Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846 | Page 9

deviation from what had happened before, but it is
equally true that the violent deaths of these individuals, so far as we can
gather from the details, were brought about by the greatest possible
imprudence on their part. However, I may say without hesitation, no
people dread The Desert so much, and have in them so little of the
spirit of enterprise and African discovery, as the naturalized Europeans
of Tunis and Tripoli, and other parts of Barbary. To purchase the
co-operation of a volunteer in these countries would require more
money than defraying the expense of an expedition, and after all, from
the love of intrigue and double-dealing which Europeans long resident
in Barbary acquire, as well as other drawbacks, you would be very
badly served.
I shall begin the narrative of my personal adventures in The Sahara
with my departure from the island of Jerbah to Tripoli.
May 7th, 1845.--Left Jerbah in the evening for Tripoli in the coaster
Mesâoud ("happy"). The captain and owner was a Maltese, but the
colours under which we sailed were Tunisian. Generally, a Moorish
captain di bandeira commands these coasters, because it saves them
dues at the various ports. Indeed, most of the small coasting craft of
Tunis and Tripoli, though the property of Europeans, sail under the
Turkish, rather Mahometan (red) flag. Although May, our captain told
me, it was the worst month in the year for coasting in Barbary. The
wind comes in sudden puffs and gales, blowing with extreme violence

everything before it, prostrating and rooting up the stoutest and
strongest palm-trees. So, in fact, as soon as we got out, a gregale
("north-easter") came on terrifically, and occasioned us to return early
next morning to Jerbah. During the night, we were nearly swamped a
few miles from the shore. The gregale continued the next two days,
striking down several of the date-trees with great fury. When these
trees are so struck down, the people do not make use of the wood for
months, nay years, because it is ill-luck. Jerbah is a grand focus of wind,
and it sometimes blows from every point of the compass in twelve
hours. Æolus seems to patronize this isle; and, as at Mogador on the
Atlantic, wind here supplies the place of rain. The inhabitants of
Mogador have wind nine months out of twelve; but seasons pass
without a shower of rain.
10th.--Evening. Left again for Tripoli. We passed the night about ten
miles off the island, amongst the fishing apparatus, which looks at a
distance like so many little islets. They consist of mere palm-tree
boughs, struck deep into the mud as piles are driven; and large spaces
are thus enclosed. When the tide[7] falls, the fish get entangled or
enclosed in these enclosures, and are caught. Very fine fish are taken,
and a fifth of the ordinary sustenance of the islanders is derived from
this fishing. Unhappily the poor fishermen are obliged to pay from
twenty-five to fifty per cent. of the fish caught to Government; so the
poor in all countries are the worse treated because they are poor.
11th.--The wind becoming again foul, we put into a little place called
Sâkeeah, a port of the island in the S.E. Here is nothing in the shape
of a port town, only a small square ruinous hovel of mud and plaster,
and a rude hut put up temporarily by a Maltese, who is building a boat.
I often think the Maltese are the Irish of the South. Maltese enterprise
is prevalent in all parts of the Mediterranean but in their own country.
The port, such as it is, is defended by a little round battery, four feet
high, with three rusty pieces of cannon. If these could be fired off, the
masonry would tumble to pieces. This is the present state of all the
fortifications of Mahometan Barbary. It frequently happens that when a
vessel of war visits the smaller Barbary ports, and wishes to fire a
salute in honour of the governors, it is kindly requested this may not be

done, because it is necessary etiquette to return the salute, and, if
returned, the masonry of the fortifications may tumble down. The scene
was wild and bare; the colours of the landscape light and bright. There
were some Moors winnowing barley. An ox was treading out the corn,
in Scripture fashion. Crops of barley and other grain are grown all over
this fertile isle, under the date-palm and olive trees. Small boats were
waiting to carry off the grain to Tunis. As in Ireland, little remains to
feed the people. They must feed on dates, or fish, or vegetables and
roots.
12th.--Left Sâkeeah with a strong breeze. On looking back on the
island it had the appearance of thousands of date-palms,