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
Two crops are obtained in the year: in the spring, barley and wheat are
reaped; and in the summer and autumn, Indian corn, ghaseb, and other
kinds of grain. All the culture is carried on by means of irrigation,
the water being thrown over the fields by means of runnels of various
dimensions twice in the day; that is, once early in the morning, and
once late in the afternoon until dark.
Wady Ghudwah is a single town with gardens, and the other features
common to all the Fezzan oases.
Sebha includes two towns, having a considerable population, with gardens
and date-palms.
Bouanees includes three towns, well peopled, and has immense numbers of
date-palms.
El-Jofrah contains the second capital or large town of the pashalic,
Sockna, built of stones and mud, with nine or ten smaller towns, all
tolerably populous.
Sockna is situated midway between Mourzuk and Tripoli, and is about
fourteen days from the former. The inhabitants are Moors, and, besides
Arabic, speak a Berber dialect. Sockna is celebrated for its fine sweet
dates, called kothraee; and there is abundance of every kind of this
fruit. A considerable quantity of grain is sown--wheat and barley--and
the gardens abound with peaches. The town of Honn, distant about two
hours from this place, is nearly as large, and also surrounded with
gardens.
Wady Gharby, and Es-Shaty, have already been described. In the sands
between these two places are situated the celebrated natron lakes, in
which that miraculous dud ("worm") spontaneously appears at certain
seasons of the year, and is eaten as people in Europe eat sardines--to
sharpen the appetite. The natron is also a source of profitable
exportation. Wady Sharky almost exactly resembles Wady Gharby, in
population and natural features.
Sharkeeah, besides some insignificant places, includes the interesting
ancient capital called Zoueelah, whence the name of Zoilah is given by
the Tibboos to all Fezzan. Half the population of this place consists of
Shereefs, and there are indeed great and increasing numbers of this
class of persons throughout the whole country.
Ghatroun includes, with Tajerby the most southern place of Fezzan, three
small towns. The inhabitants are all black, speaking the Tibbooese and
Bornouese languages, and very little Arabic. The other nine districts
above enumerated contain a mixed race, like the population of Mourzuk;
but some of the northern towns are inhabited by people of purer blood,
with comparatively fair complexions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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