Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846Richardson, James
History
Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846
Richardson, James
Sahara -- Description and travel
The old bandit calls and says:--"Your friend, the _long_ man, has
finished to-day all his tobacco." The long man is the Giant Touarick. I
took no notice of this polite hint to furnish a new supply. I might
furnish with tobacco all the Touaricks who came here, if I were to
attend to these Irish hints. The old bandit, who is cramped up like a
wizened apple, is said by people still to carry on his nefarious trade.
The proof of this they give to be, his always _going alone_ when he
travels. The old villain then catches what he can. Myself, I hardly
believe he continues his brigandage. He appears wholly worn out. I gave
his little son 20 paras to buy camel's flesh. The old freebooter grinned
a ghastly smile. Walking in _Ben Weleed_ quarters, I heard a great to-do,
and went to see what it was, when I saw the old chief, Haj Ben Mousa
Ettanee, standing over his young truant son, whilst with a thick stick
the servant of the schoolmaster was belabouring the feet of the child.
Never was a more complete bastinadoing. The urchin cried to his father
for mercy. It was perfectly in character with the old man, and the
austere manners of his family. I do not wonder that all the people read
and write in Ghadames, when such severity is practised by the very
aristocrats of the city. Whilst standing by, another Moor went up to the
old man, and said, "Stop, stop, here's the Christian looking on." They
stopped, but it appeared a mere pretence for leaving off, for already
they had unmercifully belaboured the truant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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