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
Talking with a gossip about the character of Moors, and he saying they
were "_friends of flous_ (money,)" _i. e._ mercenary, and adding that the
Touattee was the best fellow amongst them. Said, who was present, said to
me, "Yes, it is so, and because he is a black man." Said often repeats to
me, "In Soudan it will cost you nothing to live; being a stranger,
everybody will feed you in our country." Another free black took upon
himself to ridicule the constitution of the white man. "Ah," he cried,
"what is a white man! a poor weak creature; he can't bear Soudan heat; he
gets the fever, and dies. No, it is the black man that is strong, strong
always. He never droops or sinks! Look at the strength of my limbs." Such
are the traits of character of coloured men in this Saharan world. I add
another anecdote. Speaking to Berka one day, I said, "I shall have that
Tibboo himself sold as a slave; what right has he to bring people here as
slaves and sell them?" Berka mistook my meaning, thinking that, because
the Tibboo was black, I wished to have him sold and punished, and not for
being a slave-dealer, and the old gentleman got into a great passion,
sharply reprimanding me in this style: "Yes, Christian! drop that
language; when you get to Soudan you will find everybody black. Drop that
language; don't fancy, because the Tibboo is black, you can sell him.
Drop that language, for all are black there."
_7th._--This morning, after a pursuit of three days, our soldiers brought
in the Souf Arabs, which has made a great clamour in the town, as it
always happens in disputed cases, the people arranging themselves on
different sides as partisans, some for the Rais and others for the
Souafah. Called upon the Governor and told him I hoped he would not take
the _gomerick_ ("duties") for the goods of the caravan, as the people
were brought here against their will. His Excellency said he would not,
but merely reprimand them for spreading false news. It appears there is
some slight evidence of a hoax, but nothing to justify such a violent
measure. The Governor wants to make it out that they might have been
Shânbah, when it was well known before their capture they were Souafah.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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