Mourzuk

“ Some of the girls are very impudent and immodest when a stranger passes by; but as a rule they are not so. The wells at Mourzuk are not all good; some are fresh, others salt. In many places will be found a well of very sweet, delicious water; and running nearly to the surface, at twenty paces distant from it, are found others really quite salt. The same phenomenon has been observed at Siwah, in the Libyan desert.
One of our party received a present this morning of some fresh and most delicious leghma. A good deal is drunk in Mourzuk, in an acrid state, for the purposes of intoxication. ”

“ This Jew is one of those three who came to Mourzuk with Abd-el-Galeel, and after his death turned Muslims, and came up to Soudan and Bornou. He is called Ibrahim. The one now in Tesaoua, and who is going with Overweg to Maradee, is Mousa; and the other is called Isaac. The Moors put no faith in the conversion of these Jews: they say, "These men are always Jews in their hearts; they turned Muslims on speculation." It is certain that they got handsome presents at Mourzuk from the credulous believers. Of others, the Moors say they became Muslims to prevent the Tuaricks from killing them. ”

“ Since Sheikh Kanemy’s residence at Kouka, couriers have occasionally passed between Bornou and Mourzuk,—a circumstance before that event unknown. One of Kanemy’s wives and three children were in Mourzuk; and the Bashaw, in order to secure his perfect submission, refused to allow them to leave that place. The Tibboos are the only people who will undertake this most arduous service; and the chances are so much against both returning in safety, that one is never sent alone. The two men we had encountered were mounted on two superb maherhies, and proceeding at the rate of about six miles an hour. ”

“ At sunset, Waldee, the great merchant of Mourzuk, came to the encampment. His caravan was stopping half an hour higher up. He gave us much encouragement, and eloquently recommended us to the care of all our people, the camel-drivers and escort. Waldee has travelled this route fourteen years. He is just the man to do it,—a small spare fellow with an expression of much intelligence, which he really possesses. He is the most respected of all the merchants on this route.
When he left us, he sent us a present of Aheer dates, which were large and exceedingly well tasted. ”

“ They all feel the civilising effect of visiting Mourzuk. Certainly this people could do much, if they pleased, for the civilisation of Africa; but at present they are actively engaged in drawing out of the unfortunate central countries the capital requisite to maintain even their existence. Of Boro, the sheikh of Aghadez, I cannot yet venture an opinion. They say, he spoke sharply against Hateetah and Wataitee.
To return to the Kailouees. I imagine they must resemble all the men we shall find in the interior, in one respect—the love of women. ”

“ He acts well in masses, but considers himself deserted and betrayed when left comparatively alone. At any rate, the fact is that the Turks hold Tripoli with a handful of men, whilst the French, with a military force nearly as large as the whole British army, can scarcely maintain a feverish and uncertain possession of Algeria.
The population of Mourzuk numbers two thousand souls. It is very much mixed, and the people vary greatly in colour, so that there is no general character. ”

“ We do not get so much information, by the way, out of these people as we might expect; they do not know the names of the wadys and rocks hereabouts, and so pretend they have none.
The hundred dollars which we brought from Mourzuk are now nearly all gone—I have only eight or ten left. Friend Sidi Jalef Waled Sakertaf—how unmusical the name sounds!—will get little money from us, and must content himself with our baggage, if he will play the robber. ”

“ The wind followed exactly behind us as we pursued our south-west course. On arriving we found, rather to our surprise, the pilgrim caravan, and our old friend Abd-el-Kader. They have been some time reposing in Wady Gharby collecting provisions, and, I imagine, passing their leisure hours with the Fezzanee ladies, which they could not very well do in Mourzuk. The morality of these people is easy enough, and no doubt the pilgrimage covers a multitude of sins. ”

“ Boo-Khaloom saw us after prayers; he said that he had determined on dismissing about thirty of the most rebellious Arabs, and they were about to return to Mourzuk.
March 29 to April 8.—Tuesday. Drees paid me a third visit previous to his leaving Kouka, and pressed me to come over the Shary, and at least stay some time at his tents. It was night when he came; and he either affected, or really had great fear, of any one’s noticing him. “Do not mention my coming to you,” said he; “every body who visits your hut is a spy on your actions. Every thing you say is repeated to the sheikh.” ”

“ Few incidents worth recording mark the latter days of our stay at Mourzuk. I paid a visit to Abd-el-Kader, the Sheikh of the Pilgrims. This holy [115] person is quite humanized, and talks freely of the politics of the Barbary coast. He entertained myself, the German, the Greek doctor, and Gagliuffi with tea; and this at sunset, when all the other pilgrims were at their prayers. He is a Tuatee of Gharai, and has been many times to Mekka in his present capacity. Indeed he makes the journey about once every three years. The pilgrim caravans travel very fast; no others can keep up with them. ”

“ The second wife, who has two children, only got three mahboubs a month. However, when matters were arranged, the pair became rather more loving. These settlements are always hard matters to manage, all the world over, and it is pleasant to get rid of them. By the way, a son of the worthy Moknee, by a white woman now dead—a lad of about twelve years of age—accompanies us, at least as far as Mourzuk. ”

“ They acknowledge, however, that the soil of their country is not very favourable to much cultivation of grain and fruit. Perhaps they want to attract visitors, but are not likely to succeed at present. Justly or unjustly, they bear a very bad character; and in Mourzuk, to call a man a Tibboo is rather worse than to call a man a Jew in Europe.
June 1st, Post-day.—Letters, private and public, were forwarded. It is now determined that we shall start for Ghât next Wednesday; at any rate the Germans talk of doing so, whilst I am inclined to wait for Hateetah and his escort. ”

“ Traghan was formerly as rich as Mourzuk, and was the capital and residence of a sultan, who governed the eastern part of Fezzan, whose castle, in ruins, may still be seen.
A maraboot, of great sanctity, is the principal person in Traghan, as his father was before him. During the reign of the present bashaw’s father, when the Arab troops appeared before the town, the then maraboot and chief went out to meet them; and, from his own stores, paid sixty thousand dollars to prevent the property of his townspeople from being plundered. They make carpets here [2] equal to those of Constantinople. ”

“ Some of them are as stout as the Mooresses of the coast, and nearly all are well-looking; many with very good features, and fair for this country. All are polite enough, men, women, and children. We are glad to find the people more civil, the nearer we approach to Soudan. [154] We pray and hope this amendment may continue; for hitherto, since we left Mourzuk, we have always had the people, with the exception of those of Tintalous, more or less hostile towards us. Some of our customers came to ask if the rings were really silver, for the blacksmith of the village had said they were only pewter. ”

“ They are a superstitious race; but have good sense withal. They were so much our friends, that we might have travelled, in perfect safety, over the whole of their dominions.”
[27] TO PROFESSOR JAMESON. “Mourzuk, September 17, 1822.
“When I wrote you last, I was just on the eve of departure for the Tuarick country, and in about a fortnight from this date, I hope we shall be on our way to Bornou. We found our journey to Ghaat very pleasant, and our reception very flattering. We were among a brave and warlike race, exceedingly superstitious; yet they were sensible ”

“ It is not safe to go out much in the sun; we, therefore, in this respect, follow the example of the natives, and stop within during the heat of the day.”
The Doctor’s next letter is addressed to Professor Jameson, and is dated “Mourzuk, June 6, 1822.”—This letter is valuable, both as it is expressive of his affectionate and grateful remembrance of his friend and patron, and as it conveys the result of his own observations of the physical state of the country which he had visited, to one whom he well knew could duly appreciate the value of his remarks ”

“ In Mourzouk, the luxuries of life are very limited, the people principally subsisting on dates. Many do not, for months together, taste corn; when obtained, they make it into a paste called asooda, which is a softer kind of bazeen. Fowls have now almost disappeared in the country, owing to the sultan having appropriated all he could find for the consumption of his own family. The sheep and goats are driven from the mountains near Benioleed, a distance of four hundred miles; they pass over one desert, which, at their rate of travelling, occupies five days, without food or water. ”

“ Mourzouk is a walled town, containing about 2,500 inhabitants, who are blacks, and who do not, like the Arabs, change their residence. The walls are of mud, having round buttresses, with loopholes for musketry, rudely built, but sufficiently strong to guard against attack; they are about fifteen feet in height, and at the bottom eight feet in thickness, tapering, as all the walls in this country do, towards the top. The town has seven gates, four of which are built up, in order to prevent the people escaping when they are required to pay their duties. ”

“ Here he is.” A young man, with an open, bold, intelligent countenance, at this moment entered the room.
“What! old Sleepinbuff!” he exclaimed, at sight of Morok’s companion.
“Myself. I have not seen you for an age, Olivier.”
“Simple enough, my boy. We do not work at the same place.”
“But you are alone!” cried Morok; and pointing to Sleepinbuff, he added: “You may speak before him—he is one of us. But why are you alone?”
“I come alone, but in the name of my comrades.”
“Oh!” said Morok, with a sigh of satisfaction, “they consent.” ”

“ Leaning forward like the marchioness, and gazing upon this scene of fearful interest, the lady still held mechanically in her hand the Indian bouquet preserved since the morning. Suddenly, Morok raised a wild shout, as he rushed towards Death, who answered this exclamation by a dreadful roar, and threw herself upon her master with so much fury, that Adrienne, in alarm, believing the man lost, drew herself back, and covered her fact with her hands. Her flowers slipped from her grasp, and, falling upon the stage, rolled into the cavern in which Morok was struggling with the panther. ”

“ Notwithstanding his ferocious appearance, he was by no means deficient in intelligence. The courage displayed in his taming exercises (which he gravely attributed to his recent conversion) , a solemn and mystical style of speech, and a hypocritical affectation of austerity, had given him a species of influence over the people he visited in his travels. Long before his conversion, as may well be supposed, Morok had been familiar with the habits of wild beasts. In fact born in the north of Siberia, he had been, from his boyhood, one of the boldest hunters of bears and reindeer ”

“ To tell the truth, when Count Abel Larinski came to Saint Moritz he was far less occupied with Mlle. Moriaz than with a certain illustrious chemist. The air of the Engadine and the waters that tasted like ink had worked marvels: in a week M. Moriaz felt like a new man. There had come to him a most formidable appetite, and he could walk for hours at a time without becoming weary. He abused his growing strength by constantly strolling through the mountains without a guide, hammer in hand ”

“ You are clever, you are as brave as any one; but, believe me, you will never make a lamb out of the old wolf that will be here presently."
"Does not my lion, Cain—does not my tiger, Judas, crouch in terror before me?"
"Yes, I believe you there—because you have means—"
"Because I have faith: that is all—and it is all," said Morok, imperiously interrupting Karl, and accompanying these words with such a look, that the other hung his head and was silent. ”

“ In Mourzouk there are some white families, who are called mamlukes, being descended from renegades, whom the bashaw had presented to the former sultan. These families and their descendants are considered noble, and, however poor and low their situation may be, are not a little vain of their title.
The general appearance of the men of Fezzan is plain, and their complexion black. The women are of the same colour, and ugly in the extreme. Neither sex are remarkable for figure, weight, strength, vigour, or activity. ”

“ In the centre of the Moorish camp, on a gentle elevation, was pitched the scarlet, silken tent of the Sultan, which, with its gold embroidery and fluttering pennons, was the most conspicuous object in the field. This position was protected by the baggage-wagons, which, united by a ponderous iron chain, encircled its base. In front of the hill, and defended by a ditch, was drawn up the Moslem infantry, whose want of steadiness and defective discipline the ingenuity of their officers had attempted to correct by the dangerous expedient of [Pg 329] fastening the ranks together with ropes. ”