Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1: Under the Orders and at the Expense of Her Majesty's GovernmentRichardson, James
History
Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1: Under the Orders and at the Expense of Her Majesty's Government
Richardson, James
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, North -- Description and travel; Richardson, James, 1806-1851
In this valley, amongst the trees, we found the flocks and horses of the
Waled Bou Seif feeding. This tribe--the children of the Father of the
Sword--are wandering Arabs, who have never acknowledged the authority of
the Tripoli Government. They possess flocks, camels, and horses,--every
element, in fact, of desert wealth. All the mountains near and round
about Mizdah are claimed by them as their country, which has never,
perhaps, been reduced by any power but the Roman. A young man of the
tribe, who was tending some sheep in the valley, came to visit us. He
was a fine, cheerful fellow, with an open countenance, well dressed,
having, besides his barracan, red leather boots, trousers, and a shirt.
All his tribe, according to his account, are so dressed. He boasted of
the independence of his people, who number three thousand strong, and
extend their influence as far south as Ghareeah. The name of the tribe
is derived, he tells us, from a great warrior who once lived, and was
named by the people Bou Seif, because he always carried a sword.
Our chaouch gave us an account of this young man in the following
strain:--"He is in very deed a marabout! His wife never unveiled her
face to any man; and his own mother kisses his hand. He is master of
wealth, and never leaves this valley. He has a house and flocks of
sheep, and a hundred camels, which always rest in the valley, bringing
forth young, and are never allowed to go into the caravans," &c. &c.
We were detained during the whole of the 13th, because the water was at
a distance and our people had to fetch it. There were marks of recent
rain in the valley, but there is no well; only a few muddy puddles. Dr.
Barth, in wandering about, discovered here a splendid mausoleum, of
which he brought back a sketch. It was fifty feet high, of
Roman-Christian architecture,--say of the fourth or fifth century. No
doubt, remains of cities and forts will be discovered in these
districts. Such tombs as these indicate the presence in old time of a
large and opulent population.
One of the nagahs foaled this day, which partly accounts for our
detention. For some time afterwards the cries of the little camel for
its mother, gone to feed, distressed us, and called to our mind the life
of toil and pain that was before the little delicate, ungainly thing. It
is worth noticing, that the foal of the camel is frolicsome only for a
few days after its birth--soon becoming sombre in aspect and solemn in
gait. As if to prepare it betimes for the rough buffeting of the world,
the nagah never licks or caresses its young, but spreads its legs to
lower the teat to the eager lips, and stares at the horizon, or
continues to browse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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