The form of the whole camp, when pitched, consisting of about a dozen
very large tents, was as follows:--The Bey's tent in the centre, which
was surrounded at a distance of about forty feet with those of the
Bash-Hamba [31] of the Arabs, the Agha of the Arabs, the Sahab-el-Tabah,
Haznadar or treasurer, the Bash-Boab, and that of the English tourists;
then further off were the tents of the Katibs and Bash-Katib, the
Bash-Hamba of the Turks, the doctors, and the domestics of the Bey, with
the cookery establishment. Among the attendants of the Bey were the
"guarda-pipa," guard of the pipe, "guarda-fusile," guard of the gun,
"guarda-café," guard of the coffee, "guarda-scarpe," guard of the shoes,
[32] and "guarda-acqua," guard of water. A man followed the Bey about
holding in his hand a golden cup, and leading a mule, having two paniers
on its back full of water, which was brought from Tunis by camels. There
was also a story-teller, who entertained the Bey every night with the
most extraordinary stories, some of them frightfully absurd. The Bey did
not smoke--a thing extraordinary, as nearly all men smoke in Tunis. His
Highness always dined alone. None of his ladies ever accompany him in
these expeditions.
The tents had in them from twenty to fifty men each. Our tent consisted
of our two selves, a Boab to guard the baggage, two Arabs to tend the
horses and camels, and another Moor of all work, besides Captain
Balfour's Maltese, called Michael. We had three camels for our baggage.
The first night we found very cold; but having abundance of clothing, we
slept soundly, in spite of the perpetual wild shoutings of the Arab
sentries, stationed round the camp, the roaring and grumbling of the
camels, the neighing and coughing of the horses, all doing their utmost
to drive away slumber from our eyelids.
We halted on the morrow, which gave us an opportunity of getting a few
things from Tunis which we had neglected to bring. But before returning,
we ate some sweetmeats sent us by the guarda-pipa, with a cup of coffee.
The guarda-pipa is also a dragoman interpreter of his Highness, and a
Genoese by birth, but now a renegade. In this country they do not know
what a good breakfast is; they take a cup of coffee in the morning
early, and wait till twelve or one o'clock, when they take a hearty
meal, and then sup in the evening, late or early, according to the
season. Before returning to Tunis, we called upon his Highness, and told
him our object. We afterwards called to see the Bey every morning, to
pay our respects to him, as was befitting on these occasions. His
Highness entered into the most familiar conversation with us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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