A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra LeoneDurand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
History
A voyage to Senegal : $b or, Historical, philosophical, and political memoirs, relative to the discoveries, establishments and commerce of Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Blanco to the river of Sierra Leone
Durand, Jean Baptiste Léonard
Africa, Northwest; Senegal -- Description and travel
At length our travellers reached the town of _Gouadnum_, which is
the refuge for all the rebels of the desert: it is divided into two
parts, each of which has a governor; but the only superiority between
them is that which is given by fortune, All the houses are built
alike, and receive their light from the door and the roof, which
is uncovered. Four large walls surround the space which contains
the houses; and the whole circumference has only one gate, which is
guarded by large dogs. Each individual has also a dog for his own
security, because they have as much to fear from their neighbours as
from strangers. The town, however, carries on a considerable trade,
and has several markets which resemble our fairs. They have for sale
great quantities of the most beautiful wool, and fine woollen stuffs,
of which they make their cloathing. The merchants who carry them into
the interior of the country give in exchange camels and gold from
the mines of Bambouk: they also receive for those articles wheat,
barley, dates, horses, tobacco, salt, gunpowder, combs, mirrors,
and other articles of hardware. This commerce is chiefly carried
on by Jews, who are exposed to the most outrageous insults, which
they nevertheless bear patiently, on account of the great advantages
they derive from the traffic, and the pleasure they experience in
cheating the Moors.
Our travellers remained eight days at Gouadnum, From thence to
Mogador they met with nothing but villages, and castles built
on the summits of high mountains. At a distance these look like
superb palaces; but on approaching them, their walls are found to
consist of nothing but mud, and are built in the most shapeless and
disgusting form. They were now not so well fed; and the nearer they
approached to a town, the less hospitality they received.
At length, after a journey of sixty-six days, they arrived at
Mogador, where Messrs. Dupras and Cabannes came to them, and without
being disgusted at their revolting appearance, assured them that
their misfortunes were at an end. They took with them Sidy-Sellem
and his son, and their house became the asylum of the whole.
The same day M. de Brisson and the baker were presented to the
governor of the place, who informed them that they must proceed to
Morocco, as the emperor desired to see all the Christian slaves,
and give them their liberty.
Mogador is advantageously built; the batteries are strong, and have
a cannon at each embrasure; but the mouth of the cannon rests on
the bottom of the aperture, so that the pieces can be of no use but
for shew. It is the same at Rabat, Salep, and Tangier; the emperor
having neither workmen capable of mounting them, nor timber fit
for making the carriages.
Eight days afterwards Sidy-Sellem and the party set off for Morocco:
they were furnished with mules, a tent, provisions, and men to wait
on them; and after a journey of four days they reached the capital.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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