Travels through Central Africa to Timbuctoo; and across the Great Desert, to Morocco, performed in the years 1824-1828, Vol. 2 (of 2)Caillié, René
History
Travels through Central Africa to Timbuctoo; and across the Great Desert, to Morocco, performed in the years 1824-1828, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Caillié, René
Sahara -- Description and travel; Sudan (Region) -- Description and travel
Pursuing our route, we arrived at the wells of Yeneguedel, where we
halted: a quarter of mile to the south we saw a delightful grove
of palms, offering a striking contrast with the barrenness of the
neighbouring mountains; but our guides neglected this spot, where we
might have enjoyed the shade, and left us exposed to the scorching
sun, which on that day was more than usually powerful. I visited
the wells, situated on a little hill, as bare as the neighbouring
country, and there found a single drooping _mimosa ferruginea_,
under which I stretched myself, and, resting my head on a stone,
slept soundly. On awaking, I approached the wells to drink, and saw
there some Berber women watering their sheep: the wells are three
feet deep, and their water is good and abundant; they are sunk in
grey sand, containing many calcareous stones of a flat shape. On our
departure from Mimcina, we had been joined by a Moor from Tafilet:
he and his train were mounted upon mules, the animals most commonly
used for travelling this stony road, which is apt to wound the feet
of camels; those of Sidi-Aly were however obliged to carry his goods.
The Berbers had a barley-cake baked upon the ashes for our supper;
each of us after this light repast, drank a glass of cold water,
and lay down for the night on the stony ground.
On the 16th, at three in the morning, we proceeded slowly N. N.
E., till near eight, when our course was changed to the north. Our
march lay over a very mountainous soil, covered with sharp stones,
which were very troublesome. The mountains are not high, and
composed of granite without any appearance of vegetation. The Moor
Sidi-Boby, who still perpetually insulted me, threw a stone at me,
which striking me on the right side, hurt me much, and I retained
the mark of it a considerable time: this brute had no other cause for
such savage treatment than my having mounted my camel without giving
him notice. Old Aly, seated upon his, had preceded us; immediately
on rejoining him, I complained of the outrageous treatment to which
I had been exposed; but he paid little attention to me and answered
laughing: “That is nothing, all will be well.” Exasperated by his
conduct, I told him that if all was well with him, all was very ill
with me: he was silent, and turned his head another way. I ought to
repeat here that it was to the two Trajacant marabouts alone that I
was indebted for not encountering still worse treatment from such
men, in the journey between el-Drah and Tafilet: I thanked them
for it; but for them I should have been obliged either to desert,
or to seek another guide to conduct me to Ghourland. The Moors of
my company were restrained from doing me greater mischief solely
by the fear of passing for infidels.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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