An Account Of Timbuctoo And Housa Territories In The Interior Of Africa Part 7

Your's very sincerely,

J. WILLIS.

No. 67. Harley-street, London, 2d February, 1796.

We have no letters from Mr. Park, since he left the river Gambia; but we have heard from others, that he had proceeded in safety above two-thirds of the journey. We expect soon to hear of his return. If he succeeds, his fame and fortune will be worthy of envy.

73

LETTER VII.

_Emperor's March to Marocco.--Doubles the Customs' Duties of MoG.o.dor.--The Governor, Prince Abd El Melk, with the Garrison and Merchants of Santa Crux, ordered to go to the Court at Marocco.--They cross the Atlas Mountains.--Description of the Country and Produce.--Dangerous Defile in the Mountains through which the Author pa.s.sed.--Chasm in the Mountain.--Security of Suse from Marocco, originating in the narrow Defile in the Mountains of Atlas.--Extensive Plantations of Olives.--Village of Ait Musie.--Fruga Plains.--Marocco Plains.--Fine Corn.--Reception at Marocco, and Audience with the Emperor.--Imperial Gardens at Marocco.--Prince Abd El Melk's magnificent Apparel, reprobated by the Sultan.--The Port of Santa Cruz, shut to the Commerce of Europe, and the Merchants ordered to MoG.o.dor.--The Prince banished to the _Bled Shereef_ or Country of Princes, viz., Tafilelt, of the Palace at Tafilelt.--Abundance of Dates.--Face of the Country.

--Magnificent Groves of Palm or Date-trees.--Faith and Integrity of the Inhabitants of Tafilelt.--Imperial Gardens at Marocco.--Mode of Irrigation.--Attar of Roses, vulgarly called Otto of Roses (Attar being the Word signifying a Distillation.)--State of Oister Sh.e.l.ls, on the Top of the Mountains of Sheshawa, between MoG.o.dor and Marocco, being a Branch of the Atlas.--Description of the Author's Reception on the Road from Marocco to MoG.o.dor.--Of the Elgrored, or Sahara of MoG.o.dor._

TO JAMES WILLIS, ESQ.

Santa Cruz, March 15, 1797.

When the emperor Soliman proceeded from Fas with a numerous army to 74 the south, he doubled the export and import duties at MoG.o.dor, viz., from six to twelve per cent., payable in kind. Those of Santa Cruz remained as before, but so soon as his imperial majesty reached Marocco, he sent orders for the prince Abd El Melk, who is his nephew and governor of Santa Cruz, with the garrison, together with the merchants, to proceed to Marocco; accordingly we all departed, the prince having first engaged a revered (fakeer) saint to accompany the army across the Atlas mountains, the fastnesses of which it appeared no army would be permitted to pa.s.s, without the protection of this fakeer. We departed about noon, and pa.s.sed through the plains of the Arab province of Howara[100], a very fine country; we pitched our tents at sunset, near a sanctuary, where we had all kinds of provisions sent to us, in great abundance: we continued our journey the following morning through the plains, and about the middle of the day we reached the foot of Atlas.

This country abounds in extensive plantations of olives, almonds, and gum trees; some plants of the (_fashook_) gum ammoniac are here discovered. Vines producing purple grapes of an enormous size and exquisite flavour: (_dergmuse_) the Euphorbium plant is discovered in rocky parts of the mountains; and great abundance of worm-seed 75 and stick-liquorice.[101] The indigo plant (_Enneel_) is found here; as are also pomegranates, of a large size and a most exquisitely sweet flavour, and oranges. Ascending the Atlas, after five hours' ride, we reached a table-land, and pitched our tents near a sanctuary. The temperature of the air is cooler here, and the trees are of a different character; apples, pears, cherries, walnuts, apricots, peaches, plums, and rhododendrums, were the produce of this region. The next morning at five o'clock, the army struck their tents, and after ascending seven hours more, we met with another change in vegetation. Leguminous plants began to appear; pines of an immense size, ferns, _the belute_, a species of oak, the acorn of which is used as food, and is preferred to the Spanish chesnut; elms, mountain-ash, _seedra_ and _sn.o.bar_, the two latter being a species of the juniper. After this we pa.s.sed through a fine campaign country of four hours' ride: we were informed that this country was very populous; but our fakeer and guide avoided the habitations of men. We now began again to ascend these magnificent and truly romantic mountains, and in two hours approached partial coverings of snow. Vegetation here diminishes, and nothing is now seen but firs, whose tops appear above the snow; the cold is here intense; and it is remarkable, that, the pullets'

eggs that we procured in the campaign country just described, were nearly twice the size of those of Europe. Proceeding two hours 76 further, we came to a narrow pa.s.s, on the east side of which was an inaccessible mountain, almost perpendicular, and entirely covered with snow; and on the west, a tremendous precipice, of several thousand feet in depth, as if the mountain had been split in two, or rent asunder by an earthquake: the path is not more than a foot wide, over a solid rock of granite. Here the whole army dismounted, and many prostrated in prayer, invoking the Almighty to enable them to pa.s.s in safety; but, however, notwithstanding all possible precaution, two mules missed their footing, and were precipitated with their burdens into the yawning abyss. There is no other pa.s.s but this, and that of Belawin, which is equally dangerous for an army; so that the district of Suse, which was formerly a kingdom, might be defended by a few men, against an invading army from Marocco of several thousands, by taking a judicious position at the southern extremity of this narrow path and tremendous precipice, which is but a few yards in length. Proceeding northward through, this defile, we continued our journey seven hours, (gradually descending towards the plains of Fruga, a town of considerable extent, distant about fifteen miles from the mountains.) Proceeding two hours further, making together nine hours' journey, the army pitched their tents, and we encamped on another table-land, on the northern declivity of Atlas, at the entrance of an immense plantation of olives, about a mile west of a village, called Ait 77 Musie, a most luxuriant and picturesque country. The village of Ait Musie contains many Jews, whose external is truly miserable; but this appearance of poverty is merely political, for they are a trading and rich people, for such a patriarchal country. The olive plantations at this place, and in many other parts of this country, do honour to the agricultural propensity of the emperor Muley Ismael, who planted them. They cover about six square miles of ground; the trees are planted in right lines, at a proper distance; the plantation is interspersed with openings, or squares, to let in the air. These openings are about a square acre in extent.

[Footnote 100: migration from this tribe attacked and took the city of a.s.souan, in Egypt, some years ago. Vide Burckhardt's Travels in Nubia.]

[Footnote 101: This root abounds all over Suse, and is called by the natives _Ark Suse, i.e._ the foot of Suse: the worm-seed is called sheh.]

In travelling through the various provinces of South and West Barbary, these extensive plantations of olives are frequently met with, and particularly throughout Suse. It appeared that they were all planted by the emperor Muley Ismael, whose indefatigable industry was proverbial. Wherever that warrior (who was always in the field) encamped, he never failed to employ his army in some active and useful operation, to keep them from being devoured by the worm of indolence, as he expressed it. Accordingly wherever he encamped, we meet with these extensive plantations of olive trees, planted by his troops, which are not only a great ornament to the country, but produce abundance of fine oil. The olive plantations at Ras El Wed, near Terodant in Suse, are so extensive, that one 78 may travel from the rising to the setting sun under their shade, without being exposed to the rays of the effulgent African sun.

We remained encamped at Ait Musie[102] three days, amusing ourselves by hawking with the prince's falconer, and hunting the antelope. Early in the morning of the fourth day, we descended the declivity of the Atlas, and travelling eight hours, we reached the populous town of Fruga, situated in the same extensive plain wherein the city of Marocco stands. From this village to Marocco, a day's journey, the country is one continued corn-field, producing most abundant crops of wheat and barley, the grain of which is of an extraordinary fine quality, and nearly twice the size of the wheat produced at the Cape of Good Hope.

[Footnote 102: Here the prince sent couriers to the emperor, to announce his approach.]

On our approach to the metropolis, the emperor sent the princes that were at Marocco to welcome the prince Abd El Melk. They were accompanied by 100 cavalry, who saluted our prince with the Moorish compliment of running full gallop and firing their muskets. These princes, who were relations of Abd El Melk, son of Abd Salam, shook hands with him respectively, and then kissed their own. This is the salutation when friends of equal rank meet. We entered the city of Marocco at the _Beb El Mushoir_, which is the gate situated near the palace and place of audience, towards the Atlas mountains. The 79 next day I had an audience of the emperor, who received me in (the _Jenan En neel_) the garden of the Nile, a small garden adjoining the palace, containing all the fruits and plants from the Nile[103]

of Egypt. The (_worde fillelly_) Tafilelt-rose grows in great luxuriance in this garden, resembling that of China; the odour is very grateful and strong, perfuming the air to a considerable distance. This is the rose, from the leaves of which the celebrated (_attar el worde_) _i.e._ distillation of roses is made, vulgarly called in Europe, _otto_ of roses.

[Footnote 103: This orthography, _Nile_, has been imported from France; with the French it is p.r.o.nounced as we p.r.o.nounce Neel; and this is the intelligible p.r.o.nunciation in Africa.]

The emperor declared the port of Santa Cruz to be shut; and that no European merchant of any nation should continue there. He gave me my choice, either to quit the country, or establish a house at MoG.o.dor. I entreated a short time to consider which I should choose, which was readily granted.

The prince Abd El Melk was magnificent in his apparel, the Emperor dressed very plain; these were two incompatible propensities, the latter had probably heard of the prince's extravagance in this respect, and chose to moralise with him by comparing his own parsimonious and plain apparel to _his_ costly attire; and insinuating that the iron buckle to his belt answered every purpose of a gold one, reprimanded the prince for the extravagance and vanity of his wardrobe, and acquainted his Highness that the port 80 of Santa Cruz should no longer remain open to European commerce.

The prince remained some days after this notification at Maroco; an annual stipend was allowed him and he was sent to (the _Bled Shereef, i.e._ the country of princes, viz.) Tafilelt, and had apartments allotted him in the Imperial Palace at that place, which is very magnificent and extensive. It is built of marble collected for the most part from the _Kaser Farawan_ or ruins of Pharaoh, an ancient city now in ruins, contiguous to the sanctuary of Muley Dris Zerone, east of the city of Mequinas, on the western declivity of the Atlas; this marble was transported across the mountains of Atlas on camels, a distance of fifteen journies to Tafilelt. The inhabitants of this part of Bled Eljereed live princ.i.p.ally on dates, which abound so in this country that the fruit of one plantation is commonly sold for 1000 dollars, producing 1500 camel load of dates, or 4500 quintals; there are thirty-five species of this rich fruit, of which the _butube_ is unquestionably the best and the most wholesome; it is rich, of a fine flavour, and sweet as honey: the _buscre_ is also good; but so dry and full of saccharine matter that it resembles a lump of sugar. Undoubtedly if this country were in the hands of Europeans they would extract sugar, perhaps as much as 150 lb. from a camel load of dates weighing 300 lb. The _adamoh_ is the date that is imported to this country; it is the best for keeping, but at Tafilelt they use it only for the cattle, considering it an unwholesome kind and heavy of digestion.

81 The country from the eastern declivity of Atlas to Tafilelt, and to the eastward of Tafilelt, even unto Seginmessa is one continued barren plain of a brown sandy soil impregnated with salt, so that if you take up the earth it has a salt flavour; the surface also has the appearance of salt, and if you dig a foot deep, a brackish water ooses up. On the approach, to within a day's journey of Tafilelt, however, the country is covered with the most magnificent plantations and extensive forests of the lofty date, exhibiting the most elegant and picturesque appearance that nature, on a plain surface, can present to the admiring eye. In these forests there is no underwood, so that a horseman may gallop through them without impediment. Wheat is cultivated near the river, and honey is produced of an exquisite quality. The faith and honour of the (filelly) inhabitants of Tafilelt is proverbial; a robbery has not been known within the memory of man; they use neither locks nor keys, having no need of either!

Having had my audience of leave of the Emperor, I prepared to proceed to MoG.o.dor, but before I describe the country through which we pa.s.sed thither, it may not perhaps be uninteresting to give some account of the Imperial gardens at Marocco, which are three, the _Jenan Erdoua_, the _Jenan El Afia_, and the _Jenan En. neel_: the last is confined to plants brought from the Egyptian Nile. The _Jenan El Afia_, and the _Jenan Erdoua_, contain oranges, citrons, 82 vines, figs, pomegranates, water and musk melons, all of exquisite flavour. The orange and fig trees are here as large as a middling sized English oak. Roses are so abundant at Marocco that they grow every where, and have a most powerful perfume, insomuch that one rose scents a large room; all other flowers are in abundance, and many that are nursed with care in English hot-houses are seen in the Marocco plains growing spontaneously. These gardens, as well as others throughout the country, are watered by the Persian or Arabian wheel, with pitchers fixed to it, which discharge the water into a trough or tank; as the pitchers rise and turn over their contents into this tank, the water is communicated to the garden and inundates the plants. Departing from Marocco to MoG.o.dor, the first day's journey is through the plains of Sheshawa, a fine campaign country abounding in corn; the mountains of Sheshawa, which are higher than any in Great Britain, have strata of oyster and other sh.e.l.ls at the top of them. We encamped at the foot of these mountains; I had the curiosity to examine the depth of these strata of sh.e.l.ls, and found them several feet deep, and extending all the way down the mountains. The rivers Sheshawa and Wed Elfees water these plains. The next day's journey brought us to a sanctuary, where we met very good entertainment, that is, such as the country affords, plenty of good provisions and hospitable treatment.

83 The next evening we encamped at a place called _Dar El Hage Croomb_, a very picturesque situation, where we were hospitably entertained; the Sheik coming to drink tea with me, related the history of his ancestors and traced his descent through many generations of warriors, whose dextrous management of the lance was the burden of the story. The next day, after travelling about six hours, we arrived at the extremity of the productive country, and entered _El Grored_, or the desert of sandy hills, which divide the rocky peninsula of MoG.o.dor, from the cultivated land; this Sahara consists of loose sand-hills very fatiguing to the horses, and although not more than three miles in width, we were an hour and a half in crossing them, before we entered the gate of MoG.o.dor.

84

LETTER VIII.

FROM MR. WILLIS TO MR. JACKSON.

Harley-Street, London,

My Dear Sir, 12th December, 1797.

I thank you warmly for your intelligence concerning the interior of Africa, and beg you will continue to favour me with all the information you can collect upon this subject. Mr. Park has been almost as far as Jinnie, but did not reach Timbuctoo; he is now on his way to England, in an American ship, via America. We are anxious for his arrival, which may be expected in the course of the present month; and all the Africani are extremely curious to hear the detail of his most interesting journey, which we hope will produce some authentic knowledge, of a considerable part of those regions, that have hitherto baffled all the ardour and energy of European enquiry, though they have always excited the curiosity of the most eminent and enlightened men, both in past and present times.

I thank you also for the commercial intelligence you have sent me.

Do you know whether the emperor of Marocco has any collection of books? If he has, probably some ancient books, of great value, might be found among them.

85 I should consider it as a very great obligation if you could procure, and send me any book or ma.n.u.script in the character and language of Timbuctoo. We are informed that, besides the Arabic, they have a character of their own, perfectly different.

I remain, my dear Sir, Sincerely your's,

J. WILLIS.

_Extract of a Letter to Mr. Jackson, from His Excellency J.M.

Matra, British Envoy to Marocco, &c._

Tangier, November 8, 1797.

I have not yet received any answer from Sir Joseph Banks to the letter from you, which I sent to him. Should you be able to obtain any information from Timbuctoo[104], or of the interior of this country, which would gratify one's curiosity, I will be very thankful for a slice of it.

I am ever, dear Jackson, Most faithfully your's, JAMES M. MATRA.

[Footnote 104: All _my information_ respecting Timbuctoo, will be found in Jackson's Account of Marocco, Chapter XIII.]

86

LETTER IX.

_Custom of visiting the Emperor on his Arrival at Marocco.--Journey of the Merchants thither on that occasion.--No one enters the imperial Presence without a Present.--Mode of travelling.--The Commercio.--Imperial Gardens at Marocco.--Audience of the Sultan.--Amus.e.m.e.nts at Marocco.--Visit to the Town of Lepers.--Badge of Distinction worn by the Lepers.--Ophthalmia at Marocco.--Its probable Cause.--Immense Height of the Atlas, east and south of Marocco.--Mode of visiting at Marocco.--Mode of eating.--Trades or Handicrafts at Marocco.--Audience of Business of the Sultan.--Present received from the Sultan_.

TO JAMES WILLIS, ESQ.

MoG.o.dor, 1788.

The emperor having departed from Mequinas where he pa.s.sed the winter, to Marocco, his summer residence, it becomes an inc.u.mbent duty for all loyal subjects, to pay their respects to him. All the bashaws of provinces, south of the river Morbeya, which divides the northern part of his dominions from the southern, as well as all the alkaids or governors of towns and districts under the authority of the bashaws of the provinces, are expected to show their loyalty, by obtaining permission to present themselves to the imperial presence; when they give an account of the state of the 87 district which they respectively govern. The bashaw of each province communicates with the emperor, and determines which of the alkaids[105] shall have the honour of presenting themselves. On these occasions, that is, when the emperor comes to Marocco, it is customary for the merchants of MoG.o.dor to perform the journey to the metropolis[106] of the south, and to present his imperial majesty with a present; indeed, it is not the etiquette of this court for any one to demand an audience (which the lowest subject in the realm may claim) without being prepared to present something; so that the poor may have an audience by presenting half a dozen eggs, or any similar trifle, such as some fruit or flowers; but no one enters the imperial presence (_khawie_, as they term it, _i. e._) empty-handed. The routine is this: The European merchants, together with the house of Guedalla and Co., who are native Jews, are called _el commercio;_ the commercio, therefore, solicit the honour of presenting themselves to the emperor, to offer their congratulations on his arrival; this is acceded to, and the minister, who is denominated the _talb cadus_, a term designating a man who disperses orders and communications to every one, writes a 88 letter to the commercio, expressive of the emperor's disposition to see them, and requesting them to repair to his presence: a guard is given by the alkaid of MoG.o.dor, and a present _ought_ to be selected of such articles as are not to be bought at the markets of the country. A present consisting of such articles, previously ordered from Europe, and judiciously selected, is better calculated to gratify the emperor, than ten times the value injudiciously collected. The merchants accordingly prepared themselves to proceed to Marocco; some rode mules, some horses, for there are no carriages in this country; and every individual had his tent and servants with him. We travelled three days through a fine country, and reached the city of Marocco the fourth day, in the afternoon, travelling eight hours each day, at the rate of four miles an hour.

On our approach to the city, we sent an express to the _talb cadus_, who, by the imperial order, appropriated the emperor's garden, _jinnen el afia_, for our reception, the pavilion in which was appropriated to our service; we preferred, however, in this delightful climate, sleeping in our tents, which we were permitted to pitch in this beautiful garden. We dined in the _coba_, or pavilion. The (_talb cadus_) minister paid us a visit, to say that the emperor requested we would take the following day to rest from our journey, and at eight o'clock on the following morning, he would receive us; the present was accordingly prepared, which was 89 carried by four-and-twenty men; every article (the bulky ones excepted) being enveloped in a Barcelona silk handkerchief. The emperor was in the (_m'ushoir_) place of audience, on that side of the city which faces the mountains of Atlas. At our presentation we did not prostrate ourselves, but bowed, in the European manner; the emperor said, bono el commercio, a Spanish phrase which he uses in interviews with Europeans, and which is equivalent to his saying, you are welcome, merchants. To this we replied, _Allah iberk amer seedi_, G.o.d bless the life of my master. The emperor asked if we were recovered from the fatigue of our journey, and was quite affable; he then said, communicate with the effendi[107], and whatever you want shall be granted to you; for I am disposed to encourage and (_amel el k'here_) to do good to my merchants. The master of the audience then came to us, and signified that we might depart; we made our obeisance, and returned to our habitation. This was the audience of introduction, which is always short; the second audience is for business; and the third is the audience of departure. We remained encamped in the imperial garden a fortnight before we had another audience; in the mean time we amused ourselves in riding about the country, and in visiting some of the 90 most respectable inhabitants, among whom was the _cadus_, who has a n.o.ble mansion, replete with every convenience, and a garden in the centre of it. The rooms of this house were long and narrow, with a pair of high doors in the centre of the room, through which alone the light is admitted; the floors were paved with small glazed tiles, about two inches square, very neatly fitted, and of different colours; the walls were the same, a mode of building which in this warm climate imparts a grateful coolness; the ceilings are painted in the Araberque style, with brilliant colours. The roofs are of terras, and flat, having an insensible declivity, just sufficient to give the rain that falls a course, which falling into the pipes, is received in the (_mitfere_) a subterraneous cistern, which supplies the family with water the whole year, till the rainy season returns again.

[Footnote 105: In each province, or bashawick, there are several alkaids or governors of districts.]

[Footnote 106: The city of Fas is the metropolis of the north, as Marocco is of the south. Mequinas is the court town of the north, and resembles the Hague, where few reside but such as are employed in the service of the crown.]

[Footnote 107: This word was used by the seed, or emperor, in the presumption that it is understood by Europeans; but _cadus_ is the Arabic term.]

There is near to the walls of Marocco, about the north-west point, a village, called (_Deshira el Jeddam_) i.e. the Village of Lepers.

I had a curiosity to visit this village; but I was told that any other excursion would be preferable; that the Lepers were totally excluded from the rest of mankind; and that, although none of them would dare to approach us, yet the excursion would be not only unsatisfactory but disgusting. I was, however, determined to go; I mounted my horse, and took two horse-guards with me, and my own servant. We rode through the Lepers' town; the inhabitants 91 collected at the doors of their habitations, but did not approach us; they, _for the most part_, showed no external disfiguration, but were generally sallow; some of the young women were very handsome; they have, however, a paucity of eyebrow, which, it must be allowed, is somewhat incompatible with a beauty; some few had no eyebrows at all, which completely destroyed the effect of their dark animated eyes. They are obliged to wear a large straw hat, with a brim about nine inches wide; this is their _badge of separation_, a token of division between the clean and unclean, which when seen in the country, or on the roads, prevents any one from having personal contact with them. They are allowed to beg, and accordingly are seen by the side of the roads, with their straw hat badge, and a wooden bowl before them, to receive the charity of pa.s.sengers, exclaiming (_attanie m'ta Allah_) "bestow on me the property of G.o.d;" (_kulshie m'ta Allah_) "all belongs to G.o.d!"

reminding the pa.s.senger that he is a steward of, and accountable for the appropriation of his property; that he derives his property from the bounty and favour of G.o.d. When any one gives them money, they p.r.o.nounce a blessing on him; as (_Allah e zeed kherik_) "may G.o.d increase your good," &c. The province of Haha abounds in lepers; and it is said that the Arganic[108] oil, which, is much used in food throughout this picturesque province, promotes this loathsome disease!