

others, also pre-

pared for shipment by the late consul-general and his

son.

these,

They

are becoming rapidly disintegrated.

on a sand-hill

the wall

of the

remnant of

it,

no

Above

doubt accumulated round

original building

stood

a melancholy crooked column

the only
:

left,

per-

haps, facing the sea in order to serve as a landmark.

Beneath

it

lay,

among heaps of sand and fragments,

the half of a female form

in white

marble.

We

trudged up farther inland, finding two white and beautifully-chiselled capitals lying

on the sand.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

40

The baking heat of the sun

mid-day

drove us

marble

blocks.

it

chap. v.

was approaching

to the inadequate shelter of a few

We

had become sulky and

dis-

couraged, but dates and walnuts restored our cheerful-

On

ness.

the

above us were a party of negroes

hill

carrying baskets to and

fro.

We

shouted to them,

asking for water, and they directed us eastward beyond

some

rising

ground

and here we found a small clear

stream, running nearly due northwards, over a sandy

and rather slimy bed, down into the

sea.

At

its

mouth,

bnceV the Cothon or dock of Leptis, were masses of

heavy masonry

and

visible

below the clear green water

On

were remains of two moles.

the east bank were

traces of a dock for smaller craft, though the Cothon

could not have accommodated very large vessels.

These

masses of stonework are being slowly buried by the

alluvial deposit of the stream,

now

called

Wadi Lebda.

The painstaking Dr. Barth made an examination

site of

of the

Lebda, during his wanderings along the Medi-

terranean coast, and his book

from the Grerman.

is

worthy of translation

It is of course printed in the small

Gothic type so painful and tiring to the eyes

sponsible, I

am

satisfied, for

and

re-

the frequency of spectacles

and weakened eyesight among Grermans.

Across the river lay numerous ruins of the aqueduct,

which once carried to Lebda the waters of the Ciniphus,

flowing from

the

spurs

of

the

Gharian known to

RUINS OF LEPTIS.

CHAP. V.

41

Near them

the ancients as the Hills of the Graces.

were some large reservoirs and numerous baths, adjacent to a circus

columns

once

ornamented with obelisks and

and above them were the vestiges of a theatre.

Looking up the

river,

and on

bank, was an encouraging sight

its

or western

left

an extensive and

pic-

turesque group of ruins, walls, doorways, a fort or

temple, a

Roman

arch,

and other miscellaneous

objects,

which must have been once a prominent feature in

Leptis the White.

by the

river,

We

strolled

up the wet hard sand

and coming within range we photographed

the group of buildings, reflected in a clear pool where a

mass of masonry had dammed a portion of the stream.

Two

or three negroes

drink in the river.

came down from

Wallah

work to

they said, as they saw the

camera, but they thought poorly of

result.

their

it

when they saw no

They even laughed mockingly at Annibale,

he dozed in the shadow of a

wall,

as

and hinted that he

was a Kafir.

We

climbed up through the sinking sand, and over

blocks of fallen masonry, marble pediments, and walls,

to the middle of the group of buildings.

of the river stood the corner of a building

without and circular within

still.

The

two

On

the brink

rectangular

storeys

in

height

exterior was of cemented rubble, having at

intervals a few courses of flat red bricks

was faced with carefully hewn

stone.

the interior

There were traces

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

42

of

stairs,

chap. v.

but they were too ruinous for climbing with

agility in the hot sun.

From

northward along

this ran

the top of the river bank a straight wall, having brick

and rubble masonry without and hewn stone within.

Grreat heaps of the white facing lay in long rows, with

cornices, jambs, pediments,

and

Masses of the

slabs.

At the south

cAncrete had fallen into the river bed.

end of the crescent-shaped wall was a

which had

fracture,

from

into the river a huge block, weighing

fallen

perhaps a hundred tons, solid and cohesive just as

had

fallen.

From

the angle of the semicircular wall ran at right

angles a gateway, with a round arch of considerable

It

it

is still

The

sill

size.

complete, but threatens to yield before long.

is

visible,

worn with

foot

and hoof marks.

This was the entrance to the temple

western wall contained

of which the

two handsome doorways,

also

complete, though the white stone was honeycombed and

crumbling

and within the enclosure ran a

line of white

cubical pedestals which supported the inner

columns

of the temple.

At the

triple doorway,

two-thirds buried, led into an inner

farther end of the west wall a

temple, which was almost

full

of drift sand.

few

battered and shivered cipolline

columns stood here.

The Moslems had smashed

them that they could

reach

all

of

indeed the sand has to be thanked for burying

what must be rich

traces of this city.

Here the warlike

BEDOUINS.

CHAP. V.

43

Severus, familiar in our English history, began his days

in the year

of Christ

146,

ending them at York.

Eboracum has now the advantage over

In the

Leptis.

angle of the temple coml the sand had piled

itself

up

to the height of the spring of the round arch.

We
On

went on to the open space to the southward.

either side of the river the

walls,

masonry, vaultings,

fragments of every

We

brushwood.

ground

is

arch or city

to a fine triple

We

towards the fringe of palms, beyond which

We came to

the palms

strolled

lies

among

photographed the scene, the

inhabitants fearing, poor people, the evil eye with

brass

rim directed upon them, took refuge in the

Yelping dogs flew at

us,

it,

its

tents.

and we could hardly persuade

the Bedouins to give us a bowl of milk.

when we got

on

the open

a Bedouin douar, squatting

and while

and

and shape, lying in sand and

size

came

gate, relatively free from drift sand.

plain.

covered with

cisterns, fallen cornices,

and undrinkable

It was sour

but the Bedouins

considered themselves underpaid by the piastre Giovanni

gave them for

it.

We

came back

a small pic-

to

turesque arch, once perhaps a suburban gateway, look-

ing to the south

then again past the triple arch to the

central group of ruins.

Although of the period when

Eoman

art was

decline, the public buildings of Leptis are

have been of great magnificence.

on

its

admitted to

Indeed, from the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

44

chap, v,

remains which have been found of granite and marble

monoliths, no cost can have been spared in
struction.

The statuary seems

worst taste,

and the ornamentation

con-

its

to have been of the

florid

and profuse.

Amphorae, paterae, intaglios, Carthaginian medals, and

coins of Severus, Julia mother of Caracalla,

and Alex-

The temple,

ander Severus, have been found here.

court and inner shrine, the vacant pedestals and

its

me-

lancholy pile of white and yellow marbles, suggested

There

scenes very different.

is

something especially

sad and lonely about the ruins of Lebda.

now

city is

We

so

ascended the

of' fifteen or

and found on

hill,

still

fair

its crest

a gang

twenty negroes, with a Maltese overseer,

They had come upon the

hard at workl excavating.

fiiite

So

complete a wreck.

of a temple, of which the noble red granite columns

They had excavated a

stood erect under the sand.

huge

hole,

and length by length the columns were

being removed, and

Homs.

placed

This disgraceful

traffic

remains of Lebda's glories.

ranean traders in
of columns.

Homs

ready
is

for

feres, future travellers will

what

destroying

are growing rich

to

Maltese and low Mediter-

They have been doing

beginning of the century

transport

upon the

sale

since

the

this

and unless some one

inter-

have to seek for ruins of

Leptis in the olive-mills of Tripoli, Sfax, Susa, and the

other Barbary ports.

Invaluable as olive- crushers, the

ORIGIN OF LEPTIS.

CHAP.T.

45

shafts are being shipped wholesale for sale to the oil-

One Maltese, who came

merchants.

has now a shop of his own and

is

penniless to Horns,

doing

though

it

went to

Leo Africanus

my

We

gave

money

each,

well.

the poor hard-worked Africans a piece of

heart to see what they were about.

says

'

Of

towne of Lejpide

the

This

ancient towne, founded by the Komans, and enuironed

with most high and strong walles, hath twise been

sacked by the Mahumetans, and of the stones and ruins

Leo seldom

thereof was Tripolis afterwards built.'

made

a mistake, and

it

requires

much more than

the

drifting of sand to account for the disappearance of

great buildings and their materials

destroyed

till

but Leptis was not

the seventh century, and Tripoli was built

before Aurelian's time.

Leo should have

said

'

rebuilt.'

Unlike Palmjrra, where the temples and palaces

still lie

piecemeal on the ground, and need only the work of

man

to restore them, Leptis lies within easy reach of

the sea, and her materials have vanished bodily.

Leptis,

afterwards called

Magna from

and importance, was founded,

early period

ing the

first

its

among

neighbour Utica,

it

tion and government of

it

at

an

and next

was regarded

their foreign settlements.

Carthage,

wealth

its

said,

by the indefatigable Sidonians

to Carthage and
as the chief

as I have

Surviv-

flourished under the protec-

Eome.

The Leptians, though

retaining their Phoenician laws and customs, had, from

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

46

chap. v.

constant intercourse and alliance with the Numidians

or Berbers, adopted their language,

and retained

in

it

During

the time of Sallust and the Jugurthine wars.

this period Leptis, being threatened with civil disturb-

ances and attacked by the Numidians, sent deputies to

the Consul Metellus,

ing for a garrison.

who commanded

The

city

in Africa, pray-

Eome

having been true to

from the commencement of the Numidian wars, Metellus sent four cohorts of Ligurians,

and relieved the

During the Vandal occupation of Barbary, the

fications of Leptis

seem to have been dismantled

restored in the days of Justinian,

strategical point.

a Berber tribe,

who required

Once Leptis was

known to the Eomans

city.

forti-

to be

it as

closely invested

as Levatse.

by

Eighty

of the Lewateh were admitted to Sergius the Prefect's

presence, to complain of certain wrongs.

One of the

petitioners, in his eagerness seizing the robe of Sergius,

was

slain

by an

officer,

and

this

was the signal

massacre of the remainder of the deputation.

bloody and successful

here,
city

and

and

Sergius was again shut

so hardly pressed that

up

he had to abandon the

retire along the seacoast to Carthage.

There
this city

sally,

for the

After one

is

a picturesque legend in connection with

over whose ruins

we

are brooding.

When

Cyrene and Carthage were in their glory, the vast sandy

waste separating them having no river or mountain

they could regard as a boundary, long and bloody dis-

CHAP.

A LEGEND OF

V.

LEPTIS.

47

Tired of these, the rival powers agreed

putes took place.

that from each capital should set out simultaneously

certain deputies
ties

the spot where the respective depu-

should meet should be the boundary thereafter.

Two

brothers

Philaeni

set out

from Carthage,

and, travelling swiftly, outstripped the more dilatory

Cyrenians, encountering

them on the

shores of Leptis.

Enraged, and fearing the vengeance of their country-

men, the
declared

Cyrenians began to
they would

must have

pick a quarrel, and

the

'fix'

Carthaginians,

started before their appointed time.

who
They

gave them the option of withdrawing to the spot the

Cyrenians desired as boundary, or of being buried alive

where they stood.

The

disinterested Philaeni, for the

welfare and glory of their fatherland, chose the latter

alternative,

and were

interred, living,

neighbourhood of these ruins.

erected altars, and

shedding a tear to the

we

referred

Here the Carthaginians

We

memory

to our chart,

Carthage religious

at

instituted

solemnities in their honour.

somewhere in the

were on the point of

of the Philaeni,

when

and discovered that the

Cyrenians must have travelled from seventy to eighty

miles more than the Carthaginians.

In the tide of Mohammedanism which swept along

this coast, the walls
lished,

history.

and temples of Leptis were demo-

and the city was wiped out from the page of

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

48

The famous gulf upon whose

chap. t.

we are, extending

skirts

ing hence to Ptolemaita in the Cyrenaica, nearly four

hundred miles,
quired

its

When

of its bed.
rolls

is

said

name from

by the ancients to have ac-

the frequent dragging or shifting

the winds blow violently, the sea

with a prodigious swell, and mud, sand, and stones

of vast size are forced along by the rapidity of the

Even

current.

half a century ago the Great

Syrtis retained its evil reputation.

Delia

Cella,

Griilf

of

Mariners pass, said

with a sort of horror

before

this gulf,

whose annals from the remotest ages abound with shipwreck and

disaster.

Misratah
Syrtis,

is

the last town towards the desert of the

and three hundred miles distant from Benghasi,

the Cyrenian Berenice.

Caravans

to Fezzan and Wadai.

In the time of Leo Africanu^

still

go from Misratah

Misratah was the boundary of the independent king-

dom

of Barca.

Couriers used,

till

the introduction of

steamers to the Mediterranean, to traverse this region,

from Tripoli to Cairo, in from twenty-five to thirty days.

The journey through Fezzan, the ancient Phazania, the

country of the Garamantes, was familiar to the ancients,

and used by them in conveyance of precious

stones &c.

from Egypt and Arabia

way

to the frontier of

and

civilisation

Egypt

to Europe.

All the

are traces of prosperity

long since dissipated.

These culmi-

nate in the noble ruins of Libya Pentapolis.

A
RETURN TO HOMS.

CHAPTER

49

VI.

Homs A

Deputation The Kaid's Hospitality Copper

Dead City Start for Tripoli Wearisome Journey
The Gharian A Wedding Djef4ra in the Twilight The OwlContinue Journey Great Heat The Mecca Caravan
slayer
Bargain Tadjoura The Hermitage Frederick Warrington The
Times of the Beys The Harbour Mussulman Fanaticism The

Return

Coins

to

The

Bazaars.

The hot sun was

declining over the town of

we turned our backs on

wearily

Homs

the ruins of Lebda.

Very

we mounted the poor patient half-baked mules,

and trudged homewards.

So exhausted were we, that

one circumstance alone could

cheered us.

have exhilarated and

That circumstance occurred.

Griovanni's

mule took a header into a quagmire, and tossed

rider into the midst of

We

as

his

it.

foimd 'some lemons in Homs, and prepared

great quantities of lemonade.

prepared by the

]\Ialtese, I

After a large dinner,

devoured dates and walnuts.

After this I thought well to send a message of thanks

to ths

Kaid.

I chose Giovanni as the deputation, and sent

card, with

Rae

my

Effendi's compliments to the governor

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

50

vi.

Giovanni was to assure the Kaid that I

Homs.

of

chap.

should long remember his hospitality and the interest

my

of

journey to Lebda

that I should take an early

opportunity of acquainting the Pasha of Tripoli with

and that I hoped one day to have the honour and

both

the

happiness of

receiving the

Kaid in

England.

Griovanni was to add that fatigue alone prevented

my

thanking the Kaid in person.

ask

with delicacy

too,

Castle itself

seeing

Griovanni was to

we were not lodged

whether I was

to consider

in the

myself as the

Kaid's guest.
After this carefully-framed message,

pugnant

it will

re-

to belief that Giovanni should have actually

started for the audience in his shirt-sleeves.

with which I called Annibale's attention to

that youth

brought

seem

into

back

agility,

Giovanni

it

The

cry

galvanised

and he had overtaken and

in

a twinkling.

asked

Giovanni what opinion the Kaid could entertain of an

expedition of which the chief dragoman presented himself in

coat,

the audience-chamber of the Castle without his

and how he could be expected to receive any

future expedition with consideration.

I told Giovanni

that the coat was almost invariably worn at audiences

in the best circles,

and he seemed moved.

In half an hour Giovanni returned, accompanied by

an

officer,

whom

the polite Kaid had sent to bring

an expression of his friendly regard.

me

I was to consider

CHAP.

COMPLIMENTS.

Ti.

myself as
I

strictly his guest

51

he was gratified to hear

was pleased with Lebda, and ashamed not to have

been able to entertain

me more

suitably.

Later in the evening, as I was strolling on the

terrace or house-top, the officer returned, bearing an

which

envelope

contained

the

Kaid's

Eefi

card,

Gouverneur de Pera, and his photograph, in exchange

for

which he asked that I would be so uncommonly

He

kind as to send him mine from England.

to

know how many

to Tripoli

Poor Kaid

soldiers I should like, to escort

but I thanked him, and

I

it

me

said I required none.

was a change from Pera to Homs.

By-and-by a native of

Roman

wished

Homs

appeared with a few

copper coins, which he wished

These abound in the ruins of Barbary

me

and

to

buy.

so plentiful

are they, that here and in Misratah they pass current in

the bazaars for their equivalent copper value.

visitor refused for half-a-dozen of the coins, a

and a

half, for

which

I afterwards

My

mahhooh

bought a hundred and

twenty similar coins in Kairwan.

It

was a glorious night.

The sky overhead was

like a cupola of deep blue steel

resting with a silver rim

set

upon the

with diamonds,

sea.

The

restless

surge fringed the sea with white, and the white sand

gleamed in the

starlight.

mile away lay the melan-

choly buildings of the dead city.

We were

up two hours

before dawn, and lost no time

2

THE COUNTRV OF THE MOORS.

52

chap.

in having everything packed on the mules.

was raw, and a

came up from the

chill breeze

rode past the Castle and

its silent

The

air

we

sea, as

watchmen.

vr.

I was

glad of a long-hooded coat, and even of the exercise

necessary for stimulating

my

mule.

I will not describe the length and loneliness of that

weary journey, the apathy and stupidity of Annibale

and the two Arabs, the prosy self-commendations of

Giovanni, the

Haw many

mules.

what

and

stubbornness

of

denounced

his laziness, in

I described his inevitable decline

and

weary the reader by repeating.

will not

acres of ruins

among

the

times I shouted to Annibale, in

startling language I

what terms
I

sleepiness

the mountains,

fall,

Passing

we emerged on

to

the tedious plain, remote from the sea, and having

glimpses of

it

only at intervals.

In the afternoon, as we travelled along, we heard

the frequent reports of guns, and presently

concourse of people.

sight of a

came

in

The sounds had

aroused expectations of a battle, a skirmish, or even

an execution: but the

wedding.

When

firing of the guns,

see the

the galloping of horses, and could

Bedouin bride in a

eager to jcn the crowd.

Italian, that

proved to be a mere

affair

Annibale heard the joyful shouts, the

brilliant red dress,

But

we were making

intellectual purposes,

he was

I told him, in severe

this journey for strictly

and not to go fooling about

at


RETURN TO DJEFARA.

CHAP. VI.

weddings.

53

was sorry afterwards not to have gone,

taken the bride's portrait, and proposed the health of

the groomsman.

We

were sad

the

all

way

to

reached an hour before sunset.

Kaid greeted me with a

and

after a

cup of

cordial Tnarhdba

coffee, at

forlorn

They squatted on the ground

the wall

a few loafers,

spot.

me

We retired

who were

to the Castle

make an

bed shortly

after sunset.

My

officers,

sallied forth

and lonely

Castle.

an angle of

the only remaining

:

and, in the^ light

we took a photograph

of the

the Kaid giving up to

his small room, as before.

wishing to

we

in front of

inhabitants of the Castle, stood round

of the rapidly-sinking sun,

welcome

winch he and his

three tall fine-looking Arabs, assisted,

to take a picture of this

we

Djefara, which

The needy-looking

Being very

tired,

early start for Tripoli, I

which had

and

went to

to be

per-

formed with a bucket and cold water from the

well,

excited

toilet,

tlie

before

retiring,

greatest interest.

The tooth-brushes were

chiefly admired.

Wliile thus engaged, I heard the report of a gun,

and Annibale
dying owl.

appeared, highly excited, carrying

I reproached him, and so dwelt upon the

evil fortune certain to

accompany the assassination of

an owl, that Annibale began to look upon himself as

doomed

to misfortune, like the Ancient

Mariner after

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

54

had

he

awoke

murdered

in the night

the

chap,

When

albatross.

vi,

Annibale

from time to time, and heard the

mournful squawk of the widower owl, which haunted

the Castle yard, he did not feel at his ease.

march on the

rats,

mules, owl,

once asleep, defied their

Awaking much

we

and,

efforts.

refreshed,

arose, breakfasted,

I stole a

and cocks

fleas,

and

an hour

after midnight,

in the chilly

We

away from the Castle of Djefara.

moonlight rode
rode for some

hours before the day appeared, and got a famous start

before the heat.

overpowering.

without so

It

was fortunate,

When we

much

sun was

for the

rested on the sand for lunch,

as the shelter of a

sickening and almost unendurable.

sea or plain or the cloudless sky

dwarf palm,

it

was

No breath of air from

came to our

were glad to get into motion again

relief.

We

even the exertion

of urging on the mules was a welcome change.

Soon we met the Mecca caravan, just returned from

the Haj by sea to Tripoli.

on camels, mixed up with

Many

of the pilgrims were

quilts, pots, pans,

water from the sacred well of Zemzem.

were white-bearded and

full

vessels of

of

them

of tribes in Fezzan,

of arrogance and bigotry after their journey, and

regarding the

Roumi on

pleasure and contempt.

camels swayed past us

man

fat, chiefs

and

Many

on

foot,

mule with

especial dis-

Some muttered

curses as the

his

others

growled, Kafir

One

towards the end of the caravan, hissed

A BARGAIN.

CHAP, VI.

Khanzir

55

had some thought of sending the Nihilist

might

to recall the whole caravan, that they

We

made our second

halt

the skirts of the palm forest of Tadjoura.

should have

made a

apologise.

on the welcome

arrival at

I think

we

and walnuts had

third, if the dates

not given out.

Giovanni had had a hard bargain with an Arab of

Tadjoura,

who had caught two big

fish at

and had accompanied us

lonely coast,

miles on our

way towards

his

for

home.

a spot on the

two or three
It

had been

reduced to a question of half a piastre between them,

and rather than

yield, the

mile in advance.

when

Giovanni was

them to

I told

He was

half piastre.

Arab went

call

him

not even

He

felt

much

disappointed

back, as I would pay the

satisfied

when

made him a

the two fish altogether, and

them.

a quarter of a

ofif

I paid for

present of

that I had spoiled a good bargain, and

that the Tadjouran had got the better of him.

We

entered the palms, and rode quietly for hours,

the mules being very tired and able to go but slowly.

The
of

siniehs,

mud

huts,

and their creaking

wall, the fig trees

pulleys, the long lines

and pomegranates, the Arab

and occasional marabouts, seemed

lisation

and

At one
Tripoli,

like getting

two horsemen met

lad, well

high civi-

home.

in the afternoon,

and a young

like

when within two miles of

us.

Osman Warrington

mounted and armed, were on


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

56

their

way down

to Horns, to bring

chap.

vi.

back with an escort

the Maltese murderer, for preliminary examination in

Osman Warrington

Tripoli.

would much appreciate a

told

visit

from

me
me

his
:

brother

so taking

Griovanni with me, and sending the others on to the

city, I

turned off through the palm woods towards the

and

seashore,

Hermitage.

wood and

reached Mr. Warrington's house

It is a curious

garden

pomegi-anates.

of

rambling house, built of

on to the seashore out of a

plaster, looking

picturesque

the

palms, lemons, oranges, and

little

black boy with bright

eyes

and glittering teeth went to summon Mr. Warrington,

who

shortly appeared.

tall

man, with white hair and pleasant voice

son of the well-known consul-general here

the Eegency, and

Frederick

with

familiar

Warrington had been the

African exploration

from

this point,

the esteem of every traveller

Eegency

every

to

penetrate into

born

part

in
it,

foster-father of

and had gained

who had come

the

of

interior.

to the

Eohlfs,

Eichardson, Vogel, Lyon, Beechey, Overweg, Barth

he knew them
far

all,

and had accompanied many of them

on their way.
Tripoli

has been with

German

travellers the fa-

vourite starting point for inner Africa, and

some of them

have shown noble examples of courage and perseverance.

Frederick, as every one in Tripoli calls him,

CHAP.

OLD DAYS OF

VI.

showed

me

the portraits of

He would

never returned.

TRIPOLI.

many

57

of them.

Several

have accompanied the un-

fortunate Miss Tinne, but disapproved of the tempting

There were costly horses,

nature of the equipage.

maidservants handsomely dressed, and iron tanks slung

on camels to carry water.

Ah

said

there are the treasure chests of the

Had

the Bedouins,

Koumi

princess.

Frederick Warrington been escorting her, her

might have been

life

Kespected by the Arabs, his

safe.

presence would protect the traveller where other safe-

guards might not

By

and many a Tripoli Arab's oath

is

Frederick.

He

gave

me

a long history of his recollections of

Tripoli and the interior

at

life

his travels, the caravans, the

Grhadames and at Murzouk, capital of Fezzan,

at each of

which places he was vice-consul

the old

days of his boyhood, when Consul Warrington ruled

the Bey of Tripoli

the splendours of Yussuf Pasha's

Court, the fiery old man's eccentricities, his grand re-

ceptions of

the

foreign consuls

influence, civil dissensions,

tion into the

and

One can

gether, and for

the decline

Ottoman dominions.

especially near Murzoiik, the

extensive.

many

of his

finally Tripoli's absorp-

In Fezzan, and

palm

ride through

forests

them

for

are

most

days to-

a week dates used to be the only

diet.

Turkish bath was a very agreeable

finale to the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

58.

journey, and I emerged from

rather as the

American

bodied

We

spirit.

went

it

vi.

refreshed, but feeling

like a disem-

traveller felt,

to stroll

chap.

on the beach.

Pass-

ing the citadel, we saw the benevolent Moustapha Pasha

issuing forth in his carriage to take the air.

Soldiers

were drawn up in two ranks, and saluted as he passed.

When

Yussuf Pasha used to go forth from the Castle,

he had a body-guard of seven hundred blacks.

One morning

We

bour.
fished

up

early

we went out

to fish in the har-

landed on the extremity of the

reef,

washed over the rocks.

The white-walled

city

and palms

looked picturesque under the bright blue sky.

the harbour

Across

we could hear the music of a body of Turkish

troops, exercising

We

and

lovely spiked sea-eggs, while the gentle surge

on the beach under the

Castle.

found an Arab, who had just hauled into his

boat a long object coated with shells and gravel conglomerate.

It

was a mediaeval arquebuse, weighing

probably a hundredweight.
jetty
spot,

now being

We

landed on a small

constructed in an exposed inconvenient

and which should have been placed under the

shelter of the Castle walls.

We

paddled out farther

along the shore, and landed close to a ruined earthwork, towards the Sultanas' Domes, the tombs of the
ladies of the last Beys.

We

entered the palm groves,

and took several photographs of those

which the eye never wearies.

stately trees of

AN ARCH^OLOGICAL APPEAL.

CHAP. VI.

After lunch Mr.

Hay

59

I described to

called.

him

the appropriations which were going on at Lebda, and

he said readily that he would bring the matter before

An

the Pasha.

order would be given which probably

would never be carried out, and the matter would be

forgotten directly.

were the

to

Government

and that the Kaid of Homs,

losers,

authorised

I suggested that the

fine

if

he were

anyone pilfering from the ruins,

would keep a vigilant eye upon them.

Mr. Hay pro-

mised to see the Pasha.

The murder
in Tripoli.

at

Thanks

Homs had

shocked the Europeans

to the vigilance

and harassing to

which suspicious characters are subjected on arriving in

the Regency, they seldom settle

and crime

everything into consideration, rather

rare.

is,

taking

story

had reached Tripoli of the murder of an Italian by a

Maltese in Tunis, of an apprehended outbreak of Mus-

sulman fanaticism, and of unusual precautions urged

upon Christian residents

in Tunis.

Mr. Hay promised to endeavour to get permission

for

me

little

to visit the

mosques of Tripoli, but he was a

doubtful of success.

Accompanied by an obliging Maltese

like

clerk,

who,

an enormous number of his countrymen, was quite

innocent of the English language, I daily repaired to

the barbers' shops to negotiate for the old inlaid handmirrors.

The adhesiveness of

their owners

to

them

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

6o

compared

favoui*ably with that of a Eussian peasant to

his liousehold gods.

Each barber

too, before

was waiting to see what his neighbour got

One of my chief
barber of Sfax

charming and

He

it

an Abencerrage,
His smile was

Tripoli.

his expressions

me

sell

of

most

regard were

to bis father

one of his mirrors, which

and he was

would have been rudeness to

He

for his mirror.

regretted, he said, a thousand times over,

that he could not

had belonged

selling,

friends in the bazaars was a Moorish

with the manners of

and the handsomest man in

courteous.

chap. vi.

so pleasant that

refer to the subject again.

wore a rosebud under his snowy turban, a grey

pointed beard, dark blue cloth dress, an embroidered

sash,

and had handsome brown

was a merchant who sold

traysfull

having walnuts concealed in

highly of

my

it

of rahatlakoom,

and he thought

so

me

to

capacity for this, that he begged

go to his house and see how he made

I

Another friend

legs.

knew the

it.

contents of every little drawer and

cabinet in the silversmiths' bazaar.

shop, the neighbours would bring
to show.

weight

Nearly

all

silver

me what

they had

the silver-work was sold by the

which we could have verified by the Muhhtasib,

or public weigher of the

for the

Sitting in one

workmanship.

bazaar and a

trifle

was added

All the silver bore the fine old

mark, and was unmistakably pure.

amulets,

of things were brought

All

manner

bracelets, very

mas-

BAZAAR DEALINGS.

6l

CHAP.

VI.

sive

and handsome, earrings large enough

loaded with pendants

many

for necklaces,

of them having as a pen-

dant the khmissa, or outspread hand, to avert the

The upper rim of the

evil eye.

carry these

one of the pendants

the hair or cap to relieve the ear

women

of the

we

yet

are torn

attribute to

and other earrings

ear

pierced to

is

often attached to

is

but the ears of

and frilled round the edges.

women a want of fortitude.

if women were aware of it

many
And
These

are the

next most becoming thing to wearing no earrings at

Grold, silver,

Some

me.

of the copper ones would have been dear if

they had been of

silver.

I got a little coin of Carthage,

palm

of yellow gold, bearing the horse and

piece of

money had about the diameter

and would have been very easy to

little

Arabic

is

that you have been

among

lose.

it

establishes in his

his kindred before,

to ascertain

How

don't know,

is

not learnt in

long have you spent in learning French

a French gentleman to an English one.

one day, said the Englishman.

man

and

more than you de-

Arabic, however, like French,

serve.

said

for

mind

It is impos-

how much you

and he gives you often credit

a day.

This

of a lead pencil,

have learned cunning through adversity.

him

tree.

a valuable possession in these deal-

ings with the crafty Oriental

sible for

all.

and copper coins used to be brought

politely, 'tis

not enough.

Ah

Only

said the French-


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

62

CHAPTER

VII.

The Pasha's Gardens Ostriches John Leo on the Naturall Historie

of Barbaric Tombs and Coins Giovanni incorruptible The Triumphal Arch of Aurelian Roman Numerals Prayers for Rain
Offering to the God of Rain Alteration of Plans Cyrene in Prospect
The Cyrenai'ca.

One evening
tanas'

Domes,

before dinner

we drove out

to the Pasha's

past the Sul-

Gardens in the Meshiah.

They were very productive and picturesque

lemon

trees, oranges,

palms, and

all

full

of

kinds of vegetables.

In one part of tliem was the Pasha's private menagerie.

This consisted of a bull

magnificent creature

from Bornou, in the country of the Blacks

dainty

little

gazelles

certain odd-looking

several

beasts re-

sembling, as far as I can recollect, a goat, a Thibet

Yak, and a Brahmin

bull.

ostriches were ranging about.

Finally,

a number of

These are brought in

great numbers from the interior, and were formerly

kept here in stables and farmed for the sake of their

feathers.

The long painful journey, however, injured

the poor creatures' feathers, and they are

now plucked

in the interior and the feathers brought by caravan.

CHAP.

CONCERNING THE OSTRICH.

VII.

One camel,

was informed, could carry as much as ten

thousand pounds' worth of

The

is

fine

white feathers.

from resenting the spoiling of his

ostrich, far

feathers,

(63

multiplying

the regions of Fezzan,

in

Wadai, and Tomboukto, and seems to thrive upon

He

is

a singular bird, having eccentric tastes.

ostriches

my

made

They seemed

and

fascinated

I gave them pieces of newspaper,

resist it.

They thought they had never

which delighted them.

came again and

tasted anything so nice, for they

disputing

These

incessant and furious pecks at a ring on

companion's finger.

unable to

it.

who should get the

best pieces.

the chief ostrich with a piastre

and

the ostrich

Some

scruple seemed

made

again,

We

tried

a showy-looking coin

three attempts to swallow

to actuate him,

it.

and we found

eventually that the piastre was of imitation silver.

It has

been related to

me

that an elderly gentleman

with a bald head once entered a zoological garden.

It

was a warm afternoon, and the old gentleman lay down

upon a bench
by a

feeling of

had come
an egg, had
it.

The

tually

led

Presently he was awakened

to sleep.

warmth

in the

An

head.

ostrich

along, and mistaking the bald head for

settled

down upon

it,

intending to hatch

old gentleman screamed for help, and even-

the ostrich, disappointed

back to his

stall

and

by a keeper.

regretful,

was

gentleman

once went and furtively contributed some money to

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

64

an

and he went back

and voracious

many

day after day in dread of

guiltily

seeing the ostrich a body

as

but the bird continued as

An

as ever.

ostrich has digested

as twenty copper coins at a time.

The gazelle, which abounds

The

with dogs.

distances the dogs

in heavy sand,

is

in the interior,

gazelle takes great leaps

is

hunted

and

easily

but becoming exhausted, especially

overtaken and caught.

are brought in great

at

vii.

After doing so his conscience smote him,

ostrich.

lively

chap.

numbers

Mr. England's, who, with

to Tripoli.

is

The

gazelle

his neighbour the little

kid, sometimes fraternises with me,

trembles from head to foot,

The young

and at another time

an orphan gazelle brought

from Ghadames.

Near the
his

gazelles

head and roared

was a lonely camel, who put out

like a lion.

I cannot, while on the subject of African beasts, refrain

from the pleasure of repeating a

little

natural his-

tory from that wonderful and droll old geographer,

Africanus.

It is

Leo

from the Ninth Booke of the Historie

of Africa, wherein he entreateth of the principall Eiuers

and of the strange lining Creatures of the same Countrey.

Of
beasts,

the

Camel.

Camels

are gentle

and are found in Africa in great numbers, espe-

cially in the Deserts of Libya,

When

and domesticall

the King of

Tombuto

Numidia, and Barbaria.

is

desirous to sende any

CHAP.

SOME NATURALL HISTORIE.

VII.

6$

message of importance vnto the Numidian Merchants

with great

celeritie, his post or

messenger riding vpon

one of these Camels will runne from Tombuto to Darha,

being nine hundred miles distant, in the space of eight
daies at the farthest.

Of

the

beast called

beast, being shaped like

an

Adimmain.
a ramme and

and hauing long and dangle

asse,

It is a

tame

of the stature of
I myselfe

eares.

vpon a time, being merily disposed, rode a quarter of a

mile vpon the backe of one of these beasts*

Of

the Elephant.

the woods, and

is

This

wittie beast keepeth in

found in great numbers in the forrests

If the Elephant intendeth to

of the land of Negros.

hurt any man, he casteth

him on the groud with

his

long snout or trunk, and neuer ceaseth trampling vpon

him

till

Of

he be dead.

and shape resembleth

and
is

This beast in bignes

a woolfesauing that
legges

the beast called

Dabuh.

his

feet are like to the legges

and

feete of a

man.

It

not hurtfull vnto any other beast, but will rake the

carcases of

them

ture.

men

being

out of their graues, and will deuoure

otherwise

an abiect

silly

The hunters being acquainted with

come before

it

singing and playing vpon

by which melodie being allured

wrapped in a strong rope, and
slaine.

and

crea-

his denne,

a drum:

foorth, his legs are en-

so

he

is

drawne out and

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

66

Of
also

creature called Dub.

the,

sauing that in length

creature, living

somewhat

containeth a cubite and in

it

Being

fower fingers.

bredth

flaied

its

and rested

Being hunted,

like a frogge.

chanceth to thrust
force

vii.

the deserts, resembleth in shape a lizzard

in

tasteth

This

chap.

head into a hole,

it

it

if it

can by no

be drawne out except the hole be digged wider by

the hunters.

Of

the Guaral.

This beast

is

like vnto the former,

and hath poison both in the head and

parts being cut

standing

it

off,

taile,

the Arabians will eate

which two

it,

notwith-

be of a deformed shape and vgly colour, in

which respects I loathed alwaies to eate the

flesh

thereof.

Somewhat we

will here say of the strange birdes

and fowles of Africa, and

of the Ostriche.

first

fowle liueth in dry deserts and layeth to the

ten or twelue egges in the sandes

the bignes of
apiece.

great bullets,

But the Ostriche

is

This

number of

which, being about

waigh

fifteene

pounds

of so weake a memorie

that shee presently forgetteth the place

where her

egges were laide, and afterward the same or some other

Ostriche-henne

finding the saide

hatcheth and fostereth them as

her owne.

The chickens

if

egges

by chance,

they were certainly

are no sooner crept

out of

the shell, but they prowle vp and downe the deserts

for their

foode.

The Ostriche

is

silly

and deafe

CHAP.

LEO OUTDONE.

VII.

creature, feeding

vpon anything which

67
it findeth,

be

it

hard and indigestible as yron.

Of

the

Camelion.

The

Camelion, being of the

shape and bignes of a Lizzard,

is

a deformed crooked

and leane creature, hauing a long and slender tayle

a mouse, and being of a slowe pace.

like

It is nourished

by the element of ayer and the sunbeames, at the

and turneth

rising whereof it gapeth

downe.

It

changeth

varietie of places

where

itselfe

vp and

the colour according to the

it

commeth, being sometimes

blacke and sometimes greene.

the fowle called Nesir.

Of

This

the

is

greatest

fowle in all Africa, and exceedeth a Crane in bignes.

This bird liueth a long time, and myselfe have scene

many
age

of

them unfeathered by reason of extreme

wherefore, having cast all

their

old

feathers, they

returne vnto their nest as if they were newly hatched,

and are there nourished by the yoonger birds of the

same

kinde.'

The Arabic

writer El Khazwini says

certain of the Islands a bird of

Rukh, that feedeth

This

is

its

enormous

There

is

in

size called

young ones with elephants.

something like a bird, and makes us

feel sorry

for Leo's Nesir.

We
gave

went

me some

to call

old

on Mr. Warrington, who kindly

Eoman

pottery, found in a

tomb ten

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

68
feet

underground, in his garden

two

lachrymatories, and a little saucer.

to express the deep
possessor of

and

chap.

vii.

clay lamps, two

It

must be hard

solid satisfaction of

being the

an unopened mound or early burial-place,

I can think of no greater worldly enjoyment than going

in the twilight to gloat over

it

picturing jars of glass

or pottery, golden spoons, or arrow-heads

reluctant

fifteen or

of the unknown.

Mr. Warrington gave

of copper coins, some found in the

me

number

tomb and

which had been brought to him by the Arabs.

tomb were two

We

glass urns of large size

others

In the

and very

perfect.

drove back in the dusk, having to use

caution to avoid great holes

as granaries,

the road.

much

dug by former inhabitants

and which in places stretched half across

Arriving at the house, we found Griovanni

Arab muleteer who

in high altercation with the old

had accompanied us to Lebda.

poned asking

for

payment

in

The Arab had

an attempt upon

my

post-

the hope of inducing

Giovanni to join him, by a promise of half the

in

to

twenty centuries, the charm

break the spell of

pocket.

The

old

spoil,

Maltese,

having his conscience superior to indirect suggestions,

denounced him to me,

so that

the Arab very nearly

lost his backsheesh.

the

went out early to photograph the eastern face of

Roman

Arch, which stands in sight of our windows,

and within a few paces of the Consulate,

on the

flat

roof of a foudouk opposite.

mounted


ROMAN ARCH OF

CHAP. vn.

This triumphal arch

florid pieces of

TRIPOLI.

one of the

69

most ornate and

work the Eomans ever constructed

stands in a narrow street between the Consulate and

the Marina, facing nearly east and west.

It

structed of pure white marble, uncemented.

The

is

con-

arches

are built up with wood and plaster, and the keeper of

a low wine-shop has established himself in front of

The

interior serves as a cellar for the storage of liquors.

It

is,

very roughly speaking, a square, and was ori-

ginally a cube

ground,
front

its

a portion of

it

being embedded in the

proportions are interfered with.

much

is

built in.

defaced

The eastern

the northern face completely

Of the western, only the upper right hand

corner and a small portion of the arch are visible.

is

some beautiful carving, the

and chariot are mutilated.

Here

figure of Victory erect in

a chariot drawn by a pair of she-leopards.

is

it.

The

figure

Above, on the architrave,

a clear Latin inscription in large characters

IMP. C^ES. AVRELIO. ANTONIN. AVG. PP. ET.

IMP. C^S. L. AVRELIO. VERO. ARMENIACO. AVG.

SER.

S.

ORFITVS. PROCCOS. CVM. VTTEDIO.

MARCELLO. LEG. SVG. DEDICAVIT.

C.

CALPVRNIVS. CELSVS. CVRATOR. MVNERIS

PVB. MVNERARIVS. IIVIR. Q. Q.

FLAMEN

PERPETVVS. ARCV. MARMORE. SOLIDO. FECIT.

To the Emperor

Caesar Aurelius Antoninus Augustus

Father of his Country, and to the Emperor Caesar

Lucius Aurelius Verus Armeniacus Augustus, Servius

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

70

chap.

vii.

Scipio Orfitus Proconsul, with Uttedius (?) Mareellus,

his Lieutenant,

dedicated

Caius Calpurnius Celsus,

manager of the public games. Curator, Quinquennial

Duumvir, and Flamen of Quirinus

made the

for life,

arch in solid marble.

Marcus Aurelius did not need

memory

his

fine

memoir of

this

monument

to his

adopted father

his

is

monument enough.

The

Verus reigned in the

latter half of the second century.

joint Emperors Aurelius

and

There was formerly upon the arch a Punic inscription.

It was, however, detached, sent to England,

presented by

H.M. the Queen

Gresenius says

to the British

and

Museum.

Exstat etiam titulus Punicus in arcu

triumphali Tripolitano,

quem

Septimii Severi,

setate

ipsique anno P. Christum N. 203, vindicatum ivimus.

At each angle of the building

is

a recess which once

contained a statue, destroyed long since by the Moslems,

being contrary to their religion.

recesses

are of plain

The

hewn marble

interiors of the

the lintels and

The marble

jambs beautifully moulded and carved.

has taken stains of grey and yellow

the carvings

and

mouldings throughout, where not defaced and worn, are

extremely delicate and

The

clear.

interior is a square,

tioned above.

minus the

In the centre

is

recesses

dome

of

men-

marble,

formed without cement: each block panelled deeply,

with decorated borders, and having in the centre of

ROMAN NUMERALS.

CHAP. vn.

each panel a rose in

dome
but

The

relief.

four spaces round the

and ornamented.

are likewise panelled

little

71

There

is

injury done to the interior: and if cleared

out and cleaned, and the plaster partitions removed,

it

would be a most picturesque and interesting monument.

In Colonel

Playfair's Footsteps of

Bruce there

is

an

elaborate and graphic description of this arch, illustrated

by a beautiful Indian ink drawing.

The western

face could not be photographed until

early in the afternoon

and Peppo was posted to watch

from the windows, and instructed to rush suddenly out

and inform

me

directly the

sunlight

fell

upon the

leopards.

The Latin character and numerals

and handsome

but

it

has

are both clear

often struck

me

that to

must have been a

multiply or

divide, in the latter,

severe trial.

The reader may amuse himself by

ing MDCCCLXXvn by lxxvii, and see how he likes

It was market-day,

divid-

it.

and half the population were

out at the Soukh buying provisions.

Hay and his family,

evening. Mrs. Hay showed

I dined in the evening with Mr.

and spent a most agreeable

me

presents from native chiefs

the country of the Blacks, rugs

beautiful

work from

in blue and white,

parchment boxes stained in red patterns, baskets woven

of

palm

leaves

and coloured cloth by negro women,

leopard skins, &c.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

72

chap.

vii.

I was awakened one morning by the chanting of

children

and throwing the windows open, I found

a band of them, headed by an old tangle-bearded Arab,

swarming down the narrow

They were praying

alley.

and moving in procession

for rain,

The Moors regard the

through the

all

prayers of children as

city.

more

acceptable to the Divinity than those of their elders.

The heat was very

great, the wells were

hausted, and unless rain should

Arabs would be half-ruined.

told

soon,

The Pasha

barefooted and bareheadedwent

and afterwards down

the

come

to the beach to

becoming ex-

many

poor

himself, I was

to the

mosque,

throw stones into

sea.

We

went down to the shore.

At a well

of brackish

water a number

of Arabs were engaged, raising water

by a

si/nieh into

a tank, whence other

full

and loaded them on camels.

down

to the water's edge

men drew

casks

These were taken

and emptied into the

sea.

gutter, too, was cut in the beach, to let the overflow

water run into the sea.

Zapati were watching that no

one touched or used the water which was being offered

to

Grod.

This

melancholy superstition

is

observed

during a failure of rain.

My
A
.

plans had a sudden dislocation this morning.

steamer's

beyond the
cast anchor.

smoke was descried on the horizon, away

reef.

She steamed into the harbour and

In another hour intelligence came that

she was the Maltese steamer Allegra, sailing hence in

CHAP.

CYRENE.

Til.

73

This would be an excellent

a few days for Benghasi.

Since the land tele-

opportunity of visiting Cyrene.

graph through Barca to Egypt became defunct, com-

From

munications are very infrequent with Benghasi.

Benghasi

the Allegra was

to

should thence reach Tunis.

route.

Dr. Camilleri,

and I

to Malta,

sail

I decided to adopt this

who had spent a

considerable

time in Cyrene, encouraged me, and helped

me

to

form

plans.

The

plains of Barca

and the peninsula of the Cyre-

naica are very extensive and beautiful, perhaps richer

Mediterranean
the world.

country bordering upon the

than any

in vegetation

and the climate

The country

is

are very grand.

one of the

well watered

caroubs, cedars, arbutus, cypress,

greens grow luxuriantly.

is

The

fig,

finest in

olives, dates,

myrtle, and ever-

ruins of the Pentapolis

The harbour

is

insecure,

and the

system of pilotage does not improve the access.

late pilot

was a shopkeeper.

Poor Cyrene

The

Failure

of crops, famine, cattle plague, extortions of ten years,

have brought her very low indeed.

The sponge

fishery

alone seems to prosper of all this unlucky province's

industries.

As

late as 1872, the slave trade existed to

an enormous extent.
In the year 265 of the Hejreh, when El Abbas, grandson of Touloun, revolted against his father
of Egypt, he
Leptis,

seized

Ahmed, Sultan

upon the Cyrenaica, the

and attacked Tripoli without

success.

city of

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

74

CHAPTEE

VIII.

Esparto Grass Black FamiliesAn Ingrate The

Usury, Caravans, and the Slave Trade The Pashalik of
Tripoli Resources Fall of the Leaf Charity Arab Home Outer
Biled.
Bazaars Love Charms The Sheikh

Evening Kide
Allegra

el

The

vice-consul called to-day to say that no arrange-

ment had

yet been

made

for

my

visiting the mosques,

and Frederick Warrington called

subject.

He

later

upon the same

was in hopes of getting permission in a

day or two, but

it

was a matter of arrangement both

with the Castle and the Mufti.

We

went out

for a ramble.

donkey for me, and we went

Mr. Warrington got a

to find his horse, a fine grey

Barb, which was put up outside the Castle gate.

In a

yard which was crowded with esparto bales, was a rude

screw press, in which the bales were being compressed.

screw descends upon the esparto from a platform

above.

The screw

driven round by half-a-dozen

is

negroes, stamping and shouting in chorus.

turn

is

When the last

given, iron bands round the bales are riveted to-

gether, and the bale

is

hardness of these bales

rolled out into the yard.

is

astonishing.

The

Hydraulic pres-

ESPARTO GRASS.

CHAP. vni.

75

sure was tried for packing them, but it was found to

injure the fibre.

Esparto grass, which was known to the Tyrian colonists

and Romans, resembles the beautiful feather grass

of Southern Europe.
for cordage,

shoes,

them

it

was

most of the London Hansom cabs use

first

imported into England in 1862.

1868 more than 500,000^.

it

up, and

it

bids fair to

some of the decayed industries of those Regencies.

known

It is the best
for the

material, next to rags and cotton,

manufacture of paper.

The

printed on paper manufactured from

Homs

of Algiers.

point for

its

is

first

it

newspaper

was the Akhbar

the chief and most convenient

shipment from this Regency.

It

in illimitable quantities in the Gharian range,

only cost

knows,

In

in value came into this country.

Tunisia and Tripoli have taken

replace

navy

in the Spanish

and in Spain for the manufacture of baskets,

and mats

Long used

is

that of pulling

Homs may

it

up and

grows

and the

transport.

Who

yet revive or reflect some of Lebda's

vanished prosperity.

The American

consul in Tripoli has adopted the

practice of protection of natives.

is

Of course any Moor

glad to escape certain taxes, and to claim the interest

of a powerful foreign government.

As Mr. Warrington

told me, if the English consul were to begin, he would

have three thousand proteges in a week.

To us the

protection system seemed only to entail trouble and

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

76

responsibility

chap. vin.

American consul may have

but the

been right, and we incapable of understanding the lofty

The English

considerations contained in his head.

respected by Arabs of the interior

many

of

are

them have

asked Frederick "Warrington whether England means

to take possession of the country.

Mr. Warrington recommended

me

not to go

to

Kairwan in the present uncomfortable

state of feeling

between Mohammedans and Christians.

Some Tunisian

Moors in the bazaar confirmed

months, as

well known, the

is

The French and German

nated

this advice.
ill

Within two

feeling culminated.

consuls in Salonica were assassi-

the populace marched through the town with

drawn swords

the holy standard was hoisted.

panic existed in Constantinople.

Mussulmen were purchasing arms and bidding

prepare for imminent death.

General

Softas and low class

Christians

The presence of European

squadrons alone served to allay the fanatical excitement,

and possibly to avert a Holy War.

(I

quote from the

Times.)
Outside the garden wall was a miniature village of

two or three black families, dependent upon Mr. Warrington.

Their huts, resembling bee-hives, are most

charmingly constructed.
brella-like, crossed

A bamboo

framework, um-

by horizontal rods, like degrees of

longitude and latitude on a half globe, are covered

with palm-leaf matting.

The whole

effect is

snug and

AN AFRICAN SETTLEMENT.

CHAP. TOi.

The

picturesque.
us,

black servant came out with

little

and was pleased to

upon

77

see the impression the hives

made

one of these was the home of Mahmoud's

us, for

parents, and the two little india-rubber babies rolling

about

in

one tent were own brother and

The women were weaving

Mahmoud.

and dish-covers, of cane and palm

sage a year after this.

Mahmoud,

the

says Inshallah

leaf

'

He

begs of

and

me

to

beautiful boxes
little

rags of

me

a mes-

Mr. Warrington sent

red and black cloth.

sister

to tell

you that

little

black boy, kisses your hand and

please

God

you

will always

have health

and plenty of money.'

Mr. Warrington described these blacks
faithful,

Arabs,

and

who

affectionate, excelling in

as honest,

good qualities the

are generally strangers to gratitude.

When

Mr. Warrington returned from Fezzan he brought with

him an Arab

boy,

whom

he had cared for and adopted,

but who turned out a thorough ingrate.

In the evening a young Maltese, son of the agent
for the Allegra,
is

came

in to play cards.

This steamer

reported to be the slowest steamer in the world.

Some

say she can steam four knots, some five with a

fair breeze,
less

but these are the more sanguine and reck-

in statement.

When

asked what the Allegra

could do with a head wind, there was an awkward

silence,

which disquieted

me when

I thought

voyage across the treacherous Gulf of Sidra.

of the

It is said

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

78

that the look-out on this

Skimmer

chap.

of the Seas

is

tiii.

kept

over the stern, to warn off vessels coming up behind.

The Maltese youth was engaged with

fleecing generally

Usury here

The

piastre.

is

his father in

pawnbroking, money-lending, and

caravan ventures,

among

the Arabs.

an excellent mode of turning an honest

usurers get thirty, and even at times

sixty per cent, interest on good security, though the

maximum

rate authorised

by law is twelve per

cent.

In

the year 1869 a bank was established under Govern-

ment

auspices,

upon the condition of twelve and a half

per cent., but one cannot wonder that

it

was not a

success.

Salvatore's ventures in the caravan trade resulted

sometimes in nothing, sometimes in a return of a thou-

A partnership

sand pounds upon a hundred.

generally formed with a native,

or

who has some

bond

is

available

property in Tripoli affording a security for his good

faith,

and who accompanies and conducts the

the caravan.

Consisting of perhaps

fifty or

affairs

of

a hundred

camels, loaded with goods of European manufacture, the

caravan takes

its

departure for the interior

for a year, a year

may

be.

and a

To Ghadames

half, or

to be absent

the ancient Cydamus, one

the cities of the Garamantes

perhaps a fortnight

two years, as the case

to

the

journey occupies

Murzouk, the

zan, from thirty to forty days

to

of

capital of P ez-

Wadai

five

months

TRIPOLI CARAVANS.

CHAP. Tin.

to

Tomboukto the

79

best part of a year.

Caravans are

constantly leaving and arriving at Tripoli.

Tripoli

is

now the

causes

their

lost

centre of

the caravan trade of

all

Tunis and Algeria have from various

northern Africa.

Tripoli, too, as I

footing

in this

lucrative business.

have said before,

geographically

is

more conveniently than other countries

situated

for the

pm-pose, being connected with the interior by a chain

The great Mecca caravan from Fez no longer

of oases.

traverses Barbary, Barca,

and Egypt.

In recent years

three thousand pilgrims, conducted by a religious chief

of Kairwan, with ten or fifteen thousand camels, would

encamp
of

for

sometimes a month's repose under the walls

The commercial caravans

TripolL

European

cloths,

powder, muskets,

barracans

silks,

glass,

glasses, paper, real

or

carry coarse

Arab

wraps,

hardware, beads, toys, looking-

and

false corals, imitation pearls,

turbans, amber, porcelain,

coflFee

cups, copper vessels,

kaftans, embroidered muslins, handkerchiefs

and cotton

goods, essence of roses, and spices.

Murzouk

is

a great centre of this trade.

Hither

the European goods are brought and exchanged for those

of the interior

alum,
slaves.

gold dust,

senna, ostrich feathers, red

alkali, ivory, and, till

comparatively late years,

This villanous trade died out

next in Tunis, then in Tripoli

Two

first

in Algeria,

Barca's turn

is

next.

or three thousand blacks used to be annually ex-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

8o

changed

goods at Murzouk, which

for

chap. vni.

in direct

is

com-

munication with WadaijBornou, Cashna, Bogou, Soccatu,

The senna

and Tomboukto.

of Fezzan

is

considered

next in quality to that of Sidon, but East Indian

replacing

The Mecca

now

devotees used to combine their worldly

interests with their religious duties,

and to bring from

Morocco and elsewhere wax, gold dust,

and cotton haiks, morocco

feathers, silk

leather, perfumes, kohhl,

henna, vermilion pinguent, and drugs.

Tripoli

is

them both.

On

arriving at

they would exchange a portion of these for

European goods, and on returning

after a year or less

from the East would oblige the Tripolines with Indian

Mecca balsam, musk, aloewood,

stuffs, pearls,

myrrh,

civet,

Cashmir shawls, precious

pistachios, naphtha,

incense,

stones,

coffee,

opium, and other Eastern valu-

ables.

It

would be well to define in a few words, in connec-

tion with the subject of caravan trade, the geographical position

Empire.

and limits of

this Pashalik of the

Ottoman

Extending from Cape Razatina on the borders

of Tunis, to Port

Bomba on

the frontier' of Egypt,

has a coast line of nearly eight hundred miles.

Its ex-

very irregular, owing to the interruption

tension inward

is

of the desert

but

it

it

comprises the large and wealthy

province of Fezzan, the district of Ghadames, and

may be

said to

extend, as cultivated territory, two

CHAP.

INNER TRIPOLI.

VIII.

hundred and

miles inland.

fifty

8l

population

Its

has

within half a century been estimated from one million

Mr. Hay now estimates

and a half to two millions.

at five or six

hundred thousand

being, as a rule, Turkish or Moorish

the

Wadai, the next

rural,

Arab or

into the Great

Fezzan projects southwards

Berber.

Sahara

west.

In Wadai, a thousand miles from Tripoli,

large

fertile region, lies to its

inland lake, Tchad.

reader for saying

silly wish,

so,

must apologise

Lake Tchad.

southis

the

to the

but I have always had a vague and

which I cannot account

Ali

it

the urban population

for or excuse, to

go to

Bey writes of a Central Sea probably

:

him

as lying fifteen

Tomboukto

and of which

meaning Lake Tchad, described

days' journey eastward from

to

Negro barques took forty-eight days

to navigate from

shore to shore.

At a distance of from ten

to

twenty miles from the

coast runs the Gharian range of mountains, almost east

and west.

Farther inland run the Zuara mountains,

separated from the Gharian by a fertile plateau.

The
tropical

soil along

the coast is of great richness, producing

and European vegetation freely.

grows to the height of a man.

much as in Europe.

Indian wheat

Barley yields twice as

In the interior the date tree attains

a height of a hundred feet, and the dates are of a fine

quality.

Cassob, a plant yielding a nutritious grain,

grows abundantly.

Cotton has been successfully culti-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

82

chap.

viii.

vated, as well as the mulberry and the castor, or, as an

Egyptian dragoman once called

The

plant.

lotus tree is

said to

the cod-liver

it,

grow here, the

oil

fruit

being contained in a pod not unlike that of a tamarind,

and tasting when

ripe

sweet and agreeable, somewhat

like gingerbread.

Grold

is

found in veins towards Fezzan,

and even on the sands of the seashore.

Early one morning one of

my

barbers from the

We

bazaars appeared in sad trouble.

were in treaty

together for an old mother-of-pearl mirror, profusely

carved, and having in the centre a double-headed eagle.

So

fat

and puffy was the body of

satisfied

this bird that

we were

had swallowed the other eagle and appro-

it

priated its head.

Having been in

his family for

more

than eighty years, the barber had not the heart to part
with

it

but as I used to go daily and

for half-an-hour,
last.

me

him

that he might save

a friend's mirror,

handsome.

In riding with

donkey

and the

lost.

fell,

it

by get-

equally curious

and

the friend's mirror the

tip of the

This mirror was, as

leaf-form

in his shop

he knew he would have to give in at

It occurred to

ting for

sit

frame was broken and

many Moorish

mirrors are, of

perhaps to signify the transient and fading

However, I reassured the barber

nature of this

life.

and bought

taking advantage of his gratification to

it,

secure the double-bodied eagle too.

We went to the oflfice of the Allegra'a agents to choose


CHAP.

my

MONEY DEALINGS.

VIII.

berth,

circular

and to the Usury department to change some

notes

finding

uncommonly

it

Nano Sahib charged me

fivepence for every

which seemed ample.

or dollar,

Tripoli

difficult.

Jew, by name Nano, managed this

fine tall Tripoline

business.

mahboob

83

of all the Mediterranean cities the most

is

difficult place for

changing money.

In the bazaars

was almost impossible to pay separately

it

for the objects

Anyone who goes there should take a keg

we bought.

of small silver with

him from Malta.

Not long ago

there was a dead-lock in trade, owing to some foolish prohibition on the import of silver
for a

month.

very

business was paralysed

common

coin here

the Maria

is

Theresia dollar.

This day was the

Mohammedan Sabbath

and Turks were in their cleanest

of Tripoli was in the streets. It

among

the Arabs.

linen,

is

the Moors

and every beggar

the day of almsgiving

The Jews here

are charitable, and,

in every commercial transaction, one in every thousand

of value

is set

aside for the poor.

This

remember

in Archangel, where, if I

is

better than

rightly, a tax of

two per cent, on the freight of every ship arriving was

imposed under the name of Church-money.

who knows the Eussians

money used

We

will ask

how much

No

one

of this

to go to the Church.

went to

see

an Arab

Home founded more than

two centuries ago by Osman Pasha, of Constantinople

o 2


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

84

for the reception of poor

tion.

Mussulmans of decent

It is a cleanly comfortable

small apartments round

chap.

it.

vxii.

posi-

kind of khan, having

Some

of the inmates

whitebearded and feeble, busy reading old books

were rather pleased with our

visit.

Afterwards we

went to a native gambling house, where Arabs

and

Levantines were drinking raki and brandy, and playing

cards and dominoes.

One morning we

started on foot for a general cir-

and

cuit of the bazaars

city.

Commencing with the

we came

woollen and the old slave bazaars,

eastern extremity, where beyond the

we found them weighing

oil.

Men

Bab

el

to the

Meshiah

were making rude

wire brushes for wool carding: in pottery shops

saw sieve-like pots for kouskousou, earthen

bottles,

and

little

money

pots.

jars,

we

water

Next came shops with

red chiles, blossoms of pomegranates, which are used

as

an

and pomegranate husks, used in

astringent,

tanning skins

helba, a small bitter grain which,

when

powdered with com in cakes, has fattening properties

ropes of esparto grass, and native sulphur from the

plains of the Syrtis.

Sulphur,

when mixed with

tar,

serves as a plaster for camels afflicted with the irritable

disease called djerdb,

which leads them to rub them-

selves against walls.

Bundles of brooms or brushes of

palm

some shops, with baskets of dead

leaves

sponges

hung

those

in

drifted

up by the

sea.

Some

shops

CHAP.

THE OUTER MARKET.

VIII.

had cotton,

We watched

all

together

and

necklaces, matches,

nails, gunflints,

palm-wood cages

85

looking a

them make neat

and sinew, drums, and dellous

little

sieves of

mixed.

beechwood

or leather bags for the

Camels, which had brought up from the

siniehs.

harbour great Djerban

oil

and water

jars,

were moan-

ing and trumpeting while they were being loaded with

lime, as if they

had a pain in their stomachs, and

nothing would ever do them any more good.

gain his private ends,

sententious-looking beast, to

takes a satisfaction in

making a

fuss about nothing, so

that one would almost wish to give

load, worth

Above

moaning

us,

him a

little

dows of the Pasha's

white domes.

seraglio.

order to contain the

members

customary

Above the towering

and green

latticed win-

This building has lost

proportion, from the constant additions

good

for.

Castle wall, rose the buildings

families

really

towards the Castle, was the cemetery for

the better families of Tripoli, with the

marabout and

This

made

to

it,

all

in

of the successive reigning

no such individual having

lived,

imder ordi-

nary circumstances, elsewhere than within the Castle

precincts.

We

found a native quack doctor squatting on the

sand, surrounded by simple Arabs, whose fortunes he

was
sold

telling, while

he prescribed

them amulets and

love

for their ailments

charms.

and

wanted to

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

86

satisfy

myself as to

my own

fortunes, but it

chap. yin.

would have

Close by was the base

given offence to the Arab dupes.

of a marble column sunk in the ground, where two years

They

ago, I was told, the last murderer was beheaded.

Soukh

are hanged now, in the

market, near the beach.

el

Haifa, or esparto

"We watched a native black-

smith on the sands, heating a sickle blade, while a

roasted in the red coals beside

The donkeys

it.

stationed outside the gate of the Meshiah

allowed, except

when

fish

are all

they are not

carrying travellers, to peram-

bulate the city.

We

went

saddlers

to the Bazaar

Foum

el

Bab, where the

and accoutrement makers were at work.

saw high red Arab boots, leather covers for

We

flint locks,

embroidered boots for rich Bedouins, gold embroidery

upon parchment, and leopard-skin

saddle-cloths.

Across the bazaar were Moorish gunmakers, inlaying

the stocks with ivory and silverwork
in the city.

made by

the Jews

Arquebuses or blunderbusses, known to

the Italians as troTnboni, and which would admit an

egg into their muzzle, hung in most of the shops.

Farther on was an Arab cafe, having native watercolour

drawings on the walls, and rows of sherbet

syrups in bottles on shelves.

The whole of

this

formed, to the Sheikh

fine

bazaar

el Biled,

belongs, I was in-

who came

to Tripoli a

poor man, from the islands of Kerkeneh, and became

'

THE DEFUNCT TELEGRAPH.

CHAP. Tin.

governor

In this capacity he amassed

of Tripoli.

Eecalled to Constantinople on account

great wealth.

of his extortions, he died there,

now the

richest

property in

Moors of

.7

men

and

in Tripoli,

his brothers are

owning much house

Unwilling to intermarry with the

it.

Tripoli, they are said to

have bought Circassian

and married them.

slaves

row of

the gate.
telegraph

five

old cipolline columns

They once
to

carried

poles for the overland

contemplated

Egypt,

ment; but the Arabs,

near

stood

by the Grovern-

in their superstition, destroyed

portions of the line, and

it

than ten miles out of the

was never carried more

city.

The telegraph

to

Malta, which got out of order in 1870, might have

been restored, but for the unwillingness of the Grovern-

ment

to give a moderate guarantee.

Near a fountain

is

the

com market

and not

far

from here are the private mosque and kiosk of the

Pasha,

who comes

here and smokes behind the latticed

windows in the summer evenings.

.prison for slight oflFences

the Castle.

We

Close

by

is

the

criminals are imprisoned in

passed the Artillery Barracks, the end

of the silk bazaar, a soldiers'

haromam

a foudouk

for

Europeans, then an Arab foudouk.

We were passing
it

along the seawall.

Looking over

on to the harbour were two European consulates,

and the comfortable house of Dr. Dickson.

Then came

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

88

chap,

tiii.

the mosque and marabout of Sidi Dragut, the famous

old filibuster,

who

and who, laying

by a

said to have built the city walls

is

siege to

Malta in 1565, met

from the guns of the Knights.

ball

Women

end

his

were

coming out from the marabout, where they had been

praying.

Turning up into the city we pass the Club

to which

close

are Zapati Barracks and a soldiers' guard-

house, and entering an alley one yard in width, reach

the Greek church and convent.

Christian bazaar, and emerge

near the

Eoman

Then we

among

the fruit sellers

arch.

Looking over the Harbour wall, I was a

to see the

traverse a

little startled

Blue Peter flying on the Allegro's foremast.

I was not ready to leave Tripoli, not having seen the

mosques and many other things

but I was unwilling to

miss the chance of going to Cyrene, and hastened to the

house.
as the

Peppo was despatched to buy a week's provisions,

Allegra carried nothing

for passengers

my

lug-

gage was ready, and I was on the point of sending

down

to the harbour,

would not

sail before

all

when news came that the Allegra

daylight.

THE MOSQUES.

CHAPTER

Djemma

89

IX.

Djemma 1 Gordji Djemma '1 Sheikh Bel Ain

1 Basha
Djemma'l Sidi Dragut Panorama The Crescent City Delusions
Productions and Misfortunes Voiage of the lefus The Genowaies.

HAD begun to

fear that the deliberation

in

my never seeing

and procraswould

result

the interiors of the mosques.

The

tination characteristic of Oriental countries

number of visits by Mr. Warrington both

to the Castle

and to me, the number of journeys to and

fro

by the

Consular dragomans, the negotiations and consultations

by the

civil

more than

and religious authorities, would have been

sufficient if I

had been in treaty

for

mar-

riage with one of the Pasha's most attractive daughters.

At length
for

my

visit

I learnt that an afternoon was appointed

:

the Mufti had arranged that I was to

enter before evening prayer.

visit

more than one

fidence in

I should not be able to

or two, I was told, but I

Maria Theresia

dollars.

had con-

At the hour

fixed,

a soldier from the Pasha, bearing a staff of authority,

presented himself, with another
of

official,

and with one

Mr. Hay's well-diessed dragomans, who carried

little

camera on

its

tripod like

my

some joss or mysterious

90

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

emblem.

These dragomans needed tempering in the

furnace of the miseries of

superiors, they

human

chap. ix.

Civil to their

life.

were insolent and rapacious with the

lower classes.

The

first

mosque we came

was that of

to

Hamed

Pasha, situated at the south-east end of the city, and

surrounded by the bazaars.

removed

many

to the astonishment of

boots, and,

of the bystanders, went

Djemma

in with the soldier.

my

'1

Hamed Pasha

is

sur-

rounded most picturesquely with an irregular colonnaded

court,

back

which I photographed, while

The

any passers-by.

tiles

my

escort turned

and white marble

columns and Moorish arches give this exterior

grace and lightness.

a perfect square.

We entered

Four

marble columns and

much

the building, which

is

rows of graceful white streaked

capitals,

arches, support the roof,

from which spring round

which

is

vaulted with twenty-

five small equal white cupolas. Sunlight entered through

grated windows and

fell

upon the great

ting and old Turkish carpets.

leries

red.

is

tiled in zigzags of

Beautiful old Persian

mat-

Eailed and latticed gal-

run round the prayer chamber.

not matted,

strips of

The

where

black, white,

tiles in soft

the walls to the height of twelve

floor,

feet.

and

colours line

In the space

above these runs a great band of fretwork arabesque.

Between the cupolas

in

the

inimitable

is

snowy fretwork in

Arabesque and

plaster, also

Moorish

designs.

CHAP.

MOSQUE OF HAMED PASHA.

DC.

From

91

the ceiling hang lamps of iron, brass, and old

Venetian

Venice has for centuries traded with

glass.

and I have bought in Tripoli old Venetian

Tripoli,

beads which had come back from the interior.

glass

Over the central door stands out the broad square

canopy-shaped gallery of the choir, supported on four
elegant spiral pillars.

above the

pillars,

and

tern,

It is corbelled out

on

all sides

with the carved Moorish stalactite patdelicately painted

is all

and gilded.

The

mihrahy or niche, consists of a horse-shoe arch and

white marble pilasters, inlaid with black marble.

membar,

or pulpit,

is

The

of inlaid marble, having coloured

flower designs, and the sides of the staircase of carved

wood.

The doors

of the mosque, in wood, delicately

carved outwardly, are

building

is

an

painted within.

airy, bright,

cruellest,

who

and graceful example of

Yussuf Pasha

Saracenic architecture.

The whole

the

richest,

and most energetic of the Pashas of Tripoli,

died old and blind

lies,

with the male members

of his family, biuded here.

Hard by the

British consulate stands

Djemma

Gordji, the most beautiful of the Tripoli mosques.

prayer chamber
described.

The

is

tiles

Its

the counterpart of that I have just

Beautiful Turkish carpets cover the

floor.

exterior colonnade in the white marble court

most picturesque.

up

'1

Its

is

inner wall has lovely Persian

to a height of ten feet.

The

doors, of plain

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

92

chap. ix.

The roof

wood, stand in frames of coloured marbles.

of the colonnade
little rafters

is

picturesquely coloured within, the

showing, and painted red.

The mosque

Ain

of Sheikh Bel

Turkish bazaar.

entered from the

is

Its proportions are similar to those of

the other two, but

it is

much

disfigured in its details.

Nine old and massive columns, very probably from

Lebda, but coarsely painted in imitation of marble,

and having their acanthus capitals smeared yellow,

support the sixteen even cupolas of the roof.
are whitewashed, the

Tnembar

red roses and crescents.

arches

there

is

prayer chamber.

is

Low

little

The

walls

vulgarly painted with

galleries stand

under the

kubbeh, entered from the

The mosque

is

very old, and, with

the examples of the other mosques,

it is

hard to under-

stand the reason for vulgarising this building.

The

outer doors, decorated with roses in ironwork, are most

beautifully and elaborately carved.

The mosque
in Tripoli

lies

corsair himself,

of Sidi Dragut

the

down by the harbour

who made the

oldest, I

am

told,

The grim old

side.

flag of Tripoli the terror

of the Central Sea, lies sleeping here.

The mosque

of the form of a headless cross, having a

is

row of four

columns running down each side of the prayer chamber.

They

are

marble

rudely painted

to

represent

blue veined

indeed the whole of the decorations of this

mosque are

tasteless to deformity.

CHAP.

THE CRESCENT

IX.

We

CITY.

93

ascended, by a winding stone staircase, to the

upper gallery of the high minar of Djenama

'1

At our

city.

feet lay the historical

and interesting

Gordji.

To

the north ran a curved point, containing the old fort

and ruins of the Spanish battery, and ending in a reef of

dark rocks with the white surf sweeping over them.

dense black fog lay on the horizon, the sea was dull
the air, close and oppressive, seemed to indicate bad

weather at hand. The

and

little fleet

of sandals, speronares,

boats, clustered snugly in the harbour

lay the

Malta steamers and the war

ships,

farther out

among twenty

sailing vessels.
It was a city without a gable

of white

on

its

and creamy

housetops.

roofs

an

one could

We had glimpses

interiors, colonnades,

and green

irregular surface
traverse the city

of brightly-coloured

Snowy groups

lattices.

of cupolas and the half-dozen minarets showed the positions

of the

mosques, and at the far south-eastern

extremity towered the irregular storeys and battle-

ments of the

Castle.

single tall palm, the South

palm, rose from the Jews' quarter.

Many

have been made to abolish this palm, but

on charts

for the use of vessels

the authorities will not have

streets.

marked

making the harbour, and

it

touched.

pigeons flew quietly about us, and the

from the

attempts

it is

Beyond the

Castle

Doves and

hum came up
stretched

the

white curve of the harbour beach, towards the Sultanas'

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

94

Domes.

The landscape ends

palm

the

in

Behind the white crescent

Tadjoura.

stretch black rocks

into nothing

chap.

forest

ix.

of

westward

city

the barren shore dwindles away

a noble grove of palms

rises

beyond

the walls, and beyond the palms stretches the rosecoloured desert of sand, away to the faint range of the
Grharian mountains.

Leo Africanus writes

The inhabitants

region affirme that the city of Tripoli

situate in times past

more

it

to the northe, but

of this
selfe

was

by reason

of the continuall inundations of the sea, it was built

and remooued by

little

and

southward.

little

proofs whereof there stand as

For

yet ruines of houses

drowned in certain places of the

sea.

This must be taken under reserve, for the depths

indicated in the chart beyond the reef are from five
to ten fathoms.

Such misplaced convictions are not con-

fined to Barbary.

own country

We

have foimd

difficult in

our

to persuade persons that their lands were

situate in times past under the sea,

cestors

it

must have been a

The abundance

and that

their an-

race of mariners and fishermen.

of dates in Tripoli

is

a comfort to

the Arabs, providing them with a cheap and whole-

some

diet

but for those they

sell

they get next to

nothing, the price being at times as low as a halfpenny

a pound.

Horses are good, though scarce

and sheep are

poor.

The wool

is

coarse

the cattle

much

of

it is

VICISSITUDES OF TRIPOLI.

CHAP. IX.

woven at Misratah
striped

Of

colours.

into

and

carpets

barracans,

there were

these

95

sent

in

the

to

Cyrenaica alone, in one year, sixty thousand pounds'

worth.

The

foreign trade of Tripoli

carried on chiefly by

is

steamers, of which two were trading during

between this port and Malta.

on their way from the East

generally

their cargo by loading esparto at Homs.

vessels sail eastward to

of the Cyrenaica

and Tunis.

my

visit

Occasional steamers call

to complete

Small coasting

Homs, Misratah, and the

and westward

ports

to the Lesser Syrtis

Formerly Tunisian steamers traded here,

but they were, as Mr.

Hay

says,

deficient in

steam

power, and imperfectly navigated.

In 1871 the drought half ruined the Arabs.

their cattle, once a profitable

export, owing to the small

natives,

two-thirds died.

tion of camels

and considerable item of

meat consumption by the

The same

fearful

propor-

and horses perished, or were slaughtered,

and sheep became nearly

failed.

Of

The import

half a million

extinct.

The

of necessaries of

sterling.

life

crops almost

amounted

The subsequent

to

years were

brighter for the Regency, crops improved, esparto was

obtained in larger quantities, and caravans were richer

and

larger.

The

existing drought caused serious anxiety

to the Tripolines.

The government

oflBcials

squeeze the poor Arabs

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

96

I have been told that assessors will rate an

cruelly.

Arab's crops at four times their value, and

beyond the whole revenue from

who

make him

Indeed, the Arab has sometimes to pay

pay on that.

others,

chap. ix.

his crop.

are unrestricted, amass

much

Kai'ds

and

wealth.

In Hakluyt's old Black-letter Collection of Voiages

and Travels,

an account of a voyage made to Tripolis

is

in Barbaric, in the yeere 1583, with a ship called the

The

lefus.

chronicler,

sweete

are

The

merchant.
before his

commodities of that

says

The king there

oiles.

rather

place,

willing to

preferre

commons, he requested the

the
is

himselfe

factors of the

and promised them

said ship to traffique with him,

that if they would take his oyles at his owne price, they

should pay no manner of custome

him

certain

tunnes of oyle.

that they might haue

farre

and they tooke of

Afterwards, perceiving
better cheape, notwith-

standing the custome free, they desired the king to

licence

them

commons

to take the oyles at the pleasure of his

for

that his

price

did

exceede

theirs

whereunto the king would not agree, but was rather

contented to abate his price

bought

all their oyles

laded the same

insomuch that the

factors

of the king custome free, and so

aboord.

Eventually some

dispute

arose, the captain of the lefus was hanged, twenty-six

Englishmen were cast into

the

ship

prison, of

whom

eleven died

and merchandise, worth seven thousand

CHAP.

THE GENOWAIES.

IX.

ducats, were confiscated

97

and the unfortunate survivors

of the crew were only released after a vigorous but

polite representation to the

Sultan Mourad, by her

Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

Leo

a good story of the Tripolines' capacity

tells

Tripolis was surprized

for business.

Genouese

fleete of

twenty

sailes.

and sacked by a

Whereof the King of

Fez, then Euler of Tripoli, being advertized, gave the

Genowaies

fiftie

thousand ducates, vpon consideration

that he might enioy the towne

Genoueses hauing

surrendred

after their departure that

in

peace.

But the

the

towne,

perceiued

most part of their ducates

were counterfait.

These glorious days have passed, but Tripoli

take courage
traditions.

may

she has children not unworthy of her


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

98

CHAPTER

X.

The Jews' Quarter The Place of Stoning The Dyers An Austere

Sentry Bab el Djedid Jewish Reception The Synagogue The
Murderer The Dutch Consul The Black Village In the Palm

Groves

The

Orange GardenEssence Distilling Fruit and Blossom

A Roman LadyBoubaThe Circe The Last of

Castle

Tripoli.

We
A

went to the Jews' quarter one Saturday morning.

poor shabby alley led to

it.

We

came

to a square

of waste ground, a dirty ill-drained area.

It

had a

melancholy interest, for many a poor Jewess, who had

been unfaithful to her husband, was stoned to death

here.

Banishment, of late years, has taken the place of

We

stoning.

passed a school, shops of

mat

weavers,

overtook a caravan just starting for the interior, and

watched the barracan makers in the weavers' quarter.

In a corn mill a blindfolded camel was trudging round,

an apparatus ringing a

We

bell at intervals to mislead

came, behind the Jewish quarter, to the

Here were great

quarter.

the stainers were busy.

a pole,

is

coarse pad.

The

curriers'

jars of red dye, with

The goatskin,

violently tugged

at,

him.

which

stretched across

and polished with a

skin, after being soaked for twenty or

WALLS OF TRIPOLL

CHAP. X.

thirty days in cold water

figs, is

stripped of

its

99

and the powder of small dried

and boiled in the cochineal

hair

hollowed out of

a beautiful old

stain.

In a basin

capital,

two Arabs were pounding coarse

from the

We

salt

brought

mere beyond Tadjoura.

were passing along under the

mounting the rampart

were warned

salt,

to obtain a

fortifications,

commanding

by a Turkish sentry.

off

We

and

view,

pretended

not to understand him, and tried to explain that we

considered the fortifications some of the most hand-

some and

that

efficient

we knew, and that the white-

wash did him much credit

minded

fatalist,

but he was a poor practical

and told us to be

We

off at once.

traversed the worst quarter of the city, and went out

by the Bab

el Djedid.

The angles

of the wall were

Under the

walls the once

broad moat was a sheet of black mud.

The Jewish

defended by heavy bastions.

cemetery was close by, looking over the

the gate El Djedid stood

above

The

it

sea.

Within

a small revenue building

grew a gigantic plant resembling the coriander.

leaves

and blossoms are used

for poultices,

and the

seed for food, in the country of the Blacks.

We

went to

visit

the brother of

Nano

Sahib, in a

pretty and picturesque dwelling of the Jewish-Moorish

type.

We

were

very

hospitably

entertained

brandy and sweetmeats, of which, understanding

good breeding to do

so,

we

with
it

ate large quantities.

h2

was

We

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

lOO

passed along the

Har

Jews' quarter, and

el

chap. x.

Kebir, the chief street of the

entered the

Such a

synagogue.

disorderly, noisy, irreverent congregation, with its forest

of dark blue

the

turbans, I

rabbis read from

the Hebrew Scriptures, while

At the door

conversation was animated and general.

we

asfeed a

young boy

for a light for a cigar.

Sabbath, he said, turning away.

Getting

it.

We

It

among

is

the

were within a

when we noticed a

short distance of the Consulate,

crowd near

One of

have never seen.

the people,

we

large

presently

saw Osman Warrington, armed, ride up to the Consulate

gateway.

Behind him, escorted by two

soldiers,

came

a camel, on which sat a youth chained hand and foot,

apparently eighteen or twenty years old, with a small

cat-like face

and a hunted look.

from Homs.

After

him came

It

was the murderer

other soldiers, with two

children riding in front of them, and escorting a mule

which bore a miserable, emaciated, frightened creature,

This was the wife of the

carrying a child in her arms.

They were

murdered man.

assisted to alight, led into

the courtyard of the Consulate, and the gate was closed.

Having one day occasion

recommended

to

for

go to the Dutch

some money, I was

I found a

consul.

dark individual seated at his desk, and said I had been

directed to

him

in the belief that he

would be glad to

change some English circular notes for me.

at

me

with the expression of a

mud

turtle

Looking

who thinks

THE DUTCH CONSUL.

CHAP. X.

it is

may be taken advantage

possible he

loi

and turned

of,

over on his back, the Dutch consul asked to see the

notes,

examined them

and

Suppose the

carefully.

notes should be counterfeit, the stranger a deceiver,

who had

travelled to Tripoli in order to profit

He

the Dutch consul's, simplicity.

and

began to enjoy

it.

aon from the bank? he

Had

eyed

me

by

his,

vigilantly,

any letter of introduc-

asked.

had been on the

point of handing it to him, but said I was not at the

moment

in a position to present

it.

Had

I any friends

I could hardly say that I had.

in Tripoli ?

Had

any means of showing how I came by the notes

said it

would be

I
I

Having aroused the Dutch

difficult.

consul's worst suspicions, I asked for the notes, told

him

that I had the bank's letter, had brought introductions

to Tripoli,

was a

man

him good morning.

teeth as the crisp

of

immense means, and wished

The Dutch consul ground

his

bank notes and the golden commission

vanished, and began to think that to be suspicious was

not always to be wise.

Nano Sahib took the

notes cheerfully, though he

charged rather cheerfully too: and I should not re-

commend any

traveller to

profit

by exchanging

pmall

change, that

the miserable

piastres, half

and quarter

mium

On

here.

go to Tripoli in order to

his letters of credit.

So scarce

copper

is

and zinc

piastres, are at a great pre-

gold or on silver dollars the traveller

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

I02

fifteen or

loses

chap. x.

twenty per cent, in order to

his

fill

pockets with the debased coinage of Constantinople.

One

fine

sunny afternoon

although

morning and afternoon here were

fine

mounted our donkeys and rode over

almost every

and sunny

we

Black

to the

vil-

which squats on a sloping sandbank near the

lage,

palm woods.
of Africa.

It

was a perfect village from the heart

Three or four hundred Dzriba, or palm and

bamboo beehive

huts, like those adjoining the

Her-

Some were surrounded

mitage, were huddled together.

with screens of palm mats, and prickly pear bushes

"We entered the wig-

stood at intervals between them.

wam

of the chief

structed,

few earthen

whole of

man

of the village, very neatly con-

and having furniture simple in the extreme.

it.

vessels,

We

mud

mats, and a

stove were the

am

cheap

spirit distilled, chiefly

called the Tears of the Date.

:

made

When
is

an unproductive tree

It
is

in the head of the trunk,

fresh it resembles the

pleasant enough.

cider or kvass, and

is

It soon

a kind of

by the Jews, from

Leghma

dates, green figs, or raisins.

temptation to the lower classes here.

palm

of

sorry to say, negresses, were

sprawling about, drunk with buha, or hohha

mented

Some

walked from hut to hut.

the negroes, and, I

is

is

fer-

another

Poetically

it is

the sap of the date

decapitated, a cavity

and here the sap

is

collects.

milk of the cocoa-nut, and

becomes sharp, not unlike

intoxicating.

Herodotus says Cam-

BLACK VILLAGE.

CHAP. X.

IC3

byses sent to Ethiopia by the hands of the Ichthyophagi,

a vessel of palm tree wine.

It

also said to

is

used by the Cave-Dwellers of Arabia.

have been

had always

regarded the Troglodytes as a quiet deserving race, subsisting chiefly

upon roots or snails, and water had

:

it

used by the Ichthyophagi I should have wondered

negro murdered another here

last

evening

been
less.

indeed

these poor Ethiopians seem sunken in vices to which, in

:

and their moral

upon

their neighbours

their native land, they were strangers

condition reflects but little credit

in

the

murderer

is

was told that occasionally a negro

city.

decapitated at an hour's notice, to

make an

example.

We
walls.

school.

rode

ofif

through the palms between high

We

could hear the voices of children in an Arab

negro was enjoying the fiendish and heart-

rending noises he was producing from a

The

mud

ixide

bagpipe.

juicy sprouts of the fig trees, increasing daily as it

seemed, stretched

above

the

walls.

Solemn palms

stood in carpets of brilliant poppies, and the air was

thick with the sweet scents of fruit blossoms and creep-

ing plants.

Arabs, barefooted, and slung by a girth of

palm

were climbing the palms to remove the

fibre,

fibrous growth

and dead branches from the

crests.

We

pulled up at a garden.

In the court, near a deep well lined with maidenhair fern, were four black

women

in white barracans.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

I04

wearing coral and

chap. x.

Near them were two

silver earrings.

orange

or three tattooed children, with necklets of

One woman was spinning

blossoms.

were

distilling

orange flower water.

wool, the others

In a round-headed

bell-shaped copper retort, placed over a rude stove, the

orange blossoms, having been exposed on a mat to the

From

sun for an hour or two, were being boiled.

the

head of the retort ran a long tapering spout or tube,

which passed through a large earthen vessel

cold water.

The orange

the cold tube

is

falls in

liquid into bottles

moderate-sized bottle of

orange flower water costs here fom* or

five shillings.

These flower waters are much used

sherbets.

blossoms

Barbary

with

flower vapour passing through

condensed, and

placed at the mouth.

and

filled

is

for

sweetmeats

The

a paradise for essences.

of jasmine, acacia,

quince,

narcissus, aloe,

lemon, rose, scented poplar, orange, geranium, tuberose,

thymes, mint, and

sambak, or double jasmine

Arabia, are distilled in great quantities

of

and the essence

The method of

distilling

rose attar is similar to that described above.

A damp

bazaars are most fragrant.

spring

is

dry one.

more favourable

for the rose blossoms

They contain more

they develop.

essence the less quickly

stony, sandy

ground

is

them, and under favourable conditions 5,000

the best for

Ibse.

of rose

oil.

In a dry season the

much.

The best attar is worth

leaves will produce 1 lb. of

yield will be only half as

than a

ErtW.Rfi^.ll
.Rie.-Jl

ORANGES OF

CHAP. X.

nearly

ll.

the ounce.

TRIPOLI.

105

If a bottle of good oil

is

put in

water of the temperature of 63 to 68 Fahr. it will freeze.

Poor

oil

will not freeze at 52.

much used

Idris oil is

in the adulteration of this attractive

and costly essence.

In an inner court of the garden we found

five

ostriches, brought, poor things, from Fezzan only ten

days ago, and

sore

still

very shy.

Their legs were chafed and

The

from the cords which had bound them.

fruits

of Tripoli have long been famous for their fine flavour,

and we ranged about among mulberry

trees laden with blossom

kinds.

Some had coarse

trees,

and oranges of

all

rind like Mandarins

and orange
shapes and
:

some were

blood oranges, said to be the result of grafting the

orange on the pomegranate.

trees,

however

of development.
skins of

it

No evidence

may have been

It

in

some

We

is

in the

earlier stage

was rather late in the season, the

many were

thin and dry, and every tenth

orange I ate would be dry and woolly.

perfect.

of this

The

rest

were

cantered home, bearing huge branches of

orange and lemon blossom which scented the whole

house.

In the evening we went to the Castle, a rectangular

building about two hundred yards square, with bastions.

We

mounted the broad approach and came

sury,

where sentries stood with

to the printing office

is

issued.

to the Trea-

fixed bayonets.

Thence

whence the newspaper Trablus

Entering a court, we found the Mint of


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

io6

of the Beys

Yussuf Pasha, the Court of Justice

Tripoli has always been regarded as

chap. x.

prompt

in justice

the Government Pharmacy, and the establishment of

Here were arches and

the chief of the Treasury.

We went

fragments of columns.

we found
in

fifty or sixty

advanced to mock
tall,

joke

us,

bold-faced

for

Some

barred and grated chamber.

One

to the prison,

condemned

criminals

and several shook their

man

where

murder,

of

them

fists

at us.

approached the grating with a

he hadmm-dered the keeper of a gambling-house

at Benghasi.

One day Mr. Said

vant,

who

show

to

carried the marble head of a

me.

It

was twisted up in a picturesque

Mr. Said had

sixpence a

Roman

lady to

was white and smoothly chiselled

hair and features were as clear as

head.

with him a ser-

called, bringing

Roman

lately

coil at

bought

jar, three feet

and very perfect and

when

for

the

The

hair

the top of the

one shilling and

and a half in height,

fine in form.

terred in the neighbourhood.

cut.

It

had been disin-

The Allegra,

it

trans-

had come to Tripoli with a view

to transporting

the lately appointed Pasha to Benghasi.

Her conduct

pired,

during the last few days excited

my

constant uneasiness:

one morning the Blue Peter would be flying and I would

hasten to pack.

In the course of an hour I would learn

she was not to sail

till

next day.

In the evening the

departure flag would be flying again.

This went on for

A MARRIAGE VENTURE.

CHAP. X.

It

days.

107

seemed the Pasha would not agree to the

terms demanded for his conveyance, and the signal of

departure was a playful
I

in.

mode

awoke one morning

him

of inducing

So much

pearing on the horizon on her way to Malta.

for

my journey

to Cyrene.

One evening a

little

Jew came

drinking tea and orange flower

his

imminent marriage.

for his wife,

thing.

He

He had

in, as

we were
announce

water, to

paid fifteen mahboubs

and seemed to think he had done a clever

did not even

know

Sunday I spent in Tripoli I went

service

at

the

name, but

his wife's

On

understood she was known as Bouba.

England

to give

to find the Allegra disap-

Church of

to the

Consulate.

the last

Nearly

all

the

English residents were there, but they barely numbered

a dozen.

Afterwards I went to the service at the

Catholic church, an ordinary plastered building with

many Maltese were

votive pictures, where

The

Circe had arrived, and was to

mitting, for Malta in the evening

assembled.

sail,

\<

eathei per-

but as the weather

was stormy and threatening, the barometer was

and heavy

seas

were rolling over the

falling,

reef, while every

vessel in the harbour rocked uneasily at her moorings

it

was contemplated

to postpone the steamer's sailing.

went to Mr. Said, to prevail upon him

Circe to sea, and the good-natured little

order to get

up steam.

to send the

man

wrote the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

io8

chap. x.

In the afternoon a message came from the Ciree to

me

ask

to go on board.

At the landing-place were

my

kind and considerate host, with Mr. "Warrington and

other gentlemen, and I was sorry to wish
bye.

The anchor was got up, and

evening the

little

steamer Ciree

them good-

in a threatening

made her way out

of

Tripoli harbour.

The
sight,

houses, walls. Castle, and palms faded out of

and as night

fell,

heavy waves of the open

the Circe was pitching into the

sea.

VALETTA.

109

CHAPTER XI.
Malta Cape Bon Tunny Fishery Goletta Perruquier The City of
Verdure Preparations for Kairwan Sketch of Tunis Purchases
the Bazaars Scenes in the City Rosebuds and Orange Blossoms
Adopt a Young Moor Braham the SilrersmithThe Bardo The
in

Great Aqueduct.

All

that night and all next day

Sagramo

Men

the land and

for

we saw the

nightfall

we

rolled quickly.

groaned a Maltese, sick of the rough voyage.

for the

fish

sea

Towards

flashing light of Delimara.

We

entered the harbour of Valetta at nine in the evening,

and

slept

The Tunis steamer was

on board the Circe.

lying alongside

of

waiting

us,

for

cargo and

fine

weather.

Mackintosh, of

remained several days in Malta.

me

the Junon, dined with

one evening, and I was

shocked to hear of the death of our fellow-passenger

Cholmeley, who died
arrival here.

days after our

At length the obliging agents of the

Tunis steamer sent to

sea.

two or three

tell

me

As the sunset gun was

that she was ready for

fired

from

St.

Angelo, we

steamed out of Malta harbour.

Two

or three

months

after this I

had a

letter

from

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

no
Captain

me

Kirkpatrick, telling

chap.

xi.

the sequel of the

The woman, who gave

Maltese murder at Homs.

evidence against her companion in guilt, was released,

and the young man was condemned

imprisonment.
'

'

to twenty years'

Maltese jury,' the captain added,

can hardly be prevailed upon to punish murder by

death

Each

not considered a capital offence.'

it is

nationality has its peculiar

sentiments.

French

gentleman was brought before the Correctional Police

in Paris, for giving little boys

peel and

make

The

house.

money

to strew orange

on the pavement in front of his

slides

case was dismissed

when the gentleman

explained that he was expecting his mother-in-law to

dinner.

In wind and mist next day we passed three steamers,

making but

little

headway.

among numerous whales and

turtle

who looked

and cheerless

seasick

rough

Off Lampedusa we came

and upset.

squalls

and a lonely

porpoises,

came

It

was very cold

To-

incessantly.

wards evening we were abreast of Cape Bon, and

"When the wind

its

flashing red

and white

south-east,

the captain told me, very sudden gusts

light.

is

in the

come down from the mountains of the Dakkhul

glass falls,

west.

and the wind

So the apparent absurdity of

Notus

the

will shift abruptly to the northVirgil's tempest,

in which -^neas's ships were attacked

east-south-east,

by Eurus the

the south, Africus the west-

CHAP.

TUNNY FISHERY.

XI.

|il

south-west, Aquilo the north-north-east, and eventually

Zephyrus the west, winds, at once,

many examples

only one of the

is

of the poet's faithful observance of the

facts of nature

The

East,, the

West together

Afric that doth hold

there, the

heart fulfilled of stormy rain, huge billows shoreward rolled.

came clamour

Thereioith

of the

men and

through

whistling

the shrouds,

And

heaven

and day

all

suddenly

were swalloiced

by

the

clouds,

Away from

eyes of Teucrian

men

Pole thunders unto Pole, and

still

with wiUlfire glare the

And aU

We

night on the ocean

skies,

things hold the face of death before the seamen's eyes.

passed the uninhabited islands of

Zembrotto to seaward, rounded Eas

entered the Grulf of Tunis.

tunny

lies,

fisheries.

The

Zembra and

el Ferthass,

At Sidi Daoud

survivors

of

the

and

are rich

poor tunny

caught here in May, are caught at Cape Passaro in

August and September.

Last year the sea destroyed

the fishing nets and tackle, to the great satisfaction of

the tunny. There are two other Tunisian tonnaras
ten miles east of Bizerta and one hear Monastir

abandoned, however,

since

1853.

one

both

The Carthaginian

prawns are historic and famous, having been sent in

old times to Imperial banquets at
six or seven inches in length.

Eome. They measured

The mullets

of the

Lake

of Timis, says old Dr. Shaw, are esteemed the largest and
sweetest on the coast of Barbary.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

112

"We were at anchor

Groletta, in the

morning.

disorderly than formerly.

the

ofif

The landing was much

The place was

fleet of Belisarius

rode

less

smarter, and

after its vicissi-

Once a deep and capacious harbour,

tudes.

xi.

white seaport,

little

seemed to be looking up in the world,

the

chap.

when he made

in

which

his triumphal

demonstration before Tunis, the lake had so dwindled

away by the time of Barbarossa, that when he attacked

Groletta its garrison retired across the lake to Tunis.

Kecaptured by the Christian armies and given

to the

Spaniards in 1535, Groletta, after a most brave defence,

was regained by the Ottomans, who massacred

all

but

three hundred of the garrison.

At the small inn

of Groletta, waiting for the train,

I got into conversation with the landlady's son, a youth

of French parentage, Tunisian birth, and of evident
intelligence.

His name

resembled Perruquier more

than any name I remember, and that name will do

very well for him.
for a lie

antiquity

Perruquier had an excellent face

I recognised that his family

in fact, dating from the

must be of great

Age

of Bronze.

This pleased me, and I engaged Perruquier as drago-

man.

He had

served, so he told

me,

in

the Mobile

Guards during the siege of Paris, and shared their

sacrifices

and

glories.

This gentleman proved a smart

and useful servant, though he endeavoured consistently

to get to

windward of

me

in

money

transactions

and


THE LAKE OF

CHAP. XI.

SO bold

and subtle were

his

TUNIS.

all

the instincts of the filibuster

:

Perruquier had

he was fond of

he could not regard them without a certain

melancholy longing.

who was

13

schemes that much inge-

nuity was needed to defeat them.

napoleons

Unlike the much-abused Catiline,

alieni appetens, sui profusus

Perruquier

was greedy with his own property, lavish with what

belonged to me.
Beside the lake stood a large herd of camels, while
gulls

and flamingoes were busy

The western

fishing.

breeze shook the old olives to our right hand, and rippled

the waters of the lake.

of Verdure

We

mass of

could see Tunis, the City

picturesque

cream-coloured

buildings and minarets, surmounted by the Kasbah

sloping gently

No smoke

up a background of purple and green.

Round

rose to soil or obscure the city.

stretched the mountains which

Tunis so lovely a panorama.

make

it

of the Gulf of

In the lake stood a small

island containing a fort, which that famous soldier

and

author Cervantes defended against the Turks in 1573.

It

was a falling

off to enter

Tunis by

rail,

instead of

through a postern gate at dead of night, escorted by a

dozen irregular soldiers with lanterns.

There were few guests at the

short gentleman,

hotel.

One was a

who seemed unconscious

that nature

had provided him with two ears and one mouth, in

order that he might hear

much but
I

say

little.

In the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

114

chap.

xi.

book I found the name of Comte Pepper,

visitors'

Engleterre, and wondered which of our leading families

he represented, and where he had learnt French.

me

advised

consul-general

not to

The

go to Kairwan,

except under Grovernment protection, and promised to

me a
been my

do his best to get

It

had hardly

cannot have what we

Mr.

have.

Wood

letter

and

wish to go thus

Tunis.

in

but when we

like, it is well to like

what we

himself went to the Bardo, and his

dragomen were constantly going

stay

from the Bey.

escort

Sicilian

to

and

fro

during

a few

pastrycook,

my

days

before,

had shot a judge attached to the Italian con-

sulate,

and afterwards destroyed himself.

The judge

was dangerously wounded, but likely to recover.

We

went to the bazaars, which, though not so rich

as those of

scantier,

and the

The shops

life less

are not open

after half-past

two

The population seemed

animated than four years ago.

till

nine or ten, closing soon

the Tunisians go early to bed, to

repose from the fatigue of doing little

I will

Tunis and

make a

Damascus, are

Cairo, Constantinople, or

more picturesque and charming.

make no
its

all

day.

excuse for giving a brief sketch of

capital, in order

that the reader

may

passing comparison between this and the neigli-

bouring Eegency of Tripoli.

Tunis, the leading Barbary state,

lies

midway

be-

tween Gibraltar and Egypt, on the high road of Eastern

CHAP.

REGENCY OF TRIPOLI.

XI.

115

Having a

commerce, and has large internal resources.

hundred miles,

coast line of four

it

comprises

per-

haps forty thousand square miles of territory, and practically represents the

two Roman provinces of Zeugi-

tana and Byzacium.

It is possessed of eleven harbours,

once invaluable for corsairs and the slave trade.

two considerable
Kebir

and Sidi

el

rivers,

those of

large lakes,

three

Hani.

century at

Bizerta,

Its population,

at seventeen millions, and again

five millions, has,

It has

Wad

the Medjerdah and

in

el

Tunis,

once

estimated

the

eighteenth

through the plagues of

1785 and 1829, and the famine and typhus of 1867,

dwindled away to a million and a

have contained in

the

days

It is said to

half.

of the early Christian

Church one hundred and thirty-two episcopal

The southern

the

district,

sees.

Djerid, or Country of

Dates, contains sixty thousand inhabitants, two millions

of date palms, vast groves of orange, lemon,

peach, and

pomegranate

cereals, vegetables,

trees,

with

melons, &c. &c.

fig,

rich

There are mines

of lead at Djebel Eesass and at Zaghwan, both

to the

Eomans

Christians,

ment

till

apricot,

tracts of

known

but the Beys, fearing the cupidity of

late years discountenanced

of the country's resources.

The

any develop-

public credit of

Tunis, since the establishment of a financial commission, has

been good.

Railways, telegraphs, a bank, and

other steps towards improvement have been encouraged.

X

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

116

The

chap.

history can be sketched in a few words

not be dissociated from that of Carthage.

it

xi.

can-

came

First

the establishment, five centuries before the Christian

era, of the Phoenician colony

Carthage

tercourse with the

unknown

the

Rome,
were

paint.

among

its

explorations into

and rivalry with

the oak trees in skins and

restoration as a

second rise to splendour

Vandals in the

its in-

and destruction, while our ancestors

sporting

Then

known world and

military glories

its

fall

its

still

on the heights of Cape

the development of a splendid city

fifth

its

Eoman

city,

and

its

conquest by Crenseric's

century after Christ

its

recovery

by Belisarius for the Byzantine Emperors in the following century

and

its final

destruction by the Saracens

under Okhbah, founder of Kairwan.

These last invaders, not having maritime capabilities,

rather than revive Carthage, thought well to establish
their

capital at

Tunis, farther

from

the sea

eventually, not feeling secure there, at Kairwan.

centuries

of

and

by the famous pirate Redbeard

the

disputed

elder of the Barbarossa brothers

in

1531

Tunis was

captured by Charles V., and again taken by the

Sultan Selim

after a brilliant defence.

control from the

After

Turks

vicissitudes,

Christians, taken

by

and

Ottoman

fleet

of

Impatient of

capital, the Tunisian

Moors

declared themselves a Republic one and indivisible, and

elected their

own Beys.

They then entered upon an

CHAP.

CITY OF TUNIS.

XI.

I17

active course of maritime requisitions, which

made

the

The

Barbary flag unpopular in the Mediterranean.

present government rather resembles that of Egypt, the

Beylik being hereditary.

The

stately

and populous city of Tunis,

has five large and

as

Leo

calls it,

many small mosques, eight-and-twenty

baths, eighty public fountains, a

hundred and ninety-

three caravanserais, two hundred and forty coffee shops,

sixteen barracks, Moorish
libraries,

and European

hospitals,

two

containing twelve thousand MSS., the rem-

nant of seventy-two thousand destroyed by the Spaniards

Cervantes' comrades

-in the Abdallah Palace early

in the sixteenth century.

Its chief

manufactures are

linen and woollen cloths, embroidery, morocco leather,

burnouses, horse accoutrements, silk shawls, silk and

gold and

silver

tissues,

jewellery, wearing

The

woollen rugs, haiks, and mats.

famous throughout the Levant,

tities

is

fez, or

made

apparel,

sheshiya,

in large

quan-

although from the manufacture in France and

The

Trieste of cheaper ones, the export has fallen

off.

Romans brought

Zaghwan

water, fifty-two miles, from

and Ain Djugar, by an aqueduct, in some places a

hundred
did

very

feet

high

the present government in 1859

much the same,

partly

utilising

the

old

aqueduct.

We became

the largest possessors in Tunis of Arab

dresses, attar of roses, pearls,

amber beads, engrave(^

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

Il8

work and gold work, Oriental china,

old silver

stones,

chap. xi.

old blue and white tiles, mosaics, coins, musical instru-

ments, pottery, hasheesh, rahatlakoom, old brass lamps,

silk

and wool materials, Tripoli and Beng-hasi rugs,

little old

essence cabinets carved

What

hand mirrors.

and

in the world

and old

inlaid,

we should do with

them when we got them home we did not know.

Tunis gold coinage

much
and

is

good

the copper

is

The

bulky, giving

satisfaction in the receiving, less in the carrying,

repaying

least in

it.

So much goes to make a

piastre, that the traveller's spirits

droop and he becomes

discouraged.

We

made a point

merchants.
to give

On

of bargaining firmly with the

one occasion, having positively refused

more than eighteen

an old

piastres for

amulet, and the Jew having refused to take

nineteen,

we were

at a dead lock.

silver

less

than

Anxious to give way,

but to save the principle, I took a napoleon, and, pointing to the Emperor's

Eighteen

Maleh

Then

Shouf,Samaniyatashar!

to the reverse, Tasatashar

said the

coin, it fell in

hea.d,sa.id,

my

silversmith.

Good

Nineteen

Spinning the

hand head upwards, but

Tasatashar! and the Arab bounded into the

I called out,
air,

clapping

his hands, and ran about the bazaars telling everyone

how fortune had given him the advantage

The wanderer

over a

Eoumi

in Tunis will traverse narrow wind-

ing alleys with irregular white buildings

through

fine

SKETCHES IN THE BAZAARS.

CHAP. XI.

Moorish arches are glimpses of cool

arabesqued

old

119

bright courts, with waving trees and trickling water.

Suddenly he

emerge into the

will

brilliant bazaars.

Series of vaulted roofs are supported

on light graceful

arches, all white,

and springing from

delicate, brightly

coloured pillars

the

little

The costumes

side.

shops are recessed on either

of Tunisians, Moors, Tripolines,

Djerbans, Algerians, Fezzians, Arabs from the Djerid and

the desert, blacks and infidels of all nations, are indescribably picturesque.

The

almost invariably in perfect

Tunisians' costumes are

taste.

The

djubbas

silk

were of deep red and apple-green, or deep blue and

golden yellow, the vests and jackets pale rose coloured,
or of delicate blues, greens,

and wool.

It

is

and yellows, in

silk, cotton,

a constant picture, always varying

and always charming.

Here

is

a regular Moor, with

a cinnamon face, a snowy turban, a rosebud above his

deep blue embroidered jacket, waistcoat, and

ear, a

drawers, white stockings, and yellow shoes.

man

to

him

is

in slaty blue

in a blue cloak lined with

The next

and pink, the next a negro

brown

Women

fur.

pass in

white woollen haiks, holding out in front of their faces

red, black,

and blue

silk scarfs.

Strolling from one bazaar to another, the traveller

will be

more pleased

as

he goes on

past beautiful

angles of Moorish buildings, mosques, arches, and colon-

nades

past caravanserais, where vines or fig trees throw

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

I20

chap,

xi.

cool shadows on the camels feeding in the court, while

the dark-faced white-robed Bedouins lounge

Thence perhaps to the

them.

hangs

flox silk

lovely

in great

silk

among

bazaars,

bunches,

where

suggesting

wonderful embroidery. Then to the merchants of carpets,

shawls, and stuffs, and through zigzag streets beyond

the bazaars, with the beautiful blue sky over-head, and

where solitary palms stand up from courts and gardens.

Lovely minarets

abound,

square,

arabesqued

tiled, others thin and graceful, with delicate

and

little

gal-

leries

domes covered with

scales

inviting cafes, with splendid studies of Arabs.

The

old green tiles, like dragon's

traveller will decorate his coat with sweet

roses, his lips

with the golden tinge of orange juice,

and he will drink numerous cups of

on

little

musk-

coffee as

he squats

square sugarcane stools.

The evening sky melts from turquoise

into golden,

and thence into the rosy colour of a flamingo's breast.

The abundance

of flowers in the bazaars

is

charming.

Small bouquets of rosebuds and orange blossoms, stuck

on

wood, are in almost everybody's hand, and

slips of

cost one caroub.

bouquet

is

There are four caroubs in a penny.

very generally worn over the ear, just beneath

the turban.

We

often went in the evenings to ramble about and

sometimes

to

an

Arab concert, or a Jewish concert, or a hasheesh

es-

watch the phases of Oriental

life

AN ADOPTED CHILD.

CHAP. XI.

121

tablishment, where hashashtn were smoking away their

From

senses.

word comes

this

assassin,' its present

'

sense being curiously diverted from the original.

who

a person

On

sions our guide's lantern light fell

and

is

occupies himself in killing himself, the

other in killing other people.

clothes

One

rags,

one of these occa-

on a

little

bundle of

huddled up under an archway.

was a miserable starving

We

Arab.

little

It

had him

brought to the hotel, and he stayed a week or so there

we

before

left

He would

Tunis.

lived long, poor little creature,

be given to him at

He became

He became
came

first.

attached to us, and apparently grateful.

distressed

nearer,

England.

probably not have

and food could hardly

when the time

for

our departure

and begged to be allowed to come to

The landlord assured him

it

was impossible,

and told him that no Mussulman could go to England,

which was a Christian country.

Ali,

who was not

over

eight years old, went one day to the hotel kitchen,

and
a

after persuading the cook, received

little

Then he went

wine.

Now, he

said, I

am

on the

floor

straight to the landlord.

no longer a Mussulman

with the English gentlemen.

bedroom and

some ham and

raise our

He would

hands to his

lips,

I can go

steal into our

then seat himself

watching us with tears in his eyes.

tually a kind

and charitable American

in Tunis, prevailed

Even-

lady, then living

upon us to give her charge of

Ali.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

I2i

A year after

xi.

our return to England we wrote, asking

were time to send more money

if it

chap.

for the boy's wants.

His kind mistress sent the following reply

I regret exceedingly I have no good news to

'

municate to you regarding the

under your protection.
for

Arab boy you took

little

After your departure I sent

the child, bought several suits of clothes, shoes,

stockings, &c., and kept

him with me

in Tunis, fearing

that, in the very delicate state of health I found

in,

he might be neglected at

ill,

and

after

my

He

farm.

He

he ran away.

I dressed

did the same thing, and at last

last

a Spanish

my

him

it.

weeks he

The
left

Three times he

lady here told

child was the same,

her also, taking with

besides his clothing.

the town.

has met with so

We

me

it in to

and

him

she had
feed and

after a few

several articles

Twice he did the same, and not

being able to be found the

left

again, and

researches were in

found a poor child, and had taken

clothe

last time,

we suppose he

I regret extremely that your action

much

ingratitude.'

had grown friendly with one of the leading

Jews among the silversmiths, Braham by name.

used to

was found, completely devoid

again he ran away, selling his clothes.

At

was taken

he recovered, and a month

of clothing, at the Bardo.

vain.

him

weeks I had the doctor every day.

for three

nursed him most faithfully

has

com-

sit in his

We

shop while we bought souvenirs from

CHAP.

A TUNISIAN GOLDSMITH.

XI.

his neighbours,

and one day he begged us

uncommon honour

the

123

him

of visiting

to do

him

his house.

at

Here he regaled us with eau-de-vie, and sweetmeats

made

Our

of almonds and honey.

We

was picturesque.

We

speeches.

farewell to

Braham

exchanged many complimentary

promised to think frequently of him

when we should have returned

to

our native land,

while he assured us that the recollection of our personal

beauty and amiability should be for ever engraven on

his heart.

We

said that the hours spent in his shop

were amongst the pleasantest we had passed in Tunis

and he declared that we were the only Christians he

We

had ever really loved.

said his upright dealing

had given us a very high impression of the character

of Tunisian goldsmiths

and he said

that he had not been able to

for

We

us.

down

his

visit

to

left

all his regret

make even

the good old

man

was

better bargains

with tears rolling

cheeks, and next day returning for a final

the bazaars,

we detected him

in the act of

plundering us in the matter of some pearls.

I

remembered

Braham, and went to

Another tenant was there.

Poor Braham

his

shop.

had he

de-

frauded his last English traveller? I asked for him,

and learnt he was in the bazaars.

In two minutes

saw Braham pushing through the crowd: he recognised

me

at a glance.

he said

am

thankful to

God

for

which I believe he was. But where

your return,
is

the other

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

124

gentleman

how

he said in the same breath

rich the other was.

I shook

become of him

rather not say.

Has misfortune

my

my

remembering
What

head.

he asked Perruquier.

voice and said

chap, xi,

I said I

him ?

befallen

has

would

I lowered

Married.

We went twice

to the Bey's Palace of the Bardo,

driving under the city wall, along a road bordered by

with sweet clusters of wliite blossoms.

acacias

this side of the city wall

and armed with modern

All

in a state of neat repair,

is

artillery.

On one

occasion,

four years ago, in preparing for the visit of a foreign

workmen were

prince, the

and the

guileless

passed the high

palace fortress.

armed with

whitewash the walls,

We

Arabs whitewashed the guns too.

modern aqueduct and reached the

At each angle were heavy

fine brass guns,

Zouaves, his best troops.

bastions

and defended by the Bey's

we

Crossing a drawbridge,

many archways and entered

a square court.

to a second court, colonnaded

and lined with

drove imder

Mounting

set to

lovely tiles

and the green

lattices of the

women's apart-

ments, we reached a fine broad marble staircase with

handsome balustrades in the Moorish

versed

tlie ^<?hole

style.

resembles the Alcazar Palace at Seville.

details are

We

much

We

tra-

of this very beautiful building, which

disfigured by

Its interior

European decoration.

drove out, past gardens and orange groves,

fields of barley, cypress trees,

aged olives growing in a

CHAP.

THE GREAT AQUEDUCT.

XI.

125

dry and exhausted-looking wilderness, and past the

Manouba, a suburban
divides, one branch

into Algeria.

village.

Beyond

this the road

running to Bezha, the other via Kef

The

latter is a journey of five days

horseback, but a courier travelling quickly can do

We

three days and a half.

on

it in

reached the great Eoraan

aqueduct, built to bring the waters of Ain Djugar to

Carthage.
its

have a

silver coin,

showing the stream on

way, and a lion bearing Severus, hurrying along,

delighted to bring the news to Carthage.

great

stretch of forty-six arches of the aqueduct stands out

of the plain, very complete

blocks founded upon white

still.

The

piers are of

hewn blocks

of stone.

round arches are faced with stone

fine

itself is in

fig trees.

The

the conduit

These ruins of a magnificent work

cement.

amid

stood

mud

thistles,

wild marigolds, prickly pear, and

Bees were

humming

about, and a flight of

hawks, having their nests in the clay arches,

forty

hovered overhead.

We

returned by the Carthage Gate to Tunis and

drove past what was now, and ordinarily, a grass market,

where hooded Arabs were bargaining

but what was lately a place of execution.

for fodder,

Three weeks

ago an Arab who had plundered General Khaireddin's

house, was led for two or three hours through the streets

the

oflScers

with

him crying that all who did the same

should be treated alike

then brought here and hanged.


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

126

CHAPTER

XII.

Bakkoush His Antecedents, Career, Characteristics, and Accomplishments Old Times Mosaics Stroll through the City Panorama
The Diamond Market Sanctuaries The Mosque of the Olive Tree

Departure from Tunis.

We

made

four years ago in Tunis the acquaintance of

a remarkable

man

a deaf mute Bakkoush by name,

and buffoon to the Bey.

and remained to dinner.

He entered the hotel one day,

He was a tall man in a fez, with

a heavy black moustache, and eyes that

moved

like

lightning, that nothing escaped, and which served

well in the place of his two lost senses.

He

in all classes of Tunisian society, and all

stories

said

On

true

or untrue

were

him

was known

manner of

told about him.

Some

he had been a collector from his youth upwards.

one occasion, having inadvertently collected some-

thing belonging to his neighbour, he was brought before

the Bey.
his

During the inquiry the deaf mute entertained

Highness by mimicking any minister or

turned his back, and eventually

made

wished for a pinch from the Bey's snuffbox.

to

humour him, handed him the

official

who

signs that he

The Bey,

box, which Bakkoush

CHAP.

AN ORIGINAL.

XII.

127

returned.

In a few minutes, feeling for his box, the

Bey found

it

Bakkoush had picked

had vanished.

Bey was

Highness's pocket, and the

that he had patronised

His gestures
able

him

so

his

much amused

ever since.

and mumbling sounds were unmistake-

he positively talked.

His

facility for expressing

himself and for assuming the expression of others was

Nothing escaped

startling.
still less

hand put him on the

tricks
clever.

he

humour.

his sense of

to refuse to repeat

his penetrating eye,

whisper behind one's

alert at once,

and

was

it

by signs what had been

useless

said.

The

he played with cards or upon us were incredibly

He was a born conjuror

it

them to a neighbour, and what

versatility

of expression his face assumed.

Grerman Baron with a

us at table, staring at the mute.

description or mimicry,

company

at a glance

and subtleties

In the same instant a

would pass into a

diabolical contortion

was inconceivable how

money, and transferred

stole one's watch, pencil, or

smile.

and

fat

jovial, rollicking

simple face sat near

In the midst of some

Bakkoush

who

took in the

suddenly stopped, and pointed

to

the Baron's fat countenance staring in open-mouthed

astonishment.

whole room

It

was so

roared,

None of us was

irresistibly

comic that the

while the Baron grew

safe to turn his head, for his

crimson.
faintest

peculiarity was in a second reproduced in Bakkoush's

face.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

128

His mode of

He

present, of

and upon that he would live

some garment

for days

would

no matter

satisfy the

what

man with

and the

man who had

little

money

The cabinet he would take

engraved ring, and persuade him that

fitable

thing to give the ring and a

And

cabinet.

known

He

so on.

marvellous fellow

the cabinet that the garment

was worth the cabinet and a

exchange.

let us

and gain money.

would take that garment, perhaps, to a

a cabinet

xii.

and means of subsistence were a

He would get a

puzzle.
say,

life

chap.

and make the

to a
it

man

would be a pro-

little

money

was a real genius.

at all the consulates.

with an

for the

He

was

Spy, robber, and worse

names were bestowed upon him, but none were established.

He would certainly

have made a magnificent spy or free-

booter, from the opportunities his faculties of amuse-

ment gave him.

He had been

accompany the Tunisian

tained the

Commander

sent to Constantinople to

tribute,

and must have enter-

of the Faithful.

This singular being took a fancy to

my

friend and

myself: would daily bring old engraved stones and offer

them to us

as souvenirs,

and when we were leaving, Bak-

koush spent an hour and a half upon his knees helping

us to pack our boxes of curiosities.

him good-bye, he

told us

When we

wished

by gestures that he would carry

the recollection of us in his innermost heart while he

existed.

I asked for

him when I returned

one knew where he was

some

to Tunis

no

said he was out of favour

AN ERROR OF JUDGMENT.

CHAP. XII.

129

with the Bey, others that the late chief minister had

him on some

sent

events, he

We

private mission to Europe

at all

had disappeared from Tunis.

were cheered at the hotel by the arrival of more

guests, passengers

them were Colonel

by the French mail steamer. Among

and

his

companion, the Earl of Kingston.

to hear I

and hospitable

Playfair, the popular

consul-general at Algiers,

genial travelling

They were interested

had come from Tripoli, having photographed

Eoman

the

ruins, in quest of

which they now came to

Tunisia.

While we were at dinner a

little Italian fiddler

came

and in a heedless inconsiderate moment I gave him

in,

two

piastres.

arrived,

In a quarter of an hour another musician

and a gentleman promised

bad time of

it,

for

me we

should have a

Time

they abounded in Tunis.

was,

when Tunis had a gigantic organ-grinder brought over

in an Italian steamer,
all

whose strength and ferocity drove

the other musicians away.

authorities of

In a foolish

Tunis banished him.

inquire for this organ-grinder on

my way

moment

the

resolved

to

through Italy,

and tempt him by a heavy reward to England, where

every leading city would quarrel for him.

The question

in our country

must one day be decided, whether or no

it is justifiable

to give an organ-grinder poisoned meat.

After dinner one evening I went to a cafe.

Behind

the counter was the old landlord of the Hotel de France,

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

I30

chap.

xii.

once a good-looking, well-dressed ex-soldier of the

French army.

man,

Poor old

how changed now!

Keeper of a poor cafe chantant, his eldest son outlawed

from Tunis

his second son, a

smart handsome youth, our

guide in Tunis and whom we had taken with us to Bona

to join the Chasseurs d'Afrique in Algeria,
his officer

and been shot at Constantine

had abandoned him

had struck

his daughters

was with him

his wife

still,

but

They remembered me, and

looking twenty years older.

talked hopefully of being able to take another hotel.

Poor old couple.

I fear they never will.

Our company

at their old hotel

had been a

little

mixed Bakkoush, whose antecedents were unknown

:

Sicilian

gentleman who

creditors

a Sard

who had given

shooting his wife, and

German
travels in

left his

chemist,

who

a husband an excuse for

who escaped

to Tunis

an old

afterwards wrote a book of his

which he handsomely referred to us as

One day Mr. Wood showed me the

had seen of mosaic from Eoman

grinning, of almost

life size,

The consul-general seems

right place here

country to escape his

angenehmen englischen Reisegefahrten, and

and a

finest

lion

female head.

to be the right

his ability

examples

Carthage.
fine

his so

so on.

man

in the

and personal influence

have contributed materially to the steady advance of

the Tunis government in the path of civilisation.

Old

and oppressive restrictions towards Europeans have been

CHAP.

PANORAMA OF

XII.

CITY.

131

removed, concessions have been made, and freedom of

all

Eeal property can be held safely

kinds encouraged.

by Europeans, and the consul-general has

set the ex-

ample by buying some property near the railway station.

Indeed, Tunis

is

showing an example which her suzerain

the Sublime Porte,

if

wise in

its

generation, would

endeavour to follow.

We

take one final

will

Beyond the

stroll

through the

city.

silversmiths', lies the picturesque bazaar of

the saddlers and leatherworkers, where the white-robed

Bedouins come to buy high red boots,

one or two shops were

chiefs* hats,

holsters, &c.

In

with vast brims and

crowns and covered with ostrich feathers.

mulberry

tree with tender green foliage stood in the centre of

this bazaar.

We

went out behind the Kasbah.

the gate sat a row of respectable negro

Near

women, twenty

or thirty in number, selling bread.

We

sat

by the great fountain of the waters of Zagh-

wan and Ain Djugar, surrounded by a

full of wallflowers, roses,

pretty garden

geraniums, strawberries, vio-

lets,

and bananas, and looking over the snowy

roofs

and palms.

lovely

Beyond were the

panorama of the

purple lead mountain

lay the

holy

mount

lake, the gulf, the sea,

Djebel

Resass.

of Sidi Bel

k2

and the

To our

right

Hassan, having a

cemetery, and a marabout whither childless

to pray.

city's

olive-clad hills, the

women go

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

132

We

chap.

xii.

returned to the city, and, passing through the

woollen and stuff bazaars and the wool market, reached

the chief entrance of the Kasbah.

building

disfigured by restoration

is

in the worst style of art.

tiful minaret,

and

and new

plaster,

Its

accommodation

mosque has a beau-

with arches in black and white marble

In front of the Kasbah

work.

tile

fine old

It contains

four thousand soldiers.

for

That once

execution, a Europeanised open space.

ago

the place of

is

Arabs were hapged here for carrying

five

woman.

Below

This trade

is

this is

the

fez,

or sheshiya bazaar.

and dyed

is

hammered,

it

thistle

resolves itself into

The

one of those compact shotproof red head dresses.

is

soaked,

having been scraped with

brushes, combed, and

weaving

off a

almost a monopoly of rich Moors.

thick and closely-woven woollen skullcap

swollen,

few weeks

done in the country, most of the dyeing at

Toburba, on the river Medjerdah.

The

stuff bazaars

of the Jews

were closed and

securely padlocked, it being Saturday.

Hammerfest, where the warehouses and

of valuable walrus ivory, whalebone, seal
furs of all sorts,
too.

is

recalls

oil, skins,

and

and where the doors are carefully locked

Only the keys are hung up on a nail

honesty

This

stores are full

outside.

Dis-

almost unknown to the poor Laplanders and

Norwegians.

"We went one day to buy some Arab paper.

The

CHAP.

A PAINFUL INCIDENT.

XII.

133

merchant was an aged man with a long white beard.

He had

long outlived the term of mortal

life,

being

apparently about a hundred and eighteen years old

and when he asked us twenty

said one to another that it

him

would be unworthy to

it

and wanted

We

his paper back.

reminded him that he had only asked

we

we

offer

\Mien we gave him the money the old man

less.

refused

piastres for the paper,

time in his long, long

He

had asked.

life

much, and

said

was the

first

so

trusted he would let the paper go.

wept as we

It

that he had received what he

was quite upset, and as we went away the

boy shed tears because he had not asked more.

fine old

The mosque of Abdallah

marble building

beautiful

tiled

and

once used as a Spanish church, stands

in the bazaar.

It has

a stately hexagonal minaret.

Indeed, the Tunis minarets are models of grace and

variety.

In the quiet street of the Bey's mosque were

a few shoemakers, and some boys indolently spinning

silk.

The

little

fretwork

plaster

mosque
in

itself

the eaves,

has a green tiled roof,

Moorish arches, and

by time and splashed with white-

marble

pillars stained

wash.

It has marble slabs inscribed with Arabic text

the minaret and

its

gallery, panelled in tiles,

stand

out into a blue sky.

Not
rarely

far

from the Bey's town residence

comes except in Eamadhan

is

whither he

the diamond

market, where those stones are hawked about from

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

134

eleven o'clock

Men
for

till

noon on

all

chap.

xii.

days except Saturdays.

hurry about here with haiks, shawls, and carpets

sale,

and

soft

Here

and the Djerid.

made

transparent stutfs
is

in

Djerba

the centre of the Tunis

bazaars, the scene of almost daily auctions, and a spot

where an

can

idler

spend

simply watching

hours

Oriental life and picturesqueness in their purest and

most graceful form.

This grace

is

inherited by these

descendauts of the Moors of Spain,

culture

who

attained a

and refinement reached by no other Moslem

Narrow streaks of sunlight stream through the

race.

wooden peaked

roofs

falling on the columns and their

white capitals, on Moorish arches or marble fountains,

on old arabesque tablets

and bundles of clothes

turbaned scherifs

on

Jews

on

women

in black masks

in blue turbans

brown haiks from the Djerid,

Bedouins in white hoods and burnouses

baskets

on embroidered cloth

mony and

softness

green*

negroes with

dresses of delicious har-

apricot, lemon, and pale blue, black

embroidered with red, straw colour, and pink abbas,

blue and brown striped cashabiyeh from the Sahel.

We

wander through

this

masquerade to cafes where

groups of Arabs smoke and sip coffee on matted

watching bamboo

birdcages,

wonderful

seats,

pictures

of

Tunis, Stamboul, and Algiers, by native artists, and

gold

fish in glass

"We

stroll on,

bowls.

and watch them spinning

silk,

white,

CHAP.

SANCTUARIES.

XII.

manner of

135

colours.

Here comes a

donkey laden with oranges and lemons.

At one caroub

yellow, red, and all

each

sings the

water

Moor

oranges

one caroub each

very sweet and

We

full

of

the grocers'

traverse

bazaar, where the groceries stand in brightly-coloured

Djerba pottery.

In a pipe manufacturer's shop are

eggs and leopard

ostrich

skins,

no doubt in ex-

left

Then through the

change by some Arab of the interior.

copper bazaars, where
vessels hung.

all

manner of red copper pots and

"We went on towards the Jew quarter,

reached the decaying mosque of Sidi Mahhras, once

We were

but no longer a sanctuary.

shown one or two

of these in Tunis, into which if a criminal or refugee

escaped, no pursuers could follow him.

All they could

do was to brick him up.

Towards the centre of the bazaars stands the

Mosque of the Olive

Tree,

pass one or other of

day.

We

its

Djemma

'1

Zituna we would
:

entrances a dozen times in a

had glimpses into the marble courtyard,

arcaded with white pillars brought by

from Carthage and other ruined

or

Jew

fine

mosque

to enter this

in

cities.

Hamouda Pasha
For a Christian

open daylight would be

armed

almost certain death.

If he escaped the

who guard

he would be torn to pieces, or

its doors,

sentries

stabbed, or knocked on the head, by the shopkeepers,

scherifs,

or

saints

who haunt the

bazaars.

Conse-

quently I very rarely entered the Mosque of the Olive

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

136

Tree

indeed

The

essence

do not remember entering

bazaars were

chap.

xii.

at

all.

it

of mine

favourites

the

atmosphere was rendered fragrant by ambergris, attar

The whole heart

of rose, and twenty other essences.

moving panorama of

this city is a

resqueness of which one never

of

freshness

and pictu-

It

probably a

tires.

is

picture of what Cordova and Granada were.

I spent the evening with Colonel Playfair

and Lord

Kingston, who, like myself, were about to start on their

The

travels.

rate

nobleman had a very elabo-

and perfect photographic apparatus, with which he

meant

An

light-hearted

to illustrate their journey

on Bruce's footsteps.

hour before Perruquier and I had to start for the

Goletta,

the Bey's letter

needed, and

we

travelled

This was

arrived.

down

to Goletta,

all

embarking

the same afternoon on the Rubattino steamer Corsica.

She was a

fast

seaworthy

little boat,

able saloon, and, for ladies,

who

having a comfort-

are not of

much

ac-

count in these latitudes, a cabin over the screw and

round the rudder-post, where the sounds of both could

be heard to great advantage.

The wind began

to rise,

and the green waters of the Gulf of Tunis grew crested

and rough.
Perruquier had blossomed into blue serge garments

and high-heeled boots, and looked

felt quite

so

imposing that I

abashed to ask in his presence for second-class

accommodation

for

him.

He

sauntered about the poop,

OLD SCORES.

CHAP. xn.

and

laid the foundation of deadly sickness

many

cigarettes.

Paris this year, he

affaires

and

137

He means
tells

to spend

some months

in

me, to regler quelques petites

which originated in a former

festive city.

by smoking

visit to that

gay


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

138

CHAPTER

chap.

xiii.

XIII.

Susa BazaarsThe SahelAdrumetum

The Revolution Monastir Leptis Parva
The Patriarke of Cairaoan Saleetum.

Sail for the East Coast

The Port of Kairw4n

Eas di Mas Mehdia

The

The sun

Corsica put to sea at four o'clock.

and the young moon came

We

out.

or Cape Bon, the promontory of

rounded Eas

cients,

close

to

killed

el

Hermes

of the an-

Mustapha, where stands Kalibia,

which the Numidian King Massinissa was

and entered the

at early

morn the

little

Grulf of

Hammamet,

passing

town of that name.

strong

breeze blew from the land, and, while filling our

raised

set,

passed Eas Addar

no waves,

so that

and steam over a smooth

sails,

we were scudding with

sea.

sail

Then the engines were

slowed and stopped, and the anchor went down off

Susa.
It is

a Moorish town sloping up a moderate

hill,

white in the glittering rays of the morning sun, which

it

stands facing

of a compact trapezium form, fortified

with a heavy wall, and surmounted by a

castle.

buildings are contained within the walls.

tered

roofs

and

domes

appear

in

All its

Only

scat-

the low wooded

CHAP.

SUSA.

xiii.

country to the

left,

which ends in a grove of palms.

To the right the land

and

stony,

and

139

is

equally low, but

more bare

runs up due north-west to the pic-

it

turesque range and peak of Zaghwan.

One

consider-

able ship lay at anchor near a schooner, several white

lateen sails

skimmed about

in the fresh breeze

this

was the existing shipping of Susa.

We
to

went on shore, passing an Arab boat on

Too small

the steamer.

had attached them

in a string to the boat's stern, with one

satisfaction.

We

empty

barrel

and was towing them with much

believe

a strange taste to

way

to contain half-a-dozen

barrels of olive oil, the proprietor

as a safeguard or float,

its

it.

we

recollect olive oil with

This Aral) will be trying his

system one day with barrels of wine.

boatman took me

Dupuis, our vice-consul,

to

whom

at seven in the morning,

Mr.

the vice-consulate.
it

was unfair to disturb

was most kind.

He

sent to

the Castle to ascertain that the governor of Susa had

received instructions from the prime minister about

my

escort to Kairwan,

pahis ready for

Dupuis

me on my

return from

Sfax.

also insisted very kindly that I should

at the vice-consulate on
I

and promised to have the

my way

went to the Kasbah

dwellings within

it,

to

Is-

Mrs.

remain

and from Kairwan.

high walled fort with

which can contain four thousand

troops on an emergency.

Then we went through the


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

HO

What

dirty unswept streets of the bazaars.

mosque

called ?

we

tiled minaret. It

We

is

said to

But

How

does

it

It is called the

has some name,

name concern

its

that

an Arab, pointing to a square

Have the kindness

of that mosque.

plied.

is

xiii.

called a mosque, he said with reserve.

said to another,

name

chap.

we

mosque, he re-

said with deference.

who

you,

to tell us the

are Christians

he

said abruptly.
Sir,

we

ceremony

said with

might have bought outright

what

Bey

is

the

the

That
said,

name

of this street

how can

that be

mosque, we explained.

whom we

for fifty or sixty piastres

It

street of the Bey's Bath,

because the mosque

is

to a negro,

is

in

Hammam

is

he answered

it,

we

said.

el

civilly.

No, he

name

But

it

Not

at all, the negro said

bears the

of the
:

the

called Natreddin.

The people of Susa have

a reputation for fanaticism

no doubt they have some

mosque

is

of the prejudices of their neighbours of Kairwan.

'

We

ascended by a series of dirty alleys again to the

Kasbah, and went out to the grass market behind the

town.

Returning by the open quarter of the black-

smiths and carpenters,

cool, dark,

we came

to the bazaars proper

and vaulted, and very picturesque.

The customary

silk

were for sale, with groceries

and

shopkeepers seemed goodnatured.

and woollen goods

essences.

The

Here and there were

capitals

and pedestals

degraded to the purpose of stepping-stones.

We

left

MOSQUES OF SUSA.

CHAP. xni.

141

the covered bazaar, -which runs in a continuous line,

with small side bazaars to right and

hammam

foudouk, a

and

left

passed a

with firewood heaped on the roof,

racks for drying the

linen

noticed the

cane

baskets of the form of great coffee-pots, used in fishing

here

to the

then went out by the Water Gate and returned

wooden landing-place.

The mosque
is

of Natreddin, or that of the Faithful,

The

one of the oldest, but not the largest, in Susa.

Djemma

'1

northern'

Water Gate

from the
Susa

Kebir, or Great Mosque,

:

it

is

down by the

has a low minaret, not seen

sea.

Portions of the building are very old.

contains

probably eight thousand inhabitants:

many

of these

are Christians and Jews.

Some

foreign merchants are wealthy, and the trade

of the
is

con-

siderable.

The

principal exports of Susa are olive

grass, wool,

and soap made from

oil,

olive oil.

esparto

Pottery

comes from Nabel or Nablus, and sometimes a small

quantity of wax from Zaghwan.

was

first

The

esparto

grass

shipped from Susa to any extent by an English

firm well

known

in all the Barbary states, Perry

Bury

&Co.
The

Sahel, or east coast province of the Regency,

of which Susa

is

the chief port,

is,

from

considerable commercial consequence.

tricts

are Susa, Monastir,

and Mehdia.

its position,

of

Its three dis-

It

measures

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

142

about

miles

ninety-five

in

length and

chap.

xiii.

twenty in

width.

Susa

is

on good grounds identified with the Ad-

rumetum, which

first,

of these Eastern ports, offered

That remarkable

Julius Caesar any serious resistance.

man

landed here a small force of three thousand foot

and a hundred and

fifty horse,

the walls, reconnoitred the

work

and riding himself round

city.

After this he set to

to forage in the neighbourhood,

and establish

his

camp.
After the establishment of the Aghlab dynasty in

Barbary and the building of Kairwan, Susa was made

its port,

sail

and from

this insignificant little

harbour set

the armadas destined to conquer Sicily and Kome.

When

civil

war took

.place

between the

rivals for su-

preme power, the Beys of Kairwan, supported by the

Sahel towns and harbours, overcame the Deys of the
capital.

It is said the
five

Arabs of the Sahel can bring thirty-

thousand horsemen into the

field,

but I doubt

The province has been heavily punished within the

ten years.

the abortive revolution.

After

it.

last

General

Zarruk encamped under the walls of Susa, and imposed

upon the Sahel towns 600,000^ indemnity.

Wasted

as

the inhabitants and their m^ans had been in seven previous years by famine, pestilence, and short crops, they

were unable to pay

and had to

raise

money

at usurious

CHAP.

THE REVOLUTION.

XIII.

rates to

143

The gates of

meet the demands upon them.

Susa are scrupulously closed soon after sunset, and have

been so ever since Doria surprised the town in 1539.

The harbour of Susa

is

the worst on the coast, ships

being liable to be blown from their anchorage.

Gusts

of the Tramontana and north-east wind whirl a strong

current round Cape

bary coast

run

sea, or

inn at Susa

Bon between Malta and the Bar-

and ships caught here must either go to

a Greek

or two available rooms

travellers

for

There

for the shallows of the Syrtis.

has a sort of restaurant

:

nor are there

many

is

no

and one

attractions

beyond boating, shooting, and riding.

Eent and living are very high in Susa

the journey by

land to Tunis occupies two days.

Tunis, like all other countries of consideration, has

had a revolution.

It lasted for six months,

authorities seemed for" a

and the

However,

time paralysed.

foreign ships of war appeared in the various ports, and

They were

frightened the inhabitants into submission.

afterwards mulcted handsomely, Susa being called upon

for its proportion of the 600,000Z. I

The

little

town of Mehdia,

have mentioned.

for example,

had to con-

tribute 75,000^., to encourage the others.

down

All arms,

to knives of a hand's length, were taken away,

and the majesty of the government was reasserted.

The

exports and imports of Susa and the other sea-

ports are collected

by the Commission of Ceded Reve-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

144

nues, established

first

in

chap.

xiii.

1867 for the purpose of

as-

suring and simplifying the payment of interest upon

the government loan.

This Commission

posed of representatives of European states

com-

chiefly

hand over

yearly to the government a fixed sum, for expenses of

administration, army, marine, and other requirements

to be increased in case of urgent need, at the discretion

of the Commission, by a similar amount.

In addition

to this income, the governors of districts levy from the

population what they think

not do badly.

Each male,

fit,

so the

fit

government does

to work, pays a yearly

tax of forty-five piastres.

The gunpowder monopoly

manufacture or
is

sale of

is

gunpowder by private individuals

forbidden, the government manufactures none

importation of

it

is

The

a strange one.

forbidden,

and yet

it

itself,

is to

be

bought in every quarter of Tunis, and guns are blazing

away

at

quail and snipe in every marsh.

This

is

one

of those things that they mantige better in Tunis.

We

steamed out of the bay, and in an hour we

were abreast of the picturesque walled town of Monastir,

the Ruspina of Caesar.

The

Castle rises prettily from

the walls, which are light in colour, and above

them

are just visible the white flat roofs, a few minarets, a

few palms, and a large white dome.

back from the white sandy beach

The town

we have

outside of three small outlying islands.

to

lies

pass

There are

CHAP.

MONASTIR.

XIII.

145

numerous square marabouts and tombs, on

It is said the people of

the tovra.

send their dead by sea for

The harbour

is

Only one

coast.

this side of

Mehdia used

to

biu'ial here.

bad, but perhaps the best on this

and the

vessel lay in the roads,

little

place or port whence the oil and produce of Monastir

are shipped, lies at half an hour's distance from

town, and

is

defended by a

fort.

the

Beyond the town are

gardens and olive woods stretching close down to the

shore,

and interspersed with palm trees and prickly

pear.

The Corsica

lay one third of a mile

from the

beach, and her stay was too short to allow of going up

to the town.

We

still

Zaghwan

see

the

highest peak

and seventy-eight

of Tunisia, four thousand

feet

high

but faintly in the warm haze.

The

inhabitants,

numbering probably eight thou-

sand, are not noted for politeness, and there

verb on the coast here, Let

him who has no

The

Monastiri before his door.

however, has not a heart of oak,

is

a pro-

dog, put a

lion-voiced Monastiri,
for,

give

him a blow,

and he immediately begins to pay you compliments.

The Arabic here

We
islands

see, in

known

is

said to be of a very indifferent kind.

an hour after leaving

JNIonastir,

low

to navigators as the Conigliera Islands,

because swarming with rabbits.

The

sandy, and covered with brushwood

the remains of Leptis Parva.

islands are low,

behind them

The roads of

lie

3Ionastir

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

146

chap.

no shelter from the N.E. or E. winds

afford

hind these islands, though the anchorage

moderate security.

rate, vessels can lie in

from Monastir

to Leptis

run olive woods.

is

but be-

not

Leptis means

so

Barth says

way

Leptis Parva

The

port, but I

such word in Greek or Latin.

of no

first-

All the

was a considerable colony of the Phoenicians.

name

xiii.

know

The Arabic

of the village lying twenty minutes southwards,

name
Lemta

or

Lemba, probably originated

name, and helps to identify the

in the Phoenician

spot.

The name of

the Greater Leptis has been corrupted not very differently into Lebda.
'

The ancient town

of Monastir,' says Leo,

Komans vpon the Mediterran

the

Sea,

is

built

'

by

enuironed

with most impregnable and stately walles, and containeth

very faire buildings

but the inhabitants thereof are

most miserable and beggerly people, and weare shooes

made

Their fare

or fishers.

foode

Most of them are either weauers

of sea-rushes.

is

mingled with

barlie bread,

The

oil.

aboundeth with oranges, peares,

and

oliues

sauing that

it is

and a kinde of
adiacent

territorie
figs,

pomegranates,

continually wasted by the

inuasion of the enemie.'

As we approached the passage between the

the

steamer's

engines

shouted the leadsman.

Sette piedi

Stop

were

slowed.

Adagio

Otto

islands,

piedi

shouted the captain.

roared the skipper, and

we glided

THAPSUS.

CHAP. xin.

147

over the white sand shining through the green water.

Nove
fell,

piedi

and we went on

and cinders from the funnel came

us, so

The breeze

at full speed.

floating

down on

we had the awning put up.

A Moorish gentleman of Sfax came aft every now and

A stout, goodnatured old boy,

then to chat with us.

who looked
enter

as if

we were welcome,

the mosques of

all

for all

Barbary.

he cared, to

We

were soon

abreast of Kas di Mas, the Thapsus of Julius Caesar, a

point whence the coast

runs directly south.

Caesar

himself did not penetrate farther south than this

contented himself with defeating Juba

a silver coin of Juba.

He

here.

I.

he

I have

wears a head-dress like that

of a Laplander, and looks as if he would be easily defeated.

There are here remains of a great mole, an

amphitheatre, a fine reservoir of

Roman

stone

and cement, and numerous

water

fills

work, built in

cisterns,

which the

one after the other, after the principle of

Solomon's Pools.

Monsieur Daun, a French

neer, sent to explore

antiques here

by poor Napoleon

III.,

civil

engi-

found

many

marbles, lamps, coins of J. Caesar, stone

balls for catapults, urns containing ashes,

water

vessels,

statues, et cetera.

An

hour's steaming brought us off the narrow pro-

montory beyond which stands El Medea

that remains of the

We rounded

Roman town

Mehdia

all

of Afrikia or Africa.

the point, and anchored on the south side

1.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

148

The

of the town.

walls of

xm.

chap.

Mehdia, originally of Eoman

construction, faced with stone and of rubble within, are

The promontory

very ruinous.
castle

and marabout

and stretches across

There are

six

its

the town

bare of

is

lies

neck from shore to

fifty

are Christians.

it,

shore.

thousand inhabitants, of

three hundred and

but a

all

inland within

whom maybe
Five vessels

lay in the roads, which are exposed to the south and

easterly

winds

and the Corsica had anchored

quarter of a mile from the beach.

Her

at a

stay was very

"We had time to distinguish the great mosque

short.

once a barrack

Eoman

for

legionaries

of which

the

square minaret rises within the town, and the blank

.

white wall extends down to the water's edge.

mosque, I was

interior of the

scriptions, Arabic

and Eoman.

told,

The

In the

were numerous innatives, not

know-

ing what spell or evil import these latter might possess,

have effaced

all

within reach.

Christians as usual are

not admitted.

Leo

says

El Mehdia, founded by Mahdi, the

first

patriacke of Cairoan vpon the Mediterran Sea, and fortified

with strong wals towers and gates, hath a most

noble haven belonging thereto.

came vnto

Mahdi, when he

this region, fained himself in

habite to be

first

an unknowne

descended of the linage of Mahumet,

wh^eby growing into great fauor of the people, he

was by their assistance made prince of Cairoan, and

CHAP.

THE KHALIF MAHDI.

xm.

was called El Mahdi

149

Afterwards tyrannising

Califa.

over the people, and perceiuing some to conspire against

him, he erected this toune of Mahdia, to the ende that

he might there finde

'

safe refuge

when neede

required.

At length one Beiezida, a Mahumetan prelate, came

vnto Cairoan

but Mahdi fledde vnto his newe toune,

where with thirtie saile of ships sent

humetan prince of Cordoua, he

him by

Ma-

so valiantly encountered

the enemie that Beiezid and his sonne were both slaine.

Afterwards returning to Cairoan, he grew in league and

amitie with the citizens, and so

mained vnto

his posteritie for

Shaw does not

thinks

Mehdi only
in

architecture

the government re-

many

yeeres.'

believe Leo's account.

rebuilt the

town

He

rightly

certain details of

being too polite and regular for

it

Arabic origin.

Half a day's journey distant from Mehdia

seven miles

now known

Tysdrus,
fect.

stands

short

Salectum

it

from Mehdia

At Kasr

way
is

as

the

El Djem.

south of

It

is still

very per-

Mehdia are the remains of

disputed whether Hannibal embarked

Turris

Hannibalis

or

Alal, towards Monastir, are

of silk weavers.

twenty-

amphitheatre of

beautiful

from Salectum.

numerous families

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

ISO

CHAPTER

chap. xiv.

XIV.

The Barbary Coast The Khassir Kerkeneh The Flying Camp

Djerba The Lotos Eaters Skull Pyramid Gulf of Kabes Palus

Tritonis.

We

ramble out again

over the

blue water, having

merely awaited a couple of boats which took

boxes and two passengers.

The wind

is still

off

some

fresh,

and

delightfully in our favour, satisfying even the steward,

a big dark Italian,

who

and curses in rough,

We

get

all

is

till

our flesh creeps.

our canvas up, and steam away at the

rate of nine knots

There

sings sonorously in fair weather,

down

this pleasant coast of Barbary.

a telegraphic line running from Tunis through

Birloubuita, Susa, Monastir, and Mehdia, to Sfax.

French company, under the

auspices

government, are the entrepreneurs.

of the

Tunis

They received the

concession of the land and houses necessary for their

purpose from the government, who in return have free

use

of the wires.

There

are,

in

all,

four

miles of telegraph lines in the Eegency.

we came
el

in sight of the village

Shebba, a

tall

hundred

In two hours

El Khadijah and Burdj

tower of lighthouse form

and

easily

LOTOS EATERS.

CHAP. XIV.

convertible into one

who was buried

raised in honour of a holy woman

Shaw

of Eas Kapoudiah.

Vada of

They stand on the promontory

here.

antiquity.

which stretcheth

151

says

It is

Capoudia

Way into

a great

Itself

is

the Caput

a low narrow Strip of land,

the Sea, and

highe Watch Tower, with

upon the Point of

It there is a

traces of severall

Ruins that might formerly belong to

the City built here by Justinian.

After dinner we had lost the low coast
in sight but the sea

and the setting sun.

nothing was
Sitting chat-

ting on deck with three Moors, I received from a native

name

of Djerba, the Island of the Lotos Eaters, by

Sidi

him

Suleiman Ibn Zukkri, an invitation to stay with

in Djerba,

where he promised to entertain

kouskousou, assida, eggs,

Lotos Eater was

much

to be thirty-three years

coffee,

pleased

me

and mutton.

when

with
This

I guessed his age

and a quarter.

He had

no exact

idea himself, indeed the Moors here can give no idea in

years of their age
stance or other.
in

the year

they have to refer to some circum-

For instance, one

when the

another, I was

bom

the revolution.

My

first

will say, I

was born

steamer came to Sfax

in the year of the cholera, or of

friend of Djerba,

Solomon son of

Zachariah, was so satisfied at having an estimate of his

exact age, that he will go about quoting

anyone who asks him in the next

learn that he

is

it hereafter,

and

five years his age, will

just thirty- three years and a quarter.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

152

chap. xiy.

Another Lotos Eater, a friend of Sidi Suleiman,

gave

me

a cordial welcome to his house in the

he would take

me

It

my

Wallah

servants.

grew dark

me with ancient
my house, and his

to see ruins, enrich

copper coinage, his house should be

servants

hills

the young moon, the evening

star,

Arcturus, and the noble Sirius shone in the dark blue

heavens, and there was a solitary falling star.

we went
half

Two fathoms

at half-speed.

then we touched ground.

and we backed

Then

One and a

The screw was

reversed,

Very soon we cast anchor in the

off.

shallow sea.

We

were

the vast banks of the Kerkeneh, the

off

Khassir, or Shallows

them

the calm sea of the dreamy Lotos

This was a very snug corner of the world for

Eaters.

to find.

Within a radius of

forty miles

round

the Islands of Kerkeneh to the north and the Isle of

Djerba to the south,

lies

the Khassir

the

smaller Gulf

of Sidra or Lesser Syrtis (SupTty, a shoal), otherwise

known

as the

Gulf of Kabes. The Lesser Syrtis may be

said to extend all the

point to
islands,

Djerba

way

there

to Kapoudiah, since from this

is

a succession

of little

flat

banks of sand, and small depths of water.

Sheltered northward by the banks of Kerkeneh, west-

ward by the
seaward

by

mainland,
their

own

waters are convulsed

southward by Djerba, and

shallowness,

by no storms.

these

tranquil

On them

the

THE LESSER

CHAP. XIV.

North wind has but

into great waves

SYRTIS.

little effect, it

153

cannot beat them up

and here the sandals, louds, karabs,

and shabecques come to shelter in the winter months,

flocking like swallows from the stormy coast of Tripoli.

Here

a region for yachting, a refuge for victims to

is

hydrophobia, for those who dread the bitter

sea.

It is strange to be lying at anchor in the

We

are not

many hours from

tween Kerkeneh and the mainland

at night

navigation

vessels, so

we must wait

Tunis harbour as

open

is

very narrow, and

impossible, except for

is

for daylight.

follows,

sea.

Sfax, but the channel be-

small

Virgil wrote of

but he might have sung of

Sfax instead
Within a long

An

And forms
Broke by

No

it

from

a hay

the 7'olling sea,

a port secure for ships to ride,

the jutting land

haulsei'S

Nor

on

need to bind the

either side.
vessels here.

bearded anchors, for no storms they fear.

The Kerkeneh
nitis of the

recess there lies

island shades

Islands are the Cercina

Romans, whither

vessels to get

grain for the

government has

for ages

and Cerci-

Caesar sent Crispus with

troops.

The Tunisian

employed a body of troops to

bring grist to the mill, in the shape of taxes from the

outlying provinces.

commanded by
quently

known

This flying camp has always been

the heir to the throne,

as the

Bey

of the

Camp.

who

is

conse-

As much

as a

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

154

chap. xiv.

hundred thousand pounds used to be netted by

expedition, in cattle, money, and valuables

this

but since

the establishment of better local government, the expedition does not travel yearly

the governor of Kairwan

only proceeds to some of the chief towns of the Djerid.

I

met an aide-de-camp

last

of Ali Bey,

who commanded the

important expedition some years ago.

Two

thou-

sand troops and a number of Arab horsemen formed the

expedition.

It

would push on from spot

to spot,

merely

spending time enough for the Bey to administer justice

or

apportion

and

collect

the taxes.

The journey

through the Djerid occupied two or three months,

some trouble and delay

many

arising from the

decamping of

of the Arab tribes at the Bey's approach.

On

this occasion

several foreigners accompanied

Ali Bey, taking the opportunity of botanising, search-

ing for ruins, antiques, coins, game, &c.

Kairwan on

its

Arrived at

journey south, the army encamped for

three days on the plain

the

Bey entered the

city to

pray at the Great Mosque, and then the troops marched

through, entering by the Tunis Grate, and leaving by
the Gate of Skins.

Assessors accompanied the Bey, to

determine the value of tribute offered in the shape of

oxen, camels, sheep, corn, olives, or dates.
gazelles,

Fowls, or

which abound in the Djerid, were not regarded

as acceptable.

Lions would roar round the camp at

LOTOPHAGITIS.

CHAP. xrv.

exasperated, the

noble beasts, by the smell of

night

good cooking
his household

155

for the cuisine of

an Eastern prince and

a lavish one.

Ostriches were often

is

seen, but not often taken.

On

her previous voyage the Corsica had sailed to

Djerba, and

on thither.

and

it

was a disappointment to be unable to go

To be

so near to the Insula

Lotophagorum

seemed a misfortune.

to turn back,

This interest-

ing island, once known as Meninx, Lotophagitis, or

Insula Lotophagorum,

fifty

miles or five hours distant

from Sfax by steamer, forms the southern extremity of

It is separated

this gulf.

or two of

from the mainland by a mile

shallow sands, almost traversable on foot.

The coast round the

island is so shallow that the Corsica,

drawing not more than eight feet of water, has to

out in the open roads three miles from the shore.

wind

is

is safe

often high, but the sea never,

and good enough.

lie

The

and the anchorage

Djerba has no ports, towns,

or even considerable villages, so widely are its habita_-

tions dispersed.

The Lotos Eaters number probably about twenty

The

thousand.
garden, the

island

has the aspect of a beautiful

fig trees are as large as

pomegranate shrubs attain the

apricots

abound

luxuriance, and

known

the

olive

walnut

size of

grows in

trees,

the

ordinary trees,
extraordinary

seventeen date trees are sometimes

to spring from one root.

This

is

something

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

156

like

an island, and was an earthly paradise

chap. xiv.

for the lazy

Lotos Eaters.

A land where all things alivays seemed the same,

And round

about the keel with faces pale

Dark faces pale

against that rosyfiame

The mild-eyed, melancholy Lotos Eaters came.

TJiey sat them down upon the yellow sand,
Between the sun and moon upon the shore ;
And stoeet it was to dream of Fatherland,

Of lofe and child, and slave but evermore

Most weary seemed the sea, tvea7'y the onr,
Weary the imndenng fields of barren foam.
Then some one said We loill return no more.
And all at once they sang Our island home
Is far beyond the wave, we will no longer roam.

The modern Lotos Eaters

when

don't want to ofifend the Djerbans,

year

I say modern, I

who

are only in the

1292 of the Hejreh, and nearly

behind us

have

shaken off such traditions and are an

industrious, thriving people.

They manufacture

soap, stuffs in great quantities

fisheries

and sponge

fisheries,

and they turn the richness

and wool can be bought very cheaply

and suitable
For

wrought.

pottery,

they have extensive

The

of the island to the best advantage.

liarly fine

six centuries

for shawls,

stuffs of silk

the wool

is

pecu-

which are beautifully

twenty-five piastres or twelve shillings,

a very beautiful coverlet or a burnous can be bought.

The mules

of Djerba, which I have already said are

excellent, are

gentry.

much

They

used in carriages of native Tunisian

endure, both heat and cold,

and have

in

DJERBA.

CHAP. xrv.

157

a great measure superseded the famous Barb horse.

wants of the French

army contribute

The

to drain Tunis

of horses. Great quantities of Djerban stuffs, of wool and

silk,

are sent to the East.

The

islanders are good-

natured and hospitable, like the Arabs of the Djerid.

Towards the Tripoli

frontier,

however, on the mainland

behind Djerba, they are of a different character, untrust-

worthy and treacherous.

The Djerbans are enterprising,

being established as merchants in Tripoli, Alexandria,

Constantinople, and throughout the East.

While Ferdinand the Catholic was besieging Malaga,

there appeared a wild fanatic or dervish,

Abraham

of

Djerba, who, after a desperate and partly successful

effort to relieve the city,

was taken prisoner.

Attempt-

ing to assassinate the King and Queen, he was put to

death, and his body flung from a catapult into the city,

where he was interred and honoured as a patriot and a

saint.

It is barely twenty-eight years since there stood

upon the northern shore of Djerba, on the western

side of the Castle of
charts, a

Es Soukh and marked upon the

whitewashed tower, twenty

originally a pyramid,

and composed of

feet

in

height,

skulls. Skulls of

the Spanish soldiers of Alvar de Sande,who were surprised

and massacred here by the Tm-kish

escaped in ships to Sicily.

and buttons of

fleet.

But few

There were bones of

soldiers' dresses to

men

be found near, and

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

158

had

birds

their

built

in the

nests

chap. xiv.

hollows

of the

skulls.

would be ungracious to turn our backs upon the

It

Grulf of

Kabes without a word

takes one of

Tacape was
times.

It

names.

its

its

It

as to the spot

chief name, a great

now

consists of

whence

it

was known as Epicus, but

two

emporium of Eoman

villages, the natives of

which cultivate date trees and the famous henna plant,

whose leaves are dried and powdered
This

Levant.

the region of the Troglodytes, famous

is

from the time of Homer downwards.

lage of
city,
still

its

Ghabs

and

lies

The modern

vil-

half a mile from the ruins of the old

Ionic capitals

found here.

for export to the

and fragments of columns are

Tacape may one day recover some of

maritime importance.
Seventy miles inland

lies

the Sebkha

el

Laoudiah,

meaning the Marsh of Landmarks, from the number of

trunks of palms once placed at proper distances to direct
caravans in their marches over
tradition, these trees sprang

army of the Egyptians

bary.

may

According to one

it.

from date stones

left

by an

in one of their invasions of Bar-

In the same way some future Egyptian army

be guided by

from Lebda to

my

Tripoli.

line of

Only

march, over the desert

in certain seasons

places does this lake contain water

it

it is

ordinarily a

It is the Palus Tritonis or Triton

vast plain of salt.

swamp, which

and in

is

believed lies below the level of the

THE LOTOS,

CHAP. XIV.

Mediterranean and
tion with

may

159

again be placed in communica-

Should this be possible, a shallow inland

it.

sea, seventy miles in length by twenty in width, might

be formed in the heart of the fertile Djerid

making its

chief town, Toozer, Tisurus, a seaport on a small scale

and the laborious transport by camel might give way to

traflBc

by

sandals, or smaller boats.

The

river Akrout,

entering the Mediterranean thirty miles north of Ghabs,

tradition says, once connected the Palus with the sea,

and, unless there have been geological changes, might be

made

to do so again.

It

may be found

that an entrance from the river of

Ghabs, rising twelve or fourteen miles from the coast,

would

offer better prospects of success,

though the

dis-

tance for channelling would be greater by one-half, and

certain high land intervenes.

are rich and beautiful

we

The

environs of

Ghabs

are told of vines twining

round lordly palms, of rich cornfields among almond

trees

and

lotos.

Temple found here great abundance of the

which he

Rhamuus

calls

Lotus, growing in the neigh-

bourhood of Ghabs and the surrounding

calls

the lotos sidr, and

name acquired

for the

likely Sidra is a

it

Gulf

villages.

Lane

has been supposed that this

its title

Far more

of Sidra.

Moorish corruption of

modern Arabs use the

verised, as soap.

lotos,

The

Syrtis.

leaves of the aidr dried

and pul-

The bush resembles a blackthorn the

:

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i6o

chap. xiv.

berry was so highly esteemed by the ancients that

said to be worth forsaking one's country for.

various occasions forsaken

more with a view

my

to green figs

was

I have on

country, but generally

and bananas. The legen-

dary lotos of Egyptian sculpture was a water

it

it

lily,

but

seems to have vanished with the papyrus from the

Lower

Nile.


ASFACHUS.

CHAPTER

i6i

XV.

Gale A Mistake A Deaf Mute The Quarters of

Mosques A Caravan of Dates The BazaarsGracefulness
Sfaxins Environs The City of Twelve Thousand Gardens

Arrival at Sfax

Sfax
of

Slave Caravans

Street

Tragedy

We

The

Auction Costumes

The

Great Mosque

Bakkoush at Home An
Dervish A Modest Marabout Kuins of Lebda.
A

Eccentric

away from our anchorage just before dawn.

slipped

The wind had

We dared

Silversmiths

risen,

and blew a heavy northerly

not try the inner passage, but

gale.

made our way

outside the Sponge Islands, and dropped anchor in the

The

roads of Sfax, three miles out from the shore.

anchorage

good but shallow, and in such weather the

is

captain thought well to keep out.

Asfax, or Asfachus,
tities of

is

said to

owe

its

Sfax,

El Sfakkus,

name

to the quan-

water melons, Fakkus, abounding in

bourhood.
Squalls

It is of origin subsequent to

came at times, with

hours passed, and, though

it

was

cabin,

or

neightimes.

drifting
still

rain

two

early morning,

the prospect of landing seemed remote.

the

its

Koman

Sulking in

pacing about on deck in the moist

whistling wind, did not kill the time very

fast.

The

insidious Perruquier was sent to the captain to intimate


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i62

men

that if a few

chap. xv.

could be spared with one of the

The captain

boats, they should be rewarded with gold.

told Perruquier that the sea was heavy enough to

swamp

a small boat, and that he could not let us have one.

"We asked some of the Moors what they would do

if

the

steamer sailed for Tunis without landing them. Maktoub,

they said, good-naturedly.

Bey landed in

When

It is written.

this neighbourhood, his boat

Ali

was swamped,

while the ship rode quietly at anchor.

At length we saw a boat with a small white

beating out, and our spirits went up

10.

came

the

alongside,

pitching as

if

into the sea

with

difficulty, in

But when
fierce

when we saw

it

was half

stant baling, the rudder attached

our

spirits

fell

15.

It

seem very
it,

wind

full of water,

sensible to venture

by con-

by a piece of string

was a miserable boat,

worth about three mahboobi and a

in

it

the four drenched natives would be flung

ballasted with a heavy stone, kept afloat only

only

sail,

half,

and

it

did not

on three miles of sea

with the same necessity of getting back:

but

Perruquier and I slipped down a loose rope, three or four

Moors followed

us,

capsizing in doing

The

stone

and we shoved

oflf,

very nearly

so.

and our weight made the boat

that the waves washed over her

sides.

We

so

heavy

had gone a

mile or two, the water came in too fast to bale and rose
steadily, gusts

came

faster

than ever

when gradually


DISEMBARK AT SFAX.

CHAP. XV.

a sense of satisfaction stole into our

163

If the

spirits.

boat should capsize or sink, Perruquier and I should

We

get out and walk.

shore,

than

remembered the long shelving

and guessed that there would be

five or six feet of water,

little

more

a mile and a half out from

the town.

To
walls

right and left of the city and its cream-coloured

which

on

lie

flat

ground

by the water

close

stretch miles of gardens, with little houses scattered

among them.
dome

The

and the red

signal tower of Sfax

of the Catholic church are the only conspicuous

objects standing above the white houses.

A number

of people

came together

to see us land

strangers not being plentiful in Sfax.

pleasant Italian in the boat if he

Sfax.

Mr. Carton, you mean, he said

consulate.

we

and

vice-consul:

tall

went

he

together

white-haired

had asked a

knew Mr. Cardona of

man

is

to

the English
the

rose as I

vice-

went

in.

I have a letter for you, I said, from the captain of the

Circe steamer.

the Circe.

came here

An

Circe,

he

said, Circe

just a year ago.

at that time.

was absent,

I was disappointed to see

acquaintances over so readily, and

he was Mr. Cardona.

Edward

I don't

know

English steamer, I explained, which

He

Carleton, and very

Cardona was a neighbour of

laughed.

much
his.

v2

sir,

he

said,

him throw

his

said I understood

No, I

am Mr.

at your service.

Mr.


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i64

We

had a long chat over a cup of

your pardon, he
poor

slowly

the

coffee.

beg

said, interrupting himself: here is

dumb man

my

come behind

chap. xv.

mute

want

round and

started back, then seized

It

inarticulately.

Somebody had

to.

looked

chair.

me

and gibbered at

speak

to

hands

was our old

The

friend Bakkoush, the Bey's buffoon.

my

rose

vice-consul

was much surprised, and Bakkoush made signs to him

that

we were

had met

old friends.

tbe storms of

life

had impaired his raiment,

and poor Bakkoush was both thinner and

told

him

we

It was four years since

seedier.

that he was thinner, and he explained that he

We

had been

ill.

sent his

dragoman, Perruquier came, and Bakkoush

would not leave

my

side.

There are two quarters in Sfax

walls, for the

Mr. Carleton

set out to see the city.

one within the old

Mohammedans, and the

down by the harbour,

for the Christians.

Moorish city are closed

other without,

The gates of the

after sunset to Christians.

We

entered the Arab quarter by an old gate with horseshoe

arch,

and

close

by

it

found the mosque of Sidi Ali Aziz.

Within a few yards of

Sidi the Sailor.

Can

it

it

stands that of Sidi

be the

old friend Sindbad the Sailor

delicately carved

el

Bahhri

last resting-place of
?

It

and arabesqued in

our

had marble work

text,

and a curious

brick minaret.

At many angles of the

streets

and gateways were


DATES.

CHAP. XV.

165

columns and capitals of marble brought from

Many

ruins.

Roman

doorways were carved in a beautiful pink

or salmon-coloured stone of Ghabs, closely resembling

marble
at

in fact a kind of marble.

many

Across the streets

points were flying arches of horseshoe form.

The mosque has a new gateway with minute arabesques

in stone and alternate bands of

doorway had carved jambs and

We

met a caravan

tiles.

Almost every

lintels.

just arrived from the Djerid

the camels laden with dates packed in skins, the Arabs

tired

and dusty

and

arriving, poor fellows, to find the

dates they had brought from so far almost unsaleable.

Such

is

the plenty of dates this year that they are

barely worth the trouble of picking, or of transporting

from the

interior.

indeed of Africa
for

The

the

finest

deghla

hundredweight

known

as bilahh

behind the deghla.

as bilahh.

On

the

and

in

the

as b^sir, but they are far

In Morocco
flat islands

There are dates in

Djerid for perhaps ten shillings.

Djerba,

or

can be bought in Tunis

shillings the

thirty five

dates of Tunisia,

is

a date also

known

of Kerkeneh there grows

a soft dark date, called ertoub, cheap, and not very

good.

The Tunisian pound, the

ratal attari,

is

just equiva-

lent to our lb. avoirdupois: the oke contains

and the kantar

fifty oJces.

two

ratals,

The Tunisian measures

corn, flour, &c. are the sah, equal to four

for

and a half

::

THE COUNTRV OF THE MOORS.

i66

imperial pints

chap. xv.

the ouiba, containing twelve sah, and

the kafiss sixteen ouibas.

There

is

a second scale of

weights for precious metals.

The coinage begins with

the karoub or farthing, which

is

to six

and a half bourbe.

sixpence

There are

The
or

twenty-five

piastre

We

can now start

without fear of being taken

fairly,

simply swarm

just

fifteen

and the reader can

in.

sale

move about the

The green turbans

of the scherifs

the Friday's market place, or Soukh

Djemma, was

are the

rest of us into the bazaars

Camels carrying water for

bazaars of Sfax.

common

representing

pieces,

worth

and hundred piastre

of which the most

accompany Bakkoush and the

is

silver piastre is

mahboob, half-a-crown.

ten, twenty-five, fifty,

pieces in gold

francs.

bouhamsa

the

nominally equivalent

el

The Prophet's family

alive with them.

indeed handsomely represented

more are

be seen

to

here in half an hour than in Cairo or Damascus in a

They were very

day.

Bakkoush was

steadily

inquisitive,

the

Sfaxins,

employed in thrusting them

aside as they stood gaping at us.

Some he pushed

with furious gestures, but none seemed to take

they

all

knew the

and

oflFence

privileged buffoon of the Bey.

In the Turkish bazaar were groceries of

all

kinds

in the corn market were great esparto baskets full of

grain.

We came to the Djemma Hammam, or Mosque

'1

of the Baths, and saw the piles of pearwood for burning in

SCENES IN SFAX.

CHAP. XV.

the baths

came

coloured leather

167

to the shoe bazaar, where the canaryis

made

the harness makers

into picturesque shoes, passed

who embroider

the red leather

and everywhere a crowd of a dozen or twenty Moors

hung on our

heels to see

dispersing momentarily

what we were about, only

when Bakkoush turned upon

them.
It is a very general

Sfaxins

and many

and pretty custom among the

of the Tunisian Moors to

under the turban and above the

ear, a small

carry,

bouquet

sometimes a couple of lovely rosebuds, or a rosebud in

a ring of orange blossoms.

The

snowy

white,

silk,

turban

is

straw-coloured

very telling.

There

is

contrast

or

with the

green

among

cotton

the Moors of

Tunisia grace both of dress and manner which does not

characterise the Egyptians or Syrians,
their

ancestors,

the refined

and which

recalls

Moors of Granada and

There are no bazaars where such delicacy of

Cordova.

taste in dress

and colour are to be seen

The people seem tasteful by instinct, and

treat to sit

and watch them.

They

as in Timis.

it is

a positive

reflect the polish

and good breeding of the Spanish Moors, and are noted

for

their

Scriptures

The

intelligence.

are

Reading, writing, and

ordinary acquirements

the

among them.

turbans of Sfax are larger than those of the chief

Eastern

cities,

and approach those of the extinct Janis-

saries of Constantinople.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i68

We

saw beautiful mules

are considered

for

thoje of Sfax and Djerba

The grey-

the best in the Eegency.

hounds of Sfax are noted.

chap. xv.

gentleman here has one,

which the Arabs have offered him forty sheep in

exchange.

We

watched them make

saddles for camels

We

natural fork.

the curious rude pack

generally from

came

wood which had a

to the outer city through an

old arched gate, and entered a foudouk where dyers

Here deep crimson and

had established themselves.

blue

were

stuffs

hanging up to dry: while camels

were waiting to transport them to the Djerid, and

devouring grass to pass the time.

upon the crowd were capital

lating,

he

fell

We passed

upon them

had

so encrusted

thickly

sugared,

as if to devour

the mosque of

an aged building,

Bakkoush's raids

mumbling and

Djemma

'1

Bou

gesticualive.

Shouisha,

where the whitewash of centuries

and accumulated, that

or

them

looked as

if

pure white snow.

covered with

hung from each brick mould-

Stalactites of whitewash

Near

ing and projection.

it

this

were blacksmiths and

sickle makers, beating those thin crescent-shaped blades

out of glowing iron.

The high

old city walls have

machicolated battlements and square turrets at intervals.

Above the

forts

hoisted on the

floated

the blood-red

Mohammedan

Near the walls

is

flag

which

is

Sabbath.

a village of blacks, similar to that

ENVIRONS OF SFAX.

CHAP. XV.

near Tripoli, and

described

he

is

fortunate

for

an

explained with incredible facility

He drew my

attention to the numerous marabouts' tombs

great plain extending ever so far to the south

me

Sahara, in fact.

He

peaches,

and pistachio nuts with

described to

environs of Sfax richly abound.

How

to

the

almonds,

figs,

wliich

the

the country for

fruits,

you reach the pasture lands of the Bedouins.

This

was all in
it.

the

to the

gardens and

half-a-day's journey
till

This

escort.

the features of the surrounding country.

olives,

and

traveller's ankles,

who has Bakkoush

man

extraordinary

looking.

African

very

Prowling dogs hang about the

169

round

dumb show, but

Wine

is

is

full of

there was no misunderstanding

made here from

excellent grapes

As

bers are plentiful, and so are bananas.

which are taxed by the tree

exempt

the

every third

and

cucum-

to olives,

tree being

government

district has paid to the Bey's

at the rate of a hundred

sixty thousand piastres

a year.

The extent of the gardens of Sfax

is

there are no less than twelve thousand of

the city.

There

one has his

'

is

not a really poor

garden

'

man

immense

them about

in Sfax

each

outside the walls, if only con-

taining a fig tree and half-a-dozen olive trees.

The

man who comes to beg for bread has his country seat,
though it may be only a dozen yards square.
Bakkoush told me he had lately returned from

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

170

Ghabs or Tacape.

T^kahh, curiously enough, was about

Here he had found,

the only sound he could utter.

in digging

among

chap. xv.

the ruins, old engraved stones and

a beautiful statue of a

woman.

Bakkoush and

plans for an expedition to T'kabh.

formed

The Arabs

of the

country are unspoiled and uncorrupted, being honest,

peacefid,

and hospitable

coming

rarely into contact

with the Europeans and coast races.

It is not twenty-seven years since caravans used to

arrive in

June regularly at Tunis from Tomboukto,

Ghadames, Wadai, and the

interior, via Sfax

and Susa,

bringing slaves, ivory, gold dust, and ostrich feathers.

The English Envoy, however, using

Ahmed

his influence with

Bey, who was himself a humane man, obtained

the emancipation of

all slaves

within reach

holders were compelled to issue

ters of discharge.

them

and

slave-

teskeras, or let-

Mr. Carleton received at one time in

his house sixty poor creatures thus released, but left with-

out means of support.

slave

Only a few months ago a black

was brought to Sfax, but he was

set free

by the

governor at the instance of our vice-consul.

As we passed through one of the

to

make room

the interior.

city gates,

for a caravan of camels

we had

coming from

Every few weeks caravans depart

for the

towns of Toozr in the Djerid, Nafta, and Tebessa in

Algeria, carrying English manufactures, and returning

with dates, blankets, burnouses, wool, wax, &c.

From

A STREET AUCTION.

CHAP. XT.

Ghadames they come no

171

Some

longer.

attribute the

change to the impolicy of the Beys, others to the sup-

Within the inner gateway,

pression of the slave trade.

among

the shops of the wool carders, was a lively scene

Men

street auction.

crying

Fine shawl

and going

silk,

were striding to and

for sale

ring

who

an old song

for

prudent enough to buy of

me

will

buy

Boots

Offered for six piastres

by the arm and took the

Mecca work.

How much ?

and a

slight

I asked.

buy

it

it

worth at

We
and

now adorns

djubba

common

originating in
robe, like the
breast,

is

for six piastres

and

the scarf of a popular

society,

who imagines

that

it

least a golden twenty-five-piastre piece.

watched them spin the

for the

ness,

Six piastres.

for five piastres.

augmentation has to be made.

and estimable member of

is

silver of

the auction price

So Perruquier and I bought the ring

one karoub; and

carnelian

which was old

Monsieur can't do that, he said

six piastres,

Of the very

I seized the merchant

ring,

told Perruquier to stay and

no one

Is

purest silver, and beautified with a costly

stone

and

these admirable boots

In the name of the Prophet

fro,

Excellent

to

silk

and wool

for haiks

a garment of singular picturesque-

the Barbary towns, but I believe

Sfax.

It

is

a plain, square-cut loose

abbah of Egypt, but open only at the

and there ornamented,

neck, with silk embroidery.

as well as

round the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

172

The material

often in

wool is

delicate

chap. xv.

alternate bands of silk

and

of an indigo blue, faced

generally

with amber-coloured embroidery, or of a deep chocolate

red faced with green.

The bazaars proper

are cool,

and vaulted with round

arches, while the little shops are recessed in the white-

washed

walls.

We

came

to the

Djemma '1 Kebir one

of the finest

It has a great court

paved with

mosques in Barbary.
marble
it

but, standing in a poor

makes no appearance

and crowded quarter,

Horseshoe arches

externally.

of pure white marble contain doors beautifully carved.

Its floors are

covered with straw-coloured matting.

Mohammedan

was the

prayer chamber

on to the

street

In the huge vaulted

Sabbath.

of which the great doors were open

knelt hundreds of Moors, with white

and green turbans, in ranks

as even as soldiers.

Imaum's voice resounded. Oh ye who

greet our Lord

Mohammed

chanting after him

they

fell

As the

believe, bless

upon

the praise of Allah

and

their faces,

and

their

Their prostrations were as even as their

Prophet.
ranks.

It

The

sight was interesting

and impressive, but

the Moors about us showed some impatience and displeasure, so

Why

we sauntered

on.

has the Englishman

come

to Sfakkus ? Perru-

quier was asked constantly in the bazaars, and what

he writing in the book

is

Oh, true believers, PeiTuquier

A TRAGEDY AT SFAX.

CHAP. XT.

would

do not marvel

say,

if

there arise from his visit

a baboor in the midst of your city

which

shall

173

swift fire carriage

be as the Prophet's carpet to you, and shall

transport you to Tunis in a twinkling.

When Perruquier confessed to this story,

all

which went

through the bazaars, I asked him to subdue his

come

natural aptitude for untruth, as I had no wish to

Moors

to the country of the

as

an impostor.

In the vegetable market we saw baskets

seed on white stalks, exposed for sale.
quarter

There

is

the

fish

market, near which stands the prison.

we

There are but few prisoners now one

:

there under singular circumstances.

owed

this

a small mosque adjoining the prison, so

is

could not enter.

is

full of date

Beyond

Moor

rich

a Christian of Sfax three thousand piastres.

poor Jew, clerk to the Christian, went two days ago

with a receipt to the Moor's house to ask payment.

Come into
Moor and
:

the house, and I will pay thee, said the

taking

him

into the room, he fell

upon him

with a knife, and stabbed him repeatedly.

On

the day of

murder took place

a second

my

arrival at

on the day of

Homs, a shocking

my

return to Tripoli

immediately before I reached Tunis another

and on the eve of our

arrival at Sfax, a fourth.

hope

that nothing unfair will be inferred from these circumstances.

Outside of the bazaars, which are decent enough.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

174

chap. xv.

are squalid open streets, below the average in cleanliness

of ordinary Moorish towns.

appreciative people I have

We went to
them

move without

met

in Barbary.

the silversmiths' quarter, and sat

silver earrings

among

in beautiful simple work, small silver

gilt beads like peas,

dice, gilded

and great cubic beads

The

and enamelled.

in enamelled ornaments,

examples of their work.

joyment

could not

two hours, securing old enamelled beads, pure

for

much

We

Indeed, the Sfaxins are the most

considerable crowd.

like

huge

Sfaxins rejoice very

and we found numerous

Bakkoush was a

sincere en-

the unfailing clearness of his gestures or

glances

and the rapidity of his intelligence were a

study.

glance at

me and

a tap upon his pocket

meant. There are nimble fingers about,

The

veller.

silversmiths would offer

or engraved stones,

and Bakkoush

genius for antique stones

gentle tra-

rings, bracelets,

who

has a perfect

by a momentary change

expression would approve or

consul's

me

condemn them. The

of

vice-

dragoman, who was willing and useful in the

bargaining, was an imbecile compared with Bakkoush.

Balikoush had
trade,

made

of old stones a study and a

and he was distracted when he told

pocketful he had brought from T'kabh

a week before.

me

and

of the

sold only

Next year we would go together

to

Djerba and Ghabs, the islands of Serkenis, and the great

plain inland, and

come back with

asses' loads

of them.

BAKKOUSH AT HOME.

CHAP. XT.

Any Moor who might

be disposed to haggle or waste

time was quickly disposed

it

valued by the

Amin

175

Bakkoush, after having

of.

of the bazaar, would seize the

my money

into the Moor's hand,

and push him out of the bazaar

threatening him with

silver object, thrust

loud inarticulate mutterings.

The dragoman had a

cast in his eye, and, as

bargaining at the entrance of a dark

koush
head
at

sat

for

me

we

shop,

sat

Bak-

The dragoman turning

him.

beside

little

his

an instant, Bakkoush shot a momentary glance

with a

In the same second the

terrific squint.

expression had vanished, and as the

Bakkoush was

rolling

impassive face.

up a

These

dragoman turned,

cigarette wit h a solemn

flashes of

gence were irresistibly funny.

humour and

and

intelli-

In one moment Perru-

quier and his self-sufficiency shone out from the mute's

face, in the

next came a passing caricature of the silver-

At times Bakkoush would take

smith talking to us.

my

hand and place

it

on his heart as a mark of friend-

ship.

By many

people in Tunisia this remarkable

regarded as a clever impostor, as

a spy,

who pretends

more unfair than

man

is

of a buffoon than

this infirmity in order to gain access

and information in the Bey's

information about,

less

it

may

interests.

That he

carries

be, but nothing could be

to suspect his muteness to be assumed.

Mr. Carleton has known him deaf and dumb

for thirty

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

176

and

years,

dumbness

if

any

endeavour to feign

fair reader will

for thirty hours,

chap. xy.

she will

me

support

in

stating that to carry on the imposition for thirty years

is

beyond the

capabilities of our poor

I was introduced at Sfax to

weak

nature.

an elderly dervish of

ragged and hairy appearance, who takes an imbecile

delight in the English Union Jack.

came

to Sfax

many

When Mr. Wood

years ago in an English ship of war,

the elderly dervish danced wildly about.

come

Has the

flag

come ? he

said the consul-general.

Why,

Has the

What

cried.

flag.

We

flag ?

the English flag! cried

I know
known
have
people who made pets

the elderly dervish, shedding tears of delight

no other

flag

of spiders, wolves, toads, and even of cats

who

senti-

mentalise over a plant, a solitary column, or dote upon

old flint implements
this old boy

and hawthorn blue china pots

had had a craze

if

for postage stamps, or

even for portraits of other people's ancestors, we should

only say

we have known people equally misguided but

;

to go silly about a flag, to dance

and dream about

it, is

very original and creditable for a Sfaxin who has not

had the

artificial

advantages of civilisation.

be guessed that I did not

had

laid

up

in

my

It

tell this elderly saint

portmanteau a deep blue

silk

may

that I

Union

Jack, lest he should cling fondly to me, and oblige

to take

to him.

him home

me

to England, or to give over the flag

RUINS OF LEBDA.

CHAP. XV.

We

177

went to see some conical stacks of esparto grass

ready for shipment, which were impervious to rain, and

To

to a cannon-ball.

strike one of

We

was like kicking at a wall.

them
is

By

to armies.

them with the

strongly

foot

recommend

the shore, close under the walls,

a marabout of very modest pretensions.

It appears

that the saint being what I suppose no other marabout

on record has been, bashful and self-depreciatory, declined on his deathbed to have anything

more elaborate

than this simple white box and dome erected to his

memory.
After this

we saw down by the

some villanous Maltese

craft, six

water's edge, near

lengths of red granite

columns. I knew them at once, though a Moorish stone-

mason had already

chiselled over the surface of one.

hundred

them

piastres each.

and had sold them here

was assured that some of

the harder and finer ones are worth as

dred piastres, but those must be of

They

are taken,

oil mills,

olives,

will

We did not

much

as six

uncommon

Marcus Antoninus Pius

where they are invaluable

and

Maltese captain

them from Horns, where he had paid

had brought

twenty-five piastres for

for a

had come from.

I asked where they

hun-

length.

into the

for crushing the

wear for generations.

see the pirate

who brought them,

or I

should have committed, or desired Perruquiertoxjommit,

an impriidence.

Sfax

is

a city which has itself dis-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

178

creditable antecedents.

It

chap. xt.

believed to have been

is

constructed from the materials of the famous Thainse

or Thense of antiquity, ten miles south-west of Sfax

and

complete was the plundering, that there

so

hardly a vestige of

hewn

was shameful to see the noble

It

of eighteen centuries upon

of

There are numbers of

a noble ruin throughout Barbary, and will

account for the disappearance of

many

own

authorities are urged in their

it.

more, unless the

interests to prevent

Near these melancholy ruins of Lebda

watched them building Arab louds, shallow,

long, half-decked boats,

tunny and sponge

much

fishing.

used by the Kerkeni in

There are on the islands of

Kerkeneh upwards of a thousand of these

vice-consul, finding I

my

to his house

and bringing

Jershish,

visit to Sfax, insisted

me

The

upon hurrying

several specimens, three

one of Serkenis, and

There were on the quay great

oil jars,

one

of

Djerba.

brought from the

south side of the Djerid, where the clay

able for pottery.

boats.

had brought away no sponges as

souvenirs of

of

lay quanti-

pure white, brought from Mehdia.

ties of soft stone,

We

sliced into

This accounts for the total disappearance

Susa.

many

shafts with the gloss

them ground and

crushers of the ignoble olive.

them in

is

stone to be found at Thainae.

These were of a huge

is

highly suit-

size,

beautiful

in form, and they cost six piastres each.

The heavy

rain of last night

was a godsend to the

CHAP. XV.

Sfaxins.

BENEFICENT RAIN.
I trust it

was general, and extended to Tripoli

where the poor Arabs were praying

and would be half ruined

lish

179

engineer at Sfax, and

for it

if it failed.

made

weeks before,

found an Eng-

his acquaintance

under

the discreditable circumstances of having opened on the

voyage some newspapers directed to him.

He was

engineer on board the Bey's corvette El Bashir.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i8o

CHAPTER

chap. xvi.

XVI.

PrivationsFacts about Sfax Sail for the North

The Oulad AzimOctopi Sponge
Culture and Chicken Manufacture Mehdia Sardines Arab Cemetery Port of Mehdia Turris Hannibalis Relics of El Djem
Moslem Companion Monastir Collectors Susa.

Embark on

Corsica

Sponges

We put

of the Lesser Syrtis

Our waterproofs were no

the steamer.

off to

longer necessary in the dry cold evening, the wind had

fallen,

We

the sun

made

set,

and the

city looked cold

and white.

who

friends with a green-turbaned Moor,

at his ease in the

bottom of the boat, with

resting affectionately

upon an

his

lay

head
This

anisette cask.

descendant of the Prophet had one eye and a good-

natured

He had some

face.

successful oil works,

was no doubt a heavy importer of

I told

ruins.

what had only then occurred to me, that

begged

but to share his food

me

all

to eat with

the

way

him on the

to Susa.

him,

had not

eaten a mouthful for eight hours and a half.

scherif not only

and

The
spot,

I told Perru-

quier to say that under the circumstances I would say

nothing to the

Imam about

was reposing.

Aniseed grows plentifully in the Regency,

both here and near Tunis.

the liqueur butt on which he

PRODUCTIONS OF SFAX.

CHAP. xTi.

When
much

appeared in the cabin of the

Corsica,

reduced by fasting, and told the steward how

hungry

was, he began to swear magnificent

at society in general,

lgl

^acrrRRRAMENTO

hours and a half

and went out of the cabin with

that rolled like thunder.
a

(in

pounder gun). Cospetto

Cento mila maledizioni

voice

like

not a mouthful of bread even

!

me

and he strode to the galley

Then

solicitously, thrusting dishes

upon me and murmuring over

The

Eight

twenty-four-

and ordered an ample meal to be made ready.

he came and watched

oaths

my

hardships.

city of Sfax with three suburbs contains about

thirty-five

thousand inhabitants.

The

Islands of Ker-

keneh, eighteen miles away, have a population of twelve

thousand.

The

principal manufactures of the Sfaxins

are woollen cloths, blankets, burnouses, &c., which are

sent on a large scale to Alexandria

the East, towels with which

and other parts of

they supply the vapour

baths for the whole Kegency, scarfs for Moorish and

Jewish women, yellow

Arab

the

surrounding

Sfaxins are an industrious race.

The same

tribes.

The

They

slippers for

are excellent dyers.

individuals are merchants, traders, weavers, husband-

men, fishermen,

caravanists,

Sfax has an independent

according

to

occasion.

governor, under the Prime

Minister's sole control, and this simplicity of responsibility contributes to the

facility

of settling disputes

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i82

The anchorage of

between Europeans and natives.

Sfax

is

is

which

cir-

winters here.

It

the safest in the Regency, from

cumstance

the Bey's

chap. xm.

little flotilla

the only place on the coast where there

which

rises

about four and a half

is

a tide,

feet.

Mahhras has had great rain-water

cisterns, said to

have been built by Ibn Aghlab, Khalif of Kairwan,

for

whose memory the people of

this country

He was

esteem and veneration.

author of

have a great

many similar

beneficent works in various parts of the Winter circuit.

At Mahhras some beautiful square marble columns were

found by Dr. Shaw, but they have since disappeared.
This southern extremity of the district

distant from

is

Here a French

Sfax about thirty-five miles.

vice-

consul has been lately nominated, and English vessels

occasionally ship esparto.

The
It

is

droll old

Leo writes

Of the town

of Asfachus.

compassed with most high and strong wals, and

was in times past very populous

but nowe

it

containeth

but three or fewer hundred families, and but a fewe

Oppressed

shops.

King

of Tunis.

it is

both by Arabians and by the

All the inhabitants are either weauers,

They take great

marriners, or fishermen.
called

by them spares, which word

the Arabian and Barbarian,

toong.
in

Their apparell

Egypt and Turkie.

is

much

store of fishes

signifieth

nought in

lesse in the

Latine

them

traffike

base and some of

CONCERNING THE SPONGE.

CHAP. xn.

We

183

passed the night at anchor in the roads

winch rattling up to a late hour.

Sfax, the steam

the morning we were on our way northward

warm sun was

to our left was low

and hazy.

stood the marabout of Sidi

We

In

the soft

shining upon the deck, and the air from

The

the Barbarj shore blew deliciously upon us.

line

of

coast

Among

the palms

the

Victorious.

Mansour

were heading for the Islands of Kerkeneh, of which

the palm trees and

A
dress,

fish

weirs were visible.

Jew was on board,

thin tall

and with the deep blue cotton turban worn by

As he

race.

sat

by

me

on deck, he began

ence, poor fellow

for the

murdered Jew was

his brother.

All along the Tunis coast are sponges, but not

ciently

his

to talk in ex-

He was on his way to Tunis, to give evid-

cellent Italian.

Sidi

and

in a black jacket

numerous to repay their

collecting.

Mansour are numerous sponges, but

texture to serve for

much.

To our

suffi-

Towards

of too light a

right,

on

ttie

banks

of Kerkeneh, which extend twenty miles seaward, are

small but fine sponges, the best on the coast of Tunis.

Unfortunately, the currents are

almost impossible to
told

me

that

in

fish for

twenty

sponges so dear as now

To

them.

so strong

that

it is

sponge merchant

years he never

recollected

they cost twice the usual price.

cleanse them, half-a-dozen are attached to a stake in

the sea

if

the sponges are young, for one night,

and the crust

is

if

old

hard, for three days, that the current

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i84

may wash them to and

They

fro.

and when the Kerkeni has

chap. xvi.

are then well trodden,

sufiBciently lacerated his feet

with the gravel and saline incrustations, the sponges

replaced in the water.

are

pared off with

a knife,

Eventually the crust

The Kerkeneh sponges grow

pactly into a sack.

is

and the sponges are stuffed comin

water from ten to fifteen feet deep, and in parts as

clear

as

crystal

closer

and

finer, in

much

told, spread oil in rings

also use a

I was

upon the water, that they may

smooth

see through the little

are

greater depths, perhaps fifteen

The Kerkeneh fishermen,

to twenty fathoms.

They

sponges, which

the Benghasi

circle

down

to the bottom.

kind of tube in the form of a telescope,

then spear the sponge with harpoons.

There come to Kerkeneh every year from Trapani

Sicilian boats

this year eighteen came, together with

thirteen Greek boats

two years ago more than a hun-

dred Grreek boats came, but they have now gone to

Benghasi, where the results are more profitable.

I was

told that a merchant this year gave nearly twenty-five

thousand pounds for the yield of Benghasi sponges.

The

Grreek sponge fishers have the reputation of

the utmost skilfulness in using the harpoon.

It is re-

ported that they are in the habit of discharging one

harpoon, then a second, striking
creasing

its

it

on

its

head and in-

impetus, then a third to strike the second.

If the reader doubts this, he will probably disbe-

SPONGES OF THE SYRTIS.

CHAP. xvt.

lieve

On

what

I shall relate to

the coast of

him on

Norway the

search of those astute birds

the face of a

cliff

excellent authority.

family, imagining the

its

hook

is

in

and, finding a cavern on

The head

end.

down
of the

intended for him, lays

and, as he disappears slowly out of the

it,

cavern, the second puffin lays hold of his

lays hold of the second's tail,

and

tail,

the third

so on, till the whole

family, strung like beads, are hauled

the

come

puffin hunters

containing a puffin family, let

a cord having a hook at

hold of

185

up

to the top of

cliflF.i

P^ifty

miles south of Sfax, on the uninhabited island

of Serkenis, otherwise

kaown

as

Kneiss, there grow

enormous quantities of sponges, and

the mainland also

in the lagoons

on

but mineral springs in the neigh-

bourhood stain and rust the sponges, and render them

good

for

nothing.

midway from

On

At Zwara Zwara, a double

village

Tripoli to Jershish, grow black sponges.

the banks of Jershish (Zarzis), under the lee of

Djerba, are quantities of sponges, and sixty or seventy

boats are employed in fishing them.
to those of Djerba

Benghasi.

On

They are

superior

and Kerkeneh, and resemble those of

Djerba has a considerable trade in sponges.

her last voyage the Corsica brought thence three

hundred sacks, weighing thirty to forty pounds each.

They are cheaper than the Kerkeneh sponges.

*

HartvAg's Polar World, p. 114.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

i86

In the winter the Djerban

the

summer they

fishers use

They

dive.

chap. xvi.

harpoons

are famous divers

in

in-

deed, I was solemnly assured that individuals of a cer-

tain village lying eighteen miles from the island, Oulad

Azim
for

Children

Azim

of

can

remain

an hour and a half to two hours.

profession

they do nothing

They descend

or thirty fathoms, and remain there

full of sponges, whicli

pursue the
rocks

fishes,

This

is

their

I should think not.

else.

In the winter and stormy weather they

injuring their lungs.

under water

avoid

rest, to

to depths of twenty

till

they collect a net

they uproot by the hand

and catch them in holes

they

among

the

indeed, two of them, this spring, entered a cave,

whereupon the

fishes

came

divers could not get out,

in such

numbers that the

and were drowned.

If the reader asks whether I believe this, I would

ask what

is

the benefit of travel if we learn nothing

but what we know at home.

would

refer

him

to the

unimpeachable Perruquier, who was present, and believed every

word of the above.

He

assured me, at the

same time, that he had timed with

hand a diver at
six minutes.

any doubt I might have.

minds

me

The

None but

his

is

for

name, to remove

old Spanish chronicler,

light

hastily reject the marvellous.

mind the whole world

watch in his

who remained under water

Groletta,

Perruquier gave

Fray Agapida, says

his

and inconsiderate

To

the thinking

enveloped in mystery.

THE OCTOPUS.

CHAP. XVI.

The Kerkeneh

187

shallows abound

with

natives of the seven island villages, a sober

The

fish.

and indus-

trious race, catch, in the labyrinths of palm rod palisades,

enormous quantities of polypi.

All round the smooth

and shallow shores of the Syrtis these creatures abound

some of them are of an enormous

capital eating,

size.

They

are

and the natives devour them greedily

the greater part are shipped to the Levant for use on

The

fast days.

natives string earthen jars together,

and lower them into the water.

he has found a good thing, a
settles

They

down

The

octopus, thinking

home ready made

for

him,

in the jar, sometimes with several others.

are attracted by

white

substances, and bright

stones are placed in the water to beguile them.

At Lesina,

in Dalmatia, a

Mr. Bucchik has made

very interesting experiments in sponge farming.

Cut-

ting up a sponge, he attaches the pieces to the interior

of a perforated chest, which he lowers into the sea.

The sponges begin

to grow, they are

time to time, and at the end of

found to attain a considerable

examined from

five or six years are

size.

We

regard this

experiment with interest and satisfaction, looking for-

ward

to

a time

sponges, and

when

when everybody

will rear his

own

instead of ferneries or aquaria in our

rooms, and mignonette or geraniums in our bedroom

windows, we shall be able to watch the growth of the

sponge.

We

do not

believe

it

is

yet

satisfactorily

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

iS8

established whether the sponge

is

chap. xvi.

vegetable or animate

and, as we should always as a matter of choice incline

to the less probable,

we even

anticipate the moral cul-

ture of the sponge.

We

feel that science is fast outstripping the often

dilatory and disappointing

routine

We

of nature.

cannot disregard, as reflective travellers, the circumstances of chicken manufacture by oven in Egypt, and

by steam in Holland
cellars,

of the culture of

and of mustard and

mushrooms

in

and water

cress in flannel

of the imiversal acclimatisation of species: of the fifty

means and contrivances by which

seasons are anticipated.

In one year there have been

eighteen million

We

eggs.

interesting

chickens

from

hatched

Egypt

in

twenty-six

million

consider this as peculiarly suggestive and

:

economical of

much

valuable time to the

mature poultry, who can go on laying as

fast as

they

please, while their proprietor attends to the hatching.

It is

our belief that some such system of production

might be more widely applied

to a
as

more

may

certain

and perennial

and we look forward

state of things, such

enable us to have snowballing and sledging in

the summer, and when roses will blossom in the

frost.

This would be something like civilisation.

All

day we steamed against a head wind.

We

passed the town of Shebba, then the site of the ancient

Salectum, and cast anchor at three in the afternoon

Mehdia.

off"

SARDINES.

CHAP. XTi.

An

189

who had

Austrian gentleman,

meet

sailed with us

me

from Tunis, kindly put

off to

went to

establishment, of

sardine

the

manager.

It is a private undertaking,

treated ought to be successful.

mence

come

in April,

when

The

to fish.

The

We

in a boat.

which he

and

if fairly

com-

operations

thirty or forty Sicilian boats

year's exports vary

from seven to

The

ten thousand barrels of one hundred pounds each.

sardines are rather large, about the size of those

condemn
In the

in

first

England

made advances

we

as being pilchards or herrings.

year five boats came

last

year forty-five

The company, however, having

came.

is

confidingly

to certain of the boats, have seen

them

no more.
-

The

duty
to

salt

they import

of ten piastres a ton.

is

subject, I

was

buy from the government, at a hundred

ton, as

many

tons

salt is valueless,

they have used

of salt as they import

and has only tainted the

They cannot

it.

told, to a

In addition to this they have

government has the monopoly of

piastres a
:

but this

fish

when

resell it, for

sale.

It

the

was hand-

somely proposed that they might pay eighty piastres a

ton without taking the
it and give

The
who had

it

away.

salt,

but they preferred to take

This seems hard and discouraging.

obliging Austrian and an Italian gentleman,

also sailed in the Corsica,

into the town.

There

is

accompanied

me

a great Saracenic gateway

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

I90

chap. xvi.

the streets are poor, there are no proper bazaars

where they have some old

whitewashed houses, save

shaft or capital

the

imbedded in them, are quite uninterest-

We

ing: the people and dogs are inquisitive.

went

round under the ruined walls to the beach, and behind

the mosque found a marble tombstone of a knight of
St.

John, dated 1563.

of

them

The

in the mosque.

coat of

many

arms had the

Malta and two dolphins.

cross of

We

I was told that there were

went out of the town to the rocks by the

Mohammedan

passing through a

sea,

cemetery, which re-

sembled a rabbit warren more than anything

else.

The

cement and whitewash had crumbled away from many

a tomb, leaving skulls, bones, and dust exposed to sight.

On

the top of the ridge extending seaward there stands

an old but remodelled

port of Africa.

castle

This

beneath it

measuring about a hundred by

the sea water

The

still

lies

the ancient

a basin hewn in the rock,

is

fifty yards, into

which

enters to a depth of several feet.

entrance, as broad as a city gate, was defended by

masonry and a tower

Spaniards having blown

Mehdia.

If,

it

it

is

not

now

practicable, the

up when they evacuated

however, the fallen masonry were removed,

and the dock cleared out, at a moderate expense

might

still

it

be made to contain half the sandals on the

coast of Barbary.

There are remains of a secret gate

leading from the tower to the water's edge.

When

the

HANNIBAL'S TOWER.

CHAP. XVI.

place, they massacred, it is

Spaniards destroyed the

hundred Mussulmans, and carried

twelve

said,

191

nine

thousand into slavery.

We went on
where

the

Under our

farther to the brow of the promontory

Hannibalis,

Turris

citadel,

once stood.

were dark deep vaults and reservoirs,

feet

These

having small round apertures cut in the rock.

were the cisterns and granaries, and must have been

The rock echoed hollowly under our

very spacious.
feet,

and the surf beat dismally upon the

said there

is

way

a considerable

once served the

very possible

That such

inland.

Eomans

not stay to inquire.

It

it

way inland through

or slipping into

some

anyone

else

down, and wait

said to have

fortune's star

Many

came of

of

had

set.

them had a

When

embarked

it,

we did

all

round

us,

I offered to help

I heard

him touch

it.

for

fine

soldier

Han-

Egypt, after his

All round the hill were tombs.

little

cup-shaped hollow on the

the rain

falls

and

birds, say the Moors,

come

to

slab.

till

was from this point that that

is

citadel, is

into the bowels of a cavern,

glacial cistern.

the bottom, but nothing

nibal

and

was cold enough in the twilight

down

let

It

is

would have been practic-

on the promontory, with the melancholy sea

without getting

existed,

an access to the

as

but whether

able for us to get a long

to let

It

point.

a practicable underground passage running

fills

the cup, the

drink

little

thus the good

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

192

The dogs yelped

works of the departed follow him.

hungrily, as

we

chap. xvi.

passed through the Arab town, and went

some lamps brought from El Djem.

to look at

One

was of red clay, with the figure of Victory driving a

four-horsed chariot

the other of grey clay, bearing a

Both lamps were well pre-

stag in the central hollow.

served and interesting.

The Corsica was not

morning

to have sailed until six in the

but the excellent skipper agreed at

way by

quest to get under

me

A Sfaxin

with

me

Sfaxins are

nisians,

my biscuits and
He seemed

without restraint.

without prejudice, and treated

The

me

distinguished,

perhaps,

had shared the

well-dressed, pleasantly-mannered

Moslem in a green turban, who ate

his coffee

re-

three o'clock, and at early

morning we were off Monastir.

saloon with

my

much

courtesy.

even above the Tu-

and pleasantness.

grace

their

for

with

took
to be

These Moors, like the Spaniards, will invite you to

share their food

will

make long and ceremonious

They have

quiries in saluting you.

of the Spanish beggar,

Senor y Caballero.
shopkeeper

is

always,

who

all

Sidi

Ali,

private
Sidi

Another friend of mine on board was a

dant of the Prophet

in excellent

soldier

or

Mohammed.

tall

Monastiri,

There was also the descen-

who had come from

company.

the politeness

addresses his comrade as

Tunisian

very civil and entertaining.

in-

Sfax, so I was

MOORISH COURTESY.

CHiP. xTi.

We bad

193

The

from Mehdia at half-past two.

sailed

skipper, Pietro Molinari, had not been to bed at all,

and had made the engineer crowd on additional steam.

The

horses I had telegraphed for to Susa were waiting

on the beach at Monastir

but as

my

luggage was on

board, and there were one or two things to do, I sent

Perruquier on shore, to follow to Susa by land with the

horses, while I stayed

of Monastir

days

three

hours
go.

two

he was so

If the

speak a

little

My acquaintance

on the Corsica.

begged me
days

to

go and stay with him

one

civil that I

day

half

was quite sorry

day

for

two

I couldn't

Englishman, he said to Perruquier, could

better Arabic,

we should not

let

him away

from the Eegency.

In the delicious calm morning we turned out of

Monastir roads and steamed to Susa.

The Corsica

is

a purely Italian steamer, from the captain to the cooking.

The

latter

was at

became cosmopolitan
drawn the

and

in travelling,

line at garlic, of

too rarely absent.

to master, but

first difficult

to.

have only

which the revolting taste

is

This nauseous and abominable herb

ought to be exterminated, even at the

religious

we

war upon the

garlic-eaters.

sacrifice of

It is impossible

travel far abroad without recognising that in certain

respects

England

is

instance, in the habit

knife.

Half-way

far

behind other countries:

and

from

facility of eating

Monastir

to

Malta

for

with the
lie

the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

194

chap. xvi.

Pelagie Islands, Linosa and Lampedusa, almost due

east.

One small circumstance on the Corsica

We

quieted Perruquier and me.

name

it to

rather dis-

noticed, but did not

anybody, that the electro-plate which came

to table was

We

marked Baltischer Lloyd.

what an Italian navigation company ought

with spoons belonging to the Baltic Lloyd.

always been of opinion that to collect
is

to carry out a principle

is

did not see

to have to do

We

have

not to rob,

and, so long as

it is

it

confined

to chalices, reliquaries, silver ornaments, old books, or

embroidery, and such like, that any necessary steps for

We

the purpose are justifiable.

never

condemned

the First Napoleon's collections from the art galleries

his neighbours,

of

but we wonder that, after Perru-

quier's unsuccessful defence of Paris,

Grermany did not

ask for some of them back again.

We soon anchored in

the roads of Susa, and I landed

and went to the vice-consulate, to see

ready.

if

Mr. and Mrs. Dupuis received

the escort were

me most kindly
my

their servants ascertained that the soldiers were at

disposal, and

for Kairwan.

we only awaited

He

was

Perruquier's arrival to start

so long that

we

half fancied he

must havefallen into the Kiver Gimmal, which sometimes

overflows its banks and interrupts the road from
tir

Monas-

but eventually he arrived, condemning the horses as

unfit to carry us to Kairwan.

The Maltese muleteer


ROMAN REMAINS.

CHAP. XVI.

who ovmed them, and bore the

195

name

classic

of Severio

Valentino, was disposed to be unreasonable, but after a

little exercise

One

horses.

of consular authority he provided better

Julius

of

Caesar's

generals,

Ventidius

Bassus, before he joined the army, gained his living by

keeping mules and horses for

Mr. Dupuis took

me

hire.

to see

some

stones lately fo!md in excavating.

marble, probably

On

fine group.

on the front of

brought

from

finely sculptured

One block of white

Italy,

contained a

a chariot with small wheels, bearing

it

a Triton blowing his trumpet, stood

a consul in his robes, having a baton in his hand. Behind

the chariot sat a half-naked captive, an African, with a

broad deep torso and muscular arms

indeed, the whole work had been carefully and

spiritedly done,

and no doubt represented some Eoman

success in Barbary.
shield

Fragments of a

and greaves, and

arrived,

We

Such

and

soldiers

who were

had

finds are constant

the Kegency teems with traces of

The mounted

horse's flank, a

a delicately carved cornice

been found in the same place.

here

the upper part

The background was smoothly

of the head was missing.

chiselled

its fii-st colonists.

to be our guards

took leave of our hospitable representative.

stopped in the street to let an Arab funeral pass

every

man whom

it

met

or passed leaving his occupa-

tion according to the Arab custom, and accompanying

to the gate of the city.
o 2

it

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

CHAPTER

chap, xvu.

XVII.

Hutmen Hucba Muse Conquest of

Site of Kairwan Decline Dr. Shaw on
Kairw4n and
Mosque Origin of Name Its Sacrodness and Exclusiveness Plans and Preparations A Eeeommendation Outfit
Disappointment.

Of the Great

Citie of Cairaoan

Andaluzia and Castilia

its

Of
'

The famous

the Gh'eat Citie of

Cairaoan.

citie of Cairaoan, otherwise called

Carven,

was founded by Hucba, who was sent generall of an

armie out of Arabia Deserta, by

Mahumetan

Hutmen

Hucba persuaded

Califa.

the thirde

tlie citizens

of

Tunis that no armie or garrison ought to remaine in any

sea

towne, wherefore

Vnto which

Cairaoan.
Tunis, and

he built

in the

to inhabite.

citie

another

citie

called

the armie marched from

roome thereof other people were sent

From

the Mediterran Sea this citie

is

distant six and thirtie, and from Tunis almost an hun-

dred miles
purpose,

neither was

but onely

it

built (they say) for any other

that the

securely rest therein with all

Arabian armie might

such spoiles as they woone

from the Barbarians and the Numidians.

He

enuironed

THE

cuAP. xTii.

it

CITIE OF CAIRAOAN.

197

with most impregnable walles, and built therein a

sumptuous temple, supported with stately

The

pillers.

dominions of Cairaoan began woonderfully to increase.

'

The

citie of

Cairaoan standeth vpon a sandie and

desert plaine, which beareth no trees nor yet any

at

Come

all.

aster,

is

come

brought thither from Susa, from Mon-

and from Mahdia,

space of forty miles.

all

which townes are within the

About twelve miles from Cairaoan

standeth a certain mountaine called Gueslet, where

some of the Komaines' buildings are

still

extant

this

mountaine aboundeth with springs of water and carobs,

which springs runne downe to Cairaoan, where otherwise
they should have no water but such as

is

kept in ces-

\N'ithout the wals of this citie raine water

ternes.

be found in certain cesternes onely

till

is

to

the beginning

of lune.
'

In sommer time the Arabians vse to resort vnto

the plaines adioining vpon this towne,

who bring

great

dearth of come and water, but exceeding plentie of dates

and

flesh

region
distant.

the

is

with them, and that out of Nuraidia, which

almost an hundred threescore and ten miles

In

tliis citie for

Mahumetan lawe

certaine yeeres the studie of

mightilie flourished, so that here

were the most famous lawyers in

all Africa.

It

was at

length destroied, and replanted againe with news inhabitants,

estate.

but

it

coulde neuer attaine vnto the former

At this present it is inhabited by none but leather-

198

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

dressers,

who sende

their leather vnto the cities of Nu-

midia, and exchange

Howbeit

chap. xvii.

also for the cloth of Europe.

it

they are so continually oppressed by the

King of

Tunis that now they are brought vnto extreme miserie.'

Dr.

Shaw

considers that

Roman

of the

grounds for saying

tifies

it

its first

a maritime

Curubis, Kurba,

wrongly with

Barbary, be

Gulf of

Hammamet

origin to the

but in attri-

Mohammedan

prince of

nearer to the truth than Dr. Shaw.

is

site

The geographer Thuanus iden-

so.

village towards the

buting

Kairwan occupies the

Vicus Augusti, though he gives no clear

Calipha,' he says,

'

The

of Africa had his seat of government

'

at Caruan, a city built by Oklibah Ibn Nafi in

tlie

Cyrenaica, after various victories gained over the Arabs

for that the

name

signifies

Cairo or Kahira

There seems to have been some confusion on

point in the
in the

mind

Cyrenaica,

of Thuanus.

and yet

commonly El Krenneh

is

For Kairwan

^^jj^

the Arabic

Kayrawan

name

victory.'

is

this

not

more

for Cyrene.'

Leo Africanus and Dr. Shaw regard the name Kairwan

as

identical

with

^^^jlf

karwdn, caravan

and

ginally signifying the place where the Arabs

rendezvous.

\J^ij^^

calls

had their

This word ^}^^ karawda, also signifies

a crane or stork.

Temple

ori-

Leo writes Cairaouan

Sir Grenville

the city Kairwan, Kairvan, El Kirwan,

without suggesting any origin for the name.

'

Catafago.

KAYRAWAN.

CHAP. XVII.

199

Guerin follows Ebn Khaldoun and Nowairi in writColonel Playfair, an excellent Arabic

ing Cairouan.

common

came

among

itself,

is

the

Tripoli

in

^J'if'-

name

pronunciation of the

in the city

whom

Kerouan

writes

authority,

Keerwan

while

the educated natives with

in contact, the

name was

strongly pro-

nounced Kdyrawan.
conceivable that

It is

Okhbah the Saracen, who

had just overrun the Cyrenaica

then

full

of magnifi-

cent buildings, which he gave over to destruction or

carried

away piecemeal

new and splendid

glories

of

Kairwan

city a

Of

Kayrawan.

is still

rich,

should have

given to his

name which would

many

the

remains

recall the

in

which

noble shafts and capitals

were transported from Cyrene.

Dr.

Shaw

says

'

We

have several fragments of the

ancient architecture at this place, and the Great Mosque

is

accounted the most magnificent as well as the most

sacred

in

the Barbary

States.

It

is

an almost incredible number of granate

Inhabitants told me, for a Christian

is

supported by
Pillars.

The

not permitted to

enter the mosques of the Mahometans, that there are no

fewer than

five

Hundred

yet,

among

the great Variety

of Columns and the ancient Materials used in this large

and beautiful Structure,

single Inscription.

The

I could

not be informed of one

Inscriptions likewise which I

found in other places of the City were either

with Cement or

else

defaced by the Chissel.'

filled

up

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

200

The

still

much what

city's present character is

too large for its shrunken population

now

decaying, and

manufacture, such as carpets and leather

buy or barter

for

has

trade

objects of

articles,

and

who come

to the supply of the Arabs of the plain,

to

its

some few

restricted to

it

circumscribed, and

Its buildings

loeen for centuries.

chap. xvii.

copper utensils, boots, and saddlery.

Forty thousand strong, they come to encamp in the

plain, of

which they and the natives of Kairwan cul-

The population

tivate portions.

city fifteen thousand,

both,

am

Temple

who

'

Kairwan

'

all

as

is,

known, a

well

is

present hotbed of

Mohammedanism

wishes to enter within

himself

thousand

five

satisfied, excessive estimates.

says

sacred or holy town, the

bigotry of

said to be, of the

is

and of the suburbs

in Africa.
its

walls

The

the

all

traveller

must take upon

the risks of the enterprise.'

Our promenades through the town were managed

with the greatest mystery, and the Kaid at

first

posi-

tively refused to let us walk out, except after sunset.

After further

difficulties

he appointed an

officer

to

attend us, making us promise not to stare about too

much,

take

notes

European language.

or

drawings,

Disguised

or
in

speak

Arab

in
dress,

any

we

paraded through the town, observing a dignified silence

and a steady solemn pace. More than one walk we were

not allowed to take, as I was told that

if

we were

THE HOLY

CHAP. XVII.

known

CITY.

201

to be Christians v?hilst walking about,

we

miglit

be torn to pieces by the infuriated populace.'

M. Guerin

1860: 'Though Tunis has

in

writes

been for long ages the

Kairwan has

political capital,

always remained in the mind of the masses the religious

capital of the country.
'

Holy City par

It is the

For twelve centuries no

Crescent reigns undividedly.

minister of the gospel has entered

'

Though

Kairwan
in the

is,

singularly fallen from

after Tunis, one of the

Regency.

What

above

sacred prestige with which it

due to

its origin,

where the

excellence,

it.

its

ancient splendour,

most populous towns

distinguishes

all

invested

is

it is

the

a character

to the sanctity of its chief mosque,

the great number of

its shrines

and tombs, and to the

inviolability of its proper ground.

'

Situated in nearly the heart of Tunisia,

has never

it

been attacked by Christian troops, as the coast towns

have so often been.

No

Christian has ever had the

right, I do not say of establishing himself in

it,

but

even of penetrating thither, except by a quite special

favour.

Jews have been entirely excluded,

so that it

has remained virgin to the contact of any Faith but

that of
'

its

fovmder Okhbah.

Hence the

sort of holy

and mysterious aureole with

which the Mussulman religion surrounds

which resort thither from

all

it.

parts of the

Caravans

Regency

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

202

come
its

to steep themselves in

Great Mosque

tradition,

whose stones,

in Islamism

according to popular

which the Imams keep up among the masses,

came miraculously

to place themselves in the spots

now occupy is

they

some measure

chap. xvii.

ceaselessly visited with deep rever-

The

ence by the adepts of the Koran.

shrines of its

saints are equally the object of constant pilgrimage.

this maintains in the

mind

All

of the populace a fanaticism

which nothing hitherto has succeeded in weakening.

The Bey

'

an

amar

the

presence upon the inhabitants

absolute elsewhere,

it,

at rare intervals he delivers

of recommendation.

distance from

its

his order,

here a simple prayer, a pure

is

The

walls,

who

bears

halt at

some

Christian

when he approaches Kairwan, must

and despatch one of

his escort

to show the Bey's letter to the governor of the

'

impose

to a Christian, has not the right to

infidel's

letter

when

himself,

The governor assembles the

council,

city.

and

if

they

agree that the stranger recommended by the Bey shall

be admitted, an escort

is

sent out to bring

him

entry has always perforce a certain solemnity.

the presence of the governor,

me

in

his

Even

who would accompany

wherever I went, did not protect

me

from

all in-

sults.
'

need hardly' say that I was unable to enter the

mosque

I could barely

the quadrilateral which

make the
it

exterior circuit of

forms: and even then the

INTENTIONS.

CHAP. xTii.

my

sheikhs and shaoushes of

my

steps,

escort urged

me

to hasten

cast too attentive an eye on this

monument, one of the most venerated of

religious

lamism,

and not to

203

for fear of exciting

Is-

annoyance and insult among

the inhabitants.'

Mr. Wood, the consul-general, in

1875, writes:

'

Kairwan

is

his

report for

considered so holy a place

that no Christians or Jews are allowed within its walls,

and a

traveller

must be accompanied by a government

escort for protection.'

The reader

Kairwan

will recognise that

is,

or was,

a place of consideration and an enjoyable object for a

visit,

and

will

make allowance for the interest with which

I prepared for the journey. I was anxious to go privately,

disguised as an Arab, choosing a familiar dress of Bar-

bary

to stain

to Susa,

my face, neck, arms, and

ankles

to travel

and there seek out some native willing

company me, tempted by the

to ac-

At Susa

price of gold.

should buy or hire a horse to carry myself and bundle,

the native accompanying
questions put to us.

me on

We

and answering

foot,

all

should contrive to reach the

city towards the Tnughreb or sunset, shortly before the

gates would close, and enter in the twilight.

On

approaching, the native

horse, while

or beside

I,

him

should

mount the

carrying the bundle, should walk behind

as his servant.

Once

probably feel exceedingly alarmed

inside, I should

we should seek

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

204

chap. xtii.

some caravanserai, avoid conversation, and

up

i^elves

moon

we should

rise

our-

As there would be a

in a corner to sleep.

at the time,

roll

and make the

circuit of

the city, entering the Great Mosque for midnight prayer.

Very early on the following morning we should

forth again,

according

muffled,

sally

Arab habit,

to the

about the face, until the atmosphere should become

warm.

In the heat of the day,

possible

if

during

some market, when the crowd's attention would be

distracted,

upon

traverse the bazaars

their being dark

The

native might

There was a

I calculated

and vaulted.

in readiness

fail

risk, too, in

were sure to abound.

who

on an emergency.

in a sacred city like this

genuine Marabout

of irresponsible Kalendar.

was a spot of refuge

is

a kind

Moham-

all to

the exer-

Kalendar

medan wandering monk, who abandons

of his profession.

in the fear that

the fanaticism of those religious

buffoons, the Marabouts,

cise

chief risk would lie in the infernal inquisitive-

and gossiping of the bazaars, and

ness

my

we would

is

Kairwan, I was also assured,

for

criminals

rascality of tlie seaport towns.

and the escaped

Six feet of height and

grey eyes are not strict characteristics of an African or

Asiatic

little

but the chances would be

tact

in

my

favour, and

and adroitness ought to be enough to

keep one out of predicament's.

I

prepared a note-book

on which to record

my

MIRZA ABDUL MALEK.

CHAP. XVII.

impressions of Kairwan

ing for writing in

or behind

my

my

back.

205

and went into diligent

pocket, in the breast of

I

had

it carefully

in relief, so that I could feel

train-

my

coat,

ruled with lines

my way

along with a

pencil between the lines, and, by returning to any given

spot on the page, avoid writing twice over the same spot.

To provide

further against chances I had obtained

from a Persian Mussulman a most friendly recomunder

mendation,

name

the

Mussidmans in general.
thus
'

The

Abdul

of

Malek, to

writer's translation ran

In the name of the Omnipotent, that we utter his

name with

zele

and fervant

Compassionate, Bless
(then follow the

He

writer's

Him

lips,

be

We

our Creator, the

the

name and

undersigned

do

description)

declare that the bearer of the present our beloved friend

the son of a very distinguished family amongst us

whose name

is

Mirza Abdul Malek, an accomplished

young gentleman of good society and birth belonging to

a family of

Tunis and
insisted

first- water

its

wishing

to visit the Beylik of

adjacent towns, etc

upon the

said

We the

our declaration in the Arabic tongue

spread and shew during his journey to

Mussulman
tact

and

and

said Vekil

gentleman to take with him this

brethren, with

whom

he

all

that he

may

our esteemed

may come

in con-

especially to those higti dignitaries in towns

others

who

are chiefs of tribes, etc. for the pur-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

2o6

pose of shewing
as also to

him

their hospitality

recommend him

to others in

chap. xvii.

and protection
power in case of

need.
'

Such favours

shall not

be forgotten from our heart.

Moreover to one who deserves esteem and respect

conclusion

we pray

our greetings and

for his

journey and return

Moslem Salamat,

in the

name

in

with
of all

the people of Iran.'

Date, etc.

The

letter itself

was a most beautiful example of

the flowing Arabic character, and ought to carry

many

weight in a country where

much

people can neither

read nor write.

After this

was a more

came the question of complexion.

intricate question

This

than male readers would

After diligent investigation I found that there

fancy.

was no choice between a powder whose transient properties were at the

mark

mercy of every sneeze and

finger-

and walnut-stain, which would yield a good

lasting tint,

and expose

me

in travelling

home

to the

suspicions of every passport officer and gendarme, and

perhaps to disowning by

my

friends.

Fair hair being irreconcilable with walnut skin, the

hair

must be thrown

and

stained too.

So

in with the arms, feet,

I

and neck,

went to a chemist and asked

confidently for a large bottle of walnut juice to stain

DIFFICULTIE.S.

CHAP. XVII.

my

The chemist

face.

said

207

he had none, adding that

was no doubt aware the colour would

weeks.

I said I

was afraid

it

would.

last

He

for

some

then asked

whether a powder would do, such as was used in

most private

theatricals,

and lasting

fairly

through an

I said that the play in which I was to take

evening.

part would last for several days at least, and I saw that

the chemist regarded

me

as about to evade the ends of

justice.

I sought a seedsman, in the hope of getting

He

dried walnut leaves.

anyone

else did.

kept none, and didn't believe

might get some by waiting

summer, when the leaves were on the

not satisfactory to

me

some

to wait till the

trees.

summer,

till

As
I

it

the

was

went to

a chemical colour manufacturer, and, oppressed with a

natural bashfulness
I

increased by the consciousness that

was leaving the country under suspicious circumstances

asked

a brown dye which would last for several

for

days, but not for several weeks.

he

he said

Fancy

Yes, fancy dress, I said.

said.
;

it will

dress ball, sir ?

Try

this powder,

wear through the evening.

I said I

had to wear

my

sleep in it

and, seeing the chemical colour manufac-

dress for

some days, and probably

to

turer did not believe me, I went sadly away.

I

came

to a dyer's,

and asked him to give

best thing for dyeing myself brown.

colours, the dyer said

We never

me

the

sell

our

everything must be dyed on the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

2o8

premises.

It

was not convenient to

me

chap. xvii.

to get

dyed on

the premises, so I went to a theatrical barber and wig

He had no

maker.

idea where I could find

juice.

Besides, he said,

or head

till

telling

him

it

the skin wears

won't come off your hands

I

off.

was on the point of

much

that that was not of

was going to a place where the head

off in a

day or two

consequence, as I

might come

itself

but the idea seemed so dark and

sanguinary, that I was afraid he might get

by the

me watched

from him a

bought

Eventually I

police.

hair dye and

walnut

some chocolate-coloured cosmetic

as I hesitated to carry

on

this

search any longer, I started on

compromising

my

and

sort of

travels in despair.

Sitting in the hotel at Marseilles on the day of our

sailing,

into

drinking strong coffee, a profound idea came

my

head

with coffee
a success.

I smeared

a rich
The

brown

my

and

scent was

hands experimentally
felt

that

strong, but

it

would be

not inappro-

priate.

The reader
a certain
I

will

understand how, after anticipating

amount of enjoyable excitement and

mischief,

was sensible of extreme disappointment on learning

that I could go to Kairwan with an escort of soldiers,

and under the protection of government, and how

was saddened on receiving the following kind note

from Mr. Wood, on the morning of

Tunis.

my

departure from

ARRANGEMENTS.

CHAP. xvn.

My

to the

dear Sir

beg to enclose a

209
letter addressed

Governor of Kairwan by the Prime Minister,

and to inform you that telegraphic instructions have

been sent to the Sub-Grovernor of Susa to furnish you
with an

escort.

I will

also

telegraph to our Vice-

Consul at that port: and I beg to suggest that, on

approaching the city and before entering

Ispahis

should

go

Governor, that he
reception.'

forward with the

it,

one of the

letter

may make arrangements

to

for

the

your


THE COUNTRY OF THE

CHAPTER

chap, xviii.

XVIII.

IVIOORS.

The Sahel Bedouins A Discovery in Natural

HistoryDrought M'seken The Great Plain Footprints of Pilgrims The Great Minar The Walls Enter Kairw^n Observa-

Departure from Susa

tions

We

swung out of Susa very early

some

Maledictions.
lost time.

The landscape

in the

consisted of a succession

of rolling hillocks and brushwood

buildings,

among them a

and traversed

olive

day in spite of

we saw

old

Arab

curiously buttressed cistern,

woods which had been cleared of

their undergrowth for firewood.

The country around

us was the Sahel, a province extending from the fou-

douk of Birloubuita,

forty-five miles north of Susa, to

twenty miles south of Susa, and stretching from the

seacoast twenty miles inland to the mountains

we can

faintly see in front of us.

Its

almost exclusive product

is

the olive

the name sounds very

miles to the north of Susa

lage of Hergla
sixteen

ants of the Sahel

is

vigorous

in every village.

the air

is

the vil-

like Heraclea
is

noted

The health of the

purest oil in the Regency.

some

fresh

for the

inhabit-

and whole-


LANDSCAPES OF THE SAHEL.

CHAP. XVIII.

We
left

saw the white domes of Zawi a mile away to our

amoDg olive woods,

and, passing gardens and hedges

came among the houses and

of prickly pear and olives,

mud

walls of Moureddin, one hour and a half distant

from Susa.

more
and

2IT

We

met a

lambs in the village

flock of

perfect than even Syrian lambs, with black faces

and lovely

feet,

We

fleece.

saw a piece of an old

column

in reduced circumstances

now an

olive crusher.

once

in a temple,

We shuddered at the

filthy black

pools where, within a few yards of the house, the refuse liquid

from the

oil mills is collected.

We

reached

a cistern in which we had counted upon refilling our

barada

and, our muleteers having emptied those ves-

sels in anticipation,

we became suddenly exposed

to the

apprehensions of thirst.

We

reached considerable olive groves, protected by

hedges of dove-coloured thorn.

Across the rough sandy

track at short intervals were channels to carry the rainwater,

dug by some poor Arab, anxious

to lose

no drop

of what was Hfe to his crop, and for which this season
his labour

rocky.

had been

We overtook

In places the way became

in vain.

armed Bedouins with white camels

travelling to Kairwan, and

met numerous camels and

asses laden with esparto for the seaport of Susa.

On

the great plain, sweeping away to the

tains of Oussalat, were the squat

Bedouins.

To

the north

we could
p

'i

moun-

brown tents of the

see the fine peaks of

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

212

Zagbwan

known

We

Djebel Resass.

Eomans

to the

chap, xviii.

Zeugis

as

and

of

were travelling towards the mugh-

reb, the sunset.

Our shaoushes were fine-looking men, dressed handsomely and in excellent taste
a white haik about his head

one with a red djubba,

and shoulders, a dark blue

burnous, and bare brown ankles.

The other wore a

chocolate-coloured djubba, with pale green embroidery, a

white haik, and light blue burnous. They were mounted

on mules, the best of

where trotting

The

possible.

is

all

beasts for Eastern travelling,

fatiguing and galloping often im-

swift

ambling pace of the mule takes

the traveller over the ground at a surprising rate.

shdoush

is

commanding perhaps

serjeant,

or twenty Bedouin tents.

darmes of the

The
rain

are the

fifteen

mounted gen-

interior.

clouds gathered overhead and a few drops of

We

fell.

to rain.
if

They

asked one of our guards

I don't

know

God knows, he

if it

were going

said quietly, as

any speculation by him would be irreverent.

Near

the Bedouin tents on the plain were occasional patches

of corn, which slightly cheered the landscape.

One

or

two mongrel greyhounds came to snarl at

These are used

beast,

for

hunting the jackal.

whose cry resembles an infant's

numbers in the Sahel.

When

comes plucky enough, and

us.

This amusing

wail, is

found in

got into a corner

fights like a dog.

it

be-

Gazelles,

CHAP.

THE PORCUPINE.

xnn.

too, are

plentiful

213

and even between Susa and

here,

Moureddin they are seen grazing

They

like goats.

hunted with horses and greyhounds, and are

The young

catch.

The

very domestic.
plain

its flesh

are hedgehogs

towards El Knais,

five

difficult to

and become

numbers on the

fox, too, exists in

the Arabs eat

Then there

They

gazelles are easily tamed,

are

and consider

it excellent.

and porcupines, especially

miles to the left of our road.

are hunted, so the shaoushes told me, with dogs,

and are capital food

at night,

prickly pork

is

He

as they are not

fortifying.

much

as twenty pounds, Perru-

added that they are hard to catch

amusing

This

Some

not forbidden by the Koran.

porcupines weigh as
quier said.

very

to take hold of.

alive,

Also that

you might knock a porcupine about the head with a

hammer, and he not think anything

of

it

but he

is

very tender and sensitive above his legs and feet, where

one blow will disable him.

almost as

fast as

a dog.

The porcupine runs

The dogs know them

fast,

well,

and don't fancy them, but dance round yelping and

Sportsmen

snarling.

in search of partridge

Kesass often chance upon porcupines.

hedgehog

him by

will readily attack

the body,

it

and

kill

on Djebel

was told that a

a snake.

Seizing

holds him, while the snake in his

frantic writhing, teais himself to pieces on the hedge-

hog's bristles.

We

saw a prodigious worm or caterpillar nearly

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

214

as long as a porcupine,

hundred

legs, so

and with thirteen

We

Perruquier said.

must be very nearly the

chap. xvin.

largest

as neither the shaoushes nor I

worm

or fourteen

agreed that he
:

and

had ever read of

this

in the world

we

caterpillar in natural history books,

believed

him

to

be something quite new, and gave him the name of

Eruca Perruquiensis.

Besides the above creatures,

there abound on the plain of Kairwan hares, partridge,

and quail

so that a

sportsman or naturalist should have

a good time here.

After travelling for two hours and a half
the

Lake

Sidi el Hani, or

siderable sheet

Lake of Kairwan

of water, three miles distant

soon lost sight of

among

it

Eound

fig,

hill,

the western and southern

by drainage and

rain

Oulad

its

a con-

but we

darkly covered with

the double marabout of Sidi

stretch the tents of the

sighted

and rising ground.

hillocks

In another hour we saw on a

Barbary

we

shores

Zlass.

Hani.

el

of

the lake

This lake

waters are brackish.

is

There

are only three considerable streams in all the Sahel

Wadi Gimmal,

into which

we had formed

hopes of Perruquier's having fallen

which we

Kairwan

shall cross

fed

the

unjustified

the Wadi Hamam,

on our journey northward from

and the Wadi Hamdun.

What

with the scanty natural supply of water and

the precariousness of the rainfall, the failure of the

crops in the Sahel

is

lamentably frequent.

This and

GLIMPSE OF THE CITY.

CHAP, iviii.

215

other causes have contributed to the dwindling away

of the population from two hundred thousand to barely
half that number.

Within nine miles of Susa

Sahel

sort of miniature

is

Kairwan

a noted town of the

M'seken by name,

proverbial for the jealousy, bigotry, and exclusiveness

Not many

of its inhabitants.

years ago the inhabitants

attempted to murder two Maltese, but the town was

fined

The shaoushes

and the ringleaders were punished.

said there was no longer

any danger in

visiting

our muleteer had been more than once within

and

it,

its walls.

After four hours and a half of quick travelling,

we

saw some white buildings and a minaret among trees

rather hazy and low in the plain.

Beyond

rose a grey

serrated range of mountains, and the sun was declining

behind them.

It was the

Holy City of Kairwan.

We

could see herds of camels grazing on the plain, and

blue smoke rising from the Bedouin tents.

grew darker

as the

The

hills

sun sank, the plain grew purple,

the stillness of evening was coming on, and we won-

dered

if

we could

arrive before the gates were closed.

Fortunately the twilight

its

is

long on this vast plain and

exceeding level surface, extending as

Zaghwan

does from

to the borders of the Djerid.

The track became enormously broad

mud

it

the hard dry

was impressed with countless hoof and footmarks.

The caravans and pilgrims of

centuries

had used it.

The

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

2i6

from time to time, as we traversed

city disappeared

hollows where the horses' feet sank in

We

chap, xtiii.

still

liquid

mud.

could hear the bleating of the lambs in the darlc

brushwood enclosures of the Bedouin douars, and wild

forms looked out from the low black tents.

We

drew

rapidly nearer, and the city began to develop

itself.

We

could see to the right, outside the city, a great garden

and a white-domed mosque among

oushes told

The
outline

me

it

trees.

The

sha-

was the garden of the late Kaid.

city walls were brownish yellow, with crenellated

to the right, above a long

wall, rose the tower of the

Africa

its

smooth stretch of

most sacred building in

all

thc' shrine of the veneration, fanaticism, and

bigotry of twelve centuries. In form this

minar

recalled

was more squat.

those of Cordova and Seville, but

it

seemed to be of brownish brick

for a great part of its

creamy white above.

height, and of a

very silent, no

hum came

had lighted great

fires

from the

city.

It

Everything was

The Bedouins

on either side of the track, and

thick smoke rose from them.

We

could distinguish shep-

herds with a flock of sheep ascending the slope in front

of the eastern gate, and entering the city by the dark

round arch.

We

in the city wall,

could distinguish the brown bricks

and above the crenellated parapet the

yellow houses, domes, and minarets.

We

advanced rapidly, leaving to om- right a large

white-domed

marabout, to

our

left

a sloping

hill

OUTSKIRTS OF KAIRWAN.

CHAP. xvin.

covered thickly with Barbary

To

fig.

217

the right, below

the city walls, extended wide gardens of the same dull

Among

green shrub.

marabout,

dome

its

time we were

the figs to the left was another

fluted like a water-melon.

close to the city walls,

and the

By

this

tall half-

round towers which project at even distances round

and erect

It was a long, high wall, very complete

Great Wall of Damascus or the Moorish wall

like the

The domes of the mosques

of Cordova.

had convex

We

it.

still,

rising above it

flutings.

saw no people about save the shepherds enter-

ing the eastern gate.

passing round

for

We

our right hand,

left this to

some distance under the

wall,

and

between the wall and a great enclosure with cemented

This was a cistern, measuring maybe a hundred

floor.

and

fifty

yards by a hundred yards, to collect the rain-

water on which the city depends

but

it

now, and as dry as a threshing-floor.

rain-water

fails in

the summer, and

is

was empty
Occasionally

not unlikely to

do so this year. There were some buildings of attob, or

mud,

outside the city wall

the inhabitants.

and here we came among

One look back over the great

dull

plain behind, and we were in a suburb of Kairwan.

There were strange looks cast at

quietly on to the gate

the crowd.
city

till

Bab

el

us,

but we passed

Djuluddin and entered

had been cautioned not to approach the

soldiers should be sent out

but one shaoush

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

2i8

we had

outridden, and there seemed nothing gained by

loitering outside

The remaining shaoush

him.

for

ter's letter

among

my

and

and I

respects, while Perruquier

the crowd.

men and

There were the customary groups of

idling at the close of day,

and they came

haps the

first

they had seen in their

Wonder gave

place

They

per-

stared

What

to superstition.

has Allah sent the unbeliever here for

they asked one

I understood the ordinary forms of

another.

what

who we were and what the deuce we

at us, wondering

wanted.

city.

boys

to see

chance had brought Christians among them

evil

Prime Minis-

sent on to the Kaid's house to carry the

sat

chap. xvni.

Arab com-

pliment, such as kaU), khanztr, kqflr, and Perruquier

translated the rest while I wrote

book.

The dog

come

into our city

a white-robed
?

in

my note

how

dare he

them down

man

said,

Then they began

to

grow angry,

and some of them scowled and spat at us from a

May

tance.

crush

him

the good

man

They drew
and

vifeit

and

Some among them were

quiet

but others seemed almost unable to

contain themselves.
to

suffer the walls to fall

said.

nearer.

respectful,

God

dis-

The Kaid has gone

the soldiers, said a

Your shaoush has followed

back to receive you.

We

to the Castle

Moor with a grey

liim,

and he

beard.

will soon be

were close to the Kaid's

house, and could not present ourselves

till

he was ready

'

CHAP.

OUR RECEPTION.

rvm.

219

to receive us, it being contrary to Oriental

and law to do

so.

boy, after examining

time, brought up a companion.

hat

del's

is it

made

of

wood

etiquette

me

some

for

See, he said, the InfiIt

was a round- topped

black felt hat, and the young Moors were possibly cal-

No

one, however,

a stone, and we sat tranquilly

among them.

culating
raised

There

is

brick- proof capacity.

its

who had not spoken

They

my

a cheerful omen, said

looked

before

will never leave the city.

nearest neighbour

Please Grod

Our reception was about

come by an

woman

old

A man

interpreter.

and

at us

Inshallah!

said.

said his

as cordial as Linnaeus' wel-

in Lapland,

who

addressed

him

with mingled pity and reserve in the following words

'

thou poor

man

what hard destiny can have brought

thee hither to a place never visited by anyone before

This

is

the

first

time I ever beheld a stranger.

miserable creature
wilt thou go

The
still

sat

how

did'st

Thou

thou come, and whither

soldier

among

had been gone

for half

an hour, and we

I told Perruquier to give a

the crowd.

handful of tobacco to a youth near, to see what he would

do.

Dou't touch

it

roared his companions

luted with swine's flesh.

it is

contempt were novel and interesting, and their

were so conscientiously and
could only receive

pol-

Their unatfected dislike and

heartily oSered

them with good

nature.

insults

that

we

They were

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

220

more
voke

feelings than to

to relieve their utterers'

pro-

us.

It was enjoyable to
as it

chap, xviii.

have reached the

had been, save at rare

for twelve centuries

the

city,

untrodden

by Christian

intervals,

feet

shrine which its inhabitants

had contrived to keep sealed and almost unpolluted by

foreigners

Strangers had

and unbelievers.

come

at

distant intervals, but disguised and careful in manner.

Here were two of the dogs

sitting

in their ordinary native dress,

where they had no right to

sit,

Curse them

the hardest things they could say.

would break out now and then

and an

What

can Allah's piu-pose be

word

as they spoke,

ill-disposed

annoyed them more.

asked one

countenance,
?

they

the swine

Hasn't he a very large head

Yes,

and smiling at

I wrote

little

said

boy.

another.

down word

for

and the act of writing puzzled and

At length our

soldier reappeared.

As we turned our backs the crowd raised a howl of

execration.

They had hoped that

after delivering our

message to the Ka'id we would leave Kairwan.

tians in the city

they yelled.

Malediction

Chris-

WELCOME

THE HOLY

IN

CHAPTER

CITY.

XIX.

The Year of the Hejreh 1292The Kaid's House Sidi Mohammed

HospitalityA Pervert Supper a I'ArabeFanaVisit the Kai'dThe Bazaars Curiosity and Precautions The Tunis Gate A Horse Sale My Bodyguard Progress
Mour&bet

el

tical

Mosquito

to Citadel Soldiers Civility The

WallsRough Usage.

It was the twenty-fifth day of the

Thank goodness

the year 1292.

the nineteenth century at

We pulled
Sidi

up and alighted

Mohammed

el

month of

Safar, in

had got away from

Here was a refuge from

last.

telegraphs, railways, hotels,

and

financial commissions.

at the house of the governor,

A pleasant-looking man,

Mourabet.

stout and grey-haired, stood at the open door

and wished

me Marhdba, Welcome.
went

in with

him.

We

passed through a large

There were

anteroom into a hall with grated windows.

divans at the sides and end of the room, which was

rather
floor,

empty

otherwise.

walls were tiled like the

and the wooden ceiling was painted in gaudy

colours.

Several attendants followed us in and stood

respectfully about.

and

The

My

host

made me

I told Perruquier to express

inconvenienced

him

my

sit

beside him,

sorrow for having

at so short a notice.

He

shook

me

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

222

kindly by the hand, assuring

me

that

it

chap, xviii.

gave him muoli

pleasure to see me, and that he would do his best to

make my

It was

visit agreeable.

not the governor

himself, but his brother, Miralai or Colonel

el

Mohammed

Mourabet, a member of one of the oldest families in

Kairwan, a mild amiable man, who was suffering from

asthma.

He

told Perruquier that

any arrangement

might

be pleased to wish for should be immediately made

and that he was

to be informed of

that to the best of his ability

He

it

any desire of mine,

might be

gratified.

said his brother, the Ferik or General, was absent in

the Djerid, collecting the revenues, and that he would

be sorry to have missed the chance of entertaining any-

Kh aired din.

one recommended by General

He

was

my

host

expected back in Kairwan in ten days.

asked

The Kaid
acted as such

for in

his

if I

brother's absence

would prefer remaining in

his

house or occupying one by myself assuring me that either

:

arrangement would be equally convenient and gratifying

to him.
to

Believing this plan would cause less restraint

both of

us, I told

Perruquier to say that I should

enjoy staying with the Kaid very much, but that

should enjoy staying by myself more than I should,

enjoy staying with him.

The Kaid ordered rooms

to be prepared in a house

hard by, and went out himself to see to the arrange-

A FRENCH MUSSULMAN.

CHAP, xviir.

223

ments, leaving his attendants and Perruquier with

me

in the reception room.

In Kairwan, I had been told, was a renegado, a

Frenchman, who had adapted Islamism, and who occupied himself in instructing the Raid's children.

His

perversion had taken place in Tunis, but he was shy or

jealous of his

new

faith,

and to avoid comment or

curiosity he

had sought refuge

the Moors.

His habits and dress

in the sacred
differed, I

city of

was

told, in

no way from those of the Moors about him, and he was

imwilling to be identified.

He was probably some shop-

keeper or barber, I fancied, who had changed his faith

to serve

some small private

When we came

interest.

in sight of Kairwan, I instructed

Perruquier to seek out the Frenchman and become as

friendly as possible with him,

and I provided him with a

quantity of expensive tobacco with which to conciliate

the renegade's rugged
obtain,

spirit.

Our deep purpose was

to

by the means of tobacco and napoleons, drawings

and measurements of the mosque, which

it

was said to

be almost certain death for a Christian to approach.

Perruquier,

who had

liim to the cafe,

a ready intelligence, was to invite

and between the

coffee, the tobacco,

and the napoleons to form a quick and valuable

ship.

The renegado had spent some months

prior to his

change of

sight to Perruquier.

faith,

He

friend-

in Tunis

and was well known by

was to cough when the rene-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

224

gado should make

and

his appearance

chap. xix.

and then Perruquier

rubbed our hands and thought we had prepared

a good bait to catch the renegado.

As we

sat in the

boy,

old.

Without any

my

lamp

plump and

little

about three or four years

came up and

hesitation he

when

knee, and

him

I gave

coat he was very pleased, and

and that

him

to

my

me

and may you

ing.

left,

and we

for a quarter

it

was time

May

said,

sat for

for

your
!

some time

asked Perruquier to

what the projects were

for our food

I will ask for a glass of water, he said,

into conversation with one of the servants.

went in good

my

friendly.

up with happiness

rise

longer in the empty room.

ascertain

When

go to bed, he kissed me, and

The attendants had

me

on

that his father was the governor

host was his uncle.

sleep be sweet,

sat

a yellow rose from

we grew very

Quite frank and at home, he sat with

of an hour, and told

came in a dear

light there

jolly,

faith for the water,

and lodgand enter

I'he servant

and then told us that

dinner was already prepared, and that

my

rooms were

being put in order.

The attendants
tellectual-looking

of the

Kaid returned.

tall,

in-

man, with a white turban, an ordinary

Arab cloth dress in good

taste,

and a beard

closely

cut in the Arab fashion, advanced to one of the tapers

and lighted a
features.

cigarette, while the light fell

Perruquier coughed.

It

upon

his

was the Frenchman.

A SEALED

CHIP. XIX.

A man

of perfect Oriental

was one of the

last in

the

CITY.

225

manner and composure, he

room one would have picked

out as a European.

Soon the Kaid returned, and, taking

led the

way

my new

to

me by the

Here was a

quarters.

hand,

suite of

three small comfortable rooms, furnished with divans

and mattresses, and in the inner room the Kaid and I

took our

seats,

awaiting the supper.

The Mudabbir,

or

Minister, sat near us, a well-bred man, dressed in pale

grey cloth with silk braiding, and having a close-pointed

grey beard and sharp features.

had never

He

is.

left

For twenty years he

Kairwan had not travelled

as far as Susa.

an example of the

ants of this city.

life

of the rest of the inhabit-

For twelve centuries shut up and

insensible to the progress of the outer world, they have

no ambitions or
little

curiosity,

information.

The

no enterprise, and relatively

great world has been rolling on

while the Moors of Kairwan, anxious only to be

left

alone and to maintain the exclusiveness of their shrine

and

city,

have slumbered on, unconscious of outer

changes of thought and circumstance.

Empires have

risen

and

fallen,

new continents have

been discovered and peopled: the

map

of the world

and the whole system of civilisation have changed, but

Kairwan has been indiflferent to

it all.

The

which issued many kingdoms, both on

source from

this continent

and in Europe, Kairwan has remained practically unQ

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

226

affected

by their

destinies.

chap. xix.

Her ancient splendour has

in great measure disappeared

her independence and

exclusiveness have alone prevented her complete decay.

Keduced

in size

and wealth, Kairwan

is still

an intact

holy Moorish city.

I

was getting desperately hungry, and

vants had not

come

to

if

the ser-

announce supper I should have

devoured the Kaid himself, for

all I

know.

It was the

year 1292, and I don't suppose 1 should have minded.

me
Near me

The worthy gentleman

me

a good appetite.

led

to the table

my

sat

and wished

interpreter,

and

much persuasion
the shaoushes who had escorted me from Susa. They

at the other end of the table sat

after

wished, poor fellows, to wait

till

had

finished,

but I

saw no prospect of being finished for hours, and made

them join

us.

The Kaid had

sent

numerous attendants

and a handsome array of dishes from

his

own

kitchen.

After supper the Kaid and Mudabbir sat with

we had a long
called out,

In the course of

chat.

it

the Kaid was

and he returned leading by the hand a mild-

faced, pleasant

yoimg Moor, who saluted me cordially

and then affectionately kissed the Mudabbir.

Kaid's son,

me and

who had

having travelled the distance in two days.

been studying the

It

was the

just arrived from Tunis by horse,

He had

Mohammedan law in Tunis, and had

many months. Tlie Mudabbir's

not seen his father for

family had been in Kairwan, he told me, for six hundred


ONE OF THE ALMORAVIDES.

CHAP. XIX.

years

the Kaid's family almost since the city's found-

They were

ation.

of the famous sect

name

warrior

signifies

or

who once go-

El Mourabet or Almoravide

verned Moorish Spain.

the

2?7

one devoted to the Faith, as either

saint.

Mohammed

Sidi

el

Mourabet

is

Governor of Kairwan, of the Sahel and the Djerid.

The

chief religious functionaries here are the Bashi

The Oujak,

Mufti, two Muftis, and a Kadi.

of

or corps

Hambas, are commanded by an Agha, a Kahia, a

Khogia, and a Bashi Shaoush. In former times the Kaid

Within a century

of Kairwan was almost absolute.

in the reign of

Hamouda Pasha

the Kaid had a

honest baker of the city thrown into his

when the Bey

own oven

sent to remonstrate with him, the

dis-

and

Kaid

simply replied that he had shown a good example.

The Kaid wished me good

same.

The

shaoushes,

who never

slept in the outer room.

spread for

me

on the

Mudabbir did the

night, the
left

me

night or day,

Delightful soft mattresses were

floor,

and I

fell

asleep and dreamt

that I was the Scherif with a green turban

who

dis-

covered the cofFee plant on the mountains of Yemen, in

the year of the Flight 700.
I had not slept

for

many

hours when I awoke,

harassed by a single fanatical mosquito.

The

lights

were out, and Perruquier was snoring near the door.

will not

attempt to describe the variety and ingenuity

of the schemes I formed for catching this mosquito.

Q 2

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

228

Sometimes

it

seemed that he was within

but he always eluded me.

sleep

and listened to

Sometimes

me.

his

my

grasp,

and

him

against the

Sometimes

I simulated

I arose with a light heart to squeeze

wall,

chap. xix.

guarded hum while he watched

I struck

my

face a violent blow, will-

ing to sacrifice everything to despatch the mosquito,

but to no purpose.

me, and

I buried

Eventually the mosquito defeated

my

head under the

soft quilt.

I will cite for the reader's benefit a recipe copied

from one of the most worthy and popular English

The

papers.

had

writer of it

suffered grievously

from

mosquito bites, and had hit upon the following remedy

Oil of pennyroyal, 2 dr.
acetic acid, ^ dr.

3 dr.

tual.

castor oil, 3 oz.

I

of cedar, 2 dr.

He

The reader had

of this preparation

mical studies

upon

till

is

It

glacial

camphor,

ought to

kill

an

better suspend his purchase

I have completed certain che-

One

this subject.

gredients I intend using

preparation

1 dr.

thinks this should be effec-

should think so too.

elephant.

On

oil

pure carbolic acid,

is

of the chief in-

nitro-glycerine,

and the

to be called the Annihilator.

the second day I was awakened early by the

punctual Perruquier, and found that the Kaid's servants

had already prepared breakfast

for

me.

It

was an ex-

cellent Eastern meal, ending with a dish of assida, a

kind of flour porridge eaten with honey, usually offered

to parting guests.

Whether

this

was a delicate hint on

PROGRESS THROUGH STREETS.

CHAP. XIX.

229

the part of the Raid's cook, suggested by the ravages

made upon

the supper, I don't know, but I had no

intention of leaving for at least a day or two.

After

breakfast the attentive and hospitable Kaid, with his

officers, called

and

ceremony, which I

after a visit of

had previously instructed Perruquier

delicate excuse for cutting short,

we smoked a

an archway crossing the

request left

me

frame some

went downstairs

led

me

to his

cigarette together, then

He accompanied me

from his door.

far as

all

The Kaid

into the street together.

house

we

to

for

street,

we

own

issued

a few yards, as

and then at

my

with the soldiers and attendants.

There were two or three members of the Raid's

household, in turbans and long robes, white stockings

and yellow shoes

my

handsomely dressed shaoushes

from Susa, Perruquier, and several

by
the

this bodyguard, I
city.

soldiers.

made an imposing

They watched me

Surrounded

progress through

jealously, clearing a path

and thrusting aside individuals disposed to be too

They seemed

ward or curious.

to

feel

for-

much more

anxious than I did, and appeared to contemplate the

possibility of

the

my

attracting stones or a knife. Probably

man who might

either

succeed in reaching the Infidel with

would be entitled

to the thanks of his spiritual

advisers and deserve well of his city.

The people were dressed much

so richly or tastefully.

as in Tunis, but not

They wore turbans and aftans.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

230

chap. xix.

sometimes the burnous, and more frequently the djubba,

They were mightily

as in ,Sfax.

them

rather insolent and angry.

curious,

What

and some of

in the

name

of

Grod does he want here? they would ask, starting up from

who care-

their occupations to crowd round the soldiers,

fully

kept them at a distance.

We

passed on our left

a small white mosque, that of the Bey, with a square

tower.

On

each side of the tower, at one third of the

height from the top, ran an inscription in brick stand-

ing in bold

relief.

was in quaint square old type,

It

and probably either conveyed the

else the Confession of
I

Faith

title of

There

is

but the one God.

was sorry to be too ignorant to read

ashamed of Perruquier, who

is

the mosque, or

it,

half a native.

and quite

He

couldn't read those particular characters, but

questioned

him

said he

when

searchingly afterwards, he confessed that

he could not read any Arabic characters at

all.

So I

cannot help regarding Perruquier as a fraud.

In a wide space in the street near the entrance to
the bazaars was a sort of market place, where there were
provision shops, and

money

changers, from

There were grocers' shops, with

got some small money.

esparto baskets full of beans, seeds, and roots

smiths who

left their

for a

Moorish

and

city.

copper-

red copper vessels and hammers

to look at the stranger.

smiths',

whom we

We

This street was tolerably broad

passed butchers' shops, black-

others, having a little arcade of pillars

THE TUNIS GATE.

CH4P. xrx.

131

running in front of them. At length we came to the

Bab

el

Tunes, or Tunis Gate. The curiosity was general

a throng of idlers accompanied us, kept at bay by the

faithful bodyguard.

The Gate

is

a tower, having a Moorish horseshoe

archway of alternate black and white marble, with a red

keystone
pillars.

its sides

are faced with beautiful old marble

running

scroll of

ornament and inscription

frames the arch, and the angles above

arabesque designs.

moulded

Above the

parapet of the wall.

contain lovely

arch

first

and overhead

in the wall,

it

is

The whole gate

is

a second,

the crenellated

forms, as almost

every one of the city gates forms, a fine example of

the best Mauresque design. In front of the gate were the

customary loungers of every Oriental

wayside sat three blind beggars.

city,

and by the

This was the moment,

I said to Perruquier, for doing the

handsome thing and

:

Perruquier with munificence placed some copper in the

hand of each beggar.

Beyond the outer doorway of the tower, which has

a plain horseshoe arch in red and white stone, runs a
tolerably broad passage, taking a turn to the left, and

lined with shops of gunsmiths or armourers, and old iron

and implement

stores.

Then comes another arch with

beautiful inscribed lintels of white

marble, and

emerge into an outer market place under the

where country produce

is

sold

and

fairs are held.

we

walls,

Here

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

234

was an animated scene

their goods

buyers

there were carpet sellers with

thrown over their shoulders, calling out

of fodder heaped

sellers

chap. xix.

for

up on the ground,

baskets of red chiles, esparto panniers of vegetables,

pottery from Nablus

from the

white-robed Arabs

country, and Bedouins with goats for sale.

One Bedouin had a young

fifty piastres

he wanted for

horse

three hundred and

It was a thin

it.

looking beast, but Perruquier fancied

would lend
said, I

me

the three hundred and

it.

and weedy-

If Monsieur

fifty piastres,

he

would feed the horse up and gain a hundred and

fifty piastres

on the purchase. Young and inexperienced

in the world's wiles as I was,

it still

occurred to

me

that

were I to advance Perruquier the money, the chances

were that

dred piastres
I assured

and very

him

so I

of five hun-

horse down.

become subject to

stringhalt

and the

This alarmed Perruquier, and he concluded

not to

make

crowd,

who thought

a bid,

much
it

strolled

to the dissatisfaction of the

just like Christians to look at a

horse and decline to buy

here, the unbelievers ?

We

clear gain to

that the animal was feeble, misshapen,

likely to

strangles.

him

commenced running the

might be a

it

it.

What, then, do they want

was the talk of the outer market.

from spot to

spot, the faithful

army,

formed in a hollow square, always on the watch. Eound

the outer market place were small houses and one or

two foudouks.

We

went out and watched a simple but

THE OUTER MARKET.

CHAP. XIX.

and

are used by the Barbary seamen,

men

They

apparatus for making esparto ropes.

efficient

for

233

also

by the boat-

of Italy and Sicily, being very good substitutes

hempen

They are worth ten pounds a

ropes.

ton.

Those which are exported from Susa are excellent, those

We

of Tripoli not so good or carefully made.

made

too,

of esparto

some

saw mats,

and rough like hemp

stout

or cocoanut mats, others thin, delicate, and in pretty

patterns.

Among

the Bedouins

we saw the huge

flap-

ping straw hat of the Djerid and Wadai, decorated with

It takes

ostrich feathers.
its

from the Arab dress much of

grace and dignity.

"SVe

passed from one group to another, examining

and making notes

amusement the
faces.

of everything, and watching with

various shades of expression

on the

The bodyguard were very unceremonious

and boys were thrust on one side

scowling were injurious to me.

as if their

We

men

gaping or

returned past the

gunsmiths and through the gates, turning to the

and passing along the

streets to the old

Kasbah.

left,

Men

and boys would stop and turn to join the procession.

The guards

seized one

thou hast seen his

face, it is

The Kasbah, now

fort,
it.

by the arm.
enough

Pass on, they said

for thee.

called the Keshlah,

is

a rectangular

having a large open coiu and low barracks round

We went

At the gate

in without restraint

among

the soldiers.

was the Kaid's son, who saluted

me

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

234

cha.p. xix.

with the courtesy of his family.

All round the quad-

rangle were

some idling about,

groups of soldiers,

others under arms

and doing musketry

Many

drill.

were Arabs from their tribes in their own picturesque

An

attire.

officer

approached in uniform with the star

of the

Nischan Iftikhar on

civilly

and begged

plained

who

me

it

he received

My

me

guards ex-

and how kindly the First Minister

I was,

The Kaimakam

led

me

to the

the Keshlah, which was bound and

faced with iron, and the soldiers threw

Beyond

to look round.

had recommended me.

military gate of

his breast

it

open.

lay the open plain, and towards the suburb

Sayiha Jebliyeh,

among

the trees of the late Governor's

garden, stood a

white

mosque and the College of

To

Kairwan.

of

little village

Prohibition

the right, a mile away from this, lay the

Dar

to approach the city.

note

down

soldier to

Mana

al

beyond

House of the Obstacle or

which point Jews are forbidden

I

all I saw.

asked the

Kaimakam if

Certainly, he said.

him from the detachment

at

He

drill.

might

called a

You

not present arms as the stranger entered, he said.

that you do

it as

did

See

he goes out. As we passed, the soldiers

stood to their arms, and their guns went up with a rattle.

Round
water.

a cistern in the quadrangle lay skins and kegs for

The

garrison

were being replaced by troops

from the Bardo, who had just

wished

me

arrived.

a civil farewell, accompanying

The

me

officer

into the

INSIDE THE WALLS.

CHAP. xrs.

235

and we moved on in the direction of the Great

street,

Mosque.
round, within the city walls, runs an empty

All

with houses here and there demolished, to

street,

make

waste places, no doubt for the purpose of giving free

Where they were

circulation round the fortifications.

to

any extent ruinous, the walls were being repaired

and plastered.

They were constructed

measuring in section

bricks,

by two inches

there

brown

three inches and a half

being no stone or quarries in the

Through the bricks

neighbourhood.

of small

ran,

in

places,

white bricks, apparently for no other

lines of tile or

purpose than ornament.

At times in our progress a man

or a

boy would allow

himself to use the offensive word Kafir

in

mocking

Then two
or beat

drive

or three soldiers

him

him

till

would go

he howled.

into a corner

with them

ment was

voice, or boldly call out

now and

for

Unbeliever

Kalh\ Dog!

him, and cuff

Sometimes they would

and stone him.

I remonstrated

then, representing that the punish-

in excess of the offence.

Let him leave us to

deal with them, they said to Perruquier, if he wants to

be

safe.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

236

CHAPTER

XX.

The Great Mosque Sketches The Khasinah Decaying City Its

Former Size^The Bazaars SlippersMarabouts The Mosques
Tombs of the Saints Curiosity An Aspiration The Suburbs

Djemma

We

'1

Yahudi

Zituna

Postern Gate.

saw over the low roofs the great tower of the

mosque, and in a few more paces came upon the famous

edifice.

In the north-eastern angle of the

the

city,

in fact

which

without

from the form of a hexagon

it

city, in

a wing of

would not be

stands the great

far

quad-

rangle of the mosque.

It is in

a clear space of ground, withdrawn from

the confusion of the narrow streets, and distant from

the city walls round

On

it

perhaps

fifty or

a hundred yards.

the north-west side nothing stands between the

mosque and the

walls.

On

the north-east side stands a

collection of little houses or huts

on a portion of the

south-east side are a few small houses

The south-west

and washhouses.

side has a tolerably broad lane, with

houses on the opposite side.

The mosque

enclosure

is

a high level wall, flanked by massive buttresses with

THE SHRINE OK OKHBAH.

CHAP. XX.

sloping tops.

237

The northern and southern walls

are each

adorned by two handsome domed tower gateways, and

two plainer entrances,

level of the wall.

also in towers, rising

above the

At the eastern end of the quadrangle

from a hexagon the dome of the Mihrdb

from the

west wall rises the solid and imposing Minar.

Every-

rises

thing, save the lower portion of the tower, was snowy

white, standing

out against the blue cloudless sky.

This was the mosque of Kairwan

of

its

from

founder,
its

the

tomb

shrine and

Okhbah ibn Aghlab, and the

spot chosen

sanctity as the last resting place of the

Kings

of Tunis.
I
tion,

began by making a sketch of the north-west eleva-

and the Minar rising about midway along the

wall.

This massive erection, measuring ten yards on each side

of the base, runs

up with a

slight taper to a height of

Eound a

gallery

here runs a line of round-headed crenellations.

From

about sixty

feet, in

brownish brick.

this platform rises, perhaps

twenty

feet,

a smaller tower,

with arched panels, and having a porch from which

the mueddins issue on to the gallery.

Eound the

parapet of this upper tower were attached a number of

black objects, which proved to be lanterns.

The

birth-

day of the Prophet, Leylet al Moolid, was approaching,

and the devout Moors of Kairwan were making

ready for
little

it.

There rose from the second platform a

tower of belfry form, with an arch open to each

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

238

chap. xx.

of the four winds, and through which the sky appeared.

A cornice
and from

of brickwork supported the plain fluted dome,

its

centre rose a tapering pinnacle, with the

Crescent of Islam upon

its

summit.

As I was sketching, some people approached. Kafir

one cried, whereupon he was stoned by the guards.

Some

children passing stopped to look at me.

Are you

not ashamed, cried the Hambas, to stare at the guest

of the Kaid
soldiers,

while I

The bodyguard was reinforced by two

and kept the lane

clear,

turning people back,

moved on and sketched the south-west

face of

the mosque.

The domed gateways had

with acanthus capitals,

let

delicate marble columns,

into

Of the

them.

four

entrances on this side, only that by the Great Porch was

habitually

mueddins

open.

There was a small door

in the blank wall.

Down

for

the

the opposite side of

the lane ran houses, the doors of which were studded in

designs with nails, and having in front of

them small

sloping platforms of tesselated brick.

I sketched the south-east

end of the mosque.

It

a high and solid wall, strengthened by buttresses.

had been recently

From

restored, plastered,

the centre rose the fluted

was
It

and whitewashed.

dome of Okhbah's sacred

Mihrab. In the centre panel of the hexagon supporting

it,

was a rose window with coloured

glass.

To

the left of

the Mihrab, and projecting thirty feet from the wall,

THE MOSQUE QUARTER;

CHAP. XX.

were the porch and entrance of

high priest of the

tlie

239

Bashi Mufti, the

The northern

district.

mosque had a general resemblance

to

side of the

of

that

the

southern.

Having gained a general

idea of the exterior, and

leisurely scrutiny of the interior

after a

through the

wide open doors, we moved on towards the bazaars.

angle

the south-eastern
facing

of the

an ancient mosque. El Khasinah or the

it

with a colonnaded court.

It

At

mosque there stood

store,

was used as a lime store

then, and half a dozen perspiring negroes were carrying

sacks of lime

Shall

dust.

said

it

We

and whitewashing themselves with the

we go

No, they

in ? I asked the soldiers.

was once a mosque.

proceeded

quarter which
zaars, the

lies

through

the

mean

and

shabby

between the mosque and the ba-

Arbat Medineh, or Quarter of the ]Mosque

At almost every comer and angle of the

walls were

columns with beautiful heads, of grey granite, and of

The number

marble, grey, red, and white.

in

Kairwan was simply surprising

looked into, every

com mill

were poor, and

Kairwan, like Cordova,

we

or magazine, seemed to have

rare old pillars carrying its vaulted roof.

generally

of columns

every interior

many

is still

of

The houses

them decaying.

too large for

its

shrunken

population.

The legend

is

that, eleven

hundred years ago, the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

240

chap. xx.

city contained thirty quarters, each as large as the pre-

sent city.

One might

travel for a whole day without

reaching the farther side of

So vast was

it.

wood

children used to carry a small label of

name

given them by their parents, with the

quarter engraved upon

it,

it,

that

or silver,

of their

that they might not go astray.

Another legend says the city was a square, measuring

eighteen miles in every direction.

We passed Dar el

(!)

Kaid, the house of the late Grover,

nor, a large building, with a gallery across its front,

and a

We

came

tiled roof supported

to the bazaars,

and

They were vaulted

dark.

We

on grey marble

strolled slowly

in brickwork,

saw the Soukh

pillars.

from one to another.

and were cool and

el Sarajim,

slippers of canary-coloured

whence come the

morocco leather

which

for

the city has been famous for centuries, and which

taught Cordova the art of working.

Kairwan workers

is

it

The dye of the

said to be unrivalled

but

think

that nowadays they get their colours from Tunis, where

I saw slippers

in shape.

made

fully as

good in colour and better

have heard on good authority that they

import the leather from France and

We went

to the woollen bazaar, where they sell the

white and grey barracan

of Barbary.

and

Italy.

the prevailing outer garment

In the calm, quiet alleys of the cotton

silk bazaars

were well-dressed respectable

citizens.

Unlike those of Tunis, the costumes of Kairwan were of a

FALSE SAINTS.

CHAP. XX.

241

predominating white colour, very becoming to dark

Many

countenances.

a striking group I saw in the

quiet vaulted passages

and

saw but few women

in

faces

and

curious

others

indifferent,

Kairwan than

some of the

were placid

they are scarcer in the streets of

any of the Oriental

cities.

Every now and then appeared a marabout

only half clad perhaps, and carrying a

drum

or saint,

to

make a

These were the most likely folks

fool of himself with.

to

We

surprised.

my

attempt to make

unpopular, guided as

visit

these creatures are neither by religion nor by reason.

Hungry predatory fanatics, or

commit the

grossest follies

else drivelling idiots,

they

and excesses imder the plea

of sanctity or inspiration, and are tolerated to an in-

extent by the

conceivable

This

is

best

classes

of Moslems.

one of the weakest features in the powerful and

impressive Faith of Islam.

We
bazaar.

came

to the

the

Zituna, the

saints'

is,

or

mosques of a con-

dervishes'

Djemma

Bab

el

in

fifty yards.

The
'1

Then comes Djemma

'1

Tree, outside the city

Djedid, or

New

Gate.

Next

Telatha Biban, or the Three Gates.

some

Djemma

Mosque of the Olive

'1

tombs

Okhbah

of course, Sidina

Great Mosque.

wall, facing the

the

six

one might pass a dozen within

mosque

Kebir

Barota, in the grocers'

and almost countless smaller places of

worship and
streets

'1

There are in Kairwan

siderable size

chief

Djemma

is

Then

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

242

Djemma

'1

Bey, the only Hanefite mosque in Kairwan,

and which stands

the stuff bazaar,
Aissa,

chap. xx.

Facing

in the Soukh.

is

Djemma

Malek.

'1

it,

and behind

Lastly, Sidi

Bou

where scorpion, glass, and cactus eating take place

on holy days.
In the streets leading to the Great Mosque are
marabouts' and saints' tombs
as

such

to a surprising

scarcely

extent.

distinguishable

numbers of

Grreat

holy and devout people came to lay their bones in the

religious capital of the Moors,

Besides, in

and many were canonised.

a city devoted so long to religion,

natural that pious and learned

men

it

is

should collect, that

over a space of a dozen centuries their places of sepulture

should multiply enormously, and that

though

There

should cluster near them.

faithful

in a ruinous state, the

tombs of the
exist still,

tombs of the Aghlabites,

the conquerors of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and Crete

they are

wan.
gian,

among

The tomb

who

We

the most venerated

died in the year a.d, 862,

much

respectable

curiosity

woman,

last, I

know what

to

is

also to

street,

and some remark.

said,

voice.

There

is

quiet,

went by said

a good-natured

turning to Perruquier.

she said ? he asked.

be seen.

continuing the

closely veiled, as she

something in a gentle
wish at

street

of Kair-

Kairwan theolo-

of Schanoun, the great

passed from

object of

monuments

Do you

She prayed that the

Great God might not inscribe your name in His book.

TOMB OF THE PROPHET'S FRIEND.

CHAP. XX.

There are weavers, in the quiet bye

streets,

make haiks and barracans of undyed wool

them

are charcoal burners

went out by the Bab

and

el Djedid,

243

who

and near

We

sellers of firewood.

and rambled among the

suburbs, which are poor and small, and of which the

gardens seem to produce nothing but prickly pear.

There are two chief suburbs, Sayiha Jeblieh to the

north, and Sayiha Kubliyeh to the south.

These are

mud

simply mean and scattered collections of small

houses, and the estimate of inhabitants attributed to

them,

The

five

thousand, must be twofold what they contain.

outer

cities,

or

suburban

annexes,

Kaccadah,

Abassiyeh, and Mansourah, have disappeared.

We

went to the marabout of Sidi Abou

Here

which has a melon-shaped dome.

the companion and bosom friend of

lies

el

Awib,

El Awib,

Mohammed, with

three hairs of the Prophet's beard placed upon his heart.

In Tunis I was told he was the Prophet's barber, and

that he was buried in the Grreat Mosque.

Mosque of

Sidi

Amir Abada. At the

plaster archway are

to the

sides of its ruinous

two very old columns indeed.

marabout or mosque has

six

domes.

south-west angle of the town

decaying.

Then

The

This

streets at this

are especially dirty

and

In the city walls the plaster has half fallen

from the small

flat bricks.

This

is

the Arbat Kharfan,

or Quarter of the Aged, where the aged of Kairwan, I

was

told,

used to

live.

There are three other quarters,

B 2


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

244

Arbat

el

Mar, or Bazaar Quarter

Quarter of the Mosque

Arbat

and Arbat

el

el

chap. xx.

Medineh, or

Bey, the Quarter

near the Mosque of the Olive Tree.

We

went to the Mosque of the Olive Tree.

on each face of
follows

Minar an

square

its

It has

inscription as

each face,

if I

am

not mistaken, the same, executed in

characters of raised brick, and forming a rather remark-

able band round the tower.

have already mentioned

the similar decoration of Djemma 1 Bey.

who saw them

a very high authority,

tells

me
I

ters.

them

Col. Playfair,

shortly afterwards,

the above are in no sense intelligible charac-

am

me

he suspects

satisfied

incorrectly.

The

of haying copied

city wall resembles at the

time those of Damascus and of the Kremlin.

crenellations are narrow,

above the parapet

and

rise

The

perhaps three feet

the bricks are

same

as

often

red as

white.

What

did that pretty

He

asked Perruquier.

some

irritable disease

others.

Foreigner

sure in thus
in it

boy say just now

May you be
Roumi Yahudi

Jew

mocking us

little

said,

is

seized with

hissed

some
plea-

not likely to take a pleasure

when the next Eoumi comes

of the soldiers took

One boy who took a

him by the

to Kairwan, for one

ears

and throat,

lifted

CHAP. XX.

WICKET GATES.

him

him on the ground.

up, and flung

term of

man

The

special contempt.

Jew

for the

which

Mohammedan

the

admires

more

The

his dislike for the Christian.

Yahudi

dislike of the

very curious

is

245

is

Mussul-

strong than

Christian has power,

and

recognises,

perhaps

but the Jew seems to have no qualities that

command

his respect.

In many respects similar

both

Oriental races, inhabiting the same regions, and thrown

much

together

affinity or

the

Mohammedan

Nowhere

sympathy with the Jew.

more noticeable than

We

seems to have no
is

this

in the old capital of the Jews.

went through a khaukhat, one of the postern

doors through the walls.

Low winding

passages, like

the entrance to a tomb, five feet in height, they are

barely of width to admit a man.

with a marble
Tlie

khaukhat

pillar,
is

Each angle

to

Kairwan

worn smooth by passers through.

in disguise,

we will go

and when next

in the evening

and pass in quietly by one of the khaukh.

three of

the

Bab

them
el

faced

never closed or guarded by day or

night, imless in times of disturbance

we go

is

in all

Tunes

one to the

There are

right, on entering, of

one called the khaukhat of the

Kharfan Quarter, near the southern angle of the city

and a third to the right of the Bab

el

Djuluddin.


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

246

CHAPTER
Moorish Calendar

Chronicles

Spain

An

XXI.

of the City -Okhbah Conquest of

Ibn Aghlab The City's Decline.

Arabic Calendar, published in this Eegency, gives

the following as
sidered

among the

facts in their annals con-

most noteworthy by the Moors

Memoi'oble circumstances anteinor to the Hejra.

Solar
years

Creation of

Adam

6212

The Flood
First

3974

King of Egypt

Birth of

3548

Abraham

2580

Conquest of Egypt by the Persians

1108

Conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great

the

Birth of Christ

Romans

91G
612

582

Discovery of Glass

Construction of Santa Sofia, at Constantinople

Year of the War of the Elephant, being the year

the Prophet was bom
Memorable facts subsequent
Ilejra of the Prophet,

which corresponds

Death of the Propliet

to the

in

484

334

which
53

Hejra.

to July 12, a.d.

622

10

Abou Bekr

11

Omar

Foundation of Bussora

13

Khalifat of

14

Capture of Damascus under

Egypt

Omar

14

20

ANNALS OF THE MOORS.

Khalifat of

Osman

Conquest of Africa

247

....
.

First Siege of Constantinople

first Mosque in Constantinople
Commencement of the Walls of Kairwan
First Mussulman Coinage

Building of

....
.

Capture of Carthage
Conquest of Andalusia

Completion of the Walls of Kairwan

Extinction of the Companions of the Prophet in Africa

Dynasty of Molahabites

in Africa

Aghlabites

Fatimites

j>

>

Obeidites

,,

Foundation of the Russian Empire

Dynasty of the Sanhagites

Foundation of City of Algiers

Dynasty of Saljukites

....

Death of Ibu Raschik of Kairwan, author of the work Omda

Dynasty of the Ajubites
Conquest of Syria by Saladin

Dynasty of

Ilafsites

....

Commencement of Ottoman Dynasty

Taking of Constantinople
Siege of Vienna by Suliman

Death of the

last of the

I.

Abassides

Death of Dragut Pasha at Malta

Succession of Hussein Ben Ali founder of the reigning

dynasty to the throne of Tunis

These are the Chronicles of Kairwan.

In the year of the Hejra 27, Abdallah, grandson of

Abou

Sarh, with twenty thousand Companions of the


248

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

Prophet,

invaded

devastating

Africa,

Numidia

provinces as far as

chap. xxi.

northern

its

and eventually accepting

from the inhabitants three hundred talents of gold as

the price of his withdrawal.
After seven years the Saracens returned and establishe(i

themselves in those regions of Barbary

year 45, or a.d. 667, the

Emir

briefly

ben Nafi ben Abdallah ben Kais

pointed by the Khalif

known

el

as

in

tlie

Okhbah

Fahhri was ap-

Othman governor

of the newly

acquired provinces.

Okhbah chose

this spot as the site of his capital

being central for warlike operations, and secure from

maritime attacks

and here he

a magnificent city.
called,

and

his

laid the foundations of

In the year 677 Okhbah was re-

envious

successor,

after

attacking

Western Barbary, returned to destroy and raze Kairwan.

In 684 Okhbah returned to power, and swept the
country as far as the Grreat Ocean, into which he

plunged with his horse, declaring that the sea alone

could stop his career.

had sent back

to

whom

Following his troops,

Kairwan, he was

slain in an

he

ambush,

with three hundred Companions of the Prophet, by

Kassila, king of the Berbers.

Kassila then occupied

Kairwan, and established his government and laws.

These aboriginals, Touaregs and others, who

in the Atlas

still

and mountainous districts of Barbary, are

re-

Ham

by

garded by the Arabs as direct descendants of

Canaan.

exist

Long preceding

the Saracen invaders in this

A BERBER HEROINE.

CHAP. XXI.

country,

they have witnessed

249

changes

successive

its

without losing their individuality by intermarriage or

their independence

by war.

In 689 the Khalif Abd

Maiek proclaimed a holy

el

war: Zohair ben Kais entered Africa, met Kassila at

Oss in the neighbourhood of Kairwan, and in a murderous battle the Berber king was killed.
returned to Damascus.

I went,

and

to fight in the holy war,

Zohair soon

he said to the Khalif,

I fear the seductions of

Intercepted by the Byzan-

the pleasures of the world.

tine fleet

on his way to retirement in Egypt, Zohair

was

by the

slain

treasures

May God

Infidels.

mercy

of His

Arabic chi-onicler, who

adds

tells

shed on him the

Ebn Khaldoun,

the story.

Zohair's successor in Barbary was Hassan ben

man, who,

the

after setting out

Nou-

from Kairwan to assault

and destroy Carthage, was overthrown by the Berber

queen

occupy

cities,

and

the queen

said

fields

them but

policy

Barbary, which
villages

the

army.

To

silver they contain,

and pastures

I see

no means

to so ravage the country that

it.

was carried out without hesitation.

had

l)een

from Tangier

The unlucky

What do
her

to

and

they will have no motive for seizing

This

Hassan,

Cyrene.

into

take, the gold

we want but

of stopping

driven

marched against Kahina.

Arabians want

whilst

and

Kahina,

reinforced,

to

inhabitants,

it

a succession of towns and

Tripoli,
is

was

laid

waste.

not to be wondered at.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

2SO

threw themselves, at the

arms of the Saracens.

Kahina was

killed, the

chap. xxi.

opportunity, into the

first

In a great battle the heroic

Berber power was crippled,

the tribes submitted to the kharadj or capitation tax,

and

agi-eed to furnish a contingent of twelve thousand

soldiers.

In 708 Musa ibn Noseir was appointed, by El

Mansour
reb.

the

Sword of God

governor of the Mugh-

This warlike Emir, setting out from the capital,

reduced Numidia, Mauritania, and the country of the

restless Berbers.

Then comes the greatest chapter

book of

in the

his-

tory of the Moors, the feat of the natives of Kairwan,

with which this

out which

Gothic

its

chief,

city's history is

wrapped up, and with-

sketch would be incomplete.

Julian, the

governor of Barbary, and since

the Apostate, invited the Arabian

Emir

known

as

to invade Spain,

that fertile country where the Gothic kings had reigned

and prospered

for

two centuries and a

Among

half.

the warriors of Kairwan was a gaunt, swarthy, one-eyed

veteran, scarred with wounds, and revelling in the love
of war.

Tarik departed on a voyage of discovery, and

his report so inflamed Musa's enthusiasm, that he wrote

from Kairwan to the Khalif in these words

spreads itself out and invites our conquest

Syria in

its fertility

and climate, Yemen in

ature, India in its fruits

and

flowers,

A new
:

it

its

land

equals

temper-

and Cathay

in its

INVASION OF SPAIN.

CHAP. XXI.

What

precious minerals.

is

251

to prevent

glorious

this

land from becoming the inheritance of the Faithful

God

great, cried the Khalif on reading this

is

Mohammed

his Prophet.

is

and

Then he authorised Musa

to undertake the conquest.

One dark

night,

as Irving so well relates, Tarik

conveyed his soldiers from Tangier to Tarifa, where he

How

burned his ships.

we

shall

escape, cried his fol-

lowers, if fortune should be against us

There

escape for the coward, replied the one-eyed

the brave

man

Your homes,

homes?

to our

But how

thinks of none.

Emir

shall

is
:

no

and

we return

said Tarik, are before

Tarik assaulted and took the rock of Gribraltar.

you.

Signior,

wrote

its

Gothic

defender

Koderick

to

the legions of Africa are upon us, but whether they

come from heaven

to have fallen

or earth I

from the clouds,

Then followed the

of

know
for

not.

They seem

they have no ships.

battle of the Guadalete,

the most bloody and decisive on record.

one

Tarik

inspired his troops by the account of a revelation of

Mohammed.
I will

Fear not, Tarik, the Prophet had said:

be with thee on the morrow.

The

field

was

strewn with the flower of Gothic chivalry, Roderick

disappeared, the Gothic power was extinguished, and

Spain lay open to the Moors of Kairwan.

The turbaned horsemen, with

tars,

overran the

their flashing scime-

peninsula, reducing

fortresses

and

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

252

The

annexing vast provinces.

Tarik

noble

Soldiers of
spoil

forbade

wanton

Mohammed,

honest,

plunder

news to the Emir of Kairwan

the blaze

fearless,

and

cruelty.
:

All this was bitter

where were

of Tarik's

his African

So he

victories?

wrote to Al Mansour, without naming Tarik

battles have been terrible as the day of
])y

and

he said, spare the vanquished

not the poor and unresisting.

successes in

chap. xxi.

The

Judgment, but

the aid of Allah we have gained the victory.

Leaving

his son

Abd

el

Aziz to govern Kairwan, he

hastened to share in the glory of the conquest of the

land of the Groths.

nada and

its

Tarik meantime had reached Gra-

Vega, destined to be

Paradise of the Moors.

of the Phoenicians

the birthplace of that most wonder-

philosophers, Seneca

ful of all

for ages the earthly

Cordova, the ancient Kurtuba

had

fallen

Toledo

had been betrayed by the Jews, Tarik had subdued the

mountains of the Sun and Air

and

Seville

was the

only great city of the South which remained for

Musa

to capture.

What

a devil of a man,

said the citizens,

when

they saw Musa's grey beard, to undertake such a siege

when on the verge

of the grave

hold out longer than the

life

Surely the city can

of this old

man ?

Abd

el

Aziz arrived with a reinforcement from Kairwan, and

Seville

fell.

The

Musa then

spoil of the city

was rich and

vast.

followed Tarik to Toledo, and a bitter

MUSA AND TARIK.

CHAP. XXI.

quarrel ensued.
ness and
I

253

Musa taunted Tarik with

wilfulness,

and deprived

him

his reckless-

of his

command.

have done the best I could to serve God and the

Khalif, said the blunt Tarik,

my conscience
me justice.

fire

do

whose one eye burned like

acquits me, and

my

sovereign will

The Moorish armies under Musa and Tarik, whom

the Khalif reinstated, then subdued the districts of the
Ebro, the Pyrenees, and captured the cities of Saragossa,
Barcelona, and Narbonne.

unspeakable

Musa's self-glorification was

he became renowned throughout Islam as

the great Conqueror of the West.

His quarrels with

Tarik continuing, the Khalif summoned both of them to

Damascus.

Musa

first

Cordova,

The

single

minded Tarik

set out at once

established his three sons as governors of

Tangier,

Damascus with a

and Kairwan,

and

departed

to

vast collection of slaves, retainers,

and

spoil.

Tarik became the idol of the Damascenes, and Musa

for his jealousy and selfishness, in spite of his great
qualities, fell into disgrace.

thrown into prison.

He

He

was even scourged, and

received one day the news of

the simultaneous murder of his three sons, and died

broken-hearted.
large

Abd

and generous mind

means of making

Aziz had given proofs of a

el
:

secure

he had recognised the true

the

conquests of

Islam,

namely the establishment of just institutions and of


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

254

the pursuits of peace.

On

chap. xxi.

these solid principles the

Moorish Empire in Spain was founded

it

endured

for

seven hundred and seventy-eight years, and gathered

strength, wealth, and glory beyond measure.

Abd

el

Kahman, Khalif

of Cordova, was seized with

a mighty ambition to conquer Graul.

chiefs the

army

marched with

Under renowned

of the Crescent entered France, and

fearful rapidity

upon Bordeaux. Sacking

proceeded, after a bloody encounter on the

that city,

it

Dordogne

river, into

Touraine

more than

and

in the year 7

3 of

Our Lord, or

little

had

from Kairwan, the Standard of the Pro-

set forth

thirty years after Tarik

phet floated from the ramparts of Tours.

and

Between Tours
Charles Martel

met the

Poictiers,

the

Frank king

Saracens, and in a battle

one of the most solemn and prodigious in history,

ing seven whole days

was broken.
his

mind

Abd

el

the

tide of

Eahman more

to thoughts of peace,

Cordova became

his

In the year of

Moslem

last-

invasion

prudently turned

and the magnificence of

monument.
Eedemption 756, the

city

had

attained such a size, wealth, and splendour that, as

Richard Ford's delightful book

it

reads like an Aladdin's tale.

says, the description of

Its glory,

accumulated

under seventeen successive Sultans, culminated in the

eleventh century.

It contained three

hundred mosques,

nine hundred baths, and six hundred caravanserais.

THE SPANISH CRUSADE.

255

million of inhabitants were

philosophers,

CHAP. XXI.

Among
poets,

its

physicians,

ticians, engineers, architects

race

mathema-

astronomers,

chemists,
:

ingenious

this patient,

had acquired a refinement and culture

At

ever surpassed.
Catalonia, and

this

scarcely

time the provinces of Cordova,

Murcia were one vast garden.

had half a million of inhabitants, and

Granada

Red Palace

its

was one of the marvels of the age.

Then came

Ibn Abdallah, son of a lamp-

civil wars.

lighter

of the

Moors

to regard

Mosque

him

of Kairwan,

as a saint, incited the

of Almohades against the governing

this

new

sect of the

The Spanish monarchs were not

vides.

by

persuading the
faction

Almora-

slow to profit

they organised a crusade against the

ci\dlisers

of western Europe.

The Grand Soldan, the head of Islam, was vexed

upon the flower of the Faith-

at these constant assaults

ful,

and wrote to remonstrate with the Catholic mon-

arch.

He

uttered, says

an old Spanish chronicler,

opinions savouring of damnable heresy

for

he observed

that although the Moors were of a diflFerent sect, they

ought not to be nialtreated without just cause.

In the year 1235 St. Ferdinand captured the imperial city of Cordova,

and

inflicted

the

first

heavy

blow on the Moorish power in Europe.

Twelve years

later

Seville

fell,

having been for

nearly five centuries and a half in the hands of the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

2S6

Moors

chap. xxi.

and in the following century the capture of

Granada completed the downfall of one of the most

religious, enlightened, ingenious, chivalrous,

and indus-

trious races that ever established themselves in Europe.

Much was due

example of the parent city

to the

Kairwan, the type on which Cordova was founded, and

much

the source from whence she derived

ing and culture.

been

of her learn-

What Cordova became, Kairwan had

and, in the refinement and intelligence of the

existing inhabitants of this country,

we can

recognise

traces of that high but almost vanished civilisation.

Kairwan must have been a 'wonderful

and Grranada are noble in their

The
sad.

last

city:

Cordova

ruins.

days of the Moors in Spain are inexpressibly

Distracted by civil wars, torn from their famous

strongholds, the cities they had created, and the rich

lands so dear to them, they

city of Granada.

closed in

The

upon them

made a

last stand in the

iron ring of Christian armies

the Moors fought as they had

always fought, but now

was

it

for their

own

for the scenes of their infancy, their glories,

homes

and

it

was in vain.

existence,

and

their

Broken-hearted, the king, the viziers, and the nobles

exclaimed, Allah Akhbar

God be done

God

is

great

the will of

and they went to the Spanish monarchs

and resigned their

last

hold on Spain.

Exiled, perse-

cuted, tortured, they drifted sadly over into Africa.

GREAT BATTLE AT KAIRWAN.

CHAP. XXI.

The thread

of

the

chronicle

recommences with

The Berbers having, some years

Musa's successor.

after Musa's death, defeated the Khalif 's

Mughreb, Kolthoum ben Ayad was sent

army

in the

to the seat of

government in Kairwan, where he collected

He

257

his army.

was slain in battle in the West, his Syrians fled

into Spain, and the Africans and Egyptians took refuge

in Kairwan.

The

Berbers, soon after this, were beaten at Gabes,

but rallying again, three hundred thousand strong, they

Emir

attacked Handhalah,

When

of this city.
vast

army

dawn

of the Khouaridj, or Touaregs, they fell to

Encouraged, they

praying.

the

of Kairwan, under the walls

the citizens and warriors saw the

slew, it is

said,

no

less

upon the Africans

fell

of day, and, routing

at

them with awful carnage,

than a hundred and ninety

thousand.

In 748 Handhalah was supplanted by Abd

man, and

retired into Syria.

el

Eah-

The new Emir made a

successful raid against the Berbers of Tlempen,

and in

the year 757 he despatched expeditions against Sicily

and Sardinia.

Picking a quarrel with his sovereign

El Mansour, Abd

el

Rahman

declared himself inde-

pendent.

Assembling the people in the Great Mosque here,

he presented himself

and mounting the

in sandals

and a robe called khazz

membar he
s

praised

God and

the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

258

He

Prophet, while he cursed the Khalif.

chap. xxi.

declared El

Mansour's injustice and tyranny: and, flinging

off his

sandals, said it was thus he repudiated his suzerainty.

Calling for the khilat, or black robe of investiture granted

by the Abassides or Black Khalifs

the Ommiades were

the White, and the Fatimites the Green Khalifs, so

called

from the colour of their own robes and those of

members

the

He

burnt.

Mughreb.
fied

of their court

Abd

For two years only was

throughout

it

the

ambition grati-

his

he was assassinated by his two brothers.

Elyas, one of them, and Habib,

succeeded him.

son,

Rahman had

el

proclaimed these acts

Abd

el

Eahman's

Dividing the kingdom, Elyas

chose the province of Kairwan, and sent in his submission

to

Upon

El Mansour.

against Kairwan, took

Why,

combat.

it,

this,

Habib

and slew Elyas in single

said Habib, should

so

faithful subjects perish in our quarrel ?

alone.

marched

If I die, I shall rejoin

my

many

of our

Let us

father:

if I

fight
kill

thee, I shall avenge him.

These Emirs were mere Mohammedans, and knew

no better.

Their Most Christian Majesties nowadays,

with the advantages of eleven centuries of civilisation,

when they
God's

covet a neighbour's territory, enter

name upon

to be slaughtered, withdraw their

out of harm's way.

it

with

their lips, and, sending their soldiers

own

sacred persons

THE BERBER WARS.

CHAP. XXI.

259

Habib being defeated by the Berbers, the people of

Kairwan

and

offered the city

its

sovereignty under the

Khalif to Ibn Djamil the Berber, who refused

it.

He

did not refuse, however, to ravage the city, sack the

He was eventually killed

Mountains by Habib, whom he had pur-

mosques and pollute them.

in the

Aures

sued thither.

Kairwan,

763

fell

chief

its

provinces, and all Saracen Barbary in

into the power of the

Abd

When

Malek.

el

issued to defend
cried to their

it,

Werfadjoumah and

their

the garrison of the city

Arabs who were in the Berber army

countrymen to join them.

Only a thousand Moors of Kairwan, among the most

renowned
faithful

for their religion

to the Kadi,

and uprightness, remained

and died fighting

at his side.

Conducting their government with gross cruelty, the

Werfadjoumah were driven

out.

El Mansour sent El Aghleb ibn Salem to restore

peace in the Mughreb, but he was killed in battle and
replaced by

Tobna,

Omar ben

which

he

Hafs.

was

Berbers seized Kairwan.

to his wealth, and,

During

fortifying,

his absence at

the

indomitable

Omar ben Hafs had

recourse

by distributing large bribes among

the chief insm-gents, succeeded in demoralising their

army.

The next
for eight

incident in the city's history was

its

siege

months by Abou Hatem, chief of the Ibadhieh,

s2

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

26o

with a hundred and thirty thousand men.

on victory or death, made a furious

The long

life.

siege

Omar, bent

sortie

had reduced the

chap. xxx.

and

lost his

city's treasury to

the last dirhem, the granaries to their last sack, and the
inhabitants to the necessity of eating dogs and beasts of

The Africans destroyed the

burden.

city walls,

burned

the gates, and retired to the Atlas.

El Mansour sent Yezid ibn Hatem to restore order,

with sixty thousand Arabian warriors,

who

Africans in the Country of Palms, giving

defeated the

them no quar-

ter.

Yezid proved himself an able and just administrator.

He

rebuilt

the Great Mosque, established

numerous

bazaars, and assigned to each trade a distinct quarter

in fact, remodelled and half rebuilt the city.

On

his

governor of

Eouh ibn Hatem,

death,

Palestine,

came

to

his

replace

brother,

him, and,

thanks to Yezid's policy, he had a tranquil administration

up

to his death.

Mughreb, and Kouh

the Khalif, Surely there

being buried together.

sleep side

After

by

When

Yezid was sent to the

to govern the Sind, it

is

was said to

no chance of these brothers

However, Kouh and Yezid

side in this city.

many

bloody disputes, Horthomah ruled next

in Kairwan, a mild and conciliatory Emir,

who

built,

year after his arrival, the great Castle of Monastir.

is

said to have built the sea-wall of Tripoli.

ceived

Haroun

el

Reschid's

He

He
re-

permission to retire to

IBRAHIM IBN EL AGHLAB.

CHAP, xxr.

Irak

and

261

was driven by insurgents out

his successor

of the province.

Ibrahim ibn

el

Aghlab, who had established himself

as independent ruler of

Zab and Tobna, made

his appear-

He

ance, and recovered Kairwan from the insurgents.

wrote to the Khalif, offering, on condition of his appoint-

ment

as hereditary

Emir of Kairwan, to forego the

yearly

subvention from Egypt of a hundred thousand dinars,

and

to contribute, instead, forty thousand dinars.

El

Eeschid accepted these conditions, and Ibrahim be-

came the founder of the dynasty of the Aghlabites.

Mohammed

ibn Mokatil, mortified at his displace-

ment by El Aghlab, endeavoured

own

cause to the Khalif.

Why,

to

recommend

said the

his

Commander

of the Faithful to him, should I prefer thee to El

Aghlab, to entrust to thee again the government of

Africa?

Is

it

because of his

ardice, his strength

ness to

my

will,

El Aghlab
wan, the

bravery and thy cow-

and thy weakness,

and thy

his submissive-

spirit of revolt ?

built, close to the western side of

fortress city of Abassiyeh,

with his comt.

No

traces of this kind of Moorish Es-

corial or Bardo, save the reservoirs, remain.

Abassiyeh

is

Kair-

which he inhabited

The name

frequently found on coins of the period

of the Black Khalifs.

Arabic geographical works describe

ing the

name

of Abassiyeh.

five spots bear-

sand-hill near Mecca, a

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

262

town of Upper Egypt, a quarter of the

chap. xxi.

city of

Baghdad,

a town near Koufa, and lastly the city built in the

environs of Kairwan by El Aghlab.

This stronghold became the habitual abode of the

who reigned here

Aghlabites,

Here Ibrahim,

after

in great magnificence.

he had established the Faith of

Islam throughout the Mughreb, constituted himself

Khalif of the West, and received the envoys of Charle-

magne, who came to

Europe the body of
Ibrahim had

-solicit

permission to

carry to

St. Cyprian, buried near Carthage.

his

armoury and treasures removed by

night to this palace, and surrounded himself with a

bodyguard of trusted Saracens and Berbers.

content arising

with money.

among the

He

On

Africans, he quieted

dis-

them

pardoned the citizens of Tripoli, who

had revolted, and shut up their governor in a mosque.

In 817 Amran of Tunis took the city of Kairwan,

and invested the

Amran

city of Abassiyeh during a

tried to suborn the Kadi,

whole year.

and induce him to sur-

render the Khalif, but the governor was incorruptible.

The Moors
years,

of Tripoli revolted twice in the succeeding

and El Aghlab only succeeded in subduing them

by engaging mercenary forces from among the Berbers.

After a reign of twelve years and a half, the
Khalifs of
dallah,

Kairwan

treated

died.

first

of the

His son and successor, Ab-

the citizens so cruelly

that a santon

prayed publicly to heaven for his destruction.

Ab-

CONQUEST OF

CHAP. XXI.

SICILY.

JS63

dallah was promptly seized with ulcer in the ear and

died.

His brother, Ziadet Allah, ascended the throne, a

man

of harsh and intemperate mind, unlike his politic father,

and who shed

his soldiers' blood

on the slightest pre-

El Mansour, chief of Tabnada, took Kairwan, and

text.

shut up Ziadet Allah in the royal city, but by a desperate

sally the

walls

Berber was routed.

Ziadet then destroyed the

and gates of the city to punish the

who

citizens,

had shown themselves sympathetic to Mansour

some

He

say he was foolish enough to destroy also the bazaars.

almost demolished, but afterwards restored, the Mosque.

After various successes in Barbary, the Khalif sent

an expedition to
routed them.

which met the Byzantines and

Subsequently the Saracens had to

succoured by a

The wars

Sicily,

fleet

"be

of three hundred vessels.

of Ziadet and his successors in Sicily and

on the Italian peninsula present very monotonous features.

They

power in the

resulted in the annihilation of Byzantine

island.

Abou Ibrahim had a

passion for building.

He

con-

structed of stone and lime no less than ten thousand

strongholds in the Khalifat of Kairwan, giving

gates of iron.

He

also enlisted Ethiopians in his

in which he took a great interest.

them
army,

Mohammed, who

took his place, lost various places in Spain, but captured

Malta.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

264

chap. xxi.

Civil wars were of constant occurrence during the

In 877 Ibrahim ibn Ahmed, a dignified^

next reigns.
just,

and firm

ruler, pacified the country.

He

built

the coast of Africa a succession of towers, so that

signals could be transmitted

He

in a single night.

on
fire

from Ceuta to Alexandria

also surrounded Susa, the seaport

of Kairwan, with a wall.

In 885 he laid the foundations of the suburban city

Raccadah, and in the same year took up his residence in
it.

This town had a circuit of fourteen thousand cubits

no purer

air,

in Africa.

more agreeable climate,

The Moors used

or richer soil existed

to say that in

Raccadah one

was happy without cause, and gay without motive.

A number

of emancipated slaves having revolted

and seized the old citadel, they were disarmed

some

were scourged to death, some crucified, and others im-

mured

for life in

after this a

the dungeons of Kairwan.

Shortly

severe drought occurred: and, in the la-

mentable famine resulting from

it,

the inhabitants in

some instances devoiired one another.

In later

life

Ibrahim's generous qualities disappeared,

and he became a

by disaffected

cruel, senseless tyrant.

subjects, he

shut himself

Surrounded

up with

bodyguard of blacks in Raccadah, which he

his

fortified

with a deep trench.

His army took Tunis from certain insurgents and

were on the point of putting twelve hundred prisoners

A KAIRWAN TYRANT.

CHAP. XXI.

to death

news of the

265

victory, however, reaching Ibra-

him, in a note fastened under a bird's wing, he sent for

the prisoners, and had them paraded in triumph through

In a

the city of Kairwan.

his triumphs,

Ibrahim cried

fit
:

of exultation over one of

WTiy did not the Almighty

witness in person so complete and glorious a victory

One

of his acts was to crucify

Tripoli,

whom

qualities

Mohammed, governor

he had hated from childhood

for his

of

good

and profound learning.

Ibrahim, who one day had lost his napkin, put to

death for that circumstance three hundred servants.

He

was seized with a black sickness which daily excited

him

to fresh mm-ders

his servants, wives,

were butchered, tortured, burnt

hideous romance, but

it is

and children

the story seems a

well authenticated.

His grandson, Ziadet Allah, murdered his

brothers,

father,

and uncles, and, taking alarm at a rising of

the Berbers, fled from Raccadah with his family and

He died of poison

treasures into Egypt.

Moorish

and, says the

thus was extinguished the family

historian,

of the Aghlabites and their glory eclipsed

is

God

alone

Eternal.

Wars with Morocco occupied much

tiu-y.

Sicily continued

of the Green Khalifs

Allah, the

first

Kairwan,

amongst

attacked Tripoli.

other

He

of the next cen-

an object of contention.

feats

Obeid

who reigned

pillaged

Sfax

in

and

ravaged Lombardy, took Genoa.


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

266

and Sicily

in the

next

independent Moorish

fifty

years

became

chap. xxt.

practically an

state.

After 1086 Islam ceased to dominate in the island

but Roger, Count of

administration,

caused the

by his able and considerate

Sicily,

establishing

and

equal faith

rights,

imion between the East and the

first real

Crescent and

West, the

the

Cross

Islamism

and

Christianity being equally tolerated and practised.

From this period

the glories of Kairwan begin to fade,

and its history becomes subservient

Khalifat in Spain.

At one time

Yussuf, sovereign of Morocco

Mehdi, the

restor^r of Afrikieh,

the Prophet.

Sometimes

it

Moorish

was destroyed by

at another governed

by

the False descendant of

allied

sometimes with the Emirs

to that of the

with the Cordovans,

Kairwan

of Grranada,

which had given birth to both those glorious kingdoms,

them with warriors,

furnished

saints, artists, and

men, had taught them to conquer and

tract wealth

and use

it in

learned

to civilise, to ex-

erecting temples to the glory

of God, and palaces for men's glory such as the world

had never seen

Kairwan,

the mother city, the cradle

and shrine of Islam in Africa, began gradually to decay.

When

the iNIoors at length lost those noble posses-

sions in Europe, in this old sacred city

they found a refuge

fulfilled.

its

provinces

and here they wait with the keys

of their ancestors' homes in Spain,

becomes

and

till

their destiny

DECLINE OF KAIRWAN.

CHAP. XXI.

We hear

incidentally of the city in the sixteenth

when Dragut of

century,

267

Tripoli conspired with the

Ulemas of the Great Mosque against the King, and

him

entering the city by night put

to death

but

the real history of Kairwan ended with the dynasty of

the Fatimites, or towards the close of Saxon days in

England.

They have
ites.

the great

Mosque
it,

with

city,

all

vanished now, Fatimites and Aghlab-

Black Khalifs and White, Raccadah and Abassiyeh,

city's

wealth and palaces

its

Kibleh

which preceded

years.

still

it

only the solemn old

remains, in the spot where

Okhbah

first

pointing to the

as a sanctuary only

placed

Prophet's

by

forty

Lo, says the Moorish historian, resignedly, at

the close of his chronicle,

nights and the days.

God

is

He who

rules the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

268

CHAPTER

XXII.

Servants
Soldiers
Ride round "Walls
The Frenchman
A fine
Barb The African Mecca -The Haj The Kaid's Predecessors
Colleges The Renegade of Kairwan.

I HAD on the second day an interview with the French-

man.

He had volunteered

a few remarks to Perruquier

in French, explaining that he had been partly educated

in

France

and one afternoon he came into

began to talk on various subjects

He made

an unnecessary apology

with the language, and his

my room

and

in indifferent French.

little

for
slips

his

familiarity

and defects in

He became very friendly,

grammar were most amusing.

and talked in a most interesting way of Kairwan and

its

customs.

He

Kairwan, a barber, who should

of the city

me an
take me to

promised to find

for

old native of

every comer

and who, having been employed some time

in the French Consulate in Tunis and lived in Algeria,

could speak tolerable French.

barber, Hassan

In course of time the

ben Ali, presented himself, a bright,

friendly old fellow, strongly resembling the

the frontispiece, who assured

me

Moor

in

that nothing inside or

outside of the city should escape me.

THE

CHAP. XXII.

RAID'S HOSPITALITY.

The Frenchman

Sidi Haji

269

Mohammed

whom

to

I suggested with delicacy the possibility of getting a

plan of the mosque, told

Moslem

its

rather coldly that the

injunction for the mosque was

not to look about.

written

me

up a warning against counting,

proportions

to pray

Besides, in the Great

whoever should do

so

and

Mosque was

or measuring

would

lose his

There was no irony in the Frenchman's manner

sight.

as he spoke, but I

To

of this.

wondered how

far

he was convinced

tiu-n the subject, which was getting on to

delicate ground, he explained

Minister's recommendation

how warm the Prime

had been, and what a high

regard he entertained for Greneral Khaireddin.

After an elaborate Oriental meal sent by the Kaid's
orders, that
visit.

My

nished, and
loiter in

many

worthy gentleman came

in

and paid

me

rooms were comfortable, very simply fur-

numerous well-dressed attendants would

from time to time.

In Moorish households

servants attach themselves merely for the sake of

their food,

appearing
extent of

and receive no remuneration.

first

on the master's

them there appears

Soldiers in

table, the

All

dishes

number and

surprising.

Kairwan and the

capital have, or rather

used to have, a precarious remuneration.

Their pay

was very moderate, and sometimes they didn't receive

it
it

punctually.

When

was

first in

Tunis, for example,

was about eighteen months in

arrears.

So the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

270

nominal amount of

six piastres

or three shillings per

month might almost be regarded

six

piastres a year.

are

slightly

irregular

better

of

Matters of this kind, however,

managed

now

what with

but

poor soldiers do rather badly.

often to be seen knitting or doing

:

an income

as

pay and their allowance of coarse black por-

ridge, the

work

chap. xxii.

and on our

and enterprising
curiosities,

first visit

They

little

to Tunis, the

we had

assistant

some

are

kind of

most active

in the pursuit of old

was a soldier who temporarily excused him-

from duty.

self

The
Tunis

necessaries

of

life

are

not dear here or in

the prices being publicly fixed

the bazaars from time to time.

get things at their proper value

vegetables,

oil,

by the amins of

So the poorer

such

classes

as meat, bread,

eggs, butter, cheese, honey, besides all

kinds of fruit which are sold by weight, such as apricots

and plums.

Fish, fresh butter, fowls, and groceries are

not sold by weight, and are a matter of bargain.

The Kaid asked me what

myself on the second day
ride

round the

city,

I should like to

he had three horses brought to the

door at the appointed time

one for Perruquier, one for

the Raid's servant, and one for myself.

had the Raid's

a

splendid

do with

and, as I expressed a wish to

son's horse

iron-grey

Perruquier

mine was the Raid's own,

Barb, with

cream-coloured

embroidered saddle-cloth over the high peaked Arab

CHAP. xxii.

and

saddle,

A RIDE ROUND KAIRWAN.

so powerful

could have fled

with

me

and

271

spirited that

felt

he

whenever he

to the Desert

Perruquier's horse was also a fine grey, with

pleased.

red velvet trappings and gold embroidery.

We
to

by the Bab

sallied forth

the westward

villages of

all

Kairwan.

through

There

el

Djuluddin, and rode

the
is

suburbs or

a noticeable want of

the utmost efforts of the gardeners

fruit

and flowers

seem

to result in nothing but prickly pear.

personal belief

outer

Indeed,

my

that if date seed, poppy seed, and

is

pumpkins were sown in these gardens of Kairwan, they

would

all

come up

as prickly pear.

The houses

and unimportant without exception.

We

hot afternoon.

had no

It

was a glorious,

soldiers with us

shaoushes remained in the house

are poor

our two

to sleep, the lazy

rascals.

There was but

outside the walls, and

little life

we

passed from one spot to another without exciting more

than a passing interest.

We

rode between

mud

walls

and prickly pear hedges and over dust heaps, keeping

Beyond the green of the

the city to our right hand.

enclosures stretches, north, south,

plain, skirted in all

mountains.

We

directions save

passed the

the outer market place, the

and
.

its

gate

and west, the vast

Mosque

Bab

el

the seaward

Tunes, the Keshlah

then a long straight reach of

broken midway by a ruined

by

of the Olive Tree,

fort: past

wall

waste ground,

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

272

and

what

medan

generally but

is

We

burial place.

better

little

chap. xxii.

Moham-

rounded the towers at the

north-east and eastern angles of the city, within which

points lies the Grreat Mosque, with its far-seen

Minar

then up the long turreted curving south-east wall, and

past the

we had

Bab

Kairwan
age

el

Khaukh

issued to
is,

Bab

still

el

Djuluddin, whence

circuit.

and always has been, a

and in the Mohammedan

thither

city of pilgrim-

faith seven journeys

rank with one to Mecca, and equally entitle

the pilgrim to the

I

to the

make the

name

Thus Perruquier and

of Haji.

have the right to regard ourselves as '143 of a Haji

each, which circumstance affords us a certain satisfaction.

The green turbans

of the Prophet's descendants

are tolerably plentiful in Kairwan, but not so thick as

in Sfax.

There are probably more openings

for

amass-

ing piastres in Sfax, and the Scherifs forsake the sleepy

and half dead

city of

Kairwan.

In spite of the advan-

tage of a local Mecca, numbers of pilgrims travel from

Barbary to Arabia.

The caravan which used

Tripoli and the deserts of Cyrene

and the Faithful travel on the

Djeddah

is

to traverse

a thing of the past,

deck'' of a

markab ndr

all

the way

till

they see the flickering lightning playing over the

Prophet's

to

tomb

then on camels or on foot

at Medina, or

of the sacred well in the Great

till

they kneel to drink

Mosque

of Mecca.

The evening was very cold, and we discovered during

THE

CHAP. XXII.

KAID'S ANTECEDENTS.

273

dinner that the windows of our dining-room were not

glazed.

We

no longer wondered at the freshness percep-

backs of our necks and tops of our heads on

tible to the

the previous evening.

The Kaid's

servants brought in

on long trays numerous dishes having basket covers,

decorated with coloured cloth, such as I saw the black

women working

at Tripoli.

We

had soup, cold fowl,

roast mutton, roast veal with herbs, sausages stuffed with

herbs, assida, a kind of flour porridge eaten with honey,

kouskousou, rice pudding scented with otto of roses,

and of course water to drink.

The Kaid came

in as usual to spend the evening,

and we had a long amusing talk about Kairwan.

asked

him

Sidi

grandfather were not Sidi

if his

He

Mourabet.

said.

Othman had not

animals in his stable.

it

was possible

told

him

for

me

Yes, with surprise.

Othman

el

I asked if

a fine stud of horses and other

The Kaid asked Perruquier how

to have learnt these things.

England we were compelled

that in

to

employ

ourselves diligently in reading, especially about other

people and other countries, for fear

grossly ignorant

that with

many

we should become

of us

it

was a matter

be extremely well acquainted with our

of pride to
neighbours'

affairs,

and, that our ladies strove to antici-

pate one another in the dissemination of news.

wondered at

He

this.

I put one or two historical questions to the Kaid,

T

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

274

chap. xxii.

rather beyond his scope, which so alarmed the genial

that he fairly stampeded, wishing

me

man

a pleasant night's

Afterwards the Mudabbir came in, a good-looking,

rest.

He

well-informed man.
colleges of

told

me

that the once famous

Kairwan are declining, though there is

still

very creditable theological college near Dar al Mana,

the mosque there belonging to

it.

the principal seat of the study of the

The educational

and doctrine.

nowned throughout Islam.

Kairwan became

Mohammedan law

institutions were re-

They were magnificently

endowed, and from their libraries came some of the

Oriental
able

MSS. most

elsewhere.

valuable in Europe, and unobtain-

These magnificent libraries of the

Early Middle Ages are dispersed, but there remain in

the city great numbers of curious manuscripts and
books,

many

theological,

With

illustrated.

Most Arabic
before, that

and even books of travel

a little patience some

might be

scholars know, but I did not

when a boy

is

set to learn the

got.

know

Koran he

commences with the Fatthah, or first chapter. Then

lie

goes to the last chapter, then to the last but one, and
so

on backwards through the book, the chapters in-

creasing in length

up

to the second chapter,

which

is

the longest.
I

was sitting on one of the divans, writing, when the

Frenchman
Haji

came

or, as I

in, and,

ought to call him, Sidi Hamet

el

looking to see that no one else was

A CONFIDENCE.

CHAP, xxn,

present, sat

down

cross-legged on the carpet in front of

me

me, and thus addressed

were astonished,

275

sir,

You

to hear such

good

in the purest

morning

this

French spoken in Kairwan.

French

I can hardly say that I

was, but I said that the circumstance had filled

me with

surprise.
"Well, sir,

he went on, I have perceived from your

un homme

conversation that you are

d'intelligence et

the worthy Sidi Hamet was not un homme de

penetration and I desire
make
you a communide ccBur

to

cation which I have

I

am

made

to

may

a European, a Frenchman, I

an Englishman,
of our

common

for I

My

ancestors.

My

know.

that

almost say half

come from Normandy, the home

rapidly and with emotion

for all I

Know

to no one before.

are

family

he

living in

still

father was a banker

went on

Normandy,

and connected

by marriage with a large manufacturer of Rouen.

studied in Paris, and took the degree of Bachelier es

lettres.

Owing

which I need not

to circumstances, into

enter, I attached myself to the monastery of

remaining there

for three years.

treuse I also spent

to

some short time.

you how those few

uprooted

my

years'

I cannot describe

experiences

faith in Christianity

La Trappe,

At La Grande Char-

shook and

and Catholicism, or

how

great are the meanness, the hypocrisy, the impos-

ture

of such

a system.

with this mockery of

Sickened and disillusioned

religion,
T 2

left

my

coimtry,

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

276

way

resolved to seek some simpler, purer

chap. xxii.

to another

world.

Forgive me, he

said, interrupting himself, if I

have

said anything which can hurt your feelings or convictions.

came

I was received by the

to Tunis.

Prime Minis-

who

the distinguished and successful Khaireddin,

ter,

himself came to the Eegency a Christian of the Grreek

He

Church.

me

treated

generously and as a friend,

and I have become attached to him

his auspices,

and

Under

as a father.

and pre-

after anxious consideration

paratory study, I resolved to adopt the

of Islam.

P"'aith

I gained sufficient acquaintance with the Arabic tongue,

and in Tunis was formally admitted a Mussulman.

I

came

directly to Kairwan,

European face I have seen

out and forget the old

life

philosophy of

life.

is

the

I resolved to

here.

with

devote myself to the study of

and yours

its associations,

my new

Determined

faith

first

wipe

and to

and of the

abandon everything

to

that could suggest or recall the past, I became simply

and purely a Mussulman.

in thought,

my

wishes,

my

In habits, in dress, and even

associations,

have become Mohammedanised.

am

my

affections,

surrounded by

who have given me

evidences of the truest

affection, such as

I did not

before believe the Arab

mind capable

My

friends

about
I

me

of.

happiness

is

consulted, and I see

examples of philosophy and true religion.

occupy myself in instructing the Raid's children,

A DREAM OF

CHAP. xxii.

to

whom

the

first

my

time in

most absolute calm and

tranquillity of mind, unruffled by circumstances

past

My

is

blotted out

life is to

me

ask for the present

all I

for

have learnt to realise what

life I

I live in the

is.

277

become fondly attached, and now

I have

happiness

LIFE.

is

the

peace.

the realisation of practical philosophy.

I have nothing to disturb the peace of the

mind

or.

the

balance of the intellect.

My

perversion was the

cause

of astonishment to

many, and each one endeavoured to invent some motive

for

According to one,

it.

was the fulfilment of an

it

ambition.

But where

Kairwan

According to another I was attracted by the

is

there

room

for

ambition in

sensual features of the social life and religious faith of

the

Mohammedans, but on adopting

a vow of chastity and poverty.

the Faith I

made

Should I be offered a

wife I would not refuse one, but I want neither riches

nor pleasures.

a quiet

want the philosophical enjoyment of

spirit.

On

I have tired you, he said, stopping.

trary, I said,

what you have told

ing and remarkable.

me

is

the con-

very interest-

asked whether he thought he

found in the Mussulman faith any higher inspirations

I do not, he said

than in that of Jesus Christ.

the practice of their faith that Christians

compared with Mussulmans

it is

in

fall short, as

and the imposing extra-

vagances which have grown up under the auspices of

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

278

the priesthood

speak of

my

chap. xxii.

native country

have

rendered the worship of Christ a theatrical mockery.

The

influence established by ignorant and intriguing

men

over the minds of their flocks

the result

is

mere

superstition.

sufficient to take a

own

precepts and his

I asked if he
or

friends.

man

is

to heaven, if

No, he

the absorbing of

None whatever.
experiences and

said, politely

my interest.

not even that

my

One thing

send me, I beg, a copy of the book.

fail

I will

city.

thoughts or

I ask

you ever write an account of your travels in

my

to

not for anything risk the distraction of

in

None

my

wish to know of nothing outside of this

tect,

his family

Absolutely none, he answered.

home ?

is

its

conscience.

he the curiosity to hear of

return

he follows

had any curiosity to hear of

hear of events in the outer world

Had

and

unjustifiable,

In the Koran there

should

this country,

And

should

it

be

power at any time hereafter to receive here, pro-

and serve any friend of yours, believe

me I will not

to do so.

He

rose to go,

forget you, he

We

again.
said.

and I accompanied him.

said,

though we may not meet here

are both travelling along the

same

Yes, he added, and let us hope that

us to where

grasped

we may meet

my hand

darkness.

I will not

hereafter.

road, I

it will

lead

Esperons.

He

on the doorstep, and went out into the

POSSIBILITIES.

GHAP. XXII.

He had
and
it

spoken with such energy and conviction,

much

so

and intellectual man, that

as a cultivated

was impossible not to be struck.

some barber

The perversion of

or shopkeeper, such as I expected to find

of Kairwan, would surprise no one.

in the apostate

Some

279

small mercenary motive might have explained

but this was a

man brought up

of the intellect of Europe, and

him actuated by anything

It

is

it

in the so-called centre

it

was hard to believe

short of conviction.

of course easy to suggest reasons.

Emulation

of a career such as Khaireddin's, a Circassian by birth,

brought as a slave to Tunis, and now the most influential

man

in the Eegency.

It

to advance to eminence in the

where

it is clear his

might be an ambition

Mussulman

religion,

eloquence and force would power-

fully impress the worshippers in the mosques.

knows

Who

he might aim at the foundation of a new

compromise, or a Christian-Mohammedanism,

sect, a

combining what he might consider the advantages in

both Faiths.

He might

means of studying

have chosen this as the only

in its

completeness the Faith of

Islam.

But, whatever views he might have, he was too

man

clever a

to

work without a purpose

and the ear-

nestness with which he was mastering the doctrines of

his

new creed might excuse the suggestion that

lity of

mind and

tranquil-

forgetfulness of the past were not the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

28o

only things aimed

at.

I confess he impressed

his intelligence as well as

friendliness.

man

of

chap. xxii.

me, by

by his good breeding and

Such was the Eenegade of Kairwan, a

whom

I should not

be surprised to hear in

Barbary at some time hereafter.

IN

CHAP. XXIU.

THE BAZAARS.

CHAPTER
The Bazaars A

Bai-gain

Mosque

281

XXIII.
Three

the

of

Gates

TomLs

Measure the Great Mosque Fanaticism Details of Exterior

Sacred Well of KafAyat The Minar The Courtyard The Prayer
Chamber
Its
Interior
Columns of the Great Mosque
An
Intrigue Writing on the Wall.

There was
sketch

much

still

to do in the city

map out and

to

subject to the popular will the Gi'eat Mosque,

and to make a plan of the city

been unseemly,

too, to leave

walls.

It

Kairwan

would have

without any

souvenir, so I started with the old barber, Hassan ben

Ali, for the bazaars.

Hamouda, amtn
where

We

went to the shop of Haji

of the bazaar, near

Djemma

'1

Barota,

carpets, woollen stuffs, silks, &c., were sold.

mouda was

also

Ha-

amin of the jewel and silver trade, which

seemed to be almost privately conducted in Kairwan.

Owing

Jews and Christians, there

to the absence of

is

not a silversmith's shop to be seen, and the absence of

ornaments, rings, &c.,

is

quite noticeable.

The

carpets

of Kairwan are celebrated for their fineness and beauty

they are, however,

made

solely

by women, and

consequently impossible to see the process.

The

it

is

finest

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

282

chap, xxiii.

made

carpets sold in the bazaars of Tunis are those

in

Kairwan.

In the

Hamouda,

little

shop of the

amin

man, bade the crowd stand

found

me

toot

my

seat,

and

a well-dressed, good-looking, and courteous

He

at a little distance.

a handsome pair of old bracelets, with the

silver-mark of Tripoli upon them, and a silver earring

A man

of picturesque form.

few old

He

Eoman

me

then told

handkerchief

he had a great

close by.

He

among

in his

which were

The Moor showed me a bag containing more

and was

them.

many more

to the Kaid's stables,

than a hundred and twenty

silver,

me

to offer

and, as the crowd was growing a little

we withdrew

forward,

came up

which I said I was willing to buy.

coins,

told

satisfied

me

Eoman

coins, several of

him

with what I gave

that he had been collecting

for

them

the neighbouring ruins during the last twenty

years.

We went
and came to
stairs,

off
a

through the streets beyond the bazaars

soap manufactory, a dark building below

where were tanks

Tlie barber,

who

full of

melting grease and

should be a good judge, told

soap was excellent.

We

saw

it

me

oil.

the

in all stages, from the

and cutting into

slabs.

Then we rambled down an unfrequented-looking

street

boiling

down

to the cooling

to the barber's shop, a neat, clean little cupboard, where

were small hand-glasses stuck

round the

walls.

It

THE MOSQUE OF THREE DOORS.

CHAP. xxni.

Djemma

faced an open space close to the

Biban, or Mosque of the Three Gates

visited that beautiful old

building,

283

Telatha

'1

and we next

probably of the

thirteenth centuiy, externally by far the most strikinj^

in Kairwan.
It has

a plain facade, with a triple gateway, the

arches of which are supported by

The windows

marble columns.

are double arched, the single minaret

What

poor and cramped.

is

there are, are of the

tiles

beautiful Oriental green melting into blue, in delicate

patterns.

But the chief feature

stonework, which gives

it

old Crusaders' church.

is

the rare old carved

the air of the front of a fine

It runs above

and about the

arches, extending across the front in broad bands of

successive text
chiselling.

and ornament, in

solid

deep beautiful

First a line of running foliage

two

feet in

depth, then a band of Kufic or early Arabic characters,

and bold, then a row of alternate panels of carving,

free

each containing a single rose or a leaf pattern.

text

and carvings

alternately,

and corbels of the

finest,

cornice.

and

The carving

and the designs are most

rich.

Then

moulding

finally the

is

The

of the

front was

well worth sketching, but too elaborate for a rapid drawing, so

we moved on to

the

Mosque of Kader Awi. Round

the white minaret ran the broad text I have described

on the Mosque of the Olive Tree.

We

saw the marabout of Sidi

Mohammed

'1

Awani,

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

284

chap. xxin.

with a white melon dome, and with the jambs of

its

doorway minutely carved in a coarse cream-coloured

marble.

On

We

faces.

either side of these uprights are tiled sur-

saw tombs of saints by the dozen

them seemed simply placed

long tenantless
the

little flag, or

for there

in houses which

was

little to

many

of

had been

indicate beyond

the grated window through which the

sarcophagus could be seen, that they were other than

dwellings of the living.

We came by a quiet lane

we spent two
The

ing.

as they

Ma

a few of

rnaleh

whom had joined

warned
!

or

off

not good

blue sky

threw down in-

the people would say,

The sun shining

in the cloud-

upon the dazzling white walls of the

fell

mosque, and perspiration stood on the

faces.

us, barred

saw the unbeliever taking the proportions of

their sacred building.

less

Mosque, where

or three hours in measuring and sketch-

soldiers,

the approaches, and

truders.

to the Grreat

The great doors

soldiers'

dark

of the courtyard and of the

prayer chamber were wide open, and there were so few

worshippers inside, and so few people at hand, that I
should probably have entered but for fear of compro-

mising the

soldiers,

and of making any further rambles

about the city risky and perhaps impossible.

too, pretty clearly all I wanted, it

idle satisfaction to

been there.

go in

As

I saw,

would have been an

for the sake of saying I

had

FANATICISM.

CHAP. XXIII.

285

Before starting for Kairwan, Mr.

how

told

me

before,

was

Wood

Jewish boy, a few months

little

playing with some companions in the bazaars of Tunis.

Moorish boy took the Jew's cap, and ran

off

with

it

through the courtyard of the Mosque of the Olive Tree.

Quite heedlessly the lad ran after him to recover his
cap,

and

as

he came out by the opposite door he was

Tunis

put to death.

is

much

Europeanised, and the

inhabitants are relatively enlightened and liberal.

I

was walking one day with Perruquier past an

arcaded gallery of the same mosque near the grocers'

bazaar.

gallery.

I said

few gracefully dressed Tunisians sat in the

am coming up,

something to them, and they smiled.

I said playfully, pointing to the stone

In an instant the

staircase.

shopkeeper behind

me

Sltniles

vanished, and a

sprang growling from his

seat.

Perruquier explained that I was not quite so simple

and when

violent death,

At the southern angle of the mosque

built in a

my finger across my throat to suggest a

and shook my head, they laughed again.

drew

charming

little

wall was

white marble column, having

a capital of acanthus of hart's tongue form

half of the capital having been broken

off, it

but one-

had been re-

placed by another acanthus head with saw edges, like a

swordfish's snout.

Outside the south-west door of the

prayer chamber lay a beautiful fallen capital,

as a seat, of white

now used

and bluish marble, the decoration

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

286

being of a highly ornate

chap, xxiii.

fretted acanthus.

com-

menced the measurement of the south-east end, which

extends eighty-five yards in length.
the prayer chamber

It

is

the wall of

Midway along

itself.

the

it is

porch of the Grand Mufti, the spiritual governor of

Kairwan.

He

is,

in one sense, of

more consequence

than the Kaid, who on state occasions goes to

visit

him.

His antechamber stands out from the building, and none

but the Muftis have access by this way to the mosque.

Above

this porch there rises

from the prayer chamber

its

only dome, that over the sacred old Mihrdb of Okhbah.

The
and

sides of the

forty yards.

mosque measure each one hundred

At a distance of

thirty yards from

the eastern angle of the prayer chamber stands the

finest of the entrance ^towers.

It has

an outer horse-

shoe arch, and an inner one which contains the door

opening direct into the prayer chamber.

is

The

a finely proportioned piece of Saracenic work

exterior
:

it

has

a row of arched panels along the upper portion of

its sides,

and the dome and

plaster fretwork.

interiors of arches are in

In the angle

it

forms with the great

wall stands the marabout, a simple white

of a holy

woman,

Lilla

southern angle there

is

Rahanna.

domed

cube,

Forty yards from the

in the wall a pattern of

form in slightly projecting bricks.

This

is

diamond
the

mark

of the limit of the chamber of prayer, or rather of the

colonnade which runs across

its front.

THE HOLY WELL.

CHAP. XXIII.

287

Almost midway along the north-east wall stands the

sacred well of Kafayat, or It
before the city existed

is

enough.

It

water was used in the build-

its

ing of the walls, and in times of drought

and

is still

was

told,

drank of

said to suffice

for the

maintained
It

it.

is

has served

it

wants of the whole

Five years ago, when rain

district.

failed, the well, I

character, and all

its

was here

Kairwan

enclosed by a low circular wall, of a

The

yard and a half in height, built of rough stone.

across, being

faced with

pieces of aged marble shafts, yellow, red,

and white,

aperture measures ten feet

worn into deep channels and furrows.

to

communicate with the holy spring

a pilgrim

who once

zem, found

it

at

drinking cup

in Kafayat on his

only other well in

As

let his

Kairwan

is

rusty iron

This well

frame serves as a lowering apparatus.

Mecca
fall

is

indeed

into

way homeward

said

ZemThe

that called Bir el Bey.

in the south-west wall, there are four

gateways

in the north-east wall, of an interesting Saracenic style

but only the principal one

angle

is

The

used.

is

a pink marble column,

At the northern

let into the

masonry.

north-west end, measuring seventy-five yards,

or ten yards less than the opposite end, has rising from
it

the great

Minar.

The brick and

plaster of this

massive tower are defaced by marks of gunshot, fired

by the Government troops during the

when

they retook the

city

insurrection,

from the insurgents.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

288

rusty gun, possibly from the

lies

at the foot of the

chap, xxiii.

same interesting period,

Mlnar. There

communicating with
courtyard by which, in

is

an opening near

the tower

underground cisterns

in the

case of overflow, the

On

water can escape.

the enclosure,

is

a store room.

colonnade, entered
is

either side of the

by a

private door from the street,

the chamber of the Mueddins.

Facing the southern

and near the main entrance,

angle,

Minar, within

Within the southern

is

a bath, entered

by a plain doorway faced with marble, where the Faithful

come

to

wash and pray before entering the mosque.

The prayer chamber occupies the

south-east end of

the enclosure, running across the building eighty-five

yards,
to

and measuring about forty yards from the Mihrah

the

wall facing

it.

The two

great porches open

directly into it on either side, having

doors, unpainted,

heavy wooden

and with large rusty ornamented iron

hinges.

This leaves a quadrangle, measuring a hundred

yards,

by eighty in average width.

Bound

this runs

the double colonnade, about thirty feet wide, consisting

of two rows of grey marble columns in pairs, carrying a

simple

roof.

The courtyard

is

paved with white and

grey marble, defaced and broken in places, and a

little

grass-grown.

In the arcade which runs along the front of the prayer

chamber facing the quadrangle, the arches are double,

GREAT MOSQUE OF KAIR>M

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THE PRAYER CHAMBER.

CHAP. xxin.

rising one

upon another,

and supported by
and

tions

289

Mezquita of Cordova,

as in the

old columns of various propor-

fine

Pillars of rich colours flank each

colours.

Some

of the three doorways under this arcade.

old dusty red marble, fluted

The doors

are of

others of various colours.

and arabesqued in

are beautifully inlaid

elaborate patterns, and have decorative hinges.

The

interior of the prayer

chamber

is

imposing and

fine.

Nine ranks of nineteen massive columns each,

many

of

them dark marble, many

of

white marble

with rich Corinthian capitals, and exceedingly fine and

old,

carry the whitewashed double arches of the roof.

The

walls are whitewashed,

of straw.
stored,

Some

and on the

mats

and where wooden supports were giving way

The dome of the

they were being replaced by iron.

Mihrab

floor are

parts of the vaulting were being re-

is

It took a whole

vaulted in stone.

week

pierce a hole for the staple to carry the lamp.

lamps of the mosque are

series of

large

iron rings,

diminishing upwards, and carrying, in numerous

glass cups, the oil

My

credulity which can

the

says, of that

swallow any tradition.

Kubbeh

Tomb, containing,

told,

symbols, as the

Winter on the Nile

eastern angle stands the

weapons.

little

and wicks.

There were no ostrich eggs

genial author of

to

The

was

The Kibleh

or Shrine,

or

In the

Chamber of the

manuscripts and
is

old

faced with rare old

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

290

The Memhar

red marble pillars.

The

elaborately carved.

chap. xxni.

of dark

is

last rebuilding

took place in

827, and in the year 1082 El Bekri stated the

of the columns in the

mosque

fourteen.

I believe this to

oned the

total

to be four

in

chamber at one hundred and seventy-one

about two hundred and forty-four

and

On

fifteen.

number

hundred and

be near the truth.

number of columns

wood,

I reck-

the prayer
in the court

in all four hundred

the exterior of the building and en-

closure are about twenty.

The great dim

interior

the glare of the sun,

was

fine

and striking

after

and the few Moors kneeling at

their prayers were probably very fervently asking their

Mohammed

lord

for a malediction

upon the Christian

dog at the door.

my

I was curious to confirm

calculation

of the

number of columns in the mosque, and one evening,

menced

Barber,

my

room, I thus com-

said that

none has yet counted

barber into

the old

calling

it is

That

the columns in Sidina Okhbah.

bidden.

Traveller

Koumi and
tion.

true

is

it is for-

Thou, who hast lived among the

learned their tongue, art free from supersti-

Barber

know a man

in

True,

traveller

Kairwan willing

of those columns

Barber

Traveller

to bring

who

Dost thou

me the number

It is written

the Great Mosque, Cui'sed be he

on the wall in

shall

count these

columns, for he shall lose his sight. Traveller (indirectly)

A WARNING.

CHAP, xxiii.

291

The Franks reward services. Barber

danger

Traveller

many
is

The

It

may not

be, the

curse would not

many

all.

ranks

Barber (after some hesitation)

forbidden to regard the columns at

Traveller

curse does not apply to the arches and the vaulting

above the columns.

might

It

be.

Traveller

is

Barber (stroking his beard)

true there

is

Is it understood ?

And then

That

no mention of the arches.

Barber

Wallah

the old ass went straight to the Mufti of

the mosque, the Scherif

he was going to do.
It

The

ranks from east to west, and so

from south to north.

It

upon him who counted but the ranks of columns

fall

so

too great.

is

Hamuda, and

My son,

mil bring good neither

One man attempted

it

and

said the Scherif, beware.

to the stranger nor to thee.

lost his sight

and a second

Be warned, and

and a third did the same.

matter alone.

blated out what

leave the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

292

chap. xxiv.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Its Mosque and Kibleh Vicissitudes

ConstructionsRaccadah The Last of the Aghlabites

Foundation of Kairwin

Cordova

Its

The New Mecca.

When Okhbah

ibn Nafi had formed the resolution of

building Kairwan, he led his followers,

among whom

were eighteen Companions of the Prophet, to the spot

he had chosen, in a deep

What

wouldst thou

make

pathless forest

existed.

us build a city in the heart of a

and should we not have to

beasts of all kinds

Okhbah then

cried

savage beasts,

God's Prophet

fear wild

and snakes ?

know

chosen

where no path

forest

they said, when he asked them to set to work

that

aloud

we

ye serpents and

are

the Companions of

Withdraw from the

any of you that we may

spot

we have

find hereafter will be

put to death.

The Mussulmans then saw with wonder during the

entire

day, the wild animals and venomous reptiles

withdrawing and carrying

off their

young, a miracle

which converted many Berbers to Islam.

They

say

that for forty years afterwards not a snake or scorpion

was seen.


THE KIBLEH.

CHAP. XXIV.

Okhbah then made the

prayers to

there

circuit of the spot, offering

wisdom might prosper

that science and

might be inhabited alone by God-fearing

that it

men and
city

God

those serving

Him

with love

might be preserved from the

that the

finally,

assaults of the powers

Then they traced the

of this world.

up the

293

streets

and tore

trees.

The

first

care of

Okhbah was

and the mosque

of the citadel

have comprehended the

fortress

Camounia.

site of

to choose the position

the former

said to

is

the ancient Phoenician

There was much variety of opinion

regarding the Kibleh,

it

being rightly believed that

the inhabitants of Africa would adopt the Kibleh of

this

mosque

and Okhbah was urged to determine

its

position with the greatest care.

The Arabians remained long engaged in observing

the rising of the sun and of the
winter, without

coming

stars, in

summer and

to a determination.

Okhbah,

becoming imeasy, addressed himself to the Most High

One

for inspiration.

vision,

words

night, during sleep, he

had a

and a voice from on high addressed him in these

thou

the morning

shoulder

beloved of the Master of the worlds,

is

when

come, take the sacred Standard upon thy

thou wilt hear the Tekbir sound in front of

thee while none other can hear

chant shall end

is

it

the spot where the

that which must be chosen for the

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

294

Kibleh

there the throne of the

God Most High

His religion
till

Imam must

will protect this city

shall

chap. xxiv.

and

be placed.

mosque.

this

be established upon solid bases, and

the consummation of time unbelievers shall there

be humiliated.

At

Okhbah

these words

at such a revelation

repaired to the

he perfonned his ablutions, and

still

arose from sleep, bewildered

unbuilt mosque to pray, accom-

panied by the chief inhabitants.

came he prostrated

himself,

As soon

They

He

replied,

is

fol-

when he reached

his banner,

and cried

Hence-

the spot whither ye shall turn in prayer.

palaces, mosques,
:

It ceased

where now stands the pulpit of the Imam.

Immediately he planted
forth this

and habitations rose with

the enclosure measured three thousand six

hundred fathoms, and

677.

they heard

took the Standard upon his shoulder, and

this spot,

rapidity

if

No.

lowed the sound of the voice.

The

dawn

and hearing before him the

Tekbir sounding, asked those about him

it too.

as the

it

was completed in the year

Inhabitants jQocked thither from

all parts,

and

it

rapidly became a powerful capital.

The accuracy of the

as such that the

Imam

site

of this Kibleh

is

regarded

turning neither to right nor

turns direct to

to left to allow for possible inaccuracy

the Kibleh.

EI Bekri says the mosque was razed,

all

but the

RESTORATIONS.

CHAP. XXIV.

^95

Mihrab, and rebuilt by Hassan ibn

He

year 69 of the Hejra.

Nouman

the

in

embellished the Mihrab,

transporting thither the two superb columns, which

exist, of red

still

stone

marked with yellow

stains,

once taken from the ruins of a Christian church, and

for

which the Byzantine Emperor had in vain offered

their weight in gold.

The legend

in Kairwan

is

that no person guilty of

mortal sin can pass between these columns.

Mosque of Omar there

being forbidden to

is

In the

a similar tradition, Paradise

him who cannot

body

pass his

between a certain pair of columns.

In 727, the mosque was reconstructed on a vaster

scale.

Fifty years later, Yezid ibn

and rebuilt

it,

Hatem demolished

sparing the Mihrab as before

in 827, Ziadet Allah ibn Ibrahim razed

it,

for

and when
the third

time, and was preparing to destroy the Mihrab,

objected to

him

Okhbah's work.

it

was

that all his predecessors had spared

He

then preserved and masked

it

with

a wall, rebuilding and remodelling the rest of the mosque.

This was upwards of a thousand years ago, and in

spite of

time and wars this sacred old building has

never since been destroyed by

Mohammedans

or dese-

crated by Christians.

When Abd el Rahman III. declared

himself indepen-

dent Khalif of the West, Imam, and Commander of the

Faithful, he resolved to build a

mosque in Cordova,

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

296

chap. xxiv.

grander and more magnificent than any other.

commenced

year 778 he

it,

assisting with his

in the work, and in twenty-five years

Its court

it

In the

own hands

was completed.

measured a hundred and thirty-five yards by

seventy, its prayer

chamber a hundred and

thirty-five

by a hundred and twenty.

Twelve hundred columns of rare marble, taken, like

Eoman

those of the Kairwan mosque, from Grreek and

ruins, divided the prayer

and twenty-nine

aisles.

Nimes and Narbonne,

from Carthage

chamber into nineteen naves

The columns were brought from

and Tarragona, some

Seville

while others, together with

glorious

mosaics, were sent from Byzantium.

The massive

buttressed walls of the Mezquita, as

the mosque was called

oneself in prayer

the

from

were

mesgad, to prostrate

penetrated by nineteen gates

Puerta del Perdon, the most beautiful of

opening on to the Court of Orange Trees.

or recess of the Mihrab, the
Grod,

which

held

the

written by the hand of

pearls, rubies,

was, and

abode of the Spirit of

Alkoran

the

sacred

book

Othman, covered with gold,

is,

indescribably

rich

and

beautiful.

small octagonal chapel, the Kibleh, where

the Grod of Islam used to reveal

Faithful

all,

chapel,

and chained to the desk of aloe wood

still

Eound the

The

iised,

seven times.

as

in

the

Kaba

his presence, the

of Mecca, to crawl


MOSQUE OF CORDOVA.

CHAP. xxir.

In the

Maksurah

the privileged

the Khalif, the Muftis, and

Imams

297

enclosure where

alone could enter

stood the throne of El Mansour, on wheels, carved in

precious woods with figures and images, under a special

the

dispensation from the Khalif

images being forbidden by the

sculpture

Mohammedan

of

law.

Such was the temple built by the Moors of Kairwan, sixty years after their establishment in those rich

The mosque surpassed

plains of Cordova.

those of El

Aksa, of Kairwan, and of Mecca in beauty, and ranked

next to them in sanctity.

pilgrimage thither was

regarded as one to Mecca or to Kairwan.

The Mosque

of Seville, modelled to a certain extent on the Mezquita,

was completed four centuries

later,

before the Christians took Cordova.

the Giralda

measured

fifty feet

and only forty years

Its sacred

across at

and rose to the height of two hundred and

The

Minar

the base,

fifty feet.

proportions of this and of the Mezquita rather

dwarf the imposing and venerable Shrine of Okhbah

and

its

Minar.

But

in the prayer

chamber at Cor-

dova, the relatively small size and corresponding crowd-

ing of the eleven hundred columns and their arches,

take a

little

from the space and dignity which cha-

No

doubt Kairwan

racterise the older

mosque

here.

never endowed

mosque

so lavishly as did Cordova,

but

its

grand.

its

proportions and space render it both solemn and

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

29S

The

treasures of

the

amethysts,

He

of

kings,

Grothic

jacinths,
stones.

Kairwan were at one time of count-

Tarik found at Toledo twenty-five crowns

less value.

of

chap. xxiv.

gold,

fine

diamonds,

and

garnished with
other

precious

found at the city of Medina Celi an

also

inestimable table, which had formed part of the spoil

taken from

Eome by

Alaric

King

of the Groths.

was composed of a single emerald possessed of

manic properties

wrought

by

genii, so it

was

It

talis-

said, for

King Solomon the Wise.

Musa found

at Seville,

among

other sacred spoils,

a cup made of a single pearl, brought by an early King

of Spain from the Temple of Jerusalem, at
tion

its

destruc-

by Nebuchadnezzar.

The

foresaide

Leo, with

all

two captaines Tarik and Muse, says

good successe proceeded euen to

and sacked the

citie of

Toledo

other treasure, they founde

many

where, amongst

sate with his

which being covered with pure gold

and adorned with great

store of precious stones,

esteemed to be woorth halfe a million of ducates

this table
all

Muse

much

reliques of the saints,

and the very same table whereat Christ

blessed Apostles

Castilia,

carrying with him, as

if it

was

and

had beene

the treasure in Spain, returned with his armie over

the sea, and bent his course toward Cairaoan.

Ziadet Allah ibn Ibrahim, after thirteen troubled

years, finding himself in tranquil possession of Africa,

WORKS OF THE AGHLABITES.

CHAP. XXIV.

set himself to repair

299

by peaceful labours the

evils of

war.

He

used to say that he had been permitted to

accomplish four things which entitled

To

mercy on the day of Judgment.

mosque

Abou

Susa :

to Divine

rebuild the great

at a cost of eighty-six thousand dinars, in lieu

Hatem

of that built by Yezid ibn

of

him

el

to build the bridge

Kebi, and the castle of the Marabouts at

finally, to

appoint so worthy a Kadi as

Ahmed

ibn Mahriz.

Among

the numerous constructions due to

Ibrahim Ahmed, Nowairi

cites

Abou

the reservoirs at the

Tunis Gate, the porches and cupola of the Great Mosque,

Abou Eebi Gate, the mosque

the cisterns of the

of

Tunis, the walls of Susa, and the great reservoirs of

Abbassiyeh.

These were his

work

last

At

they were yet unfinished.

brought him from thence.

who has

suffered

me

he was very

last

while

a vase of water was

Praised be

to see this

ill

God

he cried,

work completed.

He

was one

died, says the chronicler, after these words

Tuesday, the tenth of the month Dhi

Kaada, 249.

He was

'1

it

only twenty-nine years old.

The Aghlabites

are

still

held in gratefid

remem-

brance throughout this country for the similar works

they established in

From

many

different spots.

the circumstance that the great reservoirs re-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

3do

chap. xxit.

and within

ferred to lie to the western side of the city

a short distance of the city wall, we can gather that

the city or palace of the Abassiyeh extended westward

from the neighbourhood of the present Tunis

'

Grate.

Outside the walls of Kairwan,' says El Bekri,

fifteen cisterns built

are

by Hescham and other princes

the greatest, however, by

son of Aghlab.

'

Abou Ibrahim Ahmed, gTand-

They stand near the Tunis Gate,

are

of circular form, and very considerable.

'

In the centre of the chief cistern stands an octa-

gonal tower crowned by a pavilion with four gates.

On

the south side of the reservoir wall there abut vast

colonnades.
receive

the

Merkelil,

To the west
waters of

of the

same

the winter

reservoirs,

Wad

torrent

Ziadet Allah built a palace:

which
el

and to the

north a beautiful pond.'

These works were executed with extreme magnificence.

They are the only monuments

work that remain

guard.

of the Aghlabites'

their necessity has been their safe-

Only certain of them have been kept in proper

repair, the requirements of the city being

much

reduced.

this province of Afrikieh

two monu-

ments which were unequalled by anything

else, these

El Bekri found in

reservoirs of the Aghlabites,

and the palace

city of

Raccadah.
I think it possible that in the considerable traces

of buildings, extending upon rising ground eastward

SITE OF RACCADAH.

CHAP. XXIV.

301

from the north-east angle of Kairwan, and along an old

watercourse or trench

we may

possibly that dug by Ibrahim

look for the site of Eaccadah.

Such a position would be

shrine,

whose

finest

porch

in full view of the great

lies in this direction, of

once rich plain to the northward,

sight of the mountains of Oussalat.

been an outlying

fortress

the

and of the refreshing

It

would also have

on the road from the coast,

and the cistern Elmawahel would have supplied

it.

Moorish writers refer to a third royal city outside the

walls of Kairwan,

known

as

Mansourah.

It

may have

been one of the suburbs, possibly the present Dar

This

is

the story of the escape of

al

Mana.

Abou Modhar

Ziadet Allah, the last of the Aghlabites.

Word was

brought him to Eaccadah that his army, under the

Emir Ibrahim, had been

he had
to tell

lost all hold

them the

routed.

upon his

Idle and voluptuous,

citizens' loyalty,

and feared

truth.

Sending to the prisons of Eaccadah, he had numerous prisoners executed, and their heads paraded through

the city as trophies of a great victory.

secretly

and precipitately prepared

his army's defeat

had reached him

Meantime, he

for flight.

after

News of

midday prayer

before the mueddin's cry to evening prayer was heard,

he had

left

Eaccadah with his family and treasures

his household following

the direction of Egypt.

by torchlight

and

all

taking

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

302

When
laged, the

gardens

chap. xxiv.

the truth became known, Eaccadah was pilpalaces ravaged, and the very soil of the

which

might have concealed treasure

Ibrahim returning

turned over during six whole days.

found his master

fled

was

and the inhabitants in a tumult.

Vainly he urged them to join him in the defence of the

city, to

provide

We

him with

either

money

or soldiers.

Ibrahim

are not valiant in war,

they said

candidly, neither will

we

If the bravest warriors

and the resources of the public

trust

thee with our riches.

no chance

treasury could not bring thee victory, there

is

of success with us and our private means.

As Ibrahim

scornfully upbraided them, they commenced to stone

him: but he escaped and

fled

to Tripoli,

where he

joined the last of the Aghlabites.

When

the gentle and pious Handhalah resigned the

government of Kairwan, he called together the Kadi

and the more notable

citizens.

Opening the public

treasury he took out one thousand dinars, which he

counted before them.

Be

witnesses, he said, that I

have taken from the city only what

is

necessary for

my

journey.

Bruce says

'

There

of Alexandria that
retire

to

assured

it

is

a tradition

among

Rosetta or Cairo

but divers saints have

Alexandria

them that Mecca being destroyed

be, they think,

the natives

has often been in agitation to

by the Russians

as it
is

must

then to

THE NEW MECCA.

CHAP. XXIV.

393

become the Holy Place, and that Mahomet's body

be transported thither that when that city
:

is

is

to

destroyed,

the sanctified reliques are to be transferred to Cairouan

in the

are to

kingdom of Tunis.
come

to Kosetta,

consummation of
distant.'

Lastly,

and there

all things,

which

from Cairouan they

to remain
will not

till

the

then be far

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

304

chap. xxv.

CHAPTEE XXV.

wahel Imprecations Form of City An Incident Opinion of the

Bazaars Prepare
Leave Farewell to the KaidLast Night in

The Gate of Greengages Measure the City Ruined Bastion Call

to Prayer
The Citadel
A Mob Leylet al Moolid Elma

to

Kairw&n.

WENT

to

make

a plan of the city walls, round which

we had already gone

twice.

Traversing the Quarter of

the Mosque, we issued on foot from the city by the

Khaukh, or Gate of the Greengages

a double arch in a tower.

like

all

The inner gate

Bab el

the others
is

a lofty

horseshoe arch supported by two marble columns

capital of one is a beautifully carved

the

thistle-shaped

acanthus. Outside the columns, jambs of white and grey

marble carried a

lintel of the

Above the arch

same.

was a tablet in white marble, engraved with the names

of the gate and
tion.

its

builder and the date of its construc-

Beyond the vaulted chamber

outer archway

is

similar in form.

or

On

passage, the

its left side is

yellow stone column having an acanthus head in marble,

which does not belong to

column.

This

is

it.

Facing

it is

a red mai'ble

the finest of the city gates.


THE CITY WALLS.

CHAP. XXV.

Within

el Djuluddin,

a succession of low,
walls

flat

lies

the Dyers' Quarter

houses, with their doors and

and the ground in front of them stained deeply in

red and

Bab

and extending along the ramparts

this gate,

towards the Bab

305

el

blue.

The

gates of Kairwan are five

Khaukh, on the eastern

luddin, facing to the south-east

the south

the

Bab

el

Bab

side: the
:

the

Bab

Tunes and the Bab

el

the

Dju-

el Djedid, to

el

Keshlah, to

the west.

"We passed along the city walls, taking the angles

and measurements

as

we went.

The

wall runs in a

sloping curve, with half-round towers at intervals,

it

till

reaches the eastern angle and turns suddenly to the

north-west.

The space outside here

is

waste land, having

one or two marabouts, a small powder magazine, prickly

pear bushes, and, running towards the east, traces either
of the old wall of the greater city of centuries ago, or
of the outer city, Raccadah.
this angle the wall runs

From

the square tower at

two hundred and

straight line to the north angle, where

tower.
walls

is

fifty

yards in a

another square

This face of the city wall looks over a few

mud

and hedges of prickly pear, but no dwellings.

The

wall

now

turns to the south-west and runs six

hundred yards straight to the Keshlah.

the great wall are the ruins of a vaulted

Midway along

mud and

work bastion, projecting sixty yards from

it.

brick-

On

its

platform are a few old rusty guns, and in the city wall

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

3o5

chap. xxv.

at its back are the traces of a gate which once led to

the

but

fort,

We

is

bricked up now.

down

sat

to rest in the fort, looking over the

wide plain which

Beyond the

garden, two miles

and by the

off,

we

city once extended thither,

Moors were too intelligent to avoid such a blessing

as a river

It

haze to the northward.

trees of the late Kaid's

could trace the course of the

Eoumel. Doubtless the

river

for the

walls

itself in

lost

college

they were admirable hydraulic engineers.

was hard to picture round these dilapidated

and on

city of old

the vast and populous

lonely plain

this

to recall, in these wastes of

mud

walls

and

melancholy prickly pear, the splendour and luxury

which made this spot the wonder of Africa.

Palaces,

gardens, treasure houses, colleges, shrines, fortresses,

were here, peopled with the intellectual and mighty

race, the illustrious Moors.

As we

rested, there

came from the great minaret

the high tenor call of the Mueddin.

There was some-

thing plaintive in the cry from the decayed city on this

golden afternoon
glories of

the

it

seemed

foot of the walls,

little

ruinous cemetery,

bules.

lament

for the lost

Granada, of Cordova, and of Kairwan.

At the

growing

like a

freely, all

and among the tombs of

we found the

covered with

"We should recommend

Kairwan on such a glowing day

its
it

ice plant

transparent

to

as this.

glo-

the camels of

3tan0irrt/ii

Loniiozi:

JoKn Marr)r,jUbenDarle Strt.

Ar<7^ J'.Mta^*

A MOORISH MOB.

CHAP. xxT.

We

moved on

307

to the Keshlah, of which the

rangle projects eighty yards from the

which

is

main

quad

wall,

and

entered by the gate I have before referred to.

The wall then turns

to the south for five

making a sudden bend

hundred yards,

at the Tunis gate,

and half en-

compassing the outer market place.

The appearance

of an Infidel in his ordinary dress,

with a large sheet of paper, on which he was recording

his

measurements of their venerated

satisfaction

collect

among

the people

round me.

wall, caused dis-

and they began to

had sent Perruquier and one

sol-

dier to the silversmith's to get the bracelets, the other

soldier

and the old barber remaining with me.

As we

went on the Moors followed, not liking the proceeding.

First there was a crowd of
finally I

silence

fifty,

then of a hundred

had a mob of a hundred and

on

my

heels.

Whenever

fifty

marching in

I halted, to

make

the

measurement from tower to tower or to take an angle,

they halted too.

The whole thing was exceedingly

funny.
First

went the old barber, thea the

soldier,

then

I,

At a sudden pause they would almost

then the mob.

run over one another, and come crowding to look over

one another's shoulders, wondering what the
in the F'rank

dress

was about.

came a murmur suggestive

bats,

and I

still

Every now and then

of the Arabic

think that

if

x2

tall lunatic

word

for brick-

one of them had picked


3o8

up a
It

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

chap. xxv.

many more would have done

the same.

stone,

seemed a

be marching round the

thing to

droll

walls of an old sacred city in Barbary, with a crowd

of

men

about me,

satisfied in their consciences that I

had no right to be there, and yet none of them molest-

The boys and youths were

ing me.

We traversed

insulting.

end of the city

in this

the wall

turreted

is

the so-called suburbs lying under

passed the

Mosque

disposed to grow

way the broad southern

it to

at

intervals,

our right.

of the Olive Tree, the

Bab

el

We

Djedid,

the Miauhhat of this quarter, and rounded the southeast angle near the

From
Bab

el

Bab

el

Djuluddin.

this gate the walls curve gently

We

Khaukh.

round to the

passed the great dry reservoirs,

Of

mentioned already, to our right hand.

Arab historian Abulfeda writes

'Incolap urbis

these the

Kairwan

bibunt aquam pluvialem quas hyemali tempore colligitur

in piscina

magna

dicta Elmawahel, id est cistenaa.'

They

are used for prayer gatherings on the solemn feast days,

such as that of L'Hayd Saghir, the three days' rejoicing

after

Ramadhan

or the Leylet al Moolid, the anniver-

sary of both the Prophet's birth

and death.

This occurs

on the twelfth day of the month of Rabia

corresponding this year to our April 18.

Awwal

As the Arabic

months revolve through the year, like the precession of

the equinoxes

only

they retrograde, and accomplish

their circle in thirty-three years

and a half

the

Pro-

EXECRATIONS.

CHAP. XXV.

309

phet could never have known with any accuracy, unless

he kept an astrologer, when his birthday was to come

oflf.

Here the crowd, who had fancied

the Gate of Skins, which would lead

would enter by

me

to the Raid's

house, began to think that I was not going to stop,

circumambulate the walls without end.

but

began to draw back and curse or

I

had gone

fifty

insult

They

me and when
:

yards further they stopped and raised

a cry, a kind of groan and yell in one, which their

pent-up feelings gave a remarkable vigour

This

to.

encom-aged passers-by, and they too cried and hooted

KaU)

Khansir ! Kafir ! Yahudi

There would have

been no satisfaction in putting twenty or thirty to death

where

all

were equally interested

and I

reflected, too,

that I had no special African evangelising mission which

would have
account

so

justified
I

me

making war on my own

in

went tranquilly on, and terminated

my

labours where I had begun.

We entered

by the beautiful Gate of the Greengages

and returned by the Dyers' Quarter to the Raid's house.

I

have no doubt that the crowd fully expected

again

later, like

me

round

the sun, and that they waited for

next revolution, with

little piles

my

of stones and fragments

of brick and mortar laid by.

Sir

GrenviUe Temple says

by a crenellated

wall,

and

its

'

The

city

is

surrounded

suburbs by another

it

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

310

seems to form a square.'

He makes

common

him

event with

rounded by no wall

not

so poor that

them worth

As to the form of the

wall.

a mistake

the suburbs are sur-

indeed, they are

no one would ever think

with a

for

chap. xxv.

surrounding

city, it is a little

squarer than a tomato, but not so square as a pear.

I

found the total circuit of the walls to be about

three thousand five hundred yards

when Moez ibn

Badis rebuilt them in 444 of the Hejra, their measure

was eleven thousand yards.

I found Perruquier at the Kaid's, in a state of high

He had

excitement.

been threatened in the bazaars,

and had to escape to the house.

I at first wondered at

the success and celerity of his flank

movement, but

afterwards recollected that he had served in the Mobile

Guard during the defence of

Paris.

But

for the ex-

perience acquired in the exercise of his military profession, the

ex-Mobile might have fallen a victim to the

immortal principle of the pursuit of knowledge

principle to which I was ready to sacrifice his

and

life,

he mine.
Anecdote.

Perruquier, having

in his

boyhood

ceived some slight instruction in the form of

drill,

re-

was

out one day during the siege with several comrades,

going through musketry

the corporal.

You

drill.

Present arms

said

are wrong, he said, as Perruquier

presented arms in a manner that seemed unusual

do

it

A CRY FOR VENGEANXE.

CHAP. XXV.

I shan't, said Perruquier

again.

you are wrong yourYou

Perruquier was brought before the adjutant.

self.

are disobedient
doesn't

me

3H

see

know how

the

said

The corporal

adjutant.

to present arms, said Perruquier.

you both do

it,

You

said the adjutant.

Let
are

appointed caporal instructeur, he said to Perruquier

Corporal, you

may

return to the ranks.

It appears that, as Perruquier sat in the bazaars, a

fanatic with a

drum made

sight of the Kafir

jNIalediction

is

no justice.

curse on

The

went

his appearance,

off into uncontrollable hysterics.

Christians in our city

he yelled.

Grod will punish us.

them

and at the

There

curse on

them

caporal instructeur had other information too.

He had heard

of a vast subterranean city, thirty-six kilo-

metres from Kairwan, forming large mounds and containing vaulted chambers.

We

who confirmed all he

They had not been

were

satisfied the

said.

called in the attendants,

two men came in who had been

called

Ain

el

Hammam,

second thoughts

there,

underground city existed.

its

or the

there.

The

but

Finally
city

Well of the Bath.

was

On

extent was not great, and, on ques-

tioning, it was possible the buried city

a series of cisterns or baths.

It

might represent

happens that eight

leagues or nearly thirty-six kilometres from Kairwan,

there are the

warm

Turzo of Ptolemy

baths of

where

Hammam

Truzza

are hot springs,

the

much

fre-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

312

qiiented formerly

by Moors from

all

chap, xxv,

They

the Eegency.

are described as vaulted chambers full of sulphureous

vapours.

appeared there was in

It

the bazaars

generally favourable opinion regarding

may

my

be a worthy Infidel, the Moors said,

pleased the Prophet to send here, that he

pretty

He

visit.

whom it
may see

and be converted. The Kaid and Mudabbir came to

faith

The Mudabbir

pay a farewell

visit.

was no wish

for a telegraph line to

told

me

that there

That

Kairwan.

from Susa was not distant, and news came quite

enough

for the

Holy City of the Mughreb.

would, of the two, be

less

fast

railway

unwelcome.

The Kaid asked me when

I wished to leave.

Three hours before sunrise on the following day.

said.

The

has

our

gates are not opened until

order

them

six,

he said

to be kept open for you.

but I will

Eventually we

decided to send the cattle to a foudouk near the outer

market, and to pass out ourselves by the khaukhat of

the

Bab

el

The Kaid asked what

Tunes.

I said I cared for none.

should like.

He

escort I
insisted

said it

was necessary, that he was responsible

safety,

and

at

last

I agreed

for

to take two horsemen.

I will write an acknowledgment, he said, which I

you, for

my

satisfaction, to

you send them back.

you

like.

my

hand to the

Take them

soldiers

beg

when

as far as Tunis if

FAREWELL TO THE

CHAP. XXV.

After expressing

the Kaid rose to go.

to

313

many kind and hospitable wishes

He took me by the hand, and we

He

walked to the door together.

me

KAID.

accompany him downstairs

would scarcely allow

and when we wished

man

one another good-bye, the warm-hearted, genial

my

threw his arms round

neck and kissed

me

re-

peatedly.

We

called in the

two shaoushes of Susa, the old

barber, the soldiers

who guarded me

house servants, and

all

who had done me any

and made them suitable

short night's rest

Kairwan.

the

in the city, the

gifts.

last

Then we

lay

service,

down

for a

night in the singular city of

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

JI4

chap. xxvi.

CHAPTEE XXVI.

Traverse the Plain Camp of Bedouins InterHalt under Olive Trees Ruined Tomb
Nablus Hammamet The Foudouk of Birloubuita The Dakkhul
Promontory^The Lead Mountain Suleiman Gulf of Tunis flammam Anf Rhades Enter Tunis.

Issue from the City

view

-with

Bedouin Ladies

'1

when Perruquier awakened

It was a quarter past two

me and

Our

done.

The packing was soon

lighted the candles.

sergeants, sleeping in the outer chamber, I

awakened, to wish them good-bye and to give them an

acknowledgment of

Susa.
out.
as

It

my

safety

Jchaukhat of the

Bab

el

of

we went

shone

faintly

"We came to

Tunes, and, stooping,

We

saw nothing of the

which were to have been waiting for us here,

and the

servant's

shout

re-echoed

Everything was very quiet.

The

empty, and we began to think

the horses had

We

stars

silent street.

passed through the wicket.

horses,

Grovernor

servant lighted us downstairs, and

was moonlight, and the

we passed through the

the

the

for

left for

had had a

it

from

grass

the

wall.

market was

not impossible that

Susa.

slight misapprehension with Severio

Valentino, the muleteer.

He had

been understood to

THE LAST OF KAIRWAN.

cuAP. XXVI.

315

say that unless I started on the previous evening

me

would not take

to Birloubuita

lie

and I was under-

stood to say in reply that unless he started whenever I

pleased,

somebody was

likely to take

servant set

to

ofif

Perruquier and the

intended.

hammer

foudoiik and to shout

to the Kaid's

After this, Severio explained

prison in the Keshlah.

that no malice was

him

at the doors of the various

and

it

seemed rather a

foolish

occupation to be here at three o'clock in the morning

The

imder the dark high walls of Kairwan.

died away:

was very

it

vms the wind whistling

were

thrown

galloped up

in the

were found

last the horses

open

came out

Kairwan

at a rapid trot.

After an hour

muzzle of

footsteps

could hear

my

gun.

the gates of a

on

shaoushes

to see us start,

we came

Wadi Kantara,

that, but for its

been there.

all

At

foudouk
horseback

a few Arabs, muffled up and bearing

lanterns,

across the

two

and

cold,

moral

so

and we

set off

to a low ruined

from

bridge

broken and dilapidated

effect, it

might

as well not

have

Mists were rising from the low marshy

bed on either side of

ground and old

river

stood in pools

among

the rushes.

We

it,

and water

traversed the

low plains of the Bilad Souatir, the shaoushes, with

their white
us.

We

hooded cloaks and guns, riding in front of

left to

our right a range of low

a shaoush's horse

fell

hills.

Presently

with him, not hurting him much,

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

3i6

Shaoush, perhaps, not

however.

much accustomed

night expeditions, and caught napping.

hours we pulled up.
Raid's receipt for

my

to

After three

handed to the

chap. xxvi.

soldiers

the

body, a backshish, and, sending a

message of thanks to the Kaid, dismissed them.

The daylight had been advancing

the sun rose, and

some time,

for

we pushed merrily

After four

on.

hours and a quarter we traversed the dry bed of the

Wadi

Beni, the clay banks of which were

Kound

cracked by the sun.

all

baked and

us stretched broad fields

of long-eared barley, glistening in the sun and shiver-

We

ing in the wind.

met a caravan

camels laden with pottery from Nablus

of Arabs, with

dishes, vessels,

pots, jars,

and

saddles.

One Arab wore the prodigious

common

from the pack-

bottles, all slung in nets

straw hat

in the Djerid.

After five hours and a half, the track turned off

sharply towards the coast

plain of Kairwan.

of Djebel

'1

We

Emfida.

we were

still

in the great

passed to our left hand the ruins

There was a Bedouin douar near

the track, hedged in by a

rough thorn

fence

camels were browsing among the barley.

became rather

richer,

and

and the crops were considered

worthy of protection by scarecrows

however, that

The country

such

the Barbary wild fowl

scarecrows,

must be

far

simpler than our worldly-minded and predatory crows.

After six hours and a half

we passed

half a mile

to

BEDOUIN LADIES.

CHAP. XXVI.

its

right

the

marabout of Sidi Takrofma, with two

To the

domes.

317

left of

the road stood a small ruined

building of rough stones.

Four miles to our right we

could see a white building on the Susa road, not far

Soon we turned to the northward.

To

from the

coast.

the

stood a ruin, and a marabout, in form like a

left

Syrian tent

Sidi

Wahid

To the

Allah.

right of the

Bedouins met us,

track lay a low pool or swamp.

driving a flock of black goats, kids with coats silky

as spaniels',

and a herd of dun

faces were almost black with

further stood a

cattle.

The Arabs'

exposm-e.

Half a mile

douar of twelve

Shortly after this

we

tents.

up

pulled

containing a few feet of water.

grouped round

round cistern

Bedouin family were

The women had

it.

at a

tattooed chins, and

one wore a neck ornament which I should have liked

to buy, but, alas
girls

had scarcely any money

were not tattooed

eyes.

gave them

were very pleased.

and whither
a wife.

all

the small

money I

The

had, and they

After ascertaining whence I

came

was going, they inquired whether I had

"When they heard that

mother-in-law, they wished

black eyes.

lefl.

one had a pretty face and dark

me

was not blessed with a

a wife with immense

As we moved on they wished me repeat-

edly a fortunate journey, and hoped that their saint,

the servant of the One God, might take

especial protection.

me

under his

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

3i8

chap. xxvi.

we sighted the blue and stormy

After seven hours

We

Mediterranean, about four miles to our right.

saw a few marabouts, and passed, a mile to our

left,

three

over

the Sisters of

Kuda

round-backed

hills,

which the strong wind was chasing black shadows.

We approached

two

olives, the first trees

we had

since leaving Kairwan, and threw ourselves

a rest and food.

seen

down

for

Perruquier went off with the gun.

when

After a single discharge he returned, and

I asked

afterwards whether he had hit anything, he said he had

asked what he had done with the

killed

a lark.

body.

This Barbary Samoyede had plucked and eaten

it

warm.
There stood, a quarter of a mile from the track, a

small ruined building, with remains of others

it,

to the right, were stones

strewn about.

The

beside

and evidences of buildings

olive

trees

were

tossing

their

branches in the strong wind blowing from the sea,

which

and

cooled

refreshed

miles yet lay before us.

off again, the horses

the halt.

We

Twenty English

us.

After an hour's rest

going well and

all

we

set

the better for

passed quantities of oleander growing in

shrubs of considerable
stretch of yellow sand,

To our

size.

right lay a long

and patches of turf

so level that

Perruquier, the muleteer, and I might have had an excellent

game

time to spare.

of lawn tennis

There came

if there

past,

had been more

from time to time, a


MENARAH.

CHAP. xxTi.

caravan of camels

and brushes

some having

closely

39

loads of

palm baskets

packed upon their humps.

After nine hours and a half

we reached a curious

round tower on rising ground, built in brick and faced

with yellow stone in horizontal
in

and out, and giving

Shaw

coffer

dam.

from

Hammamet

it

ribs,

standing alternately

the form of a strongly-bound

says that two leagues west

by south

was Menarah, a large mausoleum,

twenty yards in

diameter, built

pedestal, with a vault beneath

like

cylindrical

several small

altars,

supposed by the Moors to have been lamps for mariners,

stood on the cornice.

No

remain now, but the

altars

building stands in sight of the sea, and might well have

served as a

tomb and beacon.

Half a mile to the right

were yellow ruinous buildings.

In front we could see the snowy town of

mamet

the

the ancient

Dove

town of the inland

Ham-

Heraclea, the frontier

district or Zeugitania,

and the

last

town northward of the seacoast Province of Byzacium.

mile from the shore and a few miles east of

mamet,
Nablus

lies

the industrious and thriving

close

which sends

its

Hammamet
halting place.

Ham-

town of

to the site of the ancient Neapolis

pottery into

many parts

of the Regency.

was distant about three miles from our

We

could see

its

water, the white houses sloping

among

little

brown

up the

a dark stretch of lemon woods.

castle
hill

by the

behind

it

steamer lay

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS.

320

chap. xxvi.

form the principal

at anchor loading lemons, which

way

export of the town, and which go all the

We

America.

was

far

fully

of

more

we

had entered upon the Susa road

traffic

to

there

than on the plain, and very thank-

trotted into the courtyard of the white

Birloubuita,

about

fifty- five

Foudouk

miles distant

from

Kairwan.

We

started in good

time, having sent the Susa

horses back, and travelling with those which had been

sent from Tunis to

meet me.

We

left

the Dakkhul

promontory to our right, and made almost due north-

ward

for

Suleiman, passing for miles through brush-

wood and juniper bushes, over a sandy

We

dually ascending.

the fields

little

goldfinches in yellow and brown

were fluttering about.

and grahills

in

plumage

Perruquier was pleased to see

the chardonnerets in such numbers

well in cages.

track,

came up among the

he said they sang

I wondered whether they sang better in

cages than out of them, and whether Perruquier would

sing well in a cage.

Two

hours from the Foudouk brought us near the

village of

which
mosque.

it

Kroumbeliyeh and the

is

We

approached.
passed trees

It

olive

woods through

has a moderate-sized

of the

caroub or locust,

bushes of oleander and of yellow broom in blossom.

The Arabs use the

charcoal of the oleander wood, mixed

with tobacco, and apply

it as

a fomentation in cases of

SPANISH MOORS.

CHAP. XXVI,

rheumatism.

In the momitains of the Dakkhul, to our

right, there used to

weed

many

be

wild boars

grows plentifully there.

also

321

the orchilla

Perhaps I shall be

doing the reader a service by explaining that this weed

is

used as a dyeing material.

To our

seven miles away,

left,

we saw the massive

peak of the Lead Mountain, Djebel Eesass, towering

above the

Two

hills.

miles and a half to our right,

low down on the plain, was the

Suleiman, with

and

Khalifa,

five minarets.

measure the Spanish language.

thage now, twelve miles

Bou

Sidi

lies

white town of

on the Wadi

inhabited by descendants of Anda^-

is

lusian Moors, who, I believe,

it

little

It

off,

After

Said.

retain in a great

still

We

can see Cape Car-

and the white patch upon

three

hours' journey

we

approached the southern shore of the Grulf of Tunis.

We passed
with

its

fields

of aniseed, and hawthorn in blossom,

sweet English scent.

scent, the

Moors think,

the road

by the former stood a

The dwarf palm grows

is

strewn with ruins

have been immense.

ruins to the

a sleeping room, and likely

There were ruins to the right and

to cause headache.
left of

for

Not a very wholesome

left.

its

single

freely about.

palm tree.

This country

population and resources must

In another half-hour come more

Beyond an

olive wood,

and in the

side of the steep hill are great caverns, once quarries,

hewn

We

in the yellow stone.

can

tell

our distances

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

322

easily

the telegraph poles are placed just a hundred

We

metres apart.

see the Island of

to the north-west.

many

chap, xxvi,

Grreat

them muzzled

of

numbers of camels pass

biters,

a spur of the hills on our

left,

Hammam

'1

no doubt.

and reach,

travelled rapidly for four hours

white town of

Zembra now, away

and a

Anf, the

We

us,

round
having

after

half, the little

Ba ^h

of the Nose or

Headland.

Through

it

called a road,

the

I have hitherto

was a simple horse or waggon track over

The'

hills or plain.

Bey and

have country houses here.

Greneral Khaireddin

The road

of the career Tunis has entered

which

What

runs a fair road.

upon

one evidence

is

one of progress,

likely to be as materially profitable as artis-

is

In half an hour from

tically fatal.

Hammam

'1

Anf

we reached the Eiver Milianeh, a constant stream, which

we

crossed by a stone bridge.

Foudouk

of

Shoukh

el

We

passed the large

Ehades, the ancient Ades, where

Eegulus defeated the Carthaginian Hanno.

left

were the

hills

where Hanno was simple enough to

post his elephantry, and the hard-headed

fited

by

his error.

travelling

To our

The journey came

forty-five

entered Tunis by the

miles

from

to

Eoman
an end

Birloubuita.

Bab Aliwa an hour

proafter

We

after sunset.

A BATH.

CHAP. xxvn.

CHAPTER
A Hammam^A.

323

XXVII.

Negotiation Leave Tunis Footsteps of Bruce

Touch of Nature Sad News The Last of Perruquier Cape Carthage The Malta Channel A Swell Cagliari Amphitheatre
Antiquarian Museum A Visit from Sards The Colony of Tunis

Leghorn An Incident Genoa Paris.

After a good

made

night's rest I rose early, and, lightly clad,

for the baths.

Entering the dim and steaming

chamber, I went to the dressing room, where, propped

up against the

wall,

and swathed mummy-like

in

numberless towels, were two benevolent-looking Mos-

lems enjoying the repose.

Hullo, said one of them,

This Mussulman was Colonel Playfair.

it's

Mr. Eae.

He

was refreshing himself after his journey with Dr.

Playfair and

Lord Kingston to Zaghwan, which had

been a great success.

I was led away into the hot chamber.

In

this

cheerful apartment, of which the temperature stood at

am

afraid to say what, for fear I should be suspected

of untruth, and of which the steam I inhaled seemed

to

scald

my

interior,

were

cells.

One

of these

shared with half a dozen of the most prodigious cock-

roaches on record.

It is

clear the cockroach needs

t2

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

324

chap, xxvir.

steam to bring him on, and then he develops

At table d'hote

whom

I asked a pleasant

finely.

Englishman with

had had many conversations before leaving

for Sfax,

whether the English bank established here was

likely to be a failure.

Well, I hope not, he said

am

the manager.

In the street leading from the consulate to the

bazaar I

met a Moor.

more than once

thing,

He now

knew

me

offered

some antiques in

work.
said

his face well

he had

confidentially, as a

good

carnelian, of recent Neapolitan

held out two or three rings.

very handsome, I have seen them already

No, no

he exclaimed.

These

are,

but not this

Yes, I
Italian.
!

pick-

ing out a Sard intaglio set in gold, with the figure of

Hector bearing

off

(dissembling)

Italian

the arms of Patroclus.

(hands

chant (seizing his beard)

Two

francs

Merchant

Five francs

back ring).

Mashallah, no

Sixty-five.

chant (returning)

Sixty.

as

Traveller

Mer-

Traveller

Seventy francs

Merchant (making

hurry away)

Traveller

Traveller

though about to
:

Twenty.

Eventually I gave

Mer-

him

three Tunisian gold pieces, worth about fifteen francs

each, and was very glad to get the ring.

This

is

an immense charm in

Oriental

life,

this

uncertainty, this competition of intelligences at each

point.
control,

It is

an e very-day training in insight,

command

self-

of feature, in estimating expression

BAKKOUSH.

CHAP. XXVII.

325

as a clue to thoughts in others, in

judging of the best

and in

expression for concealing thoughts in yourself,

manner and ad-

tact with which to take advantage of

The repose

mission.
especially

when he

is

in

an Oriental's countenance,

departing from the truth,

We are

ditable and worthy of example.

is

cre-

too fussy and

emotional, and allow our expression and words to be-

meaning

tray our

we

fall

an easy prey to the

And

yet

we

of Bakkoush

in

thus

self-possessed Oriental.

call

him a heed-

less, thriftless fatalist.

One

Many

story told

ago,

years

thoughtless

one of the Bey's ministers, in a

moment, promised him the order of the

Upon going

Nischan.

Tunis, was this.

claim

to

it,

he was refused.

Bakkoush intimated that he was willing to accept either

the order or a

sum

must complain

of money, but that failing both he

to the

Eventually his feelings

Bey.

were assuaged by a handsome present.

good as the story of the Grerman

This

soldier

is

who had

tinguished himself in the war with France.

offered

his

thalers in

money.

Iron Cross.

he

choice of the

They

said, I tell

He
told

Iron

Cross

not so

or

dis-

He was

twenty-five

asked the intrinsic value of the

him about

you what I

will

do

four thalers.

Well,

I will take the Iron

Cross and twenty-one thalers.

I prepared to leave Tunis.

Colonel Playfair, his

brother, and Lord Kingston were to sail in the Corsica

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

326

for

Susa

chap. xxvn.

and there commence their journey by land

into the interior.

I will

make no

excuse for referring

to the result of this journey in the shape of an interesting

and valuable work. Travels in the Footsteps

of Bruce.

Bruce was the pioneer, but his journal was

never published

his

drawings have only now been

brought to light, and we

mpy

Bruce and Colonel Playfair

consider the journeys of

as one.

The drawings

of

the ruins as they existed a hundred years ago, and

the account of their present

the

present,

state, link

the past with

and form an admirable

archaBological

perhaps

picture of

Northern Africa.

the most

interesting

region in

Colonel Playfair's previous wander-

ings through the Provinces of Algeria in the track of

Bruce had been most extensive and laborious

those

on which he and his genial companion were now embarking represented a circuit of some hundreds of miles

through

this

Regency.

From Susa the travellers proceeded to El Djem, whose

Amphitheatre rivals that of Rome thence to Kairwan,
whither I had only preceded them by a fortnight. From
:

Hammam

Truzza to Sbaitla, Hammada, Zanfour, Te-

boursouk, El Baja, and finally through the untravelled

region of the lawless frontier tribe, the Khomair, inta
Algeria.

Conciliated by good-humoured amusement,

and by Lord Kingston's unfailing precision

the

as a shot,

Khomair were taken by storm with a pot

of jam.

FAMINE.

CHAP. XXVII.

327

They would hardly part with the

offered

them

them

allowed at least to escort

There are

journey.

the whole world akin.

little

They

travellers.

and begged to be

lands, wives, sheep,

to the

end of their

weaknesses

which make

Chocolate

person's heart, green figs to another's

the

is
:

way

to one

black currants are

the high road to the affections of the rugged Khomair.

I

may

will

be allowed, to express a hope that his journey

tempt the author of Mr. Murray's Gruide to Al-

geria to

make known

the byeways,

cities,

in a similarly interesting

and ruins of

way

this adjoining province

of Barbary.

A year

after this I

was grieved to hear from Mr. Bury,

an English merchant well known in the Eegency, that

the poor Arabs of the Sahel were starving.

Eain, as had

been anticipated and dreaded, absolutely

failed.

crops of com, olives, and vegetables

came

The

to nothing.

Poor creatures, men, women, and children, roamed

like caravans of

shadows up- and down the country,

seeking for work and

for food.

Unless the Government,

as they readily can, take such matters up, this terrible

affliction, too

probably, will be followed in a year or

two by typhus or some other deadly scourge.

We all went down by train to Goletta and put off to

our respective steamers, which were to
time.

sail at

the same

Perruquier came into the cabin, and I gave

a tolerably good

character

better character, I

him

am

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

328

chap. xxvn.

and

bound

to say, than he strictly deserved

him.

Apart from his merits, I could not help

dismissed
after-

wards regarding this recommendation as thrown away

for

by the

and

recommendations of him-

side of Perruquier's

self to future travellers,

mine could only sound mean

flat.

We

steamed out of Tunis Bay, under the

cliffs

of

Cape Carthage, sighted the palms and buildings of

Biserta,

and

Channel.

ere

nightfall were

Malta

out in the

The Lombardia lurched and swung

in the

heavy swell from the gale of the previous days

the saloon was soon emptied of passengers.

morning we were

moored in the

little

and

In the

harbour of

Cagliari.

There had

sat opposite to

strutted about the deck

an Italian

till it

me

swell, of the highest

wristbands of snowy linen

at dinner,

and had

grew too rough, a swell

Tuscan order.

His

covered his hands to his

knuckle-joints, and were fastened by prodigious solitaire

buttons bearing a coronet.

to display a

diamond

the same scale as the

envy of a mandarin

The

between the two longest he

generally carried a cigarette.

daintily a double eyeglass.
vast, so that

Upon

His

his nose

collars

were

he could barely put his hat on

everything about

room

and would have been the

cuffs,
:

cuffs barely left

His finger-nails were on

ring.

he wore
tall

and

in fact,

him was on the same imposing

scale.

CAGLIARI.

CHAP. xxvn.

The

heels of his boots were tall

329

and tapering

he saun-

His clothing in-

tered with his toes well turned out.

clined rather towards the English fashion, and

deck he was not himself

till

mous roimd Highlander's

when on

he bore on his head an enor-

bonnet, standing well up, and

having a large red tuft in the centre.

This picturesque creature invited

me

to

go and

spend the day with him on shore, and we strolled

together up the steep streets of this sort of seedy and

The

decaying Malta.

from the

fortifications, apart

The

natural strength of the place, are of little value.

panorama from a terrace garden above

We

came

from

to the post office,

his pocket a

Do me

and

my

is

very beautiful.

companion took

pocket book decorated with a coronet.

the pleasure, he said to the clerk, to look for

a letter addressed to the Conte Bianco.

clerk handed
beautiful.

him

his letter, his

Grazie tante

When

the

bow and smile were

Thanks, so

many

he

said.

This was his favourite expression to anybody from

whom we

asked our way or anything

tante, I take, therefore, to be a

more

else.

Grazie

term in use among the

select nobility of Italy.

I took

him

elegance against

to lunch,

my

and he protested with much

paying.

We went to

a glove shop,

and he was in despair because the provincial shopkeeper had only gloves with three buttons, whereas, as

he told me, he never wore any with

less

than

four.

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

33tt

chap. xxvn.

took him past the barracks, where some recruits were

hard at

drill,

down

Eoman

to the

The Conte Bianco was

the Convent of the Capuchins.

less at

home

Amphitheatre, near

here than on the pavements of the town,

We

and we did not stay longer than was necessary.

went again through the

Then, as a

ornaments.

the Cathedral, and

streets, to

who

to one or two silversmiths'

little

sold peasants' filigree

of this entertaining idiot

went a long way, I gave him the

slip

and came on

board the Lombardia.

went to the Museum in the afternoon, which

a creditable

little

is

collection of gold work, very early

iron ornaments, local Phoenician scarabsei, lamps in red

white and black clay, some of them doubled-necked

many Sard

idols in bronze, very

in form, like
jars,

Mexican gods

some vast cinerary

and pointed wine jars

and earthenware, some

enclosed in earthen urns.
glass

vessels of all forms

Homan

rude and extravagant

many

or grain

small urns in glass

containing bones and ashes,

There were old Phoenician

and in marvellous colours

mosaic, sculptures, marbles inscribed in Latin

and Phoenician characters, and many old gems.

dinia

is

rich in ruins, tombs, stone

those good things which

Sar-

monuments, and

make an

antiquary's

all

mouth

water, and bring into the antiquary's face that look of

languor which betrays the internal workings of his

heart.

VISITORS.

CHAP. XXVII.

After dinner, as

we

sat

331

on deck, there came on board

four of the most primitive and simple peasants in the

manner of the Sards

world, dressed after the

snowy white

jackets,

and having their

long tasseled tarbooshes,

shirts,

One

faces closely shaved.

who must have been of a

a cloak of unwashed

in black

considerable

peasant,

wore

age,

As they came on

sheepskin.

whom

board they made low bows to me,

they took to

be the spirited proprietor of the steamer, and asked

they might look round.

my

I took off

went about the deck

softly, like cats

and

hat,

with affability that they were very welcome

said

then they

on a new carpet,

They examined

with a surprised and innocent smile.

if

all

the objects on deck, and their questions were frank

and void of compliment.

Contadino

Where

does this thing

From Tunis.
Emmanuele ? Traveller
Traveller

tadino

to guide the
it.

ship.

Contadino

WTiat's this

of that.

What

are

Tunisian in native dress

thing ?

I don't think

Traveller

An

don't

I don't think so

or a girl

him up

much

Con-

compass,

turning to

a boy

Contadino, holding

blushes.

a dress

you

by.

The rudder wheel,

Contadino
?

That's odd

Tunis belongs to

by and

Traveller

to turn the ship with.

much

Not yet

Ah, good. What's this ? Traveller

believe

Contadino

come from

a young

Tunisian

to ridicule

What

of him.

What's that

book.

Contadino,

Italian


THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

332

chap. xxVil

examining the book upside down, and noticing the

defaced paper cover
of

book, eh

I don't think

much

Their grateful bows when they took their leave

it.

were splendid

and on the whole they were a great

success.

Talking of Tunis, there

which bears the

title

a Cagliari newspaper,

is

of Avvenire

di Sardegna

Corriere della Colonia di Tunisi, which

example of

always confessed,

among

An

ation of Tunis.
cestors

There

effrontery.

were the

first

is

is

not a bad

a strong feeling, not

the Italians for the annex-

ancient province, which their anto colonise,

and which bears at

every point the traces of those early settlers

geogra-

phically situated almost adjacent to their kingdom

connected by conomerce, and containing a greater number

of their countrymen, as settlers, than of any other Euro-

pean race

When

it

the Fiat

arrives for

Lux comes

in the East, and the time

making things comfortable

ranean; when

Egypt

does not seem an unnatural aspiration.

Constantinople

is

allotted to England, Tripoli to

to France

the

moment

handing over Tunisia to

will

in the Mediter-

secured to Turkey,

Germany, Syria

have arrived

for gracefully

Italy.

The Lomhardia was loading numerous

with which the island abounds.

bales of cork,

The sun had

set

two

hours before, and we sat on deck chatting in the lantern

light.

At midnight we

sailed,

and by daylight were

LIVORNESE INCIDENT.

CHAP. xxTii.

333

It is far less fine than the neigh-

well along the coast.

bouring island of Corsica, along which we coasted in

early

morning we were at

anchor in the harbour of Livorno.

As the Lombardia

At

the afternoon and night.

was not to

my

sail for

alongside

the Pyroscafo

to

effects

G-enoa before midnight, I transferred

which

of us,

Galilei, lying

Galileo

would

at

sail

ten in

the

morning.
I went on shore to get a newspaper, which had been

There was a good and

rather a scarce object of late.

incident

characteristic

in the

Two gentlemen had met and

had said that

man

in a cafe.

challenged

to

upon the Baron and Captain wrote a

to provoke

that Sig.

Here-

letter to the

is

We therefore hereby

Gaz-

honour, and that Sig. B, who has behaved as a

honour.

affair

man

Capt. D,

the service of S.M.

il

Commandante

Re

d' Italia.

of

with spot-

These gentlemen add their names in

Baron C, &c., &c.

lost the

declare

a dastard, devoid of the principles of

courage and rectitude, issues from the

so, in

him

After recapitulating with candour what had taken

place, they went on to say

less

A,

to a duel.

into accepting the challenge, without success.

zetta.

with a family, refused to go out.

C and Captain

sent Baron

quarrelled

Livorno.

was a rogue and adventurer

had pulled B's nose.

being a married

Gazzetta cU

full

of so-and-

Had

I not

newspaper, I should have been happy to repro-

THE COUNTRY OF THE MOORS,

334

chap, xxvii.

duce their names, as a further advertisement for two

gentlemen anxious to be known as cowardly bullies

and abettors of

men

Thank Heaven, English-

assassination.

meaning of the word

don't thus understand the

courage.

The Pyroscafo

Galileo

Galilei,

fine,

powerful

paddle steamer, steamed out along the coast in the

haze of a Mediterranean morning.
entered

the crowded

Grenoa.

I left

Mail

Genoa

and

inconvenient

harbour of

at midnight by the International

train.

It was a

warm and

lovely day as

we approached

At Chambery were the willow

the Alps.

poplars of that beautiful valley

trees

warm

In the afternoon we

and

and

trees

and among the

fruit

their rich blossom, watching the swift-rush-

ing river and splendid ring of mountains, were the

first

those

French gendarmes.

men

They cannot be Eepublicans,

of stately aspect, and magnificent uniforms

which grow not old nor shabby.

must hide Imperialist hearts

Those padded bosoms

those

cocked hats can

be the emblems of neither Liberty, Equality, nor Fraternity.

We

passengers slept peacefully through the

night, and the International Mail train shot into the

Lyons terminus

at Paris within

five

minutes of

appointed time.

SpoUUwoode

de Co.,

Piinlen, Nevc-street Square, London.

its

"2

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''"Ij/< '.Maiuniu-

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MALTA
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Scale of

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n^ilifth Ifiles

ILESSER SYRTIS
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doidkdv
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Zarzis
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TRIPOLI

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London; John Jfnrrov. Alb*-

MR. MURRAY'S

AND TRAVELS.

LIST OF VOYAGES

THE EAST-INDIA, CHINA,

TRAVELS

MARCO POLO.

of

Illustrated with copious Notes.

By

&c.

new English

Col. Yitle, C.B.

A VLSIT to HIGH TARTAR Y, YARKAND,

and over the Karakorum Pass.

NEW JAPAN

By Egbert Shaw.

LAND

the

version.

Illustrations. 2 vols. 8vo. 63.

and

KASHGAR,

Illustrations.

8vo. 16s.

RISING SUN.

of the

Its Annals
during the past twenty years recording the remarkable progress of the Japanese
in western civilisation. By Sajiuel Mossma\. Map. 8vo. 15s.
:

CHINA, JAPAN, FORMOSA.

Seas.

By W.

ADVENTURES
LAND

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