i- 
 
 J
 
 %.^ fi^-';<'* T /•***. ^'^ ^'^ 1^ 
 
 JlUlNED CITIES J 
 
 ■Aiuut» «(ri^^*t«' f^ 
 
 ''"^Si 
 
 iTi 
 
 *> . / 
 
 r V ♦AH' 
 
 NUMIDiBj ~ AND CAKTHAGINIAN 
 
 TEKRITOEIES. 
 
 By N. DAVIS. 
 
 MAUSOLEUM AT CASSABEEN. 
 
 Page 19J. 
 
 WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 LONDON: 
 JOHN MUEKAY, ALBEMAKLE STKEET. 
 
 1862.
 
 LONDON : 
 BRADBXTRY AND KVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.
 
 Cljb 00luim 
 
 IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED 
 
 HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PEINCE ALFEED, 
 
 ETC., ETC., ETC., 
 IX COMMEMORATION OF HIS VISIT TO THE MOST EMINENT OF 
 
 AFRIC'S RUINED CITIES, 
 
 DURING THE PERIOD WHEN SOME OF ITS VENERABLE 
 REMAINS WERE BEING EXCAVATED, 
 
 UTS ROYAL HIGHNESS S MOST HUMBLE AND 
 MOST OBEDIENT SERVANT, 
 
 THE AUTHOR 
 
 201,5338
 
 
 
 
 
 TEBESSA, THE ANCIENT TBEBESTE. 
 
 Page 169. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 The country to which the reader's attention is directed in 
 the following pages was partly visited by Dr. Shaw in the 
 beginning of the eighteenth century, and is the same por- 
 tion of the world which first proved attractive to the 
 great Abyssinian traveller. In 1763, or just a century ago. 
 Lord Halifax, on assuming the reins of Government which 
 Lord Chatham had resigned, proposed to Bruce a plan for 
 exploring the classical portions of North Africa. He wished 
 that traveller to be the first in the reign of His Majesty 
 George III. to '' set an example by procuring interesting 
 information, and by making additions to the royal col-
 
 viii preface; 
 
 lection" of drawings of ancient cities and monuments. As 
 an encouragement, his Lordship pledged himself to be the 
 supporter and patron of the dauntless Scot, promising him 
 substantial reward for services to his country in this field. 
 As an official position was calculated to facilitate the enter- 
 prise, his Lordship offered him the post of British Consul 
 at Algiers, giving him, at the same time, full permission to 
 appoint a vice-consul to attend to the business of the office. 
 
 Bruce did not accomplish much in this part of Africa, 
 for this simple reason — he was bent upon solving a mighty 
 problem which had for ages baffled the learned of many 
 countries, and preferred a triumph at the "mysterious" 
 sources of the Nile. 
 
 The prevalence of piracy, the fierce and lawless character 
 of the inhabitants of the Barbary coast, and the fanatical 
 jealousy of their piratic governments, as well as other 
 causes, colnbined in contributing towards keeping the civi- 
 lized world in ignorance of the real character of ancient 
 remains which are dispersed throughout a country highly 
 interesting for its association with the chequered history 
 of Carthage, " the ocean's earliest queen " — a country famous 
 also, among other great events, for the struggle with 
 Jugurtha, in which the ambitious tyi'ants Marius and Sylla 
 were engaged, and for the campaign of Julius Caesar, which 
 terminated in the defeat of the Republican party, headed 
 by Scipio and Cato — a defeat which led to the inauguration 
 of the Imperial Government of Rome.
 
 PREFACE. - ix 
 
 After the conquest of a large portion of the North African 
 continent by France, Moslem fanaticism was so far staggered, 
 that a European was able to venture a little distance into the 
 interior, and explore^he vestiges of ancient civilization. The 
 one who then made the attempt (and this was in 1834) was 
 Colonel Sir Grenville Temple. His book, however, which 
 really deserves to be better known, has, from some cause or 
 other, scarcely seen the light of day. But neither he, nor 
 Shaw, nor Bruce have achieved much ; and, I may add, even 
 now there are more iniined cities in Numidia, in Africa 
 Proper, in the territories of Tripoli and Pentapolis, which 
 have not been described by the traveller, than those with 
 which the public has been made acquainted. For more 
 information, and for more tangible results, we must wait till 
 encouragement shall again be given to enterprises eminently 
 so useful. 
 
 It will be observed that in my intercourse with the Ai'abs 
 (the present " lords of the soil " of classical Africa), with whom 
 I came in contact in these migrations, I made them, wherever 
 it was practicable, the exponents of their moral depravities 
 and of their redeeming qualities. The reader is thus placed 
 in a position to form his own estimate of their real cha- 
 racter. Moreover, if his imagination is only sufficiently 
 ardent, he can wander with me, participate in my toils and 
 in my pleasures, in my privations and in my enjoyments, and 
 that with this agreeable difference — he is able to give a 
 degree of reality to the illusion of the one, while he can, at 
 his option, readily dissipate the other. And with reference
 
 X PKEFACE. 
 
 to the task which, like other authors, I have voluntarily 
 imposed on myself, I will add — " If I have done well, and 
 as is befitting the story, it is that which I aimed at ; if not, 
 it is all I could achieve." ^ 
 
 N. DAYIS. 
 25, The Cedars, Putney. 
 
 ARCH AT HAMMAM — ANCIENT ASSURA. 
 
 Page 69.
 
 
 y??r// ^y Vj 
 
 + ji<*;;^?f^'^'f'^'^*<:APE AFRICA 
 
 
 lo Cables 
 
 I 
 
 NAUTIC MILES 
 
 CAPE AFRICA. 
 
 Po.ge. 309. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 OUR LADY OF BENT SAID A AN. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Lilla Aysha— The Golden Horse — Preparations for the Journey — Dis- 
 couragements — Departiu'e — First Troubles — The Temple of Zucchara 
 — Death of our Cicerone — Moorish Etiquette — Collegiate Course — 
 Our Lady of Bent Saidaau — Fate of Government Officials — A Pro- 
 fessor mistaken — A Piteous Situation — Necessity's Law — Treachery 
 of our Protector 1-25 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE ARAB PATRIARCH. 
 
 Mounting the "Maniac" — Halt at an Encampment — Ruins of Eisca — 
 Hospitable Pieception from Lord Feraj — Evening Prayer and Evening 
 Meal — A Picture — Scenery^Search for Water, and Disappointment 
 — Inscriptions at the Ruins of Aquae. — Agriculture — A disconsolate 
 Arab Maiden — Courage among Cowards — The Truth of Lslaam — 
 Effects of Despotism — Dreed Arabs — Ain Furnah — Seat of Justice 
 — Wisdom of a Judge ........ 26-50
 
 xii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THREE SPARE BULLETS. 
 
 PAQB 
 
 A Challenge — The Enchanted Horse — The Idol Destroyed— Venerable 
 Eeniains of Moghrawa — Domiciliary Search for Antiquities — A Trial 
 —The Sentence Reversed — A Difficult Pass — Euius of Hamniam — 
 Three Spare Bullets — Another Adventure — A Semicircular Gun — A 
 Naval Hero and his large Key 51-76 
 
 CHAPTER IV, 
 
 THE CONTEST, OR THE UNKNOWN HERO. 
 
 Petrifactions — Kuins of Mokthar — The Sheikh of the Hamaada— The 
 Cane Steeple — The Unknown Hero — Visitors — The Eefi-actory Chief 
 — Ride to Elmedad — An Arab Taxpayer — Tombs and Ruins of 
 Elmedad — A Lady in a Cage— Another Victim to our "Police" — 
 Disappointment 77-103 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A PRINCELY RECEPTION, 
 
 The River Tana — A Natural Flower-Garden — Taxation — Barometrical 
 and Superstitious Indications — The Moslem versus Nazarene Rule — 
 A "Watery March — Narrow Escape — Moslem Reformer — A Princely 
 Reception — Deceitfulness — Thala, Jugurtha's Stronghold — Its 
 Modern Population — Weakness of the Thalian Fair Sex — Prison 
 and Crime 104-127 
 
 CHAPTER YI. 
 
 THE TABLES TURNED. 
 
 Ancient Boimdaries — Noah's Dog — Inhospitality of the Chawaafed — 
 Precautionary Measures — A Bandit's Fate — Ruins of Hydra — 
 Treasure Seeking — Hydra, the Casa Nigra of Ecclesiastical History 
 — Vestiges of African Christianity — A Mel^e — Its Issue — The 
 Anaya, or Primitive Passport 128-153 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE MOSLEM UNDER " NAZARENE " RULE, 
 
 Our New Companion — Ludicrous Robber Scene — Monuments of Violence 
 — A Veritable Lion — Night March — Sumptuous Supper — Ruins of 
 Teveste — French Conquests in Africa — Mamlook Government — The 
 Youthful Nimi-od 154-178
 
 CONTENTS. xiii 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE BRIDE OF CASSAREEX. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Hammama Marauders — A Sham Assault — An Ancient Road — ^The Oulaad 
 Naaja — A AVild Pass — Another Seat of Justice — Arab's Adaptation 
 to Circumstances — United States' Flag — Diminutive Hero^A Jenoon 
 or Spectre — The Deposed Governor — Eat-Catchers — Tlie Ruins of 
 Cassareen — Shaw's Blunders — A Verdant "True Believer" — 
 Complaint of Hammama Arabs — The Bride of Cassareen . 179-206 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE BLACK DERVISH AXD THE MOSLEM PATRIOT. 
 
 Arab ]\Iisery — Contiibution towards ilaniage Festivals — Welcome from 
 "Tme Believers" — Ruins of Feriana — Feriana in the time of Marius 
 —The Modem Town— The "Holy Fraternity "— The Black Dervish 
 — A Moslem Patriot — His Grievance — A Disappointment — Dis- 
 appearance of one of oiir Party ...... 207-226 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE CAJiVAS CITY. 
 
 Fording the Waad Foscana — A Collector of Charity — A fraitless Chace — 
 Ruins of Sbaitla — A Moslem C.E. — Restoration of the "City of 
 Judges" — The Restorer — A Friend iu need — A quarrel among 
 Thieves — The Black Inscription — "We enter Africa Propria — Ruins 
 of Gilma— Belaarem's Request— The Canvas City— The Prince 227-256 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A MOSLEM GATE TO HEAVEN. 
 
 A Government Appointment — ^An act of Treacheiy — The value of a 
 Beard — A healthy Climate — Morning Scene in the Canvas City — 
 Character of the Slaass Arabs — A shaven Horse — A Moslem Gate to 
 Heaven — Description of Cair5\-aan — Inscriptions from its large 
 Mosque — " Unbelievers" in " the Holy City" — Our quarters 257-280 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SOLITARY, YET NOT AXONE. 
 
 An Arab's Domestic Economy — Our new Escort — A rude Arab Dame — 
 The impotence of Nazarenes — First view of the Eljem Coliseum 
 
 The destroyers intimidated — The Coliseiun — The modern Tisdrians 
 
 A. terrible Night Journey — Arrival at Sarsura — A marvellous 
 
 Digestion — Approach a Maritime City 281-301
 
 xiv CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Cesar's last African battle-field. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Mehedeali and the Impostor Mohdi — Mehedeali proved to be the ancient 
 Thapsus — The modern Town — An honest Merchant — The ancient 
 Lejjtis — A Man of no mean descent — A restless dead Saint — A 
 M'eeping Cohimn — More ancient Towns — The speaking Leopard — A 
 truly restless Night— Account of Monasteer — Ai-rival at Susa . 302-322 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 MARITIME TOWNS OF CjESAB's AFRICAN CAMPAIGN. 
 
 A Dinner Party — The Moadzau and Chui'ch Bells— A labyrinth in a 
 Tomb — Susa, the ancient Euspina — The Horse-dealer's Escape — 
 Results of Usury — Eemains of " Towers and Castles " on the 
 Beach 323-337 
 
 CHAPTER XV.. 
 
 THE RUINS OF " PARADISE " AND THE REMAINS OF "THE HALL 
 OF DEATH." 
 
 A Merry Guide — Ruins of Paradise — A Pilgrim's Knowledge — More 
 Geographical Differences — AiTival at Hammamet — The Modern 
 Town — The ancient Adi'umentum . . . . . . 331-350 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 FAREWELL TO MY TENT. 
 
 A Strange Procession— An Ample Dinner — Scenery— The Graves oi 
 "the Forty" — Stronghold of "the Father of Tusks" — Encouraging 
 Advice — Contempt for Nazarenes — Settlement of Accounts — Fare- 
 weUtomyTent 351-363 
 
 APPENDICES. 
 
 I. — Insckiptions referred to in THIS Work . . . 365-375 
 II. — BakometpvICAl and Thermometrical Observations dur- 
 
 INtJ THE MONTHS OF ApRIL AND MAY . . . . 376-377 
 
 III.— List of Birds in Latin, English, and French . . 378-384- 
 IV. — Inscriptions from the Spanish MS. referred to in 
 
 THIS Work 385-392
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 MAP .......... To face page i 
 
 MAUSOLErM AT CASSAREEJf iii 
 
 TEBESSA, THE ANCIENT THEBESTE vii 
 
 ARCH AT HAMIIAM — ANCIENT ASSUKA X 
 
 CAPE AFRICA .• ^ 
 
 MOKTHAR, THE ANCIENT TTJCCA TEREBENTHINA 80 
 
 THE ANCIENT AND MODERN THALA 120 
 
 TRIUMPHAL ARCH OF SEVERUS, HYDRA 140 
 
 HYDRA, THE ANCIENT CASA NIGRA . . ^ 144 
 
 CASSAREEN, THE ANCIENT COLONIA SCILLITANA 198 
 
 SBAITLA, THE ANCIENT STJFFETULA 231 
 
 THE CAMP, OR THE CANVAS CITY 255 
 
 CAXEWAAN, A MOSLEM "GATE TO HEAVEN" — THE ANCIENT VICUS 
 
 AUGUSTI 275
 
 PuhlUhed by John. Murray. Mhm-/ii Strert. 1
 
 
 EUINED CITIES IN AFRICA. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 — ♦ — 
 
 OUR LADY OF BENT SAIDAAN. 
 
 Lilla Aysha — The Golden Horse — Preparations for the Journey — Discom-age- 
 ments — Departui'e — First Troubles — The Temple of Zuccliara^Deatli of 
 our Cicerbne— Moorish. Etiquette — Collegiate Com-se — Oui- Lady of Bent 
 Saidaan — Fate of Government OflBcials — A Professor mistaken — A Piteous 
 Situation — Necessity's Law — Treachery of our Protector. 
 
 Before quitting the scene of my labours at Carthage, I 
 formed the resolution to return to Africa, in order to visit a 
 number of ruined cities, dispersed over a vast stretch of 
 country, which once formed part of the dominion of a mighty 
 empire. In accordance with that resolution I embarked 
 at Leghorn ; after numerous disappointments caused by 
 boisterous weather, and, contrary to my expectation, after a 
 very pleasant passage of two days, I foimd myself again at 
 Cagliari, in the society of my excellent, and learned, friend, 
 the Commendatore Canonico Spano, The proto-arch geologist 
 of the Island of Sardinia was in perfect ecstacy of joy on 
 learning the purport of my voyage. 
 
 " Carissimo Davis ! " he exclaimed, " gladly would I accom- 
 pany you on a tour so interesting, but — " and here he paused, 
 removing his clerical skuU-cap, and scratching his head — 
 " but," he continued, after a brief interval, " I cannot cherish
 
 2 EUINED CITIES.' 
 
 the idea of exposing myself to the mercy of those savage 
 Arabs. I must forego the pleasure of traversing that classic 
 land, for I do not possess your dauntless courage. I had 
 enough of Arabs during my visit to the ruins of Carthage," 
 he added, shaking his head. 
 
 Having visited other literary friends, as well as His Excel- 
 lency the Governor, to whom I am greatly indebted for much 
 kindness, I returned to the vessel, which steamed off for 
 Tunis the same evening. The following day, about 3 P.M., I 
 was again in sight of the peninsula of Carthage, and shortly 
 after we hugged its shore, having a clear view of its few 
 solitary ruins, amidst which I toiled and roamed for four 
 years, during which it was my lot to experience numerous 
 vexatious disappointments, as well as the realisation of 
 many hopes, which afforded me gratifying satisfaction and 
 pleasure. 
 
 We came to anchor too late to enable me to proceed to 
 the capital of this Regency the same evening, for its gates 
 are closed after sunset, when, according to an absurd regu- 
 lation, ingress and egress are alike disallowed. I therefore 
 resolved to spend the night on board, and so did several of 
 the other passengers. 
 
 Early the following morning my friend and fellow-traveller, 
 the U. S. Consul, came off to conduct me to his hospitable 
 residence, where I was invited to take up my abode until our 
 departure for the interior. My effects, saddle, weapons, and 
 instruments, were speedily deposited in the boat, and in a 
 few minutes we glided past the custom-house, defying the 
 scrutiny and intrusion of its gi'eedy officials, for above us 
 floated the glorious, but now agitated, stars and stripes ! 
 Having landed at the Goletta, " the stronghold " of this 
 Regency, where I met with a cordial welcome from my 
 fonner acquaintances, among whom were the admiral of the 
 port and the pro-consular agent, the worthy successor of my 
 late friend Cav. Gaspary, we entered the carriage which was
 
 LILLA AYSHA. 3 
 
 waiting for us, and drove towards " the verdant city," Tunis 
 el Khadra. 
 
 Except in derision, the epithet I'hadra, " green," is inap- 
 pHcable to a city which has the appearance of a vast 
 necropolis, partly in rains and devoid of all verdui'e ; in a 
 figurative sense it is even less true, for none are more shrewd, 
 artful, and cunning, than the inhabitants of this metropolis. 
 Equally objectionable is Tasso's description of this city. It is 
 only in a satirical sense that I can understand the line — 
 
 "Tunisi ricca ed onorata sede." 
 
 The road from the Goletta to Tunis runs over the tongue 
 of land which is washed to the right by the MediteiTanean, 
 and to the left by the lake. Anciently it was called the 
 Taenicc, and on its extremity the road diverges, that to the 
 left, following the margin of the lake, leads to the capital, 
 and the one to the right to the ruins of Carthage. 
 
 If there is a spot on this globe which has to me a greater 
 attraction than all the rest, it is the site of the prostrate 
 ruins of the once lofty Carthage. Every man (and eveiy 
 woman, too) has some hobby, which, however, all have not 
 the candour to confess. I have mine, and I frankly avow 
 that eveiy stone, and every fragment, of the remains of the 
 city of Dido, has- to my eyes a fascination and a charm, and 
 possesses a value which defies the power of exact definition. 
 Imbued with such sentiments (or call it by whatever other 
 term you please) could I be expected to pursue my way to a 
 dilapidated Moorish town, when the hie jacet of the colossal 
 tomb of Carthage presented itself to my view in unmistake- 
 able and large relief? 
 
 My friend saw the reasonableness of my suggestion, and 
 the coachman was forthwith directed to drive in the direction 
 of the ruins, and to the ruins he accordingly drove. 
 
 On reaching Doivar Esliutt, a village built on the 
 
 B 2
 
 .4 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 peninsula (and where during the progress of the excavations 
 I resided a whole year), some of my former labourers and 
 neighbours flocked round me to welcome me back, and 
 among these Lilla Aysha was very conspicuous. This 
 " lady " Aysha is the wife of an Arab named Hawaej, in 
 whose field I dug the first trenches, and having had some- 
 thing in the shape of an encounter with him in consequence, 
 we became afterwards great friends. The lilla is very cor- 
 pulent, very short, very loquacious, very htigious, and, poor 
 thing, very industrious. She took a great interest in my 
 researches, and repeatedly related to me the dreams with 
 which she was favoured, and they were all in connection with 
 my work. 
 
 " Welcome ! welcome ! " she exclaimed, whilst waddling 
 towards me as fast as her obesity would permit. " I knew 
 you would come back, for I dreamt of you only three nights 
 ago. Now, I am aware," she continued, " you will say this 
 is only an invention of mine, but I swear by the head of my 
 daughters, by the head of my lord, by my head, by your 
 head, and by the head of the Prophet himself, that I dreamt 
 that I was present when you dug up the golden horse. I 
 saw you most distinctly, as usual, with your whip in your 
 hand, directing the workmen who were engaged in clearing 
 away the earth from the glittering steed. O ! the joy that 
 was depicted on your countenance I shall never forget ; and 
 in your joy I and the workmen participated. By the 
 Prophet ! it was a sight to behold that animal when disen- 
 cumbered from the earth which till then kept it from the 
 view of man. It only required the breath of life in order to 
 curvet and exhibit the powers which were so clearly deve- 
 loped in its whole formation. Who could estimate its value ? 
 What basha, or consul, could afford to purchase it ? The 
 rumour of this discovery rapidly spread throughout the 
 country, and vast multitudes flocked to see it. My joy was 
 excessive, and I skipped about like a playful kid, for I
 
 THE GOLDEN HORSE. 5 
 
 knew you would be faithful to your word, and present me 
 with the two thousand piastres you promised to give me 
 whenever you should discover the golden horse. But, alas ! 
 I awoke and found the whole was only a dream : but dig, 
 dig, my child, for I feel confident you will yet find the golden 
 horse. Allah has undoubtedly brought you here to place 
 you in possession of it, and my dream confirms Allah's 
 design." 
 
 My reluctance to accept Aysha's advice was perceptible to 
 her and to those who, with me, listened to her dream. She 
 regretted this, and so did some of the bystanders, for they 
 were under the impression that I had returned to resume 
 excavations, and would have gladly entered again into my 
 service. 
 
 But the one who was sincerely glad to see me back was 
 my famous foreman, Ali Kareema. Knowing what would 
 give me real pleasure, he took me to one of my own 
 excavations, which, after my departure, he continued to 
 explore. 
 
 "What have you found here?" I asked him, after ex- 
 amining the locality. 
 
 "Nothing, master," he replied, "but stones which I sell 
 for building purposes. Hundreds of Hajaara have been at 
 work among the ruins since your departure, and not one has 
 found the least object worth notice. Nothing was found here 
 before you came, and nothing has been found since you left. 
 You have unlocked these mysterious mounds, taken out of 
 them what was valuable, and by your magic touch closed 
 them again, to be re-opened at your option. Ba-ba-ba ! 
 great, indeed, is the knowledge you possess of the wonderful 
 book which indicates the precise spots where the remains of 
 the works of the ancients are to be found." 
 
 I smiled, and my friend, Mr. Nicholson, laughed right out 
 when I translated to him All's words ! but the Arab declared 
 that he had only stated what he believed to be the honest
 
 6 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 truth, and added that my Carthaginian exploits formed the 
 frequent topic of conversation among the Hajaara (stone- 
 searchers) at their re-unions in the cafd of Dowar Eshutt ! 
 
 The shrines of favourite madonnas, and the relics of patron 
 saints, cannot possibly be visited, by the most devout 
 votaries, Avith greater fondnesB, regard, and ardour, than I 
 visited my favourite ruins. I lingered among them for 
 some time, and at last reluctantly resumed my seat in 
 the carriage, and amidst the shouts of bislama, " go in 
 peace," from my Arab friends, we drove off towards the city 
 of Tunis. 
 
 The improvements I witnessqd in the capital of the only 
 Barbary state which has, to a certain extent, maintained its 
 independence, reminded me forcibly of some of those strange 
 anomalies one meets with in the course of one's peregrina- 
 tions — such as, e. g. a savage in tattered rags and a 
 gaudy cocked hat, or another whose attire consists in a shirt 
 collar and a pair of spm-s ; or, to come nearer home, of an 
 aged fop who seeks to renovate his wasted fi-ame by paint, 
 artificial teeth, a shining curly black wig, and other adjuncts 
 of a similar nature. We have now in this "verdant" city, 
 where one may, by chance, meet with some consumptive 
 shrub, a piece of well-paved street, flanked by miserable mud 
 cottages ; a magnificent edifice rising amidst cnimbhng huts ; 
 some well-built houses surrounded by heaps of worthless 
 ruins ; a few excellent mansions of European architectm-e, in 
 whose immediate proximity are rivers and lakes of mud and 
 filth, whose stench is insupportable. It is a mere waste of 
 .property to attempt to improve a city, ill situated, ill built, 
 and laid out without any regard to order, and the majority 
 of whose houses are in a fearful state of dilapidation. But 
 what is worse than all is, that the remains of Carthage are 
 pulled to pieces in order to improve this wretched Moorish 
 metropolis ! 
 
 Taking into consideration the proverbial apathy and
 
 DISCOURAGEMENTS. 7 
 
 indolence of the people of this country, I made an allowance 
 of ten days which I sacrificed for completing the preparations 
 for the journey. But I miscalculated, for this time did 
 actually not suffice, and we wasted no less than a whole 
 month in what could easily have been accomplished in three 
 days in any civilised country. 
 
 During this interval I spent much of my time \nih Arabs 
 who were acquainted with parts of the country over which I 
 intended to travel, and from them I gathered some useful 
 information. Among the Europeans there was only one who 
 had visited parts of the interior, and that was Col. Caligaris, 
 an Italian whom despotism had driven from his native 
 country, and who found liberty and employment in Barbary ! 
 During the reign of Ahmed Basha, Signor CaHgaris was sent 
 to survey a district near the French frontier, and this work 
 brought him as far as the ruins of Hydra. He strongly 
 advised me to take a large escort on account of the lawless 
 character of the border" Arabs, who neither recognise the 
 authority of the Basha nor that of the French, who live upon 
 plunder, and murder indiscriminately the subjects of both 
 governments. He had a whole company of regular troops 
 for his protection, and notwithstanding this force he was 
 attacked. " Another enemy," he added (I presume as an 
 additional encouragement), "you will have to encounter at 
 Hydra is the Hon — an animal very plentiful in that neigh- 
 bourhood. "We were only half an hour encamped when some 
 of my men came to inform me that they had discovered one 
 near the river. I instantly ordered the necessary prepara- 
 tions and marched my troop towards the enemy. I lodged 
 a bullet in the brute's head before he had time to discover 
 the danger in which he was involved. In the twinkling of 
 an eye he bounded towards me, and rent the air vdih his 
 terrific roar ; but another bullet, which entered a vital part, 
 checked his progess. He fell lashing violently his tail, and 
 in his fierce rage, and dying agonies, he dug his claws into the
 
 8 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 ground, tearing it up all round him witli the sharp and 
 enormous nails with which he was armed. It was a mon- 
 strous brute ! I never came across a larger, and every one 
 who saw the skin, which I carried off in triumph, pronounced 
 it the most gigantic lion they had ever come in contact 
 with." 
 
 It never rains but it pours. As if robbers, assassins, and 
 lions were not sufficient to intimidate a poor mortal, we must 
 yet have a combined plot of all " the faithful " of this part of 
 Africa to exterminate the unbeUeving Nazarenes. Such a 
 report was officially transmitted to the consuls from Bizerta, 
 Monasteer, and other places ; and there certainly was some 
 ground for alarm, for very shortly before, a fanatical Dervish 
 preached a crusade, or rather a cresenade, against "the 
 execrable and loathsome Nassara, the infidel dogs," who, 
 according to Moslem charity, are doomed to hell fire. The 
 zealous preacher was executed for his temerity at the instance 
 of the European representatives ; but the executioner could 
 not possibly eradicate the lesson the Dervish had inculcated : 
 and how could the " true believers " be expected to forget his 
 lessons when they were so intimately interwoven with their 
 temporal misery and wretchedness? "The oppression and 
 injustice you suffer from your government," said the Dervish, 
 "your want and starvation, your wretchedness and misery, 
 are all to be ascribed to those who hate you and despise your 
 rehgion." 
 
 It cannot be denied that there is some truth in this, for 
 the government of Tunis has undergone a great change 
 during the last few years. It is now, to speak more correctly, 
 more autocratic in its form, and a Mamlook, named Mostafa 
 or Mustapha, exercises absolute sway. Ostensibly this man 
 is only a minister, but that he possesses unlimited, arbitrary 
 and despotic power is an unquestionable fact. The Arabs 
 groan under his yoke, and since M. Roche, the French consul, 
 is his chief adviser, the Dervish naturally ascribed the
 
 DEPARTURE. 9 
 
 calamities which weigh so heavily on " the faithful " 
 to Nazarene detestation and malevolence towards them. 
 M. Roche's course has, no doubt, been very advantageous 
 to himself personally, but that it is pregnant with gloomy 
 forebodings, that it tends to some serious disaster, is equally 
 certain. 
 
 In spite of all discouraging and terrifjdng reports we pro- 
 ceeded with our preparations. We purchased horses, pro- 
 cured tents, and obtained an escort of two mounted police. 
 We limited ourselves to this number on account of the 
 dijfficulty we anticipated in procuring provisions for our men 
 and barley for our horses. We resigned ourselves to our 
 fate, and were prepared to encounter dangers from robbers, 
 assassins, lions, and even from fanatical "believers ;" but the 
 contemplation of there being even a remote probability that 
 our horses might stai've for want of barley we could not 
 endure, and yet we knew that we had to pass through some 
 very poor districts. In such a country the traveller's first 
 consideration ought to be his horse ; he ought then carefully 
 to avoid unnecessary encumbrances — luxuries, unless they 
 fall in his way, he should never even think of, and he should 
 be particularly certain as to the goodness and quahty of his 
 ammunition and weapons. 
 
 Having completed our arrangements we sent one Tiamha 
 (gendarme) named Hamed, our cook Said, and Sadek, a 
 kind of janissary attached to the American consulate, and a 
 groom, with our baggage, tents, and saddle horses to Jugaar, 
 or Zugaar as it is written on some maps, with instructions to 
 wait for us there. Two days after, on April 1 5th, Mr. Nichol- 
 son, Mr. Henry Ferriere, and myself followed in a carriage, 
 accompanied by the second hamba. 
 
 The morning was particularly pleasant, and we were 
 already some miles from Tunis when we were reminded that, 
 on this very day the year previous, we started on a similar 
 expedition, the particulars of which are recorded in " Carthage
 
 10 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 and Her Remains." Just as we were reminded of this 
 coincident our hamba rode up to inform us tliat his name 
 was Machfuad, and added, yechfadna Allah — "may Allah 
 protect us ! " This was a play upon his own name, which 
 signifies protection, and the way in which this personage 
 protected us will appear in the sequel. 
 
 We pressed forward, and for some time kept near the lofty 
 arches of the majestic aqueduct which conveyed the water 
 from Jugaar to Carthage, Numerous bands of French work- 
 men were busily engaged, in different parts, in restoring this 
 stupendous hydraulic monument of Carthage ; but their atten- 
 tion was chiefly confined to those portions which perforate 
 the hills. The arches which span the plains are not to be 
 used, but in their stead iron pipes are substituted, and these 
 are of so frail a nature that, according to the information I 
 possess, the contractor himself only warrants them for three 
 years. And yet the poor and miserable Arabs are to pay for 
 this preposterous enterprise no less a sum than 7,000,000 of 
 francs ! 
 
 On our way we passed several ruins on either side of the 
 road, and near the bridge which spans the Miliana, the 
 Catada of antiquity, and at Hansheer Elgasbaat, close to St. 
 Bo-Hameda, there are ancient remains of greater extent, but 
 of no great interest. 
 
 We only halted once on the road and reached our destina- 
 tion a Httle before sunset, having travelled about forty-five 
 miles. 
 
 But behold the beginning of the accomplishment of the 
 unlucky presages we noticed above ! Our party was encamped 
 near the famous saintess Bent Saidaan, and in a miserable 
 plight we found them. Said, the cook, was laid up with a 
 burning fever. Sadek, the janissary, naturally stupid, was 
 now thoroughly bewildered at the prospect of starvation, for 
 the wokeel, the agent of the saintess, refused to give the 
 requisite supplies, Hamed, the hamba, sulked after some
 
 FIRST TROUBLES. 11 
 
 serious altercations he had had with the wokeel. The lazy 
 groom stood by the famished horses resigned to any fate, 
 •while the horses exhibited unmistakeable signs of having 
 been grossly neglected. The Arab who led my bay, and on 
 the road attempted to ride him, lay covered np in his 
 burnous suffering from the effects of a fall and a kick. In 
 short, wherever we turned our ears and our eyes we were 
 assailed by a tale of woe and misery. 
 
 In addition to all this the tents were badly pitched, and 
 in a locality so ill-chosen, that we were exposed to the blasts 
 of a bleak wind, although there were lovely spots, well 
 sheltered, not thirty yards further off. But our courageous 
 gendarme, Hamed, was induced to encamp where he did 
 from motives of safety and a dread of robbers, with which, 
 he told us, this part was infested. We felt the cold very 
 acutely, for the thermometer had fallen from 71° Fahrenheit 
 to 50°, caused chiefly by the difference of elevation at which 
 we now were ; for whilst the barometer stood at 29^^° ^^ 
 Tunis, it was here at 28^°. 
 
 We had ample means to counteract the difference of 
 temperature, and to this, on alighting from the carriage, 
 we immediately attended ; but how to feed a number of 
 hungry men, and twelve starving horses, in a place where 
 nothing could be purchased for money, and where a govern- 
 ment order to supply us gratuitously was disregarded, was 
 rather embarrassing. 
 
 I suspected some treacheiy on the part of Hamed, for 
 I knew the uvkeel was a timid man, having visited him 
 once before. He was not Hkely to set at defiance a mandate 
 bearing the seal of the chief magistrate, unless he had very 
 tangible reasons to offer in his justification. At the same 
 time I had no proof against the hamnha, and I was, moreover, 
 unwilling to break with him so soon. But I was resolved 
 not to open negotiations through the medium of our 
 " protectors."
 
 12 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 The wokeel, with several of his friends, was seated after 
 Arab, or monkey, fashion, at the foot of the wall of the Zowia, 
 " Sacred College," whence, carefully wrapped up in his cloak,* 
 he watched our movements. Without saying a word to any of 
 our people, who were now busily engaged in putting our tent 
 in order, I approached the dignitary, and without entering 
 into any particulars, soon succeeded in making him see the 
 necessity of supplying our immediate wants, deferring the 
 investigation of the cause of his conduct to the following 
 day. 
 
 Sacks of barley for the horses and a plentiful supply of 
 straw, followed by an ample supper for us and our attendants, 
 was the result of my negotiation. The sick were also 
 attended to, and Mr. Ferriere volunteered to add to the skill 
 of his pencil his knowledge of the medical science. Eight 
 grains of calomel were administered to Said, and the con- 
 dition of the patient on the following morning justified the 
 dose, and served as a refutation of the opinion of those who 
 had maintained that it was too large ; but as the proof of 
 the quality of the pudding is in the eating, so, I presume, 
 the test of one who professes a knowledge of medical 
 science must be its effect upon those on whom it is 
 exercised. Said felt perfectly well ; and long before we 
 rose from our humble beds, he was already actively engaged 
 in his culinary pursuits, and the doctor was proud of his 
 success. 
 
 The morning was truly lovely, and the surrounding 
 scenery was charming. Our tents were pitched on the brow 
 of a chain of bold hills, having at our feet high table land, 
 well cultivated, and promising to yield a rich harvest. We 
 were all in excellent spirits, of which even our horses 
 partook, and especially my bay, who was just as vicious as 
 he was beautiful. Neither his own kind nor man could 
 approach him without running the risk of being bit or 
 kicked ; and as to his rearing, he did it to perfection. With
 
 TEMPLE OF ZUCCHARA. 13 
 
 great propriety did the Arabs dub him Majnoon, " Maniac ;" 
 and had I known his quaUties a little better, I should 
 certainly not have taken him on such an expedition, 
 where a steady, quiet, and well-trained horse is a great 
 comfort. 
 
 Having given the necessary directions for shifting our 
 encampment, we started on foot for the temple built over 
 the source which, together with the spring of Zoghwaan, 
 supplied Carthage with water. The way to it is parallel 
 with the aqueduct itself, which is here underground, but is 
 sufficiently indicated by the ventilators, built like circular 
 wells, and these are about fifty or sixty feet apart. 
 
 According to Shaw this temple, it would seem, has been of 
 the Corinthian order ; but as all its ornaments have disap- 
 peared, it is impossible to venture an opinion. Indeed, 
 only little of the edifice itself is now left. The portal no 
 longer exists, and of the inscription*, which, we are told, 
 was on its frieze, no traces now remain. 
 
 Besides the portions of the wall which are now standing, 
 the fane, built right over the spring and in a semicircular 
 form, terminating in a half dome at the top, is yet in 
 moderate preservation. It contains three niches, which, most 
 likely, were ornamented by the statues of as many of those 
 deities who presided over springs and fountauis. 
 
 Before this is a large square basin, which received 
 the water as it bubbled up from the spring, and at the 
 opposite end of it is the channel through which it passed 
 into the aqueduct. Here there was also an ingenious con- 
 trivance for supplying the inhabitants of Zucchara with 
 water, which I observed on my previous visit to this place, 
 but which has since been destroyed. Before the porta] the 
 channel divided into two branches, one running in the 
 
 * See Appendix, Inscription "No. 1. For obvious reasons, and chiefly not 
 to interrupt the narrative, the inscriptions found on this journey are given iu 
 Appendix No. I.
 
 14 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 direction of the great aqueduct and the other towards the 
 town. Within a couple pf yards of the angle from which 
 the channels separated, the gi'ooves, cut in the solid stone, 
 in which a kind of portcullis worked, still existed. By 
 means of this sluice the Zuccharians obtained as much 
 water as was requisite for the town and for the irrigation 
 of its plantations, and the remainder was suffered to go to 
 Carthage. No doubt similar contrivances existed along the 
 whole line of country over which the majestic aqueduct 
 runs, so that every city which stood in need of water 
 obtained its regular supply. At the spring of Zoghwaan 
 (though I perceived no traces of it when I visited that 
 lovely spot) there must have existed a similar contrivance, 
 which must likewise have served to turn the water off 
 whenever the aqueduct required cleaning or repairs. 
 
 The temple is sixty-nine feet square, and is built of the 
 materials of a much more ancient edifice. This is clearly 
 proved by a cornice which now forms a component part of 
 the plain wall at the entrance to the left. 
 
 Not far from the temple, at a farm belonging to a late 
 minister of the Bey of Tunis, we found a stone which 
 originally belonged to that structure, upon which is the 
 fragment of inscription marked No. 2 in the Appendix 
 No. I. 
 
 A little way further, but not more than a couple of hundred 
 yards N.W. of the temple, an Arab pointed out to us a rude 
 bas-relief, representing two fish quenching their thirst at 
 what the artist may, perhaps, have intended for a marble 
 fountain. What particular kind of fish the sculptor meant 
 to indicate is- equally doubtful ; but I have no hesitation in 
 saying that they were not. " thirsty souls" 
 
 During our visit to the temple of Zucchara, the French 
 were actively engaged in deepening the source, in the hope 
 of obtaining a more plentiful supply of water ; and the gen- 
 tleman who here superintended the work was particularly
 
 DEATH OF OUR CICERONE. 15 
 
 attentive to as. He passed us the day before on a very fine 
 iron-grey barb, near St. Bo-Hameda ; but as we were 
 strangers to each other, we seemed, by mutual consent, to 
 agree that it was contrary to the rules of propriety to 
 manifest any civility -towards each other. But notwith- 
 standing this apparent indifference, each party was anxious 
 ta be informed as to the condition of the other, his motive 
 and object in visiting this unfrequented portion of the world ; 
 and just as we sent off our hamba to procure for us the par- 
 ticulars we wished to know from the Frenchman's servant, 
 that very servant turned back upon a similar errand ! How 
 absurd frigid etiquette is when earned to extremes, and parti- 
 cularly when transplanted to a part where it is nothing but an 
 uncomely exotic ! What a ridiculous opinion, too, the Arabs 
 employed on this mission must have formed, in their own 
 minds, of " Nazarene " customs and manners ! 
 
 But though we were alike giiilty of such uncourteous 
 conduct, the Frenchman at the temple now considered himself 
 within his own domain, cordially welcomed us as his guests, 
 and acted as our cicerone. We were very grateful for his 
 affability, and regi'etted extremely when, very shortly after, 
 we heard of his sudden death. The horse this gentleman 
 mounted when we first saw him threw him, and dragged 
 him over uneven ground and over stones, thereby mangling 
 his body in the most frightful manner, and long before the 
 furious brute was secured the poor man had already breathed 
 his last. 
 
 The temple of Zucchara bears exactly E.N.E. of the centre 
 of the elongated mountain of Zoghwaan, ' the Zeu git anus 
 mons of the ancients, where there is likewise a fane erected 
 over the spring, which was, undoubtedly, also consecrated to 
 some one, or more, of the deities whose province, according 
 to m}i;hology, it was to preside over, and to protect, such 
 spots. This temple is somewhat larger, and is in the form of 
 a horse-shoe. Its cella is square, with a vaulted roof, but
 
 16 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 the . columns, as well as other ornaments, have all been 
 removed, and the statues, whose numerous niches are now 
 vacant, have very likely found their way to Europe, or they 
 have been destroyed by the Moslem iconoclast. The 
 former, however, is more probable, since not a vestige of 
 those works of art could I discover, though I searched very 
 diligently. 
 
 Soon after returning to our two tents, which were now 
 pitched on the spot we indicated, we were favoured with a visit 
 from the professor and several of the students of the Zowia 
 (sacred college) of " our lady" Bent Saidaan. 
 
 It is considered a mark of good breeding among the Arabs 
 never to allow the conversation to flag, and in the absence of 
 anything interesting, which is frequently the case, the inter- 
 vals must be filled up by complimentary sentences, or by a 
 repetition of the usual salutations. An interview is often 
 commenced, continued, and ended with these phrases : Wel- 
 come — I am delighted to see you — ^how are you ? How is 
 your state? May it please Allah to prevent all evil from 
 affecting you — may evil be far removed from you. How is 
 your house? &c. &c. If the party is very rapid in these 
 affectionate inquiries and good wishes, you have only to 
 reiterate your thanks ; otherwise you are at liberty to take 
 up any of those sentences at random, or repeat the very 
 words of your loquacious visitor, or acquaintance. At the end 
 of all this you know as much of his state as he knows of 
 yours, and he cares just as much about you as you care about 
 him. But, under no circumstances, ask how a man's wife or 
 daughter is, unless you are resolved to expose your ignorance 
 of etiquette, or are determined to give offence. Ask, if you 
 desire to prolong the interesting interview, how his camels, 
 horses, sheep, dogs, or cats are, but refrain from pronouncing 
 the word wife or daughter ; for these, it is understood, are 
 comprised in the interrogatory, " How is your house ?" But, 
 note, what I have now endeavoured to inculcate has a
 
 COLLEGIATE COURSE. 17 
 
 reference only to Arabs inhabiting stone houses, and is not 
 applicable to those who lead a tent life, whose wives and 
 daughters are not kept under lock and key. 
 
 The professor and the students, whose college was built of 
 stone and mortar, adhered to the polite usages of the country, 
 and as I was the spokesman of our party, and was in a pecu- 
 liar mood at the time, I indulged my curiosity to test the 
 duration of the interesting interview. The regular phrases 
 were gone through, and repeated again and again ; and as I 
 was resolved not to be surpassed by them in courtesy and 
 refinement, I either recommenced as soon as they ended, or 
 persevered to the end when they recommenced. My per- 
 severance met with its reward, for I actually gained the 
 victory. The professor and the students rose to take their 
 departure, and would have left under the impression that I 
 was the most well-bred, most refined, and most polished 
 man they had ever set their eyes on ! Well has Terence, 
 himself an African, said, Ut homo est, ifa morem geras — 
 "As you find a man so treat him!" or, according to more 
 authoritative ethics, " Answer a fool according to his folly." 
 
 But I stopped our visitors, begged them to continue 
 their recumbent posture, and commenced an actual con- 
 versation by asking them what the course of study at the 
 college of our lady Bent Saidaan was ? 
 
 "We study all sciences," answered the professor to my 
 great astonishment. 
 
 " I presume then astronomy is among them, for the Arab* 
 were formerly famous in that science : what book is your 
 chief authority ?" 
 
 " The Lamp of Light," replied the same personage. 
 
 "And for mathematics?" I asked. 
 
 " The Great Refiner." 
 
 "And for tnontak, logic?" 
 
 " Elforkaan wahowa Elkoraan — The Divider [between 
 truth and error], or the Goran," the professor answered. 
 
 c
 
 18 EUIlSrED CITIES. 
 
 A flash of light suddenly crossed my mind, and lo ! I dis- 
 covered that the library of the famous college of our lady of 
 Bent Saidaan contained only one book, and that book was 
 the Goran. " Has the j)rofessor detected my artifice, and 
 am I now to regard his replies in the light of retaliation ? " I 
 asked myself. Impossible ! for the man's look was so artless, 
 and so simple, that it would have been a violation of my own 
 common sense had I p.ersevered in entertaining such an 
 opinion. He believed what he afterwards explained in these 
 terms : — 
 
 " All sciences are contained in the Goran, and hence, in 
 studying the Goran, we study all sciences." What wonder, 
 then, that the propagators of the Moslem creed, under the 
 direction of the Galiph Omar, should have destroyed the 
 700,000 volumes of the famous Alexandrian library, parti- 
 cularly since the materials were so usefully employed in 
 heating the baths of "the faithful " during six complete revo- 
 lutions of the moon, and when we also remember that the 
 use of the bath is so strictly enjoined in the ritual of the 
 religion of Islaam ! 
 
 I strolled about among the cluster of huts which compose 
 the famous zowia, and which are constructed of the ruins 
 found in the vicinity. A fine slab of marble, which is now 
 degraded into a door-post of one of these huts, and bears the 
 letters given in Appendix I., under No. 3. 
 
 " Our lady" herself has a very unostentatious tomb, and 
 though richly endowed to enable her to maintain a certain 
 number of students, and to entertain travellers, the revenue 
 of her seven large estates finds its way, in some unaccount- 
 able manner, into the pockets of the trustees and wokeel 
 ("agent"). The students have dwindled down to six, and 
 these informed me that their wants were not attended to, 
 while the benighted traveller might starve if he depended 
 upon the charity of " our lady's " agent. 
 
 " But what- claims has Bent Saidaan to the exalted posi-
 
 OUR LADY BENT SAIDAAN. 19 
 
 tion slie occupies since lier death ?" I inquired of the learned 
 professor who accompanied me in my rambles. 
 
 " Our lady Bent Saidaan/' he replied, after some hesi- 
 tation, "led a holy life in the time of Ali Bey. That 
 sovereign was at war with the Algerines, and was w^orsted 
 in every engagement in which he encountered the enemy. 
 He visited the tombs of every saint to implore assistance, 
 and went even to the illustrious Sidy Machres to humble 
 himself to the dust before his shrine, but the prince wa-s 
 still vanquished. In despair, Ali Bey resigned himself to 
 his fate, expecting to lose his kingdom. Harassed and 
 tormented in his mind by the impending evil, he one day fell 
 asleep from sheer exhaustion, and was favoured by Allah 
 with a vision. He saw in his sleep the two "armies contend- 
 ing, and his own, as before, on the point of being utterly 
 routed, when suddenly appeared on the battle-field a woman, 
 who by her suj)ernatural valour completely changed the issue 
 of the conflict. The Algerines had to sustain a terrible 
 slaughter, and were completely defeated. Ali Bey awoke 
 from his sleep greatly encouraged by this vision, and forth- 
 with joined his army. An engagement took place, and, mark 
 the power of Allah ! all the particulars in the vision were 
 literally accomphshed. Wherever the battle was most fierce, 
 and wherever the enemy showed the strongest front, there 
 the mysterious combatant exhibited her intrepidity and 
 prowess, and when the conflict ceased she vanished from the 
 field ! In vain was search made for her ; she could nowhere 
 be found. It was only some time after that she presented 
 herself before the Bey, and the prince at once recognised her. 
 She declined every gift he offered her while alive ; but when 
 she died, the grateful Ali had her inten-ed here, being the 
 place of her birth, and endowed her zoivia with the revenue of 
 seven large estates. Befieath that cupola the remains of the 
 holy lady rest; and woe unto him who is guilty of a falsehood 
 in their vicinity! By Kodrat Allah," — " the omnipotence of 
 
 c 2
 
 20 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 Allah/' — " tlie liar is sure to be stmck dumb, or to be 
 involved in some other calamity. Hence it is that people are 
 brought to this zoivia to take their oath in preference to 
 proceeding to a civil tribunal." 
 
 " Then I suppose you mean to say that you are all very 
 truthful here — do you not?" I asked. 
 
 " Tn-sha-AUah," — "if it please Allah-/' — "I may say we 
 are/' the professor rejoined. 
 
 . " If falsehood meets really with such signal chastisement in 
 the vicinity of the remains of Bent Saidaan, how is it that 
 the ' agent ' who has the management of all that appertains 
 to the saintess, told us such a gross falsehood this morning ? 
 He swore by everything Moslems consider sacred — ay, even 
 by the heads of the prophet and of Bent Saidaan, that he 
 had no coffee, and yet, when we visited him, he treated us to 
 a most excellent cup of that beverage." 
 
 "What I have said," rejoined my companion, "has no 
 reference to agents, or to govei-nment officials. What this 
 class of men are in other countries I cannot tell. Here we 
 believe that they are excluded from Paradise, and hell even 
 will refuse to give them admittance, lest those doomed to the 
 torments of the burning regions should be contaminated by 
 the gi-oss wickedness of these miscreants." 
 
 The professor paused abruptly, and, looking me steadily in 
 the face, continued after a few seconds — 
 
 " But tell me, Sidy Mohammed, are the class of men I 
 mention better in Bar Kessaara, the land of the Nazarenes ?" 
 
 I replied that I hoped they were better men, and then 
 asked him — 
 
 " But what makes you address me by a name which is 
 not mine ? I am not called llohamoned ; I am a Christian, 
 and surely you know that Mohammed is not a Christian 
 name." 
 
 " My friend," rejoined the erudite Moslem, assuming at the 
 same time a very confidential air, " we are here alone, and no
 
 A PROFESSOR MISTAKEN. 21 
 
 one can overhear our conversation. You may, therefore, 
 fearlessly avow to me your real behef. It may be to your 
 interest not to profess the true religion openly, but tell me, 
 are jou not a Moslem in your heart ? " 
 
 " A Moslem in my heart ! " I exclaimed, greatly amused at 
 the man's simplicity. " You are wonderfully mistaken. But 
 pray tell me what could possibly have put such an idea into 
 your head?" 
 
 " You, who take such an interest in all that relates to Bent 
 Saidaan — you, who quote passages from the Coran — you, 
 who write and read the Arabic language — you not a Moslem 
 in your heart ? Impossible ! Deny it if you please, but you 
 Avill never convince me that you do not believe that our lord 
 Mohammed is the seal of the prophets and the apostle of 
 Allah. I shall therefore persist in calling you, as I did, 
 Mohammed." 
 
 I was dragged into the boisterous element of polemics 
 by the professor's obstinacy, but long before the discussion 
 terminated he was convinced, if not of some of the gi-oss 
 errors contained in the creed founded by the prophet of 
 ]\{ecca, at least that Mohammed, as applied to me, was a 
 gross misnomer. 
 
 We had decided upon leaving Bent Saidaan in the course 
 of the afternoon, but on observing the clouds which were 
 gathering above us, we thought it more prudent to alter our 
 resolution. The sky rapidly increased in assuming a gloomy 
 aspect, and in an incredibly short time no traces of the love- 
 liness of the former part of the day were left. The whole con- 
 cave of the heavens was now overspread with one vast dark 
 cloud, which was gi-adually and perceptibly lowering, until, 
 owing to our elevated position, we found ourselves right in the 
 very midst of it. A sudden and tremendous peal of thunder, 
 which appeared to shake the very foundation of the moun- 
 tain, rent the thick cloud, and was succeeded by a pelting rain. 
 The deafening roar of the first had scarcely died away when
 
 22 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 it was followed by another peal, while the blazing flashes 
 of lightning pursued each other with such velocity that we 
 seemed, at the same time, engulphed in and exposed to the 
 fury of the hostile elements of fire and water. 
 
 We had taken the precaution, on observing the angry and 
 threatening sky, to have a small trench dug round our tent 
 to lead off the water ; but we had neglected to look after our 
 canvas mansion itself, which we discovered, when it was too 
 late to remedy the evil, to have been badly pitched. The 
 cords were not sufficiently tightened, in consequence of which 
 we were now deluged by the rain. Wrapped up in our cloaks, 
 we sat with umbrellas over our heads, grumbling and laugh- 
 ing alternately, and this display of our feelings was quite in 
 keeping with our piteous, and ridiculous, situation. In this 
 wretched manner we passed the afternoon, the evening, and 
 the whole night, and when we rose on the following morning 
 we felt (strange to say) greatly refreshed, having, in spite of 
 our miserable condition, slept most soundly. 
 
 The morning was not quite bright, but there were no im- 
 mediate indications of more rain. Our hamhas manifested a 
 great desire to depart from Bent Saidaan, and as this quite 
 harmonised with our own inclinations, marching orders were at 
 once given. Everjrthing was packed up, the tents were struck, 
 and the horses saddled, when we discovered that we required 
 an additional baggage animal, and that chiefly owing to the 
 bad state of the roads, caused by the previous night's rain. 
 We endeavoured in vain to purchase a horse, and were 
 therefore now compelled to apply to the " agent " for the loan, 
 or hire, of one. This individual had grown very rusty, and 
 with whatever he supplied us he never failed to manifest a 
 spirit of reluctance and ill-will, which ultimately lapsed into 
 dogged obstinacy. He absolutely refused everything, and to 
 avoid the chance of our convincing him, by some means or 
 other, of the danger to which his conduct exposed him, he 
 locked himself up and declined making his appearance ; and
 
 NECESSITY'S LAW. 23 
 
 since a Moslem's house is his castle, we were now at a loss 
 what course to pursue. 
 
 That our protectoTS were the cause of all this I well knew, 
 for on visiting the tvokeel the day before he was very courteous, 
 and readily promised to further our views and to aid us with 
 everything in his power. He was likewise very communicative, 
 and related to me the wonderful courage an Enghsh lady dis- 
 played in venturing to visit this wild and secluded part of 
 the country, forgetting that I myself accompanied that veiy 
 lady. Then, speaking of the amazing and astonishing things 
 he had seen in the course of his long life, he instanced the 
 mai-vellous beds of two travellers, whom, from his description, 
 I recognised as Mr. Gregory, M.P. for Galway, and Sir Sand- 
 ford Graham. "Those beds," the old man said, "were 
 neither stuffed with wool, hair, or feathers ; now let me see 
 whether you can guess with what they were filled." 
 " With air," I repHed. 
 
 "Wonder of wonders ! " exclaimed the aged woJceel; " vast 
 and prodigious is your knowledge. To hundreds of Arabs 
 have I put this question, and not one of them was able to 
 give the answer, whilst you guessed it at once. Strange and 
 wonderfid ! " 
 
 Could I only now have had access to the old man, I feel sure 
 I should have succeeded in peaceably obtaining from him what 
 we required, but the course he adopted precluded this. Yet 
 here we could not remain, and without the assistance of 
 another horse we could not start. What was to be done ? 
 Necessity is generally lawless, and in a lawless country unless 
 necessity is backed by firmness and boldness, there is but a 
 poor chance of its ever being relieved. We could not force 
 our way into the agent's house, but we had ready access to 
 his stable, and from it we secured a very good horse. This 
 was, however, not effected without a show of opposition ; but 
 our resolution prevailed. We led off our prize in triumph, 
 and amidst the vociferations and incoherent protestations
 
 24 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 from some thirty or forty Arabs, the horse had a very fair 
 load placed on his back, and we were relieved from a very 
 difficult and disagreeable' situation. 
 
 Amidst this bustle and confusion an Arab made his ap- 
 pearance, declaring that the horse was his property and not 
 that of the wokeel. We did not believe him then, nor do I 
 believe it now ; but as he persisted in claiming to be the 
 proprietor of the animal, we permitted him to accompany 
 us to our next station, where we promised to restore it 
 to him. 
 
 In this little scuffie, as well as in our discomforts at Bent 
 Saidaan, we found Said particularly useful ; and, indeed, he 
 clearly promised to be of gi'eat service to us during this 
 journey. Of the praise we lavished on the cook Mr. Ferriere 
 was particularly proud, for he maintained that had it not been 
 for his eight grains of calomel we (Mr. N. and myself) should 
 have sent the poor fellow back to Tunis in the very carriage 
 that brought us here. 
 
 For our troubles we were decidedly indebted to the very 
 persons who were sent with us for our protection, as well as 
 to see that we were supplied with all we required conformably 
 to the contents of the government order. "We afterwards 
 learnt that Hamed had handed the "order" over to the 
 sheikh of the district, to whom it was addressed, for a certain 
 sum of money, and then saddled us down upon the ivokeel, the 
 " steward " of the zowia. According to the order an account 
 is afterwards made out against the government, and as we had 
 nothing for the wokeel, he demurred supplying our wants ; 
 and, indeed, we had no claim upon the charity which he 
 dispenses, or rather ought to dispense. What the old man 
 did for us was simply to prevent our causing any agitation, 
 since he knew too well that it might have led to an investi- 
 gation of the manner in which he discharged the stewardship 
 of " our lady " of Bent Saidaan, and such a course would 
 have proved ruinous to himself.
 
 TREACHERY OF OUR PROTECTORS. 25 
 
 To avoid future troubles from the same cause, I took 
 possession of all the amraas " orders," addressed to the 
 governors and officials through whose districts we had to 
 pass. I had always given myself credit for being particu- 
 larly sharp, but Hamed proved in this instance, and on 
 several future occasions, that he was decidedly a sharper.
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 THE ARAB PATRIARCH. 
 
 Mounting the "Maniac" — Halt at an Encampment — Ruins of Risca — Hos- 
 pitable Reception from Lord Feraj— Evening Prayer and Evening Meal — 
 A Picture — Scenery — Search for Water, and Disappointment — Inscriptions 
 at the Ruins of Aquce — Agriculture — A disconsolate Arab Maiden — 
 Courage among Cowards — The Truth of Islaam — Effects of Despotism — 
 Dreed Arabs — Ain Fm-nah — Seat of Justice — Wisdom of a Judge. 
 
 It was past 10 A.M. before our baggage was fairly disposed 
 on the animals destined to cany it. A concourse of Arabs 
 congregated to witness the confused scene, but chiefly to 
 gratify their curiosity in viewing the equestrian skill of the 
 Nazarene travellers. Mr. Nicholson was mounted oh a quiet 
 grey horse, which felt more inclined to be a spectator than an 
 actor, and Mr. Ferriere's little jehcdi (mountain horse) had 
 long since passed the prime of life, and was now as unpre- 
 tending as his rider was. All the fun the Ismaelites came for 
 was therefore to be taken out of the majnoon (the " maniac"), 
 which I was now to ride for the first time. He was held by 
 a stout Arab, and was impatiently pawing the ground, neigh- 
 ing lustily, and exhibiting every sign of wicked restlessness. 
 I was provided with a good pair of spurs as well as a stmit 
 whip, and when I approached him he made an unsuccessful 
 attempt to bite and kick. I deliberately laid hold of the 
 bridle, and had only just got my foot into the stirrup when 
 the vicious brute shook himself free from the Arab's grasp 
 and reared. I had a firm hold of his flowing mane and kept
 
 MOUNTING THE "MANIAC." 27 
 
 to his side, whilst he, as if for the special gratification of 
 his countrymen, took several paces backwards and forwards. 
 No sooner did I perceive that he was about to assume his 
 natural attitude than I wheeled into the saddle ; but at that 
 very instant, and before his fore feet even touched the ground, 
 he made a tenific bound, and this leap was succeeded by 
 another and another. I was, however, secure and safe in my 
 saddle, and felt that it was now my turn to convince him of 
 the superiority of human, over brute, force. He capered, 
 pranced, reared, leaped, and kicked ; but in all these feats he 
 felt that he was under my control, for he could only continue 
 them at my pleasure. Once persuaded of this, the " majnoon" 
 recognised me as his master, and, though not perfectly submis- 
 sive, he made no further attempts to rid himself of his rider. 
 The Ai'abs applauded my horsemanship and frequently 
 shouted sachait ! (" well done ! ") ; but I was not so much 
 gratified by their approval as I was pleased, and satisfied, 
 that I had escaped a serious accident to which I was 
 exposed. 
 
 It is surprising with what respect a good horseman, well 
 armed, inspires an Arab. In his eye nothing can surpass 
 equestrian skill : it is the very height and perfection of every- 
 thing. A good horseman is treated . with deference, because 
 it is taken for granted that he must be bold, brave, and a 
 grfeat waiTior; and what qualifications can surpass these in a 
 country where oiiight is almost invariably synonymous with 
 right ? 
 
 Our original plan was to have gone direct from this place 
 to Moghrawa ; but the fame for hospitality, and generosity, 
 of the proprietor of an estate caUed Elcliarooh Avas so great 
 a temptation to our greedy protectors, that they made us 
 beheve, and substantiated their assertion by the testimony 
 of a number of Arabs, that it was on our route. Accord- 
 ingly we went, or rather were led, down into the plain, and, 
 having crossed the river Miliana (Catada), our course was
 
 28 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 W. by N., and this we kept for nearly two hours, when 
 we perceived e\ddent signs that our guide had missed the 
 path. "We were, however, fortunate enough just then to 
 meet with a party of travelling Arabs, and these pointed out 
 to us the way to the Hangaat Sulbeia, a regular wilderness, 
 thickly set with a variety of wild olive trees, stunted palms, 
 and myrtles. 
 
 Before we reached this sohtude Mr. F. had abeady had a 
 very serious difference with his diminutive charger. What 
 the exact nature of the dispute was I could not tell, for I was 
 compelled to ride a good way ahead of the party, o^ang to 
 the unsociable disposition, and combative nature, of my 
 majnoon ; but when I looked back I found they had parted 
 company, and the poor Uttle jebali was now gi-oaning under 
 the weight of the unwieldy janissary Sadek, whilst Mr. F. 
 was comfortably seated on the outside of a baggage horse. 
 
 We had not been longer in the hanga than an hour when 
 we missed our road again, and wandered about for some 
 time amidst ravines, from which we extricated ourselves 
 after a great deal of trouble. Soon afterwards we fell in T\dth 
 an encampment of Ai-abs, consisting of six tents, of a very 
 poor and wretched description. They were pitched amidst 
 mud and filth ; and yet in these " houses of hair " we were 
 forced to take shelter from the rain, which was then coming 
 down pretty heavily. Fortunately, it did not last long ; and, 
 having partaken of some refreshments which we had brought 
 with us, and drank a good draught of fresh goat's milk, 
 which the women brought us, we recommenced our journey, 
 much to the annoyance of our Moslem companions, who had 
 prevailed upon these poor people to kill a kid for them. 
 
 The experience we now had of the ignorance of our g-uides 
 induced us to request our hosts to send some one with us to 
 show us the way ; but as they decHned this, we left it to 
 their choice, either to comply, or to supply us with our 
 wants for the night. The fear of our billeting ourselves
 
 HOSPITABLE RECEPTIOK 29 
 
 upon them prompted one to volunteer to accomj)any us, and 
 under his guidance we now started. 
 
 Before entering this wilderness we passed a saint, called 
 Sidy Elliaani ; and soon after leaving this encampment we 
 came upon 8idy Ahd Elkareem, " my lord the servant of 
 the most generous," whose domed cupola stands among the 
 ruins of an extensive place, but insignificant in point of 
 merit. I observed here a double-walled fort and several 
 Doric capitals, as well as a number of fractured stone 
 columns, but met with no inscriptions. Besides these ruins, 
 which I take to be those of the ancient Risca, we passed 
 some others of even less note. 
 
 It took us some time before we emerged from the jungle ; 
 and when we reached the open verdant hills and observed the 
 distant height on which were the ruins where we were to take 
 up our night quarters, we were greatly annoyed to discover 
 that we had again wandered from the right path. Our 
 guide, however, assured us that such was not the case, and 
 soon proved that he took a circuitous course in order to 
 avoid a deep ravine ; but why be told us that it would only 
 take half an hour, instead of three hours, to bring us to our 
 destination from his encampment, he could not explain. 
 The reason, however,_ is, that the Arab has no exact idea 
 of either time or distance. 
 
 At 5 p.m. we reached Elcliaroob, having been six hours 
 and a half in the saddle, and having made during that time 
 about thirty miles. 
 
 The hospitable owner of this estate. Sidy Feraj, met us as 
 we rode up the height on which his house stands, and gave 
 us a very cordial welcome. His men, in obedience to their 
 master's command, rushed to our horses, and helped us to 
 dismount, whilst another set was busily occupied in unloading 
 our baggage. On hearing me give directions for pitching 
 the tents, he caught hold of my hand, and said : — 
 
 " No, no, my friend, you must pitch no tent here, besides
 
 30 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 the one wliicli you see is ready for your servants. The 
 guest chamber is prepared for you, and whatever I possess 
 is at your disposal. Make yourselves at home here, and the 
 longer you will favour me with your visit the more ^'ateful 
 will it be to my own feelings." 
 
 " What a difference between the host we left this morning 
 and the generous Sidy Feraj," interrupted the gruff voice of 
 Machfood, addressing me, and through me the Arab patri- 
 arch. " Here you have a specimen of a true Arab. He gives 
 with pleasure ; and, blessed be Allah ! he has always plenty." 
 
 " Allah Kareerti" — " Allah is generous," — rejoined the 
 Arab patriarch ; " and if we desire to be acceptable in his 
 sight, it ought to be our constant aim to have him for our 
 example. In these heights, and in this solitude, I have 
 constant tokens of Allah's bounty and mercy, and I thank 
 him for the opportunity he gives me to manifest my gratitude 
 towards him. You are quite right in saying, that the more 
 I give the more I have ; whilst it is not less true, that those 
 who are niggardly, and parsimonious, are themselves always 
 in want and misery. But we must not waste our time in 
 words," he continued, " since our guests are fatigued. Here, 
 follow me, my friends," addressing us and beckoning to us, 
 " and I will show you your chamber." 
 
 Our amiable host led us into a long narrow chamber 
 attached to his house, but which had no communication with 
 it, since the door faced the open country. Clean mats, and 
 upon them clean carpets, were spread all over that part 
 destined as our dormitory ; and upon this the patriarch 
 ordered his servants to place mattresses, but with these we 
 begged to dispense, giving the preference to our own. 
 
 Whatever we asked for was cheerfully granted ; and not 
 only were we perfectly satisfied with our accommodation and 
 general treatment, but (which is much more) our attendants 
 were in high glee, from which we concluded that they had 
 not only obtained an abundant supply of the good things
 
 EVENING PEAYl^. AND EVENING MEAL. 31 
 
 from Sidy Feraj's kitchen, but that the Arab had exhibited 
 his generosity towards them by an adequate donation of 
 piastres. Indeed, the draught of flattery administered by 
 old Machfood, immediately upon our amval clearly showed 
 the current of his thoughts. Flattery and ^dolence are the 
 ways and means by which harnhas generally extort money 
 on such journeys. 
 
 We passed our evening pleasantly enough, and were not 
 a little pleased to find ourselves beneath a substantial roof, 
 which sheltered us from the pelting rain ; and our men, too, 
 were well protected, for their tent was made of goat's hair 
 and was quite watei^proof. An immense fire which blazed 
 before their tent, served the double purpose of keeping them 
 warm and keeping wild beasts from them. Besides the 
 leopard, which frequents these heights, the hyaena, the boar, 
 and the jackal abound here ; and the shrill voice of the 
 latter, a kind of mockery upon the human, frequently 
 assailed our ears during the night. 
 
 The evening prayer of "the faithful" and the evening 
 meal are called by the same name. At dawn of morning 
 the Moadzan — an ecclesiastical officer whose functions cor- 
 respond with those of church bells in Nazarene lands — 
 informs the " true believers " that prayer is better than 
 sleep. Whether the practice of early rising so prevalent 
 all over Moslem countries is to be ascribed to this lesson, 
 I cannot tell ; but of one thing I am certain, and that is, 
 that very few rise for the purpose for which they are 
 summoned ; and in the evening, when the living bells 
 announce ashd, " the faithful " generally rush en masse, 
 not to prayer, but to their supper. Whether this shows 
 an intentional preference for the savoury coscoso, or whether 
 it is the result of a mistake, caused by giving the same 
 name to two things, I will not undertake to decide. *L 
 am, however, positive of this, that none of our men 
 pleaded a mistake this particular evening. They took the
 
 32 RUINED CI'^JES. 
 
 word ashd in the material sense. The monstrous dishes 
 were seized on with avidity and devoured greedily, not by 
 our own men alone, but by a number of other Arabs, who 
 were attracted to the spot just as the prowling animal is 
 attracted to a carcase. It was a strange picture, and a 
 picture to which our artist would have done ample justice 
 had he not been too fatigued from the exertions of the 
 day's hard ride. The tent was large and commodious, and 
 as black as the clouds above, which were now mercilessly 
 discharging their contents ; and by the monstrous blaze in 
 front, at the door of the tent, the back-ground, composed of 
 the ruins of a mausoleum, was clearly seen. Two lamps sus- 
 pended from poles assisted in throwing out the figures of a 
 dozen men in alto-rilievo, some seated and some reclining on 
 the ground, fervently engaged with their spoonless, forkless, 
 and knifeless hands at their ashd. Our own men looked 
 wild enough, but those who had associated themselves with 
 them were perfect mountain savages. To complete the 
 picture, I must add a number of dogs crouching before the 
 tent, patiently waiting for their share ; and last, but by no 
 means least, twice five horses drawn up in two files, and 
 tied in such a manner as to form an avenue immediately 
 before the fii^e, consoling themselves in their miserable and 
 unsheltered situation with a plentiful supply of com in 
 their nose-bags, doing as much justice to it as the bipeds 
 did to their ashd in the " house of hair." 
 
 We, too, had a hot supper — hot in a double sense, for the 
 principal ingredient of an Arab dish, according to the most 
 approved Arab culinary art, appears to be pepper ; and the 
 artiste who had the management of the patriarch's kitchen 
 evidently partook of his master's generosity, for he savoured 
 our dishes so profusely that I was the only one who could 
 partake of them, and that most sparingly. My travelling 
 companions were gi'ievously disappointed, and were com- 
 pelled to have recourse to coffee, milk, and bread to satisfy
 
 SCENERY. 33 
 
 their hunger, instead of feasting, as they thought they 
 should, on a sumptuous aslid. 
 
 Never was I more astonished than I was in the morning 
 at the siuTOunding scenery. On issuing fit'om our room, 
 instead of seeing a succession of hills, gradually diminishing 
 in magnitude and stretching do^vn^f^rds in the direction of 
 the vast plain, which we had traversed the previous day, 
 I had before me, what distinctly appeared to be, a roUing 
 ocean, whose undulating waves seemed to wash the mountain 
 slopes at only a few hundred yards from the spot on which 
 I stood. Numerous islands, varying in size, studded the 
 extensive sea, while a great variety of boats, of a very 
 strange and fanciful rig, ploughed its crested waves. The 
 delusion was perfect. But when the sun reached the 
 summit' of the lofty Zoghwaan the spell of the enchantment 
 was broken. The sea rapidly receded, and the exquisite 
 scenery was restored to its natural condition of sing-ular 
 loveliness and beauty. 
 
 The situation of Elcharoob is more elevated than that of 
 Bent Saidaan, for our Aneroid here indicated 27^%°. In 
 the view we have fi-om here we embrace the enormous, 
 and highly fruitful, plain of Elfachs, particularly famous for 
 its prolific productiveness of excellent wheat. Beside the 
 mountain of Zoghwaan (which bears from this almost due 
 east), and which is, of course, a very prominent feature in 
 the landscape, we have a good view of Jehel Bo-Kornein 
 to the N.E. by E., the same mountain which Virgil notices 
 by the peculiarity of its double peaks, gemini scojndi. 
 
 Our excellent host made his appearance as soon as he 
 heard that we were up and stining, and very civilly offered 
 to conduct us over the niins, as well as to point out to us 
 the khajar maktoob, " stones with writing." 
 
 " I will aid you," he said, " in all that is in my power ; 
 and if you are equally kindly disposed towards me, you can 
 render me a great service. You are versed in the know-
 
 84 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 ledge of your progenitors, and by some indications you will 
 undoubtedly discover where more springs are to be found. 
 We had a plentiful supply of water before, but during the 
 last few years it continues diminishing ; and I fear we shall, 
 in the course of time, be left without water altogether. What 
 water we have is most excellent, but we have only enough 
 for domestic purposes, and but little to spare for irrigation ; 
 whereas, formerly, there was such an abundance that my 
 grandsire let it flow down into the plains below. Come, 
 then, with me, and I will show you a stone on which there 
 is writing, and which, I am credibly informed, mentions the 
 locality of another spring." 
 
 We accompanied Sidy Feraj over some corn-fields, inter- 
 spersed with ruins, and promised to give him a faithful 
 translation of the inscription. He was in high glee in 
 anticipation of the solution of the mysterious chronicle, and 
 already spoke of the valuable present destined for us. After 
 wading through the corn for some minutes, he brought us to 
 a spot, and exultingly exclaimed — 
 
 " Here, my friends, is the stone ! " 
 
 I looked at it, and shook my head ; and the poor patriarch 
 at once understood the hint, as was evident from his dejected 
 countenance. The stone, an oblong square, contained the 
 sepulchral inscription marked No. 4. 
 
 From another stone I copied No. 5, and in the same 
 
 vicinity we found another sepulchral monument, which bore 
 
 the name of 
 
 FABIA 
 FYRNI 
 
 who died at the age of 25 years, 2 months, and 15 days. 
 
 Judging from the vast space which the ruins at Elcharoob 
 occupy, it would appear that the city which stood here was 
 one of considerable size ; though the fragments of orna- 
 ments we meet with by no means indicate its having been 
 very opulent. Besides the mausoleum already referred to,
 
 RUINS OF AQU^. 35 
 
 and whose architecture is very massive, we have the remains 
 of a temple, portions of whose walls are still in good pre- 
 servation, as well as part of a gate. We met with many 
 rude bas-reUefs, and can also trace several streets, while the 
 foundations of private dwellings are very numerous. El- 
 charoob seems to occupy the site of the ancient Aquw, and 
 as far as situation goes, I can scarcely conceive a lovelier 
 position for a town, possessing, at the same time, such 
 excellent natural means of defence. 
 
 On our way back to our quarters Sidy Feraj pointed out 
 to us what he considered "most curious," Near the iniins 
 of the temple, and only a few yards from his own house, 
 lay an altar at the foot of an olive tree. It appears to 
 have rolled down from the temple, and to have been 
 checked in its progress by the tree when it was yet young. 
 It has since grown to a considerable size, and the altar 
 seems to have grown into it, and now forms part of the tree 
 itself. 
 
 During our stay at this place we saw a number of Feraj 's 
 retainers, his goat herds, his shepherds, and his domestics, but 
 not a single woman made her appearance, although we were 
 told that he had several wives and daughters, as well as many 
 female servants. In respect of keeping the fair (?) sex in a 
 state of confinement, our patriarch was a true Moslem, but he 
 appeared to be free from all prejudice, and possessed none of 
 the bigotry of his co-religionists. He was very courteous and 
 affable, and took a great interest in the wonderful things he 
 saw from Bar-Nessaara, " the land of the Nazarenes." Our 
 weapons, but principally our revolvers, proved a gi'eat 
 attraction to this mountain chief 
 
 By the time we returned to our quarters, our baggage was 
 nearly packed, and we were prepared ^or starting, notwith- 
 standing our friendly entertainer frequently pressed us to sleep 
 here another night. We thanked him for his hospitality, but 
 insisted on adhering to our resolution. As we had sent the 
 
 D 2
 
 36 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 horse we had pressed into our service back to its owner, 
 Feraj readily lent us an excellent donkey, and of this Mr. 
 Ferriere took immediate possession. The patriarch likewise 
 sent one of his men with us to show us the road, and to 
 bring back the animal. 
 
 We were now bound for Ain Fumah, which, according to 
 the information we received from Feraj, and that corro- 
 borated by his people, was S.W. of Elcharoob. 
 
 Passing through a gap we came upon a path, following 
 which we descended the heights of Elcharoob, and soon found 
 ourselves in a rich, well-cultivated, table-land, the property 
 of our wealthy patriarch. Here was also a good deal of 
 rich pasture, and herds of cattle were seen grazing in every 
 direction. In different barley fields some of his best horses 
 were tethered, and with these my bay was particularly 
 anxious to strike up a more intimate acquaintance. He was 
 so bent upon a fight that he reared several times, and as he 
 was pawing the air with his forefeet he clapped his hoofs 
 together as if bidding defiance to all his kind in the vicinity. 
 I felt rather uneasy, for some of the horses made a desperate 
 effort to free themselves from their ropes, apparently resolved 
 to accept the challenge. It was only by dint of spurs, and 
 the free use of the whip, that I succeeded in restoring the 
 equanimity of "majnoon," and in this way I avoided a 
 conflict in which I, myself, might have been the greatest 
 sufferer. 
 
 Descending still lower we came into an extensive plain, 
 through which the Miliana flows. We first foUowed its ser- 
 pentine course, crossing its numerous tributary streams, and 
 then forded the river itself several times, when we again 
 approached higher, but still level, land, very rich and in a very 
 high state of cultivati^ ; considering, of course, the condition 
 of agriculture in this country, which is, upon the whole, very 
 poor indeed. To an English farmer the soil we passed over 
 this day is worth its weight in gold — to the Arab it is only
 
 A DISCONSOLATE ARAB ilAIDEX. 37 
 
 in lead. Beyond the cupola of Saint Sidy Zaid the soil is 
 again poorer, and since nearly eveiything in this conntiy is 
 left to nature, the crops are very unpromising. The Arab 
 ploughs, year after year, in good or in bad soil, to the depth 
 of two inches, sows broadcast, and' says, Rabhi yaamel daleel 
 — "God Avill provide." He never thinks of manure, and 
 ridicules the idea when it is suggested to him. The tares 
 and the wheat grow up together, and this gives him but 
 little or no concern at all. 
 
 It was in the viciaity of Sidy Zaid, and not far from the 
 plain of Rihhy, that I happened to be in advance of our party, 
 and was just approaching a baiTen hillock, when a female 
 voice, in the utmost distress, attracted my attention. I 
 halted and looked round, but could see nothing. I then 
 followed the sound, and was actually within five or six 
 feet of the object of my search before I discovered her. 
 She was seated on the ground, completely covered over 
 with a kind of blanket, which so resembled the colour of 
 the ground itself, that I could not distinguish the one from 
 the other, 
 
 " Who has harmed you, my sister, or mother ? " I asked 
 her, for I could not tell whether she was young or old. 
 
 On hearing this question, instead of replying, her heart- 
 rending lamentations increased, while she drew the blanket 
 round her closer still. 
 
 " Tell me, what has happened to you, or who has injured 
 you 1 If I can help you in any way I will do it," I addressed 
 her again. 
 
 She gradually raised her head, and slowly removed the 
 blanket from it, revealing the beautiful countenance, and 
 very regular, and handsome, features of an Arab maiden of 
 about sixteen, or seventeen, summers. 
 
 " You are no Moslem," she said, darting at me at the same 
 time a look of surprise ; while I discovered that her full jet 
 black eyes were perfectly diy, notwithstanding her sobs, her
 
 38 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 giief, and her lamentations. "You are no Moslem," slie 
 repeated, " and what makes you take an interest in me, an 
 Arab woman ? " 
 
 " Your cries of distress," I answered, " brought me to your 
 assistance. What misfortune has happened to you ? " 
 
 " Nothing, nothing," she rejoined, " it is only an affair of 
 Avomen, a little quaiTel between women." 
 
 " Have you no husband, then, to take your part ? " I 
 inquired again. 
 
 " It is on my husband's account that I quarrelled with the 
 woman." 
 
 "Was the quarrel accompanied by a scuffle and by blows?" 
 my curiosity led me further to inquire. 
 
 She ridiculed the very thought of a fight, and laughed 
 heartily at my simplicity. But no sooner did I leave her 
 than the silly girl resumed her position beneath the blanket, 
 and recommenced her strain of woe and giief just as if she 
 had not been interrupted, and as if she had not laughed only 
 a few seconds before ! 
 
 A very httle way further, by the side of a gulley, which we 
 had to pass, I found half a dozen tents, or heyoot eshaar, 
 "houses of hair," and here were the people to whom the 
 woman belonged. She had not even been missed by them, 
 and it gave them but httle concern when they heard of her 
 distressed situation. 
 
 " It is nothing," said an aged Arab, " it is only an affair of 
 women." 
 
 " It is a great deal," interrupted a pert young woman of a 
 very forbidding countenance, but painted to excess, and 
 decked out in shells, copper, brass, and silver ornaments in 
 great profusion. " It is a great deal," she shouted, " and if 
 lilla Chadoja is to be permitted to give herself such airs, and 
 to tell me that my lord is not as manly as hers is, then I 
 declare I will return to my tribe," and into her tent she 
 went sobbing in sad sorrow and grief.
 
 AIN ZIKRAH. 39 
 
 " You see, I told you," resumed the Arab, addressing me 
 again, " it is only an affair of women." 
 
 We passed this day at least twenty ruins, some of which 
 were only Roman stations, others small places, but three or 
 four were towns of a moderate size. They contained, how- 
 ever, no object worthy of special notice, nor could I discover a 
 single inscription among them. The greater portion of these 
 remains of antiquity are buried under ground, and many 
 objects may, some day, be discovered here to reward the 
 labour of excavation. 
 
 Towards four o'clock, in the plain of Rihhy, we thought it 
 prudent to look out for a convenient spot where to pitch our 
 tents ; and observing an encampment on a hill to our right, 
 which we were informed is called Ain Zikrah, we bent our 
 course in that direction. 
 
 On nearing the gloomy tents we were unexpectedly 
 impeded in our progress by a deep ravine, and one of our 
 attendants hallooed across to inquire of the women the 
 direction of the path. 
 
 " We have nothing to give you," was the answer ; " we 
 have neither barley for your horses, nor fuel for your fire ; 
 neither have we any food to spare for you. We have no 
 men with us. Continue your journey, and in less than 
 arba draj," — " four times five minutes," — " you will reach a 
 wealthy tribe, who will entertain you sumptuously." 
 
 We had no confidence in Arab veracity, and were not 
 at all incHned to let our horses starve. We therefore 
 followed the ravine a little way, and found the path which 
 led us direct to the encampment. The women shouted, and 
 entreated us to depart ; and to their shrill voices was added 
 an incessant barking of a number of dogs ; neither of which 
 did we heed. The horses were unloaded ; and before our 
 two tents were pitched the noise had subsided, and one man 
 after another came forth from his place of concealment. 
 They appeared to have given us credit for more " propriety "
 
 40 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 than we really possessed ; for they had taken for granted 
 that we should depart on findmg that there were only 
 women and children in the tents. But the unceremonious 
 reception with which the Arabs met from our ifnen in 
 authority soon convinced them of the absurdity and folly of 
 their scheme. Several were knocked down, and sticks were 
 actually being prepared for the liberal administration of the 
 bastinado, conformably to the strict rules of the justice of 
 the country. And now a confused scene ensued. Men 
 were struggling and vociferating, the women were screaming, 
 the children crying, the dogs yelling and barking : whilst 
 the numerous donkeys, from some cause or other, joined in 
 the discord, and considerably added to the confusion by 
 incessant braying ; and, as if all this did not suffice, the 
 horses suddenly broke loose, and commenced a regular 
 " stand-up " fight, accompanied with tenific neighing. 
 
 Since it was but too palpable that the Arabs of this 
 encampment were great cowards, we took no part in the 
 preliminary arrangements for our comfort. We were busily 
 occupied in putting the interior of our tent in order, when 
 suddenly half-a-dozen fellows rushed in, dragging Sadek, the 
 American Consul's janissary, who, properly speaking, is styled 
 dragoman, " interpreter," but who, in reality, only spoke his 
 native language, the Arabic. This individual was brought 
 before us to exj)lain the state of confusion outside, with a 
 view to ascertain whether the unreasonable demands made 
 by our hamhas were in conformity with our will and 
 pleasure. But, since all that Sadek could interpret, either 
 into English or into "American," was necessarily restricted to 
 an imitation of some of the noises of the qviadrupeds outside, 
 or it amounted to a simple repetition, in Arabic, of what the 
 Arabs stated, I saved him the trouble, and requested the 
 deputation to retire and restore order outside, promising 
 them to let them know the extent of our wants so soon as I 
 could, with any degree of success, make myself audible.
 
 COUKAGE AMONG COWARDS. 41 
 
 Delighted to hear this, the Arabs ran out to their com- 
 panions, and, by dint of great exertion, secured tranquilHty. 
 The brother of the Khaleefa, " Heutenant-govemor," who had 
 akeady been subjected to gi-eat insults, and who had even 
 received several blows, came to call me, and I at once followed 
 him. 
 
 In very few words I informed the assembled inhabitants 
 of the village of goats -hair houses " that I regretted 
 extremely to find that the Arabs had degenerated and so 
 totally departed from the practice of their forefathers. Instead 
 of compelling the traveller to partake of their hospitality, as 
 was anciently the case, they now treated him with contempt, 
 and spumed him from their tents " 
 
 "We will give you all you require," interrupted the 
 Khaleefa' s brother ; " only the hamhas " 
 
 "Hold your tongue, you accursed son of a dog!" interposed 
 Machfood, " or I shall strangle you this, this very instant." 
 
 " Silence, insolent fellow ! " answered I, in a stem voice, 
 " or I shall send you back to the place you came from this 
 very instant. I shall take care that you commit no acts of 
 injustice, or violence, in our name. We are not here to rob 
 and oppress the poor. We are the Basha's guests, and 
 whatever we require the Basha wiU pay for ; but we are not 
 marauders, and we will have no bandits in our company." 
 
 Machfood sneaked away, and the people exclaimed — 
 
 " Truly, the Nazarenes are more merciful than the true 
 believers ! A'nima raj el, what an excellent man ! what a 
 good man ! Alhamdo lillahi, praised be Allah for having 
 sent you to us ! " 
 
 The Arabs now vied with each other in their efforts to 
 supply our wants, in order to secure our approbation, and 
 seemed quite delighted when we spoke a kind word to 
 them. 
 
 Shortly after peace and tranquillity were restored, the 
 Khaleefa himself, who had, it seems, been sent for, made his
 
 42 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 appearance, mounted on a veiy excellent mule, and accom- 
 panied by several attendants. He feigned to remonstrate 
 witli us for pitching our tents near an encampment of poor 
 Arabs, instead of partaking of bis hospitality in his mountain 
 home, only an hour's distance from this spot, and even now 
 pretended to urge us to remove to his place. This we 
 declined, not merely because we were convinced that he 
 wished us, in his heart, anywhere but in his vicinity, but 
 because we were here so much nearer to our line of road. 
 We, however, thanked the " lieutenant-governor " in the 
 choicest terms we could muster, and invited him into our 
 own tent, an invitation which his excellency readily accepted. 
 
 The Khaleefa was a man above six feet in height, and 
 of a herculean frame. His features, though swarthy, were 
 regular ; but there was a want of intelligence in the expres- 
 sion of his countenance ; his eyes, too, were glassy and 
 dead, whilst to his chin was appended a poor apology for 
 a beard, only a few black hairs, amounting almost to a 
 Moslem's humiliation, and disgi'ace, in point of personal 
 appearance. He had, however, no mean notion of the 
 dignity of his office, with which he did his utmost to 
 impress us. 
 
 Our invitation was restricted to the Khaleefa, but some 
 six or eight of his attendants followed, and literally so 
 choked up our confined quarters that we were compelled to 
 request them to retire, permitting only two at a time to 
 squat down at the entrance. But about twenty took up 
 their position close to the tent, where, though they could 
 not gratify their sight, they could at least hear all that 
 passed within. 
 
 The ever active, never wearied, and always cheerful Said 
 served coffee, upon which our dignitary pronounced a most 
 favourable opinion ; but his pious feelings were outraged 
 when Mr. Ferriere offered him a 'petit verve de cognac. 
 
 " Unholy and forbidden things," he observed emphatically.
 
 THE TRUTH OF ISLAAM. 43 
 
 " have never passed my Kps, and Inshallah (if it please 
 Allah), I hope they never will." 
 
 " You are perfectly right, sir," I replied, " strictly to 
 adhere to the precepts of your creed ; we only respect you 
 the more for it." 
 
 " Then you believe in the truth of Islaam, do you ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " By no means," said I. " We merely approve of every 
 man's acting according to the dictates of his conscience. We 
 respect every man's religion, but you cannot expect us to 
 believe that every religion is true." 
 
 " No, no," he rejoined, " every religion is certainly not 
 tnie. As there is only one God, so there is only one 
 rehgion, and that religion is the Islaam^ 
 
 " But how do you know this ? What proof have you for 
 your assertion ? " 
 
 " Proof ! " he exclaimed in amazement. " Why, ask any 
 of those people [pointing to the Arabs], and they will, to a 
 man, tell you that our Lord Mohammed is the apostle of 
 Allah." 
 
 " Ah, but I can point out to you far more intelligent 
 people who assert the very reverse. Indeed, there are many 
 more who believe him to have been an impostor than those 
 who declare that he was commissioned by the Almighty." 
 
 " But those who deny that Mohammed is the apostle 
 of Allah," the Khaleefa rephed, " are unbelievers, for whom 
 hell-fire is kindling." 
 
 " The only authority you have for this assertion is the 
 accident of birth, and the force of education. Suppose your 
 parents had been, what you call, unbelievers, what would 
 you now have been ? " 
 
 " I presume an unbeliever too," he answered, after a slight 
 hesitation. 
 
 " You see, then, you have received a creed, like so many 
 others have done, without examining the evidences upon
 
 44 . RUINED CITIES. 
 
 which it is based. You are therefore unable, with any 
 certainty, to assert its being true. Now, I have examined 
 the evidences of my own creed, as well as investigated the 
 authority upon which other religions are founded, and 
 among these the one you profess ; and the result of that 
 investigation is, that I maintain that the only true religion 
 is that of the Nazarenes." 
 
 " Then you believe the religion of Islaam to be false, and 
 yet you approve of my acting conformably to its precepts ? " 
 
 " Most decidedly," I rejoined ; "for ! consider a man with' 
 a false religion, if sincere, far better than one who has no 
 religion at all." 
 
 Our conversation, which afterwards partook of a political 
 character, was conducted in perfect good humour ; indeed, so 
 satisfied was the Khaleefa with the reception we gave him, 
 and with all he heard, that, on taking leave of us, he pro- 
 mised to return early on the following morning to accompany 
 us to Ain Furnah. He likewise undertook to procure for us 
 another horse, of which we stood greatly in need. 
 
 The Arabs of this district are called Ruhhd Silyana, and 
 appear to be of a very peaceable disposition. Indeed, the 
 greatest proof that they have no martial spirit about them is 
 the conduct of our hambas towards them, for these officials 
 would never have dared- to act in the way they did had they 
 not been aware of the quiet and timid character of those over 
 whom they attempted to tyrannise. But, are not years of 
 oppression, and of systematic spoliation, enough to cow down, 
 to dishearten, and to depress any people? The aiTogance 
 and despotism of the Mamlook government, under which 
 these people groan, has changed their very nature, and trans- 
 formed them into so many dastardly cowards. Those Arabs 
 who are further removed from the seat of injustice and mal- 
 government have retained their manly bearing and native 
 courage; and among those neither Machfood, nor Hamed, 
 ventured to act in an insolent, or overbearing, manner.
 
 DREED AEABS. 45 
 
 We were delighted to find such an agreeable change in the 
 temperature ; but it was not unmingled with some dread at 
 the prospect of excessive heat as we advance south. At 
 sunset our thermometer stood in the tent at 68° Fahrenheit. 
 It is tnie we were now in a lower situation than Elcharoob, 
 our barometer indicating 28-rVj but I ascribe the increase of 
 warmth more to our having come some miles further south. 
 
 We started from Ain Zikrah at 7 A.M., accompanied by the 
 Khaleefa, who had also the kindness to lend us a mule, and 
 this enabled us to send the donkey back to the hospitable 
 patriarch. Our want of faith in the veracity of the Arab 
 women proved ill-founded ; for we were scarcely " four times 
 five minutes" on our way when we fell in with several 
 encampments of Dreed Arabs ; but whether these would have 
 given us a very cordial reception is very questionable. Of one 
 thing I am, however, very certain, and that is, that our " pro- 
 tectors " would not have taken any liberties with these war- 
 riors, for such the Dreed are. They claim to be descendants 
 of the original conquerors of Africa, and are not a httle proud 
 of the traditions, carefully handed down to the present day, 
 of the vengeance the tribe took on the unbelievers, and how 
 they expelled the " Nazarenes " from this country. The 
 Dreed claim even to this day certain privileges on account 
 of the valour of their forefathers ; and among these privileges 
 I may mention that they are permitted to maintain a sitting 
 posture in the presence of the reigning prince, whereas all 
 other Arabs must stand before the despot. 
 
 A little way further on we came upon an encampment of 
 Algerine Arabs, whose reluctance to be under the dominion 
 of "infidels" induced them to migrate from their native 
 desert, and to place themselves under the yoke, and the iron 
 rule, of a " prince of the faithful," or rather under that of his 
 mamlooks. 
 
 The Khaleefa was just giving me some information respect- 
 ing the Algerines, when two Arabs, well mounted, approached
 
 46 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 US ; and, after saluting my Moslem companion, one of them 
 turned towards me, and asked — 
 
 " Have you found your country ?" 
 
 "What do you mean by your question?" I inquired in 
 return. 
 
 " Nothing — nothing," he replied, shaking his head and 
 sighing mournfully. " Whatever is done is done by the per- 
 mission of Allah, without whose aid neither power, nor might, 
 can prevail." 
 
 Having said this they rode off and left us. 
 
 One hour's ride brought us to Ain Furnah, undoubtedly 
 the Furnus mentioned on the sepulchral monument we found 
 at Elcharoob. The remains occupy an immense space, and 
 the most prominent ruin is that of a fort which with some 
 other public edifices appear to have been enclosed in a 
 common wall, evidently thrown up by the Arabs during some 
 of their civil wars when it served as a place of defence. 
 No doubt, during those conflicts, which, at one period, 
 were very numerous, many ancient monuments met with the 
 rude fate in which we find them now involved. 
 
 I could only discover here one inscription, and that is 
 No. 6 ; if there are any more similar monuments at Furnah, 
 they were just then hid from view by the waving corn which 
 concealed them. 
 
 We halted at Furnah till a little past 11 A.M. waiting for 
 the horse which the Khaleefa ordered to be brought here. 
 The animal at last came, and his under excellency had a fair 
 opportunity to exhibit his skill in jockeyism. Although 
 nothing unclean, and none of the food prohibited by the 
 Goran had ever passed his pious lips, enough falsehoods issued 
 from them in the course of a few minutes to last the gentle- 
 men of the most celebrated turf a complete season. The 
 bargain was, however, closed, I believe, to our mutual satis- 
 faction, and we parted on good terms — he canying home his 
 money, and we leading off an excellent horse — a regular
 
 AIN FUENAII. 47 
 
 charger — for only three hundred piasters, a sum equivalent 
 to about £10 in English money ! 
 
 The river Siliana flows here in the direction S.W. by W., 
 and the highest peak of Zoghwaan bears N.N.E. Our road 
 lay for some little distance near the river, and then separated 
 from it into an immense, and well cultivated, plain. Before us 
 we had Jebel-Esserj, so called from a peculiar formation on 
 its summit, which resembles an Arab saddle ; and to our left 
 was the Jebel-Borgo, whilst to our right the plain was 
 bounded, in the far distance, by the mountains of Kef. 
 Having traversed this plain, we commenced a gradual ascent 
 and came again upon some very rich table land, which pro- 
 mised fairly to repay a hundredfold for the labour, and 
 expense, bestowed upon it. Passing this, we crossed some 
 barren hills, and then descended into another plain, called 
 Bachairat Siliana, and pitched our tents a little way from 
 the river, within the Zemala of the Oulaad Aoon, havins: 
 this day performed a distance of about twenty-four miles. 
 
 Oulaad Aoon is the name of a large tribe of Arabs, which, 
 according to the statement of some of their chiefs, can bring 
 4000 mounted warriors into the field. The Zemala is an 
 assembly of sheikhs, and here there are congregated about 
 forty of those chiefs. Their tents, of goat's hair, are large 
 and spacious, and are pitched in the form of an oblong 
 square, in the centre of which is that belonging to the 
 Khaleefa, the " lieutenant-governor," and near it is another 
 tent, which serves the purpose of an audience halL The 
 Gaicl, the real governor, being a mamlook, but seldom visits 
 the tribe, so that the weight of responsibility is upon his sub, 
 who discharges all the functions of the office, and, not like 
 our friend who accompanied us to Furnah, supports his 
 dignity with becoming gravity, and even pomp. 
 
 The tribe is divided into so many sections, over every one 
 of which a sheikh rules, and whatever disputes, or Utigations, 
 arise, are brought before the chief. Should the question
 
 48 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 prove too complicated for liis decision lie calls in the aid of 
 his neighbours ; and if it is too difficult even for them, or if 
 the disputants are dissatisfied with the decision, then the 
 case is referred to the Khaleefa, or to the governor assembled 
 in council ; and from this court even there is an appeal to the 
 supreme authority — the Basha, or to the Slier ra, ecclesiastical 
 court. 
 
 This concentration of the administrators of justice is a veiy 
 ancient practice, and appears to have its origin in Carthagi- 
 nian times ; for we find still in this country the ruins of a 
 city, the Punic signification of whose name corresjDonds with 
 that of Zemala. I allude to Spaitla, the ancient Sufetula, 
 the seat of Sufetim, or judges, whose remains we shall visit 
 as we proceed. 
 
 On our arrival the sub was eno-aged in a consultation at the 
 assembly hall with a number of the sheikhs, and as we rode 
 up to that goats' hair edifice, the dogs telegi-aphed our 
 approach, and immediately all eyes were turned towards us. 
 The important business was postponed, and his under- 
 excellency, followed by some twenty of the elders of the 
 people, came out to welcome us to the zemala, the seat of 
 justice. 
 
 Om- tents were pitched in the centre of the square, near 
 that of the Khaleefa, and every sheikh was called upon to 
 contribute his share of barley, fowls, milk, bread, &c., to form 
 our rations during our stay at this seat of wisdom, and every 
 one readily complied with the demand. 
 
 Much of the attention we met with here I ascribe to my 
 being an intimate friend of Sidy Hameda Elmorali, a mam- 
 look with whom I formerly travelled to Jereed, the ancient 
 Gaetulia, and who now holds the office of Caid (governor) of 
 the Oulaad Aoon. He was the bosom companion of General 
 Yosof of Algiers, with whom he was in a kind of slavery to 
 the Bash-mamlook (chief mamlook) of Mostapha Basha. 
 Yosof is, I believe, a Tuscan by birth, and Elmorali a
 
 A SEAT OF JUSTICE. 49 
 
 Circassian, and, thougli the former has now returned to the 
 religion of his fathers, his friend, a strict Moslem, is still 
 much attached to him, and never neglects an opportunity of 
 inquiring after him. 
 
 At this Zeniala too, and near the river, are architectural 
 remains of a former race which swayed the sceptre in this part 
 of Africa. The principal ruin, however, and the only one 
 worth noticing, is that of a fort, built of massive stone, and 
 put together without any cement. The Khaleefa and a 
 number of sheikhs conducted us to this structure of " our 
 progenitors," as they were pleased to designate it ; but they 
 readily confessed the superiority which it exhibits over every- 
 thing they are able to do. 
 
 " Your progenitors were wise in their day," said one of the 
 aged judges, rather jocularly disposed, in addressing us, "and 
 so are you now; but they were strangers to the true religion; 
 and you, although you found your way here, are still ignorant 
 of the way to heaven." 
 
 On our way back to the tents the sheikhs discussed the 
 magnitude of a lion that was killed in the vicinity a few days 
 before, and this conversation was gradually so shaped till it 
 reached the important question of the noble animal's moral 
 abilities, when the same learned judge thus delivered his 
 opinion : — 
 
 " Whether the lion is a true believer, or an infidel, I am not 
 able to decide ; but that he understands all that is said to 
 him is ti-ue beyond all doubt, and the man who denies this 
 denies a positive truth." 
 
 He then corroborated his assertion by numerous examples, 
 which had the effect of producing a thorough conviction in 
 the minds of his audience, excepting only in those of the 
 hardened "unbelievers;" but since they rejected even the 
 evidences upon which the Islaam itself is founded, what 
 wonder that they should disbelieve the statement of the old 
 sheikh !
 
 50 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 In the evening a number of the rulers of the Oulaad Aoon 
 assembled before our tent, with whom we conversed freely 
 for some time. The weather was perceptibly warmer. Our 
 thermometer indicated 76° Fahrenheit before sunset ; but the 
 night was pleasant, and towards 8 P.M. it was so cool, that 
 when we retired, an hour after, we found our heavy blankets 
 very acceptable.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THEEE SPARE BULLETS. 
 
 A Challenge — Tlie Enchanted Horse — The Idol Destroyed — Venerable 
 Remains of Moghrawa — Domiciliary Search for Antiquities — A Trial — The 
 Sentence Reversed — A Difficult Pass — Ruins of Hammam — Three Spare 
 Bullets — Another Adventure — A Semicircidar Gun — A Naval Hero and 
 his large Key. 
 
 A GREAT temptation lield out by tlie old shoush of the 
 zemala to induce us to stay longer was the approaching fair, 
 which is held here weekly. The shoush is at the head of the 
 police force of the zemala, and the police force is comprised 
 in the shoush himself But in cases of emergency the 
 sheikhs are not too proud to extend to him their assistance. 
 The old man was desirous to turn us to a little account, for 
 we were in want of another horse (my bay being disabled by 
 lameness), and he declared that we might pick up an excellent 
 animal for very little money ; but he appeared too anxious 
 for our good, and his gi'eat concern on our behalf failed to 
 inspire us with confidence in him. I therefore preferred 
 mounting the black we bought the day before, and this 
 enabled us to start for Moghrawa at 7'30 A.M. 
 
 After travelling an hour and a half, or about six miles 
 from our starting point, we approached the Waad Mossool, 
 which name bears too great an affinity to the Muthul, men- 
 tioned by Sallust in his history of the Jugurthine war* not 
 
 SaU. Bell. Jug. § 48. 
 
 E 2
 
 52 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 to be recognised as the same river. It empties itself into the 
 Sihana. 
 
 Our road lay between the hills through which the river 
 winds. It assumed occasionally the character of the pic- 
 turesque, particularly when it passed through verdant dales, 
 teeming with wild flowers of every hue, and bounded by 
 gi'aceful elevations covered with a variety of trees of spon- 
 taneous growth. Having traversed these we commenced to 
 ascend the rugged heights, and by 11 A.M. we came upon 
 what had the appearance of a truncated conical hill, on the 
 flat surface of which, in the midst of a rich crop of barley, we 
 found a mausoleum, to which the Arabs have given the name 
 of Twaal Ezaaniel, "the horse's tether," and by this strange 
 name this whole district is known. 
 
 This structure, in the immediate vicinity of which are the 
 foundations, and prostrate remains, of other buildings, had 
 originally three storeys, the upper one of which has since 
 fallen. It stands upon three pyramidal steps, and is orna- 
 mented with fluted pilasters, surmounted by Corinthian 
 capitals. Its entrance is perfect, but it bears no inscription, 
 nor could we find any among the heap of ruins from its 
 upper storey. 
 
 This plateau is situated amidst a perfect sea of hills, 
 varying in shape as they do in dimensions. It is an awful 
 solitude, the perfect stillness of which is only occasionally 
 broken by the singing of birds, by the shrill notes of a 
 Bedouin shepherd, or the ringing neigh of some splendid 
 Arab steed, secreted in a lonely ravine to prevent its 
 proving a temptation to the grasping and greedy Mam- 
 looks, the devastating rulers of this country, who might un- 
 scrupulously appropriate it at an optional price, or deprive 
 its legitimate owner of it without even offering him a price 
 at all. 
 
 We halted here about an hour, and whilst I was rambling 
 about on the brow of the hill I was unexpectedly accosted
 
 A CHALLENGE. 53 
 
 by an Arab. I was just then transferring some passing 
 thoughts to my note-book when the stranger uttered these 
 words : — 
 
 " Are you noting down the affairs of this country in order 
 that the Nazarenes might come to take possession of it ? 
 Everjrthing that appertains to this workl is transitory. You 
 ruled here before, and you are to rule here again. When will 
 you come to redeem us from our bondage, and free us from the 
 injustice with which we are oppressed by our wicked rulers ? 
 May Allah be merciful to us, and speedily guide you here ! 
 I have been to your country in the west [Algeria], where the 
 Arabs breathe freely. There they live and enjoy what Allah 
 has given them, but here we are in constant trepidation of 
 soul, and always in danger of being plundered of the little we 
 have, and that not by strangers, but by those who ought to 
 protect us ! " 
 
 This Arab was just returning from one of the secluded 
 spots amidst the mountains, where he kept several good 
 horses, which he hoped to take to Algeria to sell to the 
 French. 
 
 On resuming our journey we fell in with an Arab tra- 
 velling with his wife, and as they had but one horse between 
 them, they alternately walked and rode. Wlien we overtook 
 them the lady was mounted in the big Moorish saddle, seated 
 astride after the fashion of man, with her feet in the 
 monstrous stirrups, while the long Arab gun was slung across 
 her shoulders. Her lord walked by her side. Apprehending 
 probably, that some of our party might feel inclined to 
 indulge in some sarcastic remark at an exhibition so unusual 
 in this country, he shrewdly resolved to have the initiative, 
 and no sooner were we within hearing distance than he 
 shouted at the top of his voice — 
 
 " Advance, horsemen, this warrior defies you all, either in 
 the use of fire-arms, in horsemanship, or in single combat* 
 Who accepts the challenge ? I stake 2000 piastres against
 
 54 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 500 in favour of my champion. Advance, my friends, 
 advance ! " 
 
 He thought this a capital joke, for he laughed heartily, and 
 we could not help giving him credit for good sense ; for had 
 he not acted in the way he did, our people would, undoubt- 
 edly, have indulged in a little frolic at his expense. But he 
 also showed his good judgment by speedily changing the 
 topic altogether, and this he did in a way he knew would be 
 most agi-eeable to the Kassaara, Nazarene travellers. 
 
 " You have visited j^onder building of your ancestors, have 
 you not ? " he asked me, pointing back to Twaal Ezaamel. 
 
 " We have," I replied. 
 
 " But I trow you have not seen the horse after which it is 
 called?" 
 
 " No," I rephed, " we have seen there no horses except our 
 own. But, tell me, what horse do you allude to ? " 
 
 " In times gone by," the Ai-ab commenced, in reply to my 
 question, "that palace [so he called the mausoleum] was 
 inhabited by the spirit of one of your ancient Sidiaans. He 
 was frequently seen in broad daylight, riding over these hills, 
 followed by a long retinue of attendants in very gaudy attire. 
 He himself was always dressed in pui-ple velvet, richly em- 
 broidered with gold, and studded over with the most precious 
 stones. On his head he wore a black cap surmounted by a 
 large white plume, and in front he had an ornament, com- 
 posed of four immense emeralds, and in the centre a diamond 
 of the size of an egg. The whole was in the foiin of a saleeb 
 [cross], and from this it was known that he was not a jaahel 
 [pagan], but a Nassrani, Nazarene. He was very tall in 
 stature, comely to look at, and of a very benevolent ex- 
 pression of countenance. The horse he always rode was of 
 the purest white, without a blemish, and perfect in all its 
 points. Except when the Sultaan mounted him that animal 
 was invariably seen grazing in front of the palace, fastened to 
 a thick golden chain, secured by a massive ring, of the same
 
 THE ENCHANTED HOKSE. 55 
 
 metal, round his right forefoot. Though the palace was 
 always empty, as it now is, yet the horse was always there, 
 and besides this animal not a single living being was seen in 
 the vicinity. The Sultaan and his suite were repeatedly 
 seen entering the palace, and though people ran in imme- 
 diately after, from curiosity to see him, yet not a soul did 
 they find there. The horse alone was at its accustomed 
 place, grazing just hke any other horse would, and when 
 riders passed he would neigh, paw the ground, and exhibit 
 the same restlessness that your horse, or mine, would. To all 
 appearance he was a real horse, and yet he was nothing of 
 the kind. People came from all parts, far and near, to view 
 this extraordinary animal, and returned to their homes in 
 amazement, not so much at his astonishing beauty as his 
 supernatural character. Many Arabs approached him, at- 
 tempting to caress him, but they only caressed the air ; and 
 though his golden tether was before their eyes, and at their 
 very feet, when they desired to handle it they handled only 
 the air. In short, they could pass and repass right through 
 the body of the animal, just as one passes through a cloud, or 
 through smoke, for it was not corporeal but immaterial. 
 
 " Crowds of Arabs flocked regularly to this place, not so much 
 to gi'atify their curiosity as to obtain substantial benefits from 
 their visits to the enchanted horse, for such it undoubtedly 
 must have been. Innumerable individuals came here without 
 a single ^Zs [a small copper coin] in their pockets, and returned 
 to their homes "VNdth those receptacles well stored with gold, 
 real gold, tangible gold, the gold coin, not of Nazarene lands, 
 but the genuine Moslem coin of the period of the Basha who 
 then reigned. But the wonderful part was the strange and 
 mysterious manner in which that gold came into their pos- 
 session, for no one handed it to them, nor did they pick it 
 up, but it suddenly found its way into their pockets, and 
 they became only conscious of the fact by perceiving its 
 sudden weight. What was also very extraordiaary is that
 
 56 RUmED CITIES. 
 
 this benefit, or this charity, was confined to the real poor, the 
 needy, the honest, the upright, the deserving, and this proved 
 that it was administered with discretion by an intelligent 
 being, possessing good judgment as well as a benevolent 
 disposition and tender compassion. But this great good was 
 not unaccompanied by evil consequences. Many wicked and 
 lawless fellows, whose greedy desire for gold was left unsatis- 
 fied, waylaid the more favoured, robbed, plundered, and often 
 assassinated them. This state of things reached the authori- 
 ties, and the ecclesiastics particularly resolved to put a stop 
 to it, for they foresaw fearful consequences to the Islaam, the 
 true religion, because all the good people receiving such 
 blessings, as they thought, from the enchanted horse, re- 
 garded that animal with such awe and reverence as amounted 
 to actual adoration. The Mufties, the Cadies, and all the 
 ecclesiastical dignitaries, looked upon this as a grand scheme 
 of Shaitaan [the devil] to draw the true believers away from 
 Allah, and sink them in the mire of idolatry. Moved by 
 pious resolutions, many of those holy men repaired to this 
 place, and as they approached it they were horrified at the 
 vast numbers of Moslems who performed regular pilgrimages 
 to the enchanted horse ; and when they heard in what 
 terms people spoke of the idol, they rent their garments, 
 and called upon Allah to lift up his mighty arm for the 
 protection of the Islaam. 
 
 " The Mufties, the Cadies, and the other priests who 
 accompanied them, humbled themselves in the sight of 
 Allah, and, in the presence of the multitude, walked in 
 procession thrice round the building, bearing the holy Goran 
 uplifted, and then entered the palace. For three long days 
 and nights did these Ahaad Allah [servants of Allah] chant 
 the Goran in that ancient edifice. On the third day the 
 figure of the enchanted horse grew gradually, but perceptibly, 
 dimmer ; and towards evening of the same day, just at the 
 time for the prayer of Aaser, a tremendous crash took place
 
 THE IDOL DESTROYED. 57 
 
 in the palace itself, which brought down the upjier part of 
 the edifice, and in the same instant the horse vanished ! 
 The people, assembled outside, uttered an aAvful shriek of 
 horror at the occurrence, and loudly bewailed, and lamented, 
 the fate of the zealous servants of Allah. But, to their 
 intense joy, they beheld, but a few minutes after, the 
 Mufties, the Cadies, and all the other priests, issue forth 
 from the palace perfectly unconcerned, not having sustained 
 the least injury ! The people saw that this was the work of 
 Allah, and all simultaneously shouted, 'La ela ilV Allah 
 Mohammed rasooV Allah' [There is no deity but Allah, 
 and Mohammed is the apostle of Allah !] 
 
 " From that day the palace has been left in the state 
 you now find it in ; and neither the enchanted horse, nor 
 the Sidtaan, nor any of his people, have since been seen. 
 Solitude and silence alone now reign here." 
 
 By the time my Arab informant had finished the tradi- 
 tional legend of the " enchanted horse " of Twaal Uzaamel, 
 my party was a long way ahead of us. I therefore thanked 
 him for his communicativeness ; and, wishing him and his 
 Amazon companion a prosperous journey, I hastened to 
 rejoin my fellow travellers. 
 
 Our road now lay through a plain, bounded by low hills ; 
 and having passed these, we had to traverse several dales, 
 as well as the rugged heights by which they were enclosed, 
 till we reached a cluster of olive-trees, near which a rippling 
 brook was stmggling, amidst torn rocks, to maintain its 
 rapid course down into the Mossool. Here the ascent to 
 Moghrawa commenced to follow the left margin of a ravine ; 
 and this path, over masses of loose stones, proved a great 
 trial to our horses' shoes. 
 
 Continuing the winding course of the ravine, and just as 
 we came in sight of the houses of Moghrawa, we observed, on 
 the other side of it, a structure, which unmistakeably pro- 
 claims its prior antiquity to that of the Roman, if not even
 
 58 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 of that of Carthaginian, occupation of this country. But 
 I had to defer examining it more closely to a later hour, 
 as it was impossible to halt with our baggage horses where 
 we then were ; and we could not send them up to the 
 " town " without having first the usual interview, and the 
 usual squabbles, with the authorities ; and this important 
 duty always devolved on me. 
 
 The town of Moghrawa is the seat of the governor of the 
 tribe of Oulaacl Ayaar, and it contains a Daar Elhey, a 
 palace. The governor was away at a marriage of a son 
 of one of the most opulent chiefs of the country, and his 
 locum tenens was likewise from home. But the latter was 
 at no great distance, and a messenger was instantly sent off 
 by the other authorities to fetch him. Meanwhile, these 
 officials offered us quarters in the palace itself; but (will 
 it be believed ?) we were already barbarous enough to prefer 
 our tent to a sovereign s mansion ! The concourse of citizens, 
 whom our arrival attracted to the open space before the 
 principal edifice of the town, were amazed at our want of 
 taste, but we continued unshaken. Kegardless of the praise 
 they lavished on the building we declined to occupy, we 
 not only persisted in adhering to our original resolution, 
 but never even expressed a desire to examine its interior. 
 Yes, the outside satisfied our curiosity ; and it was a simple 
 glance at its exterior that induced us to order the erection of 
 our two canvas houses. 
 
 The spot we selected for our tents faced the palace. A 
 cluster of luxuriant trees and a lovely green carpet formed 
 too great an attraction to us to allow ourselves to be 
 inveigled into a filthy house, swarming with vermin of every 
 description. The people, on finding we were bent on having 
 our own way, offered us every assistance ; so that in a very 
 few minutes our horses were unloaded, our baggage arranged, 
 and our tents pitched. 
 
 A cup of coffee ! A cup of coffee after a good dinner is.
 
 VENERABLE REMAINS OF MOGHRAWA. 59 
 
 perhaps, an unnecessary luxury ; but a cup of coffee after a 
 hard day's ride over bad ground, and under a burning sun, — 
 who can estimate its value ? And yet our attentive, and 
 kind-hearted. Said never failed to furnish us with that dainty 
 within a very few minutes after reaching our destination. 
 How he procured it, or manufactured it, with such speed, 
 under the most unfavourable circumstances, is a mystery 
 known to himself alone. 
 
 The ancient remains at Moghrawa are but few, and yet 
 what there is inspires the traveller with a degree of reverence 
 and awe which other ruins do not always do. A sumptuous 
 triumphal arch, a chaste edifice, a graceful column, elaborate 
 ornaments, or exquisite statuary, call forth our admiration, 
 but they limit, or fijx, the period of their own origin. They are 
 associated with a definite age of Rome, or of Greece, which 
 classic writers have made familiar to us. We have literature, 
 we have works of art, and we have medals belonging to the 
 same period.' The lapse of centuries which has intervened 
 between the recorded past and our own day is annihilated, 
 and we find om-selves quite at home among those ruins, and 
 fancy ourselves in the very company of those worthies, those 
 heroes, those sages, those artists, who have paced the very 
 ground on which we stand, and who have graced with their 
 presence the very structure which we admire. But to what 
 period do yonder massive stones, planted in the gi-ound by 
 human hands, belong ? For what purpose were those monu- 
 ments raised ? Do those immense rude, and unhewn, stones 
 represent the idols of a religion with the nature of which 
 we are totally unacquainted? Are they the remains of a 
 religious edifice ? Or have they been placed there to com- 
 memorate some particular event in the history of a nation, 
 the very name of which has not even been handed down 
 to us ? Some such conjecture is possible, but only probable. 
 
 Several of these stones were within a dozen yards of 
 our tent. One stood about ten feet above ground ; and how
 
 60 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 much of it was interred I am unable to tell. No sign of 
 an inscription could we trace on either of them, but hoary 
 age has left its unmistakeable impress upon them ; so that 
 it does not require nuich ingenuity to tell that they stood 
 where they now are before the invasion of the Arabs, 
 anterior to the conquests of the Romans, and even prior to 
 the arrival of the Carthaginians. 
 
 Accompanied by Mr. Ferriere and Machfood, I retraced 
 my steps to the strange and peculiar remains I noticed in 
 the ravine. The character of this structure, like the stones 
 at Moghrawa, baffles one's understanding. Whether it is 
 a receptacle for the dead, or whether it was intended for the 
 performance of some religious rites, is difficult to say. It is 
 twenty-eight feet square (measuring from the roof), while 
 the inside is no more than about twelve feet square, and 
 this would give a thickness of wall of eight feet ; but as the 
 stones on the roof project, the real thickness of the wall 
 is no more than about six feet. On portions of the walls, as 
 also in the interior, we can clearly discern more recent repairs 
 and restorations ; but the real interest which is attached 
 to it consists in its original remains. The walls are composed of 
 large, and not very regularly shaped, masses of rock, while 
 the interstices, instead of being cemented, are only filled 
 up with fragments of shapeless stone. On the top of the 
 walls are large slabs of unhewn stones ; and one, which I 
 measured, was fifteen feet in length. These are placed 
 on the angles, so that each is supported by two walls. Four 
 disposed in this manner form together the outer parts of 
 the roof, while the unevenness, and fissures, of the central 
 portion are closed in by another block, thirteen feet square 
 and one foot six inches in thickness, which rests upon them, 
 and whose rough angles correspond with the cardinal points 
 of the compass. This brief description, or the imperfect 
 sketch Mr. F. was able to make of it under very unfa- 
 vourable circumstances, (owing partly to its position in the
 
 DOMICILIARY SEARCH FOR ANTIQUITIES. 61 
 
 ravine, which prevented him from obtaining a good point 
 of view, and partly on account of its being, to a certain 
 depth, imbedded in the earth,) may convey some idea of this 
 structure, to which I assign a Cyclopean character. 
 
 By the time we returned to our tents the Khaleefa had 
 already anived. He was a very amiable man, and readily 
 agreed to accompany us on a visit of research through 
 the place. Every house which contained a stone nnaktoob 
 (with an inscription) was thrown open to us, due notice of 
 our approach having been previously given to its female 
 inmates, to enable them, if they were rehgiously disposed, 
 to hide themselves from our view. The aged and the ugly 
 were very scrupulous in comjDlying with the prophet's 
 injunction ; but every pretty girl stood her gTound unveiled, 
 and by so doing boldly protested against the absurd, and 
 barbarous, prohibition of their licentious legislator. We had 
 many a hearty laugh at these precautionary measures, and 
 were gi-eatly amused at the manner in which advantage 
 was taken of the notice, and more so still in the instances 
 in w^hich it was disregarded. The numerous Arabs who 
 accompanied us in these domiciliary- visits entered into the 
 spirit of it, and seemed quite as anxious to direct our 
 attention to an unveiled handsome female countenance as 
 they were zealous in pointing out to us some of the ancient 
 treasures contained in their houses. 
 
 The manner in which our views were seconded at 
 Moghrawa may be estimated from the fact that part of a 
 garden wall was actually pulled do^^Ti in order to enable me 
 to obtain a complete view of a bas-relief, a small portion of 
 which was only projecting. On expressing our gratitude for 
 such willing, and disinterested, services, the lieutenant- 
 governor replied : — 
 
 " Do not mention it, I pray you ; it is but little we can do. 
 for you, and why should we not do that little cheerfully ? 
 Ask what you want, and should you even desire to view the
 
 62 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 stones which fonn the foundation of any of our houses, tell 
 me, and those houses shall be pulled down in order to gratify 
 your desire." 
 
 I made a vain effort to acknowledge this compliment, for 
 such it really only was, and was compelled to have recourse 
 to one of those expressive Ai'ab gestures, wliich readily 
 accomplished what the sluggish tongue failed to do. 
 
 Among the different objects which our research brought 
 to light were two bas-rehefs, which seem to belong to a less 
 remote period in the history of this place. The inscriptions, 
 which they evidently bore, are entirely obliterated, and what 
 the precise symbolical import of the different figures is, I 
 will not venture to say. 
 
 Moghrawa was also colonised by the Romans, as is evident 
 from the inscriptions which we found here.* 
 
 The name Moghrawa, or, as it may also be written, Mo- 
 garawa, is of Punic, or Numidian, origin, and signifies a 
 chvelling, a settlement. Its original name must have been 
 Magara, or Megoria ; and since the Arabs have, with very 
 slight alteration, retained it, it is evident that such was its 
 appellation during the Roman occupation also. 
 
 Within a few minutes after our return to our encamp- 
 ment, where the Khaleefa left us to attend to his own 
 affairs, we heard a very confused noise of contention at no 
 great distance from us, but which was gradually nearing, and 
 the altercation became more audible. In this wrangfUng and 
 disputation a dozen voices simultaneously struggled for a 
 hearing, and in the midst of these the gniff voice of Mach- 
 food, and the shrill notes of the sanctimonious Hamed were 
 clearly discernible. 
 
 From the door of our tent, and only about twenty paces 
 from the spot where I stood, I saw a crowd of about sixty 
 persons, and this was rapidly swelling by a number of boys 
 
 * See Appendix I., Nos. 7, 8, 9.
 
 A TRIAL. 63 
 
 hastening, at full speed, to the scene of contention. The 
 Khaleefa was seated beneath a tree, and near him were 
 several of the most respectable persons of the place. Imme- 
 diately in front, forming a semicircle, was the crowd of 
 spectators. Facing the judge, and with their backs to the 
 crowd, were our two hambas, holding in their custody a 
 personage of no less standing than the notary, the only 
 lawyer of Moghrawa and its vicinity ! 
 
 "Rabbi yehennek, may the Lord direct you in your 
 decision," roared Machfood, addressing the Khaleefa, and 
 accompanying his words with violent gestures. " We passed 
 this man and saluted him in civil terms, but he, instead of 
 acknowledging our salutation, assailed us with opprobrious 
 terms, heaping, at the same time, curses on the heads of the 
 distinguished persons whom we have the honour to conduct 
 through the country, and whom, by the aid of Allah, we 
 have brought safely here to you. Are the persons under our 
 charge of mean standing that they should submit to insults 1 
 Are they mere Maltese ? Are they Nazarenes of a common 
 class ? Does not the fate of empires depend upon their will 
 and pleasure ? And has the Sultaan of Aii'ica in vain 
 enjoined us to guard them as we do the apple of the eye ? 
 By the head of the prophet ! I conjure you to inflict the 
 severest chastisement on this person, through whose indis- 
 cretion the most awful calamities might otherwise befall our 
 country. Let him be bastonadoed, imprisoned, and sent, in 
 chains, to the seat of justice, there to be treated according to 
 his merits. This is what we ask of you, and this alone can 
 avert the impending evil." 
 
 Hamed next made his speech, which in manner was less 
 violent, but in point of matter far more effective ; for it was 
 full of canting and hypocritical sentences, strongly savoured 
 with the names of saints, of the prophet, and even of 
 Allah. 
 
 These appeals made the poor notary tremble, and his
 
 64 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 friends who desired to intercede, as well as himself, who 
 made several efforts to state his own case, were effectually 
 silenced by the authoritative, and overbearing, manner of our 
 government officials. 
 
 " Naal eshaitaan — cursed be the devil ! Be silent, old 
 sinner," Hamed admonished his prisoner, "you have not 
 blushed repeatedly to deny your criminal act before us, and 
 will you now, in the presence of these people, and in that of 
 the Khaleefa himself, as well as in the hearing of the distin-- 
 guished guests, add more falsehood to the insults you have 
 heaped upon them ? Refrain ! in the name of the prophet, I 
 bid you refrain from denying your guilt ! Confess it, and 
 Allah may put it into our hearts, and into that of the 
 strangers, to deal mercifully with you." 
 
 The friends of the prisoner ceased to make further efforts 
 on his behalf, the people were indignant at his conduct, the 
 judge expressed his entire readiness to comply with the 
 hambas' demands, the hamhas were elated with joy at the 
 success which attended their case, and the old notary himself 
 even seemed as if convinced of his guilt, and was fully resigned 
 to his fate. 
 
 The assembly was about breaking up, and the old man 
 was being dragged off by the rude hands of the Khaleefa' s 
 servants, who acted as constables, when I quietly approached 
 the judge. But before I had time to say a word the lieu- 
 tenant-governor commenced to apologise for the rude conduct 
 of the accused ; and those persons near him, who had acted 
 as a kind of jury, re-echoed his sentiments, expressing their 
 indignation that one of their townsmen should have acted in 
 so unbecoming a manner towards guests sent to them by 
 their lord and master, the Basha himself. 
 
 " If you are not satisfied with the sentence I have pro- 
 nounced upon the miscreant (cursed be his father), then tell 
 me what you wish me to add, and your word shall be my 
 law," said the merciful dispenser of justice.
 
 THE SENTENCE REVERSED. 65 
 
 " I am most dissatisfied," I replied, " and beg you, there- 
 fore, to order the prisoner to be brought back." 
 
 This request was instantly complied with, and whilst some 
 ran off to convey the judge's order to the gaoler, the people 
 indulged in various remarks as to the probability of the 
 additional clause on which I should insist, but they had not 
 the remotest idea of my real intention. I knew the cha- 
 racter of the plaintiffs too well, and through Sadek, the 
 American janissary, I had made inquiries as to the general 
 character of the defendant. His report was very satisfactory ; 
 and as he, moreover, brought me the information that the 
 notary was considered the richest man in the place, my eyes 
 were opened to our hamhas' real policy. Their great concern 
 and zeal for our honour were concentrated in the inordinate 
 desire they had to acquire a portion of the lawyer's worldly 
 goods ! 
 
 When the prisoner was brought back I asked the judge to 
 send for the witnesses, but he told me that there were none. 
 I then desired Machfood to be removed to some distance off, 
 and questioned the " pious " Hamed as to the precise terms 
 the notary had made use of, as well as to the exact locality 
 where the scene occurred. When old Machfood was recalled, 
 his version, just as I had anticipated, contradicted that of 
 his worthy companion. 
 
 " You see now," I addressed the Khaleefa, and those with 
 him, " the party to be punished is not the accused but the 
 atrocious accusers ;" and having said this, I returned to my 
 tent amidst the applause of the whole assembly. 
 
 The old lawyer was instantly liberated, and his joy at 
 having had this naiTow escape did not surpass his gratitude, 
 the ebullition of which I had no desire to witness. 
 
 This little incident shows how an African traveller, 
 ioTiorant of the language of the country through which he 
 passes, may repeatedly become a party to the most glaring 
 acts of injustice, through the cupidity, and avarice, of the
 
 66 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 unprincipled persons by whom he is conducted. He is 
 exposed to the hatred, and resentment, of a people, who 
 naturally entertain an antipathy for him, through the acts of 
 plunder and pillage of the men who are sent to protect him. 
 He is made to sanction and approve what he does not under- 
 stand, and often countenances deeds from which he would 
 shrink, and recoil, if he were only aware of their nature. 
 His protectors make him pass through the country not as a 
 friendly stranger, but as a bugbear, backed by the despotic 
 local government. He acts as death's head and cross-bones 
 to the hamhas. He steals, he plunders, he robs, levies taxes, 
 and enforces contributions, without knowing it. He breathes 
 fire, and spreads terror and consternation wherever he goes, 
 though he may be ever so peaceably disposed. A knowledge 
 of the langTiage will not always shelter and free him from 
 this false position, for liis cunning and crafty companions 
 have means to throw the hideous mask over him in a variety 
 of ways ; but in extremes, in cases of emergency, it enables 
 him to tear away the disguise, and stand forth in his real 
 character. To a want of knowledge of the Arabic I ascribe 
 most of the accidents, and dangers, which have befallen 
 African travellers. 
 
 On our arrival at Moghrawa at 3 p.m., the thermometer 
 stood at 79°, and on starting at 7 on the following morning, 
 it was 68° whilst our barometer indicated 26^, a strong 
 southerly wind blowing at the same time which gave to the 
 atmosphere a very hazy appearance. 
 
 Our original intention was to proceed direct from this to 
 Mokthar, but as we had heard a good deal from the Ai-abs 
 about some ruins at Hammam, we now resolved to visit 
 them, particularly as we were at no great distance from that 
 place. But we were strongly advised not to take our 
 baggage horses with us, on account of the extreme badness 
 of the road, and therefore we dispatched those animals under 
 the charge of our men, accompanied by a guide, whilst we.
 
 A DIFFICULT PASS. 67 
 
 escorted only by Hamed and another guide, took the road to 
 Hammam. 
 
 The bearing of Mokthar from Moghrawa is S. by E., whilst 
 that of Hammam is S.W. by W,, so that it was entirely out 
 of our regular course ; but as our fiiends declared that our 
 trouble would be amply rewarded, we ran the risk of sej)ar- 
 ating from our baggage, a practice which ought always to be 
 avoided in countries like these. 
 
 Accustomed to give the Ai'abs credit for exaggeration, I 
 must confess I was not prepared to be led over such temfic 
 passes as our guide took us this day, and had we had the 
 remotest idea of the real state of things, I doubt very much 
 whether Hammam would ever have been visited by us. The 
 Tyrian Ladder in Syiia is considered a bad pass, and the path 
 which doubles Ras Elabyad, or the Candidmn i^romon- 
 torvu/ni in this country, is regarded as most terrific, but they 
 are nothing in comparison with the "road," as the natives 
 call it, over which we were conducted on the present 
 occasion. We were sometimes on a naiTow ledge, not 
 more than one foot in breadth with a perpendicular wall 
 of rock on one side, and on the other a yawning cSasm. We 
 were only just consoling ourselves at having cleared this 
 safely, when we suddenly found ourselves on the summit and 
 sharp backbone of a steep height, with deep precipices on 
 either side ; and as if we had been professional rope dancers, 
 and resolved to vie with M. Blondin in his famous Niagara 
 feat, our guide unexpectedly brought us to a narrow ridge of 
 rock over which the mountain torrent rushed. Over this 
 shppery bridge formed by nature, mth its splashing, roaring, 
 and deafening fall on one side, and the huge masses of loose 
 stones reposing in the torrent's bed on the other, we had no 
 alternative but to pass. 
 
 The ever twisting, and constantly winding, course which 
 we had to take prevented us from seeing the dreadful parts 
 of our way until we were right upon them, when to retrace 
 
 F 2
 
 68 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 our steps would have been attended with much more danger 
 than to advance, and the hope that every difficulty sur- 
 mounted was the last, kept up our spirits and enabled us to 
 press forward. 
 
 Having given expression to our astonishment once and 
 again, we pushed on in deep and solemn silence, prepared for 
 the worst, or, as Mr. F. said, " never expecting to reach our 
 destination with sound limbs." Hamed alone was talkative, 
 and strange to relate, the burden of his discourse was 
 " integrity and honesty " ! He was lecturing our guide, 
 whom we proposed to take into our service, and instilled into 
 him the necessity of cultivating those virtues if he wished to 
 prosper in this world. 
 
 " Kemember," said he, " the saying of the ouleyaay 
 [ancients] ' JEssedek tvalemaan yedakhlak fe eddar essoltaan 
 [uprightness and truthfulness will procure you admittance 
 even into the house of the Sultan.] " 
 
 It was during the delivery of such ethical sentences that I 
 very narrowly escaped being hurled down a tremendous 
 precipice : I was engaged in jotting down one of the proverbs 
 Hamed had quoted, when my horse, following the path, unex- 
 pectedly turned an abrupt angle to the left, by which I was 
 not only thrown out of the equilibrium, but was almost 
 unseated, swinging already partly over the dreadful abyss to 
 the right. In the effort to regain my position in the saddle, 
 I unintentionally jerked my horse's bridle, and as his mouth 
 was very tender, he suddenly moved backwards and partially 
 raised himself on his hind feet. But fortunately I was then 
 already erect in the saddle, and as the horse was not really 
 vicious, I readily succeeded in inducing him quietly to 
 continue the regular, or rather irregular and crooked, line of 
 march. 
 
 Our delight on arriving at Hammam after only an hour's 
 ride over such gi'oimd was intense, and though the remains 
 we found here by no means repaid us for the risk we ran.
 
 EUmS OF HAMMAM. 69 
 
 still our having reached it in safety made us pleased, and 
 satisfied, with everything we saw. 
 
 The ruins of Hammam occupy a circumference of about 
 three miles, and are dispersed not only on the hill on which 
 the triumphal arch stands, but also on the adjoining heights, 
 in the ravines, and on the other side of the rivulet which 
 flows at the foot of the principal hill. In the vicinity of 
 the arch, which is not very imposing, we have the remains of 
 several other public edifices of very, massive construction, and 
 among these are the foundations of a temple, and of another 
 stnicture which appears to have been a Christian church. 
 But the whole surface is covered with ruins of private dwell- 
 ings, which proves this to have been a very populous city, 
 though there is nothing to show that it was ever adorned with 
 costly monuments or sumptuous ornaments. 
 
 Not far from the arch Mr. N. discovered the fragment 
 of an inscription marked No, 10 ; and in rambling over 
 the ruins on the other side of the rivulet, and within a 
 recess of its lofty banks, I found another (No. 11), which 
 was surmounted by a kind of rudely cut animal resembling 
 a cat. The stone, which was regularly and well shaped, was 
 partly imbedded in the ground, and a great portion of the 
 inscription itself is obliterated. 
 
 The present position of this monument is not its original 
 one. It evidently was placed on the slope above, when the 
 bed of the rivulet, or mountain torrent, was much narrower. 
 The force of the water has brought down masses of earth, and 
 with it all that was built upon it. This is not only proved 
 by the quantities of ruins now within the bed, but likewise 
 by a building, half of which still stands on the edge of the 
 bank, while the other half lies, in shattered fragments, in the 
 water. In the fall these ruins were, undoubtedly, at first 
 buried beneath the earth ; but in the course of time the 
 torrent cleared them from the incumbrance, and left them 
 exposed in the condition in which they now are.
 
 70 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 The way do"vvn to these ruins is through a thick olive 
 grove. It is a very solitary and wild spot, and is perfectly 
 adapted as a haunt for the lawless, for here the grossest 
 crimes can be perpetrated with impunity and without fear of 
 discovery ; or, if detected, the criminal has numerous ways, 
 amidst the ravines and caverns, to effect his escape, I was 
 occupied in coppng the inscription, and was under the 
 impression that I was the only human being in that locality, 
 when the sound of footsteps struck on my ears. I looked 
 round and perceived an Arab cautiously approaching me from 
 the further part of the recess. He saluted me, and I returned 
 his salute ; but, as he appeared anxious to have a little chat, 
 I desired him to wait, promising him to gratify his curiosity 
 after completing my task, to which arrangement he appeared 
 to agree. 
 
 In a few seconds I heard more footsteps from the same 
 direction, and very soon after I was accosted by two more 
 Arabs. These likewise saluted me, and I saluted them also 
 in return ; but I deliberately requested the whole three to 
 stand on the other side of the monument, with the inscription 
 of which I was occupied, my object in doing this being to have 
 them in view so as to enable me to observe all their move- 
 ments. They readily complied, but frequently endeavoured to 
 alter their position, attempting to get behind me, and assigning 
 as a reason for so doing their desire to see me copying the 
 tasiueera (painting). I, however, insisted on their remaining in 
 the place I had indicated, promising to let them see the 
 " painting" when finished. They demurred, but I was deter- 
 mined ; they insisted upon leaving their post ; but I resolutely 
 ordered them not to stir from it till I had finished my task. 
 
 That these men were treacherously disposed, and that they 
 were up to no good, I was convinced from the first moment 
 I saw them. Their countenances indicated the disposition 
 of their hearts, and their whole appearance betrayed their 
 desperate profession.
 
 THREE SPARE BULLETS. 71 
 
 Suspecting that my motive in continuing my work was 
 simply to gain a little time till the arrival of some one of my 
 companions, they were resolved to bring their contemplated 
 entei-prise to an issue. 
 
 " Come, come," said one of them, " we will not be kept 
 waiting any longer. We know what you are up to. You 
 have some people with you, and want them to come to your 
 assistance." 
 
 " Wliat do you mean by this language ?" I inquired. 
 
 " I mean what I say," the same man answered in a resolute 
 tone of voice ; " and, without any further delay, I bid you 
 satisfy our demands ! You shall not trifle with us and keep 
 us here like dogs till some of your people come to your 
 rescue." 
 
 " And what is it you want V I very deliberately asked. 
 
 "Are you so dull as not to know what we want?" rejoined 
 another of the trio. " We want money. Give us money and 
 we will do you no harm. Satisfy our demands, and you may 
 go in peace." 
 
 " Satisfy your demands and give you money ! " I ex- 
 claimed, dai'ting at them a look of contemj)t, "and what 
 for?" 
 
 " You are to give us what we demand," the first replied ; 
 " because we are three to one : do you understand this, you 
 Nazarene?" 
 
 "You say, because you are three to one is a sufficient 
 reason why I am to give you money. Look, you cowards, 
 and (drawing my revolver from its case beneath my coat) see, 
 here I have a bullet for each of you and th^^ee to spare. Do 
 you now understand what I say, you scoundrels ? Stand ! 
 and tell me which of you is to receive the first shot?" and, 
 as I said this, I pointed the magic piece alternately from the 
 head of the one to that of the other. 
 
 " Maad Allah!" (Allah forbid!) the terrified wretches 
 exclaimed, " Have mercy on us ! We meant no harm.
 
 72 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 Khashaak, may all harm be far removed from you ! Put 
 do\vn your weapon, master ; spare us, we entreat you to have 
 mercy on us ! " 
 
 " I do spare you," I rejoined ; " for I will not waste three 
 bullets upon such worthless scamps as you are. But by 
 your intrusion you have interrupted me in my work, and 
 this you shall now make good. Here, dig away the earth 
 from this stone." 
 
 " But, may Allah bless you, master, we have nothing to 
 dig with." 
 
 " Then dig with your hands, and that speedily." 
 
 In silent despair the work was accomplished ; and, fortu- 
 nately for them, the depth was not greater than about four 
 or five inches. They were now most anxious to depart, for 
 they observed Hamed making his way towards me through the 
 olive grove, and they fully expected me to hand them over 
 into his custody ; but as I had pardoned them, I was not 
 going to act a treacherous part. Besides, we had enough to 
 do in attending to our own work to add to it the task of bring- 
 ing the highwaymen of the country to justice, particularly 
 among a people where the evidence of a Christian is not 
 admissible against a true believer. 
 
 " I am amazed at your impradence, sir," said Hamed, 
 addressing me, as we were returning together towards the 
 triumphal arch, " to expose yourself in the way you do. 
 You will get us into a serious scrape with the Baslia, if you 
 continue to go to such secluded spots by yourself. Those 
 Arabs who were with you were up to no good ; and, had 
 they not seen me in the distance coming towards you, I 
 feel quite sure they would have murdered you. And what 
 would have become of me and of Sidy [my lord] Machfood ? 
 Why, the gallows, or the sword of the executioner, would 
 have been our lot. Abstain from such a course, I pray you. 
 Be advised by one who knows the whole of this country 
 as he knows the palm of his hand. Do not plunge us into
 
 ANOTHER ADVENTURE. 73 
 
 unnecessary calamities, for we are heads of families. Think 
 of our little ones, I pray you." 
 
 This is not the first adventure I had with a trio, I had 
 one before, which terminated more ludicrously still, though 
 the only weapon I had at the time was a good horsewhip. 
 
 I was riding quite alone, just towards dusk, when I 
 observed three very suspicious looking fellows, seated beneath 
 a cluster of trees, watching my movements very closely. I 
 kept a steady eye upon them, having resolved in my o%\ti 
 mind to make use of the fleetness of my horse so soon as 
 I should have reached in safety a certain point ; for one 
 to three is at aU times an unequal combat : but what is 
 one unarmed to three handling, as I distinctly saw, one of 
 those Moorish guns, some seven feet in length ? One of 
 my chances of escape was in their allowing me to reach 
 the desired point, when I felt pretty sure my nimble animal 
 would not fail to frustrate their aim. The next was that 
 their gun (fortunately, they had only one) would miss fire ; 
 and in this chance I had even more confidence than in the 
 first ; for I well knew an Arab's gun seldom goes off the 
 first time, there being generally a regular barrier of cor- 
 rosion between the powder in the pan of their flint-locks 
 and the charge in the barrel. The communication being 
 thus entirely cut off, they sometimes replenish the pan 
 three or four times before they discover the real cause, and 
 have recourse to some clumsy pin, or the point of a nail, 
 with which they remove the obstniction. 
 
 I neared the villains lying in ambush for me. I saw one 
 of them level the deadly weapon and take deliberate aim. 
 The trigger was pulled, and I distinctly heard the ominous 
 sound of the hissing powder and saw its flash, but it was only 
 the flash from the pan. In an instant I rushed up to the 
 murderous set, and in the next instant they stood on their 
 feet, to avoid being trampled under my horse's hoofs. My 
 whip was in active play, and they scampered about, shouting
 
 H EUINED CITIES. 
 
 and screaming for mercy. But my eye was all the time upon 
 the long gun, which I wished to secure and carry off as a 
 trophy, while my horse, always surprisingly obedient to the 
 slightest touch of the bridle, seconded my wish. The fellow 
 who held the weapon kejDt up a brisk curvihnear race, 
 which he now and then changed into a circular one, in the 
 hope of baffling me in my endeavour to overtake him ; but 
 my tractable steed, always at his heels, brought him to a 
 stand. He apologised, and begged me not to strike him, 
 but he never suspected my real motive. The opportunity 
 presented itself, and I seized hold at the muzzle of his gun, 
 while he had as finn a grasp at its butt-end. In the most 
 piteous terms he now implored me not to deprive him of his 
 property, maintaining, at the same time, the struggle with 
 great resolution. In the scuffle the central part of the gun 
 came, by mere accident, to rest on the horse's chest, the 
 Arab pulling one way and I the other. But, as he was 
 a very powerful man, and too eager to retain possession of 
 the object in dispute, I took advantage of its position, 
 abandoning all hopes of securing it. I urged my horse 
 forward ; and as the Arab was determined not to give way, 
 he facilitated my resolution to destroy the weapon. The 
 sudden forward bound of the horse bent the long barrel into 
 a regular curve ; and on observing this, I let go. When I 
 turned round I was amused to see my adversary, with a 
 downcast countenance, holding his semi-circular gun in his 
 hands, deeply lamenting its fate. 
 
 " Do you see what you have done ? " he asked me mourn- 
 fully, holding the crooked gun up to my view. 
 
 " I do," I replied, laughing heartily ; " and you ought to 
 thank me for it ; for it will now serve you to fii-e round 
 comers, a feat which you cannot perform "v\ith any other 
 gun." 
 
 I rode off slowly from the field of battle, thoroughly 
 delighted with my victory ; when I looked back I saw his two
 
 A SEMICIRCULAR GUN. 75 
 
 companions had rejoined the dejected warrior, handling the 
 ill-fated weapon, and no doubt sympathising with him. 
 When I was some distance off I heard the three, at the top 
 of their voices, uttering the most select curses of the country, 
 among which " naal ho jeddek ! " (cursed be the father of 
 your grandfather) was the most predominant. But I was 
 not inclined to renew the combat on behalf of my " father's 
 grandfather," and therefore continued my journey. 
 
 An incident of a somewhat similar nature occurred to a 
 person of my acquaintance, but with very different results. 
 He was a great sportsman, and his eagerness for game some- 
 times brought him to remote, and lonely, parts, frequented 
 by notorious vagabonds. But he invariably took the pre- 
 caution, whenever he found himself in such localities, to 
 have one of his barrels loaded with ball. On such an 
 occasion, and within a few seconds after he had fired at 
 a quail, he heard the snapping of a trigger at no great 
 distance from him. He looked round, but could discover no 
 one, when suddenly an Arab rose from amidst the high 
 grass (where he had evidently been priming his gun anew), 
 and took deliberate aim at him. But the sportsman antici- 
 pated him, and the assassin paid with his life for his contem- 
 plated murder. "I fired," said the individual himself, in 
 relating the circumstance to me, " and the ball struck the 
 Arab's heart. He uttered a terrific shriek, then made a 
 regular summersault, and fell down dead ! " 
 
 My bloodless adventures have certainly the advantage over 
 such a deed, which borders, if not upon actual murder, at 
 least upon manslaughter. No doubt the European — or, let 
 me speak more freely, the Englishman, for such he was — 
 fired in self-defence. He saw his own life in danger, and 
 therefore slew his intended murderer. But, I fully believe, 
 a little demonstration of resolute courage might have enabled 
 him to disarm the Arab. No such effort, however, was 
 made. Might not the Ai'ab's gun have been unloaded ? and
 
 76 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 might not his real aim have only been to frighten the 
 Nazarene into disbursing a few piastres ? This is more than 
 probable ; and this has been practised upon numerous 
 Europeans, not without advantage to the daring Moslem. 
 Indeed, the proverb of the country is : "A loaded weapon 
 frightens one, and an unloaded one frightens ten ; " and 
 in the course of my wanderings I have repeatedly taken 
 advantage of the lesson it inculcates. 
 
 This calls to my mind a story of the late famous Commo- 
 dore Porter, of the United States navy. Whilst representing 
 his Government at the court of Constantinople, he went to 
 Tunis, on a visit to his brother-in-law, the late Dr., Heap, 
 the highly respected, and much lamented, consul near the 
 Basha of this regency, for a period of nearly thirty years. 
 The gallant sailor, during his stay at Tunis, was in the habit 
 of taking long rides, and one day found himself assailed 
 by a number of Arabs. He had no pistols, but he had a 
 large key in his pocket ; and this he pulled out with such 
 determination, and presented it in so threatening an attitude, 
 accompanied by a few thundering sentences of such pure 
 " American," that the Arabs took to their heels, and left him 
 complete master of the field ! 
 
 This ridiculous scene, however, serves to illustrate the 
 fact, that the Arab has the most unbounded confidence in 
 European, or, as he calls them, " Nazarene," weapons, whilst 
 he is never sure of his own. Anything like an arm of defence 
 in the hands of a European inspires him with respect ; and 
 hence, a European ought to be very slow in using it. 
 Threaten, and threaten with effect ; but, if possible to avoid 
 it, never fire.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE CONTEST, OR THE UNKNOWN HEEO. 
 
 Petrifactions — Euins of Mokthar — The Sheikh of the Hamaada — The Cane 
 Steeple — The Unknown Hero — Visitors — The Refractory Chief — Ride to 
 Elmedad — An Arab Taxpayer — Tombs and Ruins of Elmedad — A Lady 
 in a Cage — Another Victim to our " Police." — Disappointment. 
 
 Soon after I rejoined my companions we left Hammam, the 
 city built upon liills, and which, I feel pretty sure, had, in 
 the days of its glory, a better approach to it than the present 
 taneah essoltaneah (sultan's highway), as the execrable path 
 I have described is pompously called by the present lords of 
 the soil. Mr. N. was fortunate enough in making here a 
 small collection of petrifactions, which he picked up among 
 the rviins, in which the star-fish predominated, and they were 
 decidedly the finest specimens of the kind that have ever 
 fallen under my notice. These fossils must have been im- 
 bedded in the sandstone of the various edifices of this ancient 
 city, and when those crumbled to fragments, the petrifactions, 
 being more durable, were freed from their incarceration, and 
 now lie about disencumbered amidst the masses of ruin, or 
 on the surface of the soil. 
 
 The distance from Hammam to Mokthar is about ten 
 miles, which we performed in two hours and a half. The 
 road is by no means good, but we were quite pleased with it 
 after the specimen over which we came from Moghrawa. 
 Indeed, the first part alone can be classed under the deno- 
 mination of bad roads in this country, and that even was free
 
 78 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 from actually dangerous passes. It was, moreover, greatly 
 diversified by hill and dale, studded with oleander, dwarf 
 pine, the wild olive, and, occasionally, by a majestic caroob 
 tree, the Ceratonia siliqua. We likewise passed several 
 minor ruins, which, though unimportant in themselves, 
 tended to keep the great fact before our minds, that we were 
 traversing a country which was once thickly peopled by a 
 superior race — an intellectual and flourishing population — in 
 all respects diametrically the reverse to the present. 
 
 On reaching Mokthar we were amazed at the immense 
 extent of its ruins. The city of Tunis has, besides its native 
 Moslem and Jewish population, some five thousand European 
 inhabitants, not one of whom had even heard of the existence 
 of Mokthar, and yet this ancient city, only a* few days' 
 journey from Tunis, had a circumference of no less than about 
 six miles ! But the same may be said of nearly every 
 other of the nume]:ous ruined cities dispersed throughout 
 this country. The European residents know nothing about 
 them. 
 
 Our men had not the remotest idea of the picturesque in 
 connection with an encampment. The first attractive object 
 in approaching Mokthar from the part we entered it, is a 
 stately triumphal arch, built on a slight eminence, at the foot 
 of which there is a smaU olive grove, and close to it a spring 
 of delicious water. A spot better adapted for a tent cannot 
 possibly be conceived. It not only possessed all the charms 
 of the romantic, but it comprised, what is essentially useful, 
 good water and shelter from heat and wind. But instead of 
 finding our tents pitched here, our men had gone close to the 
 filthy huts of the few people who now inhabit Mokthar ; and 
 the reasons assigned for so doing were, protection from robbers 
 and proximity to the sheikh's kitchen. These reasons were 
 not satisfactory to our minds, and therefore our canvas 
 homes were transferred and pitched in the grove beneath the 
 triumphal arch.
 
 RUINS OF MOKTHAR. ^ 79 
 
 Wliilst our men were busy in securing the horses, and in 
 making things as comfortable as possible within our tents, we 
 occuiDied ourselves in examining the monument immediately 
 above us. 
 
 The triumphal arch, of the Corinthian order, is built of 
 very massive materials, and the ornaments with which it is 
 embellished are highly elaborate, though most of them are 
 now among the immense heap of stones at its foot, among 
 which may probably also be found the statues which were 
 contained in the two niches. It measui'es nearly forty-five 
 feet in width, and twelve feet six inches in thickness, whilst 
 the chord of the arch is somewhat more than seventeen feet. 
 Its inscription has disappeared, or may likewise be hid 
 among ih^ fallen ruins of its upper portions. It stands on 
 the very edge of a ravine, or rather a water-course ; and, as 
 some remains of a paved road are still traced on the opposite 
 side, it is evident that a bridge anciently connected that road 
 with the gateway of the arch itself. Some few remains of 
 this can still be traced, whilst the greatest portions must 
 have been swept away by the rapid winter torrents. 
 
 Facing the door of our tent, but upon more elevated 
 ground, stands a mausoleum, the upper portion of which has 
 fallen in. It contains two lengthy laudatory inscriptions, 
 one relating to Giulius Proculus Fortunatianus (see No. 12), 
 and the other to Pallia Saturnina. 
 
 At no great distance from this mausoleum, and in an 
 easterly direction, we came upon another triumphal arch, but 
 smaller in proportions than the one I have already mentioned. 
 It is likewise of the Corinthian order, but its decorations are 
 few and simple. A fragment of an inscription (No. 13) on 
 its architrave shows that it was dedicated to the emperor 
 Trajan. I found here another inscription (No. 14), of which 
 I could only decipher a few words. 
 
 Near this triumphal arch are numerous buildings of very 
 solid construction, some of which must have been used for
 
 80 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 public purposes. From one of these I copied inscription 
 No. 15. 
 
 Whole streets, as well as the foundations of the houses 
 which lined the same, can be traced at Mokthar. We likewise 
 here foiuid a small amphitheatre, and the ruins of a temple 
 near the first triumphal arch, amidst which stands the cupola 
 of saint Sidy Ali ben Amor. The columns, or rather shafts, 
 of this temple, measuring from two to two and a half feet in 
 diameter, are composed of a concretion of small shells, so 
 highly polished that at a distance they have the appearance 
 of grej gi'anite. There seem to be quarries of such petri- 
 factions in this vicinity, and we ourselves came upon a 
 regular stratum which closely resembled that of the columns. 
 Near our tents, and by the spring, we found some of those 
 shafts sawn into regular blocks of a couple of feet in 
 thickness, which were evidently intended to be conveyed 
 hence on the backs of camels, but which project was, from 
 some cause or other, abandoned. Very hkely they were 
 intended to ornament some palace of a Bey, or of a Mamlook, 
 who was either strangled, died a natural death, or fell into 
 disgi'ace before the completion of the edifice ; in either of 
 which cases, according to the custom of the countiy, based 
 upon the dogmas of orthodox superstition, it is unlucky to 
 proceed with a building. Hence the numerous unfinished 
 houses, and modern ruins, of Moslem cities. 
 
 Another of the most prominent, and best preserved, monu- 
 ments of Mokthar is what the Arabs denominate soTnmat 
 elkesab (the cane steeple). By this name they call a 
 mausoleum situated towards the south. It is built upon a 
 pyramidal base, has two storeys, is ornamented in front with 
 two graceful Corinthian columns, and terminates in a kind of 
 pyramidal steeple, not unlike those of some churches one 
 occasionally meets with. Over the entrance there was a bas- 
 relief, but it is now so effaced that it is difficult even to guess 
 its nature. Its inscription, too, is obliterated, nothing
 
 
 3^ 
 
 
 ^ ¥i/-v* " 
 
 ^-
 
 THE SHEIKH OF THE HAMAADA. 81 
 
 remaining legible except the D. M. s., and these letters are 
 nearly a foot in size. 
 
 The situation of Mokthar is beautiful. It stands upon 
 high land, and is surrounded by valleys, plains, and meadows, 
 as also excellent arable soil. The whole is bounded by 
 verdant hiUs, affording, at least during the winter months, 
 good pasture for cattle. From the western heights the town 
 received an additional supply of water, as is evident from 
 the remains of a well-built and massive aqueduct. 
 
 Mokthar would appear to be the Tucca Terehenthina, 
 distant, according to ancient geogi-aphers, from Assura twelve 
 miles, and from Sufetibus twenty. These three towns, we 
 are told, stood on the road from Carthage to Sufetula, the 
 modern Spaitla, of which we shall speak hereafter. The 
 distance from Hammam, which I take to be Assura, corre- 
 sponds exactly, and therefore the next town in a line of 
 march to Sufetula is the modern Saheba, famous for its ruins, 
 which must be those of Sufibus, or Sufetibus, and is very 
 nearly twenty miles south of Mokthar, or Terebenthina. 
 
 As we were approaching the ruins of Mokthar we were 
 accosted by an Arab, who introduced himself as a countiyman 
 of ours. 
 
 " I am one of yourselves," he shouted, as he came running 
 towards us, " for I have been to bar Romi, the land of the 
 Roman [meaning Algiers], and I know you look for stones 
 with writing. I have one — a very good one — in my tent. 
 Am I to bring it to you ? " 
 
 "We told him to do so, and the poor fellow scampered off 
 at full speed, highly delighted at the prospect of a remu- 
 nerative transaction. He soon after rejoined us with a slab 
 about a foot square, bearing the sepulchral inscription which 
 will be found in the Appendix under No. 16, and for which 
 we gave him a trifling present, which quite satisfied him. 
 
 We were still inspecting this inscription when sheikh 
 Mohammed, mounted on a splendid chesnut horse, arrived to
 
 82 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 welcome us to the Ha'maada Oulaad Ayaar, as this district 
 is called. The sheikh was a short spare man, with small 
 but sharp features, his diminutive eyes were deeply set, 
 while a bad expression played on his swarthy countenance. 
 He wore a great quantity of clothing, in which not only his 
 complete body but his head too was enveloped, and this gave 
 him the appearance of a stumpy bag placed upon a saddle. 
 He was, however, an expert rider, and managed his fiery 
 steed with astonishing dexterity. I scarcely knew which to 
 admire most, whether the horse or the rider, as they came 
 SAveeping along up hill and down, over broken shafts of 
 columns, immense blocks of stones, and heaps of other ruins. 
 How the sheikh could venture at such a speed over such 
 ground I could not conceive, and how the lovely chesnut 
 maintained his footing was truly surprising. 
 
 The sheikh in very few words told us that we were his 
 masters, and might dispose of him, and of his people, in any 
 way we thought proper. 
 
 " ATYiarni wesemad watad" (command me, and hearing 
 shall be followed by obeying), said the chief. 
 
 But he very shortly after manifested symptoms which 
 clearly proved that his obedience was confined to hearing, 
 and of this sense he was even extremely defective. We could 
 not only not leave the supply of our wants to his generosity, 
 but we were compelled to have recourse to absolute threats 
 before we obtained what we really required. Fortunately 
 for us he never contemplated our want of means to carry 
 our threats into execution, for had he done so, we, and our 
 horses, might have starved at the foot of the triumphal arch 
 in our romantic bivouac. Some forty or fifty of his own 
 people — powerful men — were with him, and what could 
 our small force — by no means very brave at any time — 
 accomplish against such odds, had our threats really pro- 
 voked a melde. 
 
 Among the numerous visitors, with whose presence we
 
 THE CANE STEEPLE. 83 
 
 were honoui'ed from the neighbouring encampments, was a 
 notary, who, ha^'ing heard that we were in want of horses, 
 came to offer us a fine grey colt, but as it was too young for 
 our purpose we declined purchasing it. 
 
 Having come from some distance, this individual appeared 
 unwilling to leave without, at least, gratifying his loquacious 
 powers. • 
 
 " Billahi alaik — may Allah incline you to answer" — 
 said the lawyer to me, " how is it that while all three of 
 you are Nazarenes, you are the only one who speaks our 
 language, and that heiiahho [gi'ammatically] ? " 
 
 " Simply because I have learnt it, and they have not," I 
 repHed. 
 
 " Then you are a taleb eZm [student of science], let me 
 therefore test your knowledge. What interesting history 
 is connected with sommat elkesah [the cane steeple] ? " 
 
 I had to confess my ignorance, and this was followed by a 
 loud burst of laughter from the Arab audience,. 
 
 " Ah, Sidi Ali has got hfci there ! " exclaimed several 
 voices at the same time, shaking their heads triumphantly 
 and ridiculing my ignorance. 
 
 " But," I resumed, " the kind of knowledge you allude to 
 is what I have come here to learn. Had I known it I should 
 have stayed at home. Now, you who are profoundly skilled in 
 the sayings of the ancients, will, of course, remember the one 
 that teaches — ' Learn from him who knows, and teach him 
 who does not know ; in doing this you will acquire what you 
 did not know, and have impressed on your memory what you 
 do Snow.' I therefore ask you to enlighten my mind on the 
 history of the cane steeple." 
 
 " And with this request," the notary rejoined, " I most 
 willingly comply." 
 
 " Know then, Nazarene," the learned gentleman con- 
 tinued, " that this immense city, whose ruins are now before 
 you, was governed by a wise and a judicious king, but who 
 
 G 2
 
 84 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 came to the throne by foul means. In a public tumult he rose 
 and slew the rightful sovereign, and ordered his only son, the 
 heir, to follow the fate of his unfortunate father. But this 
 was the only crime of which he was guilty, for on assuming 
 the reins of government he became an. equitable dispenser 
 of justice, a protector of the poor, a liberal patron of the 
 learned, and an avenger of all that even savoured of evil. 
 The country flourished, the people were happy and content, 
 while the fame of the king spread far and wide, not only for 
 his virtues and his immense wealth, but also for. the great 
 strength which he possessed. For, you see, he was not like 
 our present rulers, who are hated, owing to the oppression 
 and injustice under which the people groan, but he was 
 beloved, so that in time of emergency every one flew to arms, 
 for they loved the king and looked upon his cause as their 
 cause, and upon his quarrel as their quarrel. He ruled in 
 the hearts of his people, so that in time of war the people 
 rose with the king as one man, and fought vaHantly to 
 avenge one common cause. • 
 
 "But though happy in his public character, he was far 
 from being so in private life. He had no heir, no successor 
 to the throne ! He had only one daughter, and she, of 
 course, could not aspire to the sceptre. On this account the 
 people were as much afflicted as the king himself was. A . 
 council of the elders of the land was held to deliberate 
 on this business, not so much to satisfy the country as to 
 relieve the king's distress, for his happiness was the people's 
 chief concern. 
 
 " It was the unanimous opinion of the council, after tong 
 consultation, that the prince who marries the daughter 
 should be regarded as the king's adopted son, and eligible to 
 succeed him to the throne. This decision pleased the king, 
 and his spirit revived. He became again cheerful and happy, 
 and the people rejoiced with him. 
 
 "The report of these transactions reached the uttermost
 
 THE UNKNOWN HERO. 85 
 
 parts of the earth, so that proposals came flocking in from 
 every quarter ; for here was an empire to be gained together 
 with a lady of surpassing beauty. 
 
 " These numerous proposals for the princess's hand gave 
 the king gi'eat uneasiness and perplexity of mind, w^hich 
 harassed him so much that fresh grief seized his heart. He 
 was now not only concerned for his daughter's happiness, but 
 for the well-being of the people, and he feared that by his 
 selection he might incur the resentment of many states which 
 might form an alliance against his country, and involve it in 
 the calamity of war. The king mourned and the people 
 mourned with him. 
 
 "Another assembly of the elders was summoned, which, 
 after a long conference, concluded that a contest of skill 
 in the art of war should decide whose hand the lady was 
 to accept. The result of this deliberation was acceptable to 
 the king, and he applauded the wisdom of his councillors. 
 The king's heart again gladdened with joy and happiness, 
 and the people were happy with him. 
 
 " The day for the contest arrived, and great preparations 
 were made, not merely to welcome, and entertain, the 
 numerous princes who had intimated their desire to obtain 
 the gTeat prize, but also for the festivities of a sumptuous 
 and splendid marriage. The town was crowded, and every- 
 where were displays of cheerfulness and gaiety, pomp and 
 magnificence. 
 
 " Among the strangers, and before the palace where the 
 foreign princes were assembled, was observed the well-known 
 noble figure of an unknown person, who only made his 
 appearance in the city on special occasions. In time of war 
 he always accompanied the king, fought by his side, and 
 invariably exhibited such valour that he attracted the atten- 
 tion of all, and though he often received the thanks of the 
 king for his heroic deeds, he was as unknown to the king as 
 he was to the people generally. His attachment to the
 
 86 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 king and his services to the countiy were so much appre- 
 ciated by the people, that his presence was always regarded 
 as a lucky omen, and wherever he went he met with every 
 demonstration of respect. No one attempted to infringe on 
 the privilege he claimed of remaining unknown, and he 
 was uniformly known by the name of the Unknown Hero. 
 Indeed the common belief among the people was, that his 
 only motive for keeping his face constantly covered was some 
 personal deformity which he was unwilling to expose. 
 
 "The contest of skill the council decided on was now 
 announced to the anxious princes. A cane was secured at 
 the summit of the sommat elkesah, and whoever should hit 
 it first was to be proclaimed as the fortunate and accepted 
 lover of the king's daughter. The order of firing was to be 
 decided by lot. 
 
 " The .contest commenced, and the hundred princes who 
 were present fired in succession, but the cane remained 
 untouched. The Unknown Hero now stepped forward, and 
 the people shouted for joy, for they now for the first time 
 discovered his high rank and condition, since only a prince 
 could enter the list of competitors. He levelled his bow, 
 and the arrow went forth with such precision that it took a 
 portion of the cane clean off. But not satisfied with this 
 exhibition of his skill he discharged another arrow, with 
 which he cut down another portion, and then with the third 
 he removed the remainder of the cane ! 
 
 "The exultation of the people at the result of the con- 
 test was boundless, and so highly did the foreign princes 
 appreciate the dexterity of the Unknown Hero, that they 
 themselves proclaimed him victor, and carried him cheerfully 
 in triumph before the king and his daughter, who were 
 spectators of the scene from the window of their palace which 
 was just opposite the sor)imat elkesah. 
 
 "The king participated in the universal joy which the 
 issue of the contest produced, but the joy of both people and
 
 THE UNKNOWIT HERO. 87 
 
 king soon after gave way to despondency, for they remem- 
 bered the prevalent opinion as to the reason why the 
 unknown hero never exposed his countenance. They 
 regretted that a princess of such exquisite beauty should be 
 united in marriage to a deformed, or disfigured, person. 
 
 " When the JJnknoivn Hero appeared before the king to 
 claim his prize, he was highly complimented on his skill. 
 The king, his daughter, and all the princes present praised 
 and applauded his extraordinary powers when, to the as- 
 tonishment of the whole assembly, he replied — 
 
 " ' I became an expert marksman by dint of practice, and 
 my motive for incessant practice was because I contemplated 
 to conspu'e against thee, O king, and take thy life ! ' 
 
 " These words caused great excitement, and a sudden rush 
 w^as made towards the speaker with a view to avenge the 
 insult. But the king checked this demonstration, and 
 replied : — 
 
 " ' Thou didst contemplate to take my life, and yet it is to 
 thee I am indebted for the preservation of it in several 
 instances. How, then, am I to understand thy words?' 
 
 " ' In all the conflicts in which I have been engaged,' the 
 Unknoivn Hero answered, ' I have received but one wound, 
 and that wound I received in my arm when that arm was 
 stretched out in defence of thy life, O king. I would then, as 
 I would since, have readily sacrificed my life in order to pre- 
 serve thine. But before that time I had reason to hate thee. 
 I harboured a spirit of revenge, and I prepared to gratify it. 
 My love of country, however, surpassed the hatred I bore 
 thee. By thy pmdence and discretion, by thine equity and 
 justice, thou didst not only disarm me, but didst eradicate the 
 vindictive feelings by which I was actuated. I fought for 
 thee — I became thy friend — I love thee.' 
 
 " ' The discrimination which thou ha.st manifested prove 
 the nobility, and the generosity of thy sentiments, my son,' 
 the king rejoined. ' Thou hast restrained thy evil passions
 
 88 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 and learnt to look upon him as thy friend whom thou 
 didst consider thine enemy. But, tell me, in what did I 
 injure thee ; for integrity and justice have been the prin- 
 ciples by which I have invariably been prompted in all 
 my dealings, and to this all my people can testify V 
 
 " ' The injury thou didst inflict on me is pardoned ; but 
 thou didst injure me, for thou hast slain thy predecessor, and 
 now ' — here the Unknoivn Hero threw off his disguise — 
 ' behold in this countenance the features of his only son ! A 
 large sum of money proved a sufficient inducement to the 
 executioner, to whom thou didst consign me, to spare my 
 life, and to the prince, thy neighbour, I have been indebted 
 for shelter ever since.' 
 
 " The surprise and amazement this revelation produced 
 were intense, while the king was so overwhelmed by what he 
 had just heard that he remained for some time speechless. 
 Construing this silence into an unfavourable disposition of 
 the king towards him, the prince declared his readiness to 
 relinquish his prize, if; according to the judgment of the 
 sovereign and of the council, it was considered better for 
 the country that another should be preferred to him. 
 
 " ' No, no ! ' exclaimed the king, ' a more wise, a more 
 noble, and a more generous prince than thou art cannot be 
 found to rule over my people. My love of country alone, and 
 not any personal hatred towards thy father, prompted me to 
 the step which placed me on the throne ; and thou hast 
 manifested similar, if not greater, love of country. Thou art 
 worthy to rule over this people. This instant I abdicate in 
 thy favour. Accept thy reward, and all I request is to be 
 considered by thee as one of thy most loyal and most dutiful 
 subjects." 
 
 " Such," the notary concluded, " is the interesting history 
 connected "with the sommat elkesah [the cane steeple]." 
 
 Among our other visitors wps a young man who had a very 
 peculiar request to make, and who was very persevering in
 
 VISITORS. 89 
 
 it. This young man desired me to aid him in a deliberate 
 forgery. He produced what is regarded as a legal document, 
 from which he desired to have a name erased with a view to 
 substituting his ovm instead. I tried hard to persuade him of 
 the immorality of the act; but in this, I am afraid, I was 
 utterly unsuccessful. He considered me very disobliging, and 
 attributed my unwillingness to comply with his request to an 
 antipathy to Moslems, or to my being so wealthy that the 
 remuneration he offered me was not an ample temptation. 
 His importunity became at last intolerable : I was com- 
 pelled to order him to quit om* premises, and this I had to 
 accompany vdih a threat to hand him over to the sheikh 
 before I could fairly rid myself of him. 
 
 But our principal visitors were jockeys, who were anxious 
 to dispose of their horses, and some which they brought were 
 beautiful animals. We exchanged one, and purchased a colt, 
 two years old, for only 6/., which I rode during the greatest 
 part of our journey, and found him particularly perfect in his 
 walking paces. He promised to become a large and weU- 
 built horse in the com'se of another year. 
 
 With scarcely any premonitor}^ signs the evening set in 
 rainy, accompanied by thunder and hghtning. On our 
 arrival here at 2 P.M. our barometer stood at 26-^, and our 
 thermometer was at 79°. The former continued stationary, 
 and the latter fell towards night to 70°, while the wind 
 continued to blow from the S.E. which, among the Arabs, is 
 denominated Kihli,. and is the same as the Sirocco. It 
 is the common opinion in this country that it seldom rains 
 dming the prevalence of this wind ; but if it does rain at 
 all it is sure to pour. We were, therefore, under the appre- 
 hension that we should be detained here for some time 
 on account of the weather, and this was rather a gloomy 
 prospect ; for by night the little sheikh had become re- 
 fractor}^, and occasionally 'even obstreperous. Fortunately 
 for us, his people had all been driven by the rain to their
 
 90 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 respective encampments, so that we now mustered suffi- 
 ciently strong to enforce our reasonable demands. 
 
 After some considerable altercations the dispute assumed 
 this form : — 
 
 " Do you, sheikh ! Efgree to supply us with what we 
 require, or do you still refuse ?" 
 
 " I have given you," he answered, " what I consider an 
 ample supply of everything, and will give you no more." 
 
 " Then you shall be sent bound hand and foot to those whose 
 authority you despise, and upon whose order you trample." 
 
 Machfood, Hamed, Sadek, and Said were on the point of 
 executing the first part of the sentence with a horse's halter, 
 when the sheikh entreated for mercy. 
 
 " I comply," he exclaimed. " In the name of Allah, leave 
 me ; let my horse be brought, and I shall ride home to fetch 
 what you ask for." 
 
 " No, no ; you -have already deceived us twice ; we cannot 
 rely on your word. Send one of your men for the barley and 
 the fowls, and until we are satisfied you stay here as our 
 hostage. If the supplies come you may depart in peace, 
 othei-wise you start early in the morning to those who will 
 not fail to teach you your duties." 
 
 After a little more debate, a little more contention, and an 
 immense deal more vociferation, the desired objects were pro- 
 duced, and the sheikh resumed his friendly intercourse with 
 us as if nothing had occurred to disturb the harmony of our 
 relations. He partook of a cup of tea with us, chewed — not 
 a weed — but a couple of Cooper's pills, notwithstanding we 
 gave him directions, and explained a hundred times, that 
 those coraat (bullets) ought to be swallowed whole and 
 entire. He made the most hideous grimaces which by no 
 means improved his naturally ugly countenance. We were 
 amused at these distortions, wliile he alternately smiled and 
 scolded the people for daring to ridicule him. 
 
 Contrary to the universal opinion, the rain did not last
 
 RIDE TO ELMEDAD. 91 
 
 long, and in the morning we had only a few drenching 
 showers, during the intervals of which the sun shone brightly. 
 We rode over the ruins once more, and then Mr. N. and 
 myself started in an easterly direction, under the guidance of 
 an Arab, to visit, what he called, the Bah elmedina (the 
 gate of the city). According to his account, the "gate" was 
 close by ; but we rade some miles without meeting with it, 
 and at last we were compelled to abandon our project, partly 
 owing to the heavy showers of rain, and partly because we 
 were anxious to start on our journey. From our guide's 
 account, corroborated by the testimony of many Arabs, the 
 " gate " is either a triumphal arch or another mausoleum ; 
 the latter seems more probable. At any rate, it appears 
 certain that there is some ruin in the indicated direction. 
 
 There was an end to our pleasures and to our squabbles at 
 Mokthar also, and we started for Medad. 
 
 Riding about a couple of miles we came upon a mausoleum, 
 built on a slight eminence, a little to the left of the road. It 
 contains two chambers, and has several columbaria. ; but is, 
 upon the whole, more remarkable for the solidity and mas- 
 siveness of the materials with which it is built than for 
 the beauty or elegance of its architecture, though it is orna- 
 mented with several rather graceful Corinthian pilasters. 
 One stone which I measured was no less than sixteen feet in 
 length. 
 
 Speaking of the columbaria in these mausolea, I would 
 observe that they appear to me to be rather niches for sepul- 
 chral lamps than for urns containing the ashes of the dead, 
 since they are generally not more than five inches by four in 
 size. The urns may either have been placed on the ground, 
 or on benches, or pedestals, prepared for the purpose, and 
 may have been either of stone or of a less durable substance. 
 
 In the vicinity of this mausoleum are the foundations of 
 other buildings, and if these ruins form still a portion of 
 Mokthar, then the size of the city which stood here was much
 
 92 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 larger tlian I stated. It must have been nearly twelve miles 
 in circumference. 
 
 As we continued our journey, the sirocco suddenly ceased, 
 a cold northerly wind began to blow, and momentarily in- 
 creased in force. Our cloaks were at once in requisition, and 
 we hurried over the ground with as much speed as our 
 baggage-horses would permit us. In the plains we were not 
 so much incommoded by cold ; but when we ascended the 
 heights we felt the blast very keenly. On the brow of one 
 of these hills we met an Arab, thinly clad, holding an infant, 
 in a state of complete nudity, in his arms, doing his utmost 
 to shelter the little creature from cold with his own scanty 
 rags. He asked no charity, but saluted us civilly. 
 
 " Why do you not convey the child to a tent, where he will 
 be more comfortable than here?" I asked him. 
 
 " Would to Allah he were dead !" the man replied with a 
 deep sigh ; " for then he would be out of misery, I can 
 neither clothe him nor feed him, and yet I am now harassed 
 to pay the government tax of thirty-six piastres (1^.), and all 
 I possess in this world is not worth half that sum." 
 
 I had compassion on the poor fellow, for whatever failings 
 Arabs may have, they certainly are not guilty of cruelty to 
 their children : on the contrary, they are passionately fond 
 of them, and regard them as the best, and most precious, gift 
 Allah can bestow on them. I, therefore, presented him with 
 a small sum, and offered to take him into our service, which 
 offer he accepted most gratefully. He ran to convey the child 
 to its mother, and in an instant joined us, and took charge of 
 one of our baggage horses. 
 
 The weather appeared far from being settled. In the 
 course of one hour the wind had veered round all the points 
 of the compass, and every change was followed by a slight 
 shower. When we reached the gap, which opened to us the 
 ruins of Medad, the ancient Macrinus, the deranged and 
 agitated state of the atmosphere seemed to be brought to a
 
 TOMBS AND RUINS OF ELMEDAD. 93 
 
 culminating point, for suddenly a tremendous clap of 
 thunder burst right over our heads, and in such close prox- 
 imity to us that we actually appeared to feel, and not only 
 hear, its effect. A treble repetition of similar peals was 
 followed by a dense shower of rain, during which we shel- 
 tered ourselves, as well as we could, by the side of a mau- 
 soleum, much shattered, but built very similarly to the one 
 I noticed at Teivaal Ezamd. Fortunately for us the rain 
 only lasted a few minutes, and when it ceased we were 
 favoured by a clear sky and a bright sun ; the benefit of 
 which was, however, much detracted in consequence of the 
 prevalence of a bleak northerly wind, which now increased to 
 a steady gale. 
 
 Besides the mausoleum just referred to, we have at Medad, 
 or Elmedad, the ruins of a temple, of a small theatre, and of 
 several public edifices, the greatest portions of which lie either 
 prostrate on the ground, or are buried in the soil. Among 
 the remains of the temple I found the inscription No. 17. 
 
 But the most curious remains of this place are decidedly the 
 tombs on a hillock, at a short distance from the mausoleum. 
 These are composed of large slabs of unhewn stcne, placed 
 in the ground on their edges, so as to form oblong squares, 
 varying in size, some measuring twelve feet by five, and 
 others only seven feet by three and a half About four feet 
 q£ these squares are above ground, and the top, or roof, is 
 closed in by one immense slab. They have the appearance of 
 vast stone boxes, and to the eye of the Ai'ab of tables, whence 
 the modem name of the place, Ehiudad, " the tables." 
 
 Several of these tombs, which bear no inscriptions, have 
 evident marks ^f having been meddled with by Arab treasure- 
 hunters and gold-seekers ; who, however, had not the courage 
 to prosecute their task from fear of the turning of the 
 tables. Some of them have certainly a veiy unsteady ap- 
 pearance, but if le^ to the mercy of time exclusively, they 
 are likely to remain in their present position for centuries
 
 94 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 longer. I confess I felt very much tempted to dive into 
 these graves, but I had neither the time nor the means 
 to gratify my curiosity. The antiquity of these tombs is 
 undoubtedly anterior to any of the other remains we meet 
 with at Elmedad. 
 
 Compelled by the lateness of the hour, as well as by 
 hunger and cold, we now began to think seriously of our 
 night quarters. Elmedad being uninhabited, we had in- 
 structed our "protectors" to provide for us, so as to enable us 
 to pitch our tents among the ruins. Some miles the other 
 side of this place we met the Khaleefa of the district with his 
 lady on horseback, accompanied by the other members of his 
 family, and followed by a long train of servants. We stopped 
 the cavalcade, or rather we desired our hamhas to do so, and 
 requested the locum tenens to have the condescension to 
 send us a supply of provisions, and barley for our horses, 
 to Elmedad. After some little delay one of our messengers 
 returned with the answer, that the Khaleefa will be most 
 happy to entertain us, and that sumptuously, at his own 
 tents, but that he could not send anything to the ruins, where, 
 if we resolved to sleep, it was the duty of another official 
 to think for us and for our animals. 
 
 As I had reason to rely on the information I had received, 
 that there was no such official in that locality, I stated my 
 opinion to the lieutenant-governor, but he persisted in main^ 
 taining that there was one. At last he agreed to send one of 
 his men, mounted on a mule, with us, with the distinct 
 understanding that he was to return to him in case we found 
 no supplies, when he solemnly undertook to send us all we 
 required. ^ 
 
 We then bade him, and his lady, salaam, and continued 
 our journey. 
 
 The lady of the lieutenant-governor of the tribe of Oulaad 
 Ayaar mounted on horseback ! Thes% words, unless ex- 
 plained, are hkely to convey a very erroneous idea to the
 
 A LADY IN A CAGE. 95 
 
 general reader's mind. He will at once picture to himself 
 some majestic female in one of our pdrks, or some belle 
 manipulating, with great skill and marvellous dexterity, the 
 bridle of her prancing steed. But there is no affinity between 
 these and the lady of the lieutenant-governor of the Oulcmd 
 Ay oar, except that she is a female and so are they, and that 
 she was seated on a horse, and so are they. The lady of the 
 lieutenant-governor of the tribe Oulaad Ayaar might pass 
 and re-pass Rotten Row a thousand times without it being 
 discovered, even by the most scrutinising observer, whether 
 she belongs to the fair sex at all. How she looked, whether 
 she was young or old, whether she came up to the complete 
 standard and criterion of Barbary beauty — extreme obesity ; 
 whether she approached nearer the classic dimensions and 
 lines of gracefulness, and whether her dress was gaudy or 
 otherwise, I am unable to tell : and for this simple reason 
 —I never saw her. A fine grey horse, led by two 
 servants, had on its back a kind of machine resembling the 
 hood of a cabriole, having a curtain carefully closed in front. 
 Within this hood, and behind the curtain, I was told was 
 seated the veritable lady of the lieutenant-governor of the 
 Oulaad Ayaar. The being in the hood I saluted, and the 
 only proof I had of the real presence of life within was the 
 shrill reply bislama, "go in peace !" 
 
 I know I was guilty of an act of great indecency in saluting 
 a lady within her cage ; but I could not help it, nor could 
 she, as was apparent from her acknowledging my politeness. 
 But certainly an Ai-ab would never have been guilty of such 
 a breach of etiquette — etiquette, do I call it ? I ought rather 
 to have said a Jareach of a religious precept, based on the 
 authority of Mohammed himself ! 
 
 On approaching Elmedad, the man whom the Khaleefa 
 had sent with us stopped at a solitary tent, and desired our 
 people to remain with him, whilst my companions proceeded 
 with me to the ruins.
 
 96 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 Having completed our researches among the ruins, we were 
 now anxiously looking for our tents to shelter ourselves from 
 the cold, but not a sign of them, or of our people, could we 
 discover any^vhere. After waiting some twenty minutes 
 longer, a poor miserable Arab, the owner of the solitary tent, 
 made his appearance, and entreated us, with tears in his 
 eyes, to have mercy on him, and not to consume his store of 
 provisions, which was to last him and his family a whole 
 year, in the course of one night. 
 
 " Depart from me," he cried, " or my children will starve. 
 Be propitious to me, I entreat you, and leave me the little I 
 have." 
 
 The poor fellow was in such an agitated state that it took 
 me some minutes before I could discover what he really 
 wanted. It appeared that the man on the mule had billeted 
 us down on this Ai-ab, who, with his scanty means, was to 
 feed us and our twelve hungry horses. I at once relieved 
 his mind, and told him to hasten back and convey the 
 instructions to our people that we were waiting for them — 
 that they were immediately to repair to the spot where we 
 then were with tents, baggage, and all. 
 
 But the day was rapidly hastening to a close, and we found 
 ourselves in a regular fix how, and where, to obtain our 
 supplies. Following a stream on the abrupt side of a hill to 
 our left we observed a cottage, built of stone from the ruins 
 at Medad, to which we directed our course. Before it we 
 found a tattered tent, the owner of which — a desperate 
 looking fellow, with a most forbidding countenance — ordered 
 us, in the roughest and mdest manner possible, not to 
 approach. He shouted, screamed, threatened, and his dogs 
 barked, but we heeded neither. We rode into a small 
 square courtyard, where, notwithstanding his foaming with 
 rage, we dismounted and secured our horses by the iron bars 
 of the window of the cottage. 
 
 It never took me so long a time to mesmerise an Arab as
 
 ANOTHER VICTIM TO OUR POLICE. 97 
 
 it did on the present occasion ; but I finally succeeded ; the 
 savage was tamed, and became communicative. Several more 
 Ai"abs of the same stamp made their appearance shortly 
 after, and finding the first in friendly conversation with 
 us, they joined. As we were compelled to pass the night 
 in the vicinity of these cut-throats, I thought it necessary 
 to turn our interview to the subject of weapons, vnih a view 
 of exhibiting to them our revolvers ; and when I had explained 
 to them the peculiarity of those pistols, the first Ai-ab 
 appeared quite thankful at having escaped our resentment. 
 
 It was evident that these people had not the means to 
 supply our wants. The cottage, or box, belonged to the 
 Khaleefa who farmed in this neighbourhood, and makes use 
 of it during harvest time ; but it was locked, and if there was 
 even barley within we could have no access to it, unless 
 we had recourse to absolute violence, which we, of course, 
 would not do. But these people (probably to rid them- 
 selves of our company) volunteered to lead us to an en- 
 campment of a wealthy Ai'ab, named Abdallah, who, they 
 declared, had everything in abundance ; and when our bag- 
 gage arrived they at once started to show us the way to his 
 tents. 
 
 Crossing the beaten track, they conducted us over several 
 hills intersected by dales, and in one of these, near a ravine 
 of no gi'eat depth, we obsei-ved the six tents belonging to 
 Abdallah. When our guides had brought us sufiiciently near, 
 they, without saying a single word to any of us, scampered 
 off at the top of their speed. The reason of their sudden 
 departure I could not devise, unless they feared our hanibas, 
 who, they might have thought, would le\'y some contribution 
 from them. 
 
 And now a fresh scene opened. We halted, as is cus- 
 tomary, about twenty paces from the tents, and Sidy (lord) 
 Abdallah was summoned to approach in the gi'ufiest growl 
 Machfood could muster, and that merely to exhibit our im-
 
 9S RUINED CITIES, 
 
 portance. A tall, very stately, Arab answered to the name, 
 and instantly obeyed the summons. 
 
 I was much prepossessed in favour of this Arab, for he had 
 a very good expression of countenance. His features were 
 regular and handsome, while his large jet black eyes bespoke 
 gentleness of disposition and benevolence of heart. His 
 flowing beard, whose pure raven hue was displayed to 
 great advantage on his white robe, might have been 
 envied by Ameer JElmomaneen, " the prince of the faithful/' 
 himself. 
 
 " Peace to you, strangers ! welcome. What is your re- 
 quest ? " he asked, in a kind [tone, but in a very drawling 
 manner, after the style of certain Scotch preachers. 
 
 "These personages of lofty and exalted rank, under the 
 special protection of our lord and master, whom we have the 
 honour to condjuct through the kingdom, have come to 
 pass the night here. They, and we, and our horses, and 
 our servants, will have to depend upon your generosity," 
 replied Machfood. 
 
 " You are welcome," rejoined Abdallah, " but, I regret to 
 say, I have only arrived here this morning, and do not possesKS 
 the means to entertain such distinguished guests." 
 
 " We will pitch our tents," the hamha muttered in an 
 angiy tone, " and then we shall see what you have." 
 
 Owing to the hurricane which was blowing at the time, we 
 preferred pitching our tents in the ravine, against which 
 Abdallah tried hard to dissuade us. 
 
 "The weather is threatening," he said, "and if the rain 
 descends, as I expect it will, then you will be swept away 
 by the torrent. Listen to my counsel, and pitch here near 
 me." 
 
 But notwithstanding this advice we pitched in the ravine, 
 preferring to remedy present evils to contemplating probable 
 future disasters. We found a very snug place, where we 
 were sheltered from the chilling -blasts of the north wind, and
 
 ANOTHER VICTIM TO OUR POLICE. 99 
 
 where there was no fear of the foundations of our canvas 
 house — the pegs and cords — being torn up, and ourselves 
 smothered by the fall of its walls. 
 
 Abdallah showed, by his quiet, humble, and unassuming 
 manner, that he was a fit subject for the domineering, 
 arrogant, and presuming spirits of our cowardly hamhas 
 (police). Scarcely were our tents pitched, and our horses 
 secured, than the bullying system commenced. What the 
 Arab declared he had not, that they insisted on his producmg, 
 and what he stated he had, and willingly offered, that they 
 refused to accept. Had he exhibited the least signs of courage, 
 our snarling heroes would have desisted, but as he continued 
 to manifest the same meek and gentle disposition, pocketing 
 all their insults, they persevered and became more bold. 
 
 " Do you, or do you not, mean to respect the order of the 
 sultan of Africa ? " asked Machfood. 
 
 " I am willing to comply with his order proportionately to 
 my abilities," Abdallah rejoined. 
 
 "Then since you refuse, I shall enforce that order," 
 roared the hamha. " Dogs ! cursed be you, you have the 
 good things of this world, but you greedily keep them to 
 yourselves ! " 
 
 " Ya Mislem, O Moslem ! " ejaculated Abdallah, " call 
 not true believers dogs. Be not guilty of such indis- 
 cretion. Remember I am not a Jew, or an unbeliever of a 
 different class ; I testify that Mohammed is the Apostle of 
 AUah." 
 
 " Scum of the earth ! basest of dogs ! " roared old Mach- 
 food, grinning like an hyena, and darting at his victim a look 
 of consummate contempt, " You speak like a mufti, and 
 mean to check my indignation with your canting phrases. I 
 shall teach you your duty, since you have ventured to teach 
 me mine. Here, Hamed, bring a rope and assist me in 
 showing this fellow a lesion of civility." 
 
 Hamed appeared to have obeyed him instantly, for by the 
 
 jt II 2*
 
 100 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 time I came out of the tent the rope was already round 
 Abdallah's neck, and the two officers of justice were jostling 
 him about from side to side, or, rather, they were making 
 every exertion to "tug" him, but with little chance of success. 
 Abdallah did not only tower above them in stature, but his 
 whole frame was of herculean proportions, and it required 
 more strength to injure him than Machfood and Hamed 
 could muster. The powerful Arab held the rope with both 
 his hands, which prevented the noose from injuring him, not- 
 withstanding they employed all their force to tighten it round 
 his neck. 
 
 The real object the hamhds had in view was neither to 
 secure greater comfort for us, nor had they the least intention 
 to strangle Abdallah, although they repeatedly swore that 
 they were resolved upon this. Their sole desire was to 
 squeeze money out of the rich Arab, and this was a difficult 
 task. They blustered, they threatened, while Abdallah only 
 rebuked them in meek and mild words. 
 
 " Desist, ya oulftad, ye children," he said repeatedly to his 
 tormentors, " and stay your evil course. Has shame entirely 
 abandoned you, and is there no modesty at all within you ? 
 Naal Eshaitmtn, cursed be the devil ! Desist, Moslems ! 
 Be directed by the fear of Allah, ye children ! " 
 
 In spite of such remonstrance Machfood and Hamed 
 maintained their hold, and continued pulling away at the 
 rope without, however, gaining an inch, simply because the 
 powerful grasp of Abdallah defied them. 
 
 How long this struggle might have lasted, or how it 
 might have terminated I cannot tell, but I put an abrupt 
 stop to it. I could not bear to see the stately Arab any 
 longer in his humiliated position, though in my OAvn heart I 
 blamed him for allowing himself to be placed in that position 
 at all. 
 
 A certain class of people may ask why I did not put a stop 
 to this scene before ? A man is not expected to answer every
 
 DISAPPOINTMENT. 101 
 
 question, and this is one to which I decline making a reply. 
 But, in the words of Ovid — 
 
 Qtcid vefat a iimgnis ad res exempla minores 
 Sumere ? 
 
 which I would take the liberty to render — " What prevents 
 me from comparing great things with small ones ? " I might 
 therefore as well venture to ask that class in return some 
 such question as this : — ^Why does not England co-operate 
 to terminate the unjust and unnatural struggle now raging 
 on the other side of the Atlantic ? The aggression there is, 
 in a magnified form, as culpable as that of our hambas 
 was. England stands by and looks on. She, no doubt, has 
 her reasons for so doing, which she does not think proper 
 to blaze abroad. But will she 
 
 Abdallah was very grateful for what I did for him, and 
 later in the evening he came into our tent to beg that I 
 might again interfere on his behalf, and put a stop to the 
 abusive language with which the hamhas were now con- 
 stantly assailing him. 
 
 " I am conscious of my own strength," he said, " and can, 
 were I so disposed, grind those fellows to dust, but I refrain 
 from acts of violence because you are my guests, and I 
 loathe the very thought of being guilty of a breach of 
 hospitality." 
 
 I complied with this request also, and o;i speaking to old 
 Machfood on the subject, he stroked his grizzly beard, and 
 shook his head from side to side, looking the very pictm'e of 
 injured innocence. 
 
 " We exert ourselves to the utmost to inspire these people 
 with respect for you," he said, " and you, by your interference, 
 throw dirt on our beards, and frustrate the object we have in 
 view, which is to secure your comfort. Ayeb aleik, it is 
 unbecoming in you to act towards us in the way you do. Do 
 you really think your conduct is just ? "
 
 102 KumED cities; 
 
 I almost fancied I heard him add — 
 
 Hie pieiafis lionos 1 
 
 and if he did it not in words, his dejected look, and expres- 
 sive gestures, unmistakeably conveyed the question to my 
 mind — 
 
 " Is it thus you reward our faithful services ? And is this 
 the recompence for our integi'ity ? " 
 
 In this ravine we slept for the first time with our loaded 
 revolvers beneath our pillows, and that not from any fear of 
 Abdallali's people, but as a precautionary measure against the 
 possibility of an assault from the vagabonds who conducted 
 us to him. That they bore a bad character was amply 
 confirmed by our host, but on seeing our stand of arms — 
 rifles and double-barreled guns — secured round the centre 
 pole of our tent, he felt persuaded that they would meet 
 with a very warm reception in case they had the impru- 
 dence to venture into the vicinity of our premises. 
 
 The night was terribly cold, and at six in the morning, 
 although the weather appeared calm and the atmosphere 
 quite serene, we found that our thermometer had fallen to 
 48°, but what we really regretted was to discover that the 
 barometer had made a backward stride from 26-j-V to 24^4^. 
 What was in store for us remained to be seen. 
 
 Although we rose at 5 a.m., it occupied nearly two hours 
 before we were fairly en route. Whilst our men were busily 
 engaged in packing I took these bearings — Thala, for which 
 we were now starting, W, by S. ; highest peak of Jebel 
 Shektema, S.W. by S. ; Ksoor, or Kisr, or Kisser (which 
 Shaw took for the ancient Assurus), W.N.W. ; Jebel Sera 
 Wortaan, in the plain of the same name, W. 
 
 We crossed the rivulet — the Waad Eshabba — ^which flows 
 through Medad. On its banks we observed a stratum of 
 petrifactions similar to that of which the columns we noticed 
 at Mohthar are composed. After an hour's ride, we reached
 
 DISAPPOINTIkrENT. 103 
 
 tlie boundary which divides the territories claimed by the 
 tribe Oulaad Ayaar from those of the Maajer Arabs, 
 whose domains we were now entering. The boundary is the 
 extensive plain Gioof] through which flows a vxiad of the 
 same name. The southern half of this plain is called 
 Kaf-Ei^xii. 
 
 Near the boundary we found a few tents still belonging to 
 the Oulaad Ayaar, and observed one of the men hastening 
 towards us, beckoning as if he had some important com- 
 munication to make.- When within hearing distance he 
 shouted — 
 
 " Ta faares — ! horseman, where do you come from ? 
 where are you going to ? and what is the news ? " 
 
 Instead of satisfying the inquisitive Arab, our Jianibas were 
 on the point of belabouring him with their sticks for having 
 detained us ; but the fellow escaped their resentment, for 
 which he was indebted partly to his own fleetness, but chiefly 
 to the badness of the road, by which our " ofiicials," who 
 Were so incensed that the man "wanted to hnoiv" were 
 prevented from pursuing him. There is " red ta])e " in 
 Barbary, as well as barbarism in red tape.
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 A PRINCELY RECEPTIOK 
 
 The River Tana — A Natural Flower- Garden — Taxation — Barometrical and 
 Superstitious Indications — The Moslem versus Nazarene Rule — A Watery 
 March — Narrow Escape — Moslem Refonner — A Princely Reception — 
 Deceitfulness— Tliala, Jugurtha's Stronghold — Its Modern Population- 
 Weakness of the Thalian Fair Sex — Prison and Crime. 
 
 The plain Gioof is divided from another by a chain of low 
 hills. It is not very fertile, but it possesses a much richer 
 soil about two feet from the surface, as is evident from the 
 strata seen in the ravines and in the steep banks of the river. 
 But no portion of that soil will ever come in contact with 
 Aj-ab agricultural implements. Through this plain also passes 
 the Waad Serrai besides the Waad Gioof. The former is, 
 however, much nearer Thala, and as there is no other 
 running stream between it and that town, it is not impro- 
 bable that this is the river mentioned by Sallust, from which 
 Metellus took a supply of water on his expedition against 
 that town. Sir Grenville Temple calls the river Tana; but I 
 cannot find the name, in the Jugurthine War, in connection 
 with any of the campaigns of Metellus. Such a river is men- 
 tioned as being about* three days', or rather three nights' 
 march from Capsa, and from that river Marius took his 
 
 * Leaving the Tana, Sallust says : ' ' Dein tertia, multo ante lucis adventiim 
 pervenit in locum tumulosum, ab Capsa non amplius duum millium inter- 
 vallo." — (" On the third night, a good deal before daylight, he arrived at 
 a hilly place, not more than a distance of two miles from Capsa.") — Sail. 
 Bell. Jug. § 90.
 
 THE RIVER TANA. 1U5 
 
 supply for his army on his march against that unfortunate 
 city. Shaw is inclined to identify the Tana with " a large 
 brook called Waacl el Thainee,"* near Sfax, a maritime town. 
 Sir G. Temple, however, positively denies the existence of 
 such a brook, and adds, " The Tana I afterwards found in a 
 very different and remote part of the country."-f" He then 
 tells us that he imagines the river Tana " to be the present 
 Wady Sen-at." 
 
 On carefully examining Sallust it will appear that Marius 
 inarched upon Capsa from somewhere near Cirta, the modern 
 Constantina, and, therefore, the Tana could not have been 
 where Shaw has laid it down. To 'have approached the 
 Seraat, or Serrat, according to Sir G. Temple, the Roman 
 consul would not only have considerably deviated from his 
 direct route, but he would have uselessly burdened his 
 troops with loads of water, since, in that line of march, from 
 the Seraat to Capsa, he was within reach of other rivers, 
 numerous brooks, and springs, every few hours in the day. 
 .His real route lay vid Tebeste, the modern Tebessa. In 
 the vicinity of this place, or at no great distance from it, we 
 must look for the river Tana. It may have been the modem 
 Waad el raa Elahyad, between which and Capsa there is a 
 barren " waste, uncultivated and destitute of water," just as 
 Sallust describes the country. The distance is from forty to 
 fifty miles ; and when we bear in mind that Marius only 
 marched at night, and that over very difficult and unknown 
 ground, he is not likely to have accomplished more in the 
 three nights, which it took him to go from the Tana to 
 Capsa. 
 
 But the river from which Metellus took his supply of water 
 was not the Tana. Sallust simply tells us, " Thala and the 
 next river — a distance of forty miles — was a dry and desolate 
 
 * Travels, vol. i. p. 212. 
 
 f Excursions, vol. ii. pp. 119, 221.
 
 106 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 space."* Now, Metellus marched upon Thala from somewhere 
 near Vacca, the modern Baja ; and, therefore, found himself on 
 our present line of route. The Waad Serrai is the nearest 
 from which his army could have obtained their supply, and it 
 also approximates in distance mth that mentioned by 
 Sallust. But the Waad Seraat is not only too near to 
 Thala, but it flows in a direction contrary to that indicated 
 by the historian of the Jugurthine war — it flows on the other 
 side of Thala, and hence could it not have been the river 
 " out of which Metellus loaded his beasts of burden ? " 
 
 This side of the Waad Serrai we came upon the first 
 encampment of the Maajer Arabs, and what we saw of them 
 was not calculated to inspire us with respect either for their 
 bravery or for their courage. The men scampered off in every 
 direction to hide themselves in the ravines, leaving the tents 
 in charge of the women, the children, and the dogs. They 
 may have mistaken us for a recruiting party, tax collectors, 
 or, what is more probable, they may have thought that we 
 intended -to invite ourselves to a liberal share of their stores. 
 But all we asked for was a drink of milk, and this the women 
 freely granted. Our hamba.s manifested a great desire to 
 linger behind ; but this we prevented. "We understood each 
 other now so well that a single gesture sufficed to convey to 
 them the intimation — you are not to rob these people ! 
 
 These few tents of Maajer were pitched on a lovely flower- 
 bed, and such a variety of rich hues one seldom meets with 
 in the finest cultivated gardens. The beauty of the spot, 
 the clear sky, the brilliant sunshine, and the rippling stream 
 held out great temptations to bivouac here, and oui* men, who 
 had fared badly the previous night, as well as our horses, 
 whose repast consisted only of grass, would have gladly 
 seconded such a resolution. The fugitive Maajer might hav^ 
 been coaxed into a compliance with our moderate demands, 
 
 * Bell. Jug. § 75.
 
 TAXATION. 107 
 
 and their women would soon have submitted to the task of pre- 
 paring our feast of Coscoso. But, as Hamed afterwards said, 
 it was mahtooh (pre-ordained) that we should prosecute our 
 journey; and, ignorant of what was before us, we blindly 
 pushed on, turning our backs on this luxuriant spot. 
 
 Between the tents of the Maajer and the Waacl Served, 
 only a little way to the right of the road, and in the part 
 called Hansheer Elhamaima, we came upon the ruins of 
 Avhat would seem to have been a large village, or a small town. 
 We have here the remains of a little temple and the founda- 
 tions of some other buildings, but no inscriptions. 
 
 The river SeiTai flows only a few hundred feet from these 
 ruins. Here we watered our horses, and entered immediately 
 upon a vast barren plain, in which we halted, about noon, to 
 recruit the spirits both of man and beast. Near us was 
 another Maajer encampment, from which we obtained a pre- 
 sent of a jar of butter-milk. The men assailed us with the 
 usual questions as to governmental reforms, but chiefly 
 whether the " TJdrty-six" was aboHshed. This is a tax of so 
 many piastres, amounting to 1?., sterling, which every Arab 
 has to jaay. It is an indiscriminate tax, for the poor 
 and the rich are obliged to pay it, and upon the former it 
 weighs very heavily. The Ai-ab is opposed to direct taxation 
 altogether; and when it is borne in mind that probably a 
 fourth of the population do not earn, in the course of the 
 whole year, six times thirty-six piastres, the injustice of the 
 " Thirty-six," as regards this class, will be apparent. 
 
 Those deeply versed in all the profoundness of superstition 
 know full well that it is the height of impnidence to talk, in 
 a careless way, about calamities of any kind. They are, more- 
 over, aware that some evil is sure to follow an undue dis- 
 regard to the caution which the mother of ignorance in- 
 culcates. Machfood, Said, Hamed and Sadek, and every 
 good Moslem, would have rebuked IMi'. Ferriere for the 
 manner in which he talked of dislocated shoulders, and broken
 
 108 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 arms, whilst we were seated on a green grass plot par- 
 taking of our luncheon. We, however, only laughed at ovir 
 surgeon's remarks, particularly at his concluding sentence — 
 " Wait till an accident does occur, when you will see how I 
 can set a fractured limb, and then you will appreciate my 
 surgical skill, notwithstanding I am not a professed prac- 
 titioner." 
 
 This ominous conversation was not yet ended when our 
 attention was attracted to the overcast sky immediately 
 above us. 
 
 " Truly that mongala of yours," observed Machfood just 
 then, "is wonderful. You said this morning that I was wrong 
 in asserting that we should now have fine weather. I did not 
 believe in your mongala then ; but hinnahi, by the prophet ! 
 I have now changed my mind. What a marvellous mongala 
 that is, ba-ba-ba ! " 
 
 The Arab's reminding me of the indication of the barometer 
 (for it was to that instrument he alluded under the name 
 mongala, which properly signifies " a watch") roused me to 
 the reality of an impending change of the weather. By one 
 o'clock we were again fairly on our way, our party having 
 been swelled by two Algerines, who, as they expressed it, 
 "would not serve the unbelievers, and, therefore, fled to a 
 land under the rule of a prince of the faithful." A few years 
 of experience under a Moslem government so far reconciled 
 them to Nazarenes that they now even held our horses whilst 
 we were mounting. The report they had received from their 
 friends of the proceedings, and impartial justice, of the French 
 has opened their eyes to the folly of expatriating themselves 
 needlessly. They were now deliberately leaving the benign 
 rule of a "prince of the faithful," in order to place them- 
 selves under the government, and protection, of the Nazarenes 
 — the present masters of Algeria. 
 
 We were scarcely more than an hour in our saddles when 
 a perfect hurricane, charged with hail, came sweeping down
 
 A WATERY MARCH. 109 
 
 from the south-west with a tremendous fury. At its first 
 onset our horses made a perfect stand, apparently unable to 
 make head against the storm ; but, in reality, on account of 
 their being almost blinded by the hail. It beat against our 
 faces and hands with great violence, causing us excruciating 
 pain. It required a considerable effort to weather this storm, 
 and we had no alternative but to do so. The hail was suc- 
 ceeded by a heavy rain, so dense that we seemed to ride 
 through a perfect mass of water, which the fierce wind soon 
 caused to perforate every stitch of clothing we wore. To 
 have thought of making any attempt to shelter ourselves in 
 such a deluge, and under such circumstances, would have 
 amounted to a folly bordering upon a species of insanity. 
 We therefore resigned ourselves to our fate and patiently 
 waded through this conglomerate of ice, air, and water, sliding 
 from side to side as we ploughed the Bar Maajnah (the 
 land of clay), as the district is correctly called. Occasionally 
 the -opaque masses of water through which we were working 
 our way, became sufficiently transparent to enable us to 
 obtain a glimpse of Jebel Khennaash, the extreme point, or 
 spur, of which was our landmark. But of this comfort we 
 were also deprived ; our beacon vanished and we wandered 
 about without anything to direct us. At intervals I asked 
 our guide, or rather our pilot — for nautical terms, in our 
 aquatic situation, were more appropriate — whether we were 
 on our right course, and his invariable reply was, " Inshallah 
 [if it please Allah] we are." This answer is at no time very 
 satisfactory, and as it gradually became more faint and feeble, 
 I expressed my doubts in distinct terms, and desired him 
 positively to state whether he knew where we were. 
 
 " Allah alone can lead us into the right path," he rejoined, 
 
 " but I cannot, since I know not where I myself am." 
 
 *In our saturated, benumbed, and forlorn condition we 
 
 could get hold of no compass. We deliberated a few minutes 
 
 as to what plan we were to adopt : to pitch our tents in clay
 
 110 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 knee-deep was impossible. The yells, the shouts, and the 
 curses our people heaped upon the pilot, amidst the roar of 
 the conflicting elements, could not extricate us from our 
 wretched situation. To retrace our steps, or to advance, was 
 a course equally uncertain, so far as our knowledge went. 
 Just then a momentary transparency occurred, and the guide 
 suggested a way, or path, which we followed. A few hundred 
 yards, however, brought us again to a stand. A wide ravine 
 was right before us, down which we observed numerous 
 winding tracks, which it was, however, impossible for us to 
 take, not so much on account of their steepness as their 
 slippery condition. We were now directed to follow the 
 windings of the ravine, turning off to the left. Twenty 
 minutes' ride brought us to an abrupt shallow part, which we 
 crossed, with perfect ease, and then continued hugging the 
 opposite edge. 
 
 Mr. Nicholson, who, enveloped in his cloak, happened to 
 be the last of the file, and a good way in the rear, had -not 
 noticed the spot where we traversed the ravine ; and finding 
 us, on chancing to look up, on the opposite bank, where we 
 halted for him, took for granted that we had crossed where 
 he then was. Without examining its extreme steepness and 
 depth, he suddenly turned his horse's head to face the chasm. 
 Before the word of warning could issue from our lips, the 
 animal's forefeet were already a considerable way down the 
 almost perpendicular muddy bank. The rider made a vain 
 effort to check him, and the horse, as if conscious of the 
 perilous position, made a convulsive attempt to obey his 
 master. But to regain the top was now impossible. The 
 horse's own weight, on the slippery steep, forced him dowTi. 
 A more anxious, and a more exciting, moment for the safety 
 of a friend I do not remember to have experienced before. 
 Ten thousand forms of conceivable accidents, and even deafli 
 in all its horrid, grim, and distorted shapes, flashed across my 
 mind. The suspense of seconds increased into hours of
 
 NARROW ESCAPE. Ill 
 
 duration. With breathless anxiety, and deep concern, did 
 we watch this terrible scene. The horse reached the middle 
 of the bank and his forefeet rested on a naiTow ledge of clay, 
 by which his progi*ess was temporarily arrested. During 
 these few seconds his efforts to extricate himself from the 
 mire, into which his hoofs were fast sinking, endangered his 
 position more, for he was now in the predicament of losing his 
 balance and being capsized. An awful moment this was ! 
 But the ledge gave way — the sliding recommenced, and to 
 our intense satisfaction, both horse and rider reached the 
 bottom in perfect safety. 
 
 To say the least, a narrower escape from falling into our 
 " surgeon's " clutches Mr, N. never had ; and I sincerely 
 hope, if he ever takes it into his head to have a similar 
 slide (which he is not very likely to do), it may not be at- 
 tended with worse consequences, should he even be ever 
 so well disposed to patronise our amiable artist's " surgical 
 skill," 
 
 We resumed our journey and reached the hurj (the seat) 
 of Sidy Elarbi, the Caid, or governor, of the Maajer tribe, a 
 little after 5 P.M, ; and, extraordinary to relate, we were 
 scarcely five minutes here when the deluge ceased, and in a 
 few minutes after we had a clear and lovely sky above us, as 
 well as a perfect calm. 
 
 To this governor we had a special amra (order), and he 
 gave us a specially cordial reception. Some twenty men 
 were instantly ordered to unload our horses, to unpack our 
 tents, and to assist us in any way we desired. A large bait 
 eshadr (house of hair), usually used as the justice hall, was 
 cleaned, and our two canvas houses pitched within. Dry 
 mats were spread upon the ground, and over them were laid 
 dry carpets. Our waterproof cases furnished us with dry 
 clothing. An abundant supply of good coffee, served in richly 
 gilt cups, helped to revive our spirits. We cheered up, for we 
 had good reason to believe that there was now an end to our
 
 112 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 day's troubles and adventures. We could now console eact 
 other m the words of the poet : — 
 
 " Eevocate animos ; 
 
 .... forsan et htec olim meminisse jiivabit," * 
 
 for we felt pretty confident that it " would hereafter delight 
 us to remember even these things." 
 
 We had every reason to be satisfied with our quarters, and 
 with the treatment we met with. Conformably to the 
 custom, and usages, of the country, the governor came into 
 our tent a few minutes before supper was served, and re- 
 mained with us during the repast, and for nearly an hour 
 after. Om' conversation was very varied — it was religious, 
 political, and commercial, and in all this our canting Hamed 
 participated freely. He considered himself entitled to this 
 privilege, for he was not only a har)iba himself, but he was 
 the son of a hanriba, and his father was Elarbi's comrade 
 when the governor was a hamha too. It was from this low 
 condition that he rose to his present dignified post, and 
 chiefly through the liberality of Ahmed Basha, the immediate 
 predecessor of the late ruler of Tunis. 
 
 The character of that Moslem prince has been greatly 
 misunderstood, and consequently misrepresented. Humianum 
 est errare, and it is to be regretted that while his weak 
 points have been censured, his good qualities, and his 
 sensible pohcy, have not been brought forward with the pro- 
 minence they desei've. His friendship for Europeans, his 
 generosity in rewarding merit, his introducing customs and 
 manners from the civilised world, his unflinching bearing 
 relative to the Court of Constantinople, his bold innovations 
 with a view to eradicating prejudices hostile to other religious 
 systems, his abolition of the nefarious slave trade, his dis- 
 carding Turks — the devastators of the country and the 
 
 * Mn. L. i. 1. 203.
 
 A MOSLEM REFOEMER. 113 
 
 natural enemies of tlie Ai'abs — from public employments, his 
 patronising native Arabs, and bis ardent desire to establish a 
 purely Arab independent hingdom, entitle Ahmed Basha to 
 rank among the number of true patriotic sovereigns. 
 
 To this Moslem reformer Elarbi is indebted for the post 
 he now fills ; and although he has accumulated great wealth, 
 the popularity he enjoys in his tribe proves that Ahmed 
 Basha possessed great discernment in the selection he made, 
 and that the governor has not been guilty of extortion, or 
 other base practices, in acquiring the riches which he now 
 owns. In this remote part of the country Elarbi is, and acts 
 the part of, a little king, without ever abusing his power. 
 At least such is the report I received on the sjDot. He is 
 very desu'ous to be the founder of a new town, and with 
 that view built several small houses and a whole street 
 lined with shops. Some of the latter are occupied by Jews 
 and a few Jerbi Ai'abs, but the cottages are empty, because 
 the Ai'abs, like the Rechabites of old, are resolved to keep to 
 their tents, about a hundred of which are pitched near to 
 the Caid's hu7'j. 
 
 " It is strange," Elarbi said, addressing us ; " you, who are 
 addicted to dwell in houses, contrive to accommodate your- 
 selves in tents ; whereas my countrymen are so tenacious of 
 their frail habitations that they will not live in houses, not- 
 withstanding all my efforts to persuade them to do so." 
 
 " Tent life is a novelty to us," I replied, " and we are fond 
 of novelty and change ; whilst the Arabs are conservative in 
 their principles, and therefore adhere to the practice of their 
 fathers." 
 
 " But this reluctance to change is a great drawback to 
 progress," the Caid ■ observed. "Nature teaches us all to 
 ameliorate our condition, and this is in conformity with the 
 wiU of Allah. An opposition to improvement is therefore 
 against the law of nature *and against the will of Allah." 
 
 Elarbi was at one time greatly imbued with the spirit of
 
 114 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 his patron. The retrograde movement of the orthodox party 
 which has been in power since the death of Ahmed Basha, 
 has, however, damped the spirit of progression. The reign 
 of ignorance and orthodoxy made innovations, though ever 
 so innocent, criminal, and hence what the Moslem "reformer" 
 has achieved is gradually disappearing. The following, in 
 connection with Ahmed's reforms, has been picked up in this 
 vicinity. 
 
 Among the numerous changes which that prince brought 
 about during his reign of nineteen, or twenty, years, was the 
 ordering of his court upon a European model. The diffi- 
 culties connected with this were very great, partly owing to 
 his own inexperience, partly to the ignorance of those by 
 whom he was surrounded, partly on account of the prejudices 
 which existed among the faithful to a departure from old 
 usages, which were regarded with a sacred awe on account 
 of their antiquity, and partly on account of the uncouth 
 materials of the old court, to which he had to give a shape, 
 and a symmetry, perfectly unnatural to them. But Ahmed 
 had both a strong wiU and mind of his own, and had neither 
 parliament nor senate to interfere with him. Within forty 
 days a palace was built, sumptuously decorated and fur- 
 nished ; magnificent uniforms were introduced, an order of 
 knighthood was established, and the numerous officers that 
 customarily attend upon royalty were created. On a certain 
 day the external materials of a court were completed, and so 
 far as mahogany, maple, ebony, gold, brass, ivory, silver, the 
 finest and gayest cloth, gold lace, and brilliant decorations, 
 are capable of shedding lustre on a reigning prince, the first 
 and subsequent levees of this Basha have not been, and are 
 not, surj)assed by those of the sovereigns of Europe. 
 
 Very soon after an opportunity offered itself for an ex- 
 hibition of this magnificence, superior to that of simply 
 receiving, on state occasions, the representatives accredited to 
 Ahmed from foreign governments. A prince — an actual,
 
 A PRINCELY RECEPTION. 115 
 
 though not a royal, prince — was attracted to this country by 
 the classic ruins it contains. Everything was now done to 
 show off Tunisian court etiquette to advantage. The new 
 soldiers, in their new uniforms, were drawn up in the 
 different parts through which the distinguished stranger had 
 to pass, and instructed to present arms in the true military 
 style. The reception-hall, and the other state apartments 
 were ornamented, and embellished, with additional taste. 
 The ministers, the generals, the governors, and all high 
 officials, decked out in their splendid uniforms, wearing their 
 large and costly diamond decorations, and other jewelled 
 badges of their exalted station, assembled in the palace, 
 were now on the alert, expecting every instant to be sum- 
 moned to their respective posts in the large audience hall. 
 The signal was given. The stranger had passed the troops, 
 drawn up in line, and received their salutes. He entered the 
 palace and received the homage of the ushers, by whom he 
 was conducted through various state apartments, in one of 
 which he was met by officers of a higher standing, and these 
 led him to one of the ministers. Every room, and every 
 corridor, was thronged with men in gaudy attire and un- 
 rivalled uniforms, who all paid their profound respects to the 
 stranger as he passed them. He was now introduced by the 
 minister into the presence of the Basha, who stood at the 
 upper end of the vast, and sumptuously furnished, audience- 
 hall ; and near him stood several of the princes, while the 
 other high personages lined each side of the splendid apart- 
 ment. In point of magnificence, and external grandeur, nothing- 
 could have surpassed these arrangements, which were truly 
 majestic. The Basha stepped forward to meet his visitor as 
 he entered, and the stranger bowed profoundly, which Ahmed 
 returned in his usually courteous, and dignified, manner. But 
 unfortunately the stranger only spoke a northern language, 
 and the Basha no other than Arabic ; while the knowledge 
 of his interpreters did not extend beyond French and Italian. 
 
 I 2
 
 116 RUINED ^jCITiES. ,, 
 
 The interview liad therefore to be car¥ied^a-^y gestures and 
 pantomimes, in which His Highness, as Arabs generally are, 
 was particularly expert, but the visitor was extremely dull in 
 this proficiency, and consequently felt greatly' embarrassed. 
 He, however, understood handling a diamond mounted pipe, 
 and sipping Moorish coffee ; and with such intellectual inter- 
 changes of steam and smoke the interview terminated. On 
 retiring the same distingviished honoui's were conferred on 
 the stranger as those mth which he was received. All 
 parties were pleased and satisfied. 
 
 Ahmed Bash a, on the departure of his visitor, was on the 
 point of withdrawing to his private apartments, when his 
 first minister stepped forward to inform his highness that the 
 prince, on arriving, had handed to him a letter, which he 
 now produced, and which was forthwith consigned to the 
 interpreter for translation. The amazement and confusion 
 depicted on this person's countenance on perusing the 
 epistle was so great, that others, far less shrewd than Ahmed, 
 perceived it ; and, as he hesitated to state the contents, the 
 Basha encouraged him, and desired him fearlessly to give 
 the interpretation thereof. 
 
 " May it please your highness," the troJ7)iaan (interpreter) 
 at last mustered sufficient courage to say, " this letter is from 
 the prince." 
 
 " This Ave took for granted," the Basha observed, " since 
 it is not very probable that a man of his rank would be the 
 bearer of a letter from others. But proceed." 
 
 " The prince writes," the troJTriaan continued, " that he 
 regi'ets to inform your highness that he is prevented by an 
 accident from waiting upon you ; but he trusts in a day or 
 two he will have sufficiently recovered to do himself that 
 honour." 
 
 The Basha was perplexed and bewildered on hearing this 
 announcement ; and one of his ministers attempted to 
 explain the mystery by saying :
 
 A PRINCELY RECEPTIOK 117 
 
 " The prince probably tliouglit the accident of a more 
 serious nature when it first occuiTed, but afterwards found 
 that it did not really prevent him from paying his respects 
 to your highness." 
 
 " No, no, you are mistaken," replied the Basha ; " it 
 strikes me that the individual who has just left us was not 
 the prince. But who can he have been ? " he asked of the 
 Genoese intei-preter. " He must have been some great per- 
 sonage, judging from his splendid unifonn, cocked hat, and 
 waving plumes. Was he a general, think you ? " 
 
 The timid Genoese shrugged his shoulders, by which 
 he either indicated his real ignorance, or only feigned 
 it, in order not to communicate an unacceptable, or dis- 
 agreeable, solution of the mystery ; but the Basha soon 
 after ascertained the truth, and laughed heartily on hearing 
 that he had given a princely reception to the prince's 
 Jdger, the gargon-chasseur, or cacciatore — the "general" 
 w^ho graces the box of the carriages of the continental 
 nobility ! 
 
 All those who were with Ahmed Basha during the com- 
 mencement of his reign, as Elarbi was, can relate many 
 anecdotes illustrative of the difficulties that prince had to 
 encounter before he brought things to the state in which he 
 left them on his death. But Elarbi, like all those who were 
 in Ahmed's confidence, has too great a respect for his 
 memory to give these incidents cuiTcncy or publicity. In 
 his o^vn small way the Caid sees what it is to attempt to 
 ameliorate the condition of an ignorant, and barbarous, 
 people ; and he therefore appreciates the prodigious task 
 his master accomplished. 
 
 Whatever Elarbi said, and every remark he made, during 
 the evening, the insidious, obsequious, and artful Hamed 
 applauded. His interpolations, accompanied by the exclama- 
 tion of "tehareJc Allah [blessed be Allah] for such wisdom 
 and such goodness!" had all an apparent tendency to proclaim
 
 118 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 the talent, and moral excellence, of the Caid. But no sooner 
 did Elarbi take his departure, than our hamba followed him 
 with certain grimaces expressive of his utter contempt for 
 the governor. 
 
 " What a smooth tongue ! " the wily and deceitful Hamed 
 exclaimed, so soon as Elarbi was some distance from our 
 tent. " He talks like a Dervish ; and yet a more cunning, 
 more artful, more avaricious, and more designing fellow, you 
 will find neither among Nazarenes nor among Jews. Can so 
 much wealth, as he possesses, be obtained by honest means ? 
 May be in other countries, but certainly not in this." 
 
 This malicious observation was accompanied by a fiendish 
 laugh, expressive of the great wickedness that was deeply 
 seated in the heart of our canting protector. 
 
 On the following morning we rode to Thala. 
 
 From the accounts we had all along received from our 
 own people, and from the Arabs with whom we had come in 
 contact, we were led to believe that Thala was a place of 
 some importance. We had therefore resolved to remain 
 here a couple of days to replenish our stock of provisions, 
 to shoe several horses, to mend some of the trappings, and 
 to reinvigorate man and beast for the toil before us. But 
 when we entered the restored town of Thala, and saw its 
 wretched houses and filthy inhabitants, we were disheartened 
 and dejected, so great was our disappointment. The ruins 
 of the ancient city have been pulled to pieces to construct 
 a number of rude, and shapeless, huts, and to build a street 
 containing some twenty Httle shops, whose wares, of the 
 most ordinary description, are principally intended for the 
 Arabs in the vicinity, who resort to the sook " fair," which is 
 held here daily. 
 
 " And is this Thala," we asked our men, " which you have 
 pictured to us in such glowing colours? And is it amidst 
 these hovels, this filth, and this stench that you wish us to 
 remain two days ? "
 
 THALA, JUGUETHA'S STRONGHOLD. 119 
 
 It is difficult to repress one's indignation on seeing ex- 
 cellent materials, which once graced some majestic edifice, 
 so degTaded as to form component parts of such habitations. 
 The Khaleefa (the governor being absent) led us about to 
 make our own selection of quarters. We entered several 
 houses, and among these the residence of the governor 
 himself, but rejected them all alike, giving the preference to 
 our own clean tent, which we ordered to be pitched on high 
 ground, amidst ancient ruins, but at a respectful distance 
 from the modern human habitations of Thala. 
 
 But the remains of the ancient city, few as they are, have 
 their interest. They are the relics of a large and wealthy 
 town, where Jugurtha kept most of his treasures, and where 
 his sons were educated. It was strongly fortified by art and 
 position ; and the consul Metellus, in taking it, acquired to 
 himself great glory.* The Numidian king was so surprised 
 on finding the Roman general before the walls of Thala, a 
 city which he had considered so safe on account of its remote 
 situation, that, in a state of desperation, he abandoned it by 
 flight. But the inhabitants were resolved to defend it, and 
 for forty days made a gallant resistance, in which they were 
 encouraged and assisted by deserters. When Metellus, 
 however, assailed the walls by battering-rams, and actually 
 effected a breach, the deserters, seeing their prospects 
 blighted, and unwilling to fall into the hands of those from 
 whom they could expect no mercy, collected all the gold, 
 the silver, and other valuables in the palace, and, setting 
 fire to it, destroyed the whole, and themselves too, in one 
 vast conflagration. 
 
 Shaw evidently never heard of the existence of the ruins 
 of this place ; and hence he takes Feriana, or, as he writes 
 it, Ferre-anah, for Thala, and conjectures that Thala and 
 Telepte were one and the same, though a little before he 
 
 * " Metellus Thalam magna gloria ceperat."- Sail. Bell. Jug. §88.
 
 120 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 sees the affinity between Feriana and Feriditana, of which 
 name there were two episcopal sees in the middle ages. He 
 is thus driven to the shift of identifying the ruins of Feriana 
 with three distinct towns. But most of Shaw's travels in 
 Africa are composed from materials which he, with mar- 
 vellous assiduity, collected in the maritime towns, and not 
 from actual observation. This is not only proved by the 
 numerous blunders into which he has fallen, but by inscrip- 
 tions, which he evidently obtained from doubtful sources. 
 But this we shall have occasion to notice more particularly 
 as we proceed. 
 
 Thala was restored by the Eomans ; and in the third 
 consulate of Tiberius it was besieged by the army of Tac- 
 farinus, a Numidian, who had served among the Roman 
 auxiliaries, but who raised the standard of rebellion, and 
 undertook to free Africa from the yoke of its conquerors. 
 He carried on the war upon the plan of Jugurtha, retreating 
 when attacked, and soon after assaulting the enemy's rear ; 
 and so long as he kept to such tactics, he harassed the legion- 
 aries. Gradually he became bold enough to attack a fort ; 
 and Decrius, who commanded it, being slain, the troops 
 surrendered to the enemy. Encouraged by this success, 
 Tacfarinus marched on Thala, and laid siege to it. But 
 Lucius Apronius, who had caused the ignominious cohort 
 which had abandoned the fort to be decimated, and every 
 tenth man drawn by lot, in conformity with Koman martial 
 laws, to be executed with a club, now marched with only 
 five hundred veterans to the relief of Thala, and forced the 
 Numidian to raise the siege. 
 
 The site, as well as the remains of Thala, answer to the 
 description Sallust gives of it. It has every appearance of 
 having been a strong place. It was built on two eminences, 
 and the greater portion of the city lay between them and on 
 the declivities. The scattered ruins on the heights are very 
 massive, and seem to have been those of forts. Below,
 
 %ik^ ^^'-"^ ^ ('ir\
 
 ITS MODERN POPULATION. 121 
 
 regular streets can be traced ; but, besides the dilapidated 
 mausoleum, to the left of the road as we approach, we meet 
 "v\dth no standing remains. Among the prostrate, and shat- 
 tered, traces of the works of its former inhabitants are 
 several sarcophagi. In the walls of the modern hovels we 
 found several cenotaphs.* 
 
 The lazy population of modern Thala was in a state of 
 great activity owing to our arrival. At every step we took 
 we had a set of drones at our heels. The incessant annoy- 
 ance to which we were subjected was gTeat, but we submitted 
 to it from the real compassion which their neglected, and 
 ignorant, condition elicited. There was a time when the 
 state of this country, and that of its inhabitants, was very 
 different from what it now is. A Carthaginian ambassador 
 accredited to the court of Ptolemy, king of Egypt, could say : 
 " In our country the nobles never . cease to study, the philo- 
 sophers to teach, nor the mechanics to work." And such a 
 statement he was able to make in the presence of one of the 
 wisest of kings, and before the envoys of Rome and the 
 Grecian states. But where are the studious princes, and the 
 philosophers of these territories, in modem times ? The 
 princes are satisfied to revel in ignorance, and the olama — the 
 modern "learned" — confine their studies to the concatenation 
 of the unconnected follies of the Coran. If such then be 
 their condition, why should we marvel at the low moral, and 
 intellectual, state of those under their sway? Terence, a 
 Carthaginian, says that the earth produces nothing worse 
 than an ignorant man ; but alas ! little did he know that his 
 own native land would become a prolific field for such perni- 
 cious weeds : for such are those who now incumber this soil. 
 Sic transit gloria mundi ! 
 
 I was engaged in copying one of the insciiptions, placed 
 ■svithin a wall, when the owner of the house came out, and on 
 
 * See Appendix No. I., Inscriptions IS, 19, 20, 21 and 22.
 
 122 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 asking him whether there were more " stones with writing " 
 inside, he rephed — 
 
 " Inside we have nothing but traah — earth [or dirt]." 
 
 " Strange/' I replied, " you appear to do things by the rule 
 of contrary. We carefully clear our houses of traah, and you 
 keep it inside." 
 
 " But in spite of your dislike to traah,'' he rejoined, " the 
 time will come when you will have to be laid in it." 
 
 " True," I answered, " such is human destiny, but we are 
 only laid in traah when dead, whilst you dwell in the midst 
 of it whilst alive." 
 
 " But you Nazarenes think only of the body," the man con- 
 tinued, exhibiting symptoms of his latent fanaticism, " whilst 
 we, alhamdollah [praised be Allah], think of the soul, which 
 is more precious." 
 
 " And are you obliged to think of your soul in the midst of 
 filth ? " I asked him. " If so, your views are opposed to those 
 of your prophet, for if there is a good thing he enjoins it is 
 decidedly cleanliness. I appeal to the Khaleefa and to these 
 people whether I am not right." 
 
 " Most certainly you are right," was the unanimous answer, 
 to the intense chagiin of my opponent. 
 
 "I am glad," I observed to all in closing this interview, 
 " that I have been the means of changing your views ; for 
 hitherto, judging from what I have seen in your town, you 
 were decidedly of the opinion to which this man has given 
 expression. The people, the streets, and the houses of Thala 
 present anything but a clean appearance." 
 
 " Walhhah maah — truth is with you," answered the 
 Khaleefa, " and shame ought to be our portion." 
 
 The importunity of our people, who manifested, in spite of 
 its despicable aspect, a great anxiety to remain at Thala 
 another day, at last prevailed. We consented to theii' wishes 
 when motives of cleanliness were urged. " Our linen requires 
 washing," was a plea that we could not resist after the hostile
 
 "WEAKNESS OF THE THALIAN FAIR SEX. 123 
 
 position we had taken against tlie predominant chai*acteristic 
 of the inhabitants. But a very short time after we had 
 adopted this resokition Said entered our tent, and with a 
 melancholy face, which was far from being natural to him, 
 told us — 
 
 " We may as well be off to-morrow morning, for the women 
 o^Thala do not wash." 
 
 " Then who does wash ? " we asked. 
 
 " Man is obliged to do all the washing of the place," Said 
 answered. 
 
 " Then why not give your linen to a man ? " we 
 inquired again. 
 
 "There is only one man who washes, and he has been 
 absent for the last three weeks, and is not likely to return 
 before another fortnight." 
 
 But in the midst of this sordid, and filthy, condition the 
 Thalians have a particular weakness for trinkets and jewellery. 
 Of course I only speak of the fair sex, and of these I am 
 only able to judge by the specimens which have come under 
 my notice — and those specimens were jet hlack. They were 
 servants or slaves, and they are not required rigorously 
 to comply with the prophet's injunction to conceal their 
 features. These black women wore eaiTings of silver which 
 measured from four to five inches in diameter, weighing at 
 least two ounces each. This, it will be readily admitted, must 
 be a very inconvenient appendage to an ear ; but what will 
 the reader say when he is told that I have seen some who 
 wore two, others who had three, and one who had no less 
 than four of these rings in each ear 1 She was proud of her 
 ornaments and readily jDermitted me to examine them, 
 apparently delighted at the notice they attracted. She was 
 ugly, but to deform ugliness, hpw criminal ! The orifice, 
 or rather the slit, through which the rings passed was at 
 least an inch and a half in length, and had the appearance 
 of a strip of black leather fastened to the ear ; for such
 
 124 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 indeed I actually mistook it at first sight, and it looked 
 truly hideous. But the greatest vanity could not constantly 
 support such inconvenience, and such pain, as these ornaments 
 must occasion, and hence a contrivance has been invented 
 which is considered both convenient and graceful. A chain 
 of silver, or of any other metal, is fastened to the rings 
 and passed over the head, by which the wearer is, at opti(fe, 
 relieved from the weight. When desired, the chain is dropped 
 and allowed to dangle beneath the chin ; with this additional 
 weight the circles of silver become pendant, and that to the 
 pride and vain satisfaction of gay and fair damsels ! 
 
 Before leaving Thala I have to mention that the town (by 
 which pompous appellation the modern fifty hovels are 
 denominated) is the seat of a co-governor of the Maajer. 
 This tribe is divided into two portions, over one of which 
 Elarbi presides, whilst the other is under the administration 
 of Si-Catho, who has his nominal residence here, but who 
 is generally encamped with the tribe at some distance. The 
 town has also two coffee-houses and a prison, neither of 
 which are worse than most of those I have seen in the capital 
 of the Regency of Tunis. Some thirty prisoners were 
 huddled together in a chamber not more than twenty-five 
 feet square, and these represented crime in a variety of 
 aspects as well as injured innocence. The wretch who had 
 embrued his hand in the blood of his fellow man, and the 
 poor fellow who was unable to pay the government tax of 
 " thirty-six," were hnked together by one common chain ; 
 the marauder, who was the terror of the country, and the 
 debtor for a paltry sum, fared alike ; the highwayman and 
 assassin shared the same fate with the innocent but weak 
 Arab, who was incarcerated in order that those in authority 
 might possess themselves of his worldly goods ! 
 
 From these dens one might collect materials which would 
 not only make a strange addition to the annals of crime, but 
 which would likewise tend to illustrate the tone, and the
 
 CRIME. 125 
 
 moral character, of a Mamlook government, as well as of 
 Moslem justice and jurisprudence. To chronicle these is 
 foreign to my present pui-pose, but I feel tempted to record 
 the following particulars which I obtained from a reliable 
 source. 
 
 A poor and miserable-looking beggar presented himself, 
 
 towards evening, at a house" in the suburbs of , His 
 
 timid knock at the door was responded to by a black gu-1, to 
 whom he pleaded misery and hunger in the greatest extreme. 
 Days had elapsed since he had tasted any food, and unless 
 some generous, and charitable, person would have compassion 
 on him, he should certainly not behold the sun of another 
 day. The negress had just prepared the evening meal for 
 her mistress and herself, the only persons in the house besides 
 an infant ; she took the pauper's message to the lilla (lady), 
 and soon returned to the door with a plate laden with a 
 portion of their supper. Great was the joy with which the 
 gift was gi-asped, and many were the blessings he called 
 down upon his benefactress, and in a very few seconds the 
 man was cross-legged on the ground to commence the opera- 
 tion of filling his empty stomach. The man was left to enjoy 
 his coscoso outside the door, and the servant told him she 
 would soon return for the plate. She did so, and found the 
 door open as she had left it, the plate was there also, but the 
 beggar was gone. She greatly regi-etted this, as her mistress 
 had charged her to give him a few copper coins ; she there- 
 fore closed the door, and hastened to set the supper before 
 her lilla. At the table the charitable lady expressed her 
 joy at having reheved a man in a starving condition, and 
 felt very sorry at his abiTipt departure, by which he lost the 
 trifle which might have procured him a small loaf. 
 
 " But," said she, " so it was destined ; Allah will console 
 him and provide for him in another way." 
 
 Supper being ended, the servant was busy setting things in 
 order and locking up the house, while her mistress retired to
 
 126 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 her bed-chamber ; and when the negress brought her the 
 keys, as was her custom, the lady was nearly asleep, and was 
 only aroused by the opening of the door; but great was 
 her surprise when she beheld the poor black girl standing 
 motionless and terrified. 
 
 " What ails thee, Mabroka ? " she asked. " May it please 
 Allah to prevent all evil from approaching us. Tell me what 
 has occurred ? Why hesitate to hand me the keys ? " 
 
 For some minutes not a word of reply could she obtain 
 from her servant ; at last Mabroka answered, — 
 
 " Inshallah [with the aid of Allah] evil will be kept far 
 from us. I only felt a slight indisposition." 
 
 But by a gesture she pointed to the real cause of her 
 alarm ; from beneath the lady's bed projected part of a 
 glittering sword and a portion of a man's dress, which were 
 foreign to the furniture of the bedroom. Great, indeed, was 
 her consternation at seeing this. Were her husband at her 
 side, she might have mustered some courage ; but now that 
 he was far from her, and was not likely to return for some 
 days, her presence of mind entirely forsook her, and she 
 seemed to become careless about everything ; her only aim 
 being to save her life from the wretch who had thus managed 
 to introduce himself into the house. 
 
 . " You know the old proverb," she exclaimed, " ' Life is 
 better than property.' Take, therefore, all you desire, only, 
 for the sake of Allah, save our lives." 
 
 At these words the villain came forth from his hiding- 
 place : but how greatly were the females astonished when 
 the negress discovered in him the very beggar whom she had 
 but a few hours before relieved ! He had managed to slip in 
 and conceal himself during the short time he was left before 
 the door. 
 
 "I am glad," said he, addressing himself to the terrified 
 lady, " that you know that old proverb. Give me your 
 valuables, and you need apprehend no danger."
 
 CRIME. 127 
 
 With the utmost speed were the coffers opened, and their 
 contents emptied into a large sheet ; indeed, far more was 
 given him than he desired. 
 
 • " Take all, take everything, only lay no hands on us," was 
 the reiterated entreaty of the terrified woman. 
 
 In short, she worked herself into such a state of mind, that 
 she fancied she was under the gi-eatest obhgations to the 
 robber for sparing her life. This she earned to such an 
 extent, that as the man was about leaving with his booty she 
 advised him to remain, because she heard the watchman 
 passing the house ; she even asked him, to prevent his being 
 seized by the police, to remain in the house, and to go about 
 his business very early in the morning, when the city gates 
 were open. To this he readily consented, and only requested 
 to be permitted to sleep near the outer door. The poor 
 females managed to pass the night, with such a companion ia 
 the house, as well as they could. When the time came that 
 he thought he might safely depart with his plunder, he 
 called the servant to unlock the house-door for him. Whilst 
 she was about complying with his request, a thought struck 
 her how she might save her mistress's property, and at the 
 same time hand the daring rogue over to justice. 
 
 Between the outer door and their apartments there was 
 another door which she might easily bolt, and where he 
 would be very safe, whilst from the terrace she might readily 
 call the neighbours to her assistance. There was but little 
 time left for dehberation. Without acquainting her mistress 
 of this sensible resolution, she proceeded boldly to carry it 
 into effect, and succeeded most admirably. The villain was 
 taken like a mouse in a trap ; the neighbours, whom she 
 summoned, managed to get into the house by the roof, or 
 terrace, secured the villain, and handed him over to the 
 proper authorities.
 
 128 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE TABLES TUKNED. 
 
 Ancient Boundaries — Noah's Dog— Inliospitality of the Chawaafed — Pre- 
 cautionary Measures — A Bandit's Fate — Ruins of Hydra — Treasure 
 Seeking — Hydra, the Casa Nigra of Ecclesiastical History — Vestiges of 
 African Christianity — A Mel^e — Its Issue — The Anaya, or Primitive 
 Passport. 
 
 The boundaries between the Numidian territories and 
 those of Carthage Proper are not distinctly defined by 
 ancient writers. At one period, it is evident, that the whole 
 stretch of country from the western frontiers of Cyrenaica to 
 the pillars of Hercules was claimed by the powerful govern- 
 ment of the Phoenician metropolis in Africa. In this vast 
 belt Libya, Numidia, and the Caesarian and Tingitanian 
 Mauritanias are comprised. These territories were bounded 
 on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the south 
 by the Sahra, the outskirts of which were inhabited by 
 the Gsetulians, who likewise acknowledged the sway, and 
 respected the laws, of Carthage. At no time, however, did 
 the Phoenicians exercise absolute, or rather immediate, 
 authority over all the different nations who occupied those 
 territories ; they were considered in strict alliance with 
 Carthage, and were suffered to be governed by their 
 own customs and peculiar laws, Carthage retaining the 
 right of suzerainty. They paid their tribute, and, when 
 required, swelled her armies, and fought under her banner. 
 They stood in the same relationship to the Phoenician
 
 ANCIENT BOUNDAKIES. 129 
 
 government as the Barbary states, previous to the conquest 
 of Algeria by France, stood to the Porte. After Carthage 
 was supplanted by Rome, the old limits were altered, and 
 the boundaries, before not very correctly defined, were abol- 
 ished. And even during the period that Rome swayed the 
 sceptre in Africa, Strabo tells us, "the country has been 
 subject to many changes, having had numerous occupants; 
 and the Romans, at various times, have treated some among 
 them as friends, others as enemies, conceding or taking away 
 territories without observing any established rule." * 
 
 Strabo calls Numidia by the names of the sections into 
 which the nation was divided. The part near Mauritania 
 was the country of the Massaesyli, whose boundary, he says, 
 terminated at the promontory called Tretum, where the 
 territory of the Massyli commenced ; the former belonged to 
 Syphax, and the latter to Massinissa, the son of Gala. In 
 the latter country, the geographer states, was Zama, where 
 king Juba had his palace. He then enumerates among the 
 cities belonging to Juba, — Vaga, Thala, Zama, and Capsa — 
 the modern Baja, Thala, Jama, and Cafsa. Pliny also 
 mentions Sicca and Tabraca, the modem Kef and Tabarca, as 
 to\\Tis of Numidia,"!* and tells us that the river Tusca, the 
 Zaina of the present day, was its boundary. 
 
 From these particulars we are able to define the limits 
 between the Carthaginian and Numidian territories. Com- 
 mencing therefore at the river Zaina, the ancient Tusca, we 
 proceed to draw the boundary line in the direction of Vaga, 
 S.E. of Tabraca, and thence due south to the vicinity of 
 Capsa. From this point Byzacium, or Emporia, forming to- 
 gether with Zeugitania the territory of Carthage Proper, were 
 separated from Numidia by the order of the second Scipio, as 
 Pliny informs us, by a dyke which extended to Thenae,\ some 
 
 * L. xvii. c. iii. § 12. Casaubon's ed. 831. 
 + Hist. Nat. Lib. v. c. 3. 
 1 Ibid.
 
 130 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 ruins of which, according to Shaw, still exist in the vicinity 
 of the modern Sfax, at a small village called Teeny, or as 
 D'Anville spells it, Taineh. Below the dyke, and south of 
 Capsa, and on the outskirts of the great Sahra, commenced the 
 territories of the Gaetuliae, stretching, most probably, to the 
 vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean ; but the precise line where 
 their dominions began and terminated cannot be ascertained. 
 
 In " Carthage and her Remains," I have noticed the Numi- 
 dian cities of Vacca, Zama, Sicca, &c. ; and in the present 
 journey we must have passed close by Bulla Regia, and 
 perhaps stood upon its ruins, but we have not been able 
 to identify its site. It was four days' journey S.W. of 
 Carthage, and stood on a tributary of the Bagrada. Its 
 importance is not so great on account of its having been 
 a royal city as its having formed one of the points of 
 Ptolemy's recorded astronomical observations. A^ccording 
 to that author, it was two hours to the west of Alexandria, 
 and the duration of its longest day was fourteen hours and 
 one-eighth. 
 
 After Bulla Regia, Thala, already in the heart of Numidia, 
 was a city of eminence, and is particularly noticed by ancient 
 writers. The ruins which next attract our attention are those 
 of Hydra, not moje than about twelve, or fifteen, miles 
 S.W. from Thala. But the unanimous opinion of all to 
 whom we spoke on the subject was, that to visit Hydra was 
 a dangerous undertaking, and most persons endeavoured 
 to dissuade us from proceeding in that direction. Our minds 
 were however made up, and we were prepared to encounter 
 all hazards. This resolution having been communicated to 
 the governor, he sent a message to us expressing his regret, 
 that being obliged to proceed south to meet the Bey of the 
 camp, he was unable to visit us ; but he informed us that he 
 had requested the haleefa, or Khaleefa, to accompany us to 
 Hydra ; he likewise sent a trusty servant, who was instructed 
 to remain with us so long as we required him.
 
 NOAH'S DOG. 131 
 
 Notwithstanding this addition to our force, our hamhas 
 manifested unmistakeable symptoms of fear, not only from 
 lawless borderers, but from wild animafs, with which the 
 vicinity of Hydra is said to abound. A report had reached 
 us that an enormous lion had been killed there only two 
 days before ; and this report was not only now confirmed by 
 the governor's messenger, but Machfood had actually been to 
 see a poor fellow who took a prominent part in the hunt, and 
 who had his arm broken in his conflict with the monstrous 
 brute. The only satisfaction he had was that of giving the 
 death-blow to the animal ; for as the lion stood over him, 
 grinding his left arm, he had the adroitness, and presence of 
 mind, to dig a dagger into his throat, to the very hilt, with 
 the right hand. 
 
 W^iilst conversing with the lialeefa on the particulars of 
 this hunt, I recognised in him an old fi-iend. Sometime 
 before, whilst travelling with the late Basha to Capsa and 
 other cities of Jereed, a present of three young lions was 
 brought to His Highness, and the haleefa accompanied the 
 present. I remember the little brutes well, for I naiTowly 
 escaped falling a victim to them. They were chained before 
 the tent of one of the ministers, and close to my own. On 
 returning one dark night from a visit to the doctor of the 
 expedition, whilst encamped at Beer Elchafai, I had quite 
 forgotten our fierce guard, and walked right into their 
 midst, when a ferocious under-growl fortunately warned me 
 of the danger, and I speedily retraced my steps. 
 
 " But those lions," said Sheikh Ali Ben Abas, the lialeefa, 
 " were nothing compared to the one just killed. He was the 
 largest I have ever seen, and I have taken part in lion hunts 
 very frequently, and have seen numbers at different times. 
 How the creation of Allah has changed ! Who would now 
 guess that the lion was our lord Noah's dog ! " 
 
 " The lion Noah's dog ! what do you mean ? " I asked. 
 
 " Do you then not believe, according to your religion, that 
 
 K 2 •
 
 132 KUINED CITIES. 
 
 the lion was originally the prophet Noah's dog?" he inquired 
 in his turn. 
 
 " Our religion teaches nothing of the kind," I replied. 
 
 " Our religions, then, differ vastly," said the haleefa, drawing 
 a deep sigh, no doubt in compassion of my ignorance. " We 
 believe," he continued, " what I told you, and all that is left 
 of the lion's original nature is his understanding." 
 
 " Then you really believe that the lion understands ? " 
 I asked. 
 
 " Understands ! " he ejaculated, " most decidedly. Have I 
 not seen, with my own eyes, an Aisawy lead one, large and 
 fierce, by a simple cord round his neck ? And could this 
 have been done if the lion had not understood the holy 
 sentence from the Goran, with which the Aisawy restrained 
 the bnite's ferocious nature ? " 
 
 " Surely not," answered several of the faithful present, and 
 this strange conversation dropped. 
 
 By 8 "30 a.m. we were again fairly en route, having left 
 the Thalians amidst their grave-stones, emblematic of their 
 moral deadness, with no regret. At a short distance from 
 the town we came upon ruins, chiefly the foundations of what 
 appears to have baen a place of no mean extent. We then 
 entered a barren plain, presenting here and there patches of 
 cultivation which scarcely promised to repay the labour of 
 tillage. This plain contains the remains of several Roman 
 stations, and extends to a wild and undulating district, broken 
 by ravines and beds of winter torrents, partly covered by a 
 variety of fantastic and grotesque, but mostly leafless, trees of 
 a moderate size, and chequered by spruce pine. 
 
 Beyond this the country assumes a more even, more gentle, 
 and less wild aspect. On entering upon this, we have to our 
 right a cluster of beautiful fig-trees, which adorn the resting 
 place of a Moslem saint ; and before approaching the hills to 
 the left, by which the whole district which we traversed is 
 bounded, we passed several monuments of violence and
 
 INHOSPITALITY OF THE CHAWAAFED. 133 
 
 murder. Piles of stones proclaim that beneath them repose 
 the remains of those who have fallen victims to the avarice, 
 the malice, or the revenge of their fellow-men. 
 
 Not far from the cluster of fig-trees, and a little to the 
 right of the road, stands a square, ancient building, not very- 
 large, but of solid construction. About five feet of its original 
 wall still remain, and the superstructure is evidently the 
 work of Ai-abs, by whom it must have been hastily run up, in 
 some emergency, when it served as a place of defence. We 
 could trace no entrance to this building. It has the ajDpear- 
 ance of a large mausoleum, and we concluded that it must 
 have had an upper storey where the door was, and when the 
 dead were deposited, a temporary staircase was, in all proba- 
 bility, erected to give access to the mournful procession. 
 Among the remains we observed no ornaments that possessed 
 either beauty or elegance, but in the upper portion of the 
 wall, the work of a more recent and barbarous people, we 
 noticed fragments of sarcophagi, and on a reversed stone we 
 found inscription No. 23. And from another stone, placed 
 in one of the angles of the cementless portion of the wall, I 
 copied No. 24.* 
 
 This ruin stands about half-way between Tliala and Hydra, 
 and is called by the natives Hansheevf Kokaash. 
 
 Leaving this place, we continued our march, (the road 
 partly running along the gentle declivities, and partly at the 
 base of picturesque hills) and reached Hydra at noon. But 
 just as we came in sight of these imposing ruins we were 
 met by Belgasem, or Belgaasem, the governor's confidential 
 servant, who informed the haleefa that "nothing can be 
 obtained from the cut-throats of Chaiuaafed" the name of 
 an offshoot of the Maajer Arabs, who encamp near Hydra. 
 
 " Do they absolutely refuse everything ? " asked the lieu- 
 
 * See Appendix, No. I. 
 
 + The name HaiisTieer is applied to estates in general, but particularly to 
 those which contain ruins.
 
 134 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 tenant-governor, wlio was unable to conceal the surprise 
 which the message had occasioned. 
 
 " Everything," answered Belgaasem, emphatically, suiting 
 expressive gestures to his reply. 
 
 " But do they know that I am coming with these 
 strangers ? " the haleefa inquired again. 
 
 " They do, but that makes little or no difference ; for if the 
 Chawaafed refuse hospitality to me, they are not likely to be 
 more favourable to you." 
 
 In this answer Belgaasem had no intention of being rude 
 towards his superior. He simply based his priority of claim 
 upon his intimacy with these lawless Arabs, with whom he 
 was formerly associated ; and this the haleefa thoroughly 
 understood. 
 
 The two consulted for a few moments, and the messenger 
 again started off, at full speed, in the direction of a moun- 
 tain, from the brow of which we perceived the cm-ling blue 
 smoke of an encampment. Wishing Belgaasem success, we 
 proceeded in search of a place for pitching our tents, and 
 found a lovely spot, well adapted for our purpose, near the 
 ponderous walls to the N.W. of the citadel. 
 
 In less than an hour not only were our canvas homes 
 erected, our horses picketed, and everything put into prim 
 shape and order, but our wonderful factotum. Said, had con- 
 trived to supply us with a capital breakfast. We now com- 
 menced our rambles over these extensive ruins, occupying 
 some five or six miles in circumference. Every vestige of 
 antiquity we meet with at Hydra tends to show that here 
 stood a city of considerable importance as well as of opulence. 
 We have at this place original Numidian remains, forming 
 parts of Roman Pagan edifices, and Christian churches con- 
 structed of materials which once belonged to those of Pagan 
 temples. But we were not long in inspecting these ruins 
 when the rain, which had been threatening some hours, 
 began to descend, and drove us back to our tents.
 
 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. 1«5 
 
 Here we found Sheikh Ali, the haleefa, in a very gloomy- 
 mood. His messenger? Belgaasem, had returned with an 
 insolent message from the Ai-abs^ who refused to send us 
 supplies. 
 
 " What are we now to do ? " he asked me ; " you see those 
 vagabonds defy my authority." 
 
 I was not prepared to answer this question, bnt when 
 Belgaasem stated his deliberate opinion that nothing would 
 be obtained from these Arabs since he was unsuccessful, I 
 began to feel uneasy about our horses, for they were always 
 my first consideration. I therefore requested Sadek, the 
 janissar}'-, and one of our hamhas, to proceed to the nearest 
 encampment and bring barley, either upon the terms of the 
 Basha's " order," or for money, with which I provided them. 
 But they were unsuccessful, and returned with a sorry tale 
 of having been ejected fi'om a tent, and mercilessly handled, 
 by the women from whom they attempted to force a bag of 
 barley. 
 
 The rain continued to descend in torrents, and hence I was 
 compelled to act through the agency at my disposal. I sent 
 some of our men to the same encampment, and with them 
 Hamed the Sanctimonious, who was a moderate scholar, and 
 requested him to take down the names of some of the people, 
 and return without saying a single word either about barley 
 or provisions. 
 
 This simple manoeuvre was followed by the desired result. 
 Those who had nothing to lose cared nothing about it, but 
 those who possessed property feared that we should bring a 
 formal complaint against them ; and as the Bey of the camp 
 was just then, with an army, a few days' distance from Hydra, 
 they dreaded the consequences. Towards evening, whilst we 
 were engaged in inspiring the whole vicinity of these plun- 
 dering Arabs with respect by discharging our revolvers and 
 our guns, making an aggregate of about thirty barrels, and 
 whilst the reports were re-echoed by the neighbouring hills
 
 im RUINED CITIES. 
 
 and ravines, one man made his appearance with a bag of 
 barley. Soon after another came with a little more. One 
 brought a supper for our men, and another came with a 
 present of a lamb, entreating us, at the same time, not to 
 complain of them. Among those who brought these 
 donations, there was one named Amra Ben Mohammed, but 
 who was particularly anxious to be recognised as cho El- 
 chasnawi (the brother of Chasnawi) — an Arab well known 
 to the lialeefa, but whose fame he did not consider of 
 sufficient interest to communicate to us. This brother of 
 Chasnawi was a -most miserable specimen of humanity — 
 evidently half an idiot — and so alarmed and terrified was 
 he, that it took some minutes before he was fully assured 
 that we had no evil designs against him. He promised to 
 bring us everything we required, but not one of the things he 
 promised made its appearance. Indeed, he became so in- 
 tolerable, that we were glad when he left us to ourselves ; 
 but this he did only for short intervals, always returning with 
 some incoherent story about murderers, thieves, and lions. 
 We attempted to persuade him to return to his encampment, 
 but in vain, for he resolved to remain with us, " to guard 
 us," as he said ; and with us he remained the Whole night. 
 
 Our men, our horses, and ourselves, had to content our- 
 selves upon very short commons ; and for these we were 
 thankful, for what we received was, after all, unexpected. 
 
 By discharging our guns and pistols we gave ample 
 warning to mischievously disposed man, conveying to him, in 
 an unmistakeable manner, a message of the kind of reception 
 that awaited him if he ventured to encroach upon our 
 quarters. We now set to work to take precautions against 
 the intrusion of the lion. Close to us was a ruin which had, 
 to all appearance, been very recently inhabited — probably by 
 some Algerine chief. The wooden rafters and planks, as well 
 as portions of trees which had formed the roof, were still 
 there, and upon these I fixed as suitable materials for a large
 
 A BANDIT'S FATE. 137 
 
 fire. We were free to do as we pleased, and therefore ordered 
 these combustibles to be collected into one vast pile before 
 our tents. At sunset we ignited it, and soon a tremendous 
 blaze illuminated the majestic ruins, and not only changed 
 the intense darkness in our immediate vicinity into the 
 brilliancy of daylight, but it served to thaw our benumbed 
 limbs, and seemed particularly acceptable to our shivering 
 and wet horses, picketed quite close to it. 
 
 " Do you hear the roar of the lion ? " asked the brother of 
 Chasnawi, as I was standing near the fire with an umbrella 
 over my head, warming and sheltering myself, at the same 
 time, from the heavy rain. 
 
 " No, nor do you," I replied. 
 
 "What ! " he exclaimed, in astonishment, "you don't hear 
 the terrific roar of the arch infidel ? Ah ! my ear is accustomed 
 to him. Si Ali, Si Ah," he appealed to the haleefa, "the 
 Nazarene says he does not hear that son of a dog, the yellow 
 monster. You, Si Ali, you hear him, do you not, Si Ali ?" 
 
 But " Si Ali " took no notice of the brother of Chasnawi, 
 having been bored by him ever since his arrival. 
 
 I afterwards leamt that " the brother of Chasnawi " was 
 some years before connected with a gang of marauders. 
 Being informed, by scouts, of the approach of a party of tra- 
 vellers, the gang proceeded to waylay them, taking up their 
 station on high ground covered by trees, and at a short 
 distance from the road. As the expected party of travelling 
 merchants was large, the band of robbers dispersed themselves 
 over a good deal of ground, in order to make their intended 
 victims believe that they were more numerous than was 
 really the case. Everyone took his post, and " the brother of 
 Chasnawi,". then a light-hearted and nimble youth, selected a 
 position beneath a large tree, on an eminence, from which he 
 had an extensive view of the plain beneath, through which 
 the road to the mountain pass led. But the day passed 
 away, the sun set, and yet there was no sign of the merchants
 
 138 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 approaching. The band was, however, bent upon their prey, 
 and resolved not to leave. Such reliance had they in the 
 information from their scouts, that they felt convinced that 
 they should secure a rich booty. They were encouraged in 
 this resolution because they had learnt that shortly before 
 several caravans, laden with valuable merchandise, and con- 
 ducted by expert guides, had taken advantage of the night 
 and passed this stronghold unmolested. The rais (captain) 
 now ordered his men to a gap in the hill, just above the 
 road, but left " the brother of Chasnawi " at the place he had 
 himself selected, considering it eligible, for from it the youth 
 might easily hear the sound of the . horses' hoofs in the 
 distance, and give timely warning to his companions. But 
 the youthful bandit, overcome by the requirements of nature, 
 soon after fell asleep, and when he awoke he found himself in 
 the jaws of a large lion, by whom he was dragged over the 
 gi'ound in a frightful manner. His heartrending, and ago- 
 nising, screams summoned his companions to the spot, and it 
 was not till they had lodged several bullets in the animal's 
 body that he let go his hold. The poor fellow's back was 
 awfully mangled and lacerated, and on examination it was 
 found that a bullet had also entered his left arm. 
 
 " But marvellous to relate," continued the narrator of the 
 above, " from the time of this accident ' the brother of 
 Chasnawi' became a changed man. The infidel lion be- 
 Jcodrat Allah [by the power AllaJi] transformed a bandit 
 into a dervish — a saint ! He is now quite harmless, but 
 always talks of lions, bandits, and murderers. He is per- 
 fectly careless about his personal appearance, and in summer 
 and in winter wears the same red jibhah." 
 
 And that red jibhah (a kind of shirt) must have been his 
 close, and intimate, companion for the last ten years at least ! 
 But Moslem saints have generally an aversion to cleanliness, 
 so that in respect of his personal appearance, and aberration of 
 mind, " the brother of Chasnawi " is a real, and veritable saint.
 
 RUINS OF HYDRA. 139 
 
 As we knew that such bands of robbers had still their 
 haunts in our immediate vicinity, we took the precaution of 
 placing a sentinel to guard us, who was relieved every two ' 
 hours during the night ; and having placed our guns within 
 reach, and the revolvers beneath our pillows, we retired to rest. 
 
 Very early on the following morning we commenced a 
 more minute examination of the ruins of Hydra. Passing by 
 the citadel we crossed over the Waad Hydra, and found on 
 the other side, not far from the banks of the river, what has 
 the appearance of a small triumphal arch, mth niches, but 
 which seems to have been a gate leading to the necropolis, 
 for to the west of it we found a number of grave-stones, 
 most of which bore the usual inscriptions. Many of these 
 stones had the shape of a section of a water-cask, cut through 
 long^vays, and some had only one, some two, and several had 
 three inscriptions. Near the arch I found on a stone, which 
 must have belonged to it, these letters of a large size, 
 TIM BRA, and on a fragment near it, ML. 
 
 From the heights beyond the necropolis, which is south of 
 the citadel, we obtain a complete view of the whole extent of 
 Hydra, and one is really charmed vnth the loveliness of the 
 situation of this town, and the imposing character of its 
 ruins. But what must it have been in the days of its glory, 
 when its gorgeous temples, stately triumphal arches, magni- 
 ficent porticos, graceful monuments, were entire, and when 
 its elegant private and public edifices were thronged by a 
 busy, active, and gay population : when these charming hills 
 and those lovely dales, instead of being barren, were fruitful, 
 and covered with clusters of grapes and waving corn ; when 
 this delicious stream, instead of wasting itself in the desert, 
 was used for the iiTigation of delightful gardens and planta- 
 tions, — what must it have been then, when in its ruins even 
 it presents such an imposing grandeur ? 
 
 Descending from the heights we proceeded towards the 
 mausoleum which stands to the S.E. of the grand triumphal
 
 140 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 arch. It is a two-storeyed structure, the upper one of which 
 opens to the east, and is ornamented by four graceful Corin- 
 * thian cohimns. Beneath these there was a long inscription, 
 but it is so defaced that I could only decipher a few letters.* 
 The object which now attracts our attention is the 
 triumphal arch, — a very imposing and elegant piece of archi- 
 tecture of the Corinthian order, but unfortunately partly 
 encased in masonry. It appears to have been enclosed in a 
 large square building erected at a later period (probably the 
 Vandal), when it must have been used as a place of defence. 
 These walls, are, however, now gradually crumbling away, and 
 the arch is beginning to stand forth in all its gTace and 
 beauty. It is adorned by four Corinthian columns, and as 
 many pilasters. Its extreme breadth is forty-eight feet, and 
 the span of the arch is nineteen feet, while in thickness it 
 measures twelve feet. The height, owing to the accumulation 
 of stones by which the arch is encumbered, cannot be ascer- 
 tained. The columns are two feet four inches in diameter, 
 and the leng-th of the capital two feet seven inches. This 
 monument bears a very legible inscription (No. 26) on its 
 architrave ; and on the outer wall to the left of this inscrip- 
 tion, is the fragment given in the Appendix under No. 27. 
 
 At the northern angle of the same waU we have on one 
 stone these letters — BICIID ; and on a reversed stone near it, 
 the word — severi. 
 
 Leaving this arch of Severus, and proceeding in a north- 
 westerly dii'ection, we find, "among a number of other ruins, 
 that of a small Christian church. It is only twenty-seven feet 
 by eleven, and is built of much older materials. Towards 
 the S.W. it has two entrances to which access is given by 
 semicircular steps. Inside it had two rows of fluted columns, 
 which evidently once decorated a different building. Some 
 of these are still standing. At the doors are two much 
 
 * See Appendix I. inscription 25.
 
 RUINS OF HYDRA. 141 
 
 thicker than the rest, measuring five feet two inches in 
 circumference, whilst the base of their capitals are no more 
 than three feet nine inches. At the N.E. end are the 
 remains of a thin wall which separates a space of seven feet 
 from the nave. This answers to the rood-screen or rood- 
 lofts of both the ancient Eastern and Western chui-ches, 
 introduced in imitation of the Adytum. (khvTov) of Pagan 
 temples, or of the " Holy of Holies " of the sacred edifice of 
 •the Hebrews in their Theocratic capital. In the walls I 
 observed several Pagan grave-stones, some reversed ; and in 
 a pit close to the separated portion, evidently 
 dug by Arabs who were in search of treasure, I 
 found this monogram — " Christ, the beginning 
 and the end^' which in itself stamps the cha- 
 racter of the building. 
 
 Not far from this church, but after passing a kind of 
 hollow way, and nearly facing the citadel, we have the 
 remains of a very extensive edifice, whose magnitude, how- 
 ever, sui-passed its solidity. Judging from its remains, this 
 seems to have been a magnificent structure, but what purpose 
 it served it is difficult even to conjecture. It is one hundred 
 and seventy-eight feet six inches in length by one hundred 
 and seventy-four feet three inches in width. Its portico, facing 
 the river, was forty feet in width, and it was ornamented by 
 a number of beautiful Corinthian columns, whose fractured 
 fluted shafts and graceful capitals are now intermingled with 
 the other fallen ruins. A gallery, eighteen feet wide, sur- 
 rounded this building. The foundations of one hall, measur- 
 ing seventy-four feet by fifty-nine, are distinctly traced, 
 and in these I noticed a peculiarity which I have not 
 noticed elsewhere. A groove cut with great precision, and 
 about two inches in width by three in depth, runs round 
 the whole foundation, which seems to show that its super- 
 structure was of wood. This may likewise have served the 
 pui-pose of enlarging the hall, by taking in, at option, the
 
 142 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 outer gallery which would give to it a length of upwards of 
 one hundred feet, and a proportionate breadth. 
 
 Near this building our attention is attracted to two lofty 
 columns, which apparently belonged to the portico of a 
 temple, of which, however, only shapeless masses of ruins, and 
 some foundations, are the principal remains. Contiguous to 
 these we have the remains of a palace, built of the same 
 materials as the temple — soft, but very white and compact 
 limestone. These two structures have the appearance oi^ 
 greater antiquity than any of the other extant remains of 
 Hydra. Beside subten'anean vaults and chambers there are 
 still portions of very massive walls of the palace standing, and 
 one of these walls contains five large windows. 
 
 West of these edifices we come upon • another Christian 
 church, whose dimensions and form it is more difficult to 
 trace, though from its vast pile of remains it is easy to see 
 that it was of considerable size. This church is built accord- 
 ing to the cardinal points of the compass, and principally 
 from the remains of more ancient structures. A vast number 
 of Pagan sepulchral stones likewise formed component parts of 
 its walls, and those are now mingled with the other materials 
 of this once sacred edifice. From one of those monuments 
 I copied the inscription No. 28. 
 
 The citadel itself is in the form of an oblong square, 
 measuring seven hundred and twenty-six feet in length, by 
 three hundred and sixty-seven in width, and stands on the left 
 bank of the river, as, indeed, the gi'eater portion of the city 
 does. It had three gates, one to the east, another to the west, 
 and the third to the south. Near the last gate there are the 
 remains of a bridge, that spanned the river which flows in an 
 easterly direction. The walls are very massive, and the 
 greatest portion of them are still in excellent preservation. 
 Within the citadel are the ruins of several other buildings, 
 one of which has the appearance of a small temple, and it 
 stands nearly in the centre. Attached to the western wall stood
 
 TREASURE-SEEKING. 143 
 
 another sacred edifice which I am inclined to believe was a 
 Christian chapel. It faces the east, and its ruins show that 
 it was richly decorated. Here are shafts of green and yellow 
 marble, and very graceful Corinthian capitals. Within this 
 citadel are likewise traces of Arab hovels, which were erected 
 by those who fled to this part from the French conquerors of 
 Algeria. During the occupation of this stronghold by the 
 fugitive Moslems, they seemed to have exercised their skill in 
 treasure-seeking, but with what success I am, of course, unable 
 to say. In different parts I found traces of their labours, and 
 in one place particularly the poor fellows have dug to a 
 considerable depth. 
 
 To this morbid desire for gold, and to the foolish belief that 
 wherever ruins are, there gold is likewise to be found, I 
 ascribe much of the devastation, and havoc, which we meet 
 Avith amidst these ancient cities. This unfortunate belief is 
 not confined to the poor Arabs of the interior. It extends to 
 those in high, life, but who are equally low in point of educa- 
 tion. At the very time I was rambling amidst these ruined 
 cities, the prime minister, in whom all power, civil, political, 
 and even ecclesiastical is concentrated, employed a number of 
 men, in a different part of the country, in digging for treasure ; 
 but with what success remains yet to be seen, for the excava- 
 tion is, I believe, still continued. Lead, copper, silver, and 
 even gold mines are found in these territories, some of which 
 I pointed out to that all-powerful individual, who has in his 
 hands the destinies of two millions of people, whose autocrat, 
 in the full sense of the word, he is ; but instead of turning the 
 natural resources of the country to account, he is influenced 
 by Morockeen charmers, European charlatans, and a host of 
 saints, or pious idiots. But what else can be expected 
 from a Greek renegade, a Mamlook premier, and a Mamlook 
 government ? 
 
 The citadel was also supplied with cisterns and with a variety 
 of buildings of which the shapeless ruins now alone remain.
 
 Hi RUINED CITIES. 
 
 West of the citadel, and in the direction of Tebessa, there 
 is another very beautiful mausoleum of a heptagon form, and 
 in excellent preservation. It stands on the edge of a stream, 
 a tributary of the Waad Hydra, and near it are the remains 
 of another bridge. The street which leads to, or rather 
 passes this relic of antiquity (for it can be traced in the town 
 also), is broad and well paved, and the stones, some five or six 
 feet long, and about three broad, are disposed in the same 
 manner as those in the streets of some of the Tuscan cities, 
 of Pisa, for example. This street was flanked by graceful 
 little columns of red marble, surmounted by Corinthian 
 capitals. In the vicinity of the mausoleum, and in the bed 
 of the stream, are found a number of octagon pilasters, which 
 may have belonged to the bridge. 
 
 Besides these remains there are numerous other ruins at 
 Hydra. To the N.W. of the large triumphal arch stood a 
 theatre, of which, however, portions of the stage alone now 
 exist. It was not very large, nor has it any trages of peculiar 
 beauty. Near the large church we also meet other ruined 
 edifices, and west of the citadel there are more. Indeed, a 
 vast variety of friezes, capitals, shafts, and other ornamental 
 architectural remains are dispersed over a circumference of 
 some five miles, the extent which the city occupied. 
 
 Hydra is by Shaw supposed to be the Tynidrum, or Thu- 
 nudronum of the ancients ; but this it cannot be, for this 
 town is only a few minutes west of Sicca, whereas Tynidrum 
 was, according to Ptolemy, 2° westward of that city. 
 
 My own opinion is, that the Arabs have retained the 
 original Phoenician, or Numidian, name of this town, which, 
 during the Roman occupation of the country, had been sup- 
 planted by a Latin one. I believe that these ruins are those 
 of Casa Nigra, better known in ecclesiastical history from its 
 having been the bishopric of Donatus, by whose name 
 the factious party which opposed the election of Felix to the 
 bishopric of Carthage was called. At the Council of
 
 VESTIGES OF AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY. U5 
 
 Carthage, convened principally on account of this schism, there 
 were present no less than 286 bishops of the " orthodox" party, 
 and 279 of the Donatists. St. Augustine was the leader on the 
 side of the former, and Petilianus on that of the latter. The 
 whole controversy was conducted under the presidency of 
 Flavins Marcellinus, who represented the Emperor Honorius. 
 The inscription No. 29, which I found among a heap of ruins 
 to the west of the citadel, and not more than one hundred 
 paces from the large church, has, I believe, reference to the 
 result of that famous council. 
 
 This relic of African Christian antiquities, on which the 
 name of the famous Numidian primate occurs, ought to 
 justify the supposition that the ruins of Hydra are those of 
 the city in which he exercised his more immediate episcopate 
 — Casa Nigt-a. But I have, moreover, to observe that the 
 modern name seems to be a translation of part of the Roman, 
 Hydra, or more correctly Khydra, signifies " a dwelling," and 
 so does Casa. This greatly confirms what may, after all, only 
 be regarded as a well-grounded conjecture. 
 
 So complete was the extirpation of Christianity in Africa, 
 by the Moslem conquerors, that, with the exception of some 
 sepulchral lamps which I dug up at Carthage, and which 
 bore the sign of the cross, the ruined churches of Hydra 
 present the most important monuments of the terrible wreck 
 which the religion of the Prophet of Nazareth sustained 
 on these shores. But how insignificant even are they when 
 we recollect that, according to the Notitia, there were at 
 one time in North Africa no less than six hundred episcopal 
 sees ! 
 
 There is only one more vestige of Christianity which, in a 
 marvellous way, has been preserved by some of the Arab 
 tribes — by the Cabyles, or Kabyles, who inhabit the range, 
 and outskirts, of the Atlas, and by the Twaareg, who claim a 
 gi-eat portion of the Sahara, or Sahra, for their inheritance 
 and of which they are the absolute m^j^ters. I allude to the
 
 U6 KUINED CITIES. 
 
 use of the cross among these people. It is generally tattooed, 
 sometimes on the cheeks or on the forehead, and sometimes 
 on the arms or palms of the hand of the men, but oftener of 
 the women. What is also remarkable is, that the Twaareg 
 have the front of the saddle which they use on the WAJihri 
 (the swift dromedary) in the shape of a cross to this day. 
 Now, I do not think such a symbol could have been adopted 
 accidentally. It must be a mystical religious representation 
 which was at one time common throughout the country, and 
 which has either escaped the notice of the Mohammedan 
 emissaries, or it was so deeply engrafted* on the minds of the 
 people that it defied the efforts of the propagators of the 
 religion of the prophet of Mecca, and has thus been pre- 
 served to the present day. It has been conjectured that the 
 Vandals, on their invasion of Africa, freed all those natives 
 from the burden of certain taxes on condition that they 
 embraced Christianity ; and that it was arranged that they 
 should make known their faith by marking the cross on 
 their persons, and hence the practice became universal. 
 
 But the introduction of the sign of the cross among the 
 inhabitants of Africa is not of Vandal origin, for, judging from 
 the opinions which the Fathers of the African Church enter- 
 tained of this symbol of the Christian religion, it must have 
 been common long before the hordes of northern barbarians 
 exercised their injurious power on this continent. Already, 
 in the second century, we find TertuUian express himself in 
 these terms on this subject : — "Whenever we move, when we 
 enter and go out ; in dressing, in washing ; at table, when we 
 retire to rest ; during conversation — we impress on our fore- 
 heads the sign of the cross. Should you ask for the Scripture 
 authority for this and such like practices, I answer there is 
 none ; but there is tradition that authorises it, custom that 
 confirms it, submission that observes it." But, in the third 
 century, we find the practice, so thoroughly innocent in itself, 
 already connected with fearful superstition. Lactantius
 
 VESTIGES OF AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY. 147 
 
 "writes — " As Christ, whilst he lived amongst men, put the 
 devils to flight by his word, and restored those to their senses 
 whom those evil spirits had possessed, so now his followers, in 
 the name of their master, and by the sign of his passion, 
 exercise the same dominion over them. The proof is easy : 
 when the idolaters sacrifice to their gods they cannot proceed 
 if a Christian being present he sign his forehead with the 
 cross ; nor can the diviner give his responses. This has often 
 been the cause of the persecution we have undergone. And, 
 in like manner, when some masters were on the point of 
 sacrificing in the presence of their Christian sei-vants, the 
 latter, by making the sign of the cross on the forehead, so 
 frightened away the gods that nothing could be collected 
 from the bowels of the victims." 
 
 The persecution to which Lactantius here alludes is that 
 under the Emperor Diocletian, who appears to have been 
 naturally very much addicted to superstition. Failing in 
 some of his rites of divination it was whispered into the ears 
 of the credulous Emperor, by the advocates and supporters of 
 Paganism, that the failure was entirely attributable to a 
 Christian servant who had made the sign of the cross on 
 Diocletian's forehead. This led to a violent persecution, in 
 which many Christians had to maintain their belief at the 
 expense of their lives. 
 
 But, "with the exception of the practice alluded to, and the 
 existence of the ruins of the churches at Hydra, as well as of 
 one at Carthage and the Basilica of Tebessa ; some sepulchral 
 lamps with the cross, or the well-known primitive Christian 
 monogram, with, or without, the fish or a few Latin inscrip- 
 tions relating to Christian emperors, nothing is found to 
 remind one of the fact that Christianity had once a strong- 
 hold in Africa, and that its bulwarks were defended by 
 eminent champions, such as Tertullian, Cyprian, Lactantius, 
 and Augustine. So thoroughly has the cross here been super- 
 seded by the crescent that, though I have rambled among 
 the ruins of upwards of one hundred cities in Carthaginian 
 
 L 2
 
 148 KUINED CITIES. 
 
 and Numidian territories, I have not been able to discover 
 other vestiges of what was at one period nearly the universal 
 faith of the country. 
 
 But we must now return to our encampment before the 
 citadel of Hydra. 
 
 Upon very scanty rations, in a wet tent, and on damp beds, 
 we managed to pass the night. Our rest was neither dis- 
 turbed by the human, nor brute, foe. The sun rose in all his 
 majestic glory, and our appetites returned with their wonted 
 acuteness. Our horses neighed lustily for their usual morn- 
 ing's repast, and our men grumbled at the absence of their 
 accustomed huge dish of coscoso. We had succeeded, as we 
 thought, in making ourselves respected even among the cut- 
 throats, the Chawaafed, by our determined and resolute 
 conduct, and actually flattered ourselves so far upon our 
 success as to rely upon their reiterated promises to furnish 
 us with abundant supplies in the morning. We now waited 
 for those supplies, and were eveiy moment more and more 
 convinced that we were again doomed to disappointment. 
 Neither barley nor provisions, no, nor even any of the Cha- 
 waafed, made their appearance. 
 
 This was a very serious afifau', for we had a journey before 
 us the precise distance of which we could not ascertain with 
 any degree of exactness, so conflicting were the reports ; but 
 all agreed in the statement that we had to pass through a 
 district occupied by hostile Arabs — borderers who defied the 
 laws of the " Prince of the Faithful," and those of the " Un- 
 believers" alike. Among those Arabs there was, therefore, 
 no hope of having our wants satisfied. 
 
 We were thrown upon our o^vn resources ; for the Khaleefa 
 and the hanfibas confessed their inability to assist us. Our 
 horses were at all time our first consideration, and as there was 
 a fine barley field a little below the citadel, we sent our hungiy 
 horses into it. The poor animals revelled in the nutritious 
 pasture ; but they were not long in it before they were 
 furiously assailed, with stones, by a couple of men who had
 
 A MELfiE. 149 
 
 hitherto been concealed among the ruins, and mercilessly 
 driven over huge heaps and masses of masonry, and, being 
 tethered, at the risk of breaking their legs. We all shouted 
 to the fellows to desist, but they paid no attention to us, and 
 persevered in driving the horses out of the field. One, a 
 good baggage-horse, fell on a pile of ruins, from which he 
 could»not rise, and the Arabs, in spite of the entreaties of our 
 people, who were running in order to help him up, con- 
 tinued to pelt the animal with stones. 
 
 We were now in for it, but we resolved to get triumphantly 
 out of this mess. To have given in at this juncture would have 
 been a very imprudent, if not a dangerous, policy ; for the 
 Arabs would have set us down at once as cowards, and would 
 not only have demanded heavy damages, for trespassing, but 
 they would have j)lundered and otherwise illtreated us. The 
 report of our cowardice would likewise have preceded our 
 future movements, and we should have been considered as fit, 
 and legitimate, objects of pillage among the rapacious repre- 
 sentatives of the ancient Numidians. We, therefore, ordered 
 the two assailants to be brought to our tents. 
 
 These two fellows attempted some resistance when our 
 hamhas laid hands on them, and, when forced to yield, they 
 set up a terrible yell, the nature of which we did not then 
 understand. But scarcely were they secured as prisoners in 
 one of the tents than two other Arabs, mounted on excellent 
 horses, came galloping towards us, evidently in answer to the 
 mysterious summons ; at a distance we observed two more 
 horsemen and about a dozen on foot hastening after them. 
 
 We were not quite prepared to engage so large a force, and, 
 indeed, I fully believe, had the enemy commenced hostilities 
 there would have been, out of our whole party of nine, only 
 two, or at the utmost three, who would have shoAvn pluck. 
 We had, therefore, to secure a victory without coming to blows. 
 
 No sooner did the first party amve than their horses were 
 seized by the bridles and the riders peremptorily ordered to 
 dismount, which order being backed by significant, and
 
 150 RUINED CITTES. 
 
 resolute, gestures with a revolver was instantly obeyed. The 
 next party met with the same reception and with the same 
 result. The four were then conducted into our temporary 
 prison, the entrance to which was guarded by Sadek and 
 Said with loaded guns in their hands. Having thus disposed 
 of the cavahy, we now prepared to combat the infantry, 
 armed with dabooses, sticks with a thick band of iron .coiled 
 round one end, about four, or five, inches in depth. This 
 weapon is not only very economical, but very effective, and 
 that not merely in administering deadly blows when in close 
 contact, but it is hurled so dexterously, and with such pre- 
 cision, that I have seen hares brought down with them at a 
 distance of upwards of a hundred yards ! 
 
 But, fortunately, before these forces were 'sufficiently near, 
 our prisoners began to apprehend serious consequences 
 from their dismal situation, and proposed a parley. To this 
 we consented, on condition that the treaty of peace should be 
 concluded without the interference of the advancing forces. 
 The reason we assigned why they should not participate in 
 the preliminaries was to avoid unnecessary vociferation, 
 whereas we had also another motive for the suggestion, and 
 that was to avoid coming in collision with those whose metal 
 we had not yet tried. Our proposal was agreed to. One 
 of the prisoners, at his own request, was led out of the tent, 
 and, having made a signal to the infantry to halt, ordered 
 them to remain near the ruins of the larofe church. 
 
 The question of trespass was not mentioned, and, there- 
 fore, not discussed. We were simply asked upon what con- 
 dition we would agree to a peace. We replied that we were 
 willing to release four of the prisoners if they consented to 
 comply with the government " order," and forthwith supplied 
 us with all we stood in need of, and with which they 
 had hitherto refused to furnish us even for money. . 
 
 "And what will you do with our other two friends?" they 
 inquired with great solicitude. 
 
 "They shall be sent, bound as they are, to the Caid
 
 ITS ISSUE. 151 
 
 (the governor). The Khaleefa will take charge of them," was 
 the answer. 
 
 " And if we do not agree to your condition, what will you 
 then do?" asked the oldest among them. 
 
 " We shall in that case take you all to the governor and 
 leave you to his mercy." 
 
 "May Allah mollify your ire!" rejoined the same man. 
 "We have, no doubt, justly incurred your displeasure, but 
 you are inclined to be merciful. Remember, therefore, the 
 natural perverseness of Arabs and liberate us all. We will 
 then supply you with all you require, and merchahahek [you 
 are welcome] to be our guests, and to our hospitality so long 
 as you please, now that we know each other and are friends." 
 
 We demurred, and it was not till the Khaleefa had been 
 entreated by them to intercede, that we consented to comply 
 with our prisoners' requests. But we took care not to restore 
 them to their liberty till they had fulfilled the condition of 
 the treaty. We detained them as hostages, and when the 
 barley, a lamb, bread, eggs, and a coscoso were in our posses- 
 sion the door of our canvas prison was thrown open. 
 
 " Verily," observed the Khaleefa, laughing heartily after the 
 departure of our prisoners, " verily eddonya rtiahloha [the 
 world is turned topsy-turvy]. I can scarcely yet realise what 
 I have seen, and, indeed, had I not been a witness to what 
 you have done, I could not have believed it. You have 
 bearded the lion in his own den." 
 
 I do not make quite so much of this TnMie as the lieutenant- 
 governor did, whose authority the Chawaafed defied ; but I 
 certainly think we " turned the tables " upon these " gentle- 
 men of the road." 
 
 A certain class of people may feel inclined to censure our 
 conduct in this instance. They ought, however, to bear in 
 mind our peculiar situation before they pass their austere judg- 
 ment. We travelled in a country in which we could not have 
 our absolute wants supplied for money. It is on this account 
 that the local government furnished us with an " order "
 
 152 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 which was to secure us protection and our daily supplies of 
 provisions. When this order is allowed to be disregarded, the 
 traveller is reduced to a condition of starvation, and it is not 
 so pleasant a thing to starve, I can tell them, whatever their 
 views on the subject may be. If others can be stoically 
 passive under such circumstances, we, I must confess, had 
 not reached that state of perfection. 
 
 That the government " order," which professes to reimburse 
 all the outlays, and expenses, which may have been incuiTed 
 in entertaining government guests, should have been dis- 
 regarded, and despised, proves either the lawless character of 
 the Chawaafed, or shows the absence of harmony existing 
 between the ruled and the rulers, and the degree of confi- 
 dence which the former repose in the latter. 
 
 Among the mountaineers, the Jebaleah, or Kabyles — the 
 traveller, if su23plied with an "-order," is sure to meet with 
 protection and hospitality, and that " order " is not issued by 
 a constituted authority, but may be, and is, granted by any 
 individual mountaineer. It is properly called Anaya, and 
 consists of a token, such as an article of clothing, a stick, a 
 gun, a dog, a horse, &c., which is known to belong to him 
 who confers it, and who undertakes the safe conduct of the 
 stranger. The Anaya is exhibited at the next station, and 
 the traveller is sure to meet with a cordial welcome. The 
 host now judges whether the token will be serviceable further 
 on ; but if he thinks his own preferable, he supplies his guest 
 mth it, and undertakes to restore the one he brought to its 
 owner. In this manner a stranger can traverse the whole 
 mountain district with perfect security. The most dissolute 
 mountaineer — the highwapnan and the common robber — 
 "s\tI1 respect a stranger who travels with an Anaya, and will 
 not only not molest him, but afford him aid and protection^ 
 The Anaya is sacred and inviolable, and in it not only the 
 honour of the indi^adual who confers it is concerned, but the 
 honour of the whole tribe. No offence would meet with 
 speedier retaliation than the infringement of this passport.
 
 ANAYA, THE PRIMITIVE TASSrOET. 153 
 
 The Anaya of a private individual is respected everywhere; 
 but it will only procure the kind offices of hospitality where 
 he is kno'\\Ti, whereas that of a sheikh will serve the 
 traveller in the entire district over which he presides ; but 
 that of a marahout, a kind of saint or religious chief, will 
 enable the stranger to traverse the whole highlands, not only 
 "without let or hindrance," but it will procure him the 
 highest respect, and secure him the universal favour of the 
 nation. This is, indeed, something like a " Passport." * It is 
 gratuitously bestowed, and is free from all charges of visa 
 and all its silly formality. 
 
 Among the Ai-abs the Aiiiar, or A'nira — the government 
 " order " — is in place of the Anaya of the Kabyles. In Algeria 
 the French have seen the necessity of retaining the ancient 
 practice, and the order from the Bureau Arab is so scrupu- 
 lously respected that the traveller, who is favoured with such 
 an instrument, is sure to meet with a kind reception to what- 
 ever encampment, or tribe, he presents himself. But in the 
 temtories under the jurisdiction of the " Prince of the 
 Faithful," or more coiTectly under that of his Mamlooks, it 
 is the personal bravery and courage of the traveller that must 
 enforce obedience to the mandate, or else he ^vill starve and 
 be exposed to the rapacity of the greedy Ai-ab, fall a victim 
 to the marauder who is driven to adopt the base profession 
 by absolute want, or through the contempt which he enter- 
 tains for his Mamlook rulers, or in imitation of their base 
 system of government. 
 
 * This practice is, I am inclined to believe, of Carthaginian origin. It is 
 another form of the tessera hosjntalis. In the Pcenulus of Plantns, Hanno 
 interchanges the token of hospitality Avith Agorastocles, and it would appear 
 that the Carthaginian merchants always carried such passports with them in 
 their trading journeys to the different countries. They were in the habit of 
 receiving hospitably the sti-angers who visited them, and this gave them a 
 claim for similar treatment whenever they found themselves strangers in 
 foreign parts. A sign, or a token, was agi-eed upon ; and whoever produced 
 that token, was entitled to friendly offices and to hospitality.
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 THE MOSLEM UNDER "NAZAEENE" RULE. 
 
 Our New Companion— Ludicrous Robter Scene — Monuments of Violence — 
 A Veritable Lion — Night March — Sumptuous Supper — Ruins of Teveste 
 — French Conquests in Afiica — Mamlook Government — The Youthful 
 Nimrod. 
 
 It was not till 1'80 p.m. that we found ourselves again in 
 our saddles, and on our way into Frencli Africa. The Khaleefa 
 accompanied us a little way, and during the short time he 
 continued with us he was particularly eloquent upon the 
 merits of one of our guns, informing us also of the insuperable 
 diffioulties which he had in procuring a good weapon. He 
 likewise enlarged upon the generosity of a Nasraani (Naza- 
 rene), who had presented a very similar weapon to an intimate 
 friend of his. But these broad hints were all lost upon us ; 
 we were intentionally dull to avoid giving his under-excellency 
 a flat refusal, since we were only well armed, but had no 
 gun to spare. 
 
 Belgaasem, the governor's confidential servant, remained 
 with us, and undertook to be our guide to Tebessa, This 
 man was one of the most clumsy, and imwieldy, individuals I 
 ever came across, but I never saw one more active and 
 sprightly than he was in the saddle. When on foot he 
 seemed perfectly useless. His legs and his arms appeared 
 quite needless appendages, and whenever he could find an 
 opportunity he invariably squatted down. So soon as his f6et 
 came in contact with mother earth, Belgaasem was like a fish 
 out of the water; but once on his horse, and it was appa-
 
 OUR NEW COMPANION. 155 
 
 rent tliat he was in his natural element ; in his saddle he 
 managed his long gun with an adroitness, and agility, truly 
 surprising. Belgaasem had nothing prepossessing in his 
 appearance, and though he was always ready for a merry 
 laugh, and made repeated attempts at jokes, he had too 
 much of the bandit about him, and was too fond of bragging 
 of his former depredations and acts of violence. His 
 frame was neither powerfully built, nor was his visage pe- 
 culiarly forbidding, so as to inspire terror, and yet Belgaasem 
 had the impress of the assassin about him, of which he 
 neither tried, nor would he have succeeded had he tried, to 
 divest himself. But he promised to be useful, and, travelling 
 as we did in inhospitable regions, we considered him an 
 acceptable acquisition to our party. 
 
 Leaving Hydra, we passed the mausoleum which stands 
 on the side of the paved street, and crossing the rivulet 
 close to it, we entered an extensive plain, scantily culti- 
 vated, notwithstanding its excellent arable soil. At .the 
 western extremity of this plain we passed over a dry bed of 
 one of the tributaries of the Waad Hydra, and then com- 
 menced ascending higher ground which likewise contained a 
 few patches of cultivation. ' 
 
 This high land is bounded, on the right and on the left, 
 by lofty and picturesque mountains, covered with a variety 
 of trees, but none of great size. Among the heights to our 
 right and in the distance, we had the pecuharly shaped 
 table, or truncated, mountain, Kelaat Usnaan' on. which is 
 a tent village of the Oulaad Bogliaanemi Arabs, whose repu- 
 tation is somewhat superior to the Ghawaafed. We then 
 forded again one of the serpentine bends of Waad Hydra, 
 and entered upon the extreme western portions claimed 
 by Tunis. 
 
 Our hanibas had often manifested their want of courage 
 and now, as we were within dreaded territory, their 
 cowardice exposed them to ridicule, and particularly to that
 
 15G EUmED CITIES. 
 
 of Belgaasem. This fellow did everything in his jDower to 
 intimidate our mounted police, and when he had reduced 
 them to a state that they were almost frightened at their 
 own shadows, he set up a merry laugh at their expense. 
 Galloping up to me, the wily ex-bandit asked, — 
 
 " What has become of your hambas ? " 
 
 I looked round for them in order to answer the question, 
 and found Hamed and Machfood, (who were usually either in 
 advance or with the baggage), riding side by side, far in the 
 rear. 
 
 " A fine protection those fellows would prove, in case of an 
 attack," Belgaasem continued. " I wish I had come across 
 such a pair when I roamed freely in these parts, and when I 
 was at liberty to take possession of whatever Allah threw in 
 my way ! Their horses, their guns, their pistols and swords 
 would have realised something. Ah ! but I am, and always 
 have been, like the unlucky sportsman, whose gun was never 
 loaded when the game was within shot, and whenever it was 
 loaded the game was either on the wing, or far beyond his 
 reach." 
 
 " But do you really think they are frightened ? " I asked. 
 
 " Frightened ! " exclaimed Belgaasem. " From every nook, 
 from behind every hedge and every hillock, they expect a 
 sally of brigands. But I will wait for the poor. fellows and 
 try whether I cannot inspire them with a little courage." 
 
 I continued riding ahead of our party, and found myself 
 unexpectedly in the midst of a barley-field. Thinking that 
 my horse had strayed fi'om the beaten track, I looked back, 
 and found that the barley was sown in the teneah essoltaneah 
 (the sultan's highway). My horse had either too high an 
 appreciation of the law of highways, and considered this 
 private appropriation of a strip of land an infringement upon 
 public rights, or he defied the adage via trita est tuiisshna, 
 (the beaten path is the safest). I however directed my 
 course to the path on the other side of the field, little
 
 LUDICROUS ROBBER SCENE. 157 
 
 thinking that I should be called to account for trespassing, 
 particularly as not a living soul was seen in the vicinity ; but 
 in this I was mistaken. 
 
 To the right of this cultivated field was a ridge of higher 
 land, which terminated abruptly, causing an interval of about 
 twenty yards in depth, beyond which rose a moderate-sized 
 hill. Within the recess, between the ridge and the hill, there 
 was a natural hollow, or cavity, and when I came abreast of 
 this I was suddenly hailed, in a stentorian tone of voice, 
 by a rough-looking fellow, mounted on a mule, whom I had 
 not till then noticed. 
 
 "Is it thus you dare tread down the food of Moslems V he 
 roared. " I'll soon teach you how to respect the property of 
 men who are able to protect themselves from intruders." 
 
 " And is it thus you appropriate the path of the pubhc ? 
 I'U show you that I can defend myself on the ' sultan's high- 
 way,' " I rejoined. 
 
 " Heigho ! " shouted a number of voices simultaneously, 
 " the fellow destroys our crop, and is moreover insolent. He 
 shall pay doubly dear for this." 
 
 Seven men hitherto concealed in the cavity now showed 
 themselves, and, with their chief, commenced making their 
 way towards me. 
 
 On observing this I instantly turned my horse's head and 
 rode to meet them. They vociferated in a terrible manner, 
 making use of a^^^ul oaths, and threatening to handle me 
 in the most merciless manner. But when sufficiently near, 
 I exchanged my whip, which I had in my right hand, for 
 my formidable coadjutor, a revolver, and, without holding 
 it in a thi-eatening attitude, I simply demonstrated to them 
 that it was obedient to my wishes. Having done this I 
 deliberately asked them whether they thought that it was pos- 
 sible for them, by their mode of proceeding, to intimidate me. 
 
 " If so," I said, " you are gTcatly mistaken." 
 
 " But you have destroyed our barley," roared the man on
 
 158 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 the mule in a somewhat less furious tone, " and we have a 
 right to claim a recompence." 
 
 " You have no such right," I replied, " for I have not 
 deviated from the beaten track. You had no business to 
 plough up the teneah essoltaneah. But let me tell you," I 
 continued, " I am not ignorant of the vile motive you have for 
 so doing. You wish to give a plausibility of justice to your 
 unlawful, and diabolic, pursuits, and this barley serves your 
 purpose. You are a set of cowardly brigands, but you have, 
 in the present instance, miscalculated your chance of extorting 
 money, and I shall, moreover, report your conduct to the 
 authorities." 
 
 By this time some of the men had espied my fellow-travel- 
 lers, followed by the rest of our party, and instantly a sotto 
 voce consultation ensued, which I internipted by peremptorily 
 asking the chief's name. He sullenly refused compliance, 
 and ordered his men to retire to the mountains on our left, 
 which they no sooner obeyed than he began to follow them. 
 But I insisted on knowing his name previous to our separa- 
 tion, and checked his progress by placing my horse in front 
 of his mule. Every turn he took, in order to escape, my horse 
 instantly faced him, and in this way I impeded his flight. 
 It was, however, utterly impossible to make the fellow 
 comply with my request. In the course of a few minutes 
 he gave me no less than four, or five, different names, all of 
 which he declared, and confirmed with solemn oaths, were 
 his. But as my real object was, after all, only to alarm, 
 aud terrify, this gang of banditti, I had recourse to another 
 method to secure the same end. 
 
 "You think to foil Ihy object by your falsehood," I said, 
 " but I have means by which to ensure your recognition. I 
 shall take your tasiueera (likeness), and since you are, no 
 doubt, well known in this neighbourhood, the officers of 
 justice will not fail to apprehend you." 
 
 But no sooner did the bandit perceive my pencil in opera-
 
 LUDICROUS ROBBER SCENE. 159 
 
 tion, than lie made a resolute, but still unsuccessful, attempt 
 at an escape. My nimble animal, accustomed to obey the 
 mere touch of the rider's knee, enabled me to retain a full 
 view of the villain's countenance, in spite of his efforts to 
 shrink from my glance. The scene became more ridiculous 
 still just at the moment when our party joined us. Terrified 
 beyond measure the highwajmian now pulled his hood over 
 his face, and commenced a rapid circular race, but it was 
 impossible for him to outstrip my horse in speed. This 
 farce, worthy of any arena, was kept up for some minutes, 
 and he was greatly relieved when I pennitted him to depart. 
 Amidst the shouts, the laughter, and the execrations of our 
 men, the humiliated robber chief rode off to join his lawless 
 band in the mountains. 
 
 This httle incident tended to inspire the cowardly portion 
 of our party with ascertain degree of courage. We now 
 continued our route, riding in a body, fully prepared for any 
 adventures, and resolved to meet them like men. 
 
 The boundary which separates the territories claimed by 
 Tunis from those of Algeria, is about ten miles from 
 Hydra. It is marked by a chain of low hills. Passing a 
 very picturesque gap in these, we entered French Africa, 
 and were at once struck with the marked difference in the 
 agricultm-e between that of the Arabs under Moslem sway, 
 and that of those under a civilised government. In the 
 dominions we had just quitted, thorns, thistles, and weeds of 
 every description, were allowed to choke the crops, whereas here 
 the cultivation that met our eyes was free from everythino- 
 obnoxious. Here it was apparent that the farmer sowed in 
 the fuU assurance of deriving the entire benefit of his labour, 
 whereas there the fruits of his toil are a perfect uncertainty, 
 since any of the unprincipled Mamlooks have ways and 
 means of depriving him of his complete crop. 
 
 Within a lovely vaUey, soon after crossing the boundary, 
 we observed, to our right, the prostrate remains of a laroe
 
 160 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 town, but, being pressed for time, we were unable to examine 
 with minuteness the nature of these ruins. This town was 
 situated within an amphitheatre of hills, and surrounded by 
 rich arable soil. A more charming spot can seldom be met 
 with, and I can scarcely conceive a more attractive site for an 
 inland town. In the days of its glory it must have been a 
 happy valley. At present this spot, and the whole vicinity for 
 many miles, is a perfect solitude. 
 
 Traversing this valley we approached the hills, covered 
 with trees, forming a kind of forest with an abundance of 
 thickets and brushwood, through which passes a well defined 
 and wide road, containing, however, numerous monuments of 
 violence and murder. These consisted, as usual, of heaps of 
 stones ; some seemed of very recent formation, and such sights 
 are not calculated to enliven the spirits of the traveller. 
 But upon the principle that timid beys often whistle when 
 passing through some lonely parts in the dark, upon the very 
 same principle, I think, our hanibas now started a shrill and 
 wild Arab song, purporting to eulogise the brave, and heroic, 
 deeds of one of the sons of the desert, who, single-handed, 
 slew a lion and vanquished a band of desperate brigands 
 by whom he was assailed. 
 
 "I am far more brave than your 'son of Feraj,'" inter- 
 rupted Belgaasem, " for I have put many a caravan to flight, 
 and have taken a prominent part in killing upwards of twelve 
 lions." 
 
 "Twelve lions! Allah yostor, may Allah protect us!" 
 ejaculated Machfood. " You are indeed brave, if what you 
 say is not a falsehood." 
 
 "You doubt my veracity," replied the ex-brigand, "and 
 think I am a braggart. To you, who are a cJwtvaaf, coward, 
 what I said seems very extraordinary, and incredible ; but if a 
 lion were now to make his appearance (and such a thing is 
 not at all improbable in this his fastness), I would surprise 
 you by the cool, and deliberate, manner in which I would
 
 A VERITABLE LION. 161 
 
 liandle him. Madaheah, would that the sultan of animals 
 did now cross our path ! " 
 
 " Allah yostor [may Allah preserve us !] from the 
 monster ! " rejoined Machfood, and his supplication was re- 
 echoed by his " pious " companion Hamed. " I would rather 
 see the ferocious infidel in a cage," the former added, chuck- 
 ling as he spoke, "than meet him here." 
 
 The two continued discussing this subject, and enlarged on 
 the most approved manner of intimidating the noble animal, 
 and on the way how successfully to deprive him of his native 
 courage. " Call him Sachaar, [enchanter,] Bacliaar, [putre- 
 dinous,] Khaarji, [dissenter,] Kaafer, [infidel,] Yehodi, 
 [Jew,] and other Hke terms," said Belgaasem, " and you 
 disarm him of all his strength. You may then strike him, 
 and he will run from you like a timid dog, kick him and he 
 will crouch down, slay him and he will not even attempt to 
 defend himself." 
 
 This conversation lasted some time, and, more or less, 
 every one of our party had some observation to make on this 
 all-absorbing topic within the lion's reputed stronghold, little 
 dreaming that Belgaasem's aspiration for the veritable ap- 
 pearance of his leonine majesty would actually be realised. 
 But it was so. The sun was just on the eve of sinking 
 beneath the horizon, when we were wending our way down 
 into the vast plain. To our right and to our left we had 
 high hills, studded all over with trees, and we had only just 
 obtained a peep of the plain below, when Mr, Nicholson, 
 who was some paces ahead of us, halted suddenly and pointed, 
 in a very mysterious manner, to the summit of the last hill 
 on our left. We all looked up, and there, at the foot of a 
 cluster of large pine, near a mass of broken rock, and scarcely 
 more than four hundred yards from us, lay a huge lion, his 
 head resting on his forefeet. We stared at him while he 
 appeared to take a deliberate survey of our whole party. 
 We were peaceably disposed, and not even Belgaasem
 
 162 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 manifested the least sign, or desire, of a nearer, or a more" 
 intimate acquaintance with this Kaafer, and he, the " infidel," 
 exhibited no treacherous intention. 
 
 Whether from a desire to entertain us with his majestic 
 appearance, or prompted by a prying, and inquisitive, spirit 
 I cannot tell, but whilst we were gazing at him, the sage 
 animal rose, shaking his shaggy mane, and for some seconds 
 scinitinised us very closely. 
 
 Having amply gratified our own curiosity, we continued our 
 march. It was now getting late, and our guide incessantly 
 urged us on, informing us that the distance to Tebessa was yet 
 great. We, however, repeatedly looked back to take addi- 
 tional peeps at the "lord of the forest," but of this pleasure a 
 sudden bend in the road soon deprived us. Those among us 
 versed in leonine propensities, and of these Belgaasem was, 
 of course, the foremost, apprehended an inverted lion chase ; 
 but the noble animal was incapable of so mean, and 
 treacherous, an act. Having once permitted us to pass 
 his domain unmolested, he suffered us to continue our 
 journey free from all hindrance : the pusillanimous antici- 
 pation was therefore not realised. 
 
 By the time we were fairly in the plain it was quite dark. 
 Passing an encampment of Arabs we inquired as to the dis- 
 tance we had yet before us, but all the answer we could obtain 
 amounted to its being baeyd yaaser, " very far." The Arabs 
 have no idea, and appear to be able to form no conception, of 
 either time or distance, and therefore repeatedly mislead the 
 traveller without any desire to do so. These people were 
 very kind, and pressed us strongly to sj)end the night with 
 them — an invitation which was very grateful to our ears, for it 
 was the first we had had for many a day. But the know- 
 ledge of being near civilised men prompted us to press 
 forward ; we thanked the Arabs but declined the invitation, 
 notwithstanding the chief informed us that he would kill a 
 sheep for us^ and that he had a plentiful supply of barley for
 
 A NIGHT MARCH. 163 
 
 our horses. A few miles further on, we came upon another 
 encampment, the lights of which we, at first, mistook for those 
 of Tebessa, and here we w£re again pressed to remain, the 
 Arabs holding out the same temptations. This hospitality is 
 entirely attributable to the French rule ; 'the French have 
 revived an old Arab custom, by holding the people responsible 
 for accidents that might befal a traveller. In the Bashalic of 
 Tunis the samie usage holds nominally good, but practically, 
 through the perverseness, and injustice, of a Mamlook govern- 
 ment, it is exploded. This custom has not merely a reference 
 to the personal safety of the stranger, but it carries with it a 
 tacit understanding that his wants are to be supplied. Such 
 a practice is absolutely indispensable in a country which is 
 unprovided with inns or hotels. The amixc, " order," of the 
 Mamlook government of Tunis is disregarded and treated with 
 contempt, because the government itself is despised by the 
 Arabs ; whereas in Algeria, where the Arab has learnt to 
 respect the integrity, justice, and honour of the French, the 
 traveller is welcomed everywhere, even without an 07'der 
 from the constituted authorities. 
 
 The night was so intensely dark that we could not even 
 see the road, and therefore blindly followed our guide. For- 
 tunately all our horses were veiy sure-footed, and, prompted 
 by hunger, they traversed the vast plain of Tebessa at a rapid 
 pace and without any accident. Portions of this road were 
 very bad, so that we were repeatedly astonished at the manner 
 in which our famished animals cleared all difficulties. 
 Swamps, rivulets, and ditches, whose magnitude was, un- 
 doubtedly, considerably exaggerated owing to the dark- 
 ness, we passed over with sui-prising ease. These obstnictions 
 convinced us that we had missed the highway, but this 
 Belgaasem would not admit, and stoutly maintained that we 
 had not deviated from the direct road. 
 
 " When I was a kottay, a highwayman," he said, and that 
 repeatedly, " I often waylaid travellers here, and therefore 
 
 -M 2
 
 1G4 RUIKED CITIES. 
 
 know every inch of the road as well as I know the palm of 
 my hand." 
 
 By nine o'clock we reached the south'^western extremity of 
 this low land, and ascended the higher ground by which it is 
 bounded, and on which the town of Tebessa is situated. 
 The monotony — the profound stillness of the plain — was now 
 superseded by the grateful, welcome, and enlivening notes 
 of the nightingale, whose melodious warbling was heard 
 above the sound of the bubbling water, perpetually rushing 
 down by an open aqueduct from the springs outside the 
 walls of the town. The way up to the town lies between 
 beautiful gardens, the rich odour and perfume of whose 
 numerous, and variegated, flowers impregnated the atmo- 
 sphere. Weary, famished, and exhausted as we were, we 
 lavished praises on the French for having transformed a 
 desert into an earthly paradise. Our spirits revived — our 
 fatigue vanished. 
 
 At the gate, Porte Salomon, some Sbahis, who were on 
 duty, put a few formal questions to us, and, having taken our 
 guns from us, one of them politely conducted us into the 
 town. On reporting our arrival to the commandant, that 
 officer instantly sent a corporal with the permission for us to 
 pitch our tents within the casba, the " citadel." 
 
 We were soon housed, our horses picketed, and our 
 men hastened away to regale themselves in the coffee- 
 house. 
 
 The first night we spent at Tebessa will not be so soon 
 forgotten by my fellow travellers, nor by myself. The plea- 
 sure we experienced in seeing a European table and 
 European chairs in our tent, wax candles, silver forks and 
 clean knives, silver spoons and a clean, neat, dinner service, 
 excellent claret and better champagne, fruits and delicious 
 French bread, fresh vegetables and viands of the best de- 
 scription — on seeing all this, I confess, our satisfaction was 
 great. Neither of us was a gormandiser, but every one of us
 
 A SUMPTUOUS SUPPEE, 165 
 
 was heartily sick of the nauseous Arab food, served not only 
 in a slovenly, but often in a disgusting, manner. 
 
 But what we appreciated most was our being able to 
 obtain all this without bulljdng, without fighting, and with- 
 out strife. Hitherto money was almost perfectly useless to 
 us, but now we had again convincing proof of its potent 
 efficacy — its magical power. 
 
 Having partaken of what may be called a sumptuous 
 meal, or what to us, famished wanderers, appeared as such : 
 or in the words of Yirgil — 
 
 Postquam ex&m'pia fames epulis, 
 
 " after our hunger was expelled by a feast," we retired to rest 
 with much greater assurance of our personal safety than we 
 had experienced for days past. 
 
 Early on the following morning we took a stroll through 
 the town, and soon made the acquaintance of several French 
 officers, two of whom very courteously volunteered to act as 
 our cicerones. These gentlemen conducted us first of all to 
 what is considered the gem of the antiquities of Tebessa, 
 the elegant little temple which is called that of Minerva, 
 This httle edifice, which is seventy-six feet long by fifty and 
 a half wide, is now used as a temporary Roman Catholic 
 chapel. It is a prostyle, of a mixed architecture in Avhich 
 the Roman Corinthian order predominates, and is richly, and 
 elaborately, decorated. The six columns of the pronaos, the 
 four in front and the two lateral, are monoliths, of a white 
 marble with blue veins. The sides of the temple have pro- 
 jecting pilasters, sui-mounted by composite capitals. The 
 architrave is divided into square panels, the ornaments of 
 each consisting of an eagle, two serpents, and oak branches. 
 These j)anels are separated from each other by metopes, 
 having the ram's, or ox's, scull carved on them, and placed 
 immediately above the capitals. The metopes are precisely
 
 like those on?!fe^^egJ^^gj|^jjjjS^ween the triglyphs in the 
 Roman Doric friezes. 
 
 An elaborate cornice separates the architrave from the 
 attic, and this too is divided into panels, corresponding 
 exactly with those below in position. The ornaments of 
 these are not uniformly the same ; in some it consists of a 
 double cornucopia, and in others in festoons, but in the 
 squares just above the ram's heads we have either trophies or 
 bas-reliefs of Hercules. Above these, it would appear, the 
 temple was originally ornamented by a number of statues, 
 but these, if they existed, have now totally disappeared. 
 
 Though this temple has suffered much from the ravages of 
 time, it is in much better preservation than many other 
 edifices of the same period. To me it appears to have been 
 dedicated to Jupiter, as the symbolical ornaments, with which 
 it is embellished, have a greater reference to that divinity 
 than to Minerva ; but Captain Moll, the commandant of 
 Tebessa, a very intelligent man, who has made Numidian 
 antiquities his study, is of opinion that it belonged to the 
 goddess of wisdom. His chief support is in those panels 
 which have the serpents, and next in the eagle, which he has 
 converted into an owl. The defaced condition of some of 
 these birds appear to favour his view. There are, however, 
 several in a more perfect state, and in these he cannot fail to 
 recognise his mistake. 
 
 That Minerva was revered at Teveste there can be no 
 doubt, since her name is recorded in an inscription found 
 immediately to the left, or N.W., of the triumphal arch, but 
 it is very questionable whether she had a temple here. The 
 inscription I allude to purports to be the testament of 
 Cornelius Egrilianus, a prgefect, who, among other bequests, 
 directs his executors, his own brothers, to place one, or more, 
 (the inscription being mutilated) statues of Minerva in the 
 forum. Now if Minerva had a temple at Teveste, it appears to 
 me to be more probable that the testator would have ordered
 
 RUmS OF TEVESTE. 107 
 
 those statues to be j^laced in the sanctuary of that deity. 
 But whether this conjecture be feasible or not, I still maintain 
 that there is more ground for the belief that this little 
 temple was dedicated to JujDiter than to Minerva. 
 
 But the inscription to which I have just referred* is highly 
 interesting, since it informs us that the next important relic 
 of ancient Teveste, the triumphal arch, was erected at the 
 expense of the patriotic testator, Cornelius Egrilianus. 
 
 This triumphal arch, which owes its origin to th» munifi- 
 cence of a prsefect, now forms the northern gate of the modern 
 Tebessa. When free from the incumbrance of walls, on its 
 eastern and western sides, it must have had a very imposing 
 aspect, since it presented a superb front to every one of the 
 cardinal points of the compass. Being thus quadrifrons in 
 form, and having originally borne an inscription on every one 
 of its architraves, it is difficult to say in honour of whom this 
 magnificent monument was raised. 
 
 From its inscription -f on the eastern facade the arch may 
 be denominated that of Antoninus Pius, or that of Septi- 
 mus Severus, but with greater propriety still, that of Marcus 
 Aurelius Severus, since he was the last of these three em- 
 perors, and to his reign this arch must date. It was there- 
 fore erected before A.D. 235, in which year the last-named 
 emperor was murdered. Egrilianus was, no doubt, an African, 
 and may have been related to Septimus Severus, also an 
 African, a native of Leptis. Desirous of immortalising his 
 royal, or imperial, relative, Egrilianus had a good opportunity 
 of accomplishing this in the reign of an emperor who was a 
 Phoenician, particularly so as the reigning emjDeror's name 
 was likewise Severus. But at the same time to indicate the 
 testator's real intention, the name of Antoninus Pius, who 
 died A.D. 161, and who was principally famous for his virtues, 
 is associated with the two other emperors. 
 
 » Vide App., No. 1, Inscription 30. t Ibid. No. 31.
 
 168 EUmED CITIES. 
 
 But that Egrilianus actually intended this for an arch of 
 Severus is distinctly j)roved by an inscription* on the western 
 fagade, which relates to the famous Julia Domna, the wife of 
 Septimus Severus. How far the bombast of this record is 
 true of the philosophic lady, the reader will be able to judge. 
 
 The inscription on the northern fa9ade has disappeared, the 
 whole entablature on that side having been demolished, and 
 on the southern fa9ade it is so obliterated that it is quite 
 impossibie now to decipher it. 
 
 Of all the triumphal arches that have come under my 
 notice I know of none which, when perfect, could have 
 presented a better, or a more imposing, appearance than the 
 present. Its quadrifrons form is in itself so peculiar that it 
 represents four distinct arches, and every one a chef d'oeuvre, 
 in itself. Each fagade had its tetrastyle, or four front 
 columns, in conformity with the testament of Egrilianus, for 
 it is to this, I think, the testator refers, and not to the square 
 turret, with four columns, over the southern arch — a very 
 singular addition, with which every one of the arches must 
 have been originally surmounted. 
 
 The exquisite beauty of this monument of antiquity does 
 not consist in its materials, for these are only of a fine 
 grained, or compact, limestone, but they consist in the graceful 
 proportions, elaborate, but chaste, ornaments, and the general 
 effect of the design. Before the discovery of this monument 
 there existed only one which exhibited the same character, 
 and that was the arch of Janus at Rome ; but that arch is far 
 inferior to the one of Teveste, which, as M. Letronne justly 
 observes, is infinitely plus riclie et plus 4Ugant. 
 
 Leaving the arch, our conductors led us through the 
 gardens to the Basilica, a vast pile of confused ruins. 
 Foundations, cornices, shafts, capitals, &c., of a Byzantine 
 period, are all huddled together, and intermingled, with nume- 
 
 * Vide App. 1, Inscrii)tiou 32.
 
 FKEKCH COXQUESTS IX AFRICA. 169 
 
 rous masses, fragments of masomy and marble ornaments, of a 
 mucli remoter age. This confusion shows that Pagan materials 
 were employed in the construction of this immense Christian 
 edifice. A number of gravestones of a date anterior to that 
 of the Basilica have, at different times, been discovered here, 
 some of which Captain Moll has pubhshed in the " Annuaire 
 de la Societe Archeologique de laFrovincede Constantine."* 
 But these ruins themselves present nothing of an attractive 
 nature. The spot was, however, selected as the most eligible 
 for our sketch of Tebessa with its ancient walls, and its other 
 interesting remains of antiquity. 
 
 On re-entering the city we were taken to the club, where 
 we met with a very cordial reception from the military and 
 ci^il officials. The abundant share of courtesy, and atten- 
 tion, which these gentlemen bestowed on us placed us under 
 very great obligations to them, which we could only repay 
 with grateful thanks. We are under especial obligations to 
 the chef du bureau Arabe, M. Flaters, a gentleman whose 
 intelligence and affability I have seldom seen surpassed. 
 He literally comiDelled us to become his guests during our 
 stay at Tebessa, and his profuse, and unbounded, hospitality 
 did much to recruit, and fit, us for the toils and privations 
 which we had still to encounter. To M. Flaters and to his 
 friend M. Senac I am indebted for much of the information I 
 obtained in this remote part of Algeria. 
 
 The modern Tebessa, comprised within the walls of the 
 Byzantine citadel of Teveste, is a neat and flourishing little 
 inland town. Its settled Arab population is small, but on 
 market days the concourse of people is great, amounting 
 sometimes to upwards of five thousand persons, and yet the 
 garrison does not exceed twenty French soldiers ! Besides 
 these twenty Frenchmen, Tebessa has one hundred Arab 
 
 * In the same publication for 1860 the reader will find an accoimt, and 
 elaborate details, of the antiquities of Teveste, from the pen and pencil of 
 Captain Moll.
 
 170 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 Sbahis and Tnrcos, and with this small force the whole war- 
 like district is kept in subjection to the laws, and this district 
 comprehends some twenty thousand souls ! Nothing can 
 prove more clearly that France is now mistress of Algeria, 
 and that she maintains her authority by other than military 
 force. What that force is, the traveller who knows the Arabic 
 language, and is able to have free intercourse with the native 
 population, can easily ascertain. The Arab remembers the 
 injustice, and the carnage, of his former Moslem, or rather 
 Turkish, rulers, and has now had ample time to contrast the 
 past with the present. The oppression, and dire calamities, 
 he has been taught, by his former fanatic leaders, to anticipate 
 from the Christian conquerors he finds, from experience, to be 
 gToundless. His person is respected, his property is held 
 sacred, and this was neither the case when the country was 
 under the dominion of Turkey, nor is it the case now in the 
 neighbouring state under the rule of unprincipled Mamlooks. 
 This has thoroughly reconciled the Arabs to their new 
 masters. 
 
 " We have our freedom," said a French Sbahi in my hear- 
 ing to Hamed, " and we appreciate it. I feel that I am a 
 man, and I endeavour to act as such. As a man I am not 
 inferior to my commander, and as such he is bound to, and he 
 readily does, respect ihe, whilst I cheerfully render him the 
 homage due to his rank. But, in your country, what are 
 you ? You hold precisely the same position which I do ; bat 
 do you feel as a free man ought to feel ? Do you realise the 
 importance and the dignity of a man ? No ! You are reviled 
 and ill-treated by a parcel of ignorant and dastardly Mamlooks, 
 and you are kicked about like a dog. Is it not so ? " 
 
 The truth of this Hamed could not deny. He, however, 
 only shook his head, fearing to answer lest his companion, 
 Machfood, should betray him on their return to their own 
 country. But, being ui'ged to answer by the jolly red-cloaked 
 Sbahi, Hamed managed to mumble out —
 
 FRENCH CONQUESTS IN AFRICA. 171 
 
 " We are Moslems, and are under a Moslem government ; 
 but you, professedly a true believer, are under the control, 
 and dominion, of Nazarenes." 
 
 " But do the Nazarenes interfere with my religion ? Am I 
 not a Moslem now from choice and not, like you, from mere 
 compulsion? Sehhaan Allah! [may Allah be praised!] 
 How perverse you, and the like of you, are. Is usurpation, 
 despotism, and merciless tyranny to be characterised Moslem ? 
 If so, then niay you enjoy it ! As for us here, we thank Allah 
 for the freedom, and liberty, with which he has blessed us. 
 Go, kiss the rod of the infidel Mamlooks, for they are 
 your rulers, and not an A'lneei' Elniomaneen [a prince of 
 the faithful]. We are, it is true, under the dominion of 
 Nazarenes, but they are honourable men; whereas you are 
 under the scum of Nazarenes, Greek renegades, perfidious 
 Mamlooks — a destructive legacy of Turkish treachery, infamy, 
 and usui-pation." 
 
 To 'have brought about such an altered state of feelings in 
 Algeria not only proves the hold France now has upon the 
 Ai'abs, but it likewise demonstrates the excellence of the 
 means employed to effect such a change, as well as the 
 wisdom, and tact, of those who have directed the affairs of 
 this African colony. To what use this colony can, and may, 
 be employed, on some future day, is a subject which merits 
 the grave contemplation of statesmen ; but upon which my 
 limited space prevents me from enlarging. 
 
 Tourists and valetudinarians generally visit a certain beaten 
 track, or only some maritime towns in Algeria, where the 
 French element predominates, and, hence, can they form 
 no estimate of the Arab mind and feeling. Besides, those 
 gentlemen being generally ignorant of the native language, 
 they can never an-ive at the true sentiments of the Arabs, 
 But we, this time, entered Algeria from a quarter seldom, if 
 ever, attempted by English travellers, and yet it is in such a 
 part only that a true estimate can be formed of the French
 
 172 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 progress in Africa. These conquests — these possessions — can 
 be used for good or for bad. They may become stupendous 
 auxiliaries for the exploration and civilisation of Central 
 Africa, for the effectual abolition of slavery, for the develop- 
 ment of the resources of the interior, and for the promotion 
 of the cultivation of cotton upon a colossal scale. Or these 
 possessions may be employed for European aggi-essions, for 
 eradicating traditional landmarks of nations, for the downfall 
 of old dynasties, and for converting the civilised continent into 
 a vast battle-field. It will be for France, on some future day, 
 to choose what use she will make of her African conquests, 
 and let us hope that moderation, justice, and judgment, will 
 enable her to see, and appreciate, her true interests. But we 
 must pause, for the future of Algeria is a theme for a large 
 essay, particularly when taken in connection mth the probable 
 destiny of the eastern Moslem states, and even of Egypt. 
 
 The strides which France makes in Algeria may be esti- 
 mated from the fact that Tebessa was, only four years ago, 
 composed of a few miserable Arab hovels, similar to those of 
 Thala ; indeed, I am informed that Thala was far superior to 
 it. But now Tebessa contains a number of good houses, 
 besides the government buildings and the commandant's 
 palace. The Byzantine walls have been repaired, and 
 towards the S.W. a large quadrangle has been attached, 
 which, in the course of time, is to contain the qviarters of the 
 garrison, so as to leave the whole of the ancient citadel to be 
 occupied by civilians. Tebessa promises to become a very 
 important city ; already it counts about a hundred European 
 emigrants, some of whom have flourishing fanns in the 
 vicinity. On market days the force of example is very pal- 
 pable ; the horses and cattle brought in by Arabs, are fine 
 and in excellent condition, and all the articles offered for sale 
 are of a quahty superior to anything I have ever seen in the 
 neighbouring Moslem country. 
 
 " But do you not consider it unsafe," I asked one of the
 
 FRENCH CON'QUESTS IN AFRICA. 173 
 
 officials of the place, " to have so small a garrison, and to be 
 so far removed from effectual aid ? " 
 
 " Unsafe ! " he rephed, laughing heartily. " We have not 
 the least caiise to apprehend any disaster from the Arabs. 
 They have felt the power of despotism and, therefore, now 
 appreciate the laws of equity and justice; they vaunted them- 
 selves on their prowess and bravery, but they have felt our 
 superiority in arms ; what they fonnerly possessed they were 
 never sure of, whereas now their gain, and their property, are 
 protected. It is therefore their interest to be peaceable : 
 besides, twenty red cloaks [Sbahis] are, at any time, sufficient 
 to disperse a force of two thousand Arabs. The sight of a 
 red cloah overwhelms them with terror ; they have tried the 
 game before, and now I doubt whether they ever dream of a 
 repetition of the contest." 
 
 I must here observe that these are not the , words of a 
 Frenchman, but of a native Sbahi corporal, and this opinion 
 every French officer will confirm, whilst the truth of it is 
 amply proved by the actual defenceless condition of Tebessa. 
 
 A heavy shower of rain drove me for shelter into the 
 office of M. Flaters, and whilst there a Bedouin entered with 
 a complaint, which gave me an opportunity to ascertain more 
 fully the Arab sentiment with reference to the French. The 
 chef, naturally of an amiable disposition, listened patiently to 
 the plaintiff and advised him what course to take. The 
 Bedouin left perfectly contented. I followed and entered 
 into conversation with him. 
 
 " Why did you bring a case which belongs to the Sherrd 
 [the Mohammedan ecclesiastical court], before a civil magis- 
 trate ? " I asked the man. 
 
 " Simply because I am convinced of the righteousness of my 
 cause," he readily answered, "and am anxious to obtain justice." 
 
 " But, surely, the Sherrd would not fail to do you justice 
 in the case," I observed. 
 
 The man appeared amazed at my remark, and seemed to
 
 174 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 doubt whether I was in earnest, or whether I was mocking 
 him ; convinced, however, that I had no intention to ridicule 
 him, he rejoined — 
 
 "The Sherrd is the remainder of the old haatel [injustice], 
 and until the Nazarenes will deprive Moslems of all power 
 and prevent them from meddling in our affairs, they will not 
 have done for us what, I verily believe, they desire to do — to 
 ameliorate our condition. But alhamdo lillahi, praised be 
 Allah, for what our Nazarene protectors have already done, 
 and let us hope that they will not weary, but accomplish the 
 whole work." 
 
 " Ay, ay," chimed in a Moor who had joined his friend, 
 the Bedouin, and was walking -wdth us, " and that task will 
 not be completed until all i30wer is taken from those who 
 now oppress my country, and trample ' true behevers ' under 
 their feet." 
 
 "Judging from your dialect," I said to the last speaker, 
 " you are a Tunisian, and do you actually want your country 
 to be conquered by the French ? " 
 
 " Most decidedly," he answered, emphatically, " if the 
 descendants of Hassan Ben Ali [the founder of the reigning 
 dynasty of Tunis] are unable to govern the country. If 
 Tunis is to be at the mercy of strangers, let it be those whom 
 we have tried and have found friendly towards us, and not a 
 set of insolent, ignorant, and avaricious Mamlooks. If our 
 legitimate princes are reduced to such a state of imbecility 
 that they are compelled to hand over the responsibility of 
 government to Greek, Circassian, and other renegades — 
 Mamlooks — then is it indeed high time that we have the 
 choice of those who are to rule over us." 
 
 This man was a thorough " patriot," and boasted of the 
 wounds he received in the French service. He had an ampu- 
 tated arm, and, with pride, pointed to it and to several parts of 
 his body which had been perforated by bullets. He was in re- 
 ceipt of a pension from the French government, having entered
 
 MAMLOOK GOVERNMENT. 175 
 
 its service in the first years of the conquest. Men like him 
 do much good to the French cause ; such emissaries, dispersed 
 through Tunis, would gi'eatly endanger the party in power, 
 and speedily neutralise the animosity entertained towards 
 the French among those Ai'abs who are remote from the 
 Algerian frontiers. Those Arabs are under the impression 
 that the French are the cause of their calamities, simply 
 because M, Roche, the French consul-general, is believed to 
 be the principal adviser of Sidy Mustapha, the Mamlook who 
 is at the head of the Tunis government, or rather, who com- 
 prises the whole government in his individual person. " Haj 
 Amor," the consul's Moslem name, is always in the Arabs' 
 mouths whenever they speak of the oppression under which 
 they gToan. We found this to be the case till we approached 
 the boundary, and here the French were extolled for their 
 probity and justice. Various motives are ascribed to M. Roche 
 for his conduct, but he alone knows by what he really is in- 
 fluenced, I doubt, however, very much, whether his policy, if 
 understood, would be approved by a government whose pecu- 
 Har interest it ovight to be to stand well "v\ith the neighbouring 
 Ai'abs. If France has no ulterior object in view, she will 
 readily be true to her principles as to the independence of 
 the Bey of Tunis. She ought to aid in estabhshing a real Arab 
 governTnent, and not, as she does through her consul, facili- 
 tate in confirming, and perpetuating, a remorseless Mamlook 
 despotism, for such alone can the present regime of her Eastern 
 African neighbour be characterised. 
 
 Napoleon I., in his Arabic proclamation to the Egyptians, 
 says : — " Tell them [the Mamlooks], that I come to restore 
 
 your rights from the hands of the usurpers, also 
 
 that all are equal in the sight of God, and that wisdom, 
 virtue, and talents only distinguish one man from another. 
 
 " But as to these Mamlooks, what sort of wisdom, or 
 virtue, or knowledge, distinguish them from the rest of 
 mankind, that they alone should be in possession of every-
 
 176 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 thing that makes life sweet ? Wlierever any fertile land is 
 to be found, it belongs to them ; the most beautiful female 
 slaves, the most sj)lendid horses, and the most magnificent 
 dwellings are all in their possession. If Egypt has indeed 
 been monopolised by these Mamlooks, let them produce the 
 deed with which the Almighty has furnished them. With 
 God's help, from henceforth none of the Egyptians shall be 
 prevented from holding high situations and honourable em- 
 ployments. The wise, the virtuous, and the learned, shall 
 administer the affairs of the country among themselves, so 
 that the condition of the nation will be ameliorated, &c."* 
 
 Napoleon did not accomplish his design in Egypt, but 
 Mohammed Ali did rid the coimtry of the Mamlooks, and 
 Egypt flourished. Tunis is now in the condition in which Egypt 
 was in the time of the first emperor. The Mamlooks are her 
 ruin. The soil and its inhabitants are alike exhausted. Fer- 
 tility, and vitality, can alone be restored to it by removing 
 the pernicious, and deadening, cause. Tunis must be freed 
 from the Mamlook rule ; a purely Arab government, under the 
 legitimate heirs to the throne, and that throne guaranteed by 
 European powers^ must be established. Then, and then only, 
 will the country be free and independent. To bring things to 
 this condition is the interest of England ; while France, main- 
 taining as she does that Tunis is an independent kingdom, 
 cannot refuse to co-operate in bringing about its real freedom 
 and prosperity. In doing this she will not only render an 
 effectual service to her African ally, but she will prevent the 
 impending necessity of infriaging on compacts and treaties,*!- 
 
 * I translated the above from the Arabic, from a manuscript jonmal kept 
 by a learned Egyptian dming the occupation of that comitiy by the French. 
 
 + The British Government for some time refused to acknowledge France's 
 right to Algeria ; but after the battle of I sly, in 1844, an understanding was 
 come to, by which the retention of Algeria by France was acquiesced in, upon 
 the condition that the integrity of the Moslem states of Tunis and Morocco 
 should be respected. Since that time England has fidly acknowledged 
 Algeria as a French colony.
 
 THE YOUTHFUL NIMROD. 177 
 
 * 
 
 by being unavoidably compelled to a military occupation of his 
 territories' through the madness of anarchy and revolt — evils 
 which are fast ripening. To this step France may be forced 
 in order to insure the tranquillity of her own colony. What 
 a military occupation of Tunis may lead to, and the conse- 
 quences to which it must, and unquestionably will, tend, are 
 of so serious a nature that I recoil from the task of even 
 mentioning them. 
 
 The country round Tebessa is a capital field for the 
 sportsman, and not only the French, but the Arabs also, 
 gratify their taste, and exercise their skill, in the manly 
 relaxation. There are, however, not many who, after the 
 feathered tribe, venture beyond the hyena. A few dare to 
 encounter the dreaded lion, and among these few the most 
 renowned is an intrepid youth, only eighteen years of age ! 
 Nearly twenty lions have fallen by the dauntless courage of 
 this youthful Nimrod, who invariably follows, and assails, his 
 ferocious victim single-handed. M. Flaters, who related to 
 me several of the young Bedouin's adventures, describes him 
 as possessing nothing in his appearance indicative of a lion- 
 slayer. His expression of countenance is mild and amiable, 
 and his frame is very slim. The gun which he uses 
 (and it is the only weapon he carries besides a knife) is an 
 Arab single-barrel, so wretched that it is tied up with twine, 
 but so sure is he of his aim, that not once has he missed 
 lodging his bullet in the fatal spot, and that bullet never 
 fails to secure him the skin of a lion. His steady and 
 patient perseverance is surprising. Upon a scanty supply of 
 provisions he is known to have subsisted and tracked a lion 
 for nearly two months, watching him closely by day, and 
 sleeping near him on some tree, or in some crevice or 
 cavern, at night, until the opportunity presented itself for him 
 to fire with the certainty of success, for until that opportunity 
 does present itself he never attempts to fire. 
 
 The experience of this dauntless child of the desert, and
 
 178 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 of all those who have ventured upon the perilous encounter 
 with the lion, is quite the reverse to^ the opinion generally 
 entertained among European sportsmen, at least among 
 those with whom I came in contact, on the subject of lion- 
 hunting. When we came in sight of the noble beast, on 
 the evening we entered Tebessa, the lateness of the horn- 
 alone prevented us from approaching him, with a view to 
 having a shot at him. But in all probability had we 
 attempted to follow the bent of our inclination we should have 
 paid dearly for our temerity, unless we had been successful 
 in the precision of our aim, and had hit him either in his 
 temples, or in the centre between his eyes, which are con- 
 sidered the fatal points. But not every one can calculate 
 upon deliberate coolness when facing so furious and ferocious 
 an animal. The mere satisfaction of having discharged a 
 weapon at him would have been but a poor recompense 
 for a broken arm, or some more serious accident. Prudence 
 is the better part of valour, and " therefore a traveller far 
 removed from surgical assistance, ought never," as a certain 
 individual teaches, " to attempt to beard the lion." 
 
 I anticipated the pleasure of seeing the young lion-slayer 
 previous to leaving Tebessa, but in this I was disappointed, 
 for he had only started ten days before in search of his 
 favourite sport, and was not expected to make his appearance 
 again for some weeks. He is held in high esteem among 
 the Arabs, being considered by them the best marksman, and 
 for this accomplishment he is greatly venerated ; but, not- 
 withstanding the rank he occupies among his countrymen, 
 he is of a retiring and modest disposition, and only exhibits 
 his skill when absolutely urged to do so.
 
 CHAPTEE VIIL 
 
 THE BEIDE OF CASSAEEEK 
 
 Hammama Marauders— A Sham Assault— An Ancient Eoad— The Oulaad 
 Xaaja— A AVild Pass— Another Seat of Justice — Arab's Adaptation to 
 Cil'cumstances— United States' Flag— Diminutive Hero — A Jenoon or 
 Spectre— The Deposed Governor— Eat-Catchers— The Euins of Cassareen 
 — Shaw's Blunders — A Verdant "True Believer" — Complaint of 
 Hammama Arabs— The Bride of Cassareen. 
 
 We worked our way out of Algeria by Becaria and the 
 heights of Khangaat ElraoivaaMiad. The former is a beau- 
 tifully situated village belonging to the French, and its 
 inhabitants urged us strongly to halt and to partake of their 
 hospitality. One man laid hold of the bridle of my horse, and 
 remonstrated with me on the impropriety of our passing their 
 habitations as if they had belonged to enemies. 
 
 " K you regard us as friends," the Arab said, " then 
 prove your friendly feelings towards us. Stay a short time 
 with us, refresh yourselves and your horses, and then depart 
 in peace." 
 
 It was no easy task to convince these good people that we 
 had no intention whatever to sHght them ; and when we did 
 leave them they wished us, and I believe most cordially, a 
 prosperous journey. 
 
 The Khangaat Elniowaakhad is the name of a chain of 
 rugged and dismal hills, presenting partly the character of a 
 forest. Til] recently this desolate district Avas infested by 
 bands of freebooters of the Hammama tribe of Tunis, but the 
 French have taken such stringent measures against them, 
 
 K 2
 
 ISO EiriN-ED CITIES. 
 
 that they scarcely ever now show themselves ; indeed the 
 orders are to shoot a Hammama whether peaceably or other- 
 wise disposed ; the brigands have therefore withdrawn to 
 their native territory. The locality is well adapted for a 
 robber's haunt, since it contains numerous narrow and 
 difficult defiles, where a very few men can, mth perfect ease, 
 keep a large party at bay. From the abrupt and inaccessible 
 heights to the right and to the left, and mth nothing but 
 stones for their weapons, the Hammama marauders have 
 often seconded two or three of their companions below, who 
 treated with large caravans on what conditions, and for what 
 amount, they would permit the well-armed merchants to pass. 
 The sight of impending masses of rock, ready to be hurled 
 down instantaneously, and endanger the lives of man and 
 beast, invariably proved a convincing argiiment to the shrewd 
 and calculating merchants, whilst this peculiar mode of inti- 
 midation, at all times successful, encouraged the brigands to 
 persevere in their nefarious trade. 
 
 We passed several of these terrific places, and noticed some 
 little dells where lions have been repeatedly obsei*ved, and 
 Avhere some are reported to have been killed ; but we saAV 
 nothing but a hare, a few quail, and put up several coveys of 
 partridges. 
 
 Just as we obtained the first glimpse of the plain Afraan, 
 and quite close to the humble monument of one who was 
 brought to an untimely end tlu'ough the base wickedness 
 and cruelty of his fellow-man, Belgaasem the ex-bandit, and 
 now our guide, observed — 
 
 " Here, in this very place, I once deprived a solitary 
 traveller of all he possessed. O ! if I with my party could 
 only have got hold of you all at that time," he added, " what a 
 lot of doroos, dollars, I would have secured f I might have 
 retired and lived as an honest man all the rest of my days." 
 
 " But do you think it would have been such an easy task 
 to have plundered us ? " I asked.
 
 A SHAM ASSAULT. 181 
 
 " An easy task ! " he exclaimed, " of course it would. I 
 would have rode up to you, and in a thundering tone of 
 voice, which has made many a man tremble, I would have 
 ordered you to halt. The words Give me your money, or I 
 take your life ! would have deafened you and unnerved you. 
 You would have complied without even knowing that you 
 were doing so." 
 
 We were now entering the plain, and found ourselves on 
 even ground, and Belgaasem, whose mind was still occupied 
 with reminiscences of the fonner exploits of his lawless trade, 
 resolved to exhibit the precise manner in which he would 
 have assailed me. But as he shouted out " Give me your 
 money, or I take your life ! " and suited the action to his 
 words, I instantly di'ew my revolver, and replied, "Here, 
 take this!" holding the weapon in a threatening attituda 
 
 "And such a gift, O Belgaasem!" roared old Machfood, 
 " would have left your wife a widow, and your children 
 fatherless." 
 
 " Wallah, by Allah ! so it would," replied our ex-bandit. 
 " Naal-bo-elkotai, cursed be the father of the freebooter, I 
 am resolved rather to be a poor but an honest man." 
 
 From the small plain Afraan, we entered upon one of 
 much gi-eater extent, and which is called Elhazza, having a 
 little to the south a mountain of the same name. Our 
 course lay due east, and at the extremity of Elhazza we 
 came upon the remains of an excellent paved road, which 
 we followed in one part for upwards of a mile. 
 
 This, I am inclined to think, is the road wdiich the Emperor 
 Adrian caused to be constructed from Carthage to Theveste. 
 In an old Spanish manuscript, now in my possession, I find 
 that a column existed in a bath at Tunis which bore an 
 inscription * commemorative of the fact. 
 
 The Emperor Adrian was idolised by the Africans for the 
 
 * See Appendix No. I., iiidcriptioii 33.
 
 182 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 numerous benefits he confeiTed on the country, among which 
 the construction of a good road to Numidia was not the least. 
 He rebuilt and embellished a great portion of Carthage, and 
 on his arrival in Africa the country, which had been visited 
 by a five years' drought, was unexpectedly deluged with rain, 
 a benefit which was ascribed, to the sacred person of the 
 emperor. 
 
 In the vicinity of the remains of this ancient road, and fairly 
 within the territories claimed by Tunis, we overtook a branch 
 of a travelling tribe of Arabs, stragglers of which apparently 
 intentionally kept near us, and among us, in order to create 
 a brawl. Two young men in particular exerted themselves 
 with great assiduity with a view to rouse our ire and indig- 
 nation. One brandished a long cavalry sword before our 
 horses ; while the other, who had a veiy bad expression of 
 countenance, indulged in grimaces, in gestures of defiance, 
 and in songs of a very insolent nature. But we had a long 
 journey yet before us, and had no desire to be drawn into a 
 contest with a hundred, or more, persons, not to count double 
 that number of women and children. We showed them, 
 however, that we were not to be intimidated, by either not 
 noticing them at all, or by occasionally darting at them 
 certain glances which the Arabs understand to be pregnant 
 with contempt. But as they attempted to impede the pro- 
 gress of our baggage-horses, we ordered the fellows to begone 
 in so determined and peremptory a tone of voice, that all 
 doubt as to our resolution vanished from their minds, and 
 they quickly left us to rejoin their party. 
 
 After a ride of five hours and a half, we halted at aU' 
 encampment of the Oulaad Naaja (the children of the she- 
 camel !), whose tents "were pitched on a barren slope, at the 
 S. E. extremity of Elhazza. The Oulaad Naaja are an 
 offshoot of the Farasheesh tribe, to whose Governor, or Caid, 
 we had an especial " order" from the local Government. But 
 we soon found that we were far from being welcome guests,
 
 A WILD PASS. 183 
 
 and it was only after a little coaxing that the " children of 
 the she-camel " favoured us with the ingredients for a break- 
 fast, which our ingenious Said dressed according to the most 
 approved fashion, and that in an incredibly short time. 
 
 Remounting our horses, we struck direct for the hills 
 behind this encampment, and a kind of chasm disclosed to 
 us a circular dale divided by a line of rock, which at a 
 distance had the appearance of artificial construction. This 
 spot is enclosed by lofty heights, and the few tents of the 
 Naaja pitched here presented a very romantic picture. But 
 beyond the line of rocks, which divides this enclosure into 
 two half-circles, the ground was rent and torn into huge 
 masses of confusion, which had the aspect of a perfect 
 chaos. The whole of this circular space, its gentle and its 
 wild portions, impresses one with the idea that it had, 
 by some subterranean convulsion, sunk suddenly from the 
 surrounding heights to its present level. But this scene 
 of desolation — like all gloomy, dreary, and solitary parts 
 of this country, in which man has been reduced to the 
 level of the brute, through the withering influence of 
 despotism — was also studded with the melancholy monu- 
 ments which proclaim the dreadful and diabolic deeds of 
 the assassin. 
 
 The country continued to retain this wild aspect a little 
 way further, until we reached the plain Foscana. But before 
 entering the plain we crossed the rivulet Waad Khangaat 
 Eslooghi, on the banks of which, as well as on the stones 
 projecting from the water, we observed saline incrustations. 
 In this part, too, we noticed various strata of red, white, 
 and yellow earth, used for paint. At the further end of 
 the Foscana we found the Zemcda of the Farasheesh with 
 their Caid, named Salach ben Teleili, who welcomed us to 
 his seat of justice, as did also the various sheikhs of the 
 encampment, composed of about sixty tents. 
 
 Having been ten hours in the saddle, we were glad to
 
 1S4 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 have reached hospitable quarters, particularly so as our 
 tents were scarcely pitched before it commenced to rain in 
 torrents. 
 
 " Your visit is a blessing to us/' obsei-ved the Caid ; " but 
 would you had come sooner, for now the rain can do but 
 little good to our crops. They are ruined, and starvation 
 threatens our poor -people : but Rabbi yaamal daleel, the 
 Lord will provide. He feeds the brute creation, and will, 
 surely, not neglect us," 
 
 We sympathised with the governor, for the whole culti- 
 vated portions we passed this day, belonging to the tribe, 
 verified his statement. The crops were wi'etched in the 
 extreme, and, I doubt very much, whether they will even 
 take the trouble to reap what they have sown. It certainly 
 will not repay the labour ; and yet this is the fifth failure of 
 crops with which the Farasheesh have been visited. A famine 
 would long since have decimated any other population ; but 
 the wants of these Arabs are so few, and their abstemious- 
 ness is so great, that they support life upon very little. The 
 daily rations of one Englishman will suffice to support five 
 Arabs during the same period, and in the absence of all 
 rations they still manage to subsist. But give them an 
 opportunity for feasting, and, like the Laplanders, they can 
 readily contrive to stow away, at a single " sitting," 
 what would suffice to satisfy the appetite of an English- 
 man for five days. Elasticity is a prominent feature in the 
 Arab's moral and physical characters. He accommodates 
 himself to piety and to roguery ; he patiently resigns him- 
 self to despotism, and plays the tyrant's part in his turn ; 
 he can feast like a trooper, and he can dispense with food 
 like a dormouse. 
 
 The governor regretted, or rather said he did, that we had 
 not arrived here some days before,* when we might have par- 
 ticipated in a lion-hunt. His people took a young lion alive, 
 and sent it and the skin of a large male, " as big as a cow," as
 
 THE UNITED STATES' FLAG. 185 
 
 a present to the Bey. The hills in this neighbourhood are 
 frequently visited by the lion, who occasionally causes great 
 havoc among the cattle of the Farasheesh. 
 
 Our object in coming to the governor of the Naaja branch 
 of the Farasheesh tribe, was to request him to send a supply 
 of provisions for us to Cassareen and to Feriaana. We, 
 however, learnt from him that his authority did not extend so 
 far, and he refeiTed us to Cathoom, the governor of Thala and 
 the surrounding district. But he agreed to send one of his 
 Sbahies to accompany us to Cassareen, and him, the Caid said, 
 he would authorise to make use of his name wherever his 
 Influence possessed any weight. We, therefore, resolved to 
 dispatch a messenger to Cathoom with instructions to meet 
 us with supplies at Cassareen. 
 
 My fellow-traveller, the U. S. Consul, had had repeated 
 proofs of the gross ignorance of the Arabs on ancient and 
 modem history, and on geography ; but at this Zamala, 
 this seat of the governor and judges of a portion of a large 
 tribe, he was doomed to discover another instance of the illite- 
 rate state of these people. Travelling, as we often did, among 
 hostile Arabs, and finding ourselves, almost generally, among 
 inhospitable communities, we neglected no opportunity to 
 inspire them with our dignity and importance, our means 
 of defence, and our personal courage. It is therefore no 
 wonder that we used, or endeavoured to use, Mr. Nicholson's 
 official character to our common advantage and interest. 
 Over our tent floated the stars and stripes, and around his 
 cap the Consul wore a broad gold band, while his dragoT^ian, 
 or janissary, was intended to add further lustre to the dignity 
 of " the U. S. representative *at the court of Tunis." But 
 Sadek, the dragomaii, had too mean and despicable an ex- 
 terior ; the gold band was not even noticed, whilst the glowing 
 stripes, and the, alas ! agitated constellation produced no 
 greater impression, and had no better effect, than any gaudy 
 handkerchief would have had. A sore disappointment this
 
 186 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 was unquestionably, but it was a source of special* annoyance 
 to the Consul. 
 
 "What is this you have over your tent?" asked some 
 Arabs at Mokthar ; and as Mr. Nicholson did not understand 
 them I was desired to interpret. 
 
 " Tell them," said the Consul, " that the stripes represent 
 the original states, and the stars the actual number of states 
 which now form (?) the gi-eat union." 
 
 But all this was unintelligible to the Arabs, who only 
 reiterated the question — 
 
 " It is not the flag of the Sultan of Africa, nor is it that of 
 the Ingleez [English], nor of the Franseez [French] — what 
 flag is it then?" 
 
 In vain did I endeavour to impress them with the vastness 
 and importance of the (?) . " great Transatlantic republic ; " 
 her fame had not reached Arab ears. 
 
 " Well, I must confess," said the Consul, " I was not pre- 
 pared to meet with such gross ignorance ; " and from that day 
 the stars and stripes but seldom decorated the summit of our 
 canvas dwelling. 
 
 But on the present occasion we had to deal not with 
 ordinary Bedouins, but with an important chief, and when 
 that jiersonage entered our tent, and desired, to be informed 
 what the words Jconsol elmerikaan, "American Consul" in 
 the Bey's " order" meant — whether the gentleman with the 
 gold band was the English, or French Consul — Mr. Nichol- 
 son's contempt for the degraded, and preposterous, ignorance 
 of the inhabitants of this country became boundless. 
 
 Gold band, dragoman, and stars and stripes proved alike 
 ineffectual, so that we had to rely exclusively on our means 
 of defence and on our personal bravery. 
 
 It was at this Zamala that we exchanged our guide Bel- 
 gaasem for a diminutive Farasheesh Sbahi, named Othmaan. 
 He was mounted on a bay pony, the trappings of which 
 were as miserable as the weapon slung across his shoulders
 
 DIMmUTIVE HERO. 187 
 
 was wretched. Belgaasem accompanied us a short distance, 
 and on taking his final leave he said to me — 
 
 " I took a liking to you the very first moment I saw you, 
 but since you have given me the hadeah, present, I quite 
 love you : may Allah be with you !" 
 
 And digging his spurs into his mare's flanks, the ex-bandit 
 was soon out of sight. But his farewell speech was made in 
 the hearing of his successor in office, and this individual, no 
 doubt, with a view to insure his hadeah, at once commenced 
 to inspire us -v\dth the magnitude of his courage in spite of 
 his diminutive stature. Among other exploits our small 
 hero told us that he rescued last year a lamb from the 
 lion's jaws, and that simply by assailing the ferocious brute 
 with stones. 
 
 " It was just dusk when I perceived the yellow monster, 
 that rank kaafer [unbeliever], and when he saw the fearless 
 manner in which I approached him, he hesitated, but when 
 he found the kind of Weapon with which I was about to 
 assail him his indignation was boundless. ' What ! ' he roared, 
 dropping the lamb, 'and is it thus you mean to humiliate 
 me ? ' I deigned £10 reply, but pelted the intruder with 
 the very missiles he most detests, and in a few minutes 
 I remained perfect master of the field, the lion trotting 
 off and lashing his own sides with his tail from rage at 
 the contemptible treatment which he had received at my 
 hands." 
 
 From the Zamala, Jebel ShaJdema bore E. by N., Jehel 
 Nogeiza S., while our route lay E. S. E. Leaving the plain 
 Foscana, we entered that of Elaajeah, and, passing the han- 
 sheer Breh, threaded our path in the du-ection of the tents of 
 Mohammed Ali, a deposed Caid, or governor. I regi'etted 
 having been prevented from visiting the ruins of Brek, 
 which, according to the information I received, promised to 
 possess considerable interest. But to what extent reliance 
 is to be placed on Arab reports is a question justly open to
 
 188 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 conflicting opinions. Brek is considered a dreaded spot 
 among the Arabs owing to some jenoon, apparition, or 
 spectre, which has been observed among the ruins, and which 
 did not fail to terrify some very trusttvorthy people. On 
 one occasion a man observed several females, robed in pure 
 white, and of angelic beauty. As the man approached them 
 they conjured him by the Moslem formula to stay where he 
 then was ; but as his curiosity urged him on, the ladies 
 exclaimed — 
 
 " Sherat ennabi beinatna, [the law of the prophet is 
 between us] : restrain thy curiosity, and come not near us, we 
 entreat thee ! " 
 
 "But in spite of being thus conjured," my informant 
 states, " the man advanced, and when he found himself quite 
 close to these mysterious women, they, to his utter amazement, 
 suddenly vanished ! He searched diligently for them, but he 
 searched in vain." 
 
 " On another occasion," I learnt from the same source, 
 " whilst two inomianeen, true believers, were engaged at 
 their devotions, they heard the voice of a youth lamenting 
 the fate of the fallen city, and on looking round they beheld 
 a lovely boy sui-passing in whiteness the choicest cathal [the 
 purest white lime], and what was most strange is, that he 
 was supplied with wings ! But he too vanished when they 
 attempted to approach him." 
 
 Is it not very probable that the " true behevers " fled fi'om 
 statues, and not that statues vanished at their approach ? I 
 have no doubt on my own mind that marble statues are the 
 subjects of these legends. It is in situations similar to Brek, 
 in the mountains, almost inaccessible to horses, owinsr to 
 the rugged and steep paths over dizzy crags, that statuary, 
 and other relics, in a perfect state, will be found. But for 
 researches in such localities the traveller must be fully, and 
 specially, prepared, and he must also have ample time at his 
 disposal. An excursion, with such an object in view, will, I
 
 THE DEPOSED GOVEENOR. 1S9 
 
 believe, be adequately rewarded, for the most valuable trea- 
 sures of antiquity, found in this country, are in secluded, and 
 solitary, places. To the enterprising archaeologist, and to the 
 daring sportsman such an expedition, if properly organised, 
 ought to prove a very great attraction. 
 
 On apj)roaching the tents of Mohammed Ali we found 
 there a scene of confusion similar to that witnessed at elec- 
 tions in England. A report had reached this place that 
 the venerable ex-Caid had been re-instated over that 
 branch of the Farasheesh now under the jurisdiction of 
 Cathoom, Belgaasem's master, and, hence, a number of 
 Mohammed All's old adherents had repaired hither to con-' 
 gratulate him. 
 
 The venerable Mohammed Ali, accompanied by several of 
 his friends who formerly held office under him, came out to 
 welcome us, and ordered a number of his men to take charge 
 of our horses. He strongly urged us to spend the night with 
 him, and when we declined this invitation he insisted on our 
 partaking of some refreshments under his roof. To this we 
 agreed. 
 
 We were conducted into a very spacious tent, well car- 
 peted, and in a short time coffee was served. Soon after 
 two large wooden bowls of dates were brought in, as well as 
 several brazen cups full of excellent milk. To this fare we did 
 ample justice. The world's politics, and the more restricted 
 (but to these people more interesting) politics of Tunis, 
 formed the subject of our conversation. Some of the remarks 
 which the ex-governor made showed that he possessed good 
 common sense, and this, to my own mind, was a sufficiently 
 good reason to believe that the report of his having been 
 re-instated in office was false. But I did not tell the kind- 
 hearted Arab chief so, nor did I give expression to my 
 opinion to any of his nuincrous friends wlio manifested such 
 great anxiety on his behalf. Mohammed Ali is a genuine 
 Arab, and, judging from his expression of countenance, he
 
 190 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 is an honest Arab : and these are not the qualifications 
 for office under the present Mamlook regime of this country. 
 A Mamlook, or an Ai-ab faithful to Mamlook interests, 
 is more likely to succeed the Caid who is to be deprived 
 of his post. 
 
 Taking leave of our hospitable host, we rode in the 
 direction of some pyramidal rocks, at the south-eastern 
 termination of this'barren pjLin. Hence we left Jebel Ezzehs 
 to our right, and worked our way down into the Barhairat 
 Cassareen, the plain of Cassareen, by a very rocky, and 
 difficult, path, at one part of which we found a delicious 
 spring of water. 
 
 The plain of Cassareen has a very poor soil, and is but 
 little cultivated. It is used for the pasture of cattle, and in 
 those parts which are remote from the river, numerous 
 trenches have been dug to receive the rain-water for the 
 convenience of the flocks. Near Cassareen we found some 
 shepherds of the Hammama tribe busily engaged in hunting 
 field rats, and to my gi-eat astonishment I found that they 
 secured these animals for food. I watched their operations 
 for a short time, whilst the rest of our party rode up towards 
 the ruins. At first I thought it was the jerboeJ^ the 'iniLs 
 vnontanus, which was the object of their chace, and there is 
 nothing so very disgusting in that animal ; but when I found 
 that their game was so near akin to the common rat, I could 
 not help manifesting a certain degi'ee of aversion and anti- 
 pathy, which when the Ai'abs perceived they burst out into 
 a loud fit of laughter. During the few minutes I remained 
 with them they caught three rats, and the manner in which 
 they secured them was very simple. Large leather bottles 
 full of water were poured into the different holes, and if 
 there were any rats within, they were sure to rush out. 
 The bewildered animal was instantly pursued and knocked 
 down with clubs. But in conformity with the Moslem 
 ritual, before life was extinct, the animal's throat was
 
 THE RUINS OF CASSAREEN. 191 
 
 cut "in the direction of Mecca," and during this operation 
 the words Bismillahi, " in the name of Allah ! " were 
 solemnly pronounced. .Some thirty rats were strung toge- 
 ther, and these were intended to form the sumptuous 
 supper of the family of these shepherds. But this is not a 
 meal from choice : it is absolute want and poverty which 
 force them to it. 
 
 Quitting the rat-catchers, I hastened to overtake my party, 
 and then galloped up to the ruins in search of an eligible 
 site where to pitch our tents. Whilst riding about among 
 the confused masses of remains of ancient structures, I fell 
 in with three Arabs. When they observed me they rose and 
 advanced towards me from the block of ruins near which 
 they had been sheltering themselves from the blast of the 
 northerly wind which was then blowing. They seemed a 
 desperate set of fellows, and in the most insolent manner 
 demanded money. 
 
 " We have no money," they said, " but you have plenty, 
 and you must give us some." 
 
 " If you are in want of money," I replied, " you must work 
 and gain some, instead of idling away your time in the way 
 you do ! " ^ 
 
 " La Utah iW Allah ! [There is no God but Allah !] " they 
 simultaneously exclaimed, and by the manner in which these 
 initiatory words of the Moslem creed were pronounced, they 
 had the same force as if they had said — " A pretty answer 
 this to our demand ! You are greatly mistaken if you fancy 
 that you will get rid of us by your moralising ? " for they 
 added — 
 
 " Yalla ! yalla ! Come, come, that won't do ; you must, and 
 you shall, give us money." . . . 
 
 But without finishing their sentence, and before I had time 
 to make another observation, they hastened from me, and 
 scampered down the hill at the top of their speed. On turn- 
 ing round, I observed one of my fellow-travellers making his
 
 192 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 way towards the spot where I was. The villains had evi- 
 dently perceived him first, and on finding that I was not 
 quite alone, they thought that prudeace was the better part 
 of valour, and made their timely retreat. 
 
 The heavily-charged clouds made us more anxious than we 
 usually were for a sheltered spot for our tents. The ancient 
 ruins were in a locality too much exposed, we were, therefore, 
 compelled to take possessio^of a modem ruin, for Cassareen, 
 like Thala, has been inhabited by the Arab, and, from some 
 motive or other, again abandoned. We were still engaged in 
 pitching our tents, within a large mud enclosure, when the 
 rain commenced to descend, gently at first, but no sooner was 
 our task completed, and our baggage stowed away, than it 
 came down in good earnest. 
 
 And now we had a repetition of wonying and being 
 worried, teasing and being teased, about barley and provi- 
 sions. Little Othmaan had no influence, and returned with 
 a sorry tale about his efforts, and a detailed account of the 
 manner in which he was ejected by some Arabs. Our other 
 messengers also came back empty, and later in the evening 
 Hamed, whom we had sent to Caid Cathoom, made his 
 appearance, accompanied by two servants of the governor 
 and with a letter from " his excellency" but they brought 
 no supplies, and only augmented our troubles by their addi- 
 tional animals. We had now sixteen horses to feed, and 
 twelve hungiy men depended on our exertions to satisfy 
 their craving appetites. After a consultation, we resolved to 
 use the force at our command to our advantage. 
 
 In reply to our message, governor Cathoom wrote to tell us 
 that Cassareen was not under his jurisdiction — that it was 
 under "an agent." " But," he "WTites, "we have forwarded to 
 him a notice informing him, and the people of Cassareen, 
 that it is their duty to supply you with ever3^hing you 
 require, as well as to protect you and to second all your 
 wishes." The agent, however, still persisted in his obstinacy.
 
 RUINS OF CASSAREEN. 193 
 
 and we found ourselves compelled to send for him a 
 sufficient force to insure his appearance. Fortunately he 
 was acute enough to understand the precise nature of our 
 message, for he not only came, but he came with a mule 
 laden with barley, and several men followed with a plentiful 
 supper for our men. For ourselves we required nothing, 
 having laid in a stock at Tebessa which made us independent 
 of Arab hospitality. ^ 
 
 The "pious" Hamed was so exhausted that he dispensed with 
 his supper. An extraordinary occurrence this ! We were only 
 five hours on horseback, whereas he had been sixteen in his 
 saddle. To us he was more useful this day than he had been 
 on the whole journey, for though he brought us no supplies, 
 he returned with a jDackage of Galignanies which had been for- 
 warded to the care of the Caid. Mr. Nicholson was particularly 
 anxious for American news, and now he had a plentiful sup- 
 ply, though far from a satisfactory nature. American politics 
 formed the chief topic of our evening's conversation. 
 
 Cassareen is so called by the Ai^abs from the appearance of 
 its ruins, which, according to their idea, resemble palaces, or 
 forts, from a distance. It is the ancient Colonia Scillitana, 
 called in the " Itinerary " Cilio, and was built on a kind of 
 cape of high table-land, the extreme projection of which ter- 
 minates in the Bahairet Cassareen, " the lake or plain of 
 Cassareen." On the higher gi'ound, in consequence of the 
 peculiar sweep of the mountains at no great distance off, 
 the ruins seem to be perfectly enclosed by these heights, 
 and Cassareen presents the appearance of an amphitheatre. 
 This town possesses every advantage of being strongly forti- 
 fied by only slightly assisting Nature, for it is approached on 
 all sides but one by steep and rocky ascents. Cilio occupied 
 a circumference of about four miles, and though its ruins are 
 very numerous, those that have retained their original shape 
 are not so many as I was led to suppose. 
 
 Facing the mud enclosure within which we pitched our
 
 194 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 tents, and to the N.E. of the town, we have a three-storeyed 
 mausoleum, which, though a beautiful piece of architecture, is 
 perhaps more remarkable for its inscriptions — a very lengthy 
 elegy — on its western front. It was originally surmounted by 
 a statue, which has either been carried away, or it has followed 
 the fate which most statues have met with from either the 
 fanatical Circumciliones, the Yandals, or the Moslem icono- 
 clasts. 
 
 This monument was erected by M. Flavins Secundus in 
 honour of his parents, who, as well as other members of the 
 family, were buried here, as appears from an inscription on the 
 S.W. fa9ade.* It was built on a pyramidal base, which being 
 partly embedded in the ground, its real dimensions cannot 
 be correctly ascertained, but the body of the monument 
 is twelve feet square. The first storey, which is covered 
 with inscriptions, and has an entrance three feet square, is 
 surmounted by a neat cornice. Above it we have nine 
 columns ornamented with Corinthian capitals, and these 
 support the third storey, which has an arched opening facing 
 the west. This is the best preserved of the three mausolea 
 at Cassareen, all of which stand in the plain, and at a 
 considerable distance from each other. Ascending the higher 
 ground by the path which is contiguous to this monument, 
 and on the very edge of a ravine, there is a triumphal arch, 
 which, however, is by no means remarkable for beauty. It 
 is forty-four feet in length, and the width of the arch is 
 thirteen feet six inches, while in breadth it is six feet seven 
 inches. It has neither side arches nor has it columns in 
 their stead, and its oi-naments, which partake of the Corin- 
 thian character, are not in good taste. The architrave is 
 flanked by two clumsy little columns, which, instead of em- 
 bellishing the monument, tend only to increase its deformities. 
 On this arch I found inscription No. 35, and below it, in 
 
 * See Aj)pendix No. I., luscriptiou 34.
 
 SHAW'S BLUNDERS. 195 
 
 three lines, No. 36, both of which are given in the Appendix 
 No. I. 
 
 Shaw, upwards of a century ago, and when these inscrip- 
 tions were, of course, more legible, says regarding them, " the 
 only words I could trace out were— INSIGNIA CVRANTE 
 M. CELIO AN. CV." and adds, " If this part of Africa then 
 was made a Roman province upon the younger Scipio's 
 destroying Carthage, viz., A.V.C., DC VIII., ante Christum, 
 CXLVI., then the era here mentioned, viz., CV., will be 
 XLI. years before Christ, or in the second year of the reign 
 of Augustus." I need waste no words in refuting the 
 learned doctor, since the inscription itself is an ample 
 refutation of all this chronology ; but I must again observe 
 that my conviction is, that Shaw only visited some maritime 
 cities of Africa, and collected his information respecting 
 the interior from Christian slaves, who, in those days, 
 often accompanied their Moslem masters to their estates in 
 these inhospitable regions. The slaves had to exercise 
 great caution so as not to be noticed by Moslems, since 
 copjdng inscriptions, or making drawings of any of the 
 antiquities, might have involved them in serious difficulties. 
 No wonder, then, that their observations were not always 
 correct ; particularly so as they must often have depended 
 upon their memory to avoid the consequences to which 
 ignorance and fanaticism exposed them. 
 
 There was one house at Tunis where the Christian slave 
 met always with sympathy : indeed, the owner of that house 
 impoverished himself by his liberality in redeeming captives. 
 I allude to the Swedish Consulate, and to M. Talin, the 
 Swedish Consul General, who, from all reports, was as intel- 
 lectual a man as he was benevolent. In the family of 
 M. Tulin numerous manuscripts, of great interest, were to 
 be found ; which, in the course of time, after the death of 
 the philanthropic Consul, were thrown into a lumber-room, 
 and finally condemned to the flames. From this wanton 
 
 o 2 '
 
 196 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 destruction several were saved by my estimable friend, the 
 late Dr. Heap, and transmitted to me. One of tliese is the 
 Spanish manuscript to which I have already alluded, and which 
 I believe to be the production of a literary Christian slave. 
 It contains a number of inscri^jtions, some of which have 
 been incorrectly copied, and since the very same mistakes 
 are contained in those which Shaw gives, I think I am justified 
 in concluding that the Doctor had access to this manuscript. 
 Besides, it is well kno"wn in the Tulin family that both Shaw 
 and Bruce frequented the Swedish Consulate during their 
 stay at Tunis. The blunders of Shaw are therefore not his 
 own, but those of the sources whence he obtained his informa- 
 tion respecting the interior cities. It would be absolutely 
 preposterous to think that a man of the Doctor's eimdition 
 should have ascribed a comparatively modern, and clumsy, 
 structui'e to a remote period — a period to which the best 
 specimens of the architecture of the Empire belong. To 
 impugn his judgment would be doing him an absolute in- 
 justice, whereas to say that he has been led astray through 
 inaccui'ate information, is what travellers are more or less 
 exposed to. 
 
 Having mentioned these travellers, I feel tempted to 
 record an anecdote about the great and dauntless explorer 
 of Abyssinia. When Bruce was at Tunis, he frequented, as 
 I have said, the house of the hospitable Swedish Consul of 
 that day. Mr. Tulin's little daughter, a child about eight 
 years of age, became a great favourite of the' intrepid tra- 
 veller ; but as he teased her incessantly, the fondness was 
 not reciprocated. Indeed, the child carefully avoided him, 
 and always endeavoured to keep out of his way. One day he 
 found her behind a door, and on asking what she was doing 
 there, the little girl, after considerable hesitation, replied — 
 
 " I was praying." 
 
 " And may I know what you were prajdng for, my child ? " 
 Bruce asked asfain.
 
 ANECDOTE OF BRUCE THE TRAVELLER. 197 
 
 But she declined to gi-atify his curiosity, and it was only 
 after reiterated entreaties that she gave him an arch look, 
 and said — 
 
 " I was praying to God that he might take you aw^ay." 
 
 Bruce laughed heartily, and only then discovered that 
 the course he had adoj)ted was not calculated to inspire 
 the child with affection towards him. He readily altered his 
 conduct ; and before he started on his long and perilous 
 journey, the two became great friends. 
 
 But to return to our ruins. • 
 
 The upper part, or the uneven elevation, of Cassareen, 
 presents the appearance of a vast necropolis. Massive stones, 
 which look like tombstones, and fonned originally parts of 
 the walls of private dwellings, have remained ; and the inter- 
 mediate portions, which must have been composed of less 
 durable materials, have disappeared. The Scillitanian houses 
 seem to have had what Pliny calls formacean walls. " These," 
 that author tells us, " are moulded, rather than buUt, by 
 enclosing earth within a frame of boards, constructed on 
 either side. These walls will last for centuries : are proof 
 agaiast rain, wind, and fire." * Similar " walls are often 
 constructed in this country even now, but although they do 
 possess great durabihty, yet are they not able to resist what 
 soUd stone work can do." -f- To add solidity to these for- 
 onacean walls, the corners, and other parts, were secured by 
 large stones, placed ia the gi'ound pei-pendicularly. But 
 when, in the course of time, the cement cnimbled, and was 
 washed away, the fastenings alone remained standing, and 
 these have now the appearance of so many grave-stones. 
 Hence the necropolis-like aspect of Colonia Scillitana. So 
 complete is the deception, that in rambling over these ruins, 
 and following the defined streets and lanes, I frequently 
 stopped to read the epitaphs. These stones were so bleached 
 
 * Hist. Nat. lib. xxxv. c. 48. 
 
 t Cartilage aad Her Remains, c. x. p. 211.
 
 198 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 and polished that they looked like marble, except from the 
 E.S.E., where they had a dark green coating of moss, and 
 the aspect of this enormous burial gi'ound was totally 
 changed when viewed from that quarter. 
 
 " Do you see the effect of the Kihla ? " * asked a true 
 believer, pointing to the discoloured side of the stones. 
 "Allah akhar [Allah is omnipotent] ; verily he manifests his 
 truth in sigTis and wonders." 
 
 " White is the emblem of purity," I rejoined ; " I wonder, 
 therefore, you do not *ay that the white parts are Allah's sign. 
 Judging from these stones, I am rather inclined to think 
 that purity and truth come from every other quarter ; while 
 darkness and ignorance emanate from the one you indicate." 
 
 But this true believer rejected my construction, and 
 eagerly pointed out the spots of green on his side of the 
 stones, reminding me that green was the holy colour — that 
 the prophet himself always wore green garments, and that 
 these stones, though dumb, significantly proclaimed the 
 truth of Islaam, whose holy banner was likewise green. 
 
 Leaving this verdant, bvit sincere, follower of the prophet, 
 I directed my steps to the remaining ruins, 
 
 Cassareen has many more remains, but they are in so 
 dilapidated a condition that it is quite impossible to attempt 
 a minute description of them. One large edifice, apparently 
 built of the materials of a temple, seems to have served as 
 a Christian church, and some years ago it was repaired and 
 converted into a Moslem mosque — a strange metamorphosis ! 
 But the Arab masonry has already decayed and crumbled to 
 dust ; while the ancient portions, divested of the mud and 
 mortar of the modern barbarians, stand forth, as they did 
 before, exhibiting their superiority over Arab architecture. 
 Above the entrance of this building there is a bas-relief 
 representing pigeons drinking at either a fountain, or a vase, 
 
 * E.S.E., the direction iu which Moslems offer their devotions. It is the 
 situation of Mecca.

 
 COMPLAINT OF HAMMAMA ARABS. 199 
 
 SO rudely is it executed that it is difficult to say which. 
 Besides this edifice there are others, whose massive remains, 
 and vast extent, show that they were public structures : and 
 this is all that can be said of them with any degree of 
 certainty. 
 
 From the heights of Cassareen I took these bearings : — 
 Jehel Zalfaan, N.N.W. ; Jehel Amraan, N. by E. ; Jebel 
 Sammaan, E.N.E. ; Jehel Modrh, E. ; Jehel Salloom, S.E. ; 
 Jehel Elatra, S.S.E. ; Jehel Faj-ho-Hasseen, S.W. by W. ; 
 Jehel Shaamha, N.W. 
 
 The Waad Cassareen, which has its source a few miles 
 south, runs to the S.E. of the town. It flows into the Waad 
 Edderh, which further on, to the S.E., assumes the name of 
 Waad Hattah. The Waad Fekha and Camoda are names 
 for the same river ; it is so called from the districts through 
 which it glides, and whose lands it irrigates. 
 
 Soon after leaving Cassareen we overtook a small caravan 
 of Hammama Arabs — the tribe proscribed by the French on 
 account of the devastation they caused in Algeria by their 
 fonner incursions. They drove before them camels and 
 asses laden with grain, which they had purchased at Thala, 
 and which they were conveying to the frontiers, where 
 some thousands of the tribe are encamped. The Hammama 
 are suffering from great scarcity, and, like the Farasheesh, 
 they anticipate starvation. This party was armed with long 
 swords, guns, and pistols ; but they were very peaceably 
 disj)osed. They saluted us cordially, and asked whether we 
 were French. On being told that we were not, they ex- 
 pressed their satisfaction, and remarked that the French 
 acted cruelly towards them. 
 
 " See," one of the party said, " we are near neighbours of 
 the French, and yet are we forced to go a great distance in 
 search of grain, when their market is overstocked. May 
 Allah recompense them according to their deserts !" 
 
 " But the French have good cause to be enraged with the
 
 
 200 
 
 
 Hammama," I reJS^ed^ \*fbr..yp»^ave acted veiy indis- 
 creetly. You robbed ampraiidered their country," 
 
 " And are all tlie Hammama robbers, because there are 
 some of the tribe who live on plunder ? " asked the same 
 man. "Ya rasool Allah ! [O apostle of Allah]" he con- 
 tinued, "justify us in the sight of these Nazarenes, and 
 clear us from the Thalamum [evil-doers]. I have seen a 
 Nasraani [Nazarene] decapitated for murder, but would it 
 be right of me to say that all Nazarenes are murderers ? 
 I know honest and upright Jews, but does this justify me 
 to assert that all Jews are honest and upright ? There are, 
 I confess, some Hammama freebooters ; but is it right to 
 proscribe the whole tribe on their account ? But power and 
 m.ight predominate, and, hence, the innocent and unoffending 
 suffer. Our children and our aged, our women and our 
 infirai, call for justice, and Allah is Tcareem ivaracheem 
 [bountiful and merciful], and will not allow them to suj)pK- 
 cate in vain." 
 
 I was unwilling to enter too ftilly into these grievances, 
 • and therefore changed the topic of conversation. After some 
 desultory remarks, and after ha\ing answered a number of 
 questions relative to European and Moslem countries, one of 
 the party asked whether we had met with the Aroosat 
 Cassareen, " the bride of Cassareen," and on replying in the 
 negative, he said — 
 
 " But I presume you know all about her 1 for we believe 
 that a jin, ' a spirit ' of your ancestors, carried her away." 
 
 Since I had never heard of this elopement, I desired to be 
 informed on the subject ; and the Arab proceeded to relate 
 as follows : — 
 
 " The precise time when the event occun-ed, I am unable 
 to tell you ; but, suffice it to say, that a long time ago, a 
 number of Ai'abs of the Oulaad Naaja, which you know is 
 a branch of the Farasheesh tribe, encamped near the 
 Kherhat [ruins] of Cassareen. Among the daughters of
 
 THEiBRIDE OF CASSAREEX. 201 
 
 these Arabs there was one whose beauty was never sur-* 
 passed, and whose fame for wisdom, and other excellence, 
 was equal to her beauty. Numbers of the youth of her own 
 tribe, as well as those of other tribes, asked her in marriage ; 
 but they were all doomed to disappointment, for she refused 
 all alike. Contrary to our custom, her father left the choice 
 of her husband to herself. He doted on her, and he was a 
 man of pimdence, and considered that her wisdom entitled 
 her to such a privilege. But the rejected suitors harboured 
 revenge against him, so that in a short time he found 
 himself suiTOunded by enemies whom he had never injured. 
 He was originally not very rich, but he soon found him- 
 self reduced to poverty. His camels died, his sheep were 
 stolen, his crops were destroyed, and his life even was in 
 danger. 
 
 " Under these circumstances he appealed to his daughter, 
 and entreated her to relieve him from his embarrassed 
 situation. 
 
 " ' Make thy choice, my daughter,' he said to her ; ' for 
 since thou canst only marry one man, those whom thou hast 
 refused (and, no doubt, wisely), will become reconciled to me. 
 Thou wilt then save thy family from utter ruin, and thy 
 father, perhaps, from an untimely grave.' 
 
 "To the father's extreme joy, his daughter rephed that 
 she was willing to marry the son of one Abdallah. He at 
 once repaired to the Arab to negotiate the affair ; and so 
 exalted an opinion did he entertain of his child, that he 
 never for a moment anticipated the least difficulty. Judge, 
 then, of his amazement when Abdallah repKed — 
 
 " 'A woman's T\T.sdom is worthless, and her beauty fades : if 
 thou hast not a rich do\^Ty to bestow on thy daughter, aspire 
 not to become allied to my house. My son has twenty bags 
 of piastres, besides camels, and sheep, and asses. Beauty 
 and "vvisdom are not equivalent with these. Thou art poor ; 
 marry, therefore, thy daughter to a man of like condition.'
 
 202 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 " With a heavy heart he returned to his daughter ; but, 
 contrary to his expectation, instead of being downcast about 
 the result of the negotiation, she was in ecstacies of 
 exultation, 
 
 " ' Return thee to Abdallah, O my father,' she said ; ' and 
 tell him that the woman, whose wisdom he despises, has 
 double the bags of piastres that he can give to his son. 
 Let him send here to-morrow, and forty bags of the coin 
 he prefers to wisdom shall be at his disposal ; tell him also 
 that on the mamage-day thy daughter will produce forty 
 bags more. Will this satisfy Abdallah ? ' 
 
 '"It surely will,' the father answered ; ' but, my daughter, 
 thou knowegt my poverty : how, then, canst thou promise 
 so large a sum ? ' 
 
 "But the daughter smiled, and begged him to suffer 
 her to keep her own counsel a short while longer ; and as 
 he had implicit confidence in her wisdom and discretion, 
 he complied with her request, and at once returned to the 
 tents of Abdallah. 
 
 " ' Thou hast probably forgotten some more qualifications 
 of thy daughter,' observed the wealthy Arab, who estimated 
 everything according to its pecuniary value, and who despised 
 all things indiscriminately which possessed no such value. 
 ' Hast thou returned to tell me,' he continued sarcastically, 
 'that thy daughter is not only handsome and wise, but 
 that she is likewise pious, and prays ? If so, then let me save 
 thee the trouble, by informing thee that I consider this an 
 objection rather than a virtue ; and of the same opinion 
 were all the faithful throughout all ages.' 
 
 " ' Of what I come to tell thee, O Abdallah,' the man 
 replied, ' thou art a much better judge than of the estimable 
 worth of my daughter, or of the ethics of our ancestors. 
 I know thou dost fully understand the value of a bag con- 
 taining a thousand piastres. Thy son has twenty such 
 bags ; and I have to inform thee that the woman whom
 
 THE BRIDE OF CASSAREEN. 203 
 
 thou scomest, and disdainest, is able to double that amount, 
 and on the day of her nuptials to double that again. What 
 dost thou now think of that woman, O Abdallah ? ' 
 
 " ' If thou dost not absolutely mock and deride me — if 
 thou dost not deceive and impose on me — then, I say, that 
 my son cannot have a more eligible wife than that woman ; 
 for listen, brother, I consider beauty and wisdom, and piety 
 too, excellent adjuncts to riches. But thou never hadst the 
 reputation of being a wealthy man ; and the losses thou 
 hast recently sustained made me look down upon thee as a 
 poor man. Tell me, then, art thou in earnest in what thou 
 sayest ? Are thy words sober truth ? ' 
 
 "'At the rising of to-morrow's sun,' the other answered, 
 ' thou mayest send for the forty bags ; a gi-eater proof of my 
 probity and veracity thou canst not require.' 
 
 " Having brought the negotiation to this point, and Ab- 
 dallah having agTeed to send for the money at the time 
 specified, the Ai'ab returned to rejoice the heart of his 
 daughter by relating to her the particulars. She was indeed 
 greatly pleased ; but the father, though he spoke in so 
 positive a manner, was greatly puzzled as to how, and 
 in what manner, his favourite child intended to satisfy the 
 money-loving Abdallah. She perceived this, and told him 
 that two hours after sunset, if he liked to accompany her, 
 she would show him the treasures which were at her 
 disposal. 
 
 " Now, you must know, O ! Nazarene," the naiTator 
 continued, " that among the old buildings of Cassareen — 
 the original work of your ancestors — there was a sj)ot 
 which all Arabs dreaded to approach. It was the declivity 
 overhanging the river. The aged and the young but seldom 
 ventured into that locality in the daytime, and certainly 
 never at night. The place was known by the name of 
 the pointing hand, for an enormous human arm was always 
 seen there projecting from the ground, and in the hand
 
 204 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 there was a kind of rod which always pointed in one 
 direction. This portion of a human body was invariably 
 seen there, but at night the place was reported to be fre- 
 quented by a vast number of spectres, of all sizes, shapes, and 
 forms. The dread and consternation which their presence 
 spread round the country was such that no one ventured, after 
 sunset, to aj^proach -within half a mile of the iJointing hand. 
 
 " Imagine, then, the dismay of the Arab when, at the 
 time specified, he was informed by his daughter that she 
 wished him to accomjDany her to the pointing hand. But 
 he hesitated only a moment, for his confidence in her wisdom 
 reconciled him to her proposal. Guided to the precise spot 
 to which the hand directed, a stone was removed ; and, to 
 the indescribable delight of the father, he saw treasures 
 before him enough to enrich kingdoms. The bags were 
 quickly filled, and on the following morning the promise 
 made to AbdaUah was redeemed, to his intense satisfaction 
 and joy. 
 
 • " With an incredible rapidity did the news spread that 
 the betrothal of this famous woman to the son of the 
 opulent Abdallah was to be celebrated. Hosts of Arabs 
 flocked to the spot, and no expense was spared to make- 
 file festivities gay and the games cheerful. The most 
 venerable and aged of the tribe declared that they had 
 never witnessed such scenes before, nor did they remember 
 having heard of anything to equal it. 
 
 " The period fixed for the celebration of the nuptials drew 
 nigh ; and since money was now of no consideration to the 
 bride's father, bags of piastres were lavished in all directions 
 in preparations for banquets on a magnificent scale, and for 
 entertainments not to be surpassed by princes. Thousands 
 of people congi'egated, while more were daily aniving ; and 
 the display of wealth was far more dazzling than the 
 brightness of the sun's rays. The whole plain was crowded 
 with tents and magnificent pavilions. Spirited horses were
 
 THE BRIDE OF CASSAREEN. 205 
 
 everywhere being trained for the games and the races ; 
 while files of animals, laden with the choicest provisions, 
 were constantly arriving from the different towns in the 
 kingdom, 
 
 " The assembled multitude was in high expectation for the 
 approach of the following morning, when, with the rising 
 sun, the festivities were to commence. All repaired early to 
 rest, in order to be ready for the extraordinary coming 
 entertainments. But in the dead of the night the bride, 
 accomj)anied by her father, repaired again to the pointing 
 hand, probably to fetch the money which was promised to 
 Abdallah. With the precise particulars of what occurred to 
 them at that dreaded spot, no one is acquainted. All that 
 is kno^vn is simply this — 
 
 " Before the dawn of morning, the loud waihng and bitter 
 lamentations of the bride's mother summoned crowds around 
 her ; and on hearing that the cause of her sorrow was the 
 disappearance of her daughter and husband, a number of 
 resolute men ran to the pointing hand to ascertain their 
 fate. They returned, bearing the dead body of the Arab ; 
 but they brought no tidings of the bride. Diligent search 
 was made for her during many days ; but all efforts to find 
 her, dead or alive, proved vain. The days which were 
 intended to have been devoted to gaiety and feasting, were 
 turned into days of gloom and mourning. The report of 
 this extraordinary occurrence spread far and wide, and 
 although all who heard it marvelled, no one could give a 
 satisfactoiy solution of the mysterious disappearance of the 
 bride of Cassareen ! 
 
 " It is believed that the jin slew the father, and earned 
 the daughter away ; and this, it is pretended, is proved by 
 the fact of the sudden vanishing of the enormous ami with 
 the pointing hand. Others believe that this calamity was 
 the result of jealousy and revenge ; and this again is sup- 
 ported by another fact : for, at the time the bride of Cassareen
 
 206 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 vanislied, a young man of her tribe — one of her many dis- 
 appointed lovers — disappeared also, and has never since been 
 heard of. Others, again, assert that the jin disapproved of 
 the match with the son of the greedy Abdallah, and con- 
 sidered the young man, who is likewise lost to his tribe, 
 far more eligible. He therefore took the affair into his own 
 hands, and now keeps them both concealed in the bowels 
 of the earth. But which of these conjectures approaches 
 nearest to the truth, Allah yaalam — Allah only knows."
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE BLACK DERVISH AND THE MOSLEM PATRIOT. 
 
 Aral) Misery — Contribution towards Marriage Festivals — Welcome from 
 "True Believers" — Ruins of Feriana — Feriana in the time of Marius— 
 The Modem Town— The " Holy Fraternity"— The Black Dervish— A 
 Moslem Patriot — His Grievance — A Disappointment — Disappearance of 
 one of our Part3^ 
 
 At Hansheer Makdodesh, distant about nine, or ten, miles 
 from Cassareen, we halted to examine some ruins, and here 
 our Hammama fellow-travellers left us. Previous to their 
 prosecuting their journey they begged me to show them what 
 equestrian skill I possessed, and having gratified them on 
 this point, they thanked me, and ran after their camels. 
 
 The ruins of Makdodesh are situated in an arid plain, and 
 consist of a two-storeyed mausoleum, and of the ponderous 
 remains of another large edifice. These are in a state 
 of very great dilapidation, and are devoid of inscriptions. 
 Besides these ruins, we trace here the foundations of private 
 dwellings ; but neither these nor the others contain anything 
 attractive about them, notwithstanding their being so highly 
 panegyiised by the Arabs. 
 
 At a short distance from Makdodesh we observed a number 
 of tents, and resolved to try our luck for night quarters. 
 But on approaching them several Arabs advanced to 
 meet us, whose miserable and wretched appearance 
 left no doubt on our mind as to the truth of the tale 
 of their misery with which they entertained us. Their
 
 208 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 tattered garments and their haggard countenances, their rags 
 and their emaciated frames, pleaded their poverty far more 
 eloquently than the pathetic speeches they made. Whilst 
 talking to them, some of the women and a number of half- 
 5>arved, " undraped," but still happy, children joined us. Not 
 one asked for alms, but all united in entreating us not to take 
 from them the little they had. Here, indeed, is a lesson of 
 resignation and contentment. There is some philosophy in the 
 Arabs' conduct, and there is some truth in what philosophers 
 have taught — ignorance fits a people for despotism, while 
 poverty is the mistress of manners and the school of vii'tue. 
 Tliese people might have overpowered us with perfect ease, 
 and some would even have justified their deed on the ground 
 of their extreme wretchedness ; but they attempted no vio- 
 lence. Here we had a lesson how to moderate our wants. 
 
 " A little barley meal mixed with water sufiices us, and 
 this is all we have," said one of the men ; " but upon such 
 fare you cannot exist : besides, what will become of your 
 horses ? They will starve. Leave us, therefore, O friends ! 
 and go, whilst there is sufficient daylight to guide you, to 
 those to whom Allah has been more bountiful than He 
 thought proper to be to us." 
 
 A guide was offered us, and he led us along the brow of 
 the hills to our right, to the district called Keraat Elhelh ; 
 and when he brought us to an elevation from which we could 
 see the tents of a large encampment below, he took leave of 
 us, never even asking for remuneration, though he had walked, 
 and had kept up with our horses, about six, or seven, miles. 
 
 This place is called Keraat Elkelh, " the swamp of the 
 dog," from a marsh at the foot of Jehel Dharivega, to the left 
 of the road to Feriana. 
 
 We found here three groups of cents, each pitched in the 
 form of a circle, and the three circles forming the angles of 
 an equilateral triangle, in the centre of which we halted. 
 The Arabs were of the Farasheesh tribe, and apparently well
 
 CONTEIBUTION TOWARDS MARRIAGE FESTIVALS. 209 
 
 to do in the world. They had plenty of sheep, goats, camels, 
 and some very good horses ; but they were not particularly 
 pleased at our encroaching upon them, and apparently wished 
 us anywhere but in their vicinity. 
 
 A deputation of some fifty men waited upon us whilst we 
 were engaged in unloading our baggage horses, and strongly 
 advised us to proceed to another encampment, which they 
 declared was only a few miles further, and where, they 
 assured us, we should find plenty of everything. But we 
 rejected their counsel, and told them either to furnish us 
 peaceably with what we required for one night, or, if they 
 refused this, they would place us under the necessity of 
 remaining with them for several consecutive days, during 
 which we should see the government order fully enforced. 
 
 " Now, let us be friends," we added, " and we will take no 
 advantage of you ; but you must be careful not to impose on 
 us. What we absolutely want, and you have, you must give 
 us, but what you have not we will willingly dispense with. 
 Go, therefore, and, without any disputation or wrangling, bring 
 what you know to be the absolute necessities of travellers." 
 
 The Ai'ab quickly sees the reasonableness of a reasonable 
 remark, particularly when that remark is backed by un- 
 flinching courage, and hence these peoj)le readily complied 
 with our request ; and of this our unjust officers of justice 
 as readily took advantage. Finding the Arabs so yielding, 
 Machfood and Hamed had recourse to their base system 
 of extortion, to which we put a stop, but I fear not before 
 their avarice was partly satisfied. 
 
 In every one of the circles of tents the festivities of a 
 mamage were celebrated. We were exposed to the " fire of 
 joy " from every angle. The rejoicings were kept up with 
 gi-eat enthusiasm for some time ; and as it is considered very 
 meritorious to contribute towards them, we did not wish to 
 be outstripped by the meanest Arabs in liberality. We sent 
 for the elders of the encampments, and presented them with
 
 210 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 several pounds of gunpowder, which was very gi-atefully 
 § received. But, to our surprise, our gift only led to strife 
 and to a total cessation of their merriment. To ascertain 
 the particulars we called some of the men, and learnt from 
 them that in dividing the powder the " fire of discord " was 
 kindled, and an explosion ensued. Hearing the dishonest 
 way in which the division took place, we remonstrated with 
 them. Some laughed, whilst others exclaimed, — 
 
 " Verily these," pointing to us, " are Moslems, whilst we are 
 Nazarenes ! " 
 
 " And if you knew them as well as we do," chimed in old 
 Machfood, "you would be confirmed in this opinion." 
 
 "No, no," we indignantly rejoined ; "you act as Moslems, 
 but our observations are based upon the laws of light and 
 justice, which our religion inculcates. We are Nazarenes, 
 and we endeavour to act as such ; whilst you are Moslems, 
 and your deeds are Moslem deeds. 
 
 The sui-prise of these true believers when they found that 
 we declined the compliment of being considered Moslems was 
 veiy great ; but they were equally amazed to hear what the 
 spirit of the religion of Nazarenes was. It was something 
 quite new to them. 
 
 On leaving this encampment we crossed some hills, and 
 traversed several ravines, till we reached again the Sultan's 
 highway. The plain through which we came yesterday, and 
 in which we now found ourselves again, contained only very 
 few patches of cultivation, but it had a plentiful growth of 
 halfa, a kind of grass used for making mats and the peculiar 
 covering for camels as well as baskets. We likewise observed 
 the soda plant in great quantities. 
 
 Before we reached the road, and to the right and left of 
 the road itself, we noticed several ruins of solitary buildings, 
 the most curious part of which was the doorway, which, 
 though lofty, measuring about eight feet, was scarcely more 
 than fourteen inches in width. The door itself did not work
 
 WELCOME FROM "TRUE BELIEVERS." 211 
 
 on hinges, but in grooves cut in the solid stone. These 
 structures may have been mihtary posts, or stations, intended 
 to protect the commerce of the interior. We also came upon 
 the remains of an ancient paved road, and soon after upon 
 the ruins, or rather the foundations, of an extensive town, 
 situated about fourteen miles from Cassareen, and five, or six, 
 from Feriana. This may, perhaps, be the Ad Gemellas of 
 the Itinerary. 
 
 A short ride now brought us to the Medinah Elhadema, 
 " the ancient city," and to the modem little town of Feriana. 
 IVIr. Ferriere accompanied the baggage into the " town," whilst 
 Mr. Nicholson and myself went off, in different directions, 
 to explore the ruins. 
 
 We were scarcely separated ten minutes, when I had an op- 
 portimity of forming another estimate of the inveterate hatred 
 which the true believer entertains towards those of a different 
 creed — a hatred which fear alone prevents him from mani- 
 festing according to the spirit of genuine Moslem orthodoxy. 
 To the left of the road which passes through the ruins to 
 Feiiana, are the remains of a large edifice, and near it stand 
 fom' columns which appear to have supported a cupola. 
 When I reached this spot, I found there three Arabs, who 
 were engaged in pulling up green barley, which gi'ew among 
 the ruins. These men took for granted that I did not under- 
 stand Arabic, and saluted me in pantomimes. I returned 
 their salutations with equally expressive gestures, and we 
 seemed mutually pleased. Having now what they considered 
 a sufficient proof of my ignorance of their language, they 
 continued their pantomimes, which had the most friendly 
 signification, but accompanied them by these audible and 
 heterogeneous sentiments : — 
 
 " These," pointing to the ruins, " are the remains of your 
 progenitors, and the faithful trample upon them. Inshallah, 
 if it please Allah, we shall, ere long, tread upon all unbe- 
 lievers as we do upon the dust of the earth." 
 
 p 2
 
 212 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 " O, mighty One ! grant that we may soon behold the 
 complete ruin of the infidel nations, as we now view the 
 shattered remains of their habitations ! " 
 
 " Hater of the prophet, and despiser of the true religion, 
 how long will you roam about freely in the dominions of the 
 true believers ? Why do you not hasten to the jilace destined 
 for you and for all infidels ? The fire awaits you, and per- 
 petual torments are ready for you, and here you ride about 
 unconcerned ! Son of hell ! do not contaminate the faithful. 
 Go to your place, and leave us peacefully to go to ours." 
 
 The hoiTor depicted on the countenances of these faithful 
 when they suddenly heard me address them in Ai-abic was 
 intense. I gave them a moral lecture, and enforced it by a 
 sound physical argument. The latter they evidently under- 
 stood best, for they were so overwhelmed by its force that 
 they scampered off, leaving me complete master of the 
 field ; and, I may add, I am pretty certain they are not likely 
 so soon to forget the impression produced on them. 
 
 These ruins are generally called those of Feriana, from 
 the modern little town built near them ; and since there is 
 an affinity between this name and Feraditana, Shaw and 
 others have supposed that this is the site of that city 
 which once figured as one of the African bishoprics. But 
 the general opinion is, and in this Shaw also agrees (only 
 he confounds it with Thala), that these are the ruins of 
 Telepte! In the time of St. Cyprian, Telepte was a town 
 in the province of Byzacium, from which we learn that 
 Byzacium then embraced some of the Numidian towns to 
 the south-west ; and as Procopius speaks of it as a frontier 
 city * (ey eaxo-Tia Tr]s x<^P<^^)> it ^^^J be presumed that that 
 province did not extend further west. But, as has been 
 noticed before, the boundaries were so repeatedly changed, 
 that it is difficult to lay down, with precision, the limits of 
 the different provinc^es during the Roman sway in Africa. 
 
 * De ^dif. c. 6.
 
 RUINS OF FERIANA. 213 
 
 The remains of Telepte occupy an uneven surface of very 
 gi'eat extent ; and though but few have retained traces of 
 their original shape and character, enough is left to show- 
 that it was an opulent and very strong place. To the right on 
 approaching the ruins, and on an elevation, are the remains 
 of the citadel, built of large square wrought stones. In point 
 of dimension it is not much inferior to that of Hydra, but 
 its walls suffered more. Within this vast square we have the 
 foundations of several buildings. There are also here traces 
 of excavations, and in one of the pits on a marble column, 
 I found inscription No. 37. 
 
 Near the pai-t the natives call Raas Eldin are the ruins 
 of a very spacious edifice, whose massive vaults serve as a 
 very luxuriant retreat from the excessive summer heat. 
 
 To the east of the ruias is, what the Arabs call, the 
 jebana, the "burial-ground," or necropolis of Telepte. On 
 proceeding thither we observed nothing to indicate the fact 
 except some pits, which appeared to have been dug with 
 a view to extract lime, of which the hill is composed. 
 
 " Out of every one of these pits we took the stone boxes 
 in which your progenitors were in the habit of placing their 
 dead," said an intelligent, and very communicative, young Ai'ab. 
 
 "And what did you do with those stone hoxes ?" I asked. 
 
 " We use them for lintels to the doors of our houses," he 
 replied. And as he assured me that those "boxes" were very 
 numerous, and easily found, I hired a couple of men, who in 
 less than half an hour disclosed a sarcophagus, which was not 
 deeper than one foot under ground. In shape, and in size, it 
 resembled an ordinary coffin, and on the lid, which was 
 about four inches in thickness, it bore an inscription.* Below 
 this inscription I observed the Punic letter answering to 
 the K, or Q, and this may have been intended for the initial 
 of the proper name Quinta. 
 
 We removed the lid, and I was gi-eatly astonished at the 
 
 * Sec Appendix, No. 1., Inscription 38.
 
 214 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 manner in whicli the body had been disposed of. It appears 
 that after the corpse had been placed in the sarcophagus, the 
 latter was filled with a cement, of which lime was the prin- 
 cipal ingredient. This cement had assumed a durability 
 similar to that of the stone itself, so that it was only after a 
 good deal of labom* that we removed portions of it, and 
 discovered the human bones imbedded in it. The sarco- 
 phagus was of a compact lime-stone, and was cut with gi'eat 
 precision and neatness, but it bore no ornaments of any kind. 
 From the natives I learnt that they often find lamps in these 
 " boxes," and occasionally also coins, but I could procure none 
 of the latter, and as the former are generally smashed in the 
 efforts made to clear the sarcophagus, they had none to show me. 
 
 In the time of the Jugnrthine war, it would seem that 
 Telepte had either no existence at all, or it must have been an 
 insignificant place, since Marius, on his way to Capsa, must 
 have marched close to it, and yet Sallust makes no mention 
 of the town. If it had no existence at that time, how is it that 
 the Roman general did not come here for water (Telepte being 
 only seven hours' distance from Capsa), instead of carrying a 
 supply all the way from the river Tana ? And if it did exist, 
 then it is not probable that Marius was ignorant of the fact 
 that this place possessed an ample spring of delicious water, 
 and if he avoided it he must have done so upon good grounds. 
 
 The destruction of the famous Capsa — whose founder the 
 historian tells us was the Libyan Hercules * (cujus conditor 
 Hercules Libys Diemorahatur), and whose citizens were par- 
 ticularly attached to Jugurtha and opposed to the Roman 
 cause, — was the great object the Roman general had in view, to 
 insure which secresy was indispensable, and hence he marched 
 at night. Had Telepte not existed at that time, he would 
 most assm'edly have taken advantage of its spring ; but 
 since it was inhabited, he took the precaution not to approach 
 it, for its proximity to the doomed city would have endan- 
 
 * SaU. Bell. Jug. § 88.
 
 THE MODERN TOWN. 215 
 
 gered, or rather frustrated, his design. Its insignificance at 
 that time may be the reason why Sallust does not mention 
 Telepte ; but it would appear that it became important 
 after the fall of Capsa. 
 
 In the vicinity of Feriana we noticed veins of the famous 
 Numidian marble, which, besides wild beasts, Pliny tells us, 
 this country produged nothing remarkable.* This marble, 
 the same author informs us, was variegated with ovals, and it 
 was so highly prized that artists discovered a method how to 
 imitate the pecuhar colours for which it was so famous. M. 
 Lapidus, who was consul with Q. Catulus (in the year of Rome 
 676), had the lintels of his house made of Numidian marble ; 
 and this was considered extravagant, and was highly censured. 
 Its predominant colours were yellow, purple, and rose colour. 
 
 The Waacl Bo Atteah flows by Telej)te, but we found its 
 bed nearly diy. Its water, which is very delicious, is con- 
 ducted to Feriana partly through an ancient aqueduct, and 
 partly through an open channel, for the use of the little 
 town, and for the irrigation of its different plantations. In 
 the masomy of the aqueduct we noticed portions which 
 certainly are of a date anterior to the Roman conquest. 
 We were charmed with the appearance of Feriana, on account 
 of its running stream, its verdure, its date and other fr-uit 
 trees. The country which we had recently traversed was 
 arid, and partook much of the character of desert. It was 
 entirely devoid of trees, and hence we now regarded this little 
 place in the light of an oasis. Indeed it is not unlike some of 
 the villages, or little places, in the vicinity of the various oases, 
 no great way further south. Its buildings are quite as wretched 
 and repulsive, while its vegetation and its trees (all uj)on a 
 much smaller scale) are quite as luxuriant and attractive. 
 
 We pitched our tents before Feriana, where we were the 
 objects of curiosity to the whole population, fortunately not 
 
 * "Nee prseter marmoris Numidici ferarumque proventum, aliud insigne." 
 Hist, Nat. 1. V. c. 2.
 
 216 KUINED CITIES. 
 
 exceeding five or six hundred. Men, women, and children 
 flocked to the spot, and seemed as much entertained by 
 a view of us as tlie rising generation and silly people of 
 civilised towns are with the marvellous objects brought for 
 exhibition on market-days and fairs. We were here sub- 
 stitutes for " the great giant with six fingers," the " dancing 
 bear," the " astonishing woman with a beard," or the " extra- 
 ordinary horse, whose httle head was where the tail should 
 be." Said was particularly annoyed at this concourse of 
 people, which he declared was a gi-eat nuisance ; while Sadek, 
 who had on the whole journey acted the part of the fat boy 
 in "Pickwick," and personified that individual so well that 
 he might have been mistaken for that very identical boy, 
 now derived much amusement from the scene. 
 
 " O, Moslems ! " exclaimed Said, most emphatically, " what 
 do you want from these men 1 Are they not Allah's creatures 
 as well as you are ? Leave them, therefore, in peace." 
 
 " Naal eshaitaan ! cursed be Satan!" Sadek remon- 
 strated with his fellow-servant, " Why do you interfere ? 
 If the people like to look at them, let them look." 
 
 Feriana is a zowia, a convent or sacred college, founded 
 by saint Hamed Etleeli, whose descendants all the Arabs 
 here claim to be, and hence they are all called Oulaad Sidy 
 Tleeli — " children of my Lord Tleeli." The zowia has its chief, 
 and besides him there is a sheikh of the place. In the 
 absence of the latter, the former was called upon to perform 
 his functions, and with this request he promised to comply. 
 
 Soon after we were ensconced in our new quarters, and 
 after the people's curiosity had partly abated, we were visited 
 by some of the gentlemen connected with "the college." They 
 were very pious, and talked of the torments of hell and of 
 the bliss of Paradise ; of the truth of the Islaam, and of the 
 errors of all other creeds ; of a life of holiness, and of a life 
 of infidelity ; of the justice of Allah, and of the "oppression 
 and tp'anny of rulers ; of the latter days, and of the day of
 
 THE HOLY FRATERNITY. 217 
 
 judgment. Among other predictions of some of their saints, 
 there is one, these people said, which related to the reigning 
 dynasty of the kingdom of Tunis, according to which its 
 course will be completed in two more years. 
 
 "Whether the country is to fall into the hands of the 
 Nazarenes," the speaker observed, " or whether, through a 
 revolution, the throne is to be wrested from them by a 
 Moslem, we know not ; but we are certain that the children 
 of Hasseen Ben Ali [the founder of the dynasty] will not 
 reign in Tunis after the expiration of two more years. Thus 
 it is predicted, and thus it must come to pass." 
 
 The upturned eyes, the peculiar bend of the head, the 
 clasped hands, the flowing beard, the graceful folds of the 
 garments, and, indeed, the whole sanctimonious attitude, and 
 expression of countenance, of these devout Moslems, would 
 have been a splendid subject for a talented artist, whose 
 genius and glowing tints would so readily have transformed 
 our visitors into venerable saints. But the sanctity of this 
 holy fraternity — the piety of these devout Moslems — was very 
 shallow, if I am to judge of it by the falsehoods with which 
 they endeavoured to impose on us. Of this we convinced 
 them, as well as of some of the absurdities of their creed ; 
 and before the day drew to a close, we were in open hostility 
 with their chief, Ben Ayad Besnoosi, and with the other 
 authorities of the zowia. The whole town was in a state of 
 excitement, and tumult, in consequence, but we stood our 
 ground, and obtained a complete victory over our antagonists. 
 
 Two young men, Tleili Ben Abbaas and Mustafa Belabeedi, 
 befriended us on our arrival, and continued staunch to us to 
 the last. They conducted us through the town and its 
 environs (!), and showed us the four, or five, miserable shops 
 which do all the trade of Feriana. They also took us to the 
 damoos, " cavern," near the town, and showed us its immense 
 blocks of black stones, which seem to have the appearance of 
 an exhausted volcano. They likewise gave us geographical
 
 218 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 information^ and related to us some of the marvels connected 
 with the neighbouring ruins, particularly with those of the 
 Hansheer Romeali, where a Roman, or Nazarene, lady (the 
 word Romeah being used indiscriminately for either), dressed in 
 pure white, and of transcendent beauty, performed certain 
 extraordinary nocturnal exploits. How a Moorish prince fell 
 in love with her ; how she eluded him, and how he failed in 
 all his efforts to avow his passion to her ; how she tantalised 
 him, and drove him to desperation ; how he applied to the 
 famous black dervish Yosof of Algiers, for his supernatural 
 aid ; how the saint humanised the Romeah and subdued her ; 
 how he converted her to the faith of Islaam ; how he handed 
 her over to the Prince, whose wife she became, and with 
 whom he lived in happiness for many years ; how the 
 dervish was richly rewarded, and how he distributed all 
 his wealth among the poor. 
 
 But though the length of the legend prevents me from 
 recording it, the following "facts" relative to the black 
 dervish, partaking of an historical nature, will serve as a 
 compensation. 
 
 After Aruch Barbarossa was slain by the Marquis de 
 Gomarez, the Spanish Governor of Oran, and after Khairedin, 
 the pirate's second brother, was relieved from the govern- 
 ment of Algiers by being raised to the dignity of Captain 
 Basha to the Grand Seignor, Hassan Aga, a Sardinian rene- 
 gade, assumed supreme power in the kingdom founded by 
 the daring rovers of Metelene. It was during the reign of 
 Hassan, in the year 1541, that Charles V. appeared before 
 Algiers with a fleet of one hundred ships and twenty galleys, 
 having on board thirty thousand choice troops. This im- 
 posing expedition spread awe and consternation among the 
 Turks and the inhabitants of the city. " In this dilemma," 
 we are told, "and whilst the Divan, or parliament, was 
 assembled to deliberate upon what conditions to surrender 
 to the Emperor, the black derwish Yosof, followed by a crowd
 
 THE BLACK DERVISH. 219 
 
 of people, entered the parliament hall, and thus addressed 
 the head of the Algerine government : — 
 
 " ' Lord Hassan ! behold before thee the poor Yosof, the 
 slave of slaves, the meanest of Moslems, despised by the 
 great, and ridiculed by the learned. To thy predecessor I 
 have been represented as a madman, and as such my calum- 
 niators have made me known to thee. My admonitions have 
 been rejected, and my person has been treated ignominiously. 
 I have been the sport of children, and the very slaves have 
 held me in derision. The Cadi, the judge of the holy law, 
 has repeatedly condemned me to the infamy of public chas- 
 tisement. But dost thou ask, what the cause of all this is ? 
 Listen, and I will tell thee. 
 
 "'Allah, whose nature and ways are unsearchable, has 
 endowed me with the gift of foreseeing future events. I 
 have declared things, long before they happened. In all 
 my predictions my words were verified. But to avoid the 
 displeasure of my detractors, I have often kept silent ; and, 
 did not the public good require it, I should not now have 
 opened my mouth. The public danger, O Hassan ! compels 
 me to speak ; and if thou, who art the ruler of this city, 
 wilt now give me leave, I will tell thee what Allah has 
 decreed.' " 
 
 " Hassan," my informant says, " authorised the black dervish 
 to proceed, and he spake in this wise : — 
 
 " ' Hear, O Hassan ! and give ear all ye who now tremble 
 at the danger and distress with which ye are threatened. A 
 powerful fleet, whose ships are crowded with armed un- 
 believers, has suddenly come down upon us, as if it had 
 supernaturally risen from the depths of the sea. We are 
 destitute of eveiy means of defence, and therefore contem- 
 plate an equitable capitulation, as if justice and equity were 
 to be found in the heart of the Nazarene. But Allah derides 
 the machinations of men, and scorns their devices. He has 
 decreed otherwise. He will rescue his people from the power
 
 220 EUmED CITIES. 
 
 of the wicked, and that in spite of the idols of the Nazarenes, 
 be they never so many. 
 
 " ' Lord Hassan, and you, his ministers, ye great men of 
 the kingdom, and ye also who are versed in the book of 
 Allah, listen to me, and I bid you all take courage. Rely on 
 the words of the despised Yosof, and be assured by him of 
 Allah's design. Before this moon shall have disappeared, 
 Allah will display his glory in the utter confusion, and 
 destruction, of the Nazarenes. Their ships, and their hosts, 
 shall perish in your sight. Our city shall be victorious and 
 free. Their arms and their equipage shall fall to us. They 
 have laboured and erected forts, but they shall serve for our 
 own future defence against the infidels. Those that shall be 
 saved from the yawning waves shall be our slaves, and only 
 very few are destined to return to their own country. Glory 
 be to Allah, the almighty and the merciful ! ' 
 
 " The advice of the black dervish was taken. The people, 
 instead of desponding, became cheerful, and the terrible 
 end which the Spanish expedition met justified the con- 
 fidence the true believers reposed in the words of Yosof the 
 black dervish." 
 
 The words of the black dervish are handed down through 
 the channel of tradition, and the fate of the unfortunate 
 Spanish expedition is chronicled in history. We believe the 
 latter, but the Arab believes both. 
 
 There was not much love lost between us and the Fe- 
 rianians, and hence the absence of all regret at parting. 
 They hated us, and we despised them. They were glad to 
 see us ready to depart, and we were delighted to turn our 
 backs upon this despicable community of hjrpocritical saints. 
 
 We had intended to visit the ruins of Khoush Ellchaima, 
 and procured a guide who professed to know the road to 
 that place, which is laid down on the last French map as 
 the ancient Telepte. I was anxious to examine those ruins, 
 to ascertain upon what grounds the geographer based his
 
 A MOSLEM PATRIOT. 221 
 
 decision. One of the authorities of this map is M. Pricot St. 
 Marie, a gentleman well known to me, who, I was aware, 
 had travelled over parts of this country. He was not a man 
 likely to hazard a rash decision upon an important point of 
 geography. I therefore concluded that some inscriptions 
 might be found at that place which would settle the question. 
 
 Our guide not only professed to know the road well, but 
 he was so confident in his knowledge as to the locality, that 
 I followed him, implicitly relying on him, notwithstanding 
 Mr. Nicholson's repeated misgivings as to the du-ection in 
 which we were travelling. The situation of Khoush Elh- 
 haima is marked east of the chain of hills of Jebel Salloom, 
 the "ladder mountain," by which the plain through which 
 we came to Feriana is bound, while this man led us on the 
 declivity west of these hills. To this deviation my com- 
 panion attracted my attention, but I believed that the Arab 
 would conduct us by some road through one of the gaps in 
 the chain of hills. We came upon such a road, and I pointed 
 it out to him. He, however, only smiled, and desired us to 
 follow him, assuring us, again and again, that he knew both 
 the place, and the way to it, as well as he knew the lanes of 
 his native town Feriana. 
 
 After travelling nearly three hours, we found to our 
 right a large encampment of Arabs, and as we were very 
 thirsty, we rode up towards it to ask for a supply of milk. 
 
 A sturdy little Arab, with black beard and sparkling, but 
 fierce, eyes, whose dress, as well as his dignified and haughty 
 bearing, indicated that he held the exalted position of sheikh, 
 came to meet us, accompanied by about twenty followers. 
 When sufficiently near, we saluted him, and made our wants 
 known to him ; but before he deigned to notice our saluta- 
 tion, he asked in a stern tone of voice — 
 
 " Are you French or English ? " 
 
 " English," I replied. 
 
 " Then merchaha-bekom, welcome ! partake of what we
 
 222 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 have : Elengleez sadeeh, the English are righteous, and the 
 friends of Islaam." 
 
 It was evident that we should have been repulsed from 
 this encampment had we been French, for these were Alge- 
 rine Arabs of the tribe of Oulaad Sidy Oheid, who repudiated 
 the land of their fathers because they would not submit to 
 the conquerors of Algeria. The sheikh was the friend and 
 companion of Mohammed Sagheer, who was Abdel Kader's 
 Khaleefa, but, unlike those generals, he, the sheikh, and his 
 people, still retained the utmost hatred towards the French. 
 
 This sheikh reminded me forcibly of his friend Mohammed 
 Sagheer, whom I met some years ago at Tozar, in Jereed. He 
 was then a preacher of revolt, breathing vengeance against 
 the French, but years of unsuccessful toil, accompanied by a 
 little reflection, brought this inveterate foe of the Nazarenes, 
 this "defender of the Islaam," to a state of sobriety and 
 moderation. Then his declared resolution was to keep up the 
 conflict with the new masters of Algeria ; but when I met 
 him again some time after, he calmly confessed that it was 
 in vain to entertain principles which are necessarily so dan- 
 gerous in their tendency. When I saw him in the desert of 
 Jereed, he vowed that he was determined either to expel the 
 invaders or die in the attempt : but when I saw him again, 
 he acknowledged that the French conquest was so thoroughly 
 secured, and that the Arabs generally were so perfectly 
 satisfied with the change, that it would only be aggravating 
 their condition, and exposing them to certain peril, were any 
 one to attempt to disturb the tranquillity by rousing them to 
 acts of hostility. 
 
 "As for myself," said this man, famous, among other 
 daring exploits, for the massacre of the French garrison of 
 Biscara, " I have only done what every honourable man, and 
 every true patriot, is bound to do, and ever will do. My 
 native country was invaded, and I, in common with other 
 honourable men, did my utmost to repel the enemy. We
 
 THE MOSLEM PATEIOT. 223 
 
 were yanquislied, and it is now our duty to bow submissively 
 to the will of Allah. The French are more righteous than 
 we are, and therefore Allah has taken the dominion from us 
 and bestowed it on them. Experience now proves that what 
 Allah does is well done, for their administration of justice is 
 certainly much more equitable than was that of the Moslems. 
 La ghaaleb ilia Allah, — there is no conqueror but by the 
 ^nll of AUah." 
 
 On my alluding to the former practices of Algiers, Sagheer 
 continued : — 
 
 " The great crime of Algiers, in those days, was the shed- 
 ding of innocent blood, and that blood called to heaven for 
 retribution : but notwithstanding our misdoings, Allah, 
 praised be He ! has not chastised us according to our 
 merits. Our very chastisement has He turned to good, for 
 what was our country then compared with what it now is, 
 and what it is yet likely to become ? " 
 
 Reason and experience have taught this man an important 
 lesson, but the proud little sheikh of the Oulaad Sidy Obeid 
 is resolved not to profit by it. Extermination of the un- 
 believers who have dared to encroach on the territories which 
 Allah assigned to the faithful, is, according to his view, what 
 they justly merit ; and since Allah can conquer through the 
 agency of a few as well as by means of multitudes, this 
 haughty chief thinks it quite possible that some day the 
 French will be driven from Algeria by the foraiidable forces 
 of the Oulaad Sidy Obeid ! 
 
 " But look at the improved condition of the country," I 
 observed, " the universal satisfaction of the Arabs, the free- 
 dom they enjoy, how their persons and property are not only 
 protected, but are actually held sacred. This was not the 
 case formerly, and all this, surely, ought to reconcile you to 
 the French." 
 
 " The true Moslem," the sheikh answered, " must live 
 under Moslem, rule. Besides, you see that I am not so old.
 
 224 KUINED CITIES. 
 
 and my memoiy is not yet so enfeebled by age as to forget 
 tbe fate of the Oulaacl Miah, Bearing that diabolic act in 
 mind, can I forgive my enemy, the enemy of my country ? 
 The remembrance of the fate of my kinsmen in the cave of 
 Khartani is ever fi-esh before me, and will never be oblite- 
 rated. No acts of justice, no deeds of kindness can atone for 
 it : it will, and it must, be avenged ! " 
 
 That unfortunate expedition, which has been regarded as 
 "a justifiable necessity," has done the French cause in Africa 
 much harm. The French troops pursued the Oulaad Riali, 
 Avho had been guilty of numerous outrages, and being hard 
 pressed, the Arabs took refuge in the cave of Khartani. Some 
 TOO persons in men, women, and children, thronged the 
 windings of this subterranean stronghold, where a few armed 
 men sufficed to oppose even a much stronger force than was 
 then under the command of Col. Pelissier, the present duke 
 of Malakhoff. The Arabs were repeatedly summoned to sur- 
 render, but they remained obstinately silent. It was impos- 
 sible to force a way into it. The Ai-abs might have been 
 starved to submission, for the cave had no other outlet than 
 the one guarded by the French troops ; but, I beheve, the 
 apprehension of the expected anival of fresh hostile forces 
 decided the commander upon precipitate action. An im- 
 mense fire was kindled at the mouth of the cave, and 
 sedulously fed during the whole of that night "vvith every 
 kind of combustible which was calculated to increase the in- 
 tense smoke, thick volumes of which the wind drove into the 
 cave. At dawn of the following day, and after sufficient 
 time had elapsed to render the air of the silent cave breath- 
 able, some soldiers were ordered to ascertain the state of 
 things within. They were gone but a few minutes, and they 
 came back, we are told, pale, trembling, and teiTified : and 
 no wonder, for they had found all the Arabs dead — men, 
 women, and children — all dead ! As death had left them, so 
 they found them — the old man gi'asping his grey beard — the
 
 DISAPPEARANCE OF ONE OF OUR PARTY. 225 
 
 younger one grim, rigid, stern as iron, with frantic hatred 
 and despair depicted on his countenance — the dead mother 
 clasping her dead child ! Death reigned throughout the vast 
 cave of Khartani ! 
 
 The Algerine Arabs could give us no information respecting 
 the ruins we were about visiting, and we therefore continued 
 following our guide, whose name was Taib, " good." But 
 to what other of his quahfications this adjective may be 
 applicable I cannot tell ; — it certainly could have had no 
 reference to the kind of knowledge for which he particularly 
 recommended himself to us. Taib turned out to be a bad 
 guide. After a tedious ride of ten hours, over the most 
 detestable ground, he brought us to a ruin only about five 
 miles' distance from Cassareen ! 
 
 " This is Khoush Elkhaima ! " he exclaimed triumphantly, 
 pointing to a circular mausoleum. 
 
 We could have reached this spot, which we had no desire 
 to visit, in half the time by an excellent road. Our dis- 
 appointment was great, and our anger in the same propor- 
 tion, for we could not divest ourselves of the conviction that 
 it was not the result of stupidity that we were led astray : 
 we believed, and not without reason, that we were inten- 
 tionally misled. But we bore our disapj)ointment philo- 
 sophically, and, dismissing Taib, rode down towards the 
 zowia of Sidy Mustapha, where, after a little altercation, we 
 pitched our teats, in sight of the ruins of Cassareen. 
 
 We were just preparing to retire to rest, when Sadek, 
 who seldom manifested other signs of animation than such as 
 are absolutely indispensable at the dish of coscoso, entered our 
 tent looking sadly aghast, and after considerable efforts to 
 speak, ultimately succeeded in communicating this sentence : — 
 
 " They say there are lions in this vicinity." 
 
 " And what of that, Sadek ? Are you afraid ? " we 
 rejoined. 
 
 "Afraid!" he exclaimed, "not I; naal bo elchawaaf, 
 
 Q
 
 226 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 cursed be the father of the coward. I am not afraid, — 
 I am a Moslem, and know not what fear is. We must all 
 die, and what does it matter when our turn comes ? We 
 cannot alter the decrees of Allah. Everything is 7)iaktoob, 
 predestinated." 
 
 " But you look nevertheless terrified. Have they frightened 
 you here by some lion stories ? " we asked. 
 
 " I tell you again," he answered rather impatiently, " I am 
 not afraid, but I am concerned about Abdallah." 
 
 " And what is your concern about Abdallah ? " 
 
 " I am afraid the lions will devour him." 
 
 " The lions devour Abdallah ! and why him more than 
 either you or any of us ? " 
 
 After a variety of questions and answers, we finally suc- 
 ceeded in ascertaining that Abdallah, a dirty lazy drone whom 
 we hired at Thala, had stoj)ped on the road and had not yet 
 made his appearance. 
 
 " And why trouble them about Abdallah ? " inquired 
 Machfood, who stood at the door of our tent listening ; 
 " if he has fallen into the clutches of the lion, he is now 
 either in heaven or in hell ; if he has not fallen into his 
 grasp, then, depend upon it, he is now comfortably asleep in 
 some dowaar, encampment, and you will have him here 
 early in the morning." 
 
 This remark satisfied Sadek, who at once retired to 
 assume his favourite attitude, and was soon sound asleep. 
 
 We gave our lost attendant a chance to rejoin us, and 
 therefore started later than we othei"wise should have done. 
 But he did not make his appearance, and as we heard no 
 further tidings of him, we are left in total ignorance as 
 to his real fate. We, however, requested the Khaleefa of 
 Cassareen to make the requisite inquiries concerning him, 
 which he faithfully promised to do.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE CANVAS CITY. 
 
 Fording the "Waad Foscana — A Collector of Chaiity — A fruitless Chace — 
 Kuins of Sbaitla — A Moslem C.E. — Restoration of the " City of Judges " 
 — The Restorer — A Friend in need — A quan-el among Thieves — ^The 
 Black Inscription — AYe enter Africa Propria — Euins of Gilma — Belaarem's 
 Request — The Canvas City — The Prince. 
 
 We abandoned the idea of visiting Khoush Elkhaima, the 
 Telepte of the French map and of M. Lapie, and having 
 procured a new guide, we travelled in a direction east by 
 north towards Sbaitla. We approached the river Hattah at 
 the part where it goes by the name of Waad Foscana, and 
 here the guide told us to cross it wdth as much speed as 
 possible, on account of its quicksands. The baggage horses 
 were first hurried over, and reached the opposite bank in 
 safety ; the rest, except my artistic fiiend, followed as expe- 
 ditiously. This gentleman had a natural antipathy to inter- 
 fering with his charger, and had an utter dislike to managing 
 the reins, while his horse, owing to this hcence, had a peculiar 
 predilection to a recumbent posture. This tacit under- 
 standing between the rider and his steed proved often very 
 inconvenient to the former, who, in one day, alone found 
 himself suddenly shifted from his saddle, to the bare ground, 
 no less than three times ! This was done without any pre- 
 monitory symptoms, and the constant repetition of the 
 practice produced such a spirit of independence in the horse 
 as in some countries is rarely tolerated in man. He did 
 
 Q 2
 
 228 EUmED CITIES. 
 
 what he liked, and went wherever he pleased. In the 
 present instance this absence of all restraint might have 
 proved dangerous to both, for, instead of obepng instructions, 
 the horse, on entering the river, stood and deliberately com- 
 menced pawing the water. The shouts of warning from the 
 guide, and from the whole party, were disregarded. The horse 
 now visibly decreased in size. He was fast sinking, and 
 neither he nor the rider appeared much concerned about 
 their impending fate. They seemed alike indifferent. A 
 resolute effort was, however, made by us, and we succeeded 
 in extricating both from the treacherous Waad Foscana. 
 
 Leaving the river, which flows from west to east, we 
 approached a hilly country, and then entered a vast stretch 
 of high table-land, thickly overgrown with halfa, through 
 which there is neither a beaten road nor a direct path. 
 A ruin, or a hillock, serves as a landmark, to which the 
 traveller works his way by the tedious zigzag or serpentine 
 intervals between the tufts or clumps of, what is here, useless 
 vegetation, but which would fetch a high price in England 
 or elsewhere. Having travelled nearly four hours, we steered 
 towards a square ruined building, where we halted, and 
 where we called Said's talents into requisition, and he, with 
 his usual alacrity and promptness, prepared us an excellent 
 breakfast. We were regaling ourselves, upon delicious coffee, 
 as well as on some of the stores we laid in at Tebessa, and, 
 sheltered from the sun's rays by the shadow of the ruin, were 
 reading over some of the articles in Galignani for the third 
 or the fourth time. Neither encampment nor a single 
 human being was visible wil^in our horizon, embracing 
 many miles. We were in the midst of a solitude abandoned 
 alike by man and wild beast, and yet here was a vast extent 
 of arable soil. A little labour would clear it of its rank 
 vegetation, and would improve it for the growth of Avheat, 
 or barley, sufficient to maintain a great portion of the 
 world's population. These sweeping plains are generally
 
 ^«. 
 
 B^OIaM^^^Y ckMlTY . 229 
 
 bounded by bold hills, which, during the rainy season, would 
 contribute to the complete inigation of the cultivated fields. 
 But there is no prospect of such a change for the present : 
 the gi'ound is therefore destined to continue barren and 
 unfruitful. 
 
 The district of Foscana, through which we passed, and to 
 which this part still belongs, was formerly occupied by the 
 Oulaad-ho-Ghaanem, who, in the time of Shaw and Bruce, 
 were exempted from taxation ^n account of their entirely 
 subsisting on lions' flesh ; the object of the government in 
 conferring that privilege being to rid the country of those 
 animals with which it was then over-run. The great 
 Abyssinian explorer ate here parts of three lions, one of 
 which, a male, was lean and tough, and had a strong smell 
 of musk ; that of another, a female, was rather better ; while 
 the flesh of a third, a young lion, was much worse than 
 either. The extraordinary regime of the Bo-Ghaanem, it 
 is said, made them excellent horsemen, and this. Sir Grenville 
 Temple considers a valuable hint to Meltonians and cornets 
 of cavalry, and, I would add, it ought to be so also to my 
 equestrian friend noticed above. 
 
 We were just preparing to start again, when we were 
 joined by a taaleb, a student, of the zoivia of Cafsa, or 
 Capsa, mounted on a fine mule. Observing our horses from 
 a distance, he thought that Arabs were encamped here, 
 and as he was collecting contributions for his charitable 
 institution, he came to see what was in store for him. His 
 zowia maintains twelve students, every one of whom has his 
 circuit assigned to him ; and, judging from the sucaess which 
 attended this man's efforts, they must collect a gi-eat deal of 
 property. In two months he obtained, besides gi-ain and 
 money, 260 sheep ! 
 
 " I hope your zowia makes a better use of these contribu- 
 tions than its sister establishment of Feriana does," observed 
 one of us.
 
 230 RUmED CITIES. 
 
 " We entertain strangers — we help the poor and the sick — 
 we assist the widow and the oi-phan. That's what we do." 
 
 " An excellent charity, if you are true to your trust." 
 
 " Inshallah, if it so please Allah, we are," the taaleb 
 rejoined, and we separated. 
 
 The taaleb was bound for Cassareen, and we proceeded on 
 our journey to Sbaitla. On our way we amused ourselves 
 by setting fire to the dry halfa, and the result of our freak 
 was seen in a line of flame aUd smoke for miles behind us. 
 Had the wind been high, we might have had a regular 
 prairie scene ; but it was calm, and to this the various 
 animals who have their lairs here are indebted for being 
 left undisturbed in their abode. 
 
 A little way further on we started a pair of lovel}^ ante- 
 lopes. They seemed to have taken their siesta in the halfa, 
 in which they were disturbed by the sound of our horses' 
 hoofs. The gTound Avas not favourable for a chace, still 
 Mr. Nicholson pursued the nimble creatures for nearly two 
 miles, but to no pui-pose. On good ground, and with a fresh 
 horse, a single sportsman stands but a poor chance of success 
 in his attempt against an animal possessing such surprising 
 power of velocity : what wonder, then, that my friend's jaded 
 steed failed to answer his expectation. 
 
 As we neared our destination, the country became hilly 
 and intersected by deep ravines. From one of the hills we 
 obtained a sight of the sombre ruins amidst which we were 
 soon after encamped. The actual distance between Cassareen 
 and Sbaitla is scarcely more than twenty miles, but, owing to 
 the peculiar nature of the road, we must have travelled over 
 more than thirty. 
 
 On our arrival we found Hamed (whom we had despatched 
 from Feriana to the Caid of the district for supplies) with 
 one of the governor's agents. Both assured us that we should 
 have no trouble either about barley or j)rovisions ; and the 
 liamha particularly wished me to understand that he had
 
 EUINS OF SBAITLA. 231 
 
 executed his commission " like a man," and prospectively 
 took the credit for all the good things that were in store 
 for us. But vederemo, " we shall see." 
 
 I had visited these niins on a former occasion, but it was a 
 very hasty visit that I paid them, and therefore the descrip- 
 tion I give of them in "Evenings in My Tent" is very 
 imperfect. 
 
 The ruins of Sbaitla consist of a triumphal arch, three 
 temples, an aqueduct, an amphitheatre, and various other 
 massive public stnictures, besides the remains of a number 
 of private buildings. They do not occupy much space, and 
 there are no traces to show that it was a walled town, nor 
 could I discover any vestiges of a citadel, unless the large 
 square inclosures, in front and in the rear of the temples, were 
 used as such. This is probable : and since the chief fear the 
 inhabitants of this inland city had to apprehend was from 
 incursions of hordes of undisciplined Numidians, partially 
 anned and totally unprovided with siege engines, those 
 inclosures, embracing the temples, were well adapted for the 
 puipose. 
 
 The triumphal arch stands at the south-east end of the 
 town. It is but a j)Oor specimen of Corinthian architecture. 
 The extreme width of this monument is forty-one feet five 
 inches, whilst that of the gate is eighteen feet and a half ; its 
 thickness above the base is eleven feet and a half. On its 
 exterior facade it bears an inscription, of which I could only 
 decipher a portion.* 
 
 To the right of this arch, and close to the banks of the 
 river, are the remains of a very extensive edifice, the walls of 
 which were built of small stones and mortar, and with the 
 ruins of these a number of broken- .shafts, capitals, cornices, 
 and other ornaments, are intermingled. These belong to a 
 date anterior to the arch, and, indeed, they have every 
 appearance of greater antiquity than any of the other ruins 
 
 * See Appendix No. 1, inscription 39.
 
 232 RUINED CITIES, 
 
 of Sbaitla. In the immediate vicinity of these remains 
 there is a mound which greatly tempts excavation. A few 
 days' labour, I think, would be amply rewarded. The same 
 may be said of other localities among the ruined cities which 
 we visited. From a stone close to this ruin I coj^ied the 
 inscription No. 40. 
 
 From the triumphal arch there is a paved street leading 
 to the temples, and still in very good repair. Proceeding 
 along this street, which is eighteen feet and a half wide, and 
 which was flanked by pilasters, some of which are yet 
 standing, we approach what was either another triumphal 
 arch, or only a gate leading into the square inclosures within 
 which the temples stand. The entire width of this gate is 
 thirty-four feet, and it has one central and two smaller lateral 
 arches. The former is ten feet three inches wdde, and the 
 latter are five feet. Its proportions are excellent ; its 
 ornaments are few, but in good taste ; and, as a whole, this 
 is a very good specimen of the architecture of the Corinthian 
 order found in Africa. On the architrave can be traced 
 the inscription No. 41, and over the capital of the column 
 to the right, is No. 42.* The dedication, on the correspond- 
 ing part of the facade, is totally obliterated. 
 
 Sir Grenville Temple describes this arch, and gives its 
 inscriptions very nearly similar to mine. He then quotes 
 the only one Shaw has in his account of Sbaitla, and 
 adds: — "I cannot, I confess, see the least resemblance 
 between this inscription and those which t have copied." 
 Shaw calls this arch a portico. His words are: — "Near 
 the end of this pavement [the paved street mentioned 
 above] we pass through a beautiful portico, built in the 
 same style and manner with the triumphal arch, which 
 conducts us afterwards into a spacious court." But Shaw is 
 totally wrong in his description of the triumj^hal arch, for 
 he speaks of it as " sumptuous," which it certainly is not. 
 
 * See Appendix No. 1.
 
 . RUINS OF SBAITLA. 233 
 
 He then says that it consists " of one large arch, with a 
 lesser one on each side of it," and this is not the case. 
 
 But how are we to account for the inscription, which 
 neither Su- Grenville nor I could find on either of the 
 arches ? In a hundred years, it is true, an inscription might 
 disappear ; but that it should have been changed for another 
 is not very probable : and yet the doctor speaks confidently 
 of " the few words of the dedication which are upon the 
 architrave," and then gives the inscription which will be 
 found under JN^o. 43 in Appendix 1. 
 
 This, I repeat, is the only inscription Shaw gives of this 
 place, and it is a very important one, for it furnishes us 
 with its ancient name, Suffetida, and it also shows that the \ 
 Ai'abs retain its correct appellation to the present day. 
 But whence did the doctor obtain it ? I think I am able to 
 answer this question. 
 
 The reader will remember that I alluded to a manuscript 
 to which Shaw must have had access. In that manuscript, 
 speaking of Sbaitla, the unknown author says, " Aqui en un 
 marmol se hallan estos fragmentos que denotan alguna 
 insig-na fabrica dedicada al merito de Augusto," and then 
 follows the very inscription in question, with the omission of 
 the letters ONIN in the second line, and for this variation 
 I cannot account.* That such an inscription therefore 
 existed at Sbaitla is certain, but it is equally certain that it 
 
 * The MS. in my possession is a copy of a more ancient one, made -by an 
 Englisliman. At all events, the handwriting is English, and there are also 
 several annotations to be found in it in English. In the references to the 
 Bible the names of the various books are cited in English ; and I likewise find 
 these words at p. 14 ; "In this place Ls half a sheet wanting ; if can be 
 found, shall be placed at page — ." It is therefore probable that the tran- 
 scriber omitted the letters OXIN, and that Shaw had access, not to this 
 identical manuscript, but to the original one, from which mine is a copy. 
 But whether what I have just said explains the difficulty, I myself am rather 
 doubtful ; for I cannot conceive why Shaw did not make u^e of the other 
 inscriptions relating to tins place which are given in the MS. , unless it may 
 be that the document was intended for publication, and the owner only 
 supidied the learned traveller with limited information. This is probable.
 
 234 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 never was found on either of the arches, and it is likewise 
 certain that Dr. Shaw never visited Sbaitla. 
 
 The enclosed area to which the arch gives admittance is 
 nearly 250 feet square. This was surrounded by a colonnade, 
 which may have been originally vaulted, or otherwise partially 
 roofed. Towards the S. W. there has been another arched gate- 
 way, and besides this there are other entrances, all of which 
 are now stopped up. Within the square, or rather at its north- 
 western end, are the principal ruins of this place, consisting 
 of three prostyle temples fronting the inner fa9ade of what 
 Shaw calls the 'portico, but which Sir Grenville Temple more 
 coiTectly denominates the gi'and triumphal arch. The centre 
 temple is of the composite order, and is thirty-four feet wide ; 
 the two lateral temples are of the Corinthian order, and are 
 twenty-eight feet wide. These edifices are detached, there 
 being a passage about eight feet wide between them, but at 
 the back they are joined by an arched gateway, which has 
 since been blocked up. 
 
 The cella of the middle temple is forty-four feet in length, 
 and the. pronaos, which is now a complete ruin, projects 
 eighteen feet, thus giving to this edifice a total length of 
 sixty -two feet. The smaller temples are somewhat (but 
 proportionately) shorter. Each pronaos had originally four 
 columns in front, and two lateral ones ; the posticus is 
 ornamented with four pilasters, and along the sides there are 
 six more, all having their respective capitals. The pilasters 
 of the centre structure are rounded, while those of the others 
 are square. The columns of the larger edifice are three feet 
 two inches in diameter, and the height of their capitals is 
 three feet three inches. 
 
 The broken shafts, the capitals, and the fractured pedi- 
 ments, form a vast pile of majestic ruins, and this is inter- 
 mingled with a great variety of other prostrate portions. 
 The ornaments with which these temples are decorated are 
 very elaborate and rich, and, at the same time, extremely
 
 RUINS OF SBAITLA. 235 
 
 chaste, in excellent proportions, and of good execution. 
 Beneath this pile are the inscriptions which the architraves 
 bore, but which will, probably, not so soon be brought to light 
 again. From my Spanish MS. I learn that the words 
 DIVI MARCI SACRVM were found on one of the temples ; 
 and from another fragment, found " on another stone," the 
 writer tells us " we learn the precise time of the dedication, 
 and see that this city was comprehended in Proconsular 
 Numidia." * 
 
 I have already observed, that the square enclosures, in 
 front and in the rear of these temples, may have served as 
 places of strength, and that not merely for the protection of 
 the people in time of war, but for the safe keeping of the 
 treasures which were deposited within the sacred edifices ; for 
 these, as is well known, often contained statues, and sacred 
 utensils, of massive gold or of other precious metals. Hence 
 it is that some of the most famous temples were placed 
 within the citadels, as, for instance, the temple of ^sculapius 
 at Carthage stood within the Byrsa, the Parthenon of Athens 
 in the Acropolis, the temple of Minerva at Syracuse in the 
 Ortygia, and the temple of Jupiter at Rome in the Capitol. 
 
 We have only one instance on record during which the 
 strength of Sufifetula was tried, and that was during the 
 struggle for dominion between the Christian power and the 
 Arabian conquerors in the time of the Caliphate of Othman, 
 the third successor of the Prophet of Mecca, The victorious 
 araiy of Abdallah, the missionary general of Islaam, drove 
 the defeated remains of Gregory's forces to this town for 
 refuge. They, however, soon surrendered, and the wealth 
 found at Suffetula was so immense that every cavaliy soldier 
 is said to have received for his share of the plunder no less 
 than three thousand gold dinaars ! 
 
 * "I en otro fragniento de otra jiiedra se lee el tiempo de la dedicacion de 
 donde manifiestamente se reconoce estar sujecta esta Ciudad i compreheuda en 
 la Numidia Proconsular." See inscription No. 44, Appendix 1.
 
 236 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 But the circumvallation and the temples themselves evi- 
 dently served as a fortification at a much more recent 
 period — probably during some of the intestine wars of 
 the Moslems. For we find the ruined walls repaired, and 
 strengthened, with stones which belonojed to other buildings. 
 Many of the stones bear fragments of inscriptions,* and these 
 being often reversed, clearly show the kind of people who 
 performed this task. At that time too the three porticos 
 of these edifices must have been intentionally pulled 
 down to form a barrier for the combatants in case they 
 were compelled by the enemy to ' retire into the cella of 
 the temples. 
 
 While motives of safety contributed thus towards causing 
 such havoc among these ruins, we have within the enclosure 
 evident traces of the cupidity of those devastators, from which 
 we learn that the temples now occupy a site on which stood 
 a much more ancient structure. From the pits dug in this 
 area (no doubt in search of treasure) we find, at a depth of 
 three feet, what either was the flat roof of a building or 
 part of a substnicture. The excavators broke through this 
 apparent pavement, and though they came upon masonry 
 beneath it, they did not dig deeper than about seven or 
 eight feet. Whether their labours were rewarded, and they 
 made off with their treasure, or whether they abandoned 
 what they considered an unprofitable task, no one can tell : 
 the latter,however, is much more probable. 
 
 * Some of tliese I copied. Inside the enclosure, to the S.W., in letters 
 about seven incBes in size, ACTO ; and on another stone near it, ROP ; then 
 PM ; and near it again, VLIS. To the south of the exterior of the enclosiu-e 
 I found, in large letters, EC ; a little below, NIM ; lower still, VRIAEM, 
 and near it, CERA. On another stone ISQ ; and above it YMSS . . M. 
 Again, RIMISNEO ; and beneath, XV ; and below this, AK Another 
 stone has the letters ORB, and to the left of it, VM . ROVISISO ; also SP 
 and AET and SRIO. Outside of the enclosure, on the ground, but near the 
 wall, I found, on a wrought stone, in letters about seven inches in size, 
 PENDORIS CIVIBVS. On another stone, TVAEIVA . IM . . . . EIVM ; 
 and round the angle, in smaller letters, FESTVS. On another fragment, also 
 in large letters, VIBV ; and again, EIVSE.
 
 EUINS OF SBAITLA. 237 
 
 South of the temples are the remains of another large 
 edifice. Among the heap of its fallen stones we discovered 
 inscription No. 45, relating to Adrian; and inside the building 
 I found the fragment No. 46. 
 
 Very near this building there is another, but likewise only 
 remarkable for the extreme solidity of its materials, and in a 
 line with the temples, and towards the N.E., there are the 
 remains of a structure which I am inclined to believe served 
 at one period the purposes of a Christian church. At the 
 N.E. end it is built circularly, and its ruins are extensive. 
 
 Higher up the Waad Sbaitlcc we have an ancient aqueduct 
 built of small stones and mortar. It spans the river on five 
 arches,* and appears to have conveyed a mountain stream to 
 the amphitheatre for the representation of the nauinachia, 
 or naval fights. This is the only way of accounting for the 
 existence of this monument, since the river has an abundant 
 supply of excellent water. Its course, too, is in the direction 
 of the theatre, passing the ruins of what is either the cella of 
 a large temple, the remains of a palace, or of a fort, which 
 ruins have, during the last six years, been appropriated for, 
 and converted into, a zowia of Sidy Mustafa Ben Azooz. 
 The aqueduct, it is very probable, served also the purposes of 
 a bridge for foot-passengers. Its watercourse being covered 
 in, and there being no traces of any other bridge over the 
 river, the probability of my conjecture is greatly strengthened. 
 
 Besides the remains now specified, there are here the ruins 
 of a variety of other buildings, private and public. One of 
 the latter class stands immediately before the walled area of 
 temples, but its precise character I think it is now impossible 
 to define, notwithstanding its ruins are very extensive. 
 Streets too can be traced running in different directions, as 
 well as the foundations of many houses. Of the amphitheatre 
 its form alone can be distinctly defined, owing to an accumu- 
 
 * Beneath one of the arches of the aqueduct we have inscription No. 47, 
 given in Appendix 1.
 
 238 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 lation of soil, wliicli has, for centuries, been washed in, so that 
 now but portions of the outer walls alone can be seen. 
 
 The situation of Sufifetula was well chosen. It stands on 
 high level gi'ound at the foot of the hills Magheela, and 
 commands a view of an extensive plain. The hills are 
 very picturesque, and are covered with a variety of trees, 
 among which the myrtle, the wild olive, and the juniper 
 predominate. It had a plentiful supply of good water, 
 for the town stands on the right bank of the clear and 
 limpid Waad Sbaitla, which has its source a few miles 
 higher up, and is perpetually rushing, in whirhng eddies, 
 by the town on its way to the plain, where it suddenly 
 disappears in the sand. 
 
 Till within the last few years, these ruins were the haunt, 
 and stronghold, of the banditti of the Maajer Arabs, under 
 the command of Sheikh Ahmed Belaarem ; but now Sheikh 
 Mustafa, of Algeria, the representative of the founder 
 of the Moslem sacred Order of Rachmaneah (Misericordia), 
 has an agent at Sbaitla, whose commission is to found a 
 colony of the fcdthfid. What may have been the cella of 
 a temple is already changed into a Moslem mosque, from 
 the roof of which the true believers (amounting already to 
 some thirty souls) are, at the stated times, summoned, in 
 the true orthodox style, to perform their devotions. 
 
 The agent of the famous saint is now engaged on a work 
 which may encourage Arabs to take up their abode here. 
 Water is, of course, a great luxury in these latitudes, and water 
 they have at Sbaitla in abundance. But the bed of the river 
 is low, and its course tends towards a low, sandy part in the 
 plain, where, as has already been said, it loses itself. Its 
 beneficial effects for imgating gardens and plantations are 
 thus destroyed. To obtain the desirable result, Haj Ibrahim 
 Ben Ali, the agent, who has learnt much among the French, 
 and who calls himself a C.E., is building a regular aqueduct 
 from a part of the river, the level of which he ascertained to
 
 EESTOEATION OF THE "CITY OF JUDGES." 239 
 
 correspond with the higher ground on which the principal 
 ruins stand. His object is to lead the water right into the 
 town, and then to send the surplus, by channels, into that part 
 of the plain where the soil is good, and where iiiigation alone is 
 requu'ed to convert a great portion of it into fruitful gardens. 
 Haj Ibrahim's pretensions to being "a civil engineer" will ere 
 long be brought to the test, and should he prove successful, 
 this ancient city Sufifetula,* " the city of judges," wiU, after 
 having been abandoned for upwards of ten centuries, be 
 occuj)ied by the degenerate descendants of the Arabian con- 
 querors, who are to change its name into ElcLZOzeah — The 
 Ancient, or The Venerable ! 
 
 The jolly, red-faced, red-bearded, and red-coated restorer 
 of Suffetula manifested his goodwill towards us the veiy 
 first evening we spent at this place. We, alas ! soon dis- 
 covered that our providers, the hamhct and the governor's 
 servant, who, on our arrival, led us to believe that there 
 
 * Tlie author of the MS. to wliicli I have refeiTed says, with reference to 
 this city : ' ' Aunque esta ciudad no se haga mencion en Ptolomes, podemos 
 ciertamente conjectiu-ar la autiguedad dal nonibre derivado de una diguidad 
 de los Carthagineses ; los qnales como constra de Livio teniau un cargo en sii 
 Eepublica semjaute a la Diguidad Consular de Roma que llamaban Suffetes de 
 doude emano el nonibre de Suffetula, como si dijeramos Ciudad Consular.'' 
 The name Suffet occurs on several of the Punic inscriptions which I dug up at 
 Carthage, and which are now in the British Museum. The same title was 
 ajiplied to the magisti'ates and leaders of the Israelites who delivered the people 
 from the oppression of their neighbouring nations, between the time of 
 Joshua and Samuel. The Arabs to this day use the word Khaakem in the 
 sense of sovereign and judge. In the same way was Suffet used among the 
 Carthaginians. Livy expressly tells us that those who bore those titles among 
 the Carthaginians were similar in authority with the consuls of Rome (Hist, 
 lib. XXX. c. 7). The author of the MS. is therefore right in claiming for Suffetula 
 a great antiquity, and in denominating it Civdad Consular (a Phoenician 
 Considar City). During the prosperous days of Carthage her authority 
 extended a long way into the desert ; and at that time she probably saw the 
 necessity of having an officer invested with high authority, to regulate the 
 differences between the various nations of the interior as near those nations as 
 possible. That this was a Avise policy will be readily admitted ; and as the 
 Suffet made this Ms seat of residence, the name of the town was Suffetula. 
 Researches at this place may one day bring very interesting objects to light.
 
 240 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 was such an abundance of good things in store for us, had 
 either totally failed in their mission, or had deceived us. 
 The preponderance of evidence favoured our belief that 
 they had sold us — that they had accepted a bribe ; and this 
 treachery now reduced us to the necessity either to shift in 
 the best way we could, or else allow our^ horses and men to 
 starve. We were undecided what to do, and at this juncture 
 Haj Ibrahim came to our relief. He procured us a supply 
 of barley ; and, later in the evening, his exertions obtained 
 us a grand supper, which, though served up in a pompous 
 manner, we had at once transferred to our people's tent, 
 where it met with a far more favourable reception than it 
 had in ours. The supper consisted of three dishes, which 
 reminded us forcibly of the Irishman's favourite meal — 
 boiled pork, roast pork, pig's head and another piece of 
 pork. But among these true believers the good qualities 
 of the " prohibited animal " are unknown. The supper in- 
 tended for us consisted of a dish of tiny pieces of meat 
 swimming in oil, and strongly flavoured with pepper ; 
 another of equal portions of pepper and meat floating in oil ; 
 and the third of a dish of oil thickened with pepper and 
 pieces of meat. At such a mess, to use a somewhat familiar 
 expression, we did not always turn up our noses — particularly 
 so when the alternative was either to eat or to starve. 
 But our Tebessa fare had spoiled us for the delicacies of 
 the Arab kitchen, and our supplies from Tebessa were not 
 yet entirely exhausted. Only two, or three, days before our 
 stores furnished us with a dinner, which, if the reader 
 contrast with the above three dishes, he will not be surprised 
 that we condemned them to be devoured by " the faithful " 
 of our party. This is a correct copy of the bill of fare of 
 the dinner referred to : — " Mutton broth, lamb and green 
 j)eas, roast fowl and stewed chickens, fried potatoes, custard 
 and sponge cakes, salad and cheese, dates, almonds and 
 raisins, excellent bordeaux, cofliee and rosolio."
 
 THE RESTORER OF SBAITLA. 241 
 
 "You have undertaken an important task," I observed \o 
 Haj Ibrahim, as we were walking about among the ruins. 
 "You will require large sums of money to complete it. 
 Ai'e you a wealthy man ? " 
 
 "la wealthy man ! " he exclaimed, laughing heartily 
 as he spoke. " I carry all my wealth about me, and that 
 would not fetch two hundred jjiastres [about £5], were it 
 offered for sale. I am a woled hah Allah [a child begging at 
 the gate of Allah], and Rabbi yaamal daleel [the Lord 
 always provides]." 
 
 " But in what way do you expect the Lord to provide ? " 
 I asked again. 
 
 "If the work I have been sent to perform," he replied, 
 " should require rivers of gold, the saint, in whose service 
 I am, can bring them into existence with perfect ease. Our 
 Order is far superior to that of Tejaani, and the guardian 
 of the founder of our Order is a thousand times wealthier 
 than the ruler of this country. Whatever Sheikh Mustafa 
 requires, he has only to ask for, and it is granted." 
 
 " But, surely," I remarked, " you rely more on the prospect 
 of your zowia being endowed, upon contributions and upon 
 the alms which your people will collect, than upon any 
 direct assistance fi-om your saint ? Some miracle, I presume, 
 will, ere long, be performed in this zowia by the founder of 
 the Machmaneah Order ; and, this once blazed abroad, it will 
 cause the offerings of the faithful to flow in in abundance. 
 Is this not your opinion, too, Haj Ibrahim V 1 asked. 
 
 A significant gesture from me, and an expressive nod from 
 him, clearly showed that we understood each other. 
 
 The future holds out bright prospects to pilgrim Abraham, 
 but the present is replete with troubles. He has scarcely 
 enough to maintain himself and his people ; so we could 
 expect no effectual aid from him. The Arabs, after the first 
 night, positively refused to give us anjrfching more ; and 
 Abraham's eloquent intercession even failed to ^ make the,
 
 242 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 desired impression. We had often overcome Arab obstinacy 
 by main force (yi et armis), and we entertained no doubt as 
 to our being ultimately victorious even here. The negotia- 
 tions were rapidly progressing to the culminating point — the 
 train was laid, and just before it was being fired, I happened 
 accidentally to ask after Sheikh Belaarem, the chief of the 
 Maajar banditti, who formerly occupied these ruins. 
 
 "He is encamped with his people on yonder mountain, 
 only a few miles from here," answered a man who had 
 attached himself to us on our arrival, and who assisted in 
 grooming our horses. 
 
 This was cheering intelligence, and I forthwith despatched 
 a messenger for Belaarem. But the cautious chief hesitated, 
 apprehending some plot against him ; and it was not till 
 another express was sent, with the assurance that a friend 
 desired to see him, and furnished him with certain tokens by 
 which he was able to recognise his friend, that Belaarem, 
 accompanied by six of his sturdy people, made his ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 After the formal salutations were gone through, I told the 
 chief that I was greatly surprised that he had not come 
 at once when he heard that Christian travellers were here, 
 to see whether his old friend was not among them. 
 
 " But, O ! brother," he answered, " I have never had an 
 opportunity of explaining to you the reason why I left you, 
 in so mysterious a manner, on that dark night. I feared you 
 harboured revenge against me on that account, and, therefore, 
 have I ever since rather avoided Nazarene travellers." 
 
 " And why did you disappear in that strange manner ? " I 
 asked. " We roamed about till midnight before we reached 
 the Bey's Camp. But be assured I harboured no feelings of 
 revenge against you : indeed, the whole circumstance had 
 almost escaped my memory." 
 
 " Antom nessara asdak rtiinna — You Nazarenes are 
 more righteous than we are. Listen, and I will satisfy you,"
 
 A FRIEND IN NEED. 243 
 
 Belaarem continued, " You were placed under my protection, 
 and, had an accident befallen you, my life would have been 
 required as a satisfaction. I therefore guarded you and your 
 friends from the malice and snare of the enemy, I learnt 
 from a good source that a certain party was waylaying you, 
 and as I knew the precise spot where danger existed, I left 
 you,* and proceeded towards it. I changed the intentions of 
 the banditti, and though you roamed about tUl midnight, 
 Alhamdollah, praised be Allah ! your life was spared. A 
 well-aimed, or a stray, bullet might have killed you. Now, 
 say, have I not acted as a friend ? " 
 
 " You certainly have," I replied : " but tell me what jDarty 
 was it which contemplated that treacherous act ? " 
 
 " I have told you all that concerns you," he answered ; 
 " but I am not at liberty to say more," and he obstinately 
 refused to add a single word on the subject. 
 
 My own suspicion is, that he himself had placed his own 
 men in ambush with instructions to attack us ; but having 
 changed his mind, from some motive or other, he left us and 
 countermanded his own orders. 
 
 On learning the difficulty in which we found ourselves, he 
 observed, — 
 
 " I anticipated as much, and therefore, you see, I have not 
 come empty-handed. Yonder man, with his mule, brings 
 barley, a lamb, some fowls and eggs ; and now you, and your 
 friends, must consider yourselves my guests. Whatever you 
 require, tell me, and obedience to your commands will give 
 me the utmost pleasure." 
 
 Here was, indeed, a friend in need. Belaarem took up 
 his abode near us, and carefully attended to all our wants. 
 
 Said, our great comfort on this journey, was now in high 
 glee, for he had not only a capital caterer in Belaarem, but 
 in the vicinity of Sbaitla there was an abundance of wild 
 
 * See " Evenings in my Tent," c. iv. vol. i. 
 
 a 2
 
 244 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 pigeons, as well as other birds ; * and all these advantages 
 afforded him ample scope to exhibit his skill in the art 
 which he professed, and of which he was justly proud. His 
 vanity, always replete with good-nature, was not only 
 innocent, but of great use to us. Our own interests, and his 
 exuberant spu'its under all circumstances, entitled him to 
 great consideration ; and he enjoyed a degi'ee of freedom 
 nearly equal to that of our artist's independent charger. 
 
 "We were lavishing praises on our favourite domestic, when 
 our attention was attracted to a scuffle, accompanied by a 
 low and suppressed moaning, outside of our tent. 
 
 " Edha essoraak yetchaasamo elmaslooh yachodh khakho — 
 When thieves fall out, honest men get their rights," was 
 the report of Said, who had stepped out, at our request, to 
 ascertain what was up. 
 
 And so it was. Machfood and Hamed were doing their 
 utmost to strangle each other with the coils of their turbans ; 
 and when I found that the canting hamba was no match for 
 his gruff companion, I interfered, and after some exertion, 
 succeeded in making Machfood rehnquish his hold, Hamed's 
 face had an awful expression; it did not look unlike that of a 
 man hanged. It had a deep -blue hue, verging upon black ; 
 his eyes protnided and were red ; and, for some seconds 
 after the coil was removed from his neck, he appeared to find 
 it difficult to replace the tongue into his mouth. 
 
 There was no necessityfor me to ask what the fightwas about, 
 for Machfood's vehement remonstrances during the intervals 
 of puffing and blowing (the effect of his exertions) taken in 
 connection with Said's homely proverb, revealed the mystery. 
 What we had all along suspected, proved to be true. We had 
 been sold — regularly sold — by these Imnibas, but chiefly by 
 Hamed. He had taken bribes from the caids and sheikhs, to 
 
 * The Appendix contains a list of some of tlie bii'ds found in parts of this 
 country. I am indebted for it to the Hon. Mr. Powys, a very able ornithologist, 
 and a hardy and daring sportsman.
 
 A QUARREL AMON'G THIEVES. 245 
 
 relieve them from the necessity of complying with the Govern- 
 ment order ; and it now also turned out that they had both 
 gained certain sums of money on the horses we purchased on 
 our journey. Hamed carried the bag, and Machfood having 
 insisted upon a division of the spoil, a quarrel ensued, which 
 ended in a regular conflict. I succeeded in putting an end 
 to the latter, and now I partly stayed further contentions 
 by taking possession of the money with the consent of the 
 combatants. 
 
 Arabs seldom come to blows — their fury is genery,lly either 
 exhausted in words, or it vents itself in cowardly revenge. 
 The present was an exception to the general rule. To the 
 attempt at strangling there was an end, but not so to their 
 recriminations. No sooner had Hamed sufficiently recovered 
 to give free utterance, than he summoned the faithful 
 present to be witnesses to the injuries and wrongs he had 
 suffered. 
 
 " Be silent, thou dog ! thou thief ! " roared the furious 
 Machfood. 
 
 "O! Moslems, Moslems, listen to this abuse!" exclaimed 
 the other in a doleful tone. " And has it come to this, that 
 a true believer should be called a dog ? " . . . 
 
 Two hours after, I saw Hamed perched upon a ruin, 
 going through all the evolutions of Moslem devotions with 
 astonishing precision ; and shortly after he and Machfood, 
 accompanied by pilgrim Abraham, accosted me, all grinning 
 and smiling, as if nothing had happened. 
 
 " You see we are friends now," observed Hamed. " Naal 
 eshaitaan, cursed be Satan, for putting evil and malice into 
 our hearts, and thereby causing brothers to fight. We have 
 now agreed to divide the money fairly." 
 
 The three appeared thunderstruck when I informed them 
 that the money was in the Consul's possession, and that 
 Mr. Nicholson and myself had decided on keeping it — that 
 a portion of it was our own, and that the remainder was
 
 246 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 intended to be devoted towards the presents we made to 
 those Arabs who comply with the Government order. All 
 attempts to change this decision proved unsuccessful, and 
 finally the orthodox sentiment — Kol shai helkitba — " every- 
 thing is pre-ordained," solemnly repeated by the pilgrim, 
 reconciled the two true believers, at least for the time being, 
 to the consular judgment. 
 
 Belaarem considered this a very appropriate and w^ell- 
 deserved punishment. 
 
 " You have hit upon the only way in which these rascals 
 can be chastised," said the old Maojjer. " Imprison them, 
 or flog them, and you will make no impression on them if 
 you allow them to retain the plunder ; but take the money 
 from them, and you inflict a punishment they consider equal 
 to death, for they love money just as they love their lives. 
 Base cowards ! What the prince of the faithful ordered for 
 you, his friends, these scoundrels pocketed." 
 
 " But how do you think they obtained this money, ! 
 Sheikh Belaarem ? " I inquired. 
 
 " Call me not sheikh," he replied, drawing at the same 
 time a heavy sigh ; " for times," he continued, " have 
 changed — Fate has proved treacherous to me in my old age ; 
 but of this hereafter. You want to know how they obtained 
 the money, and I will tell you. These fellows, who are sent 
 with you to see that the order of the prince of the faithful 
 is respected, on arriving at an encampment of a caid, or of a 
 sheikh, terrify them at first at the enormous expense to 
 which your visit would put them, and then offer, for a 
 certain pecuniary consideration, to arrange matters so as to 
 satisfy you with as little as possible. It is to the interest of 
 those chiefs at once to agi'ee to the proj)osed terms, for they 
 well know that if they were ever so attentive to you, and did 
 not satisfy the hamhas, these villains would conjure up some 
 story and would report them at head-quarters. There, at 
 head-quarters, are other leeches always anxious for oppor-
 
 THE BLACK INSCRIPTIOX. 247 
 
 tunities to pounce down upon them, and, from no other 
 than interested motives, to give them trouble and annoyance. 
 You are therefore sacrificed to the avaricious fellows sent 
 to protect you. You starve, your people starve, your horses 
 starve whilst these rascals are fed and well paid. This is their 
 mode of proceeding, and this is the way in which they made 
 the money which, I am glad, is now in your possession." 
 
 What the old Maajer told me, I knew before ; but still I 
 was glad to hear it from his lips. It not only shows how 
 well this base system is known, and how it is practised 
 notwithstanding, but it likewise shows the concatenation of 
 sponging and extortion which exist in this country among 
 the various grades of officials. 
 
 From the first evening of our arrival at Sbaitla we heard 
 much of a black inscription, which was reported to exist in 
 the bed of the river, about a mile, or a mile and a half, 
 higher up ; and at a part which was just then accessible, as 
 it was free from water. Desirous to inspect this relic of 
 antiquity, we procured a guide ; and having crossed the 
 serpentine stream some five or six times, and having climbed 
 over rocks and cleared some chasms, we at length, to our 
 intense satisfaction, reached the spot. Our cicerone, who had 
 preceded us with surprising speed, halted and pointed out 
 the "mysterious black wiiting," as he called it. 
 
 We were not duped, but we were victims to the prevailing 
 icmorance. The man wondered at the indifference with 
 which we eyed the "writing;" but when he found that our 
 risible faculties were excited, and that the astonishment 
 depicted on his countenance only increased our immoderate 
 laughter, he was amazed beyond all description. 
 
 " Verily, you Nazarenes are a strange people," he observed, 
 and the rotary movement of his head, and the action of hands, 
 coiTesponded with the nature of his remark. "You are a 
 strange people, indeed! Eveiy stone that has a letter or 
 two on it you immediately copy into your book ; and here I
 
 248 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 bring you to sucli a quantity of writing, and you laugh. Is 
 it at me or at the writing you laugh? If at me, aib 
 alaikom, it is wi'ong ; for I am khalk A llah, one of Allah's 
 creatures, as weU as yourselves. But if you laugh at the 
 writing, interpret it to me. What does it say ? " 
 
 The inteipretation of the writing was very simple, and our 
 cicerone looked very simple, indeed, when he heard it. A 
 vast number of small black shells, imbedded in the sandstone, 
 were so far washed away by the rushing water, as to leave 
 only portions, or sections, and the eccentric shapes thus 
 caused constituted the "mysterious black writing," the 
 fame of which had not only attracted us, but, I afterwards 
 learnt, it had likewise reached remote regions. 
 
 The banks of the river in this part are very steep, and so 
 evenly perpendicular that they have the appearance of being 
 the work of art, rather than that of nature. They are about 
 four hundred feet in height, and their crevices form a safe 
 abode for the numerous wild pigeons. In these strong- 
 holds they are indeed protected against the encroachments of 
 man, but they are exposed to the terrible ravages of the 
 hawk and the eagle, their immediate neighbours. 
 
 On leaving Sufetula, we may say we quitted Numidia, the 
 scene of the Roman struggles with Jugurtha. After the 
 famous Numidian king was betrayed into the hands of Sylla 
 by his own father-in-law, the treacherous Bochus, the 
 country, which fell to the descendants of Massinissa after the 
 destruction of Carthage, was again subdivided. Bochus, 
 for his important services, received the territories of the 
 Massaesyli, which were nearest to Mauritania, his own 
 kingdom. The remainder of Numidia was divided into two 
 parts ; the western was given to Mandrestal and Hiempsal, 
 descendants of Massinissa ; and the eastern part, or that 
 which we have traversed, was annexed to Africa Propria. 
 
 A few years after, the limits, or boundaries, of the country 
 were again disturbed. Pompey having defeated Cneius
 
 WE ENTER AFEICA PROPRIA. 249 
 
 Domitius Abenobarbus and Hiarbas, a Numidian king 
 who succeeded Mandrestal, and having slain 17,000 of 
 their forces, was not satisfied with such signal chastisement, 
 but pursued the fugitives to their camp, put Domitius to 
 the sword, took Hiarbas prisoner, and gave his kingdom 
 to Hiempsal, for his consistent opposition to the Marius 
 faction. 
 
 During the future struggles in Africa, Juba, the son of 
 Hiempsal, espoused the cause of the Republicans in opposi- 
 tion to that of Csesar. To this, it is only natural to suppose, 
 he may have been induced by motives of gratitude which the 
 family owed to Pompey. Suetonius, however, informs us, that 
 the king of Numidia was actuated by a spirit of revenge 
 which he harboured against Julius Csesar. That author states 
 that, at the time Csesar commenced to be famous, Hiempsal 
 had a dispute with a certain Masintha, a Numidian noble, in 
 which the Roman general took the part of the latter with 
 great warmth, and even went so far as to pull the beard of 
 Juba, who vindicated his father's conduct. Such an affront 
 was an unpardonable one among the Numidians then, as it 
 now is among the modem inhabitants of the same country. 
 This insult, it would seem, was never forgiven ; and hence 
 Juba's inveterate hostilities against Csesar. In an engage- 
 ment into which (by stratagem) he drew Curio, Caesar's 
 general, he defeated him, and slew him. When Csesar 
 afterwards landed in Africa, and while encamped before 
 Ruspina (in expectation of the arrival of the remainder of 
 his forces and supplies, to enable him to commence his cam- 
 paign against the Pompeian faction), Juba, at the head of 
 a large army, marched to join the Republicans. Had the 
 Numidian then been able to cany his intention into execu- 
 tion, the condition in which Csesar found himself at the time 
 was such, that the victor of Pharsalia might then have 
 been vanquished on the shores of Africa. But before Juba 
 reached Africa Propria, he received intelligence that Cirta
 
 250 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 (Constantine) and two other towns were besieged by P. 
 Sitius, a Roman filibuster, and Bogud, king of Mauritania, 
 both of whom favoured Caesar's cause, Juba was not only 
 compelled to relinquish his design, but he had to hasten back 
 to protect, and defend, his own country. The line of march of 
 the king with his hosts of Numidians, horse and foot as well 
 as elephants, must have been the same, or very nearly the 
 same, we took ; and when he afterwards actually joined 
 Scipio, and with him engaged Csesar in the fatal, and 
 decisive, battle of Thapsus, he must have led his army to 
 the scene of action by a great part of our line of route. 
 
 Quitting these Numidian territories we proceeded towards 
 that district of Africa Propria particularly famous for 
 Caesar's campaign, the successful issue of which not only 
 put an end to the civil war, caused by the ambition of rival 
 generals aspiring to supreme power, but it gave Eome her 
 first emperor. 
 
 At Gilma, our first station in Africa Propria, we expected to 
 find a martial camp, one not unlike those of the ancient Nu- 
 midian kings. The heir apparent to the throne of Tunis was 
 on his way to the capital from his annual expedition to the 
 extreme south of the kingdom, in order to collect the tribute 
 from those Arabs who now occupy a part of the territory of the 
 ancient Ocetulians. The prince's object is likewise to settle 
 disputes among the different tribes through whose districts he 
 passes. We reached our destination in a little more than 
 three hours, having traversed the Bahairat Ulmargeb, a 
 barren, or rather uncultivated plain, and pitched our tents in 
 a lovely meadow in the plain of Gilma. 
 
 We were greatly disappointed on finding that the camp 
 had not yet reached this place, for we fully expected to sleep 
 Avithin the "gates" of the vast moveable canvas city, and to 
 partake of the princely hospitality of the commander of the 
 forces ; but we were accustomed to disappointments, and 
 therefore readily accommodated ourselves to our present
 
 BELAAREM'S REQUEST. 251 
 
 situation. This was not so very bad, for Belaarem was with 
 us, and he readily procured for us all we needed from the 
 two encampments of Farasheesh Arabs, near which we 
 pitched our tents. 
 
 Gilma is the Cilma, or Opindu'in Chilmanense of anti- 
 quity ; but its remains are very insignificant. Somewhat 
 more than a century ago, its ruins were still extensive. I 
 find them thus described in an old manuscript which I 
 presented to the library of the Royal Geographical Society : — 
 " Here are the ruins of a very large town, built on the side 
 of a hill. On the foot of it are several square towers, 
 pretty high, but narrow, covered on the top, and a door to 
 go in. Within each on the floor is a square stone about 
 four feet high, and as many square. On the top is a 
 round hole about six inches diameter, which runs down- 
 wards into another larger. Within the tower towards the 
 top are four figures * cut out in gips, one on every side — 
 one with a lance, another with a bow and arrow, and such 
 like arms. Here is also a rivulet of fresh water." 
 
 Our neighbours, the Farasheesh Ai'abs, were very civil, and 
 I scarcely know whether to ascribe this to Belaarem's in- 
 fluence, or to the vicinity of the dreaded camp of Hamoda 
 Bey. They are not usually famous for innocence and purity 
 of character ; on the contrary, they bear a bad name ; but as 
 we never trusted any, not even those Arabs of the best repu- 
 tation, we took our regular defensive precautions — revolvers 
 under our pillows, guns within reach, and a sentinel before 
 our tent. 
 
 " I trust, O brother," said Belaarem to me, whilst I was 
 ascertaining whether our horses were properly picketed — a 
 task which I regularly performed every night before retiring 
 to rest — " I tinist," said he, " I shall leave a better impression 
 on your mind when we separate this time than I did when 
 I left you on that dark night." 
 
 " I ana sure you will," I replied. " You have proved a
 
 252 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 true friend to us, and have placed us under gi'eat obliga- 
 tions." 
 
 " Say nothing about obligations," he rejoined, " but, tell me, 
 if I ask a favour from you, will you grant it ? " 
 
 " If it is in my power, I will with pleasure," was my 
 answer. 
 
 " It is in your power, and since you give your assent, I 
 feel confident, ere the setting of to-morrow's sun, Belaarem 
 will again be honoured with the title of sheikh ! " 
 
 " What do you mean by this exultation ? " I asked. " It is 
 not in my power to make you a sheikh." 
 
 " It is in your power," the Arab replied, " if you wiU only 
 use your influence in my favour. Sidy Hamoda Bey is your 
 friend, as his brother Sidy Mohammed — Allah yerashemho — 
 may Allah be propitious to him ! — was. I will accompany you 
 to the camp, and if you only promise to ask the Bey to make 
 me sheikh I shall be satisfied, even if you are unsuccessful, 
 which, I know full well, is impossible." 
 
 What influence I really possessed with this prince I scarcely 
 knew. Before his exaltation to his present dignity he was 
 very friendly disposed towards me ; but who does not know 
 the mutation of sentiments, and of feelings, of which human 
 nature is susceptible, and to which it is liable, when raised 
 higher — ^when called to move in a sphere above that in 
 which it moved before ? Who does not know that often — 
 
 Honorcs mutant mores. 
 
 This is a fact which few can call in question, for there 
 are few who have not both received and given the cold 
 shoulder in their time. The wiiter and the reader can 
 alike readily call to mind some incident which will tend to 
 corroborate this statement. But, alas ! we are all but too 
 prone to exculpate ourselves, and therefore I apprehend 
 the particular incident which will present itself to our 
 minds will only inculpate others. I would therefore say with
 
 THE CANVAS CITY. 253 
 
 Horace, and that for the benefit both of the writer and the 
 reader, — 
 
 " Mutato nomine, de te 
 Fabiila narratur. " 
 
 Belaarem having obtained the promise to use my influ- 
 ence entered his tent in high glee, whilst I was really- 
 very much concerned as to the success of my effort on 
 his behalf Through our canvas separation I could dis- 
 tinctly hear the old man expatiating on the honour which 
 awaited him on the following morning, and this premature 
 publicity only increased my anxiety on his account. 
 
 Morning came, and a more charming one I seldom beheld 
 out of Africa. The sky was clear and bright, without a 
 speck on the horizon, while a gentle breeze just agitated the 
 air, impregnating the atmosphere with the balmy perfumes 
 it swept from the aromatic plants growing spontaneously 
 on the mountain tops. At a distance of about three miles 
 from us we saw one white pavilion pitched, and that we 
 knew intimated the spot where the camp was to halt. Very 
 shortly after, this vast solitude began to teem with life. The 
 perfect stillness, which before was only broken by the warb- 
 ling of the lark, was now succeeded by the shrill song, the 
 shouts, and the merry laugh of the thousands of human 
 beings who were rapidly emerging from a mountain-pass, 
 and spreading over the plain. Regidar and irregular cavalry, 
 regular and irregular infantry, artillery, hosts of Arabs of 
 every description and from every tribe, horses, camels, mules, 
 asses, and a vast number of camp followers, were all pouring 
 into the plain, and the whole of this mixed multitude was 
 converging in the direction of the white pavihon. And now 
 the pitching commenced — tent succeeded tent, till, in less 
 than half an hour, an immense space was occupied by these 
 moveable canvas dwellings, which were rapidly growing, as if 
 by magic, into a large city.
 
 254 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 Mr. Nicholson and myself ordered our horses, and, accom- 
 panied by old Machfood, directed our course towards the 
 canvas city. As we were leaving, we observed the Farasheesh 
 Arabs, our neighbours, busily engaged in striking and pack- 
 ins: their tents. The women did all the work, w^hile the 
 men sat idly on the ground, looking on, or occasionally con- 
 descending to give directions how the work was to be 
 performed. 
 
 " Why do you not assist the women ? " I asked, in riding 
 past them. " In other countries men w^ould perform this 
 task, and not women." 
 
 "Then Alharadollah, blessed be Allah, men are better 
 off here than they are in other countries," was the reply. 
 
 These Arabs were hastening towards the mountains, on 
 account of the proximity of the camp, to avoid being plun- 
 dered, or otherwise molested, by the unprincipled rabble, or 
 camp followers. These are generally the tent pitchers and 
 azaara, grooms, who make use of the protection they enjoy 
 to the detriment of the unfortunate Arabs in the vicinity. 
 
 When within half a mile of the camp, the roar from three 
 pieces of artillery announced that the canvas city was com- 
 pleted in all its parts, and that the prince was within it. We 
 soon after came upon the outposts, stationed under a canvas 
 covering for shelter from the fierce rays of the sun. These 
 sentinels challenged us in true martial style, and directed us 
 to the "gate" of the Mekhalla, camp. At the gate, which was 
 protected by four field-pieces, we were again stopped, and 
 reported to the officer on guard. He again had to announce 
 our arrival at head-quarters, from whence finally the per- 
 mission came for us to enter. Traversing several circular 
 streets of the canvas city, we reached a large open place, in 
 the centre of which stood the otak, the canvas palace of the 
 prince, a large and magnificent pavilion, divided into several 
 compartments. Its front was wide open, and on the divans, 
 as well as on the well-cai-peted floor, we observed some of
 
 THE PRINCE OF THE CANVAS CITY. 2^5 
 
 the principal personages of the expedition. On entering the 
 open space another sentinel desired us again to wait for 
 permission to approach the prince's tent, but just then one of 
 the gentlemen we had noticed inside beckoned to us, and the 
 soldier instantly withdrew. Some men were sent to take 
 charge of our horses, and within a few minutes after we 
 were in friendly conversation with His Highness Hamoda 
 Bey. 
 
 The prince was dressed in the Moorish costume, which to 
 an Arab is decidedly more becoming than the stiff European 
 uniform introduced some few years ago. It is certainly 
 more convenient and more comfortable in a hot country, and 
 Sidy Hamoda looked remarkably well in it. He is sHghtly 
 above the middle stature, and rather inclined to corpulency. 
 He resembles his late brother, the excellent, and justly 
 much lamented, ruler of this country. His countenance 
 bears the same amiable expression, and his features, now 
 that he has reached his fortieth summer, assume the 
 same shape as those of Sidy Mohammed — one of the best 
 princes that ever wielded the sceptre of Tunis. With him I 
 once " performed the camp," as it is called, to Jereed, and 
 his courtesy, and kindness, during that long and tedious 
 journey, I shall never forget. 
 
 We conversed a considerable time with the prince on a 
 variety of topics, but chiefly on subjects connected with our 
 journey, in which he took a lively interest. He invited us 
 to be his guests. 
 
 " But," his highness said to me, " you must apologise to 
 the Consul if he finds that I am not able to offer him any 
 delicacies. We are travellers, and in desert parts, where 
 nothing can be obtained ; but whatever I have is at his 
 disposal. To you," he added, smihng, " I make no apology. 
 You are accustomed to hardships, and, besides, we are 
 old friends, and as a friend you are sure to put the best 
 construction upon everything. I have the will to treat
 
 256 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 you well, and if I do not succeed, it is because I lack the 
 means." 
 
 We thanked his highness for his kindness, and whilst 
 sipping our coffee, I embraced a favourable opportunity of 
 redeeming my promise to Belaarem, and to my infinite 
 satisfaction, the prince readily complied with my request to 
 reinstate my friend as sheikh of the Maajer. 
 
 We now retired into the tent of Signor Schembri, the 
 Bey's physician, and scarcely were we with the doctor ten 
 minutes when the prince sent me a neatly folded parcel, 
 on opening which I found it to contain Belaarem's robe of 
 office ! This courtesy — this princely act — I fully appreciated. 
 Sidy Hamoda saw I was greatly interested in the man, and 
 naturally concluded it would afford me pleasure to invest 
 Belaarem myself.
 
 CPIAPTER XL 
 
 A MOSLEM GATE TO HEAVEN. 
 
 A Government Appointment — An act of Treaclaery — The value of a Beard — 
 A healthy Climate — Morning Scene in the Canvas City— Character of the 
 Slaass Arabs — A shaven Horse — A Moslem Gate to Heaven — Description 
 of Caii-waan — Inscrij)tions from its large Mosqne — "Unbelievers" in 
 "the Holy City" — Our quarters. 
 
 My third travelling companion not only gave unlimited 
 latitude to his steed, but he extended the same privilege to 
 every one else with whom he stood in connection. He loved 
 unrestricted independence himself, and he saw no reason why 
 others — man or beast — should not enjoy the same freedom. 
 This proves, undoubtedly, an amiable disposition, but it is one 
 which may do well in theory but not in practice, and most 
 decidedly not among the people of the country through which 
 we were wandering. Poor fellow ! he allowed our men to 
 have their own way after I started for the Bey's camp, and the 
 consequence was that, instead of joining us at 11 A.M., he only 
 reached the canvas city at 1 P.M., when the thermometer stood 
 at 92° Fahrenheit in the shade. He was half roasted, and 
 glad enough to take refuge from the sun's fierce rays in the 
 large and commodious tent of Dr. Schembri. 
 
 With our baggage came my friend Belaarem, who no 
 sooner dismounted than he began repeating, for the hun- 
 dredth time — 
 
 " TnshaUah ma tinsaneesh, if it please Allah, you will not 
 forget me, my friend."
 
 258 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 " No," I rejoined this time, " I shall never forget you." 
 
 " Then when will you see our lord the Bey ?" he inquired. 
 
 " I have already seen him," I rej)lied. 
 
 " And you have forgotten to make the request I so 
 earnestly solicited," the old man observed with a son-owful 
 and downcast countenance, shaking his head as he spoke. 
 
 " No, Belaarem," I answered, " I have not forgotten you, 
 and it gives me infinite pleasure to congTatulate you as 
 Sheikh. Here is your robe, which His Highness has already 
 sent me for you, and it is free of all customary fees and 
 charges." 
 
 No deserving, and meritorious, candidate for government 
 employment, in civilised countries, was ever more rejoiced at 
 the success which finally attended his repeated apphcations 
 for office than this Maajer manifested at the sight of the 
 jibhah. It is impossible to describe his delight and raptures, 
 nor will I ever forget his exhibition of unfeigned gratitude. 
 
 But methinks I hear some one ask — 
 
 " Did this Maajer, whom you first knew as a robber-chief, 
 and, for aught you can tell, may still direct the movements of 
 banditti, justify you in employing your influence in his favour?" 
 
 My answer is, that I felt bound to serve Belaarem for his 
 extreme kindness to me and my party, and in my application 
 for his Sheikhdom, I distinctly stated that I was influenced 
 by this sole motive. Then, reprehensible as the Maajer's 
 fromer course of life is, he is not a whit worse than any of 
 those who hold appointments similar to that I procured 
 him ; and he has an advantage over most of his compeers, 
 for he is intelligent and is able to -v^aite and read his OAvn 
 language, which the majority of office-bearers in the country 
 cannot. Besides, I would add that even in civilised countries 
 it is not always the most estimable, the most virtuous, the 
 most competent, who meet with most favour from ministers of 
 the CrowTi — and if those who are at the helm of the states 
 of Europe are not ahvays exempt from a certain degree of
 
 AN ACT OF TEEACHEEY, 259 
 
 venality, — and if those who are favoured by them are not 
 always the most immaculate, I think, as the world goes, there 
 is not much ground for complaint either against him who 
 procured, or against him who conferred, the office, nor 
 against the happy Belaarem now rejoicing in his jibbah, or 
 gaudy robe of office. 
 
 In the course of the afternoon we took a walk through the 
 moveable city, and among other visits we called at the 
 canvas mansion of Sidy Ali Essasi, formerly a Cadi, and 
 now a Caid; and by this simple transposition of letters in his 
 title, he changed the spiritual for the temporal, the ecclesi- 
 astical for the civil. From an expounder of the Coran he is 
 now a governor of Jereed, or the whole of that part of the 
 ancient Gsetulia which acknowledges the sway of the i-uler 
 of Tunis. 
 
 Being a friend of this personage, he gave us a very cordial 
 welcome, and desu'ed us to be seated among a number of 
 governors who were either reposing cross-legged, or reclining, 
 on the carpeted floor. The host I found just as meiTy now 
 as he was when Cadi of Nefta, and he laughed as heartily 
 now at a joke as he did then. He has acquired much wealth 
 since I last saw him, but he has not gaiaed more gi-avity, 
 which is rather extraordinary, considering the naturally grave 
 character of the Arabs, among whom that particular deport- 
 ment is regarded as a mark of wisdom. Juvenal says — 
 
 " Earns sermo illis, et magna libido tacendi," 
 
 and this is very applicable to Arabs, for they seldom speak, 
 and give great preference to silence. Essasi, on the contrary, 
 is very loquacious and rather flighty. 
 
 I last saw this personage in company with Captain 
 Tarleton, who commanded the " Euryalus " at the time His 
 Royal Highness Prince Alfred came to visit the ruins of 
 Carthage. The captain was anxious to have an idea of the 
 interior of a Moorish house, and I therefore introduced him 
 
 « 2'
 
 2G0 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 to the present governor of Jereed. A black cloud was then 
 momentarily darkening his horizon — he was in temporary 
 disgrace, and the caiise of his disgrace was of a nature which 
 fully deserves recording. 
 
 A few years ago the state of Tripoli was gi'eatly agitated 
 by an Arab patriot named Glioma. This man, of a very 
 ancient sliereef (a sacred) family, was anxious to free his 
 country from the yoke of Turkey. Arabs flocked round the 
 standard of revolt which he raised, and for some time he 
 baffled all the efforts of the Turkish forces sent against him 
 to quell the rebellion. His person was considered sacred and 
 believed to be invulnerable, and the deluded Arabs enter- 
 tained confident hope in the ultimate success of Ghoma's 
 struggle. 
 
 Of this state of things advantage was taken by a cer- 
 tain European party. From it the Arab chief met with 
 encouragement and effectual aid, and this prolonged the 
 conflict. Colonel Hermann, the intelligent British Consul- 
 General of Tripoli, counteracted, and checked, the active inter- 
 ference of the party alluded to ; but Ghoma still received 
 advice, and according to that advice he sought to involve the 
 Arabs of Tunis in the conflict. An Arab government in Tripoli 
 versus Turkish usurpation and despotism, was a favourite, and 
 popular, topic vdth the border tribes, and hence the chief was 
 welcomed with open arms. To avoid a collision with the Porte, 
 or, what was, perhaps, dreaded more still, to prevent losing 
 his own throne, the Bey of Tunis was compelled to send an 
 army to expel Ghoma from his dominions. But the inca- 
 pacity, and utter inefficiency, of his forces in contending with 
 a chief of consummate skill in the arts of war became soon 
 apparent. At this juncture of affairs Essasi offered to betray 
 Ghoma into the Bey's hands, and the offer was accepted. 
 
 Essasi received the necessary powers from the government, 
 and forthwith proceeded to the head-quarters of the army. 
 Here he made arrangements with the general to place, on a
 
 AN ACT OF TREACHERY. 261 
 
 certain day, a number of men in ambush, whilst he drove off 
 in a splendid French can-iage to the camp of Ghoma, with 
 whom he formerly lived on teims of friendship and intimacy. 
 Essasi represented himself as an envoy, authorised to treat 
 with the Arab patriot, who, being himself anxious to come to 
 some understanding with the ruler of Tunis, gave his old 
 friend a most cordial welcome. Having transacted the 
 ostensible negotiations, the two took a walk through the 
 camp, and, as Essasi had anticipated, he found a dense crowd 
 of Arabs collected round his carriage. The vehicle also 
 proved a great attraction to the chief, who examined every 
 part of it with intense interest. The envoy proposed a drive, 
 and the unsusi^ecting Ghoma readily assented. The horses 
 were instantly harnessed, and in a few minutes after the 
 vehicle rolled over the desert at a tremendous pace. Ghoma 
 was fairly entrapped. 
 
 But the Arab chief had, at all times, a number of his 
 cavalry ready mounted, and these, watching the direction 
 which the caniage took, suspected Essasi's treachery. 
 
 " Yallah ! To the rescue of Ghoma ! " shouted the cap- 
 tain, and the words were no sooner uttered, than the whole 
 troop started off, with the utmost velocity, in jiursuit of the 
 carriage. The shouts of his own men revealed to the chief 
 the danger in which he found himself, Essasi having kept 
 him so occupied in conversation that he never even perceived 
 the direction the driver was taking. The carriage was brought 
 to a stand close to the spot where the Tunisian soldiers lay in 
 ambush, and only a mile from the head - quarters of the 
 Tunisian army. 
 
 The fury of the Arab cavalry was boundless. They 
 desired to sacrifice Essasi on the spot, and begged for per- 
 mission to cut down the Tunisian soldiers who stood 
 trembling from fear. 
 
 " No !" said Ghoma, " leave these men, for they are 
 merely tools of this base wretch, whose perfidy made him
 
 262 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 forgetful of the sacred ties of fi-iendsliip. Spare his life, too, 
 for let it not be said that Ghoma slew a man who was once 
 his companion and friend. Let him Hve ! Let remorse 
 consume him — let the thought of the diabohcal deed he 
 contemplated to perpetrate, torment him during the rest 
 of his days ! Allah yostorna, Allah protects us." 
 
 " But is not, at least, the trap which contained the noble 
 lion to be destroyed ?" asked the captain. 
 
 " Yes," replied Ghoma, " that you may smash to pieces." 
 
 And of this permission the infuriated Arabs quickly 
 availed themselves. 
 
 " Essasi !" said Ghoma, as he turned back towards his 
 camp, " let these fragments of the instrument you brought 
 to effect my ruin remain as a monument of thy base, thy 
 treacherous, and thy cruel heart." 
 
 The failure of this unprincipled exploit was the cause of 
 Essasi's remaininof in disgq-ace for some time. But his talents 
 being of service to the government, he was appointed to the 
 post which he now fills. 
 
 Among the visitors in Essasi's tent there was a thin, tall, 
 very ghastly looking Ai'ab, who, as he sat on the ground, care- 
 fully concealed the lower part of his face within the folds of 
 his burnoose. Thinking that this man was a victim to tooth- 
 ache, I expressed my sympathy, and offered him a remedy 
 which I thought might reUave him, at least temporarily. 
 
 "He has no toothache," answered Essasi; "the rascally 
 azara, gi-ooms, got hold of him and shaved his beard clean 
 off, and the poor fellow now only conceals his disgTace." 
 
 This explanation was succeeded by a meny peal of laughter, 
 in which I was pleased to observe scarcely any of the party 
 joined. 
 
 The beardless Arab apparently noticed that I was not 
 entirely ig-norant of the importance of a beard. His heai-t 
 seemed to warm towards me when I expressed my opinion of 
 the infamous conduct of the azara.
 
 THE VALUE OF A BEARD. 263 
 
 " You say they ought to be punished ; do you not, O 
 Nazarene ?" he inquired with deep concern. 
 " Most certainly," I replied. 
 
 " Then listen to the opinion of a Nazarene," the half- 
 witted and grievously maimed Ai-ab exclaimed ; " listen, ye 
 Moslems ; even he, a Nazarene, thinks that I ought to have 
 satisfaction." 
 
 And now, removing the drapery, he revealed features not un- 
 like those of the Aztecs, and ajDpealed to me to estimate his loss. 
 " Look at me, Nazarene," he said, " ought I not to have 
 damages awarded me — ought I not to have 500 piastres 
 [about 12?.] for my beard ?" 
 
 " It depends," I rejoined, " upon what value the judge 
 will put upon it. At the same time I doubt very much 
 whether any of the gentlemen present would consent to part 
 with their beards even for such an amount." 
 
 " T'barek Allah! may Allah bless such judgment !" the 
 poor fellow ejaculated. " And think you not," he added, 
 " that the miscreants ought to be bastinadoed as well ?" 
 
 " With us," I replied, " justice is tempered with mercy ; 
 but here it will, of course, depend upon the judge." 
 
 In this tent there were about twenty persons assembled, 
 and among these there were eight who had passed their 
 seventieth summer, and still looked very hearty. I have 
 often observed the great proportion of aged persons one meets 
 with in this part of Africa. This fact ought certainly to be 
 regarded as a great proof of the salubrity of the climate, for 
 which it was even anciently famous. Sallust speaks of the 
 inhabitants as " a race of men of healthy constitution, swift 
 of foot and patient under toil. The greatest number are 
 despatched by old age, except those who die by the sword, 
 or are slain by wild beasts : disease veiy seldom carries any 
 off."* This fact is coiToborated by the cenotaphs which have 
 
 * BeU. Jug. § 17.
 
 264 RUmED CITIES. 
 
 come under my notice. Yet in ancient, and in modem, times 
 the country has, at lengthy intervals, been visited by some ter- 
 rific epidemic, which has swept away its victims by thousands. 
 We learn from Orosius, that in the reign of Micipsa the 
 country was visited by such a calamity. In Numidia, 800,000 
 persons perished, and in Africa Propria 200,000, among these 
 were 80,000 Roman soldiers, quartered in, and about, TJtica. 
 At this city the mortality raged to such a degree, that 1500 
 dead bodies were daily carried out through one gate alone ! 
 The author referred to assigns a cause for this epidemic 
 which deserves notice. He tells us that it was preceded by 
 an immense flight of locusts, which destroyed, and devoured, 
 all vegetation — that a strong wind then canied them into 
 the sea, and being thrown vip in vast heaps on the beach the 
 epidemic ensued. What importance people may feel inclined 
 to attach to this statement I cannot tell ; but I am able to 
 aver that the choleras of 1848 and of 1856, which raged at 
 Tunis, were preceded by flights of locusts. That of 1856 
 caused but little havoc, but that of 1848 carried off thou- 
 sands. The flight of locusts which jDreceded the first cholera 
 was very dense. Its approach was noticed about noon, and soon 
 after the whole sky was darkened : the locusts settled down, 
 and on the following day fields were cleared, trees stripped of 
 their foliage, and all verdure disappeared before these rave- 
 nous insects. They glutted to that extent that they at last 
 were unable to use their wings, or even to move, and re- 
 mained helpless on the ground. I remember going at the 
 time from Carthage to Tunis, and found the locusts so thickly 
 on the road, that in driving over them the horses' hoofs and 
 the wheels of the carriage left impressions of two and three 
 inches in depth ! Shortly after the devastating cholera broke 
 out. There may be other causes which produce the same 
 effect in other parts of the world. 
 
 But, generally speaking, the climate of this part of Africa 
 is certainly not inferior (if it is not superior) to that of any
 
 MORNING SCEXE IX THE CANVAS CITY. 265 
 
 other part of the world ; and for persons suffering from pul- 
 monary complaints it is considered to surpass all those places 
 usually recommended as a last resort. A late friend of mine, 
 a medical man, had reached that stage of consumption at the 
 age of thirty that his was regarded by the profession a perfectly 
 hopeless case. He went to Tunis, lived to the age of seventy, 
 when he met with his death by a melancholy accident, but in 
 no way connected with his hereditary complaint. It is his 
 opinion, corroborated by other very intelligent physicians, to 
 which I now give utterance. 
 
 There was much in the camp, even at night, to interest, 
 and to amuse, those to whom it was a novel sight, but the 
 knowledge that we should be roused at 2 A.M., when prepa- 
 rations for the departure commence, made us retire earlier 
 than usual. At the hour mentioned the sound of the 
 trumpet was almost immediately followed by such mixed 
 noises that it was a vain attempt we made to prolong our 
 sleep. The neighing of horses, the bleating of sheep, the 
 brajTng of mules and asses, the barking of dogs, intermingled 
 with the piteous meanings, and infuriated gargling, of some 
 ten thousand camels, entreating and remonstrating, imj)loring 
 and threatening, those who either overloaded them or placed 
 the burden on theu- backs not to their particular liking. To 
 this must be added the shouts and the screams of the thou- 
 sands of servants, tent men and suttlers, all engaged in their 
 respective tasks, and eveiy one accustomed to demonstrate 
 the amount of his labour by a proportionate amount of wild 
 vociferation. To think of sleeping in the midst of such 
 monstrous confusion is to think of doing what is an utter 
 impossibility. We therefore rose, having had but a very short 
 night's rest. 
 
 The scene outside was singular too. Darkness was made 
 visible by a number of fires blazing in different parts of the 
 vast area which the encampment occupied, and by means of 
 these we could not only see the numerous groups of animals
 
 266 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 and men, but also the canvas city partly dismantled. The 
 ruin, or the work of destruction (if I may use the expression) 
 perceptibly increased, and with the first dawn of day scarcely 
 any traces of it were left on the spot. The prince's reception 
 tent was the last to be struck, and when it was removed we 
 mounted our horses and commenced our march.* 
 
 The numerous ruined cities over which I rambled, in the 
 course of my peregrinations, has made me view modem cities 
 not in their present pride and beauty, in which they are 
 sustained by municipal regulations, but as futm'e ruins. The 
 vestiges of most of those proud cities, not many centuries after 
 their doomed destruction — a fate,I presume, they cannot avoid 
 — will I fear be very similar to those of the canvas city. As 
 I looked back upon the site from the heights over which we 
 were travelling, it seemed hke a dream that but a few hours 
 before it was crowded with human habitations, and teemed 
 with life. It was again a desolation just as it was before, and 
 such it is doomed to be till the following year. 
 
 We travelled over a hilly country, chased some gazelles 
 without any success, and then encamped, after three hours' 
 march, in a kind of hollow, or an inclined dale, near a stream 
 of good water, where there was an abundance of luxuriant 
 verdure. It is a lovely spot, and goes by the names of 
 Haajeb-jaafer, smdHaajeh-Elayoon. The prominent features 
 in the landscape are the mountains Jehel Truzsa, to N.N.E., 
 Jehel Maglieela, W. by N., Jehel Taiveel, E. by N., and Jehel 
 Bo Cohrein, S. E. by E. The first of these mountain ranges 
 has a mineral bath near its summit, which is considered very- 
 beneficial in certain complaints, and particularly in cases of 
 chronic rheumatism. 
 
 This district is claimed by a tribe called the Slaass, whose 
 character is summed up in the follomng brief sentence : — 
 
 " In other parts," said one of the Bey's officers, " the 
 
 * For further details relative to such expeditions, the reader is referred to 
 ' ' Evenings in my Tent. "
 
 CHARACTER OF THE SLAASS ARABS. 267 
 
 Arabs plunder and let you go; but these rascals, the Slaass, 
 kill you first right out and then plunder you." 
 
 We reached this spot early, and resolved to remain in the 
 camp a few hours, and then continue our journey by our- 
 selves. The heat was great in the morning, and continued to 
 increase very perceptibly, although a gentle northerly breeze 
 was blowing at the time. At noon my thermometer stood at 
 83° Fahrenheit, and in an hour after at 92°. It then began 
 to fall, and we resumed our march with an additional escort 
 of four hambas, or mounted police. It was likewise thought 
 necessary to send the sheikh of the district in which we 
 intended to remain during the night, to accompany us, in 
 order to insm-e our safety. All these precautions plainly 
 proved what opinion the Bey himself entertained of the 
 character of this tribe. 
 
 Four hours' ride in a north-westerly direction, over a very 
 charming and lovely country, but devoid of all cultivation, 
 brought us to the Slaass' tents, where we pitched ours. The 
 spot is called Elhawaareb, and Ain Baida, ''the white 
 fountain;" and as there are extensive ruins close by, I am 
 inclined to think that this is Aquce Regice, of which the 
 modern name is a free translation.- In this neighbourhood 
 we also noticed ruins whose antiquity dates prior to the 
 Roman conquests ; but this can only be thoroughly ascer- 
 tained by means of excavations. 
 
 The Slaass were kind and hospitable to us ; but kindness 
 and hospitality formed no part of their real nature, for later 
 in the night a stray traveller approached their tents and 
 begged for shelter, which was not only refused but the poor 
 fellow was flogged, otherwise maltreated, and driven away. 
 Such was theu' conduct towards a brother Moslem ; what 
 -would have been our reception had we come without a strong 
 force to insure civility ? 
 
 At this place, and entirely through the imprudence of our 
 sei-vants, we very nearly lost one of our best baggage horses.
 
 268 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 They allowed tlie animal to wander off to the stream, of 
 which he drank freely whilst yet heated from the journey. 
 All acrreed that he ought to be bled, but as no one could be 
 found to perform the operation, I tried my hand at it and 
 succeeded admirably. The poor brute, which was shortly 
 before stiff, shivering, and unable to stand, perceptibly 
 recovered soon after the bleeding, and in the morning he 
 was in a fit state to resume his burden. 
 
 I happened to be busy in the tent loading a revolver, 
 whilst the men were occupied outside in packing our baggage 
 and saddling the horses, when Said unexpectedly entered, 
 and told me, 
 
 " Sadek has managed to shave your horse," 
 
 " Sadek shaved my horse !" I exclaimed. " Is the fellow 
 mad ?" 
 
 " You told him last night," Said rejoined, " to shave your 
 horse ; I myself heard you, and he has merely obeyed your 
 orders." 
 
 I feirtoo indignant to notice Said's observation, and only 
 pictured to my mind the awkward, the droll figure I should 
 cut in riding into the Holy City of Cairwaan — one of the four 
 gates to the Moslem Paradise — a city sanctified by the tomb 
 of the Prophet's own heard — on a horse all shaven and 
 shorne ! 
 
 " I cannot understand," Said resumed, and smiling as he 
 was always wont to do, " I cannot understand," said he, 
 " why you should be so angiy simply because Sadek shaved 
 your horse. I assure you he did it very well " . . . 
 
 Just then a loud burst of laughter from outside greeted 
 my ears, and interrupted Said's speech. " You are all quite 
 right," I thought to myself, " to laugh at such a ridiculous 
 scene — a shaven horse ! And now, since the foolish deed is 
 done, the sooner"! get accustomed to being laughed at the 
 better. Laugh, laugh away." 
 
 But the giggle of the pei"petrator of this folly was to me
 
 A SHAVEN HORSE. 269 
 
 intolerable ; and yet it seemed as if it would never cease. It 
 savoured of malice, and not of stupidity ; it appeared to me 
 that Sadek designedly wished me to cut a ludicrous figure. 
 This I could not stand. I threw down the weapon I held in 
 my hand, and rushed out of the tent with the intention of 
 insisting upon his riding the shaven animal, when, lo ! to my 
 amazement, there stood my horse, and not a single hair 
 of his touched. 
 
 " Have you been making a fool of me. Said ?" I inquired 
 in a stern tone of voice. 
 
 " By no means," he rejoined, " I never take such liberties ; 
 but don't you see your horse is shaven ? " — pointing, at the 
 same time, to the saddle. 
 
 The poor fellow's impediment in his speech was the cause 
 of this blunder. The Arabic word Jchazcona means "to 
 girt," and khajama means " to shave ;" and since Said 
 always pronounced the z as j, he conveyed to my mind the 
 ridiculous information which I have just recorded. To the 
 people outside, who heard every word through our canvas 
 walls, this strange piece of misunderstanding was, very 
 naturally, a source of great merriment. 
 
 The scenery about here is very beautiful, partaking of a 
 highland character, and in the valleys and dales the Slaass 
 have rich crops of barley. Passing through one of the defiles 
 of Jebel Taiveel, we entered upon the vast plain Elhojwaareb, 
 through which our road to Cairwaan lay in a north-easterly 
 direction. This was one of the most uninteresting days' travel 
 we have had. The plain was not only barren, but it appeared 
 boundless, while the heat was excessive. We rushed through 
 it with as much speed as possible. 
 
 Long before we reached " the holy city " we were enter- 
 tained with a view of the lofty steeple of its celebrated 
 mosque ; but the burning rays of the sun, which momentarily 
 increased in intensity, prevented us from deriving the pleasure 
 from the sijj^ht which under other circumstances we should
 
 270 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 • 
 
 undoubtedly, have done. We pressed foi-ward, and yet it 
 seemed as if tlie distance would never diminish. Suddenly 
 the scene changed. It was no more the steeple alone that 
 we saw, but an entire city — its walls, domes, and minarets, 
 and the whole stood out from the midst of a vast sheet of 
 water. So complete was the delusion (for a delusion it was), 
 that though I had seen Cairwaan before, I could not divest 
 myself of the idea that this was a reality — that the city was 
 situated in the middle of an expansive lake. My companions 
 had, of course, no doubt on the subject. As we approached 
 nearer to the town the lake gradually diminished in size, and 
 it was not till we were within half a mile of the gate that the 
 reality became apparent. 
 
 After having been seven hours in the saddle, and having 
 partaken of no other refreshments than a cup of coffee and 
 a drink of milk, which was extorted (I will not say how) from 
 some Arabs on the road, we were rejoiced to enter this seat, 
 this hotbed, of Moslem fanaticism and bigotry. Without a 
 special order from the " prince of the faithful," no unbeliever 
 is admitted within its gates, and such an order we had. 
 
 The pious indignation of the faithful was unmistakeably 
 discernible on the sanctimonious visage of more than one as 
 we rode through the streets to the Dar Elhay, " the Bey's 
 house," It is only at lengthy intervals that a Nazarene intrudes 
 upon the uninterrupted tranquillity of the true believers 
 inhabiting this sacred place, but this does not make him 
 more welcome. Most, if not all, are of opinion that unbe- 
 lievers ought under no circumstances to be admitted into the 
 sacred town. 
 
 " But alas ! " say they, " the Nazarene has now the 
 dominion of this world, and the true religion is under a 
 cloud ; we bow the head, and submit to a superior power. 
 But the time is rapidly drawing nigh when the cloud, which 
 veils us for a time, will pass away, and then the superiority 
 of the faithful will again be felt, Nazarenes, Jews, and
 
 A MOSLEM GATE TO HEAVEInT. 271 
 
 Pagans shall again feel the force of the sublime truth that 
 our Lord Mohammed is the Apostle of Allah." 
 
 Mohammed is said to have taught that there are in this world 
 three gardens of Paradise, four cities of Paradise, and four 
 oratories of Paradise. " Mecca, Jerusalem, and Yathreb " * are 
 the gardens. " Aram-f of Columns, Mansora in India, Caesa- 
 rea on the coast of Syria, and Balka in Armenia " are the 
 four cities. " Cairwaan in West Africa, Babelabwaab in 
 Armenia, Abadan in Irak,| and Chorasan§ on the other 
 side of the river Gihon " are the four oratories, or gates to 
 heaven. 
 
 That Cairwaan had no existence at the time of Mohammed 
 is no objection whatever to the trvue believer, who imme- 
 diately answers that the prophet spoke prophetically, and 
 the fact of the present existence of Cairwaan amply proves this. 
 
 But this, " the holy city of Africa," as Cairwaan is called 
 throughout the Moslem world, owes its celebrity not to its 
 containing " an holy population," or because within its walls 
 there' have always been a number of eminent Dervishes ; nor 
 even because it contains the tombs of several of those who 
 knew the prophet personally, and who led the eastern 
 armies to subjugate the whole world to the standard of the 
 Arabian legislator, and to convert all mankind to the " true 
 religion " he propagated — no ; the celebrity of Cairwaan is 
 based upon a precious relic of inestimable value. It consists of 
 a portion of the prophet's own beard, which is buried in the 
 grave of Sidy Elaiuaih, or (as this personage is likewise called) 
 Sidy es Sachhi, "my lord the friend," for he was an intimate 
 friend of Mohammed himself. He was not the prophet's barber, 
 
 * Yati'ippa was the name of Mecca before Mohammed. 
 
 + Reported to be a magnificent place, tliough its situation is unknown. 
 The rest, except Caesarea, are as little known. Mansora means the victorious, 
 and Balka the varied in colour. 
 
 + Whether Persian or Babylonian Irak is not stated. 
 
 § An extensive and fine country, tlie ancient Bactriana, lying to the north 
 of the river Oxus, or Gihon.
 
 272 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 as some have asserted, but his bosom companion. When 
 Elawaib left Mecca on the important mission to enhghten the 
 world with the light of the Coran, and to enforce its precepts 
 with the edge of the sword — or, in other words, to Moham- 
 medanise in the true orthodox style — he requested, and 
 obtained, the precious memento which he carried with him 
 in all his physical and moral conflicts ; and on his death-bed 
 he ordered it to be placed with him in the same grave ! This 
 relic, so well authenticated, constitutes the sanctity which 
 Moslems attach to Cairwaan. 
 
 The governor of the town having gone to meet the camp, 
 we were received at the Dar Elbay by his locmn tenens, who 
 was extremely affable, and did his utmost to make us com- 
 fortable. We were glad to find ourselves in an excellent 
 house, of which we were told we were masters to dispose as 
 we pleased. 
 
 " And as to provisions, or anything else you may require," 
 said the haleefa, " you have only to let me know, and if it can 
 be obtained, your request will not be made in vain." 
 
 Such an offer of hospitality fully merited the thanks we 
 gave him in return, and, let me add, those thanks were well 
 bestowed, for his acts were quite in conformity with his words. 
 
 The house was hot, for it had-been shut up, and was only 
 opened for our accommodation, but its heat was nothing com- 
 pared to that we had encountered in the plain of Sidy Ali 
 Ben Saalewi^ My thermometer, in a leather case, was kept 
 at the bottom of a trunk, and this was carefully covered over 
 with straw-matting. Immediately on our arrival I examined 
 it, and found it to indicate, at one P.M., 99° Fahrenheit ! This 
 gives some idea of the fire through which we passed this day. 
 
 Having recruited ourselves we resolved to view the town, 
 and actually commenced leaving the house for the purpose, 
 when several sheikhs entreated us not to venture upon so 
 rash an enterprise, and begged us to wait for the haleefa. 
 This gentleman soon after made his appearance, and having
 
 DESCRIPTION OF CAIRWAAN. 273 
 
 mustered what was considered a sufficient force of the prin- 
 cipal citizens to inspire the fanatical populace with respect, 
 we were conducted through the town. Our protectors kept 
 close to our sides, while in front were several police to clear 
 the way, and a few yards in the rear of us were others to 
 keep the crowd back. The faithful seemed to view us with 
 a gi-eat degree of curiosity, but that they did not look upon 
 us with pleasure was certain. The women, whose costume 
 here is not unlike the masked dominos one sees in Italy, 
 during carnival, fled from us en masse. Had they stood, and 
 gazed at us as the men did, we might, at least, have seen 
 their eyes — the only part, indeed, not enveloped in their 
 black robe — but such a favour they would not confer on 
 mere " infidel dogs!' 
 
 The city of Cairwaan — considering it is a Moslem city — is 
 clean, and its inhabitants, judging from their appearance 
 look less wretched than most of the subjects of "the prince 
 of the faithful " which have recently come under our notice. 
 The city itself, built in the form of a square, is not more 
 than a mile and a half in circumference, but the suburbs 
 would probably increase its size by another half a mile. The 
 walls are in better preservation than those of Tunis, and 
 most of the houses, built of brick, are in a tolerably good 
 condition. But all architectural skill has apparently been 
 lavished on the mosques, and whatever defects may be dis- 
 covered in these, I have no hesitation in saying that the 
 general effect, particularly when viewed from a distance, is 
 excellent. Those graceful, magnificent, and admirably pro- 
 portioned fluted domes, surpassing the purest alabaster in 
 whiteness, are the work of a man who was no tyro in his 
 profession. The spire of the great mosque deserves also to 
 be noticed ; but what attracted my attention most was the 
 little Jama Bosashebaan. I much regretted that I was not 
 permitted to examine that little edifice more minutely. 
 From hasty observations I am inclined to believe that it is
 
 274 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 built of ancient Roman materials, and its name (which may 
 be translated "the mosque of the owner of the ruined 
 gates") justifies my conjecture that it may have been built 
 of the ruins of a triumphal arch. 
 
 I was not satisfied with so superficial an inspection of a 
 town of such renown, and, considering this was my second 
 visit to Cairwaan, I was determined this time to see more of 
 it, and, moreover, to obtain a sketch of it too. The haleefa 
 would not even listen to my proposal to have another stroll 
 through the town, and from the windows of the jpalcice which 
 we inhabited we could only see blank walls. But the house 
 was lofty, and I had no doubt but that the terrace com- 
 manded a complete view of the town. The objections to our 
 being permitted to ascend to the teri'ace were, however, gi-eat. 
 
 " You can from the top of this house look into those of 
 other people," said the lieutenant-governor, " where, even 
 without yom- wishing it, you might see the women, and you 
 know that according to our religion this is prohibited." 
 
 "But," I rejoined, "did you not observe, how the women 
 that met us in the streets fled from us ? and, sm-ely, they are 
 not likely to manifest a greater partiahty for us when they 
 see us on the housetop." 
 
 " True, true," he answered, " but what will the people say 
 when they see Nazarenes on the terrace of the highest house 
 in the zoiviat Afrekeah, the sanctuary of Africa ? " 
 
 I answered this objection as well as I could, when the 
 haleefa urged another still. The teiTace door was locked, 
 and no one could tell what had become of the key. I offered 
 to force the door, and have the lock repau'ed at my own 
 expense : and, before he had time to say another word, I ran 
 up the flight of steps which led to the terrace to commence 
 operations, when, to my surprise and delight, and to his 
 dismay and chagiin, I found that the door was not at all 
 locked, but only bolted ! 
 
 In a few minutes after, the three Nazarenes were on the

 
 DESCRIPTION OF CAIRWAAN. 275 
 
 housetop of the Dar Elbay, and, to the amazement of the 
 Moslem sheikhs, who accompanied us, the appearance of the 
 holy city was perceptibly transferred to paper ! 
 • " Ya rasool Allah! Apostle of Allah !" exclaimed one 
 of the sheikhs to his companions, " behold, here is actually 
 the summa, the steeple of the great mosque ! And here is 
 Sidy Ahaacla with its five domes ! Rabbi yostor ! may the 
 Lord protect us ! " 
 
 From the terrace the principal objects of attraction have 
 the following bearings : — The great mosque is to the N.E., 
 and the tomb of Mohammed's beard, outside the Tunis 
 gate, W.N.W. ; Sidy Abaada, the mosque with its graceful 
 five domes, is to the W.S.W. and the Jama Bosasbebaan, 
 built of ancient materials, is to the S.E. by S. Being low, 
 this beautiful little edifice is partly hid from view by the 
 clumsy minaret of another insignificant mosque. Most of 
 these mosques have either round their minarets, over the 
 principal entrance, or in some other prominent part, the 
 formula of the Moslem faith in large Cufic letters, in very 
 bold relief. 
 
 To the S.E. of Cairwaan there is a vast salt lake called 
 Sidy Elhaani, and to the N.E. is the lake Kelbeah, from 
 which the Cairwaanians obtain, all the year round, a plentiful 
 supply of large teethless fish. This fish is called Batoma 
 and Boori, but it is not much appreciated. 
 
 In the distance, among the other prominent heights (such 
 as Zoghwaan to the N.N.E., Jebel Esserj to the N.W., and 
 others) we have to the W.N.W. the range of the Jebel 
 Waslaat, the Mons Usalitanus of antiquity, famous foimerly, 
 as it now is, for its warlike population. 
 
 Cairwaan is supposed to occupy the site of the Vicus 
 Augusti of the Itinerary, and this supposition, I think, is 
 strongly confirmed by the existence of quantities of ancient 
 materials, of which some of the large edifices are constructed. 
 The great mosque, which stands on a vast space, contains 
 
 T 2
 
 276 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 numerous columns, and other architectural portions, which 
 once gi'aced Roman temples or other public structures. On 
 a former visit to this town, a Roman renegado procured for 
 me two inscriptions, which he copied from two separai^ 
 columns within the large mosque. They will both be found 
 in the Appendix, and respectively marked Nos. 48 and 49. 
 
 It is very unfortunate that No. 48 is so mutilated, for 
 I am strongly inclined to believe that it contained the 
 name of the town, the termination'of which I see in the 
 letters tae. 
 
 Shaw says that this mosque " is supported by an incredible 
 number of granite pillars," and that the inhabitants of Cair- 
 waan told him " that there were no fewer than five hundred. 
 Yet," he adds, "among the great variety of columns, and 
 other ancient materials, that were employed in this large and 
 beautiful structure, I could not be informed of one single 
 inscription."* I doubt very much whether the learned 
 doctor ever saw this city, unless he did so in a Moslem garb 
 and as one of the faithful, for in his time a Christian ven- 
 turing into Cairwaan would have been torn to pieces. 
 Colonel Sir Grenville Temple adopted the Moorish costume, 
 and visited this city just a century after Shaw left Algiers, 
 where he was British chaplain. Though the colonel was 
 provided with an express letter from the Bey to the governor, 
 he had to wait a quarter of a mile from the town, whence*he 
 sent the letter, and, as he says, he was uncertain " whether 
 we should be admitted or be obliged to continue our route." 
 His messenger returned and brought him the pennission. He 
 then informs us : " Our promenades through the town were 
 managed with the greatest mystery, and the kaeed [caid, or 
 governor] at first refused positively to allow us to walk out, 
 except after the Moghrab, or sunset, when all persons would 
 be busily employed with their dinners. As, however, I did 
 
 * Travels, vol. i. p. 218.
 
 " UNBELIEVEKS " IN "THE HOLY CITY." 277 
 
 not perceive that much pleasure could accnie from a walk in 
 the dark, I told him I should not go out at all ; when, after 
 making some fmlher difficulties, he appointed one of his 
 officers to attend us, making us promise that we should not 
 stare about too much, take notes or drawings, or speak any- 
 European langTiage."* 
 
 Such was the difficulty in visiting Caufwaan in 1833, when 
 the Barbary states had received severe humiliations from 
 Christian powers ; what- then must it have been in 1734, in 
 the days of Christian slavery — when intolerance, fanaticism, 
 and bigotry reigned triumphantly, and when these pernicious 
 elements were specially dominant in this hot-bed of super- 
 stition ? Not only did Shaw not visit Cairwaan, but he seems 
 even to have been ignorant of the peculiar sanctity Moslems 
 attach to this town, and of the prohibition which precluded, 
 and still precludes. Christians and Jews from entering its 
 gates. 
 
 The information contained in Shaw's work relative to this 
 city he might have collected at Algiers, or at Oxford, with 
 the same result : indeed, I have no doubt on my own mind 
 that he did gather most of the materials for his ''Travels 
 and Observations " in those places. 
 
 But with reference to the famous columns of the large 
 mosque (which, with the exception of its steeple, possesses 
 no architectural beauty), I am able to say that on my pre- 
 vious visit to Cairwaan I happened to be led past this 
 edifice when one of its principal entrances was wide open. 
 As we walked very slowly I had an opportunity of peeping 
 in, and I must say those columns certainly did not impress 
 me either with their magnitude, their elegance, or their 
 magTiificence. The existence, however, of these ancient 
 remains, as well as the materials of the mosque Bosasheaan 
 and the fragments met with in different dweUings, tend to 
 
 * Excursions, &c., vol. ii. p. 96.
 
 278 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 prove that Cairwaan occupies the site of a former city, and 
 its position appears to agree with Vicvs Augusti. 
 
 The history of Cairwaan is the history of the brilliant 
 exploits of the Moslem missionary generals in Africa. As 
 early as A.D. 647, Africa was invaded by Abdallah, who made 
 himself master of Pentapolis and Tripoli, but for want of 
 proper organisation, and owing to the prevalence of a temfic 
 epidemic in his army, he was compelled to abandon his 
 conquests and retire to Egypt. In 660 the veteran Okba, 
 with a large force of infantry and 10,000 chosen Syi'ian 
 cavalry, not only re-conquered the lost ground, but marched 
 his victorious troops to the remotest parts of the present 
 empire of Morocco. When his progress was checked by the 
 Atlantic ocean, this enthusiast is said to have spurred his 
 horse into the waves, and, looking up to heaven, exclaimed, 
 " O omnipotent Allah ! if this obstacle, the sea, did not 
 impede me, I should have gone in search of other nations 
 and compelled them all to adore thee, and to confess that 
 Mohammed is thy prophet and thy apostle." 
 
 But before Okba marched so far west he built the city of 
 Cairwaan, for no other purpose, as Leo Africanus informs us, 
 " than that the Arabian armies might securely rest therein, 
 with all such spoils as they won from the Barbarians." * 
 Afterwards, however, this city became the capital of Africa, 
 and the Moslem statesmen, assembled in this capital, planned, 
 and executed, those mighty achievements which terminated 
 in founding the splendid Moorish kingdom of Spain. The 
 aggressive policy of these statesmen of Cairwaan planted also 
 the standard of the Aglabite dynasty in Sardinia, Corsica, 
 Sicily, and even in Borne ! And when we bear in mind that 
 the empire, of which this city was the capital, comprised the 
 whole of that vast stretch of country now subdivided into 
 Egypt, the Bashalic of Benghazi, that of Tripoli, the kingdom 
 
 * Leo, p. 251.
 
 "OUR QUARTERS." 279 
 
 of Tunis, Algeria, and the empire of Morocco, I think we 
 shall entertain no mean opinion of Cairi\^aan. But her power 
 and her glory have faded away ; her intolerance, her fana- 
 ticism and her bigotry are her only inheritance, and these 
 she retains with an astonishing tenacity. 
 
 This city, as I have already intimated, is situated in the 
 middle of a large plain. The gi-ound in the vicinity is 
 strongly impregnated with saltpetre, which is collected and 
 turned to an advantageous account. Potash is another article 
 of industry of the Cairwanians. The yellow leather slippers 
 made here are as famous throughout the East as the red 
 skull-caps made at Tunis. The only other article of native 
 industry consists in the manufacture of copper utensils, 
 which, though rudely executed, are highly esteemed, and 
 have a large and ready sale in the country. The land for 
 miles round Cairwaan is very fertile, and yields rich crops, 
 even when the harvest proves a complete failure everywhere 
 else. 
 
 At Cairwaan, the reader ought to know, we inhabited the 
 palace (for so the mansion assigned to us is designated), and 
 yet (it will scarcely be believed) I abandoned my share of 
 it to my fellow-travellers, and betook myself to my primitive 
 abode — my tent. I preferred my humble mattress beneath a 
 canvas roof to the silken couches within a painted room, 
 ornamented with rich arabesques, and otherwise embellished. 
 But let no false construction be put upon my conduct, 
 nor let it be supposed that owing to my long intercourse 
 with barbarians, I became a barbarian myself, Hke the man 
 who spent so much time among " tumblers that he became 
 a tumbler himself," and that upon the principle that " e\il 
 communications corrupt good manners." No such thing. But 
 neither do I wish to convey the idea that I am so prudish as 
 to despise a luxurious oriental divan, nor have I any special 
 dislike to a sumptuous apartment, nor was I even yet so 
 tired of the perpetual company of my fellow-travellers as to
 
 280 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 sliun their society. Nothing of the kind. The motive by 
 which I was influenced is simply this : I detest and I hate 
 (and I avow it without any disguise) monstrous and greedy 
 fleas, and starved and ravenous bugs, whether they are quar- 
 tered in chambers embelHshed with arabesques and furnished 
 with silks and satins, or whether they are ensconced in the 
 humble bait eshaar, "the house of hair," of the Bedouin Arabs. 
 Legions, hosts of these merciless, and blood-thirsty, insects 
 were swarming the place, and from them, and them alone, did 
 I escape. My companions smiled, our attendants grinned, 
 and the Ai*abs laughed, but in spite of all this I persevered 
 in pitching my tent in the open quadrangle, the marble pave- 
 ment of which I had first carefully swept. The consequence 
 was that I had a comfortable night's rest, while those who 
 smiled rechned indeed on rich divans, but they could not 
 sleep ! 
 
 On the morning of the day that we started from Cairwaan, 
 Hamoda Bey's camp arrived and pitched at the spot called 
 Dar Eleniaan, " the house of fidelity," about a mile to the 
 north of the town. We were glad of this, for fresh dis- 
 coveries of the infamous conduct of our two " protectors " 
 compelled us to resolve upon dismissing them. We informed 
 the Lieutenant-Governor of our decision, and desired him, 
 as he was going to the camp, to ask the Bey for another 
 escort. But before this reached us we started, accompanied 
 by the sheikh of the place, where we intended to encamp 
 for the night. The temperature * had undergone an agi'ee- 
 able change, which made travelling again more pleasant. 
 
 * For the variations of temperature, &c., during tlie month of May, see 
 Appendix,
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SOLITARY, YET IJOT ALONE. 
 
 An Arab's Domestic Economy — Our new Escort — A rude Arab Dame — Tlie 
 impotence of Nazarenes — First view of the Eljem Coliseum — The 
 destroyers intimidated — The Coliseum — 'Hie modem Tisdrians — A terri- 
 ble Xight Journey — Arrival at Sarsura — A mai-vellous Digestion — 
 Approach a Maritime City. 
 
 Our guide, under whose protection Haj Amor, the haleefa 
 of Cairwaan, placed us, was a person named Soleimaan, one 
 of the sheikhs of the Slaas tribe. He was mounted on a 
 magnificent young mare, of which he was justly very proud, 
 and was attended by one of the countrj'' police. Our course 
 lay nearly due south. The peculiar feature of the country 
 for the first few miles was its extreme flatness ; and wherever 
 it did not bear a rich crop of barley, its surface was thickly 
 incrustated with saltpetre. We then ascended higher 
 ground ; and before we reached the sheikh's encampment, 
 which was only about ten miles distant from " the holy city," 
 we passed some ruins, but it was too dark to enable us to 
 ascertain their nature. Our tents were pitched by lamp- 
 light, and in such a manner as to face those of the sheikh, 
 which were arranged in a line. 
 
 Sheikh Soleimaan manifested (in words at least) a gi'eat 
 desire to entertain us hospitably; but we dissuaded him 
 from incumng any, unnecessary expense, as the haleefa of 
 Caii'waan had replenished our stores with a supply calculated 
 to last us two, or three, days. But the sheikh was resolved 
 to act the part of host, and brought us some fresh milk,
 
 282 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 excellent butter, and fresh bread — contributions which were 
 very acceptable, and were accordingly thankfully received. 
 
 Sheikh Soleimaan is considered to be a wealthy man. He 
 possesses (speaking conformably to the usage of the countiy) 
 many camels, plenty of cattle, several fine horses, ten chil- 
 dren,* and four wives. The last he denominated '' four 
 cows ; " but I certainly could discover no affinity between 
 those animals and the Arab dames who share the affections 
 of "lord Soleimaan." I saw them. Two were young and 
 good-looking ; one was in her prime, and could boast of 
 enough obesity to constitute her a belle, according to the 
 taste of the country ; the fourth had only just passed the 
 meridian of life, and she even was far from being ugly. If 
 the sheikh, however, meant to compare his fair partners to 
 cows on account of their great utility, then he was certainly 
 right. These women toiled hard, and did all the work and 
 the drudgery for this enormous family. Motives of domestic 
 economy, I believe, are often a primary consideration with 
 Arabs when they take advantage of polygamy, authorised by 
 the prophet of Mecca. All the cooking, for instance, is done 
 by the women. What would a rich Arab like Soleimaan do, 
 employing as he does some twenty farm labourers, if he had 
 not his four wives to attend to the kitchen ? He can obtain 
 no female servants, for the meanest, and the poorest, Arab 
 would not permit his daughter to enter the service of another. 
 Another wife is therefore taken, where in other countries a 
 man would only secure another female domestic ; and an 
 Arab wife is, in the strictest sense of the word, nothing but 
 a female domestic. 
 
 The sheikh, four of his sons, and three other Arabs, spent 
 some time with us in our tent. These visits were not always 
 very acceptable ; but we had to submit to this kind of ordeal, 
 since it was in conformity with the etiquette of the country. 
 
 * Ten boys, for, as a jiiatter of cour.se, giiis are not counted.
 
 OUR NEW ESCORT. 283 
 
 A guest is welcome in proportion to the time his host spends 
 in his company ; to have left us therefore to ourselves, would 
 have shown that we were unacceptable guests. But our 
 visitors on this particular occasion were at least decent and 
 clean. Indeed the Slaas (their reputed iJecidiar failing, of 
 course, excepted) are decidedly the finest men, and the most 
 cleanly, we have met with among all the Arab tribes. 
 According to Soleimaan, the Slaas can bring twenty thousand 
 horsemen into field I The tribe is as numerous as that of the 
 Farasheesh, and is divided into four sections, each of which 
 has its distinct governor. 
 
 At eleven o'clock at night, and shortly after our visitors 
 had taken leave of us, our new escort arrived. They brought 
 us a letter from Hamoda Bey, in which his highness expressed 
 his regret at the conduct of the harahas whom we were 
 compelled to dismiss, assuring us, at the same time, that the 
 two he sent us were men in whom he had great confidence, 
 and he hoped that we should be satisfied with them. We 
 hoped so too. 
 
 By seven in the morning we were ready to resume our 
 journey. The sky was overcast, but there was nothing about 
 it to indicate immediate rain. Leaving, therefore, Elhaajeh 
 Elayoon (the name of Soleimaan's estate), we descended 
 from the high ground and entered the plain, which is a 
 continuation of the one in which Cairwaan is situated. In 
 winding our way down into the level country, we observed 
 the ruins we passed the evening before, consisting of 
 foundations and portions of walls. 
 
 We were now able to scrutinise our new hambas, and were 
 pleased with their appearance. One was a fine tall old man, 
 with a flowing grey beard, a ruddy complexion, and a very 
 amiable expression of countenance. He seemed a man who 
 had seen better days, and he certainly was superior to the 
 class to which he belonged. The other was much younger. 
 He was above six feet in height, had a martial bearing, and
 
 284 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 the cut of an honest man. They were both well dressed and 
 well mounted. But the old man outstripped the other in 
 agihty. Scarcely were we a mile from Soleimaan's tents, 
 than both aimed at a wild pigeon. Both fired, but the old 
 man shot it. Both attempted to secure the bird, but before 
 the young man had cleared his saddle, the veteran had 
 already ran many paces in search, of his object. 
 
 We commenced our day's journey by losing our way, 
 having left the salt lake too much to our left, and kept too 
 close to the hills on our right. Indeed, had not our progress 
 been checked by swamps and ditches, which we were unable 
 to cross, we might have continued further still in our wrong 
 course. Some women engaged in washing wool directed us 
 into the right road, which we found after making a detour 
 of about four miles. 
 
 We were, however, partly rewarded for our extra ride, for, 
 by having come this way, we saw the famed Cassar Elayoon, 
 "the palace of the springs," a name by which the Arabs 
 designate a cluster of ruins, whose magnitude and beauty 
 have been greatly exaggerated. They consist only of the 
 walls of what has been a two-storied mausoleum, a portion of 
 the remains of another edifice (the dilapidation of which is 
 too great to enable one to ascertain its nature), and of some 
 foundations of smaller buildings. These ruins are situated 
 near the foot of the heights, and close to some springs whose 
 waters create those very swamps which impeded our pro- 
 gress. Either these ruins, or those on Sheikh Soleimaan's 
 estate, may be the Terentum which some believe was situated 
 in this neighbourhood. 
 
 The district through which we now travelled is claimed by 
 the Sewaasa tribe, whose immense droves of camels are 
 found grazing in different parts of this extensive plain. We 
 also passed a number of their encampments, the occupants 
 of which appeared highly pleased when they found that all 
 we wanted from them was information respecting the road.
 
 A EUDE ARAB DAME. 285 
 
 with whicli they gladly supplied us. Whether they inten- 
 tionally misled us, or whether they misdirected us through 
 ignorance, I am unable to say ; but we wandered about for 
 some time in search of the zamala (the Sufetida, or seat of 
 judgment) of the Sewaasa, to obtain a breakfast from the 
 congi-egated sheikhs, until hunger and fatigue compelled us 
 to abandon our intention. After six hours' ride, during 
 which we were not only scorched by a burning sun, but 
 pinched by an acute hunger, we halted on a sandy spot in 
 the plain, where we pitched a tent near some "goat hair 
 houses." Here our men regaled themselves on a sumptuous 
 coscoso, our horses upon straw, and ourselves upon bread and 
 sour milk. But a sound siesta, in spite of the preventive 
 efforts of swarms of flies, refreshed us sufficiently to resume 
 our journey by five p.m. Even at that hour our thennometer 
 indicated 90° Fahrenheit in our tent ! 
 
 As we could not reach Eljem that evening, we decided 
 upon seeking quarters at another zamala of the Sewaasa, 
 which, we were informed, was only about two hours distant. 
 With that view we sent our younger hamba to announce 
 us, and we followed at a leisure pace. Towards sunset we 
 reached a number of tents pitched near some deep pits, duo- 
 for the purpose of collecting the rain-water, and here we 
 were advised to let our horses drink. The old hamba 
 galloped up, and politely asked the inmates for the loan of a 
 bucket, which was not only refused, but the women, and one 
 dame in particular, drove him off, pelting him with stones. 
 
 " Are yoa intimidated by women ? " asked Said, laughing. 
 " Why did you not let them feel your superior strength ? " 
 
 " Naal-bo-eshaitaan ! cursed be Satan's father ! " the 
 veteran rejoined ; " do you think I would disgrace myself by 
 touching a woman ? Let Allah chastise them for their rude- 
 ness and want of courtesy to travellers. But their husbands 
 shall suffer for not training them better. By the head of 
 the prophet ! by all the beards of his associates ! I shall lodge
 
 286 RUIKED CITIES. 
 
 a complaint against them this very night. The husbands 
 whose wives can pursue so disgraceful a course of conduct, 
 shall touch the ground with their beards." * 
 
 Other women, who just then happened to come for water, 
 from a different encampment, helped us, not only by lend- 
 ing us their bucket, but by actually drawing water for us. 
 Their task was, however, soon completed, for the horses 
 would not drink. 
 
 " Truly wonderful ! " exclaimed one of the girls ; '' these 
 horses refuse what Moslems are thankful for. We use this 
 water for cooking, and we drink it, and yet these horses turn 
 from it with disgust. Truly this is wonderful ! " 
 
 We wondered, too ; but we did so in astonishment that 
 any human being (unless compelled to it by extreme neces- 
 sity) should drink such impure, such nauseous mud — for such 
 it was, and not water. 
 
 The governor of the Sewaasa tribe having been informed 
 of our intended visit, had the consideration to send a horse- 
 man to meet us, in order to conduct us to the zaiiiala, his 
 seat of residence. It was fortunate that he ofed so, for we 
 should most assuredly not have found it. 
 
 It was perfectly dark when we entered the encampment 
 occupied by the governor and his sixteen sheikhs. On our 
 anival, the chief, with some eight or ten subalterns, came 
 out to welcome us ; and when we dismounted, they poKtely 
 invited us into the official tent — the town-haU. Here we 
 were served with coffee, and exchanged a few current com- 
 pliments, during which his excellency continued attaching 
 his seal to a number of documents, more of which were beinof 
 prepared by six cross-legged secretaries, who were writing 
 with the utmost diligence. The governor begged us to 
 excuse him for persevering with his task, and assigned as a 
 reason the importance of those tiskaras, and the necessity of 
 their being issued on the following morning. 
 
 * "Wlien prostrated for the infliction of the bastinado.
 
 THE IMPOTENCE OF NAZARENES. 287 
 
 Wh^n our oavh tent was pitched we retired to it. Later in 
 the evening " his excellency," accompanied by two under 
 " excellencies," honoured us with their presence ; and, con- 
 sidering the urgency of their pending public affairs, I 
 may say they did the polite to the utmost extent, for 
 they remained with us nearly two hours ! Our gims were 
 much admired, and oiu: revolvers — the standing miracle 
 among the Arabs — were objects of unbounded astonishment. 
 The upshot of the whole was summed up in the Caid's 
 ejaculation : — 
 
 " By Allah ! these Nazarenes can do everything, and are 
 able to overcome all things : but they cannot conquer death !" 
 
 There is, therefore, after all, no great difference between 
 the ingenuity of the Moslems and the Nazarenes, since they 
 are alike impotent against the common foe and universal 
 leveller of all mankind ! Such is the Moslem's conclusion. 
 "It is true," he says, "you can make revolvers, you have 
 steam-engines, and you have telegraphs ; but you cannot 
 invent a machine that will vanquish grim and unsatiable 
 Death ! " 
 
 A heavy shower of rain which fell during the night cooled 
 the atmosphere, so that we had a pleasant ride over a very 
 lovely country, the hrst portion of which was well culti- 
 vated, and bore rich crops of wheat and barley. A Sewaasi 
 Arab, who rode with us, spoke in high terms of the agricul- 
 tural knowledge of his tribe, as well as of its warlike spirit, 
 and stated that it is able to muster one thousand choice horse ; 
 but I beheve that these assertions are greatly exaggerated. 
 At a short distance from the zamala we passed three cupolas, 
 beneath which repose the remains of saint Kassar and his 
 two sons, all alike famous for their reputed power of working 
 miracles and cm'ing all kinds of diseases. 
 
 "But can they conquer Death?" I asked my informant, 
 who had also listened to the governor's remark the previous 
 evemng.
 
 288 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 " No," he replied ; and then added this from the Moslem 
 funeral service : — 
 
 " Allah lioa elowl bela beclaaya ; 
 Howa elacliero bela nehaaya." * 
 
 " But all mankind," he continued, " are doomed to taste of 
 death." 
 
 Having passed the cultivated portions, the country becomes 
 hilly, and partakes occasionally of the picturesque. The 
 succession of hills terminate in high tab^e-land of consi- 
 derable extent, in the middle of which stands the justly 
 renowned amphitheatre of Eljem. We obtained the first 
 glimpse of it from one of the hills, from whence it seemed as 
 if this sublime structure had been the only object within this 
 vast area ; and the nearer we approached it, the more still 
 were we impressed with its solitary position. But when we 
 came closer, we found that while it was indeed solitary, yet 
 was it not alone, for within a few paces of it are the dwellings 
 of some four, or five, hundred inhabitants, who have their 
 gardens and olive plantations close by. But the houses, the 
 gardens, and the plantations sink into such utter insigni- 
 ficance beside this stupendous pile — this majestic monument 
 of ancient art — that they attract as little notice as a paltry 
 fishing-boat would beside a noble and stately line-of-battle 
 ship. 
 
 Only two hours in the saddle was not calculated to fatigue 
 us after the long rides to which we were accustomed. We 
 therefore hastened to inspect the African Coliseum with 
 more minuteness. We were, of course, prepared to see the 
 destructive effects of time upon this edifice, considering the 
 lapse of centuries during which it is exposed to its decaying 
 influence ; but it was truly heartrending to find that the 
 wilful, and intentional, havoc, caused by malice and ignorance, 
 
 * Allah is the first without beginning ; 
 He is the last without ending.
 
 ITS DEVASTATORS INTIMIDATED. 289 
 
 actually surpassed the ravages of ages. During certain civil 
 turmoils, somewhat more than a century ago, this amphi- 
 theatre served as a fortification to one of the contending 
 parties ; and to prevent its being used for a similar purpose 
 in future, a certain Mohammed Bey pulled down the western 
 principal entrance, and also the portion of the super- 
 structure belonging to it. Since then a gradual demolition 
 has continued, to which, however, I flatter myself I have 
 given an effectual check. 
 
 " What motive''have you for destroying this building ? " I 
 asked a number of citizens by whom we were surrounded ; 
 " surely not to construct your miserable hovels ?" 
 
 " No," they replied ; " but we use the stones for the graves 
 of the dead." 
 
 " But are you so ignorant," I observed, " as not to know 
 that the very step you take to secure the resting-places of 
 the dead will onjy lead to theii' being disturbed, to a cer- 
 tainty, hereafter ? " 
 
 "How so ?" asked a number of voices : "who will distm-b 
 the graves of true believers ? " 
 
 " The Nazarenes will," I answered. " You yourselves say 
 that this country is shortly to fall into their hands ; and do 
 you think, when they are masters of it, they will not restore 
 this edifice ? They will, and I shall not fail to make it known 
 where the missing stones are to be found." 
 
 " May my hand wither if I ever touch again a stone of 
 this building!" exclaimed one; and his resolution was 
 re-echoed by the rest. " By the head of the prophet ! we 
 must not erpose the remains of true believers to such igno- 
 minious treatment." 
 
 " He spared not his own progenitors," obsei'ved our old 
 hamba, " and therefore is not likely to spare Moslems. Have 
 I not seen him, with my own eyes, dig up the gi-aves of the 
 Nazarenes at Moalkah [Carthage]? He did it without 
 any remorse, or compunctions, of • conscience. If, then, his 
 
 V
 
 290 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 own ancestors met with such treatment at his hands, what 
 will not he, or other Nazarenes, do when the time comes to 
 repair this wonderful building ? 0, Moslems ! I would not 
 be buried here if you made me possessor of the kingdom of 
 Tunis. Desist, then, from this demolition, and be satisfied 
 to deposit the body in the earth, which is the mother of 
 us all." 
 
 I believe they will now desist, not only on account of 
 superstitious fear, but because they will be prevented, by a 
 special order, from the reigning prince, to whom, on our 
 return to Tunis, we represented the barbarism of this prac- 
 tice, and who positively promised to issue immediate instruc- 
 tions to stop all further demolition of this magnificent reHc 
 of African antiquities. 
 
 But in spite of the ruthless usage to which this edifice has 
 been exposed, its present remains, its exquisite beauty, and 
 its size, entitle it to rank only second to the Roman Coliseum. 
 With the exception of the ranges of seats, which have 
 suffered much, the pilastrade which surmounted the three 
 tiers of arches and columns, of which but little remains, 
 and the portions intentionally destroyed — ^this building pre- 
 sents as perfect a specimen of its kind, and is as magnificent 
 and imposing a ruin, as any of the remains of antiquity with 
 which we are acquainted. 
 
 The western principal entrance excepted, the three tiers of 
 arches, their flanking columns with their composite capitals, 
 and the respective stylobatse : or, in other words, the whole 
 of the vast circular fa9ades, are, I may say, in a complete 
 state of preservation. In the exterior consists, of course, the 
 chief characteristic of the beauty of this kind of edifice ; and 
 it is in this that the African Coliseum excels all the others 
 of a similar kind. 
 
 In my notice of this remarkable structure in " Carthage 
 and her Remains," I followed Sir Grenville Temple's measure- 
 ments ; and though I generally found this traveller very
 
 THE COLISEUM. 291 
 
 accurate in his details, I discovered that in some unaccount- 
 able manner he made a gross blunder here. He gives as its 
 extreme length 429 feet, and as its extreme breadth 368 ; 
 whereas the extreme length is no less than 489 feet, 7 inches, 
 and its extreme breadth is 403 feet, 3 inches ; thus reducing 
 the actual magnitude of this amphitheatre one way by 
 60 feet, 7 inches, and the other way by 35 feet, 3 inches. 
 
 From my measurements — and I can vouch for their cor- 
 rectness, for I repeated them no less than four times to 
 convince the American Consul (who also assisted me) of the 
 fact — it will appear that there is only a difference of 16 feet, 
 5 inches in length, and of 1 foot, 9 inches in breadth, 
 between the African amphitheatre and that of Verona, which 
 is considered to rank next to the Coliseum of Rome. But 
 this rank ought certainly hencefoi'ward to belong to that of 
 Africa, particularly so when we bear in mind that while the 
 Verona edifice has its ranges of seats, it is, with the excep- 
 tion of four remaining arches, totally devoid of what consti- 
 tutes the attractive beauty and exquisite elegance of an 
 amphitheatre — its exterior — its facades. 
 
 There were originally two principal entrances to the 
 African amphitheatre, one to the east, and the other to the 
 west. The latter is destroyed, and near it, shghtly to the 
 south, on one of the key-stones of the lower range of arches, 
 is the bust of a female, and on another, near this, the head of 
 a lion. It is therefore very probable that it was intended 
 that all the arches should be decorated with some sculptured 
 ornaments ; but this intention was never executed, for on the 
 other key-stones we see nothing but their rough projecting 
 exteriors. 
 
 I have searched in vain for the inscription which this 
 edifice must have borne, but it may have been over the 
 entrance now destroyed, and, very probably, now covers the 
 remains of some true believer. In rambling, however, 
 through the inner galleries, I found, in numerous places, 
 
 u 2
 
 292 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 a variety of Arabic sentences cut in the stone. They are 
 such as these — Nasser min Allhi, "victory is from Allak ;" 
 wela ghaaleh illallah, " none conquers but .Allah ; " la Ela 
 iUallah, "there is no other deity but Allah," &c. Most of 
 these sentences had either near them, or over them, the 
 figure of a sword, or a dagger. The authors of these inscrip- 
 tions are readily recognised as those who originally planted 
 the standard of the crescent in this part of the world ; 
 and the particular emblem, combined with those inscriptions, 
 may serve as an historical record of the manner in which 
 the religion of Mohammed was propagated. " Confess," said 
 those militant preachers, " that there is no deity but Allah, 
 and that Mohammed is his apostle, or thou shalt feel the 
 deadly effects of this weapon." There was no alternative : 
 "Either Mohammed or the sword — the one or the other 
 must enter thy heart." Who could resist such acute, such 
 powerful, reasoning — such evidence of the divine mission 
 of the Ai-abian prophet ! Why then should we wonder at 
 the total extirpation of Christianity from North Africa ? 
 
 Outside, and towards the south-east, I observed a Cufic, 
 and also a Numidian inscription, which I intended copying, 
 but which I was forced to neglect, having been hurried away 
 from Eljem much sooner than I had anticipated. 
 
 Eljem is the ancient Tysdrus, Thysdrus* or Tisclra (the 
 dvabpvs of Ptolemy), and from the direction of our line of 
 inarch, it is the first town connected with Caesar's African 
 campaign. The inhabitants appear to have been opposed to 
 
 * The reader ynH be able to appreciate the diiSculties with wbicb a traveller 
 has to contend in liis efforts to identify ancient sites, from the fact that an 
 authority like Heeren makes Tysdrus to have been a maritime town, although, 
 in a straight line, it is more than twenty miles from the sea. He says that the 
 coast of Byzacium was covered ' ' with a succession of floui-ishing sea-ports, of 
 which Adrumetum, the Leptis fliinor, Tysdrus, and Tacape were the prin- 
 cipal." Historical Researches, c. i. p. 20. According to the best authorities, 
 Tisdrus was an inland town, "Intus sita Tisdrus, reductior a mari ; " and 
 according to the Itinerary, it is thirty-three miles from Leptis. From Hirtius, 
 too, it is evident that it was an inland town. 
 
 i
 
 THE MODERN TISDRIANS. 293 
 
 the Pompeian party, and sent early to request a garrison 
 from Ccesar. But the town seems soon after to have been 
 reinforced by the Republicans ; for when the conqueror of 
 Pharsaha appeared before Tisdra, he found it under the 
 command of Considius, with a strong garrison and a cohort of 
 gladiators. Want of com deterred Caesar, from besieging the 
 town. After the famous battle of Thapsus, C. Domitius was 
 sent to invest Tisdra ; but Considius, having previously heard 
 of the defeat of his party, collected his treasures, abandoned 
 the town privately, and fled into Numidia, accompanied by 
 a few Gsetulians, by whom he was murdered. The town 
 appears to have suffered much from a licentious and reckless 
 soldiery, thus left without any restfaint or control ; for when 
 Csesar, at the close of the war, fined the different cities for 
 having sided with the enemy, he made a distinction with 
 the Tisdiians, on account of their wretched state — proj^ter 
 humilitatem dvitatis* 
 
 The other remains of Tisdra are very insignificant, and 
 merit no special notice. 
 
 The best room of the modem cluster of hovels which con- 
 stitute the town of Eljem was assigned to us, and it partook 
 much of the character of a prison cell, measuring about 
 fifteen feet by six. The modern Tisdrians had to be coerced 
 into being civil, having before that shown their teeth at my 
 fellow traveller of "consular dignity." The sheikh was not 
 very anxious to enjoy our society longer than was absolutely 
 necessary. On these accounts, and on other accounts, we 
 had our baggage packed, our horses saddled, and at 5 p.m. 
 we were en route, for what place we really knew not, except 
 that we intended steering for the coast. The sullen citizens, 
 and the inhospitable sheikh, solemnly assured us that we 
 should fall in with an encampment of rich Arabs only four, or 
 five, miles from Eljem ; and relying uj)on this information 
 
 * Vide Hist. Bell. Afr. cap. 36, 70, 86, 07.
 
 294 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 (although we had so repeatedly been misled), we started at 
 the late hour mentioned. 
 
 Most reluctantly did I leave the noble amphitheatre so 
 soon. I lingered about these majestic ruins as long as I 
 couldj and when I looked back upon them for the last time, 
 from a distance, the brilliant red sky of a setting sun, seen 
 through the numerous arches, gave to this magnificent 
 structure the appearance of being illuminated. Its splen- 
 dour was considerably enhanced, and the impression this 
 noble pile — this glorious scene — left on my mind will never 
 be obliterated. 
 
 Descending from the table-land occupied, I may say, solely 
 by this colossal monument of ancient art and civilisation, the 
 country is diversified by hills and sweeping dales, bearing 
 occasionally rich olive plantations. Among the trees we 
 espied, here and there, a solitary tent ; but we looked in vain 
 for " the rich encampment." It was evident that the sheikh 
 and people of Eljem, anxious to rid themselves of us, had 
 wilfully deceived us. 
 
 With the setting of the sun the sky became rapidly over- 
 cast with dark and heavy clouds, whose ominous foreboding 
 did not keep us long in suspense. A drizzling rain com- 
 menced, by which we were urged to redouble our speed, and, 
 as the darkness increased, our anxiety to find an encamp- 
 ment became greater. But no tents were within sight. 
 The rain fell heavier, and it was now only by the flashes of 
 lightning that we were enabled to see our way. We 
 marched on in perfect silence until, to our infinite joy, we 
 caught the sound of the barking of dogs, an unmistakeable 
 sign of being near an Arab encampment. We diverged 
 from our road, and turning off towards the left, whence the 
 sound came, soon found ourselves in front of four tents. 
 
 Men, women, and children all came out, and from them 
 we leamt that we had lost our way. They were very civil, 
 declared that they were wretchedly poor, and entreated us
 
 A TEKRIBLE NIGHT JOURNEY. 295 
 
 not to saddle ourselves down upon them. But they showed 
 us the way to other tents where, they said, we should find 
 plenty of barley. 
 
 We took the advice of these people, and found a couple of 
 tents in the du-ection they indicated. But here two women 
 only made their appearance, and these protested that they 
 had not a single grain of barley. 
 
 " Besides," said they, "you would, surely, not intrude upon 
 two lonely women — women whose protectors are far away." 
 
 We had our suspicions that the men lay hid in the tents, 
 and that these were not unprotected females ; but the appeal 
 they made to our gallantry was irresistible. We left them 
 and returned to the first tents, where our aged haniha 
 exhausted his eloquence in vain endeavours to impress his 
 hearers with the necessity of adhering to the proverbial 
 hospitality of the Arabs, and not to allow themselves to 
 degenerate in the infamous manner in which some had 
 done. The Arabs only met his declamation by reiterating 
 their first excuse. Whether this was feigned or real, we 
 could not tell ; but as it was evident that the miserable plight 
 in which we found ourselves could not be remedied by our 
 hamha's stock of Moslem ethics, I tried what I could do. 
 
 " Is Kesar-saaf far from this ? " I inquired. 
 
 " A very short distance indeed," was the answer, and it 
 was confirmed by all the men, women, and even children. 
 
 " If you start from this at moghrab, sunset, at what time 
 would you reach Kesar-saaf?" I asked again. 
 
 " A little before dshd" about an hour after sunset. 
 
 " Then the distance is certainly not great ? " 
 
 " Not in the least : if you had not stopped here so long, 
 you would have been there already. Keep to the shark, 
 east, and you will be there in no time." 
 
 " We can never find the way by ourselves in this dreadful 
 night, and therefore we require one of you to accompany us." 
 
 When the party heard that one of them was to accompany
 
 296 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 US, the alleged distance was instantly greatly multiplied, 
 and a long discussion ensued between them and the old 
 hamha. 
 
 " Leave us not, O brethren ! " said the old man in soft and 
 silvery accents — " leave us not to wander about in a wilder- 
 ness, in intense darkness, and in such terrible weather. I 
 declare to you ten thousand times by the Emaan [the Moslem 
 Fait}i\ that these are men of high rank, and if aught befalls 
 them, our lives will have to atone for it. O Moslems ! be 
 advised by one who has experience, and be not guilty of folly 
 which may end in your, and in my, ruin," 
 
 In this strain he proceeded without producing the least 
 impression on his hearers, who silenced him with a host of 
 false excuses. 
 
 But the rain increased in force, and the lightning played 
 about us most terrifically, revealing, now and then, the 
 roguish countenances of the villains before us. Under such 
 circumstances, the chain of patience is apt to snap, and it 
 did snap. The wretches refused us shelter, they trifled with 
 us, they lied to us, they endeavoured to send us off, knowing 
 that it was utterly impossible for us to find our way. They 
 refused us even a guide, though we offered to remunerate 
 them. They were obstinately deaf to all our proposals. 
 
 " It is evident you are a set of heartless scoundrels," I 
 said at last, " and do not appreciate the lenient manner in 
 which we have hitherto acted towards you. Now I give you 
 your choice, — you either shelter us here, or one of you acts 
 as our guide, and that instantly ! " 
 
 I said this in a tone of voice which I knew would not 
 fail to carry the conviction that I was in earnest. I would 
 listen to no further prevarications, but taking a rope from 
 one of our people, I threw it round one of the Arabs and 
 hauled him off, calling upon our party to follow. The fellow 
 struggled and shouted, the women and children screamed 
 and shrieked. The men made a rush to his rescue, but the
 
 A TERRIBLE NIGHT JOURNEY. 297 
 
 mere pronouncing of the magic words " guns and pistols " 
 made them desist. 
 
 " Oh ! my lords," exclaimed one of them at last, " have but 
 a moment's patience, and, by the head of my religion ! I will 
 saddle my horse and accompany you. Only liberate this man." 
 
 This was all we wanted, and that it would finally come to it 
 I well knew. In a few minutes the guide was mounted, and 
 we resumed our journey. 
 
 I have witnessed many deluging rains — real African rains 
 — but in such a dense torrent I never found myself before. 
 We seemed to be riding through one mass of water, which 
 came down with such an incessant roar that we could not 
 even hear the sound of the horses' hoofs. This caused us an 
 additional inconvenience, for in such impenetrable darkness 
 it would have enabled us to follow the guide with some 
 degi'ee of certainty. But deprived of this, we had repeatedly 
 to halloo and shout to each other to know whether we were 
 in the right path. More than once had we to halt, and, 
 by dint of shouting, direct some one, less careful, back into 
 the track from which he had gone astray. I was astonished 
 then, and I have often wondered since, how the guide ever 
 managed to find his way. As for ourselves, had we been 
 blindfolded we could not have seen less than we did. During: 
 the beginning of the evening we were, at least, favoured by 
 lightning, but these flashes ceased when the rain set in in 
 good earnest, so that we were left to the mercy of our 
 conductor, on whose fidelity, considering the manner in 
 which we enlisted his services, we had not sufficient reason 
 fully to rely. 
 
 In this state of uncertainty, in this blindness, and in this 
 wretchedly saturated condition, stiff and benumbed with 
 cold, we rode on hour after hour, our horses occasionally 
 stumbling, one of the riders more than once on the point of 
 tumbling, while our heads were several times brought into 
 an uncomfortable proximity with branches of trees. On we
 
 298 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 pushed, and finally, to our united satisfaction and pleasure, 
 entered the town of Kesar-saaf. Here we were well received 
 at the Dar-elhay, "the bey's house," by the lieutenant- 
 governor of the place, whom we roused from his sweet 
 slumbers, for we reached our destiuation at the unseemly 
 hour of twenty minutes past midnight ! 
 
 At two A.M. a hot supper (hot in its double sense) was 
 served up, of which, however, scarcely any of us partook, 
 each giving the preference to sleep ; and by it we were so 
 much refreshed, that we felt no inconvenience whatever from 
 our dreary journey of the previous night. In the morning we 
 summoned our guide, in order to reward him for his trouble, 
 but the poor fellow had gone. He was evidently afraid that 
 we might lodge a complaint against him, and his friends, for 
 not having sheltered us. 
 
 Kesar-saaf is much larger than Eljem, and is situated in 
 a rich and fertile plain. In the walls of its houses are seen 
 materials which belonged to ancient buildings ; and fi-agments 
 of ruins, as well as old foundations, which are met with in 
 different parts of the place, prove that it occupies the site of a 
 former city. In the name Kesar-scoaf there is enough left to 
 recognise it as, and to identify it with, Sarsura* and such 
 a town existed in this neighbourhood. Caesar approached it 
 from Agar, about twenty miles north, and from it he marched 
 south-west towards Tisdra, by the same way that we tra- 
 velled over at night. The general took Sarsura by storm, in 
 the presence of the enemy,f (iTispectantihus adversariis), 
 Labienus, who had harassed his rear during the march, being 
 close by with his cavalry and light armed troops, but did not 
 venture to advance to its relief. P. Cornelius was in com- 
 mand of the town. He made a vigorous defence, but, being 
 
 * The Arabs often try to attach a signification to a proper name ; and to 
 do so in this instance, by changing Sarsura into its present name, they made 
 it to signify " the palace of piuity." 
 
 t Hirt. BeU. Air. c. 76.
 
 A MAKVELLOUS DIGESTION". 299 
 
 overpowered by Cassar's legions, he was slain, and the whole 
 garrison was then put to the sword. 
 
 We could not start from Kesar-saaf so early as we wished, 
 for our tents and wet baggage had first to be dried before 
 they could be packed. The morning was very propitious for 
 the purpose, for the sun shone brightly, and there was not a 
 vestige of the black clouds of the previous night. Our men 
 were all in good humour, and felt proud at having perfomied 
 "the terrible night march," as they called it, and of which 
 they bragged unceasingly to the crowd which had collected 
 before t"he house to view our various objects exposed to the 
 sun's rays. There were many things which seemed to these 
 primitive people great curiosities, about which they asked 
 many very simple questions. I gratified them at first by 
 explaining the uses for which they were intended ; but as 
 fresh batches continued to arrive, I became weary of the task 
 of repeating the same thing, and therefore withdrew into the 
 house. 
 
 I had only escaped a few minutes when Sadek made his 
 appearance, and as he was laughing I felt pretty sure he had 
 something of a disagreeable nature to communicate, for it 
 was only under such circumstances that he did laugh. 
 Generally speaking he looked very morose, except when 
 eating, and then his features brightened ; but no sooner 
 was the meal dispatched, than his long visage resumed its 
 natural, sour and sullen, aspect. 
 
 " "What evil has happened, Sadek 1 " I asked as he was 
 advancing. " Come, out with it at once ! " 
 
 " Inshallah, if it please Allah, it is no evil at all. A 
 man outside wants your assistance ; he has eaten his horse, 
 his saddle, his bridle, and his gun. He is now suffering very 
 much, and sends me to ask for your assistance." 
 
 A man eating his horse, saddle, bridle, and gun ! Talk 
 after this astounding feat of the digestion of an ostrich, or of 
 the immense strength of the gorilla's teeth !
 
 300 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 " It is impossible," I replied ; " the man is mocking you, 
 and you are silly enough to believe it." 
 
 " No sucli thing," he rejoined ; " for there are respectable 
 people outside who declare that it is quite true." 
 
 But the real meaning of Sadek's words flashed across 
 my mind, and the marvellous part at once vanished. The 
 feat of this Arab was only such as is daily performed by 
 hosts of people in large cities, when urged by necessity, as 
 money-lenders and pawnbrokers can readily testify. The 
 same achievement is also but too often accomplished, upon 
 a much larger scale, through folly, indiscretion, and reck- 
 lessness, as gambling-house keepers, and the proprietors of 
 the like haunts, can easily prove. 
 
 Having relieved the " sufferings " of the voracious Arab, 
 and our baggage being dry and packed, we took leave of our 
 host, and at the same time of the interior cities. Resuming 
 our saddles, we rode towards the nearest maritime town, 
 distant only a few miles from Kesar-saaf. 
 
 We had a delightful ride through a most lovely and fertile 
 plain. The first part of our road led through its beautiful 
 and fruitful olive groves, interspersed with some other trees, 
 which to us had no small charm, having sometimes tra- 
 velled for days consecutively without seeing a single tree. 
 Barren hills, rugged mountains, arid plains and sandy wastes, 
 devoid of refreshing foliage and verdure, we now exchanged 
 for green fields studded with luxuriant trees. Approaching 
 the line of hills which girt the shore, we left to our right 
 Sulecta (the SuUecti of the Byzantine period), with its 
 extensive ruined fort or citadel, and passing by fragments of 
 ancient masoniy, we came upon some quarries which bore 
 marks of having once been extensively worked. These 
 quarries have undoubtedly supplied the materials for the 
 buildings of the different cities which existed in this 
 vicinity on the sea border, and they, most hkely, also 
 contributed towards the construction of the stupendous
 
 APPROACH A MARITIME CITY. 301 
 
 amphitheatre of Tisdra. For the maritime places the 
 stones were easily embarked, the quarries being only a 
 short distance from the sea, while those destined for 
 the inland towns, such as Sarsura and Tisdra, were con- 
 veyed upon carts, or some machine upon wheels ; for we 
 have the distinct traces of a road, cut through the rock, in 
 which the ruts are deeply worn, and tending in the direction 
 of those very cities. 
 
 Near the quarries are the remains of a square edifice, 
 which, like the amphitheatre of Tisdra, received a subse- 
 quent Cufic inscrijDtion from the Moslem conquerors of Africa. 
 It is knoAvii by the name of Borj-Areef, " the fort of recog- 
 nition," and is only about two miles south of Mehedeah. 
 
 Approaching the margin of the Mediterranean, we rode 
 along the sandy beach, and passing several small modem 
 structures, with rather graceful porticos of two contiguous 
 arches, supported upon ancient columns, we reached the 
 dilapidated walls, and entered the gate of Mehedeah. Before 
 the town we observed a number of ancient grey and red 
 granite columns, which, unquestionably, once adorned either 
 a majestic temple or some other splendid structure. They 
 have since been rolled down to the beach, apparently for 
 embarkation, and from some cause, with which we are 
 unacquainted, abandoned. This alone would tend to prove 
 that much of African architectural wealth has found its way 
 to Europe, had we not the authority of accredited writers who 
 positively state the fact. 
 
 From the distant heights Mehedeah looks well indeed, but 
 that view does not correspond with its interior aspect. Dis- 
 tance alone lends to this, as it does to almost all Moslem 
 cities in Africa, — a kind of charm and attraction which, how- 
 ever, vanish upon closer inspection. But regarded as a 
 Moslem city, it is far from being contemptible. 
 

 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 CESAR'S LAST AFRICAN BATTLE-FIELD. 
 
 Mehedeah and tlie Impostor Mohdi — Meliedeah proved to be the ancient 
 Tliapsus — Tlie modern Town — An honest Merchant — The ancient Leptis 
 — A Man of no mean descent — A restless dead Saint — A weeping Column 
 — More ancient Towns— The speaking Leopard — A truly restless Night — 
 Accotmt of Monasteer — Arrival at Susa. 
 
 Of African Moslem towns, Mehedeali is one of the best. 
 Its streets have something of regularity and order about 
 them, and it possesses some moderately good houses, one of 
 which was assigned to us by the locum tenens of the governor. 
 It has a population of between six and seven thousand souls, 
 in which are included a number of Jews, and some ten, or 
 twelve, Christian famihes, mostly Maltese, who have their 
 chapel, and maintain a priest at their own expense. The 
 trade is not very prosperous, still some years good profits are 
 realised in grain, olive oil, and wool; and a little smuggling 
 of contraband articles (whether export, or import) always 
 proves very lucrative. This latter kind of industry is not 
 connected with much danger, since the government officials 
 themselves are, at all times, prepared to lend a helping 
 hand for a very moderate remuneration. But this is not 
 only the case here, for the same remark holds good of all the 
 maritime towns. 
 
 Mehedeah is built on a promontory, marked on charts as 
 Cape Africa. It projects a good way into the sea and forms 
 a kind of peninsula, the isthmus of whigh is scarcely half a 
 mile wide. It possesses natural advantages of being made a
 
 MEHEDEAH AND MOHDI. 303 
 
 strong place ; such it was during the middle ages, under the 
 Moslem sway, and such it must have been in more ancient 
 times. When the Aglahite dynasty was subverted by the 
 religious impostor Obeidallah, he assumed the name, and 
 the functions, of the Mohdi, or "Director," whose advent 
 the prophet is said to have predicted should take place at the 
 end of the third century of the hegira. When this suc- 
 cessful adventurer became master of Cairwaan, the African 
 capital, and sovereign of the northern coast of Africa, from 
 the Straits of Gibraltar to Egypt, he is said to have built 
 Mehedeah. In his monstrous guise, Obeidallah personified 
 the famous Ali — the first of the twelve Imaams — for it is 
 this personage to whom Mohammed's prophecy referred. 
 Having succeeded in making himself recognised as " the 
 director of the faith " by an immense portion of the Moslem 
 world, Obeidallah built a town and called it Mehedeah (or 
 Mohdiah), after his assumed name, and the town so named 
 stands as a monument commemorative of his base, his 
 infamous, deception and imposture. 
 
 But though historians do state that Mohdi built* Mehe- 
 deah, we ought to understand that he simply restored a 
 previously-existing ruined city. There are abundance of 
 remains, though none of any magnitude and importance, 
 which prove, beyond all doubt, that the modern town occupies 
 the site of a city of a very remote date. Cisterns, public 
 and private ones, foundations, fragments of sculpture, and 
 illegible parts of inscriptions, all combine to estabhsh this 
 fact. But the site of what city does Mehedeah occupy ? 
 Shaw tells us, "This place, or El Medea [so he calls this 
 to"\vn] should be the tower, or E,us Urbanum, as Justin calls it, 
 of Hannibal ; from whence he is said to have embarked after 
 his flight from Carthage." f Sir Grenville Temple follows 
 
 * "El Mahdia oppidum nostris fere temporibus a Mahdi primo Cairoan 
 ■ pontifice conditum."— Leo. Afr. p. 222. t Travels, &c., vol. i. p. 208.
 
 304 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 Shaw, and says that this town was formerly Turris Han- 
 nibalis, without quoting any authority for the assertion. 
 But Shaw's authorities are Livy and Justin, and how the 
 leai-ned doctor managed to reconcile these two authors on this 
 particular point is to me a very difficult problem. I say recon- 
 cile, but I mean to his own mind, for in his book he has 
 taken care not even to attempt the task. In another place* I 
 have shown that according to Justin, Hannibal escaped from 
 his estate near Carthage, situated close to the shore, where 
 he had vessels and rowers ready for his purpose. Let us now 
 see how far Livy coincides with Justin. " Finding," says the 
 former, " horses prepared in the place where he [Hannibal] 
 had ordered, he traversed by night the part which the Afri- 
 cans call Byzaicum, and arrived on the following day, in the 
 morning, at his oivn castle hetiveen Acilla [or Acholla'] and 
 Thapsus — 'postereo die mane inter Aciliam et Thapsum ad 
 suam turrim pervenit.' "f Here, Livy further informs us, 
 Hannibal had a ship ready, on board of which he embarked 
 and sailed the same day to the island Cerecina, the modem 
 Kerkna, whence he set sail for the east. 
 
 I now solicit the reader's attention for a few moments, 
 particularly to the words which I have given in italics. The 
 position which the historian assigns to "Hannibal's tower" 
 justified those Avho follow him in looking for the remains of 
 Acholla on the sea coast, and those remains Shaw says he 
 found at a place he calls Elalia, situated between Salecta 
 and Sbe-ah. 
 
 Now we ought to remember that no ancient wi'iter who 
 mentions the town of Acholla says that it is a maritime 
 town. Straboj speaks of it, as he does of Zella, as kk^vOlpav 
 TTokLv, and Hirtius § relates that deputies came to Csesar 
 
 * Carthage and Her Remains, chap. xxi. p. 468. 
 + Ltv. lib. xxxiii. c. 48. 
 t Lib. xvii. c. iii. § 12. 
 § BeU. Afr. c. 33.
 
 ANCIENT NAME OF MEHEDEAH. . 305 
 
 ex Acilla civitate libera, " from Acilla, a free town," while 
 Pliny* positively states that there were in Africa thirty free 
 towne ; and in enumerating some of them he begins — " in 
 the interior those of AchoUa, Aggarita, &c." Besides, we 
 have actually some ancient remains at a place about six miles 
 south of Eljem, which has retained the name of the town in 
 question. There being a well on the spot, the Arabs call it 
 Bir Sake, " the well of Sala," or Cela. Sala is, I maintain, 
 a very near approach to Acholla, or rather, Ucilla, as it was 
 also called.! This "interior" town Shaw found on the sea 
 coast ! 
 
 Livy's error in geography is not the only reason why his 
 authority, in the present instance, ought to be rejected. 
 According to him Hannibal escaped from Carthage "soon 
 after it grew dark," and arrived at his tower "ijostereo die 
 "mane — early on the following day." This circumstance, the 
 historian relates in the same chapter,]: occurred " in the 
 middle of summer." In the latitude of Carthage it grows 
 
 * Hist. Nat. Lib. v. c. 4. 
 
 + It may not be amiss to add the following extract from the manuscript 
 Geography which I presented to the Geographical Society : ' ' Calla el Kebeer 
 [the great Calla], a village of aboiit one hundred houses, — mjjes from Susa, 
 built on an eminence, and walled with mud walls ; and there are sundry 
 trenches, wherein the water nms in winter time. This place was attacked by 
 Sidi Yonas [a Bey] in 1736 ; but by the bravery of the inhabitants and the 
 timidity of the soldiers, he was shamefidly beaten off, with gi-eat loss, even 
 the women throwing stones. It held out till the surrender of Susa, and then 
 it was forced to surrender. Ali Basha caused it to be destroyed." The 
 distance and direction from Susa being omitted, we are imable to ascertain 
 ' the precise position of this place. But that it was in the interior is certain ; 
 for when a village or a town is situated on the sea, the wi'iter invariably 
 mentions it. The "trenches" he speaks of may be those of the military 
 camp of Considius, who besieged Acholla, in which C?esar had a gamson, 
 under the command of P. Jtlessius. After contimiing a long time before the 
 place, he abandoned his design. Bell. Aii-. c. xxxiii. and xliii. 
 
 Gesenius, who notices a coin from Acholla, is wrong in saying, ' ' huius 
 urbis in ora maritima Byzacenes sitfe," though he is quite right in stating, 
 " etiam Achulla, Achilla, Acilla diet??," for they are one and the same place. 
 Script. Ling. Phcen. Lib. iii. c. v. p. 318, 
 
 t Ut supra, Lib. xxxiii. c. 48. 
 
 X
 
 306 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 dark, during the season indicated, about 10 P.M., and giving 
 Livy the full benefit of the word early, let us say Hannibal 
 an-ived at his tower at 6 A.M., although this would ba con- 
 sidered now, as it was then, rather late. The Carthaginian 
 hero had, therefore, eight hours to effect the distance between 
 the African capital and his presumed estate, or tower, at 
 Mehedeah. Now, though I am so great an admirer of Han- 
 nibal as to be ready to believe that he was equal to any 
 prowess, and capable of sm-mounting the most extraordinary 
 difficulties, I cannot give credence that he achieved the feat 
 Livy, and those who are guided by him, ascribe to him. 
 The distance between Carthage and Mehedeah, in a straight 
 line, is 112 Enghsh miles, and such a distance neither 
 horse nor rider could have accomplished in the time men- 
 tioned. On this point Li^^- is therefore no authority. We 
 fall back upon Justin's account, and by so doing the name 
 Turris Hannibalis vanishes, and we have yet to ascertain 
 what ancient site the city of Mehedeah occupies, and this, I 
 believe, we are able to do with a degree of certainty. 
 
 0\sdng to the peculiar cu'cumstances under which the 
 modem town of Mehedeah was founded, the name of the city, 
 on whose sj/ie it stands, was entirely lost to the present occu- 
 piers of the soil, who, in numerous instances, have either 
 completely retained, or only slightly altered, the appellations 
 of ancient places. But though deprived of this aid, and though 
 I have no inscriptions as a guide, I have notwithstanding come 
 to the conclusion that Mehedeah occupies the site of Thapsus, 
 whose fields are so memorable for the famous battle between 
 Csesar and Metellus Scipio — fields renowned for the signal 
 defeat of the Eoman Republican party, and for the victory 
 which placed the destinies of the Roman dominions in the 
 hand of Caesar, and which led to the foundation of a Roman 
 Imperial Government.* But it is not the mere natural 
 
 * After tlie battle of Pharsalia, and after the death of Pompey, Cato sailed 
 for Africa, and traversed the deserts of Libj'a to join the army of Scipio. "Wlien
 
 THE ANCIENT MEHEDEAH PROVED TO BE THAPSUS. 807 
 
 strength of the position by which I am led to -the condusion 
 that this is the site of the famous Thapsus : I am, as it were, 
 conducted to it by the few notices we have of it in ancient 
 writers, as I will now briefly show. 
 
 1. All those who mention the maritime towns connected 
 with Caesar's African campaign, invariably name Thapsus as 
 being the last, or the most southern, as well as one of the 
 strongest, and to this Mehedeah answers fully. 
 
 he approached the fane of Jupiter Amnion, Lucan tells us, he was requested 
 by Labienus to inquire of the oracle : " AVhat the fate of Caesar was to 
 be ? Whether Rome was to be enslaved ? In what vii'tue consisted ? " &c., &c. 
 Cato then replied : — 
 
 " Quid quccri, Lahicne, juhcs : " 
 or rather, as the words are rendered by Sir William Young, - 
 
 " What would thou, Labienus ? — should I ask, 
 If being free, that freedom I'd resign ? 
 If I would die, before I'd be a slave ? 
 If life is naught, when measm-ed but by years ? 
 If evil can affect the good ; or whether 
 The thi-eat of fortune's lost upon the brave ? 
 If to deserve well is enough ? or if 
 Desert is yet dependent on success ? 
 All this I know : Animon can't tell me more ! 
 We all depend on God (his priest and oracle 
 Silent). His wiU. is known ; nor does he need 
 A voice but that within the breast of man. 
 Cm- duties are implanted on om- bu-ths ! 
 The God of Natui-e ne'er confined his lessons 
 Here to the few ; or buried his gi-eat truths 
 In Afric's sands. Is not his holy place 
 At once all earth, sea, air, and heaven, and virtue ? 
 God is, whate'er we see, — where'er we move ! 
 Let those who doubt, go ask at yonder fane 
 Thek" lot — not knowing how they'd act, or feel. 
 No oracle confimis, or moves, my thoughts ; 
 Makes nought more rai'e : — I know I am to die. 
 And this doth make me sure, — of how to live ! 
 The coward and the brave, the bad and the good, 
 Alike must die ! And God declaring this. 
 Made known to man all man requires to know." 
 
 Thus Cato spoke, — turn'd from the haUow'd fane 
 In faith and virtue satisfied ; and left 
 Ammon to Ammou's votaries — the people. 
 
 (Lucan, Lib. 'vs.. v. 564.) 
 X 2
 
 308 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 2. Strabo, describing the coast, says that after the Tracheice, 
 some small islands now called Kuriat, is " the city Thapsus, 
 and over against it Lopadussa, an island situated far from the 
 coast."* This passa^-^e I understand to signify that Lopadussa, 
 or Lampadousa, and Thapsus are in the same degree »f lati- 
 tude, and nothing can certainly be more exact, as a simple 
 reference to English or French charts will show. They are 
 both in 35° 31', and modern geographers could not have 
 fixed two localities with greater precision. 
 
 3. Again, Caesar had his camp for some time at a place 
 called Agar, which I think has been correctly identified with 
 the modern Bo Hajar. Indeed, when we bear in mind that 
 Bo may merely mean " the proprietor," and that j is in many 
 parts pronounced as g hard, we shall find that the original 
 name has actually been retained. Agar sounded to the Arab 
 ear very nearly like If agar, which signifies "a stone," and 
 since there are there many stones from the fallen ruins, the 
 place received the name of Proprietor of stones. This name 
 may, perhaps, also have a reference to the owner of the 
 estate. But be this as it may. Agar is clearly enough traced 
 in the modern name. Now Hirtius t informs us that Caesar 
 decamped and " advanced " sixteen miles beyond Agar to 
 Thapsus, where he fixed his camp. Caesar " advanced " south- 
 ward, and if we measure sixteen Roman miles from Agar, in 
 the direction of the sea-shore (for Thapsus was a seaport), we 
 are brought exactly to the modern Mehedeah. 
 
 4. The remarkable correspondence between the natural 
 features of Mehedeah and the etymology of Thapsus ought 
 of itself to settle the question. Thapsus was of Phoenician 
 origin, and like the name Thapsacus, a city on the western 
 bank of the Euphrates, it signifies a "passage" or a 
 
 ■ * Eib. xvii. § 16. Edit. Gas. p. 834. 
 
 + Pridie Non. Aprilis tertia vigilia egressus ab Agar xvi. millia passiram 
 nocte progressus, ad Thapsum, ubi Vergilius cum grandi presidio prreerat, 
 Castra pouit. (Hirt. Bell. Afr. c. 79.)
 
 THE MODEEN TOWN. 309 
 
 " crossing," and hence an " isthmus." Thapsacus received its 
 name from its situation at the bridge by which the Euphrates 
 was usually crossed ; and this Thapsus, no doubt, received its 
 appellation from being situated on a peninsula, having its 
 narrow " passage," or " isthmus," by which the town was 
 approached.* Admiral Smyth's excellent chart displays 
 the real form of this place, and it fully corroborates my 
 statement. 
 
 Such are my reasons for identifying Mehedeah with Thap- 
 sus, and though even some of the natural features about this 
 town may not exactly correspond with the account of Hirtius, 
 we ought not to forget that the sea has been encroaching on 
 this shore for centuries, and has considerably transformed its 
 aspect. 
 
 But though Mehedeah is a Moslem town, it has numerous 
 monuments of its struggles with Christian armies. I noticed 
 an inscription which relates to a Malta Knight, and there are 
 su^cient architectural remains which prove that Europeans 
 were its temporary masters. Its citadel and its mined 
 walls, flanked by towers, are the work of Charles V. In 
 1519, Pedro de Navarre, made an unsuccessful attempt to 
 take this town, and about thhty years after a combined fleet 
 composed of Spanish, Genoese, Maltese, and Neapolitan 
 vessels, under the orders of the Viceroy of Sicily, the famous 
 Doria, and De la Sangle, conquered Mehedeah at the expense 
 of torrents of Christian blood. By the orders of Charles Y., 
 it was subsequently strongly fortified ; but on finding that it 
 was not tenable, the works were destroyed, and the town was 
 abandoned, Mehedeah was also, at one time, the stronghold 
 of the notorious Dragut. 
 
 The citadel is large, but it is in a neglected, and partly 
 dilapidated, condition. Its garrison consists of six, or eight, 
 
 • Thapsus Mihs Byzacii in isthmo sita .... Non dubito, quin scripttini 
 fuerit ncEin pr. transitus . . . . , dein istlnmis, quo trausitur ad peuiu- 
 sulam. (Gesenii Mou. Phoen., vol. i., p. 428.)
 
 310 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 liungry soldiers. Its guns are corroded, and, if fired, would 
 unquestionably prove more dangerous to the garrison than to 
 the enemy. But being built on the summit of the cape on 
 which Mehedeah stands, the citadel commands a magnificent 
 view of the surrounding country for many miles. 
 
 Since our departure from Tebessa we had to rough it, with 
 few exceptions, till we reached this town, and here, I must 
 say, we met not only with gi-eat civility and hospitality from 
 the Lieutenant-Governor, but it was here that we were again 
 cheered with the«sight of objects which reminded us forcibly 
 of civihsation. Chairs, tables, forks, spoons, &c., though of the 
 roughest possible description, savoured of Europe, and the 
 sight of these was more grateful than many persons can even 
 conceive. Here, too, did we receive civility from the family 
 of a once wealthy French merchant, M. Arno, whose extreme 
 honesty unfitted him for dealings with the shrewd, cunning, 
 crafty, and subtle Tunisians. The consequence was that 
 he died poor, and his family retired to this remote spot from 
 motives of economy. M. Arno had once a commission from 
 the reigning prince of Tunis for a set of jewels of immense 
 value, and the Paris house with which he did business, before 
 transmitting the valuable order itself, thought it safer first to 
 send an imitation set for ajDproval of the design, &c. Owing 
 to M. Arno's not bribing those who sold their influence on 
 such occasions, the transaction miscanied — the prince 
 cancelled the bargain. A long time after, M. Amo received a 
 communication from the Paris merchant, informing him that, 
 owing to an unaccountable blunder, the real, and not the 
 imitation, jewels had been sent, and now earnestly requested 
 either to have them returned, or their value (nearly a 
 million of francs) remitted. But M. Amo having considered 
 those objects merely as a capital imitation, and devoid of 
 intrinsic worth, had handed them over to his children as 
 ornaments for their toys. By this time they were partly 
 destroyed and partly lost. Diligent search was, however.
 
 THE AKCIENT LEPTIS. 311 
 
 made ; most of the precious stones were found and sent to 
 Paris, and what could not be found, tlie honest merchant 
 readily made good by bills which were duly honoured. 
 
 On quitting Mehedeah we sent our baggage horses to a 
 place called Bekaalta, whilst we, keeping to the margin of 
 the sea, rode towards Cape Dimas or Deiniaas. The line of 
 beach for nearly the whole of the nine miles distance, was 
 covered with sponges of a large size, which the Ai-abs are 
 afraid to touch, owing to the sponge fishery being a govern- 
 ment monopoly. At Dimas, or rather Lejaab, as the place is 
 called, are the ruins of a small amphitheatre, and those of an 
 edifice of considerable solidity. Besides these, there are here 
 twenty-five cisterns and the remains of a pier. But none of 
 these ruins bear the impress of great antiquity. Whatever 
 place stood here, its present remains do not, I think, date 
 farther back than the period of Justinian. Before the cape 
 (which is low), or rather to the north of it, are the rocks 
 marked on charts as the Baltah Isles. These rocks, together 
 with the pier, may at one time have fonned a safe harbour 
 for small vessels. For commerce this may have been a 
 convenient place, but it does not present any features of 
 natural strength. 
 
 These ruins have been taken for those of Thapsus, but 
 which I think more likely to be those of an unknown 
 place built upon the site of Lej)tis, which some have fixed 
 about eight miles more north, at a village called Lamha. 
 They saw an afiinity between Lamba' and Leptis, but I think 
 there is as much of the proper name Leptis in Lejaab as 
 there is in Lamba. In the present instance, therefore, the 
 name is but of little avail. 
 
 But an event occurred during Caesar's campaign which I 
 believe enables me to determine, with a degree of certainty, 
 that we are now upon the ruins of Leptis. 
 
 Whilst Caesar was encamped at Uzita, his fleet before 
 Leptis was surprised early one morning by the enemy's
 
 312 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 vessels. All the transports that were out at sea were burnt, 
 and two five-benched galleys were captured. 
 
 When Cajsar heard of this occurrence, we are told he imme- 
 diately took horse and went full speed to Leptis, which was 
 only onillia ])assum VI* — six Roman miles — distant. At 
 Leptis he embarked, and with the rest of his vessels pursued 
 the enemy. 
 
 Now it is generally believed that Sayada, a village N.W. 
 of these ruins, occupies the site of Uzita, and that village is 
 exactly six Roman miles from Lejaah, or the ruins which I 
 take to be those of Leptis. 
 
 The Lepitini were the first who offered their free sub- 
 mission to Caesar. During the Jugurthine war, this town, 
 after the fall of Thala, sent ambassadors to Metellus, asking 
 for a gan-ison of Roman soldiers and for a prsefect, assigning 
 as a reason that a certain Hamilcar was plotting a revolution, 
 and unless the consul complied with their request, they, who 
 considered themselves Roman allies, would be exposed to 
 great danger. Metellus gi-anted their request. In the pre- 
 sent instance they embraced the cause of Cgesar. But it is 
 very strange that the author of the Jugurthine war, who made 
 the African campaign with Julius Csesar — who actually sailed 
 from Leptis for Cercinaf (the modern Kerkna) by order of the 
 General, and who, at the close of the war, was appointed pro- 
 consul of the pro\dnce which formerly constituted Juba's 
 kingdom — it is very strange, I say, that he should place this 
 Leptis "between the two Syi'tes;";}: or rather, should con- 
 found this with the Leptis Magna, beyond Tripoli 
 
 Sallust's description of his Leptis decidedly refers to this, 
 for he says that " it was built by the Sidonians," while the 
 other, of Greek origin, was of a more recent date, and hence 
 Strabo § says it (the one " between the two -Syrtes ") was 
 
 * Hii't. Bell. Afr. c. Ixiii. f Ibid. c. viii. 
 
 X Bell. Jug. § 77. 
 
 § Lib. xvii. c. Ill, § 18. Eel. Caiisaub., p. 834.
 
 A MAN OF NO MEAN DESCENT. 313 
 
 also called Neapolis, the new city, to distinguish it from the 
 older, whose ruins we have at Lejaab. 
 
 Leptis was the birth-place of the emperor Septimus 
 Severus. It was a wealthy town, considering it paid a tribute 
 to the Carthaginians of a talent a day * — ea singida in dies 
 talenta vectigal Carthaginiensibus dedit — and the wealth of 
 this place, as well as that of the whole district in its vicinity, 
 was a source of envy to Masinissa, and that envy led to the 
 third Punic war, and to the barbarous overthrow of Carthage. 
 
 It was at this place, we learn from Livy, that Hannibal 
 landed, with his veteran legions, to save his country from the 
 destruction with which those very forces which he had so re- 
 peatedly vanquished, threatened it. To avoid an inauspicious 
 omen, he steered for this place ; but this did not alter the 
 decree of destiny : the hero, and the victor, of numerous 
 battles was defeated in the fields of Zama. 
 
 Leaving Lejaab, we rode -inland in a north-westerly direc- 
 tion for about four miles, over a fertile, and highly cultivated^ 
 country, when we reached the village Tubulba, where we 
 found our escort and baggage horses before the residence of 
 the descendant of the eminent founder of the place, and the 
 owner of immense property in the vicinity — Sidy Ayaash. 
 He himself, decked out in magnificent robes, came down to 
 welcome us, and politely conducted us to a well-furnished 
 apartment, which he placed at our disposal, and where, he 
 said, we might remain so long as we pleased at his expense. 
 
 Sidy Ayaash is not more than twenty-two years of age, 
 and, though so young, has already thoroughly succeeded in 
 ruining his slender constitution. He is descended from a 
 saintly family, but has fearfully departed from the ways of 
 holiness. He has the unrestricted use of an annual revenue of 
 about £4,000, which proved a great auxiliary in securing what 
 he now has — a tottering frame. But Ayaash is very kind- 
 hearted, and we had only opportunities of judging of that, 
 * Livy, Lib. xxxlv. c. 62.
 
 314 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 and not of his peculiar depravities. Indeed, in spite of his 
 failings, the faithful regard him with a degree of awe and 
 reverence ; for not only were his ancestors saints — and that, 
 surely, is something — but he is now their legitimate ter- 
 restrial representative, and the guardian of their tombs. 
 
 The great-grandsire of Ayaash was a native of the empire 
 of Morocco. He was early impressed with philanthropic 
 views, and left his countiy with the sole desire to benefit his 
 fellow-men. He traversed many regions, and, on account of 
 his piety and supernatural power, he was rejDeatedly entreated 
 to take up his abode in different parts of the African continent ; 
 but he declined to do so till he reached the desert of Tubulba. 
 Here he found a barren soil, and the people in abject misery 
 and wretchedness. Their mode of life resembled more that 
 of the brute than that of man. 
 
 " This is the place," the saint said, " for me ; here I can 
 benefit man, and further the cause of Allah. I will dedicate 
 myself to both." 
 
 He set to work, and under his hand, before many years 
 elapsed, Tubulba became what it now is. Vast olive planta- 
 tions, vineyards, gardens, villas, and a number of houses, 
 sprung into existence as if by magic. The arid soil became 
 fruitful and produced plentiful crops. The people laboured 
 and gladly availed themselves of the opportunity when the 
 TTwadzan summoned them to their devotions, instead (as they 
 were accustomed to do before) of living upon plunder, and 
 indulging in the vilest of crimes. 
 
 " But " — and now let my informant conclude this biogra- 
 phical sketch — "Allah has decreed that the earthly pilgrim- 
 age of man, whether good or bad, should be limited. The 
 reprobate and the saint must alike taste the bitter cup of 
 death. The hour fixed by destiny came, and the soul of the 
 saint of Tubulba, fortified by the wings of love, faith, and 
 charity, took its upward flight, leaving the people to the care 
 of the gi'andfather of this my lord Ayaash.
 
 A RESTLESS DEAD SAINT. 315 
 
 " With devotion and reverence were 'the holy remains 
 committed to the gi'ound, and the people retired with heavy 
 hearts to their respective homes. 
 
 "At the rising of the sun on the following morning, the 
 whole place was alarmed at the surprising intelligence that 
 the gi'ave of the saint was found open, and no traces of the 
 body could be discovered. Search was made, but in vain, 
 
 " But as the son appeared quite indifferent about all this, 
 the people marvelled, and inquired the reason. 
 
 " ' Why should I seek,' he replied, ' for what I have not 
 lost ? Look yonder, near that tree, and you will there see 
 the body of my lord, my father.' 
 
 " They ran to the indicated locality, and Jo ! to their 
 amazement, they found the body of the saint. 
 
 " Indignant at what they considered an impious and sacri- 
 legious act, the people remonstrated with the son ; but he 
 in a calm, and deliberate, tone replied, — 
 
 " ' I am innocent of the charge you bring against me. 
 Replace the body in its grave, set a guard upon it, and you 
 will discover that I am not guilty of the crime of which 
 you accuse me.' 
 
 " The people did so, A number of men were appointed to 
 watch the sepulchre. But at midnight the grave suddenly 
 burst oj)en, and when the guard looked in they found it 
 empty ; the body had returned to the spot where they had 
 found it the day before. 
 
 " ' What is the meaning of all this ? ' the people inquhed 
 of the son, whose knowledge of the mysterious and divine 
 thing they now perceived : ' What does our lord, your father, 
 require us to do ? ' 
 
 " ' By this sujDematural conduct,' he replied, ' my lord, my 
 father, merely indicates that he has selected his o\m resting- 
 place. But that the believers may see the power of Allah, 
 I desire you to let the Sultan of Africa [the reigning prince 
 of Tunis] know what has occuiTed in our midst. Let him
 
 316 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 send trustworthy persons to verify the fact ; and let this fact 
 proclaim to unbelievers the truth that Mohammed is the 
 apostle of Allah.' 
 
 " The people did so ; and the Sultan of Africa sent a 
 number of eminent men, and a guard of soldiers, who were 
 all con\dnced of what I told you. Ten times did the saint 
 abandon his tomb in their presence. They praised Allah, 
 whose works surpass human knowledge ; and, before they 
 returned to their master, they interred the body of the holy 
 man on the spot he himself had selected. The prince of the 
 faithful had a cupola built over the tomb at his own 
 expense, and here it is to this day." 
 
 Such is the founder of the saintly house of Ayaash. The 
 son became as eminent as the father, and the son's son more 
 so still, for he has not merely a simple cupola, but a mosque 
 towers over his remains ; and whether the son of the gi-andson 
 of Ayaash, our present host, will also reach the dignity of cano- 
 nisation, remains yet to be seen. At present he does not aspire 
 to it, nor does he even imitate his gi-eat-gi-andsire ; for instead 
 of escaping from his gi'ave, he is rushing headlong into it. 
 
 In this age of scepticism, some may be disposed to reject 
 the credibility of this narrative altogether. Let them do so. 
 Those who are more rational, and are in the habit of carefully 
 weighing the evidence of everything that is brought before 
 their notice, will readily believe, when I assure them that a 
 portion of it is not so problematical as appears at first sight. 
 It cannot be denied that Tubulba has been transformed into 
 a neat and prosperous village ; that it has magnificent and 
 prolific olive plantations, and a rich and fertile soil. But the 
 houses, the plantations, and the soil appertain to the descen- 
 dant of the saints, while the people have the gratification 
 of continuing to labour for him. 
 
 Ayaash infoimed me, that at a place called Bothaar, 
 about twelve miles N.W. of Tubulba^ there were numerous 
 remains of antiquity ; and, at the same time, expressed hi&
 
 A WEEPING COLUMN. 317 
 
 great amazement at the iveeping column near Sidy Macli- 
 loof, between Mehedeah and Sfax. 
 
 I had only just replied that I had never heard of the 
 wonderful column, when the taheeb, "the doctor," in the pay of 
 Ayaash, entered the room, and he was at once requested 
 to furnish me with the particulars. 
 
 " The column to which my padrone (master) alludes," the 
 medico proceeded in Italian, with an unmistakable Maltese 
 accent, " is one of a number in a §mall temple near Sidy 
 Machloof. It has the figure of our Saviour engraved upon it, 
 and every Friday it sheds tears — at least drops of water faU 
 from its eyes. This mii-aculous exhibition has been wit- 
 nessed by Moslems, and by Jews, as weU as by Christians. 
 AU believe it, and it is an object of great marvel to every 
 one who beholds this miraculous column." 
 
 " All believe it " — I cannot believe it; but credite,posteri! 
 
 We were well treated at Tubulba, and were strongly urged 
 to remain, at least, over night ; but we had resolved to reach 
 Monasteer that day, and we invariably adhered to our plan. 
 Leaving again our baggage horses in charge of the old 
 hamha, Mr. Nicholson and myself, accompanied by one 
 soldier, started for Sayada. We passed some of the saint's 
 beautiful gardens, and splendid plantations, through which 
 our road lay. At Sayada there are only a very few traces of 
 antiquity. We observed here, however, a portion of an old 
 aqueduct ; and, no doubt, at regular intervals, the plough 
 now passes over much of the old city of Uzita. 
 
 Hirtius mentions, besides Uzita, a town by the name of 
 Zeta, for which Sayada must not be mistaken. When Caesar 
 abandoned his Uzita camp, he entrenched himself before the 
 town of Agar. With part of his army he started on a 
 foraging expedition, on which occasion he made himself 
 master of Zeta. Scipio was encamped six miles from Agar, 
 and hence the historian * tells us, that Zeta being on Scipio's 
 
 * Hirt. Bell. Afr. c. Ix^aii.
 
 318 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 side (by which I understand the northern parts of Africa 
 Propria, or the inland towns in the direction of Utica), was 
 not more than ten miles from his camp, but might be about 
 eighteen miles from Caesar's. Scipio must, therefore, have 
 been encamped about six miles N.W. of Agar, and about ten 
 miles further, in the same direction, must be the site of Zeta. 
 But Hirtius subsequently gives us, apparently, to understand 
 that this town was near Vacca,* the modern Baja, which is 
 about ninety miles N.W; of Agar. Unless, therefore, we are to 
 understand the historian simply stating that the people of Vacca 
 were in alliance with those of Zeta (taking finitimus in this 
 sense), there is here a palpable contradiction in his geography. 
 
 Lamba is a village close to Sayada, and here also are a 
 few paltry remains of antiquity. On our way from this to 
 Makloba, the next village, and which is only at a short dis- 
 tance from it, we met a young leopard, who sullenly refused 
 to supply us with the information we desired ; and it was 
 only when our liamha threatened him with the whip that he 
 told us (and then even reluctantly) which path we were to 
 take. This sentence will no doubt startle the reader, who 
 will readily consider the prominent word a misprint, and, 
 perhaps, volunteer" to supply leper for leopard. But this 
 correction would not convey my meaning. There is here no 
 misprint, and I really mean what I have written. As a 
 traveller I record what I have seen and heard ; and if 
 leopards will be so far intimidated by the sight of a whip 
 as to talk, and that audibly and intelligibly, I am, surely, 
 justified in recording the fact. 
 
 " Gross exaggeration ! monstrous absurdity ! " and the like 
 exclamations, may perhaps escape the reader's lips ; but I 
 entreat him not to throw the book aside, but patiently to 
 peruse what follows. 
 
 At Makloba, the village to which I am now conducting 
 
 * Legati interim ex oppido Vacca, quod finitimum fuit Zettoe, cujus Cffisarera 
 potitum esse demoustravimus, veniunt (Bell, Afr, c. Ixxiv.).
 
 THE SPEAKING LEOPARD. 319 
 
 the reader, there is a permanent ecclesiastical menagerie, 
 containing lions, bears, jackals, camels, hyaenas, &c., &c., and 
 the animal we met on the road belonged to this menagerie. 
 Here those who are in search for the connecting link between 
 man and the brute creation can find specimens to their heart's 
 content. Those philosophers need no longer confine them- 
 selves to the hideous and disgusting monkey species for the 
 solution of then.' theory ; for at the menagerie of Makloba they 
 can, without any hesitation, readily recognise animals after 
 their own kind in the dog and in the cat, in the bear and in 
 the boar also. For this extraordinary contribution to science 
 we are indebted to the illustrious Aisa, the founder of the 
 famous African Moslem sect which goes by his name. Every 
 member admitted into this society assumes the character of 
 some animal, and that animal he imitates, and acts, at the 
 regular meetings of this religious body. The frenzy, ferocity, 
 and madness exhibited on these occasions are terrific; but what 
 is surprising is, that everjr animal at the assembly feeds, and 
 that exclusively, upon the kind of food for which it is most 
 remarkable. The leopard and the lion devour raw meat ; the 
 camel eats the leaves of the cactus, regardless of its project- 
 ing thorns ; and the ostrich swallows pieces of iron and coins ! 
 I have never been present at these hon'id banquets ; but I 
 only repeat what is universally believed among all Moslems, 
 and what a certain Baron de Kraft, whom I saw in Africa, 
 and who was a member of the Aisaweah fraternity, assured 
 me was- perfectly true. All the snake-charmers belong to this 
 sect, and in all their extraordinary exhibitions, before they 
 even attempt to touch a serpent, they invariably invoke the 
 aid, and protection, of theu" founder " lord Aisa." 
 
 At Makloba we found the ruins of a very strong fort, the 
 walls of which were some eight, or ten, feet in thickness. 
 Within these massive and ponderous walls is the chapel 
 dedicated to Aisa, and here is the famous menagerie of his 
 adherents, and to which our young leopard belongs. "We
 
 320 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 were soon surrounded by camels, lions, and tigers, who volun- 
 teered to supply us with all the information about the place ; 
 but as they all agreed in ascribing its origin to Sultan Ben 
 Aglab (of the first Moslem dynasty that reigned inCairwaan), 
 we preferred relying upon our own judgment, particularly as 
 its Roman character was too apparent. Still the wolves, the 
 bears, and the boars were resolved to act as Ciceroni ; and as 
 they were perfectly harmless, we allowed them to vociferate 
 at their own pleasure. 
 
 After sunset we reached Monasteer, having had a delightful 
 ride, partly along the beach, and partly by moonlight through 
 the forest of olive-trees which belongs to the town. At the 
 gate we found a M. Sacuto, who acts as American consular 
 agent, and he kindly invited us to take up our abode at his 
 house, instead of proceeding to the governor's mansion. He 
 was so pressing that we accepted the proffered hospitality, 
 and sent an apology to the chief official of the town, to whom 
 we had notified that we should be with him that evening. 
 
 The sight of the extreme cleanliness, and neatness, of M. 
 Sacuto's house at once reconciled us to our choice. It cer- 
 tainly reconciled me ; for I had not forgotten, and I never 
 shall forget, the night I once spent at the governor's resi- 
 dence. Nothing could have surpassed his kindness ; but 
 when bed-time came, although everything had the appear- 
 ance of cleanliness, I felt myself suddenly exposed to such a 
 shower of bugs, that the thought of sleep was out of the 
 question. They fell from the ceiling, and in doing so kept 
 up an incessant clatter, not unlike the falling of hail. I 
 paced the room in agonies, when I was suddenly startled by 
 the appearance of a tall white figure. I rubbed my eyes, for 
 I ascribed the apparition to the creation of my own fancy, 
 caused by a feverish and drowsy state. But a keener vision 
 only enabled me to ascertain, with greater certainty, the fact 
 of the real presence of some strange being. I could only see 
 the figure indistinctly, owing to a dense cloud which just
 
 ACCOUNT OF MONASTEER. 321 
 
 then prevented the light of the moon from entering the 
 chamber. 
 
 " O'er all there liung a sliadow and a fear ; 
 A sense of mystery the spirit daunted, 
 And said, as plain as whisper in the ear, 
 The place is haunted." 
 
 But the cloud floated by, and the stream of light which 
 immediately followed enabled me to ascertain that I was 
 visited, not by a spectre, but by a somnambulist ! I per- 
 mitted my visitor to have the uninterrupted and free range 
 of the chamber, and almost regretted when I was again left 
 alone to the mercy of my pitiless tormentors. 
 
 The recollection of that night reconciled me to the con- 
 sular agent's abode, with which we had indeed every reason 
 to be highly pleased. 
 
 Monasteer has a population of about 8000, in which 850 
 Jews and 50 Christians (chiefly Maltese) are included. It does 
 an excellent trade, principally in oil, and has some very wealthy 
 citizens. It is built with a certain degree of design and order, 
 and not like some Moorish towns, which appear to have been 
 brought into existence by chance or by mere accident. 
 
 In the morning we strolled about the town, and then 
 received, and paid, some " oflicial " visits. Among the former 
 was the vice-governor, who urged us to spend at least one 
 night at his mansion ; but this invitation we had to decline, 
 as we had resolved upon starting for Susa in the course of 
 the afternoon. 
 
 This town does not appear to occupy the site of any 
 ancient place. Everything about it looks modern, and there 
 are no traces of antiquity to be seen within the precincts of 
 its walls, or in its immediate vicinity. But as its name does 
 not savour of Arab origin, I am inclined to believe that it was 
 built by Christians at the period when, actuated by political, 
 anti-slavery, anti-piracy, and anti-Moslem hostilities, such 
 vigorous, and costly, efforts were made by Spain, and by other 
 European nations, for settlements on the North African shores.
 
 322 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 To suit our convenience, our amiable host ordered for us 
 an early, but a sumptuous, dinner. It was, of course, placed 
 at our disposal, and yet each of us had a desperate stiTiggle 
 for his share. Our right to it was disputed, and that with 
 an impetuosity truly astonishing, by legions of gi-eedy, and 
 voracious, flies, A brisk conflict was sustained for some 
 time, but we had at last to give in to overwhelming 
 odds. We capitulated on very advantageous terms to the 
 enemy, and left him complete master of the field. The 
 king of fleas is enthroned at Siberias, but the king of flies, 
 or Beelzebub, must have his seat, or hold his court, at 
 Monasteer, 
 
 Having escaped unhurt from an unequal combat, the consul 
 and myself, accompanied by our veteran hamha, started on 
 our way to Susa, leaving the baggage and our people to 
 follow in the course of the afternoon, as the distance was only 
 twelve miles. Mr. Ferriere preferred spending another night 
 at Monasteer, as he was suffering from the effects of a fall 
 from his horse. 
 
 Passing through the olive plantations, and skirting the 
 gardens with their villas, we came upon a causeway, across a 
 morass, which extends for about a mile and a half parallel 
 with the line of beach. Before the construction of this cause- 
 way, travellers had to make considerable detours during the 
 winter, or rainy, season, before they could fairly start upon a 
 safe and solid road. This is the only piece of modern artificial 
 road we had seen since we left Tunis. It is not likely to last 
 very long ; and when once in a state of decay, it may, in all 
 probability, take a century (if the country is indeed doomed 
 so long to continue under the present misrule), before it will 
 either be repaired or restored. Beyond the morass, we ap- 
 proached the beach. Here, near the village Tacheela, we 
 found a boat, which we hired ; and leaving our horses in 
 charge of the hamha, we had a most delightful sail to Susa 
 which place we reached in about an hour.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 MARITIME TOWN'S OF CiESAR'S AFRICAN CAMPAIGN. 
 
 A Dinner Party— Th.e Moadzan and Ch\u-cli Bells — A labyiintli in a Tomb — 
 Susa, the ancient Ruspina — The Horse-dealer's Escaj)e— Results of Usury 
 — Remains of " Towers and Castles" on the Beach. 
 
 The British vice-consul, Mr. Stephens, and the American 
 consular agent, Signor Moro, invited us to be theii* guests 
 during our stay at Susa ; but as we neither wished to divide 
 our party, nor to give cause for jealousy to the representatives 
 of two great nations, we resolved upon giving the vice- 
 governor the benefit of our society. The two gentlemen 
 accompanied us to the residence of his sub-excellency, who 
 readily put us in possession of " the guest chamber." Susa 
 being an important, and large, to\\ni, the hospitality we 
 received here was upon a proportionate scale. We had here 
 a European steward, to Avhose special care the vice-governor 
 recommended us, informing us, at the same time, that we 
 were to consider ourselves, in the portion of the house 
 assigned to us, perfect masters to do what we pleased. 
 
 " Order what you want," the old gentleman said, " and 
 this person [pointing to the steward] has instructions to 
 procure it for you, if it is procurable in the city of Susa." 
 
 This was certainly very kind, and we at once made 
 arrangements for a dinner party, invitations for which were 
 accepted by our consular friends. But the cook was a 
 civilised Arab, and as some civilised cooks will do, even in 
 Europe, just when his services were most required, got 
 diTink, and burnt some of the dishes. This accident was a 
 
 Y 2
 
 324 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 source of great annoyance to the steward, although we had 
 an abundance of good things, and excellent wines too, and 
 that in the house of a zealous true believer ! 
 
 We were thoroughly enjoying ourselves ; and Mr. Nichol- 
 son, was particularly delighted to find some one, besides his 
 travelling companions, to whom he could communicate his 
 thoughts in genuine American. His conversational powers 
 had hitherto been confined to us, and whatever information 
 he desired to obtain, during our wanderings among the 
 Arabs, he had to obtain through me. He made now the best 
 use of his emancipation, and the evening passed on very 
 merrily. Only one interruption occurred, and that I am 
 resolved not to leave unnoticed. 
 
 It is a well-known fact that the charm of exquisite music 
 has attracted many to the Roman Catholic Church ; and it is 
 another well-known fact that the incessant clangour of bells 
 has driven many away from it. Now I do not dislike a church- 
 bell of moderate calibre, and tolled for a reasonable length of 
 time ; but I detest, in common with most people, the perpetual, 
 and deafening, ding-dong which is kept up in some conti- 
 nental churches. Wherein consists the utility of this horrid 
 noise ? If it is intended to summon people to the house of 
 God, a brief time ought, surely, to suflSce for this ; for if a man 
 does not obey the call after hearing the thundering invitation 
 for ten, or even fifteen, minutes, he is not likely to obey it at 
 all. But if the clatter of bells is part of the religious service, 
 then why not let us know its precise utility? The priests of Baal 
 were accustomed to shout and scream in order to make their 
 deity hear them ; the priests of Moloch, or Saturn, kept up 
 a tremendous sound of instruments, in order to drown the 
 voices of the dying infants, immolated in their diabolic rites ; 
 the Mozarabic Christians of Spain celebrated mass to the 
 sound of drums and other wild music, under the excitement 
 of horse-races, and fearful vociferations, to conceal their con- 
 temj)t for a creed which they were forced to embrace. For
 
 THE MOADZAN AND CHUECH BELLS. 325 
 
 all these unreasonable acts we can account, but wherefore 
 this dissonant ecclesiastical artillery of the priests of modern 
 Rome ? It, surely, can have no affinity with the motives of 
 the Mozarabs, the votaries of Saturn, or the enthusiasts 
 of Baal, 
 
 In his religious services the Moslem has neither music 
 nor bells ; but his mode of inviting the faithful to the stated 
 devotions is as musical, and attractive, as the bells are 
 inharmonious and repulsive. To hear the onoadzan — and 
 he is generally chosen for the excellent quality of his voice 
 — announce the hour of prayer (and particularly those devo- 
 tions appointed for midnight and before sunrise) might prove 
 quite as attractive, and as alluring, to a certain sentimental 
 class of people as the ravishing music of Romish churches. 
 
 That the Moslem mode of summoning the faithful to their 
 sacred duties partakes of the sublime and the solemn, has 
 always been my opinion. Great therefore was my amaze- 
 ment, when, seated with my friends at the table of the vice- 
 governor of Susa, our ears were assailed by the most honible 
 sound I had ever heard before. 
 
 " It is only our moadzan," observed one of the attendants, 
 who noticed my astonishment ; " he is announcing the hour 
 of prayer." 
 
 The voice seemed to combine all the discordant sounds 
 imao-inable, and had more of the fiendish than of the human 
 about it. 
 
 "Impossible, that you have such a moadzan here," I 
 replied. 
 
 " No," said the man, laughing, " he is not the real nwadzan, 
 but he is crazy — he is a dervish [a pious idiot] — and imagines 
 himself a moadzan. At his supposed times for prayer, 
 he gives utterance in the manner you have just heard him. 
 Poor man, he is crazy." 
 
 This was certainly a satisfactory answer ; and if such an 
 excuse, at least, could be made on behalf of those who inflict
 
 326 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 on us such perpetual torment with their bells, it would, to 
 some extent, prove a consolation under our sufferings. 
 
 On the following morning our friends called, and conducted 
 us to view a recent discovery made here. In a garden, about 
 half a mile west of the town, some labourers, whilst engaged 
 in digging, came upon masonry, which the owner was induced 
 to have cleared, by some European gentlemen, interested in 
 antiquities, A few days' work completed the task. An 
 ancient family tomb was disencumbered of the earth which 
 had been washed into it during a lapse of centuries. 
 
 This tomb is about fourteen feet square, and contains 
 several niches for urns, none of which were, however, found. 
 Its real interest consists in its Mosaic pavement, which 
 represents the celebrated labyrinth of Crete. The Minotaur, 
 according to Ovid, 
 
 " Scmibovemque virum, semivinimque boveni," 
 
 is seen dead in the centre. Below the labyrinth there is a 
 boat in full sail ; and among the several Greeks in it, there 
 are the prominent figures of a female and of a youth standing 
 together. These are, undoubtedly, intended to represent 
 Theseus, who slew the monster, and Ariadne, daughter of 
 Minos II., whose love for the Athenian prince induced her to 
 extricate him from the intricate windings of the labyrinth, 
 and for which tender passion, and service, she was afterwards 
 requited by his ungratefully deserting her at the island of 
 Naxos. 
 
 Above the labjnrinth there are these words, also in Mosaic, 
 and in letters alternately red and black : — 
 HIC INCLSVS VITAM PERDIT 
 
 Whether we are to understand from all this that there 
 was some affinity between the name of the individual buried 
 here and that of Minotaurus, or that there was a similarity 
 between the death of the occupant of this chamber and that 
 of the famous monster of Crete, are questions which are not
 
 A LABYRINTH IN A TOilB. 327 
 
 very likely to be settled now. It certainly is a very curious 
 subject for a tomb. 
 
 The execution and colouring of this work of ancient art 
 are very similar to the fragment I found at Utica, represent- 
 ing a fishing scene, and which is now in the British Museum. 
 The British and French vice-consuls, and a few other 
 Europeans resident at Susa, took the necessary measm-es to 
 have this relic properly presei-ved. This discovery serves 
 also as an encouragement for them to prosecute further 
 researches, which they are resolved to do, so that the 
 labp-inth may be regarded as the nucleus of a future museum 
 of Susa. 
 
 Not far from this tomb are other fragments of ruins ; and 
 in the town itself we meet mth a gTeat variety of square 
 wTought stones used in the construction of houses, but which 
 once formed component parts of ancient structures. Cornices, 
 portions of shafts and capitals are dug up in this part, and 
 in the elevated portion of Susa, which appears to be the real 
 site of the former city, and which stood at a short distance 
 from the sea. 
 
 Susa must occupy the site of Ruspina,* the 'PovaiTLva of 
 Ptolemy. It was at no gTeat distance from Leptis, for Ceesar 
 marched to it easily in one day,-|- and it stood between the 
 last-named town and Adrumentum. 
 
 * The towns below Cape Bon, or E^/xala &Kpa, are thus laid clo^TU by 
 Ptolemy : — KovpoySls, NeoTroAjs, KoKwvia, '2,iay6v\, ^AtppiSiaiov, 'ASpovfxrirros, 
 Lib. iv. c. 3. Then follows Ruspina. But not aU. these places were situated 
 on the sea : some were a considerable way inland. Between Adrumentum 
 and Ruspina, we are told, there were several towns and castles, for on his 
 march to the latter place deputies came to Csesar ex oppidis et caskllis, 
 offeiing to furnish him with com. (Vide Hirt. Bell. Afr. c. vi.) Strabo 
 makes no mention of Ruspina, nor of AeTrrjs fiiKpa, arid misplaces Neapolis ; 
 while Pliny gives the names of the toAvns principally memorable for Caesar's 
 campaign according to this order : Leptis, Adiiimentum, Ruspina, and 
 Thapsus. (Hist. Nat. 1. v. c. 3.) 
 
 t Csesar, ad iii. Non. Januar. castra movet, Leptique vi. cohortium presidio 
 cum Saserna relicto, ipse rursus, imde pridie venerat, Ruspinam cum rcliquis 
 copiis convertit. (Hirt. Bell. Afr. c. ix.)
 
 328 RUINED CITIES, 
 
 E,uspina, according to tlie annalist of CaBsar's campaign, 
 may be considered as the illustrious general's African liead- 
 quarters, in whose neighbouiing fields many bloody skirmishes, 
 and engagements, took place. But, in identifying it with Susa, 
 I know that I differ from Shaw, who fixes upon the paltry 
 village Sahleel as the site of Euspina ; and from Sir Grenville 
 Temple, who believes that Susa occupies the spot where 
 once stood the city of Adiiimentum. In his belief the 
 gallant, and learned, colonel is confirmed by the remains of 
 an ancient mole which formed the harbour. This harbour 
 he denominates cothon. He says — " The existence of this 
 port, where we find it, greatly tends to confirm me in placing 
 Adrumentum at Susa, and not at Herghla, as Shaw has 
 incoiTectly done : for at the latter no vestiges of a port are 
 to be seen." * But the mere remains of a harbour is but a 
 poor confirmation of the assertion that Susa is built upon the 
 ruins of Adrumentum. Ruspina had also a port, and the 
 situation of the remains the colonel alludes to, tends strongly 
 to corroborate that it is the port of Euspina, and not the 
 cothon of Adrumentum. A cothon, like that of Carthage, 
 was an artificial harbour, excavated at a short distance from 
 the sea, with which it communicated by a canal; whereas 
 the remains Sir Grenville speaks of are " traced under water 
 [the sea], and several parts arise above its surface." I shall 
 point out the remains of the cothon when I reach Adru- 
 mentum : at present it may be as well only to add, that 
 I believe this to be the port of Ruspina, because it is 
 at a considerable distance, from the ruins of the ancient 
 town. Gesenius derives Euspina from the Punic, and 
 makes it to signify caput anguli, which may indicate the 
 form of the elevated part on which it was built, and that 
 part is at some distance from the ruins of the port. Hirtius 
 makes it to be nearly two miles in his time ; but as the 
 
 * Exciusious iu the Medit. vol. i. p. 125.
 
 SUSA, THE ANCIENT EUSPINA. 329 
 
 sea has considerably encroached on this side of the coast, 
 it is now much less. If I have laid do-\vn coiTectly the 
 positions of Thapsus, of Leptis, and of some other towns 
 mentioned in the " African War " (of which, I think, there 
 can be no doubt), then — ^with this additional evidence of the 
 existence of traces of this ancient harbom' where they are 
 found — it will readily be admitted that Susa must occupy 
 the site of Ruspina, and not that of Adrumentum. 
 
 Susa is a flourishing town, and has a population similar to 
 that of Monasteer ; but there are here more Europeans, 
 some of whom are very wealthy. A brisk export trade, 
 principally in oil, is carried on with Italy and Malta. The 
 imports, too, are great, for Susa supplies Cairwaan and some 
 of the other inland towns with Euroj)ean manufactures. The 
 city is walled, and stands close to the edge of the sea, but it 
 gradually rises towards the land side, and terminates before 
 it quite reaches the summit, where I believe Ruspina stood. 
 There are here some very good houses, among which that 
 belonging to Her Majesty's vice-consul is one, and in it we 
 were both kindly received and entertained. Susa also boasts 
 of a club, which was thrown open to us, and where we had 
 the pleasure of meeting some old friends and making new 
 acquaintances. 
 
 An interval of rest at Susa refreshed man and beast, so 
 that both resumed the journey in good spuits. The neigh- 
 bourhood of Susa is not so beautiful as that of Monasteer. 
 Emerging from the olive plantations, which occupy a de- 
 clivity, we at once entered upon an extensive plain, bounded 
 to the right by the sea, and to the left by a chain of hills of 
 moderate height. This scenery corresponds so exactly with 
 the description given of the vicinity of Ruspina by the 
 author of the " African War," that it alone ought to suffice 
 to carry conviction that Susa occupies the site of that ancient 
 city. We are told that Caesar went to Ruspina, whence he 
 continued his route to the left of the camp, along the sea,
 
 330 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 and passed a declivity wliich opened into a fine plain, ex- 
 tending fifteen miles, and bordering upon a cliain of moun- 
 tains of moderate height, which formed a kind of theatre,* 
 Nothing can be more exact than this description, making, at 
 the same time, due allowance for the change since produced 
 by the ravages of the sea, for near the small declivity there 
 is now a kind of swamp, across which a causeway was con- 
 structed for the convenience of travellers. 
 
 We had only been travelling about two hours when I 
 discovered an Arab, who had been hovering about us for 
 several days, again in the rear of our party. His appearing, 
 and disappearing, seemed very suspicious. We scJmetimes 
 met him on the road, sometimes we found him in a village 
 or in an encampment, while occasionally he travelled in our 
 company, but always at a respectful distance from us. My 
 curiosity was roused, and I was resolved to know something 
 more about this mysterious individual. Falling gradually 
 back, I soon found myself side by side with the Arab, who 
 was just then leading his horse, whose back was fearfully 
 chafed. 
 
 " ReJiarJcom mahrok, may your day be blessed," said I, 
 addressing him, and to this salutation he responded, but in a 
 very reserved, and shy, manner. 
 
 " You are not from this part of the country, judging from 
 your dialect ; where do you come from, O friend ? " I asked. 
 
 " I come from the far west." 
 
 " And whither are you going 1 " 
 
 " To the tribunal of the prince of the faithful." 
 
 " I trust no evil has befallen you." 
 
 " Evil has been my share," he now answered with less 
 reserve ; " and it is, alas ! that evil which compels me, suf- 
 
 * Inde (from Ruspina) parviilam declivitatem digresses, sinistra parte 
 campi, propter mare legioues ducit. Hie campus mirabili planicie patet 
 millia passum xv., quern jugum iugeus a mari ortum, neque ita prajaltum 
 velut tlieatri efficit speciem. (Hirt. Bell. Afr. c. xxxvii. )
 
 THE HORSE-DEALER'S ESCAPE. 331 
 
 fering as I do from pain and hunger, to travel to the seat of 
 justice." 
 
 •" May I know what the nature of your complaint is 1 " I 
 inquired. 
 
 " I Anil willingly tell you all," he replied, " seeing you, a 
 Nazarene, are interested in a Moslem who has suffered such 
 grievous calamities from those of his o^vn creed. Know then, 
 
 Nazarene ! that I am a dealer in horses, and trade gene- 
 rally with your people in the west [Algeria]. Somewhat 
 more than a month ago I sold two horses at Tebessa, 
 and on returning to this kingdom, I resolved' to visit a 
 friend of the Hammama tribe, who was formerly my 
 partner. I reached thfe spot where he usually pitched his 
 tent, but found it deserted, and as the day was drawing 
 to a close, I hastened to search for shelter, and at the 
 same time to make inquiries about my friend. Night came 
 on, and I still wandered about in a very solitary part of 
 the country, with but little prospect of finding what I 
 sought. But on reaching the summit of a hill, I espied, 
 to my intense joy, the fires of an encampment at a very 
 short distance off. I hastened to it, and was hospitably 
 received. The tents belonged to Hammama Arabs, who 
 knew my friend, and promised to conduct me to him in 
 the morning. • 
 
 " At dawn on the following day three young men called 
 me, saying they were ready to lead me to the tent of my 
 former partner, and soon after I staiied with them. They 
 were well armed, and mounted on good horses. We rode 
 for some hours through veiy lonely and wild ravines, and as 
 
 1 observed the repeated whispering of my companions, I 
 began to entertain suspicions of theu' intentions. It was not 
 long before I was confii-med in my apprehensions, for one of 
 the fellows fell gradually back. In a few seconds after a 
 pistol was discharged, and I felt the bullet pass through the 
 fleshy part of my arm. The man declared that this was a
 
 332 EUIKED CITIES. 
 
 mere accident, but I now took care to ride behind my guides, 
 to be at least prepared for a defence. 
 
 " We rode on for some hours longer through very intricaie 
 windings among the mountains, the fellows being all that 
 time apparently undecided uj)on the j^recise course they 
 meant to adopt. At last they proposed to halt for a short 
 time. But scarcely had I dismounted, than the one who 
 had fired at me desired me to show him my money. 
 
 "'BillaJii alaih, may Allah regulate your evil passions,' 
 said I, ' Covet not what belongs to others, and do not 
 expose yourself to the wi-ath of Allah.' 
 
 " ' Do you suspect us of treachery ? ' the fellow replied with 
 apparent indignation. ' Are we not Moslems as well as you 
 are ? We are simply curious to see the gold from the land of 
 the Nazarenes, and, surely, you cannot refuse us this, seeing 
 the trouble we take to conduct you to your friend's tent.' 
 
 " I replied that if they were solely actuated by curiosity, I 
 should willingly show them my money in my friend's tent. 
 
 " ' And are the Hammama to be suspected of a breach of 
 hospitality, and that by a dog who is friendly with our 
 enemies, the despisers of the proj)het, the infidel Nazarenes ? ' 
 the same fellow exclaimed furiously. 'Stand up for the 
 honour of our tribe,' he continued, ' and let us avenge this 
 insult ! ' , 
 
 " These words were no sooner uttered than I found myself 
 in the powerful grasp of all the three, and in my struggle 
 with them I received another bullet wound. My money was 
 taken from me, and my real concern now was how to save 
 my life. I lay prostrate on the ground, the blood streaming 
 from me, and I felt my strength gradually sinking. But the 
 thought of falling a victim to these wretches roused me from 
 the stupor which I felt fast coming over me. Whilst they 
 were busy in dividing the spoil — my hard-earned money — 
 I made a desperate effort, and succeeded in leaping into my 
 saddle. In an instant after I was borne away by my
 
 THE HORSE-DEALER'S ESCAPE. 333 
 
 favourite — but, alas ! now starved — horse, who, though he 
 outstripped the speed of the robbers, who tried to pursue me, 
 could not surpass the velocity of their bullets, one of which 
 lodged in his body, while another grazed my leg. My horse 
 tore away from the scene of danger and wickedness, and as 
 he rapidly increased the distance between me and my 
 assailants, I felt my strength fast sinking. Fortunately I 
 found that my faithful, and sagacious, animal was hastening 
 towards a group of tents, and as he came to a stand before 
 them, I cried out with my remaining strength — 
 
 " ' Moslems ! aid a d3dng brother, who has just escaped 
 from the wicked hands of murderers.' 
 
 "With the utmost care and tenderness did those people 
 help me off my horse. They dressed my wounds, and treated 
 me with great kindness. Through their exertions the mis- 
 creants were seized, and through the attention I received 
 from them I was able to proceed to Cairwaan and state my 
 grievance to Sidy Hamoda, the bey of the camp. He sent 
 the robbers to Tunis, and advised me to proceed thither 
 in order that the case may be tried before the prince of the 
 faithful. 
 
 " But I have been informed that it is the intention of the 
 friends of the prisoners to murder me, in order to quash all 
 further proceedings. I therefore resolved to keep near your 
 party, for I know I can nowhere else be safer ; but as I was 
 afraid that I might be driven away, I always avoided coming 
 too close either when you were travelling, or when your tents 
 were pitched." 
 
 " You did wrong," I replied, " in not stating your misfor- 
 tune to us at once, for we would have assisted you with 
 much pleasm-e." 
 
 " Yes," he rejoined, " your kindness shows me that I did 
 wrong. I had to sell my saddle and bridle in order to feed 
 my horse, and yet the poor animal is dying of hunger." 
 
 I made the poor fellow mount one of our baggage horses.
 
 334 EITINED CITIES. 
 
 and charged myself with the responsibility of seeing him, and 
 his jaded animal, properly attended to during the rest of the 
 journey. 
 
 The gratitude he manifested was very great. Every party 
 we met on the road he stopped and informed them how 
 Moslems had plundered him, and how Nazarenes had be- 
 friended him. 
 
 We reached the village of Hercla after three hours' ride, 
 and here we halted for some time at the house of the sheikh. 
 
 Hercla is a poor village of agricultural Arabs, and pos- 
 sesses scarcely any ancient remains. But north of this place, 
 and on our way towards Hamamaat, we observed portions 
 of the walls of some edifice, and near it pieces of a tesselated 
 Byzantine pavement. If Hercla existed in the time of 
 Caesar, then I think it must have been one of the towns, or 
 castles, on the road between Adrumentum and E-uspina, 
 deputies from which, we are told, met the Roman general 
 and offered to furnish him with corn. Shaw, however, places 
 here Adrumentum, which. Sir Grenville Temple justly 
 obsei'ves, he " has incorrectly done ; " but I reserve my 
 reasons for differing from the learned doctor till we reach 
 Adrumentum itself. 
 
 The sheikh of Hercla was veiy affable and extremely 
 talkative. He said that the poverty of his people was prin- 
 cipally ascribable to the exorbitant interests they pay to the 
 Christian and Jewish merchants of Susa. 
 
 " We work for those merchants," he said ; " we enrich 
 them, and, consequently, we remain wretchedly poor." 
 
 " But what do you call exorbitant interests ? " I asked. 
 
 " I do not know what your opinion may be," the sheikh 
 reijlied, " but I think four for every hundred is too much." 
 
 " We consider four per cent, interest very moderate, even 
 in Europe," I rejoined, " and therefore I certainly do not 
 think that you have cause for complaint. Indeed, I am sur- 
 prised how the merchants can let you have their money at so
 
 RESULTS OF USURY. 335 
 
 low a rate of interest. In Tunis the people have to pay a 
 great deal more." 
 
 "All this may be true," said the sheikh, shrugging his 
 shoulders, " but I know it is a very hard thing when a poor 
 fellow hke myself wants a loan of 10,000 piasters [£250], 
 and scarcely receives more than 5000, the rest being at once 
 deducted for the first year's interest." 
 
 I now saw the reasonableness of the sheikh's bitter com- 
 plaint. He meant that the people had to pay to the usurers 
 " four for every, hundred " per month, and not per year ! 
 This I could well understand, for I was aware that such 
 wholesale robbery did exist in the country, and I knew that 
 the basest means were frequently employed in order to 
 obtain the foulest ends. 
 
 Yisit the prisons, and you will find the most miserable 
 wretches, who may have pined in those filthy dungeons for 
 years through the avarice, the intrigue, the mahce, and 
 cunning of those who are enjo}dng the property that once 
 belonged to these unfortunate inmates. Usmy is prohibited 
 by the author of the Coran, and, hence, there are no laws 
 concerning it in Mohammedan countries ; but owing to the 
 non-existence of proper regulations on this subject, there 
 are no bounds to the percentages which the unprincipled 
 demand, and which the thoughtless Arabs readily give, I 
 know several, once wealthy, families, who have been re- 
 duced to beggary by having become chents of a usurer. 
 Occasionally only a small sum is advanced, for which a 
 promissory note is taken before a regular notary, in which 
 the interest is included without its beiag specified. The 
 time for payment approaches, and the boiTOwer is unable 
 to meet the claim. Imprisonment is threatened, to avoid 
 whicl* the party consents to renew the document, increas- 
 ing considerably the original liability. This scene is enacted 
 again and again ; obligations are 'cancelled, and new ones, 
 with increased amounts, are procured ; and this practice is
 
 336 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 continued till the paltry sum assumes a most important 
 figure. Then legal steps are taken, and immediate pay- 
 ment is enforced. The debtor is thrown into prison, and 
 left to pine there till he hquidates the unjust claim, which 
 generally can only be done by the sacrifice of his whole 
 property. Reduced to poverty and starvation, he soon finds 
 himself again in the horrible den which he had so recently 
 quitted — with this difference, that now there remains scarcely 
 any prospect of his condition being ameliorated, as he has 
 been deprived of all that could satisfy a greedy and unjust 
 creditor. 
 
 Through my intervention a man, ninety-two years of age, 
 was set at liberty, having been an inmate of a filthy jail for 
 many years. He once ranked among the wealthy of the 
 land, and owned several fine estates. During his incarceration, 
 his wife and two of his children died from sheer want ; and, 
 whilst they were lingering on their death-bed, the aged 
 prisoner begged, as a special favour, to be permitted to see 
 them once more ; but his request was refused by the obdurate 
 money-monger who kept him in confinement. When liber- 
 ated the poor man felt ashamed to issue from his dismal 
 abode, and encounter the broad daylight, for he had not a 
 rag left wherewith to cover himself ! 
 
 Poor Arabs ! they are, at the same time, the spoil of the 
 European and native usurers, and the prey of an unprinci- 
 pled, merciless, and ignorant Mamlook government. 
 
 An enterprise, which would have proved profitable to the 
 promoters, and would, at the same time, have been a great 
 relief to the population, now at the mercy of usurers, was 
 the contemplated estabhshment of an Anglo-Tunisian bank. 
 But the French consul thought it either his personal interest, 
 or the interest of France (?), to oppose the speculation.* His 
 undue ascendancy in the country, and other causes which 
 I will not mention, conspired together to frustrate the 
 undertaking, and, consequently, in spite of all the efforts
 
 EEMAmS OF "TOWERS AND CASTLES" ON THE BEACH. 337 
 
 • 
 
 and exertions of Her Majesty's Agent and Consul General, 
 Mr. Wood, the Anglo -Tunisian bank was not established. 
 
 Leaving Hercla, we traversed a barren plain, which is, during 
 the rainy season, a perfect swamp. We kept as close to the 
 beach as we could until we reached what is called the Assa 
 el-Kahera, a military guard, stationed here to prevent smug- 
 gling. The guard-house is built upon, and with the materials 
 of, an ancient edifice. Similar ruins are met with every four 
 or five miles, and as their existence tends to confirm the state- 
 ment of Hirtius, that there were " towers and castles " on the 
 road between Adnimentum and Ruspina, I have thought it 
 proper to mark them on my route plan. But from the Assa 
 el-Kahera we branched off to the left, and having crossed 
 a swamp, about 300 feet in width, in which our horses, 
 to our great hoiTor, more than once threatened either to 
 capsise or to stick fast, we reached an encampment of 
 Mehaadebah Ai'abs, comprising about fifty tents. This tribe 
 can mount 1000 warriors, but it is dispersed over the country 
 in small bodies, like the di^dsion for whose hospitality we 
 now presented ourselves, at the place bearing the compre- 
 hensive name of I^efaar ini'ta oulaacl Said, "the persons 
 of the children of Said." 
 
 The " elders" of the encampment approached us whilst we 
 were engaged in pitching our tent at a short distance from 
 theirs, and welcomed us in very civil terais, informing us, at 
 the same time, that they were prepared to supply all our 
 wants, and this they did very amply and very cheerfully. 
 
 Not far from this spot there was another encampment of 
 the Methaleeth Arabs, a tribe which generally inhabits the 
 open country near Sfax. But the dread of a famine which 
 threatens the southern districts, owing to a failure in the 
 crops,-has driven multitudes northward. In every direction 
 we saw gi'oups of their tents, whilst the road was full of fresh 
 comers, whose starved and squalid appearance was truly 
 heartrending.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE RUINS OF "PARADISE" AND THE REMAINS OF "THE 
 HALL OF DEATH." 
 
 A Merry Guide — Ruins of Paradise — A Pilgrim's Knowledge— More Geo- 
 graphical Differences — Arrival at Hammamet — The Modern Town — The 
 ancient Adrumentuni. 
 
 The Mehaadehah Arabs, of Nefaar m'ta oulcmd Said, not 
 only entertained us very hospitably, but they sent one of their 
 people to conduct us to the ruins of Elfaradees, Paradise, 
 some miles among the hills above their encampment. On 
 the slope of this chain of heights we noticed ruins, both on 
 our right and on our left, but our programme for the day did 
 not permit us to deviate from our road for the purpose of 
 examining them. 
 
 Our guide was a venerable old man, who had once been a 
 sheikh, and, in his day, prosperous in the world : he was 
 now reduced in circumstances, but he was merry in prosperity, 
 and he is now merry in adversity. 
 
 " Everything in this worlds and every condition of man," 
 he said jovially, "is bilkitba, according to destiny. If Allah 
 wills us to be rich, we are rich ; and if He decrees othermse, 
 we are poor. But whatever He ordains is for the good of his 
 people, and we ought to be satisfied, particularly since we 
 have no claim upon Him. A few more years will roll into 
 eternity, and what will it then matter whether a man has 
 been rich or poor, honoured or despised ? Has he been a 
 good man? Has he done all the good in his power? Has he 
 served Allah ? will be the important and mighty questions." .
 
 EUIXS or "PARADISE." 339 
 
 I liked this man, for he was attached to his creed without 
 being fanatical, he was religious without canting, and, in his 
 way, he was pious and devout without being gloomy and 
 morose. 
 
 The first part of our way to Elfaradees lay through splendid 
 •barley fields, and then we commenced threading our path 
 through the windings amidst the hills, gradually ascendino- 
 higher and higher, till we reached a most lovely spot, called 
 Ain Mkhaloof, " the boar spring." Here are the remains 
 of. an aqueduct and a reservoir, besides a few other frao-- 
 ments of antiquity. From this spot we had to pass over 
 some dizzy crags, by which we entered a very charming little 
 dale, forming a regular amphitheatre, in which are the ruins of 
 Elfaradees, the Afrodision of Ptolemy, and the Grasse of the 
 lower empire. Here the Vandal kings had a country palace 
 — a Paradise — which was occupied by Belisarius when on his 
 way to Carthage to wrest the power from Gelimer, and to 
 re-conquer the African dominions for Justinian. 
 
 Elfaradees does neither appear to have been a town of great 
 extent nor of magnificence, but its secluded situation was well 
 adapted as a retreat. It is sheltered from all winds except 
 from the northerly, which is a welcome visitor during the 
 prevalence of the hot weather. Right through the centre of the 
 valley there is a meandering stream of most delicious water. 
 
 Its principal rains consist in the remains of a palace and of 
 a fort, both of which edifices s,tood on the heights facing the 
 sea. They were built of* hewn square stones ; but these 
 structures commend themselves more for their soHdity than 
 either for their magnitude or elegance of architecture. The 
 spot which the palace occupies commands a very exten- 
 sive, and truly beautiful, view, not only of the sea, but of the 
 land also, and that for many miles ; and as this was probably a 
 summer palace, a good prospect may have been a primary 
 consideration -svith the Vandal chiefs, who were, perhaps, greater 
 lovers of nature than what we know them to have been of 
 
 z 2
 
 340 EUmED CITIES. 
 
 art. Below, among other prostrate remains of various massive 
 constructions, we find a triumphal arch, still standing and 
 in good preservation, but it displays very bad taste. On 
 one fagade it has niches, and on the other columns, which 
 are not only out of proportion, but they are not even sym- 
 metrically disposed. Its ornaments are few and poor, and it 
 bears no engraved memorial, nor does it appear ever to have 
 Had any ; and among all these ruins, though I searched 
 very diligently, I could not discover a single inscription. 
 
 The little stream runs right through this arch, and seems to 
 triumph in its solitude. Its original course has either been 
 altered accidentally, by some sudden fall of ruins, or it was 
 changed intentionally by the Arabs, who are encamped in the 
 neighbourhood, and who come here for their regular supplies 
 of water. The spot was so tempting that we halted beneath 
 the arch, and, during the time that our horses were grazing, 
 we partook of a humble meal. Whilst thus engaged an Arab 
 with five of his children, two boys and three girls, in tattered 
 garments, and each supplied with a jar, ai'rived at the stream. 
 I called the children and gave them all the food that we could 
 spare. They were grateful for this donation, and the father, 
 after eyeing us steadfastly for some seconds in perfect silence, 
 suddenly turned to our hamba and aged guide, exclaiming — 
 
 " Wallah Jionia khair nfiilrrwsalineen — By Allah ! they 
 [pointing to us] are better than Moslems." 
 
 Our philosophic guide having pointed out to us the way to 
 Kasr Zaita, wished us a prosperous journey, and returned, in 
 high spirits, to his encampment. The way down into the 
 plain is not bad, and as it was studded over with gi'oups of 
 tents of the starving Methaleeth, there was no probabihty of 
 our missing the road. 
 
 We were accosted by several travelling parties, or migrating 
 villages, with their inhabitants, goat-hair houses, furniture, 
 and cattle, who were hastening northward to escape from the 
 threatened famine in the south. From one of these pai'ties, a
 
 A PILGEIM'S KNOWLEDGE. ^ ' 341" 
 
 haj, a pilgrim, (whom we recognised by his privileged badge, 
 the red turban,) attached himself to us, and having on his way 
 to Mecca visited Malta, began to talk to us, or rather to me, 
 about har Nessara, " the land of the Nazarenes," of which 
 he spoke in terms of praise. 
 
 "But what are you?" he asked, after having conversed 
 with me for some time, " are you a rey or a consol — a king 
 or a consul?" 
 
 " Which do you think I am, ! Haj ?" I asked, in my 
 turn. 
 
 He could not tell with any degree of precision, for there 
 was something about me which, to him, savoured of both 
 dignities, and he therefore relinquished the task of guessing. 
 But he made another effort, and inquired, — 
 
 " Is it your nation over which a lady rules ?" 
 . " It is." 
 
 " She has a hash grado — an eminent title — has she not ?" 
 
 " Decidedly." 
 
 " Your nation is the nearest to Islaam. You are akin 
 to us, for when you promise you never deceive." 
 
 " But such is not the character of Moslems," I replied, 
 " for the people here, generally speaking, are very deceitful." 
 
 " True," he answered, " but it is the result of great haatel, 
 injustice, which is prevalent in our country." 
 
 " Do you mean injustice from the government, or from 
 among yourselves ?" 
 
 " From both." 
 
 " But you gain nothing by your falsehood and deception. 
 You are all wretchedly poor. By honesty, straightforward- 
 ness, and truthfulness you would be much better off." 
 
 " There is, no doubt, much reason in what you say," the 
 haj replied ; " but what can we do ? How can we alter 
 matters ? Everything is hilkitba, according to destiny, and 
 who can overrule the decrees of fate ? If Allah wills us to 
 be so, we cannot help it."
 
 342 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 At Kasr Zaita are the ruins of a large fort and the 
 foundations of a few other buildings. This place has evi- 
 dently been serviceable at a more recent period, for it bears 
 distinct traces of Moslem architecture. Shaw says that this 
 is the site of Civitas Siagitana, while Sir Grenville Temple 
 thinks that it is " probably the ancient Siagol," but neither 
 for the conjecture nor for the assertion are any reasons 
 assigned. I am inclined to believe that Siagitana and Siagol 
 (the Stayo'uA of Ptolemy) are names for one and the same 
 town, which, like Afrodision, was more inland, while I take 
 KasT Zaita to be a corruption of the Usceta of Hirtius, 
 which was near Adrumentum. I say a corruption, but I 
 believe it was rather an adaptation, for Usceta sounded to the 
 Arab ear like Zaita, " oil," while Kasr only signifies " a fort," 
 or " a tower," and this addition alludes to the existing ruin. 
 
 That the town of Usceta stood at a short distance from 
 Adrumentum* is evident from the fact that Caesar, after his 
 victory before Thapsus, went to Usceta and made himself 
 master of the place. He then entered Adrumentum, and set 
 out "the same day" (eodem dief) for Utica, which he 
 reached in the evening by torchlight. Now, if Sir Grenville 
 Temple is right in identifying Susa with Adrumentum, the 
 Roman general must have had a march of upwards of eighty 
 miles ; if Shaw is right in fixing on Hercla as Adrumentum, 
 then Csesar had a ride of seventy miles ; and if I am right 
 in regarding Hammamet as the site of that city, then 
 he had a ride of fifty miles. But, whichever receives the 
 preference, it must be remembered that the distance 
 between Usceta and Adrumentum must be added. Now, 
 I make this distance to be about nine, or ten, miles, if it 
 is admitted that Kasr Zaita is correctly identified with the 
 Usceta of Hirtius. But an argument based on distance 
 
 * The name of this town is sometimes written Adrumetum, Hadrumentum, 
 and H adrumetum. 
 
 t Hist. Bell. Afr. c. Ixxxix.
 
 ARRIVAL AT HAMMAMET. 343 
 
 would have been disregarded by the authors named, for we 
 have ah'eady seen that Shaw has no hesitation in making 
 Hannibal ride 112 miles in eight hours, while Temple makes 
 Achates, the companion of ^neas, walk 180 miles in the 
 course of one day, and considers this no very extraordinary 
 feat for a Trojan hero !* 
 
 Passing the Kasr Ehnenara, " the tower of the light- 
 house," a mausoleum built in the form of a circular tower, 
 near which are some ancient cisterns,f we reached Bir 
 JElhaita, the half-way house between Susa and Tunis, erected 
 a few years ago for the convenience of travellers. Here we 
 found our baggage-horses and our escort, who had taken the 
 direct road, and, consequently, arrived many hours before 
 us. We only halted a very short time, and continued our 
 journey to Hammamet, which is scarcely more than four 
 miles distant. 
 
 A httle way from Bir Elhaita we observed to our right 
 ruins which occupy a considerable space, extending in the 
 direction of the sea ; but being now pressed for time, we were 
 unable to examine them. As we neared Hammamet, the road 
 became very heavy, our horses sinking many inches deep into 
 the sand. Here we crossed two deep, and wide, dry channels, 
 which have the appearance of beds of rivers, near which 
 are the gardens and vineyards ; and having passed the ruins 
 of an aqueduct, as well as those of several other minor remains 
 of antiquity, we reached the dar elhay, " the bey's house," 
 which stands outside, but close to, the walls of the town. 
 
 Our government order procured us ready admission into 
 
 ' * See Carthage and her Remains, c. xv. p. 339. 
 
 t Shaw says that several little altars were placed upon the cornice of this 
 mausoleum, and these were ' ' inscribed mth the names of — 
 
 L. AEMILIO AFRICANO AVVNCVLO. 
 C. SVELIO PONTANO PATRVELI. 
 YITELLIO QVARTO PATRl." 
 
 But neither cornice, nor altars, nor inscriptions, are now to be seen.
 
 344 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 "palace yard" where we had scarcely dismounted when the 
 vice-governor arrived to welcome us. He was extremely 
 affable, and at once desired us to tell him whether there was 
 any food for which we had a preference. Having recently 
 had an abundance of beef and poultry, we expressed a wish 
 for some fish. A servant was instantly despatched to pro- 
 cure a supply, whilst we, having partaken of a cup of coffee, 
 felt sufficiently refreshed to view the town. 
 
 Hammamet is a small place, containing scarcely more than 
 a thousand inhabitants, and though its houses are pretty 
 decent, and, judging from the exterior, even neat and clean, it 
 is nevertheless very dull. The inhabitants are either weavers 
 or agriculturists, and depend for a subsistence chiefly upon the 
 Arabs encamped in the neighbourhood, who resort hither for 
 the supply of their limited wants. The citadel of Hammamet 
 is imjjosing enough outside, but its interior is in a dilapidated 
 condition. It is neither supplied with the means of defence, 
 nor would its weak walls be proof against an assault of a very 
 moderate force. " Formerly," says my old MS. geogi-aphy, 
 " there was [here] a very good port, but for want of being 
 kept in due repair, is only capable of receiving sandalls and 
 small boats." The northerly winds have periodically swept 
 down clouds of sand, which being aiTested by the heights in 
 the vicinity of Hammamet, have not only destroyed its port, 
 but buried the iTiins, which, judging from the numerous frag- 
 ments we see projecting from the arenose mounds, have occu- 
 pied an immense space. The remains of an extensive ancient 
 city are thus, by this devastating cause, hid from view. But 
 not only are the ruins buried, but the modern town is, I fear, 
 doomed to the fate of Camart, in the vicinity of Carthage. 
 On one side a sandhill is already on a level with the battle- 
 ments of the wall, so that in a few more years the wind will 
 discharge its arenose contents right into the town, and in 
 a few years more still, the traveller will stand on a mound 
 beneath which will be entombed the Moslem town of Ham-
 
 THE ANCIENT ADRUMENTUM. 345 
 
 mamet, together with the remaining traces of the ancient 
 city of Adrumentum. 
 
 Temple, who visited this place, tells us — " On the sea side 
 I remarked some remains of an ancient pier. Hammamet 
 was the ancient Civitas Siagitana, as is proved from some 
 inscriptions which were found here, and were not brought 
 from Kazr ezeit, [Kasr Zaita, where Shaw places his Civitas 
 Siagitana,] as some have supposed." 
 
 He then produces three inscriptions (which will be found 
 in Appendix I., marked Nos. 50, 51, 52), and adds, "But none 
 of them at present exist — at least, not at Hammamet." * 
 
 Now, I must say there is something very unfair in this 
 dogmatic assertion o£ Sir Grenville Temple. He affirms that 
 this is the Civitas Siagitana upon the authority of the 
 inscriptions which he did not see, but which he copied f from 
 Shaw, and yet he declares that they were not brought from 
 Kasr Zaita, without giving us any reason for this assertion. 
 Shaw states positively that they "were brought from the 
 neighbouring ruins of Cassir Aseita, [Kasr Zaita,] the Civitas 
 Siagitana of the ancients." But then he speaks so vaguely 
 about his having actually seen them, that it seems more 
 than probable that he himself only copied them from another 
 source ;| and from that source it does not appear at all that 
 those inscriptions ever were at Hammamet. 
 
 I consider Shaw's laboured efforts to prove that Hercla 
 occupies the site of Adrumentum, in opposition to Hammamet, 
 as really undeserving of a serious refutation. The idea of 
 his saying because we are told that Varus left Adrumen- 
 tum in the second watch of the night, (about nine p.m.,) 
 and arrived before Leptis early in the morning, "therefore 
 there could have been no considerable distance betwixt Leptis 
 and Adrumentum ;" and since he considers Hammamet a 
 
 * Excursions in the Medit. vol. ii. p. 10. 
 t See Shaw's Travels, vol. i. pp. 180, 181. 
 J Shaw refers to Bochart, Chan. lib. i. c. 24.
 
 346 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 considerable distance from Leptis, therefore Hammamet can- 
 not be the place where Adrumentum stood. Now, the real 
 distance between Leptis, or the modern Lejaab, and Adru- 
 mentum, or Hammamet, is fifty-five miles. Varus intended 
 to surprise Caesar's fleet, which was in a rather disordered 
 state, before Leptis. To accomplish his design, it is only- 
 natural to suppose that he took advantage of a favourable 
 wind, with the aid of which, and the assistance of oars, let us 
 say, he only made seven miles per hour. Varus started about 
 nine * at night, and, supposing that he reached Leptis at five 
 in the morning (which, at the season of the year during which 
 this occurred, is not only early, but is before daybreak), and 
 we shall find that he accomplished a little more even than 
 the actual distance required. But what really surprises me is 
 that Dr. Shaw should have had the conscience to urge such an 
 objection, when he himself made Hannibal ride a hundred and 
 twelve miles in precisely the same space of time — eight hours. 
 His other objection, regarding the long day's march of forty 
 miles between Hammamet and Ruspina (which he says Caesar's 
 men, -because they had to repel some sallies of the enemy in 
 the morning, could not have accomplished), is readily silenced 
 upon a simple reference to histories of ancient, and modern, 
 military campaigns.! But if forty miles is too long a march 
 for one day, I should like to know what those who agree with 
 Dr. Shaw think of the march to which I have already alluded 
 — between Adrumentum and Utica, with the additional 
 piece of ten miles between Usceta and Adrumentum. 
 
 But I do not consider the mere fact of Hammamet being 
 nearer to TJtica than the other two towns a sufficient proof 
 that here stood the ancient Adrumentum ; nor even because 
 others before Shaw, as Buno and the Sansons, have come to 
 the conclusion that it does occupy that site. I have other 
 reasons, which I will state as briefly as possible. 
 
 * Vigilia secunda. De Bell. Afr. c. Ixii. 
 
 t The Itinerary is in this instance, as in numerous others, no guide.
 
 HAMMAMET PEOYED TO BE THE AXCIEXT ADKUMEKTU 347 
 
 1. The historian of the African war mentions the ports of 
 the various maritime cities, but none of those does he deno- 
 minate Cothon * excejDt that of Adrumentum. A cotJion, I 
 have already said, is an excavated harbour which communi- 
 cates by means of a channel with the sea, similar to that of 
 Carthage. It was a naval and mercantile harbour, and it is 
 to such a port that Virgil alludes — 
 
 " Hie portus alii efifodiunt," + 
 
 and of which Strabo I makes mention. Indeed, the word 
 cothon^ refers to the island which was generally in the centre, 
 round which wide circular channels were cut, so that vessels 
 could go in and out without the necessity of turning. Now, 
 clear and evident traces of such a cothon are found at Hamma- 
 met. The two wide channels, like deep beds of rivers, which 
 I mentioned on my approach to the town, are undoubtedly 
 those of the excavated harbour. The ruins of Adrumentum 
 have been buried by the sand, but the sand could not choke 
 up these channels ; for the heavy winter rains, which supply 
 torrents of water from the neighbouring heights, wash the 
 deposits annually into the sea. The existence of traces of 
 such a cothon goes a long way to prove that Hammamet 
 stands upon the ruins of Adrumentum, 
 
 2. When the forces of Agathocles were besieging Adru- 
 mentum, we are informed that the Sicilian monarch lighted a 
 
 * "We are told that Yarus, on the occasion above referred to, "Yigilia 
 secunda Adrumeto ex Cothone egressus." Again, when his ships were chased 
 hy Caesar, "Adrumetuni in Cothmiem se universae contulerunt ;" and, again, 
 that Csesar humt all the ships "quae erant extra Cothonem," and compelled 
 the others to take refuge "in Cothonem." De Bell. Afr. c. Ixii. Ixiii. 
 
 t ^neid. 1. v. 427. 
 
 X In describing the coast the geographer speaks of Cape Taphitis, which he 
 lays down correctly in the same latitude with Cossura or Pantellaria ; and 
 adds, "Then follows the city Adrumes, in which there was also a naval 
 arsenal — eira ASpv/UTjs iroAts, ey ^ koI vfdipia riv." Lib. xvii. c. Ill, § 16, 
 Cassaub. p. 834. 
 
 § It is a Phoenician word, and signifies " small," "little," and refers to the 
 small island it always had in the centre.
 
 348 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 number of fires on heights from which he could both see this 
 town and Carthage* This stratagem proved very advan- 
 tageous to him ; for the Adrumentians, believing that a strong 
 reinforcement had arrived for the besiegers, at once surren- 
 dered the town, while, at the same time, the Carthaginians, 
 who were about to lay siege to Tunis, thinking that the in- 
 vading forces were marching to cut off their retreat, hastily 
 retired within the walls of their own capital. 
 
 I would now ask which are the heights here referred 
 to? Shaw answers, Zoghwaan, the loftiest mountain in 
 the whole of this country ; but he was evidently not aware 
 that his Adrumentum, or Hercla, cannot be seen from that 
 eminence; for nearer mountains intercept the view. But did 
 he really think that the Carthaginians, or Adrumentians, 
 could have been so alarmed at fires lit on that mountain, 
 (which is no less than thirty miles from either place,) as to 
 adopt such precipitate decisions ? I cannot believe that he 
 did. Moreover, there is no road, and there never was one, 
 across Zoghwaan ; so that if even fires had been seen on it, 
 it wpild never have been supposed that they intimated the 
 approach of the enemy. But the distance between Ham- 
 mamet and Carthage is a little more than thirty miles ; and 
 from the heights, only two hours' ride from the former place, 
 those two cities can be distinctly seen. 
 
 3. Again, Adrumentuin is a name of Phoenician origin, and 
 signifies, according to Scaliger, " the hall of death " (Atrium 
 Mortis) — or (as I feel disposed to derive it from Jfedermot) 
 " the chamber of death." An appalling name for a town, it 
 will perhaps be said ; but we ought to bear in mind that the 
 Phoenicians, among other deities, worshipped Mot,f who, we 
 are informed, was the same as Pluto, and he was probably 
 the patron, or protecting divinity, of this town, in which he, 
 
 * Diod. Sic. lib. xx. p. 721. 
 
 + According to Sanchoniathan, Cronos deified his son Mot — 6V edmrov Kal 
 UKovrwya tpoiviKes ovo(ia.Q>vai. Euseb. Prsep. Ev. 1, c. 10.
 
 THE AKCIENT ADRUMENTUM. 349 
 
 very likely, had a temple. Ominous, however, as this name 
 sounds, it is surprising that the modern Arabic name retains 
 very nearly the same signification. Haiinct means " a tent," 
 and TThot " death," — Haimamot " the tent of death." * And 
 when we consider that a " tent " is with the Arab " a hall, 
 or " a chamber," I am quite justified in saying that the 
 original name of the ancient town has been strictly handed 
 down to us. 
 
 Such are my reasons for maintaining that this little 
 Moslem town occupies the spot where once stood the famous 
 city of Adrumentum, of which Smetius has this inscrip- 
 tion : — Colonia. Conconlia. Ulpia. Triana. Aug. Frugifera. 
 HadruTYietana. And on the coins of this colony we find — 
 Colonia Concordia Julia Hadrumetana Pia. 
 
 Adrumentum is one of the many African towns which 
 the barbarous Vandals destroyed. It was, however, restored 
 by Justinian, whose name it bore for a time. As the capital 
 of ByzaciuTYi — a district so called from the original inhabit- 
 ants, who had settled here before the Carthaginians — it cer- 
 tainly deserved to be called " the fruitful," for it was, and, to 
 a great extent, still is, the granary of the country. The 
 district was hkewise called Emporia, probably from its 
 having had the principal sea-ports, and the most flourishing 
 towns, which carried on foreign trade, as well as regular 
 commerce, with the interior and with central Africa. 
 
 Having now ascertained the true site of Adrumentum, I 
 trust I may be permitted to say that I have succeeded in 
 removing some geographical difficulties hitherto connected 
 with the different towns mentioned in Caesar's African 
 campaign. 
 
 * It was customary to call towns after tlie names of the deities ; thus, 
 Sicca Veneria, "the tent, or tabernacle, of Venus," the modern Kef. The 
 city of Tunis appears also to have derived its name from Tanith, the Persian 
 deity, whose worship was introduced into Africa at a very early period. See 
 •'Carthage and her Remains," chap. xii. p. 258.
 
 350 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 The conqueror's marcli to Utica, the fate of the vanquished 
 republican party — the death of Cato, of Scipio, of King Juba, 
 — Caesar's triumph and subsequent career — appertain to the 
 pages of history, and for such a history we are now waiting 
 from the pen of His Imperial Majesty of France. 
 
 The kingdom of Juba, through a portion of which we 
 travelled, was converted into a province ; and Crispus 
 Sallustius, the author of the "Jugurthine War," was ap- 
 pointed to take charge of it, with the title of Proconsul.
 
 CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 PAEEWELL TO MY TEKT. 
 
 A Strange Procession — An Ample Dinner — Scenery — The Graves of "the 
 Forty" — Stronghold of "the Father of Tusks" — Encouraging Advice 
 — Contempt for Nazarenes — Settlement of Accounts — Farewell to ray 
 Tent. 
 
 We were seated in a large whitewashed vaulted chamber 
 of the government house before the walls of Hammamet, the 
 windows of which command a fine view of the sea, and from 
 them we could see all that either entered, or came out of, the 
 gate of the town. The servants, placed at our disposal by the 
 vice-governor, spontaneously resolved to make us acquainted 
 with all the ^lite of the place, so that when any went in or 
 came out of the gate, they readily volunteered to tell us the 
 name, the family, and indeed the whole history of every 
 individual. Fortunately but few made their appearance. 
 What did we care whether a man's name was Mohammed or 
 Ali, whether he owned the white house with a bench before 
 it, and had a large garden on the Naabel road, &c., &c. ? — 
 Nothing. But, as we gave these domestics credit either for 
 extreme good-nature, or for being actuated by a desire to do 
 us some service for the anticipated gratuity, we suffered 
 ourselves to be victimised, and patiently submitted to be 
 instructed in " Who's who " of Hammamet. Presently, how- 
 ever, our turn came for actually seeking information from 
 them. The sound of vocal and instrumentd,l music became 
 gradually more and more audible, and presently a procession
 
 352 KUINED CITIES. 
 
 issued from the city gate of so strange a character, that we 
 were at a loss to tell whether it was intended as a demon- 
 stration of mui,h or of mourning — whether it was a marriage 
 or a funeral procession. 
 
 On the shoulders of eight men a kind of palanquin, covered 
 with red shawls, was moving on at the same measured, 
 and rapid, pace with which the charitable and masked 
 brethren of the misericordia hasten their fellow-creatures 
 to their last resting-place. But this cannot possibly be a 
 funeral, I said to myself, for on such occasions the Moslems 
 chant only solemn dirges, and have no instrumental music ; 
 nor can it be a bridal procession, for, though it is accom- 
 panied by music, it looks too much like a funeral. One 
 never loses by asking ; and if we wish to learn, we ought 
 never to be ashamed to ask. This is self-evident, and I 
 resolved to act accordingly. 
 
 But I called in vain either for Mostafa, Ismain, or Hassan, 
 who, it appeared, had scampered off, unnoticed by us, to join 
 the mysterious train on its emerging from the town. But 
 just then the vice-governor himself entered, and he willingly 
 enlightened me on this point. 
 
 It appeared that the famous Moslem sect, the Aisaimah, 
 one of whose menageries I have akeady noticed, have a 
 stronghold here also. The day before our arrival at Ham- 
 mamet they had one of their extraordinary meetings, or 
 feeding reunions, during which the different animals feasted 
 according to their peculiar inclinations. After such a display, 
 it seems, it is customary for the governor to give them a 
 treat more adapted for rational bipeds than thorns, wood, 
 glass, and iron can be. His under-excellency presented 
 them with some enormous dishes (about three feet in 
 diameter) of coseoso, prepared according to the most ap- 
 proved fashion, and cro-wmed them mth a plentiful supjDly 
 of meat. . It was this gift which was earned in triumph 
 from the governor's house in town to the grave of one
 
 THE AMPLE DINNER. . 353 
 
 of their eminent saints, at a short distance from the 
 house in which we were lodged. " There feasting and music," 
 the governor said, " is to be kept up to a very late hour." 
 
 He laughed heartily when I told him what I had surmised, 
 and then added : — 
 
 "After all, you were right, for what is a marriage but 
 mirth, and they are going to make themselves merry ; and 
 what is a funeral but gloom ; and if they reflect that they 
 are feasting in the abode of death, they will be gloomy. A 
 marriage and a funeral are thus combined." 
 
 The bustle and shouts of the servants, the rattling of 
 plates, and the slamming of doors, clearly indicated the 
 approach of our dinner, or rather supper. Presently the 
 door of our vaulted room was thrown open, and in tottered 
 Mustapha and Ismain, bearing a table, ready spread, and 
 gi'oaning under the weight of the amply charged dishes, 
 surmounted with their conical straw hats, or national dish 
 covers. Hassan Allowed with a basket of bread, &c. ; and 
 the whole banquet was to be served under the direction of 
 our jovial Said. The -vdce-governor himself superintended 
 the placing of the table, the height of which did not exceed 
 one foot from the gi'ound. The straw hats were now 
 removed from the different dishes to exhibit their contents ; 
 and these clearly proved that his excellency had determined 
 to gratify us. We had asked for fish, and fish our host 
 certainly gave us. Here was fish soup, boiled fish, stewed 
 fish, fried fish, broiled fish, and some other kinds of fish — 
 another edition of the Irishman's favourite meal — boiled 
 pork, roast pork, pig's head, and another piece of pork. We 
 had here variety and choice enough to satisfy appetites 
 like ours, which had been so repeatedly tantalised on this 
 journey. We made a very hearty supper, which evidently 
 gave gi-eat satisfaction to our generous entertainer, who, I 
 may add, continued very affable to the last moment of our 
 stay at Hammamet.
 
 35i RUINED CITIES. 
 
 Starting from this town, we traversed again the sandy belt 
 in its immediate vicinity ; and emerging from the gardens 
 and plantations, we entered upon very picturesque and bold 
 mountain sceneiy. Its real beauty, however, only commenced 
 beyond the Wad Elfowara, a small stream which, when we 
 crossed it, contained but little water. The ascent, through a 
 regular forest, for nearly two hours, is occasionally intersected 
 by wild ravines ; but the traveller is all the time entertained 
 by very fantastically shaped hills, on his right and on his left, 
 some of whose red-coloured rocky tops, rent and torn into 
 every conceivable form, give them the appearance of being 
 crowned by ruined feudal castles. So perfectly true to 
 reality does this seem, that the illusion is only discovered 
 when within a few hundi'ed yards of them. 
 
 Towards the highest point of this ascent the scenery 
 gradually softens do^vn, and here we meet, on the different 
 gentle slopes, with numerous patches of cultivation. From 
 the summit we have the view of which Agathocles took the 
 strategic advantage which proved so disastrous to his enemy. 
 
 These hills and wild ravines formed probably the boundary 
 between Zeugitania and Byzacium ; for Pliny states, that 
 after Neapolis (the modern Naabel) " commences the second 
 division of Africa, properly so called;" and adds, that those 
 who inhabit this second division, or " Byzacium, have the 
 name of Liby-Phoenecians." * 
 
 Descending into the plain, we passed over the ruins of 
 what must have been a large town, but nothing besides the 
 foundations of numerous houses are now left. Its position 
 in a plain facilitated the removal of its stones and the 
 marble, with which it might have been ornamented, for 
 building and embellishing houses, and palaces, in the towns 
 near it, as well as in the present capital of this country. 
 May this not be the Siagitana, or Siagol, about which we 
 have heard so much ? 
 
 * Hist. Nat., lib. v. c. 4.
 
 THE GKAVES OF THE "FORTY." 355 
 
 We found this vast plain well cultivated, and greatly- 
 enlivened by being studded over with numerous clusters of 
 tents, or small encampments, varying from three to twenty 
 " hair houses " each. But there was one spot in this plain 
 which had more attraction about it than the rest ; and as 
 our baggage horses appeared somewhat fatigued from the 
 rugged ascent, we resolved to halt here a couple of hours 
 on their account, and to take a sketch of Elavhaain, " The 
 forty," its proper name. 
 
 Elarbaain is so called from its containing " forty " graves ; 
 but whether of the " forty thieves," or forty saints, seemed 
 some difficulty to settle. Mr, Ferriere maintained the 
 former ; but in this he was strenuously opposed by Said, 
 who, though always cheerful and merry, was nevertheless a 
 staunch true believer. I proposed to compound the differ- 
 ence ; but against such a compromise Said strongly pro- 
 tested. 
 
 " Moad Allah! Allah forbid!" he exclaimed; "who 
 ever heard of saints being thieves ? Kaal eschoAtaan ! 
 cursed be Satan ! for such an idea. Come, O Moslem ! " 
 he continued, addressing himself to our veteran hamba, 
 " come, explain to him who the foHy were ; you know I 
 am an illiterate man, and cannot do it. Don't suffer him to 
 remain in error ; and don't let him be under the impression 
 that the forty were partly saints and partly thieves." 
 
 Having adjusted his cloak, and thrown the encumbering 
 portion over his left shoulder, so as to have the right hand 
 free, while \\ith the left he grasped his sword, the stately 
 veteran complied with the invitation, and spake on this 
 wise : — 
 
 " Before his demise, the prophet commissioned his asso- 
 ciates to propagate the truth, and to proclaim to the utter- 
 most parts of the earth that there is no other Allah besides 
 Allah, and that Mohammed is his apostle. The infidels 
 resisted the armies which consecrated themselves to accom-
 
 356 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 plish what the prophet had enjoined, and involved them in 
 numerous bloody conflicts. The supporters and advocates 
 of false religions congregated in vast hosts to oppose the 
 progress of Islaam ; and those inveterate haters of light, 
 those dogs of Jews, aided, and abetted, every kind of error in 
 opposition to the true religion. Urged on by the Jews, the 
 people who had the dominion in this country mustered an 
 army of millions, with the determination to annihilate the 
 true believers ; and it was in this immense plain that the 
 two parties, the defenders of truth and the defenders of 
 error, met. 
 
 "When the faithful beheld the vast hosts drawn up in 
 battle array, they became faint-hearted, and their courage 
 failed ; for they were only as a drop in the sea compared to 
 the enemy ready to engage them. 
 
 " ' Think you it is your might i;hat has thus far con- 
 quered?' said lord Okba, addressing the Moslems. ' Was it 
 not the strong arm of Allah which has made you hitherto 
 victorious ? Has he not made us vanquish the Jews in 
 Khaibar, throughout Arabia, and in Egypt ? And are you now 
 terrified because you see a multitude of idolaters, headed by 
 a few obdurate Jews ? Is the power of Allah restricted ? 
 Can he only conquer by means of large armies ? Is he not 
 equally potent when but few are on his side ? Moslems ! 
 rise to a man, and let us show this vast multitude of infidels 
 the overwhelming jDower of the true religion. Follow me ! 
 and, in the name of the prophet ! we shall vanquish them.' 
 
 " But of the whole army of the faithful, only forty rose to 
 defend the standard of the prophet, and these manifested 
 such prodigious prowess, that the infidels began to retreat. 
 On the sight of this the Moslem army perceived that it was 
 indeed Allah who fought for them, and their courage revived. 
 They charged the enemy with an astonishing ardour, A 
 terrible slaughter ensued, and the true believers obtained a 
 sanguinary, but a comjilete, victory.
 
 A STRONGHOLD OF " THE FATHEE OF TUSKS." 357 
 
 " After the battle the commander of the faithful desired to 
 reward the forty for their zeal in the cause of Allah ; but 
 they could nowhere be found. Diligent search was made for 
 them, which resulted in theii- bodies being discovered on this 
 spot, among immense heaps of unbelievers, whom they had 
 slain. 
 
 " ' Bury them,' said the commander of the faithful, ' where 
 they were found, and let their united graves be a monument 
 of their valour to future generations, and an incentive to time 
 behevers. Allah has taken their souls to himself, to reward 
 them according to theu' tnie merit. Their deeds and their 
 example, I feel confident, have gained us thousands of 
 such valiant warriors and champions for the true faith. 
 Bury them, with due honours, on the spot where they fell 
 and where they were found.' 
 
 "The forty were accordingly buried here ; and these 
 stones, as well as these palms, indicate the precise locality 
 where their mortal remains are deposited. May the portion 
 of the faithful be ours ! " 
 
 Near " the forty " are some ancient remains, but very little 
 of these is seen above ground. The foundations of a small 
 theatre, and of other .buildings, can be distinctly traced. 
 
 On leaving the tombs of the militant missionaries of 
 Mohammed, I mounted the seventh horse on this journey ; 
 and as I desired to try his paces, I started in advance of our 
 party. An ohve gi'ove, into which I galloped, separated us 
 entirely; and as I observed a pile of attractive n.iins to my 
 left, I rode in that dii'ection. In the grove I observed two 
 Arabs, engaged -vvith their hatchets in lopping the branches 
 of trees. Just then I found my progi-ess impeded by thick 
 hedges of cactus. I, therefore, approached the men to ask 
 of them whether there was not a way by which I could enter 
 to inspect those ruins. Having suppUed me with the desired 
 infoiTnation, one of them added — 
 
 " We never go there, for the place is full of wild boars ;
 
 358 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 but if you wish to risk your life, tlie path we indicated will 
 conduct you to the Kherhaat, the ruins." 
 
 Following the path, I came to a narrow opening in the 
 hedge, and with difficulty I contrived to get my horse through 
 it, without either his or my being wounded by its protruding 
 thorns. These hedges are indeed effectual barriers, and are 
 a much better protection than even stone walls. The latter 
 can be battered down or scaled ; but the cactus, whether 
 standing or prostrate, presents nearly the same obstacles. 
 The present hedge was about fifteen feet in height, and 
 as many in thickness. 
 
 I certainly did not consider my trouble repaid, for I found 
 that what appeared from a distance an imposing mass of ruins, 
 was only of Saracenic origin, built partly of Roman materials, 
 and partly of brick. I noticed on the gTOund several broken 
 marble shafts, and two graceful composite capitals ; but the 
 different structures were so overgrown, or rather encumbered, 
 with cactus, that, with the exception of a lofty round brick 
 tower, built on a base of square cut stone, I could form no 
 conception of their nature. 
 
 But though this sjDot offers no great gratification to the 
 archaeologist, it ought to prove very attractive to the sports- 
 man. On passing by one of these impenetrable clusters of 
 the prickly pear, as it is called, I distinctly heard the gTunt- 
 ing of a whole family of boars. So far, therefore, what the 
 woodmen said is true. The boars have ensconced them- 
 selves among these ruins, but they did not molest me. If 
 the Moslem teaching be correct, then I may presume that the 
 " father of tusks " understood full well that I was peaceably, 
 disposed, and that the revolver in my hand was a defensive 
 weapon against malicious bipeds, who are far more to be 
 dreaded than grunting parents tending their grunting 
 progeny. 
 
 It was to this very neighbourhood that my excellent friend, 
 Mr. George Bishop, during his stay with me at Carthage,
 
 ENCOUEAGma ADVICE. 359 
 
 went to a boar hunt, in company witli some officers be- 
 longing to the squadron of the late lamented Lord Lyons. 
 Their time being limited, my friend's proverbial generosity 
 operated effectually upon the Arab's cupidity, and the pro- 
 spect of additional presents of floos (money) increased their 
 activity to such an extent, that they soon succeeded in proving 
 to the Nazarenes that the bristly monster was in the vicinity. 
 
 Anxious to be placed in a good position, so as not to miss 
 the boar, Mr. Bishop primed one of the natives with a 
 canister of the best English gunpowder — the most acceptable 
 gift that can be offered to an Arab. 
 
 " Follow me," said the delighted sportsman, " and I shall 
 show you the spot where the animal is sure to pass." 
 
 Having brought him to the place, the man added — 
 
 " The kJialoof will, to a certainty, traverse this ground. 
 Last year I stationed a countryman of yours also here ; and 
 he did, as I feel sure you will, find my words true. The 
 ' father of tusks ' rushed furiously out from this very jungle, 
 and, in his ten-ible rage, he lacerated the Nazarene most 
 fearfully. Keep your post, and mind be on your guard !" 
 
 After this encouragement, and admonition, the man ran 
 off to attend to his duty with the rest of the beaters. 
 
 The hunt not only proved successful, but my friend 
 managed to avoid the dangerous encounter to which the 
 hunter of the previous year was exposed. A lieutenant of 
 the " Eoyal Albert " shot two boars, and Mr. Bishop not 
 only escaped falling a victim to the Jchaloof, but he brought 
 back to Carthage a very acceptable portion of " a venerable 
 mother of tusks." 
 
 When I re-entered the olive grove, I found our old hamha 
 galloping about in search of me ; and when he observed me, 
 the old man exclaimed — 
 
 " Binnahi, by the prophet! you are a said errejaal, a 
 lord of men. Wliat courage ! neither to dread savage man, 
 nor the madness of wild beasts. Verily, I had serious mis-
 
 360 EUINED CITIES. 
 
 givings about you, for I lieard from those men yonder [the 
 woodmen], that no one ever attempts to enter this place. 
 Binnahi ! you are courageous. Sahait, sahait ! Well done, 
 well done ! " 
 
 This dreaded place, the stronghold of the " father of tusks," 
 is called Hansheer Jadedah, and is situated a httle way to 
 the left of the road between Elarhaain, " the forty," and 
 the village Forka. 
 
 Passing through the last-named village, we soon reached 
 Grumbalia, which is only three miles distant. The sheikh of 
 this village was absent ; however, the individual who was in 
 charge was willing to act for him. But he placed such a 
 miserable hovel at our disposal, that, with all our readiness 
 to rough it, we were compelled to enter a protest against 
 such quarters. He then took us to a large, well-furnished 
 room, and said — 
 
 " You may have this, if you like ; but none of your 
 Moslem attendants must enter it." 
 
 "And why do you object to our servants entering it ? " I 
 inquired. 
 
 " On account of the women," was the reply. 
 
 I understood his meaning. Upon the principle that beasts 
 of burden may enter the consecrated mosque without defiling 
 the sacred edifice — upon. the same principle may unbelievers, 
 and slaves, look upon Moslem women without causing any 
 infringement upon the prophet's prohibition. A Moslem 
 woman is not to be seen by men, unless they are her nearest 
 relatives ; but, according to orthodox Moslem teaching, neither 
 a Nazarene, a Jew, a Pagan, nor a slave, is a man ; he may 
 therefore look at her in the same way as the true believer's 
 despised animal, the dog, does. But uj)on such terms the 
 well-furnished room had no charms for us. We ordered our 
 tents to be pitched on a green sward, between the moral 
 deadness of the living, and the jehana, " the cemetery," the 
 abode of the dead.
 
 SETTLEMENT OF ACCOUNTS. 361 
 
 My mentioning the word slave may convey the eiToneous 
 impression, that slavery is still prevalent in this country. 
 Slavery is abolished, but its existence is not yet obliterated 
 from the memory of the inhabitants, who sincerely regret the 
 cessation of the institution. It was abolished mainly through 
 my own instrumentality ; secretly, however, slaves are still 
 found in the country: and on this very journey I learnt that 
 certain parties, holding prominent Government employments, 
 have been concerned in the traffic within the last year or two. 
 Agents were actually sent to Ghedames, and the slaves were 
 brought to the capital, by way of Jereed. For obvious 
 reasons, I withhold the name of my informant. 
 
 As Grumbalia was our last station, I resolved to settle all 
 little accounts with our servants, so as to put an effectual 
 stop to future grumhling about money matters. Every one 
 communicated orally what he had disbursed ; but when 
 Said's turn came I found, to my great surprise, that he had 
 recourse to papers, and had not, like the others, depended 
 on the powers of memory. 
 
 " I never knew that you were able to wiite. Said. Who 
 taught you this accomplishment ? " I asked. 
 
 " I taught myself," he replied, and laughing merrily he 
 handed me his account, of which this is an abstract : — 
 00|0i ::000| :)00| ::)00000| 
 
 Finding that it puzzled me, he repeated his ringing laugh ; 
 and when he regained his equilibrium sufficiently to enable 
 him to speak, he said — 
 
 "You see, after all, I know something that you are 
 ignorant of." 
 
 He then explained the mysterious characters. The per- 
 pendicular lines merely divide the days ; the circles signify 
 piastres, the half circles half-piastres ; and the dots, caroobs, 
 sixteen of which go to a piastre. He only taxed his memory 
 with the names of the places where the different items were 
 disbursed.
 
 362 RUINED CITIES. 
 
 About the wretclied city of Tunis, for which we made our 
 way by Hammam Elenf, it is needless to detain the reader. 
 As the capital of this country it certainly affords ample 
 scope for dissertations on its passive rulei^ its Mamlook 
 government, its domestic and foreign policy, its anomalous 
 position with reference to the Porte, its withering adminis- 
 trative elements, its legitimate destiny, and its probable fate. 
 But these topics can only prove interesting to the few who 
 have it, to a great extent, in their power either to uphold or 
 to suffer to decay, to save or to retard the doom of such 
 petty states. To the general reader, however, they are not 
 of sufficient interest, and to the notice of the few alluded to 
 such subjects ought, of course, to be presented in a different 
 form. 
 
 What just then concerned me more than Tunisian politics 
 was to see my tent struck for the last time. The comfort 
 this canvas " house " afforded us on this often tedious, 
 hazardous, and cheerless journey, had endeared to us every 
 stitch of its frail walls. It was a home in a strange land. 
 In the dreary desert, and in the verdant dale ; in the arid 
 waste, and in the luxuriant mountain recess ; on the barren 
 heights, and in the romantic ravine ; in the wild and expan- 
 sive plain, and in the gentle, and lovely, valley it was our 
 home — a constant and . yet an ever- varying home. Amidst 
 wretchedness and desolation, misery and destitution, we were 
 not deprived of the consolation of a home. Pitched near dens 
 of savage beasts, and surrounded by the abodes of inimical, 
 and ferocious, men, our tent cheered us with the charms of a 
 home. During the prevalence of the cruel, bleak, and piercing 
 gales from the north, and the raging of the merciless burning 
 blasts from the south, we were not without the shelter of a 
 home. The sunshine and the deluging African rains found 
 us alike provided with a home. It was a primitive home, 
 undoubtedly, but for a traveller resolved to rough it, and 
 whose wants are but few, the canvas house afforded all the
 
 FAREWELL TO MY TENT. 86S 
 
 attractions of a homely liome. But, let me add, a tent is not 
 a mere covert from the inclemencies of the weather, and a 
 simple rude home, — it has fascinations, and enchanting 
 allurements peculiar to it, which the gorgeous and stately- 
 edifice does not possess. It is not like the ponderous mansion, 
 a perpetual fixture, but by being readily shifted from one 
 locality to another, it presents its migrating inmates with 
 ever-varying views and constant changes of scene : and, 
 moreover, no habitation can convey to its owners such a 
 complete, and so perfect, an idea of true and manly indepen- 
 dence as tent life does. It was, therefore, with reluctance 
 and 'great regret that I bade farewell to my tent and returned 
 again to civilised life, with its houses of iron, wood, stones, 
 bricks and mortar.
 
 APPENDIX I. 
 
 INSCKIPTIONS REFEKRED TO IN THIS WORK. 
 
 No. 1. — Frorm Jiujoar. 
 
 .... EOEISII TOTIVSQYE DIYINAE DOMVS 
 EIVS CIVITAS ZVCCHARA FECIT ET DEDICAVIT. 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 . . . lEEGlKAE 
 . . . . OSALV.E 
 . . IFDIVmER.AE 
 . NTIF MAXIM 
 OSYISIMPENSIS 
 
 No. 3. 
 VMJVIVLI . PLIC .... SIPICVNI 
 
 No. 4. — From Elcharoob. 
 
 D. M. S. 
 MIYLEVS 
 SERVANIA 
 NVSFLPP 
 VIRHONES 
 TYSYIXIT 
 ANNISLXXYI 
 MENSESY 
 H.S.E.
 
 366 APPENDIX L 
 
 No. 5. 
 
 . VSTISSYFFRAGIISA— DICRE 
 
 . IODIC .... IMO 
 
 . MIO 
 
 OVAMEFFI . lEMPRONMO . . 
 VBVSRESTITISFLAVIO . . , 
 CAVPODIOSVBVEXIT . .•. . 
 DVLCISPARENSCAVBVSET 
 AMABILISPATRIAEGRECIAM 
 OFFICIISVIINPERPETVVMAF . IS 
 CVLORVMOTESTATAMEMORIAM 
 
 No. 6. — From Ain Furnah. 
 
 D. M. S. 
 PERELLIAL 
 FILAIAIOR 
 PIAVIXITAN 
 NISLXXXVI 
 H.S. 
 
 No. 7. — From Moghrawa. 
 
 MIT .... 
 . . FILARI 
 PVIXITAN 
 NISXXXV 
 
 No. 8. 
 
 D. M. S. 
 XVALERIVS 
 . FILEXTRICA 
 TRICATVSPIVS 
 VIXITALYIIHSE 
 
 No. 9. 
 
 CA . SARI . . . 
 SACRI
 
 INSCRIPTIONS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK. 
 
 No. 10.— From Hammam. 
 
 D.N. PLAVALENTI 
 NIANUS . . . AUG . . 
 
 367 
 
 No. 11, 
 
 OVITAROSVAL .... SO 
 
 . . . ACERTIS 
 
 . SABINVSERAT .... 
 
 MINVSIOITUM 
 
 MATVSMVTI .MA ... . 
 
 . RECAVDA 
 
 NANS 
 
 MD . A . . SIIADVMBRAS 
 VVENISMVNIRIDECO . . 
 
 . SV. PRIMO 
 
 . CENVITFINIT 
 
 BBASEPVITVM 
 
 No. 12. — From Mokthar. 
 
 GIVLIO . PROCVLO . FORTVNATIANO . PATER ......... 
 
 riLIO . MEMORIAE . TITVLVM . SIBI . EREDIO . REDDID . . . 
 
 IN . ANNIS . VIGINTIDVOBVSQVOSPARCE . . . RA . . . NTEDITO 
 
 INNVMERISVITAELAVDIBVSOMNEMAETATEMREDDIT 
 
 NAMPVERPVBERTATISEXEMPTIAOPTVMABENEVIVENDODEDIT 
 
 PVBERTATISINITIA . IVVENILI . CORDE . EDIDIT 
 
 IVVENTVTIS . VITAM . MAXVMA . EXORNAVIT . GLOR . 
 
 SIC . NAMQVE . VT . IN . EXIGVO . TEMPORE . MVLTII . ANNIS . VIXERIT 
 
 PVER. INGENIO . VALIDVS . PVBES . IVDICVS . IVVENIS . ORATORFVIT 
 
 ET . PVBLICAS . AVRIS . TOGATAS . STVDIIS . DELECTAVIT . SVIS 
 
 IN . PARVO . ITAQVE . TEMPORE . VITA .... IS . LAVDIBVS 
 
 IN . QVESTO . PATRIO . OBERE . IWE . . . S . VT . SENEX 
 PERPETVA . QVIESCIT . REQVIE . CONDITO .... RATO . SPIRITV 
 
 IM . . . . RI . . VI . . . VA 
 GE . . . ICOPARTHICO . PM 
 
 No. 13. 
 
 , FAM . TRAIANO . OP . IMO . AVG , . . 
 
 . . ES. XX. IMP. XII. COS. VI 
 
 . . . . SEIM . . OS.DEDIC.D.D.P.P
 
 368 APPENDIX I, 
 
 No. 14. 
 
 IMPCAESAEIDIVIHADPJ 
 ANII . DIVII 
 
 No. 15. 
 
 COCCIIAE 
 BASSVLAE 
 NVMISIAE 
 PRGEVLAE 
 M . MVNAT 
 POPILIA 
 NIDD 
 PP 
 
 No. 16. 
 
 D. M. S. 
 AVEELIVS 
 HONORAT 
 VSVIXAN 
 IIMVI 
 
 DV 
 
 No. 17. — From Mcdad. 
 
 FELICISSIMOLAECVLODOMINORVMNOSTRORTMCAVRTA. . ERIE . . 
 
 MELVALERICONSTANTIET 
 
 . . . ISSIMORVMCAESE . . CONSILVMQVORVMVIRIE . . PROVIDE . . 
 OMNI A INME . VSRITORMAN . VRPORTICVMC VM ARCVS VOQVAEFORO 
 
 [AMBIENDODE . RAT 
 ASOIOCAEPIAM . . . PRAV . . ARISTOBVLVSVCPROCOSAFRICAEPER 
 
 [INSTA . . . MACRINISOS 
 SIANTCVI . CVMEODEMDEDICAVITC . RANTE D.D.P.P. 
 
 No. 18. — From Tliala. 
 
 ANTONIAA 
 MIAPIAVIX 
 SITANNIS 
 LXXXX 
 H.E.S.
 
 INSCRIPTIONS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK. S69 
 
 No. 19. 
 The next forms part of a gardeu-wall — 
 
 . LIAAMATA 
 SACERDOS . M 
 « AGNA.Y.A.C* 
 
 H.S.E. IIFELIX* 
 IIISVERVNT 
 
 No. 20. 
 
 Over a doorway and surmounted by a crescent — 
 
 ' L.VALERIV 
 S . BLANDV 
 S . L . F . YIX . 
 ANIS . XXV 
 H.S.E. 
 
 No. 21. 
 
 The following formed a corner-stone in another garden-wall — . 
 
 DIIS MAN! 
 BUS SAC 
 MAGNIAPRI 
 MAPIAVIXS 
 ITANNISXVII 
 H.S. 
 
 No. 22. 
 
 And from a prostrate, and partly fractured, stone to S.S. W., where remains 
 of sarcophagi are also found, and where, probably, was the necropolis, I 
 copied — 
 
 SARON 
 
 V.A. 
 
 LXV 
 
 No. 23. — From IlansJieer Kokaash. 
 
 ARRANIVSAVGVSTALIS ... 
 EARISSIMITITVLOSINPOSVIT 
 
 E B
 
 370 APPENDIX I. 
 
 N"o. 24. 
 
 lA VX 
 
 ATVS . V . . . . XIIIH . S . E . 
 AEEANIVS . . . VSTALIS 
 FILIOHOMMIVIEO 
 
 No. 25. — From Hydra. 
 CVPPI 
 
 . . CO 
 
 . . HA 
 
 . . OCISFELICISII . VADE , 
 YALE..S..OVEP. 
 
 No. 26. 
 
 IMP . CAES.L . SEPTIMO . SEVERO . PERTINACI . AVG .P.M. 
 TRIE . POT . Ill . IMP . y . COS . II . P . P . PARTHICO . ARA 
 BICO . ET. PARTHICO . AZIABENICO . D . D . P . P . 
 
 No. 27. 
 
 IMPCAESL . S 
 
 PERP . . . ALISAVG 
 C. P. P.-M. P. P. 
 P. P. 
 
 No. 28. 
 
 D.M.S. 
 . . . ANNIVS 
 MAXIMVS 
 VIXITANNISLIII 
 MANSIEBVS 
 
 H.S.E. 
 IVLIA „ STOIIS 
 
 MARITO . . 
 POSyjT
 
 INSCRIPTIONS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK. 371 
 
 No. 29. 
 
 VICTORIA .... 
 
 AVG . SAC .... 
 MA RCELLi ^VS . . * 
 DONATVSSA 
 CERDOS.V.S 
 L A 
 
 No. 30. — From Tehcssa. 
 
 . . . AMENTO . CORNELI EGRILIANI 
 PRAEF LEG XIIII GEMINAE QVO TESTAMEN 
 T . EX HS CCL MIL . N ARCVM CVM STi^TVIS 
 . . . . EN TETRASTYLIS DVOBVS CVM STATVIS 
 
 T MINERVAE QVO IN FORO FIERIPRAE 
 
 ETER ALIA HS CCL MIL . N . QVAE . REI . P . ITA . VT 
 
 MNASIA POPVLO PVBLICE IN THERMIS PRAE 
 
 D KAPITOL . ARG . LIB . CLXX ID EST LANCES IIII 
 
 RI LIB XIIII ID EST PIHAL . Ill SCYPHOS II 
 
 . . . OM . . M SECVNDVM VOLVNTATEM EIVS IN CON 
 
 CORNELI FORTVNATVS ET QVINT . FRATRES ET 
 
 SIGNAVERVNT ET OPVS PERFECERVNT 
 
 No. 31. 
 
 DIVO . PIO . SEVERO . PATRI 
 IMP . CAES . M . AVREL . SEVER . ANTONINI 
 PII . FELICIS . AVG . ARAB . ADIAB . PARTH .MAX . BRIT 
 MAX . GERM. MAX . PONT . MAX . TRIB . POT . XVII . IMP . II 
 COS . Ill . PROCOS . PP. 
 
 No. 32. 
 
 IVLIAE DOMNAE . AVG . MATRI 
 CAST . . . M . ET . AVG . ET . SEN . 
 ET . PATRIAE . 
 
 No. 33. 
 
 IMPCAESAR 
 DIVINERVENEPOS 
 DIVITRAIANIPARTHICIF . 
 
 TRA I ANVSHADRI AN VS 
 
 * The italics show that in that part the inscription is inofrible. 
 
 n B 2
 
 372 APPENDIX I. 
 
 AVG . PONT . MAX . TRIE , 
 
 POT.VII.COS. Ill 
 
 VIAMACAETiAGINE 
 
 THEVESTEMSTRAVIT 
 
 PERLEG . Ill AVG . 
 
 P . METELLIOSECYNDO 
 
 LEG . AVG . PR . PR . * 
 
 No. 34. — From Cassareen. 
 
 M . FLAVIVS SE 
 CVNDVS FILIVS 
 
 FECIT 
 L FLAVIO SECVN 
 DO PATRITIO 
 YIXIT . ANN . CXII H . S . E. 
 FLAVIAE VRBANAE 
 MATRI PIAE.VIX. 
 ANN.CV.H.S.E. &c 
 
 No. 35. 
 
 COLONIAE . SCILLITANAE . 
 
 Q . MANLIVS . FELIX . C . FILIVS . PAPIRIA . RECEPTVS . POST . ALIA. 
 
 [ARCVM . QVOQVE . CVM . IN . SIGNIBVS . COLO . . . 
 
 SOLITA . IN . PATRIAM . LIBERALITATE . EREXIT . OB . CVIVS . DEDI- 
 
 [CATIONEM.DEOVRIONIBVS.SPORTVLAS.CVRIIS.EPVLA . . . 
 
 No. 86. 
 
 CLEMENTIA . TEMPORIS . ET . VIRTVTE 
 
 DIVINA . D . D . N . N . CONSTANTINI . ET . LICIMINV . . . 
 
 SEMP. AVG. ORNAMENTA. LIBERTA. RESTIT VTA. ET. VETERA. CI VI 
 
 TATIS . INSIGNA . CVRANTE . CEIONTO . APRONIANO . CV . 
 
 A.PATRO.CIVITATIS. 
 
 • This inscription is from the MS. to which reference has been made. Its 
 unknown author says, that this "coluna traida de Carthago en el banc del 
 Bey dicho St. Leonai'do." But the column has since disappeared.
 
 INSCRIPTIONS EEFERRED TO IN THIS WORK. 373 
 
 No. 37. — From Fcryana. 
 
 IMPCAESM 
 
 AVRELIVSSE 
 
 VERVSANTONI 
 
 NVSPIVSAVG 
 
 PARTICIMAXBRIT 
 
 MAXAFR . . MAX 
 
 TRI LX 
 
 M . . Ill 
 
 PP 
 
 No. S8. 
 
 D.M.S. 
 
 QVINTAIVPA 
 
 EVIXITANE 
 
 XXXMIII 
 
 No. 39. — From Shaitla, 
 
 D . D . N . . PR . . . V . . . PMAX 
 
 INVIC . . . . SA . . . GF . . EM . . CONSTANTIO . . MAXIMIANO 
 
 BISSIMIS . CAESARIBUS .P.D.N YGVSTO 
 
 ISTICINPROYIN . . ISVA TVTO . . 
 
 No. 40. 
 ONS . VIAPI .... PR 
 
 No. 41. 
 
 IVIPI NI 
 
 DIV , . . RVAPRONEP R 
 
 INO . . . DO . . NT^LVX . . . IIPP 
 
 No. 42. 
 
 . . IVIANTONI 
 NI . AVG .... 
 PP . F . DD . PP ,
 
 874 APPENDIX I. 
 
 K"o. 43. 
 
 IMPCAESAEAVG 
 ONIN . 
 
 . SVFFETVLENTIVM . . . 
 . HANCEDIFICAVERVNT 
 ETDD . PP . 
 
 No. 44, 
 
 M . C . LIISrARIOPEOCONS . . . 
 EEIPVBLICAE . . . ROMAEOB 
 PIETATEMETOBEDIENTIAM . 
 DD . PP . 
 
 No. 45. 
 
 IVI . NI 
 
 . DIV . . RVEPRON . . . R 
 . NO . . BRITMAX . . PP 
 
 46. 
 
 IVE . . . . IE 
 
 EE 
 
 SA 
 
 DONA 
 
 47. 
 
 M . AELIOAV 
 RELIOVERO 
 CAES . COS . II 
 IMI . . . AESIAE 
 I . HADRIANI 
 ANTONINIAVG 
 PIL.PP F. DD.PP.
 
 INSCRIPTIONS REFEEKED TO IN THIS WORK. 375 
 
 48. — From Cainoaan. 
 
 ANTONIN . . . FIL .... 
 VKEL . . . ANTONINI . . . 
 DIVI NERVAE ADNEPOTIS 
 TAE . . . DEDICAVERVNT 
 
 49. 
 
 HIO MAXIMI . . I . . . 
 
 RATORIS CAESAR . . . , 
 DIVI TRAIAN lADNEP 
 CAE . . . D . . EEC . RV . 
 
 50. — From Hammamct, or from Kasr Zaita (doubtful). 
 
 "VICTORIAE ARMINIACAE PARTHICAE MEDICAE AVGVSTORVM 
 A. SACRVM CIVITAS SIAGITANA DD. PP." 
 
 51. 
 
 "ET PRO SENATV POPVLOQVE SIAGITANO CELE IMLICONIS 
 GVLISSAE F. SVFFES." 
 
 52. 
 "CIVITAS SIAGITANORVM DD. PP."
 
 376 
 
 APPENDIX II. 
 
 
 P5 
 
 <! 
 
 O 
 
 as 
 W 
 H 
 
 !2; 
 o 
 
 1^ 
 
 w 
 
 H 
 
 O 
 
 I— I 
 
 & 
 
 o 
 I— I 
 
 H 
 •< 
 > 
 P5 
 W 
 cc 
 
 pq 
 o 
 
 *4 
 ■< 
 o 
 
 I— I 
 
 P3 
 H 
 P4 
 
 O 
 
 W 
 Q 
 
 < 
 
 ►J 
 <^ 
 o 
 i-i 
 
 O 
 P3 
 
 p:) 
 
 " to 
 
 
 '^'" •-« ^ 
 
 rr! n C 
 
 o s 
 
 •s .a .5 M 
 
 e5 -r; 5 C 2 H .5 
 
 ^ rr* O *^ »-« n» 'c^ 
 
 t> ft 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 n> 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 O 
 
 7^ 
 
 C3 
 
 tu 
 
 Pi 
 
 r-I 
 
 rt 
 
 O 
 
 P^ 
 
 h-l 
 
 f^ 
 
 o 
 
 ;=H 
 
 • 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 • 
 
 
 • 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • 
 
 • 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 . 
 
 r- * 
 
 o 
 
 CO 
 
 OO 
 
 to 
 
 ?o 
 
 !-i 
 
 CO 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 CO 
 
 J^ 
 
 O 
 
 1-i 
 
 CS 
 
 ■<*< 
 
 •»*< 
 
 «5 
 
 
 «3 
 
 CO 
 
 (O 
 
 »o 
 
 1--. 
 
 l>- 
 
 o 
 
 !■-. 
 
 «D 
 
 -<1< 
 
 »o 
 
 «o 
 
 lO 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 00 
 
 ^ 
 
 s 
 
 s 
 
 s 
 
 s 
 
 2 
 
 s 
 
 p 
 
 s 
 
 g 
 
 2 
 
 s 
 
 s 
 
 g 
 
 a 
 
 s 
 
 S 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 PI 
 
 ■ rt 
 
 p-l 
 
 C3 
 
 Ph 
 
 cS 
 
 Pw 
 
 Ph 
 
 d 
 
 p^ 
 
 Ph 
 
 rt 
 
 Ph 
 
 cS 
 
 Ph 
 
 p- 
 
 cS 
 
 cS 
 
 I-H 
 
 O 
 
 r-l 
 
 o 
 
 lO 
 
 «3 
 
 CO 
 
 ^-. 
 
 CI 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 CO 
 
 t>. 
 
 M 
 
 CJ 
 
 »o 
 
 
 r-l 
 
 
 1— 1 
 
 C-4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1—* 
 
 o 
 
 rH 
 
 
 
 
 
 I-H 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 « 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (M 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 K 
 
 .s 
 
 •^ 
 
 •s 
 
 «v 
 
 .s 
 
 ^ 
 
 •« 
 
 •s 
 
 ^ 
 
 n 
 
 •s 
 
 •» -. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 f-i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 cj 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ;^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • P 
 
 _ 
 
 _ 
 
 „ 
 
 „ 
 
 . 
 
 _ 
 
 . 
 
 ^ 
 
 » 
 
 - 
 
 „ 
 
 « 
 
 ^ 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 » 
 
 ~ ^ 
 
 1-H -*< -^ OJ 
 
 lO t^ O i--. O 
 
 CI CI C^ C4 o» 
 
 f^q 
 
 il r^J ^TK 
 
 -< cZ S S 

 
 BAROMETRICAL AND THERMOMETKICAL OBSERVATIONS. 377 
 
 i^ ^ 
 
 'tC Tr t^ -5 'i ^ 
 
 S fe 3 
 
 
 ■-1 ci 
 ft O 
 
 o 
 
 !2i O 
 
 
 
 
 
 rt 
 
 s 
 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 t». 
 
 TS 
 
 
 --1 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 !2i 
 
 o 
 
 3 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 .3 
 
 '2 
 
 2 
 
 
 CD 
 
 o 
 
 i 
 
 b 
 
 a 
 ^ 
 
 "Is 
 
 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 02 
 
 o 
 
 s 
 
 tJ3 
 
 Mi 
 
 
 o 
 
 "^ 
 
 '^ 
 
 o 
 
 
 f3 
 
 O 
 
 
 tc 
 
 
 -?! 
 
 <1 
 
 a 
 
 ^ 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 CC 
 
 P=< 
 
 f=< 
 
 w 
 
 02 
 
 l-i 
 
 o 
 
 »o to 
 
 i-l 
 
 * 0^ (M 0<5 -^ 
 
 ^ r- t^ t>. t>. 
 
 s s s g a s o s s s s 5 s a a a 
 
 Pnca fncS f^eS pj P-t fL, ci ?^P^c;■ c3 ?hP< 
 
 rH W «0 CO '^ 00 r-( 
 
 O 0-^ O 00 
 
 m o ■^ 
 
 1^ CO «>• 
 
 a a a 
 
 «S I-H CO 
 
 Ph 
 
 f=? 
 
 
 -r! tS 
 
 '^ a 's '^ 
 
 ?3 o to t-E? 
 ." r^ k> ^-H
 
 III. 
 
 LIST OF BIRDS. 
 
 LATIN, 
 
 Gyps fulvus, Sav. 
 Vultur mouachus, L. 
 Vultur nubiciis, B. SmUh. 
 Neophron percnopterus, 
 
 Sav. 
 Gypaetus barbatus, Tem. 
 Aquila chrysaetos, £7; 
 Aq^uila heliaca, Sav. 
 Aquila n^evia, £r. 
 Aquila rapax, Tem. 
 Aquila Boiiellii, Te7n. 
 Aquila peunata, Gm. 
 Haliaetus albicilla, Sav. 
 Pandion haliaetus, Sav. 
 Circaetus gallicus, Vicill. 
 Buteo tachardus, Vicill. 
 Pernis apivorus, Cuv. 
 Milvus regalis, Br. 
 Milvus niger, Br. 
 MlIvus spgyptius, Gr. 
 Elanusmelauopterus, Bp. 
 Falco sacer, Schl. 
 Falco lanarius, Sclil. 
 Falco barbarus, L. 
 Hypotriorchis eleonorse, 
 
 Bp. 
 Hypotriorchis subbuteo, 
 
 Bp. 
 Hypotriorchis sesalon, Bp. 
 Erythropus vespertinus, 
 
 Bp. 
 Tinnunculus alaudarius, 
 
 Bp. 
 
 Griffon vulture. 
 
 Nubian vulture. 
 Egyptian vulture. 
 
 Lammergeyer. ] 
 Golden eagle. 
 Imperial eagle. 
 Spotted eagle. 
 Tawny eagle. 
 Bonelli's eagle. 
 Booted eagle. 
 Sea eagle. 
 Osprey. 
 
 Short-toed eagle. 
 African buzzard. 
 Honey buzzard. 
 Kite. 
 
 Black kite. 
 Parasitic kite. 
 Black-shouldered elanus. 
 Sakk'r falcon. 
 Lanner. 
 
 Barbary falcon. 
 Eleanora's falcon. 
 
 Hobby. 
 
 Merlin. 
 Red-footed falcon. 
 
 Kestrel. 
 
 Vautour griffon. 
 
 Catharte alimoche. 
 
 Gypaete barbu. 
 Aigle royal. 
 Aigle imperiale. 
 Aigle criard. 
 
 Aigle a queue barre. 
 Aigle botte. 
 Pygargue. 
 Balbusard. 
 Aigle Jean le blanc. 
 Buse Africain. 
 Boudree commune. 
 Milan royal. 
 Milan noir. 
 Milan d'Egypte. • 
 Elanion. 
 Faucon sacre. 
 Faucon lanier. 
 Faucon de Barbaric. 
 Faucon Eleonore. 
 
 Hobereau. 
 
 Emerillon. 
 Faucon Kobez. 
 
 Cresserelle.
 
 LIST OF BIRDS. 
 
 379 
 
 Tinmmciilus cenchiis, Bp. 
 Accipiter nisus, Pall. 
 Circus ffiiaigiuosus, Bp. 
 Circus cyaneus, Boie. 
 Circus cinerascens, Cuv. 
 Circus pallidus, Sijkcs. 
 Athene meridionalis, Eiss. 
 Scops zorca, Gm. 
 Bubo maximus, Bj). 
 Bubo ascalaphus, Sav. 
 Syrnium aluco, Sav. 
 Otus vulgaris, Flon. 
 Stris flamniea, L. 
 Caprimulgus europssus, 
 
 L. 
 Caprimulgu5 ruficoUis, 
 
 Temm. 
 Cypselus melba, III. 
 Cj'pselus apus, 111. 
 Upupa epops, L. 
 OxyloiDhus glandarius, 
 
 Bp. 
 Cuculus canorus, L. 
 Yunx torquilla, L. 
 Picus numidicus, Malh. 
 Gecinus Vaillautii, Bj). 
 Alcedo ispida, L. 
 ^Merops apiaster, L. 
 Coracias garrula, L. 
 Troglodytes europceus, 
 
 Cuv. 
 Certhia familiaris, L. 
 Sitta europsea, L. 
 Parus major, L. 
 Cyanistes ultramarinus, 
 
 Bp. 
 Melanocoryplia calandra, 
 
 Bp. 
 Alauda calandrella, 
 
 Bonell. 
 Alauda deserti, Lichst. 
 Alauda arvensis, L. 
 Alauda arborea, L. 
 Galerida cristata, Boie. 
 Galerida abyssinica, Bp. 
 Galerida macrorbyuca, 
 
 Tristram. 
 
 Lesser kestrel. 
 Sparrow hawk. 
 ]\Iarsb barrier. 
 Hen barrier. 
 JMontagu's barrier. 
 Pallid barrier. 
 Southern little ovrl. 
 Scops eared owl. 
 Eagle owl. 
 
 Tawuy owl. 
 Eared owl. 
 Barn owl. 
 Xight-jar. 
 
 Pied-necked night-jar. 
 
 Alpine swift. 
 
 Swift. 
 
 Hoopoe. 
 
 Great spotted cuckoo. 
 
 Common cuckoo. 
 
 WrjTieck. 
 
 Xumidian woodpecker. 
 
 Yaillaut's woodpecker. 
 
 Kingfisher. 
 
 Bee-eater. 
 
 Poller. 
 
 Wren. 
 
 Creeper. 
 
 Nuthatch. 
 Great tit. 
 
 Calandra lark. 
 
 Short-toed lark. 
 
 Desert short-toed lark. 
 Skylark. 
 Woodlark. 
 Crested lark. 
 Abyssinian lark. 
 Long-billed crested lark 
 
 Cresserellette. 
 ;fipervier. 
 
 Busard des marais. 
 Busard Saint Martin. 
 Busard Montagu. 
 Busard blafard. 
 Cheveche meridionale. 
 Hibou scoj^s. 
 Hibou grand due. 
 Hibou ascalaphe. 
 Cbouette hulotte. 
 Hibou moyeu due. 
 Cbouette eifraie. 
 Engoulevent ordinaire. 
 
 Engoulevent a collier 
 
 roux. 
 Martinet h ventre blanc. 
 Martinet de muraille. 
 Huppe puput. 
 Coucou geai. 
 
 Coucou gris. 
 Torcol ordinaire. 
 Pic de iSi'umidie. 
 
 Martin-pecheur. 
 
 Guepier. 
 
 Eollier. 
 
 Troglodyte ordinaire. 
 
 Grimpereau. 
 SitteUe torchepot. 
 Mesange charbonniere. 
 Mesange d'Algerie. 
 
 Alouette calandre. 
 
 Alouette calandrelle. 
 
 Alouette des champs. 
 Alouette lulu. 
 Alouette cochevis.
 
 380 
 
 LIST OF BIRDS. 
 
 LVTIX. 
 
 Galerida isabellina, Bp. 
 Certlulauda desertorum, 
 
 Bp. 
 Agrodroma campestris, 
 
 Bp. 
 Anthus pratensis, BecJist. 
 Antlius arboreus, Bcclist. 
 Budj'tes cinereocapilla, 
 
 Bp. 
 Budji:es flava, Bp. 
 Palleuui'a sulphurea, Bp, 
 MotaciUa alba, L. 
 Isos obscurus, Bp. 
 Turdus yiscivorus, L. 
 Tiirdus musicus, L. 
 Turdus torquatus, L. 
 Turdus merula, L. 
 Crateropus numidicus, 
 
 Malh. 
 LocusteUa rayi, Gould. 
 Drymoica striaticeps, 
 
 Tristram, 
 Calamoherpe turdoides, 
 
 Bp. 
 Calamoberpe anmdi- 
 
 nacea, Bp. 
 Aedon galactodes, Boic. 
 Cisticola scbcenicola, Bpi. 
 Calamodyta phragiuitis, 
 
 Mey. 
 Calainod}i:a acj^uatica, 
 
 Bp. 
 Cettia sericea, Bp. 
 Lusciniola savii, Bp. 
 Hippolais salicaria, Bp. 
 Hippolais pallida, Gcrhc. 
 Phyllopneutte trocbilus, 
 
 Bp. 
 PhyUopneuste rufa, Bp. 
 PhyUopneuste bonellii, 
 
 Bp. 
 Melizophilus provinci- 
 
 alis, B}}. 
 Sylvia melanocepliala. 
 
 Lath. 
 Sylvia curruca. Lath. 
 Sylvia cinerea. Lath. 
 
 ENGLISH. 
 
 Isabel lark 
 
 Desert long-billed lurk. 
 
 Tawny p)ipit. 
 
 Meadow pipit. 
 Tree pipit. 
 Ashy-headed vragtail. 
 
 Yellow wagtail. 
 Grey wagtail. 
 White wagtail. 
 Dusky ixos. 
 Missel thrush. 
 Song thrush. 
 Piiag ousel. 
 Blackbird. 
 
 Grasshopper warbler. 
 
 Thrush-like warbler. 
 
 Eeed warbler. 
 
 Eufous warbler. 
 Fantail warbler. 
 Sedge warbler 
 
 Aquatic warbler. 
 
 Cetti's warbler, 
 Savi's warbler. 
 Melodious wUlow wren. 
 Pallid willow wren. 
 "Willow wi'en. 
 
 Chiff-chaff. 
 Bonelli's warbler. 
 
 Dartford warbler. 
 
 Sardinian warbler. 
 
 Lesser whitethroat. 
 
 "Whitethroat. 
 
 Alouette Isabelline. 
 Alouette bifasciee. 
 
 Pipit rousseline. 
 
 Pipit farlouse. 
 Pijjit des buissons. 
 Bergerouette a tete grise. 
 
 Bergeronette printaniere- 
 Bergeronette jaune. 
 Bergeronette grise. 
 Turdoide obscur. 
 Merle draine. 
 Merle grive. 
 Merle a plastron. 
 Merle noir. 
 
 Becfin locustelle. 
 
 Becfin rousseroUe. 
 
 Becfin de roseaux. 
 
 Becfin rubigineux. 
 Becfin cisticole. 
 Becfin phragmite. 
 
 Becfin aquatique. 
 
 Becfin bouscarle. 
 Becfin des saules. 
 Becfin a poitrine jaune. 
 
 Becfin pouillot. 
 
 Becfin veloce. 
 Becfin natterer. 
 
 Becfin pitchou. 
 
 Fauvette m^lanocephale. 
 
 Fauvette babillarde. 
 Fauvette grisette.
 
 LIST OF BIRDS. 
 
 881 
 
 Sylvia conspicillata, 
 
 Marm. 
 Sylvia subalpina, BonelU. 
 CuiTucaatricapilla, Briss. 
 CiuTuca horteusis, Bp. 
 Curruca orphea, Br. 
 Philomela luscinia, Br. 
 Eubeciila faruiliaris, 
 
 Bhjth. 
 Ruticilla phrenicara, Bp. 
 EuticiUa titliys, Bp. 
 Ruticilla Moussieri, Bp. 
 Petrocincla saxatilis, Vig. 
 Petrocossyphus cyaneus, 
 
 Bp>. 
 Dromolpea leucura, Bp. 
 Saxicola stapazina, Koch. 
 Saxicola aurita, Tcmm. 
 Saxicola lugens, Liclist. 
 Pratiucola rubetra, Mey. 
 Pratincola rubicola, Mey. 
 Muscicapa atricapilla, L. 
 Butalis grisola, Bp. 
 Hiruudo rustica, L. 
 Hirundo cahirica, Liclist. 
 
 Cotyle nipestris, Boie. 
 Cotyle riparia, Gould. 
 Chelidon urbica, Bp. 
 Oriolus galbula, L. 
 Telepboiius tscliagra, Bp. 
 Lanius meridionalis, Tem. 
 Lauius dealbatus, Bp. 
 Enueoctonus rufus, Bp. 
 Garrulus cervicalis, Bp. 
 Pica naauritanica, Malh. 
 Corvus corax, L. 
 Corvus monedula, L. 
 Stiirniis vulgaris, L. 
 Sturnus unicolor, Maen. 
 CjTicliramus miliarius, 
 
 Bp. 
 Emberiza hortulanus, L. 
 Emberiza cirlus, L. 
 Emberiza cia, L. 
 Schoenicola arundinacea, 
 
 Bp. 
 
 Si^ectacled warbler. 
 
 Subalpine warbler. 
 Black Cap. 
 Garden warbler. 
 Orphean warbler. 
 Nightingale. 
 Robin. 
 
 Redstart, 
 Black redstart. 
 Moussier's warbler. 
 Rock thrush. 
 Solitary thrush. 
 
 Laughing chat. 
 Stapazine chat. 
 Eared chat. 
 Mourning chat. 
 Wlrinchat. 
 Stonechat. 
 Pied flycatcher. 
 Common flycatcher. 
 Swallow. 
 
 Rock martin. 
 Sand martin. 
 House martin. 
 Golden Oriole. 
 Hooded shrike. 
 Great southern shrike. 
 Pallid shrike. 
 Woodehat shrike. 
 Algerian jay. 
 Numidian magpie. 
 Raven. 
 Jackdaw, 
 Starling. 
 Black starling. 
 Common "bmi t ing. 
 
 Ortolan bunting. 
 Cirl bunting. 
 Meadow bunting. 
 Reed bunting. 
 
 FRENCH. 
 
 Fauvette i lunettes, 
 
 Fauvette passerinette. 
 Fauvette k tete noir, 
 Fauvette des jardins, 
 Fauvette orphde, 
 Rossignol. 
 Rubiette rouge gorge, 
 
 Rubiette de muraiUes. 
 Rubiette rouge-queue. 
 Rubiette de moussier. 
 Merle de roche. 
 Merle bleu. 
 
 Traquet rieur. 
 Traquet stapazin. 
 Traquet oreillard, 
 Traquet leucomele, 
 Traquet tarier, 
 Traquet rubicole, 
 Gobemouche bec-figue. 
 Gobemouche gi'is. 
 Hirondelle de chemiude. 
 Hirondelle de bois- 
 
 soneau. 
 Hirondelle de rocher. 
 Hirondelle de rivage. 
 Hirondelle de feueti'e. 
 Loriot. 
 
 Piegrieche a capuchon. 
 Piegrieche meridionale. 
 Piegrieche pale. 
 Piegrieche rousse, 
 Geai de Numidie. 
 Pie de ISTumidie, 
 Corbeau noir, 
 Corbean choucas, 
 fitourneau. 
 !Eto\irneau unicolore, 
 Bruaut proycr. 
 
 Bruant ortolan. 
 Bruant zizi. 
 Bruant fou. 
 Bruaut de roseaux.
 
 382 
 
 LIST OF BIRDS. 
 
 Fringilla spodiogena, Bp. 
 Passer italic, Bjy. 
 Passer salicicola, B^). 
 Chlorospiza aurantii-ven- 
 
 tus, Cah. 
 Carduelis elegaus, Bp. 
 Serinus ineridionalis, Bp. 
 Loxia curvirostra, L. 
 Linota cannabina, Bp. 
 Bucanetes gitliagiueus, 
 
 Bp. 
 Palumtus torquatiTs, Bp. 
 Colum'ba livia, Briss. 
 Columba jeuas, L. 
 Turtur auritus, Rarj. 
 Turtur senegalensis, Bp. 
 Pterocles arenarius, Tan. 
 Pterocles alchata, Bp). 
 Caccabis petrosa, Bp. 
 Coturnix dactylisonans, 
 
 Mey. 
 Turnix andalusicus, Gm. 
 Otis tetrax, L. 
 Hubara undulata, Bp. 
 (Edicnemus crepitans, 
 
 Tem. 
 Cbaradrius pluvialis, L. 
 Cbaradrius morinelliis, L. 
 Cbaradrius liiaticula, L. 
 Charadrius minor, Mcy. 
 Charadi-ius cantianiis, 
 
 Latli. 
 Vanellus cristatus, Mey. 
 Cursorius isabellinus, 
 
 Mey. 
 Glareola pratincola, Tcm. 
 Himantopus melanopte- 
 
 rus, Tcm. 
 Recurvirostra avocetta, L. 
 Machetes pngnax, Cuv. 
 Calidris arenaria, III. 
 Totanus glottis, Tcm. 
 Totanus calidris, Tcm. 
 Totanus ocbropirs, Tcm. 
 Totanus glareola, Tem. 
 Actitis hj'poleucos, Bp. 
 Numenius arquata, L. 
 
 Algerian chaffinch. 
 Cisalpine sparro^v, 
 Spanish spari'ow. 
 Algerian gi'eenfinch. 
 
 Goldfinch. 
 
 Serine finch. 
 
 Crossbill. 
 
 Linnet. 
 
 Vinous gi'osbeak. 
 
 Piingdove. 
 Rock dove. 
 Stock dove. 
 Turtle dove. 
 Palm dove. 
 Common sandgi'ouso. 
 Pintail sandgrouse. 
 Barbary parti'idge. 
 QuaU. 
 
 Andalusian hemipode. 
 Little bustard. 
 Houbara bustard. 
 Stone curlew. 
 
 Golden plover. 
 Dotterel. 
 Ringed plover. 
 Little ringed plover. 
 Kentish plover. 
 
 Lapwing. 
 Cream-coloured courser. 
 
 Collared pratincole. 
 
 stnt. 
 
 Avocet. 
 
 Ruff. 
 
 Sanderling. 
 
 Greenshank. 
 
 Redshank. 
 
 Green sandpiper. 
 
 "Wood sandpiper. 
 
 Sandpiper. 
 
 Curlew. 
 
 Pinson d'Algdrie. 
 Jloineau cisalpin. 
 Moineau espagnol. 
 Yerdier d'Algerie. 
 
 Chardonneret. 
 Grosbec cini. 
 Bec-croise ordinaii-e. 
 Linotte ordinaire. 
 Bou^Teuill githagine. 
 
 Colombe ramier. 
 Colombe biset. 
 Colombe colombin. 
 Tourterelle. 
 Toui-terelle d'Egypte. 
 Ganga unibande. 
 Ganga cata. 
 Perdrix gambra. 
 La caille. 
 
 Turnix Andaloux. 
 Poule de Carthage. 
 Outarde Houbara. 
 (Edicneme criard. 
 
 Pluvier dore. 
 Plmder guignard. 
 Pluvier rebaudet. 
 Pluvier gravelotte. 
 Pluvier k collier inter- 
 
 rompu. 
 Vanneau hupp^. 
 Courvite isabelle. 
 
 Glareole h, collier. 
 £chasse a manteau noir, 
 
 Avocette. 
 
 Combattant variable. 
 Sanderling des sables. 
 Chevalier aboyeur. 
 Chevalier gambette. 
 Chevalier cul-blanc. 
 Chevalier sylvain. 
 Chevalier guignettc. 
 Coiudis cendr^.
 
 LIST OF BIRDS. 
 
 383 
 
 Xomeuius tenuirostris, 
 
 Vieill. 
 Peliclna cinclus, Bp. 
 Tringa minuta, Leist. 
 Tringa Temminkii, Leist. 
 Scolopax rusticola, L. 
 Scolopax gallinago, L. 
 Scolopax gallinula, L. 
 Grus cinerea, Mcy. 
 Anthropoides virgo, Vieil. 
 Ciconia alba, Bel. 
 Ardea cinerea, L. 
 Ardea purpurea, L. 
 Egi-etta alba, Bp. 
 Garzetta egretta, B}^. 
 Bubulcus ibis, Bp. 
 Bupbus comatus, Bp. 
 Ardeola minuta, Bp. 
 Botaurus steUaris, Bp. 
 Nycticorax griseus, Bp. 
 Phcenicopterus autiquo- 
 
 rum, Tcm. 
 Platalea leucorodia, L. 
 Falcinellus igneus, Rupp. 
 Rallus aquaticus, L. 
 Ortygometra porzaua, 
 
 Lath. 
 Ort3''gometra baillonii. 
 Crex pratensis, Bechst. 
 Porphyrio hyacintbus. 
 
 Tern. 
 Gallinula cbloropus. Lath. 
 Pulica cristata, Gm. 
 Fulica atra, L. 
 Podiceps cristatus, LatJi. 
 Podiceps rubricollis, Z«^7i. 
 Podiceps auritos, Lath. 
 Podiceps minor, Lath. 
 Puffinus cinereus. Cm'. 
 Puffinus anglorum, Tern. 
 Thalassidroma pelagica, 
 
 Less. 
 Larus fuscus, L. 
 
 Larus argentatus, L. 
 
 Larus canus, L. 
 
 Larus tenuirostris, Tern. 
 
 EXGLISir. 
 
 Slender-billed curlew. 
 
 Dunlin. 
 
 Little stint. 
 
 Temmink's stint. 
 
 Woodcock. 
 
 Snipe. 
 
 Jack snipe. 
 
 Crane. 
 
 Xumidian crane. 
 
 White stork. 
 
 Heron. 
 
 Purple beron. 
 
 Great white heron. 
 
 Little egret. 
 
 Buff-backed heron. 
 
 Squacco heron. 
 
 Little bittern. 
 
 Bittern. 
 
 JTight heron. 
 
 Flamingo. 
 
 Spoonbill. 
 Purple ibis. 
 Water-rail. 
 Spotted crake. 
 
 Baillon's crake. 
 Com crake. 
 Purple galliuule. 
 
 Water-hen. 
 
 Crested coot. 
 
 Coot, 
 
 Great crested grebo. 
 
 Red-necked gi'ebe. 
 
 Eared grebe. 
 
 Dabchick. 
 
 Ashy shearwater. 
 
 Manx shearwater. 
 
 Storm petrel. 
 
 Lesser black - backed 
 
 gull. 
 Herring gull. 
 Common gull. 
 
 FRENCH. 
 
 Coiu'lis 3, bee grele. 
 
 B^casseau brunette. 
 
 B^casseau dchasses. 
 
 B^casseau temmia. 
 
 Becasse. 
 
 Becassine ordinaire. 
 
 Becassine sourde, 
 
 Grue cendr^e. 
 
 Grue demoiselle. 
 
 Cigogne blanche. 
 
 H^ron cendree. 
 
 Heron pourpre. 
 
 Aigrette. 
 
 Garzette. 
 
 Heron garde-boeuf. 
 
 H^ron crabier. 
 
 Blongios. 
 
 Grand butor. 
 
 Bihoreau. 
 
 Flammant. 
 
 Spatule blanche. 
 Ibis falcinelle. 
 Rale d'eau. 
 Rale marouette. 
 
 Rale Baillou. 
 Rale de genet. 
 Taleve sultana. 
 
 Poule d'eau. 
 Foulque a crete. 
 Foul que macroule. 
 Grebe huppe. 
 Grebe jou-gris. 
 Grebe oreillard. 
 Grebe castagneux. 
 Puffin cendrd. 
 Puffin Manks. 
 Pdtrel tempete. 
 
 Goeland brim. 
 
 Goeland a manteau bleu. 
 Goeland cendree. 
 Mouctte a bee grele.
 
 334 
 
 LIST OF BIRDS. 
 
 LATIN. 
 
 Larus melanoceplialus, 
 
 Natt. 
 Larus ridibundus, L. 
 Larus minutus, Pall. 
 Rissa tridactyla, Bp. 
 Thalasseus casinus, Boic. 
 
 Thalasseus cantiacus, Bp. 
 Thalasseus affinis, Bp. 
 
 Sterna Iiirundo, L. 
 
 Sterna minuta, L. 
 Hydroclielidon nigi'a, Bp. 
 Hydrochelidon leucop- 
 
 tera, Bp. 
 Hydroclielidon hybrida, 
 
 Bp. 
 Phalacrocorax carbo, Cuv. 
 Microcarbo pygmreus, Bp. 
 Cygnus olor, Vieill. 
 Anser segetum, Mey. 
 Anser ferus, Tcmcn. 
 Casarca rutila, Bp. 
 Tadorua bellone, Bp. 
 Anas bosclias, L. 
 Anas strepera, L. 
 Anas cl3q;)eata, L. 
 Anas querquedula, L. 
 Anas crecca, L. 
 Anas acuta, L. 
 Mareca penelope, Bp. 
 Fuligula cristata, Bp. 
 Fuligula marila, Bp. 
 Fuligula ferina, Keys. 
 Fuligula nyi-oca, Keys. 
 Fuligula rufina, Reijs. 
 
 Clangula glaucion, Bp. 
 Erismatura mersa, Bp. 
 Mergus albellus, L. 
 
 ENGLISH. 
 
 Black-beaded gull. 
 Little gull. 
 Kittiwake. 
 Caspian tern. 
 
 Sandwicb tern. 
 
 Common tern. 
 
 Least tern. 
 Black tern. 
 Wliite - winged black 
 
 tern. 
 "VVbiskered tern. 
 
 Cormorant. 
 
 Pigmy cormorant. 
 
 Mute swan. 
 
 Bean goose. 
 
 Grey-lag wild goose. 
 
 Ruddy slieildrake. 
 
 Sheildrake. 
 
 Wnd duck. 
 
 Gadwall. 
 
 Shoveller. 
 
 Garganey. 
 
 Teal. 
 
 Pintail duck. 
 
 Widgeon. 
 
 Tufted duck. 
 
 Scaup duck. 
 
 Pochard. 
 
 White-eyed duck. 
 
 Red-crested whistHng 
 
 duck. 
 Golden-eye. 
 White-headed duck. 
 Smew. 
 
 FBENCH. 
 
 Mouette h, capuchonnoir. 
 
 Mouette rieuse, 
 Mouette pygm^e. 
 Mouette tridactyla. 
 HirondeUe de mer Tsche- 
 
 grava. 
 HirondeUe de mer cangek. 
 Hirondelle de mer voy- 
 
 ageiise. 
 Hirondelle de Pierre 
 
 garin. 
 Petit hirondelle de mer. 
 Epouvantail. 
 Exjouvantail leucoptfere. 
 
 fipouvantail moustac. 
 
 Grand cormoran. 
 Cormoran pygmde. 
 Cygne tubercule. 
 Oie sauvage. 
 Die cendr^. 
 Canard casarka. 
 Canard tadorne. 
 Canard sauvage. 
 Canard chipeau. 
 Canard souchet. 
 Sarcelle d'dt^. 
 Sarcelle d'hiver. 
 Canard pilet. 
 Canard siffleur. 
 Morillon. 
 Milouiuan. 
 Milouin. 
 Canard n}T0ca. 
 Grand siffleur hupp^. 
 
 Garrot. 
 
 Canard couronn^, 
 
 Harle piette. 
 
 The above list is compiled from the birds obtained in Numidia at different 
 seasons by Lord Lilford, Rev. H. B. Tristram, and Sign. V. Bogo. When 
 there are two French vernacular names, the cue in ordinary use among 
 A&ican sportsmen has been preferred.
 
 IV. 
 
 INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE .SPANISH MS. REFERRED TO IN 
 THIS WORK. 
 
 I. From Tuhurho, the modern Tubwrba — 
 
 1. PEONEP. TAELIO HADRIAN .... 
 
 RVM GENTIQUE MVNICIPIVM AELIUM AVIT. 
 PROCOS ET Q. EGRILIO PLARIANO LEG . PR. 
 
 Near the above i^lace — 
 
 2. SEXTO GAEL FILIO . Q . F. 
 QVESS . CRECEN .... 
 VOLVSIANO PRAEFEC 
 FABIO SACERDOTI CVRIONI 
 SACRIS FACIENDIS ADVO 
 CATO FISCI ROMAE PROCVR 
 XTiER AB EPIST 
 VICARII ANTONINI AB EP. 
 ISTVI AVGVSTORVM PA 
 TEONO MVNICIPII . D . D . PP. 
 
 II. From Mczaz Elbab on the banks of the Bagrada- 
 
 3, IMP . C . S . T . S . M . AVRELIO 
 
 PONT . MAX . TRIB . POT . XXIIII . M. 
 
 4. SALVIS AC PROPITIIS DDD . NNN. 
 GRATIANO VALENTINIANO THEO 
 DOSIO INVICTISSIMIS PRINCIPIBVS 
 PP . PACI EX MORE CONDITO DECRETO. 
 
 c c
 
 3S6 APPENDIX IV. 
 
 III. From Esloghca, the ancient Hidclbicnsis — 
 
 5. I3IP . CAES . DIVI M . . . 
 AJS'TONINI PII GE . . . . 
 NEP . DIVI HADRIANI 
 PEOK'EPOTI DIVI 
 TPiAIAXI PAR . AB 
 NEPOTIS DIVI NERVAE 
 SEPTIMO SEVERO 
 PERTINACI AVG . ARA 
 N . PP . PONT . MAX. TRIE 
 POTEST . IMP . Vn . COS . II. 
 HIDELBIENSIS. 
 
 In the same municix>ality — 
 
 6. IMP. CAESAR 
 MARCO AVRELIO 
 PROBO 
 
 PIO 
 FELICE 
 AVG. 
 
 On a column at a short distance from the above— 
 
 7. SOLI INVICTO 
 
 CAES . MAVRELII PROBI PII 
 DOMVS EIVS MVNICIPIVM CIIII 
 
 Among the ruins of a temple — 
 
 8. lOVI OPTIMO 
 ilAXIMO AVG . SAC. 
 
 And a'mxmg those of another — ■ 
 
 9. H . DIANAE AVG . SAC. 
 
 A Iso this votive to Bacchus — 
 
 10. PRO SALVTE IMP . C . . . . 
 Q. MARTIVS FELIX .... 
 DEI LIBERI PATRIS ....
 
 mSCRIPTIONS FROil A SPANISH MS. 387 
 
 Likewise the folloioing — 
 
 11. T. FL. VAIT 
 COXSTAX 
 NOBILIB 
 CAESARIB NVMI 
 NI FORVM 
 - CATISSIMA 
 SVA PECVNIA 
 MYNICIPI CHIDIBB. 
 
 IV. From Tcstoor, the Mizado of antiq^uity, the MS. has- 
 
 12. DD . NIT . FLA VII F, 
 VALENTINIAKO ET 
 VALENTI PI I FELICES VIC. 
 SEMPER AVGG. 
 
 MVNIMIZADO . , 
 
 TERENI 
 
 -^ 
 
 On ci colum n- 
 
 13. IMP . CAES . C . 
 VALERIVS 
 DIOCLETIANVS 
 PIVS FELIX 
 AVG. 
 
 Likewise the following is given from Tcstoor — 
 
 14. FORTISSIMO 
 IMP. ET 
 PACATORI 
 ORBIS M CLA 
 VDIO TALI 
 TO PIO PEL 
 
 AVG. 
 
 Also — 
 
 15. MERCVRIO 
 
 . . . SARMAT. DIVI COMMODIFB. 
 ET ADNIPOTIS M. AVRELII ANTONINI 
 SEPTIMVM
 
 388 APPENDIX lY. 
 
 V. From Tunca, the ancient Tliignica, we have — 
 
 16. ANTONINI PII 
 
 CASTROEVM 
 
 THIGNICA DEVOTVM. 
 
 ^ 17. ALTISSIMO SAECVLO DDD . NNN 
 OKI HOLITORI INDVLTA PAC . . 
 CIPII THIGNICENCIS PROCON . . 
 
 13. CONST ANTINI MAXIMI V 
 
 NIA AFVNDAMENTIS ET S . . . . 
 . VLATY DO . DOMITICENIO FILIO 
 
 VI. The following are from Tuhursuk, the Thihursica and Bisica Lucana 
 of the ancients — 
 
 19. D.N. IMP. VALERIO LICINIA 
 NO LIOINIO AYG. MAX. 
 
 SARMATICO MAX. GERMA 
 
 NICO MAX. TRIB7NICIA POTES 
 
 TATE X. CONS. Y. IMP. X. PATER PATRIAE PRO 
 
 CONS. COLONIA BISICA LYCANA DEYOTA NYMINIBVS 
 
 MAIESTATIQYE EIYS.* 
 
 A ho — 
 
 20. SALYIS DOMINIS NOSTRIS CHRISTIANISSIMIS ET 
 INYICTISSIMIS IMPERATORIBYS lYSTINO ET SOFIA 
 AYGYSTIS HANC MYNITIONEM THOMAS EXCELEN 
 TISSIMYS PREFECTYS FELICITER AEDIFICAYIT. 
 
 21. POLLENTES IN FINE IMPERIO 
 
 DD. NN. HONORII ET THEODOSII PPS IMP. AYG. 
 ADMINISTRANTE FELICE INNODIO. 
 
 * The author of the MS. says respecting this inscription : " Esta colonia 
 presumo que sea la que Ptolomeo llama Tigiba Colonia de Thihursica que oi 
 llaman Thahersoc [or rather as above, or Tohorsok] concureda i los grados de 
 latitiid i longitud que senala, novandistantes dedte paxecer. Presumo que la 
 fondaron los Lucanos que habitaron en la Provincia de Abruzzo del Reyno de 
 Napoles, i es cosa mui racional siendo la derivacion tan imraediata."
 
 INSCRIPTIONS FROM A SPANISH MS. 
 
 VII. From TMigga, the Dugga of the present day- 
 
 22. IMP. CAES. DIVI 
 NERVAE NEPOTI 
 TRAIANI DACICI 
 PARTHICI FIL. LTRA 
 lANO HADRIANO AVG. 
 PONTIF. MAXI. TRIBVN. 
 POTEST. COS II . PP. 
 CIVITAS THVGGAE . DD. PP. 
 
 Oil the architrave of a temple — 
 
 23. L. MARCVS SIMPLEX ET L MAR 
 CELA'S SIMPLEX REGILIANVS . S. P.F." 
 
 On a wall near this temple — 
 
 24. CLAYDIO CAESARI AVG. 
 MAXIMO TRIBVNICIA POT. 
 
 R. CRASSVS AEDIL ORNAMT. R.M. 
 TI VIR AVGVR n. VIR QVINQVE 
 C. FAR PERPETVVS SACERI 
 VS PAGI THVGGENSIS NOM 
 DT PERPETVI ARCV. 
 
 VIII. From 8haitla, Vie Sufetula of antiquity— 
 
 25. IMP. CAES. AVG 
 
 SVFFETVLENTIVM HANG 
 
 AEDIFICAVERVNT. 
 
 E. TDD. PP. 
 
 A mong the ruins of a temple — 
 2G. DIVI liURCI SACRVM. 
 
 On a stone — 
 
 M. C. LINARIO PROCONS, 
 RJpIPVBLICAE . . . ROMAE OB 
 PIETATEM ET OBEDIENTIAM. 
 DD . PP. 
 
 Near this — 
 27. DIOCLETIANI ET MAXIMIANI ET . . . 
 
 * The author of the MS. conjectures that the Regilianus in this inscription 
 i.<? the ancestor of the emperor of the same name, -who was elected in place 
 of Gallienus, and was soon after murdered by his soldiers.
 
 390 APPENDIX IV. 
 
 IX. From the city and municipality of Beisa, ''now called Beissoncs,^' a 
 locality with ivhich I am unacquainted,' the MS. lias — 
 
 23. PRO SALVTE IMP ANTONINI AYG PII ET 
 LIBERORYM SVORVM 
 CINCIVS ET VICTOR AD LAVDANDAM. 
 
 20. MAGNIS ET INYICTISSIMIS DDDD . NNNN , 
 DIOCLETIANO MAXIMIANO PERPETVIS 
 
 AVGG. ET CONSTANTINO MAXIMIANO NOBB. CAESARIBYS 
 RESPVBLICA ........ BEINSIVM DEDICAVIT. 
 
 MARCO IVLIO PROCONS . PA MAIESTATIQVE EORVM DICATO. 
 
 X. '' Tliirty miles distant from Tunis are the ruins of the municijml town 
 Giufitano, where, among others, there is on one marhle this inscription^' 
 {Spanish MS.) — 
 
 30. PII IMP. V. COS. P. I 
 PROCOS MVNICIPI 
 VM GIVE DEVOTVM 
 NVMINE MAIESTATI 
 QVE EIVS DD. PP. 
 
 On a marhle base of a column — 
 
 31. LICINIAE SATYRNI 
 NAE AVRELII 
 DIONISI PATRO 
 
 • NI CONIVGI 
 MVNICIPES 
 MVNICIPII AVRELII 
 ALEXANDRIANI 
 AVGVSTI 
 MAGNI GIVFITANI, 
 
 XI. At a place "they now call" — que llciman oi — Bujohsa, uje have the 
 following — 
 
 32. IMP. CAESAR 
 M. AVRELIVS 
 ANTONINVS 
 AVG. PON. ilAX. 
 TRIBVNICIA BOTES 
 XIIII. COS. IIII PP 
 
 RESTITVIT 
 LVIII
 
 INSCRIPTIONS FEOM A SPANISH MS. 391 
 
 XII. At " Mansu, the ancient ilaranzana" wi have this — 
 
 33. D , M . S . 
 
 CAEI ROSIANI ET AYG. 
 PARENTVM MEilORIA. 
 
 XIII. At Tunis, on a column brought from Carthage, is the inscription which 
 will he found in Appendix I. under number 33. Tlie MS. tJicn informs 
 us that in the "Banc de la Trinidad," which occupied the site of an 
 ancient edifice, on a column since tra'tisferred to "a tavern," we have this 
 inscription — 
 
 34. IMP. CAES. C. VIBIVS 
 TRABONIANVS GALLVS 
 PIYS FELIX AYG. PONT. 
 MAX. TRIE. POTEST. 
 COS. II. . . . ESIC. PP. 
 ET IMP. CAESA. C. 
 
 AEINIYS 
 
 YOLYSIANYS ... 
 PIYS FELIX AYG. 
 PONTIF MAX. TRIE 
 POTEST. II. COS. 
 
 P.P. PROCONS 
 EESTITYERYNT. 
 
 XI Y. The following two arc the last, but it is not stated xchcre they xcere fomul. 
 
 35. INYICTISSIMO FELICISSIMOQYE IMPERATORI lYLIO 
 
 AYGYSTO CAESARE ORBIS PACATOEI MYSTICENSIYM DD.* 
 
 36. YRBI ROMAE ETERNAE AYG. 
 
 * Shaw gives the greater portion, of this inscription, and if he is right in 
 sajdng that it is found at a place called Sidy Abd Elabas (where he states 
 there is "a heautiful triumphal arch," to which he thinks it might have 
 belonged), then that place must occupy the site of Musti. My own opinion, 
 however, is that we must look to Masodi, N.E. of Kef, the ancient Sicca 
 Yeneria, for the remains of Musti. 
 
 THE END.
 
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