An Account of Timbuctoo and Housa Territories in the Interior of Africa | Page 9

Fas to Tafilelt,
is equal to 55s., sterling per camel; to 1-1/2d. per mile for each camel,
and to one farthing and one third per quintal of merchandise per mile.]
[Footnote 3: That is for all who go from the Emperor of Marocco's
dominions, north of the river Morbeya, which is called El Garb, or the
North Western Division.]
[Footnote 4: These mud walls are made in cases, and the mode of

erecting them is called tabia. See Jackson's Account of the Empire of
Marocco, &c. &c. 2d or 3d edition, page 298.]
[Footnote 5: Hence it is called Bled Shereef, i.e. the Country of Princes.]
3 Shabeeny's next stage was to Draha[6], which he reached in six days.
The expense per camel was about six ducats, or thirty shillings sterling.
The district of Draha abounds in the small hard date[7], which is very
fine; from four to six drahems[8] (equal to two to three shillings
sterling) is the price of a camel load of these dates.
The province of Draha is larger than that of Tafilelt, its circumference
being about four or five days' journey. The natives[9] of Draha are very
dark, approaching to black, in their complexion: this province abounds
in fortresses, like those of Tafilelt.
[Footnote 6: A province at the foot of the mountains of Atlas, south of
Marocco, for which see the Map of West Barbary, in Jackson's Account
of the Empire of Marocco, &c. &c. p. 1.]
[Footnote 7: This date is called by the natives bouskree: it contains a
larger quantity of saccharine juice than any other date. This province
also produces a date called bûtube, which is the best that grows, and is
called sultan de timmar, i.e. the king of dates. It is not used as an article
of commerce, but is sent as presents to the great, and costs nearly
double the price of those of any other quality: the quality mostly used
for foreign commerce, is the Tafilelt date, called timmar adamoh,
which is sold by the grocers in London. This species is, however,
considered very unwholesome food, and accordingly is never eaten by
the Filellies, or inhabitants of Tafilelt, but is food for the camels. The
district of Tafilelt abounds in dates of all kinds: there are not less than
thirty different kinds; and the plantations of dates belonging to the
princes of Tafilelt are very extensive, insomuch that the annual produce
of one plantation is often sold for a thousand dollars, or 220£ sterling.
Half a dollar, or five drahems per camel load of three quintals.]
[Footnote 8: A drahem is a silver coin, ten of which are equal to a
Mexico dollar.]

[Footnote 9: Their colour is darker than new copper, but not black, It
may be compared to the colour of old mahogany, with a black hue. The
natives of Draha are proverbially stupid.] 4 The caravans have not, as
in the journey to Mecca, their sheiks[10] or commanders. From Fas to
Tafilelt they had no chief, but as there are generally a few old, rich, and
respectable men in the caravan, its direction and government are
committed to their care.
[Footnote 10: The sheik akkabar, or chief of the accumulated caravan,
is generally a shereef or prince.]
From Tafilelt, which, as before observed, is the country of the shereefs,
they are guided by such of the trading shereefs as accompany the
caravan, and who have always great respect paid them, till they arrive
at Timbuctoo. The caravan increases as it proceeds in its journey: at Fas
it consisted of about thirty or forty; at Draha, of from 300 to 400
camels. From Draha, at the distance of three days' travelling, they
found water by digging, and on the next morning they entered the
Sahara, which, for the first twenty days is a plain sandy desert
resembling the sea. In this desert, when they pitch their tents at night,
they are obliged frequently to shake the sand from their tops, as they
would otherwise be overwhelmed before the morning.
Some part of this desert is hard, and the camels do not sink deep into it;
in others the sand is very loose, which fatigues the 5 camels
exceedingly. In travelling, the caravan is directed by the stars at night,
and by the sun in the day, and occasionally by the smell of the earth,
which they take up in their hands. For the first twenty days after they
enter this wilderness they have no water; during this period, the caravan
is obliged to carry water in goat-skins[11], as not a drop is to be found
by digging. On this account, about a third part of the camels are
employed in carrying water, and even with this quantity the camels are
often left for three or four days