An account of the empire of Marocco, and the districts of Suse and Tafilelt; compiled from miscellaneous observations made during a long residence in, and various journies through, these countries. To which is added an account of shipwrecks on the western coast of Africa, and an interesting account of Timbuctoo, the great emporium of Central AfricaJackson, James Grey
History
An account of the empire of Marocco, and the districts of Suse and Tafilelt; compiled from miscellaneous observations made during a long residence in, and various journies through, these countries. To which is added an account of shipwrecks on the western coast of Africa, and an interesting account of Timbuctoo, the great emporium of Central Africa
Jackson, James Grey
Morocco
Having now given some account of the languages of Africa, we shall
proceed to animadvert on the similitude of language and customs
between the Shelluhs of Atlas and the original inhabitants of the
Canary Islands. The words between inverted commas are quotations
from Glasse’s History of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary
Islands.
“The inhabitants of Lancerotta and Fuertaventura are social and
cheerful;” like the Shelluhs of Atlas; “they are fond of singing
and dancing; their music is vocal, accompanied with a clapping of
hands, and beating with their feet:” the Shelluhs resemble them
in all these respects; “Their houses are built of stone, without
cement; the entrance is narrow, so that but one person can enter at
a time.”
The houses of the Shelluhs are sometimes built without cement,
but always with stone; the doors and entrances are low and small,
so that one person only can enter.
“In their temples they offered to their God milk and butter.”
Among the Shelluhs milk and butter are given as presents to princes
and great men: the milk being an emblem of good will and candour.
“When they were sick (which seldom happened) they cured themselves
with the herbs which grew in the country; and when they had acute
pains, they scarified the part affected with sharp stones, and burned
it with fire, and then anointed it with goat’s butter. Earthen
vessels of this goat’s butter were found interred in the ground,
having been put there by the women who were the makers, and took
that method of preparing it for medicine.”
The custom of the Shelluhs on similar occasions is exactly similar;
the butter which they use is old, and is buried under ground many
years in (bukul) earthen pots, and is called budra: it is a general
medicine, and is said to possess a remarkably penetrating quality.
“They grind their barley in a hand-mill, made of two stones,
being similar to those used in some remote parts of Europe.”
In Suse, among the Shelluhs, they grind their corn in the same way,
and barley is the principle food.
“Their breeches are short, leaving the knees bare;” so are those
worn by the Shelluhs.
“Their common food was barley meal roasted and mixed with goats
milk and butter, and this dish they called Asamotan.”
This is the common food of the Shelluhs of Atlas, and they call it
by a similar name, Azamitta.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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