A narrative of travels in northern Africa in the years 1818, 19, and 20; accompanied by geographical notices of Soudan and of the course of the NigerLyon, G. F. (George Francis)
History
A narrative of travels in northern Africa in the years 1818, 19, and 20; accompanied by geographical notices of Soudan and of the course of the Niger
Lyon, G. F. (George Francis)
Fezzan (Libya) -- Description and travel; Tripolitania -- Description and travel
and were at peace with them, and did not intend making any slaves;
therefore they ought not to have resisted us.”
The Tibboo of Borgoo are all Kaffirs, but are quiet inoffensive
people, living in houses made of palm-leaf mats, called Booshi, which
are so closely woven, that the rain cannot penetrate them. I have
seen huts of this description at Gatrone and Tegerry, and consider
them superior to the Fezzan houses in general. Very little corn is
cultivated in Bergoo, the inhabitants subsisting chiefly on dates,
which grow there in immense quantities, of an inferior kind, and on
the flesh of their sheep, goats, and camels: they have also a small
breed of black cattle, but these are chiefly used for milking. The
arms of these people I have spoken of in a former page. Their
dress has very little variety; and except the skins of animals
they have only such coarse cloths as they sometimes obtain from
their trading neighbours, which they wear, having a piece before and
another behind, hanging down as low as the knees. Boys and girls are
entirely naked, and few of the men have any other covering than a
leather wrapper round the loins; all have the head bare. Marriage,
according to the accounts of the Arabs, who vilify them in order to
excuse their own cruelties, is unknown among them, and the women are
in common: brothers and sisters live together, and confess it when
asked. They have no knowledge of a God; they are, nevertheless,
peaceable and neighbourly towards each other. One or two whom I
questioned, admitted that there was a great Spirit who, made them;
but laughed when I asked where he was to be found? They imagine
thunder and lightning to be produced by their deceased friends,
and are therefore very fearful during a storm. They eat the blood of
camels when baked over a fire; and they also will eat animals which
die a natural death. Lizari came and lodged with us; we provided him
with clothes, and made him as comfortable as we could. Neither he,
nor any of the Ghrazzie, had for the last forty-two days tasted any
other food than dates; he was fat, however, and so were they all,
which is a strong proof of the nutritious quality of that fruit.
Mukni, who was very jealous of Lizari, and bore him great ill will,
sent orders to certain people to murder him, by firing ball at
him whilst at their evenings’ diversions; but his situation as
a great man in Fezzan, and his excellent private character, had
made him so respected, that those who had orders to kill him came
and informed him of his danger, promising to defend rather than
to injure him. He remained, however, in most unpleasant suspense,
lest a second order should be more effectual. Even in our house,
and in the same room with us, he slept with his pistols cocked
under his head, and his sabre by his side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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