slavery and the slave-trade.
In Morzouk about a tenth part of the population are slaves, though many have been brought away from their countries so young as hardly to be considered in that light. With respect to the household slaves, little or no difference is to be perceived between them and freemen, and they are often entrusted with the affairs of their master. These domestic slaves are rarely sold, and on the death of any of the family to which they belong, one or more of them receive their liberty, when, being accustomed to the country, and not having any recollection of their own, they marry, settle, and are consequently considered as naturalized. All slavery is for an unlimited time, unless when a religious feeling of the master induces him to set a bondsman free on any great festival, on the occasion of a death, or, which not unfrequently happens, from a wish to show his approval of the slave’s services.
It was, when the people were more opulent, the custom to liberate a male or female on the feast of Bairam, after the fast of Rhamadan. This practice is not entirely obsolete, but nearly so. The slaves are procured from the inland traders, or on those lawless expeditions I have already mentioned.
Respecting the offspring of slaves, it may not be uninteresting to observe the regulations existing in Fezzan, which are, as far as I can collect, the same as in all Moslem countries.
A Khādem خعدم, or negress, bearing a child by her master, cannot afterwards be sold, but must be maintained for the remainder of her life by him, or any person to whom he may marry her; and her child is free, and equally entitled to support.
A negress having a child by any man but her master (even though the parties should be married), is the mother of a slave, she herself not being free.
Should the female slave of one man be with child by the male slave of another, the infant so born becomes the property of the master of the female, and can, as well as its mother, be sold.
A child, the offspring of a free woman by a slave, partakes of its mother’s state, and is free.
It not unfrequently happens that masters allow family slaves to marry without liberating them; but their children are slaves, and can be sold, although it is not considered honourable so to dispose of them. These children, and, indeed, all those born in the country, are called Shushan شوشان.
CHAPTER VIII.
Arrangements for our Departure from Morzouk — Parting with the Sultan — Leave Morzouk to return to Tripoli — Sleep at Dgleim — Mode of conducting a Kafflé of Slaves — Arrival at Ghroodwa — Pass two Days at Sebha — Are joined by more Kafflés — Marriage of an Arab — Account of the Wadey Shati — Arrive at Temenhint — Zeghen Om el Abeed — Pass of Kenair — Pass over the five Days Desert to Sockna — Troubles at Sockna — Further Description of that Place.
During the few days I remained in Morzouk after my return from the south, my time was much taken up in visiting and endeavouring to relieve a poor boy who had a locked jaw. He was in a state of great debility when I first saw him; one of his hands, which had been injured by a weight falling on it, and which accident occasioned the disease, was in a terrible condition, uncleaned, and smelling most offensively. He had not for many hours taken any nourishment; but I succeeded in forcing out one of his front teeth, and making him swallow some soup and milk, with a dose of bark twice a day. He died on the 5th of February of exhaustion, in defiance of my utmost care, and the numberless charms which were written on his skin. I have observed that the Fighis, who compose these charms, hold out that it is wicked to read or copy one of them if it has been written for any particular person, and that the original alone may be read by the owner. In order to avoid unthinkingly reading charms which they have purchased, the Fezzanners immediately enclose them in a small case of leather or cloth; if this is not to be procured, they carefully tie up the paper with cord or thread.
It has erroneously been supposed that the Moors or Arabs will not permit any one to draw views or figures, in consequence of a prohibition to that effect in the Koran, evidently taken from our Second Commandment. As far as regards myself, I certainly found no opposition in taking sketches, farther than being told that it was forbidden to make likenesses on paper or otherwise, as the Romees, or Christians, worshipped such images. I explained to them, however, that it was not for a religious purpose that I employed my pencil, but merely to make resemblances of my friends: all jealousies then vanished, and I was ever after quietly suffered to proceed. It was a matter of much speculation and wonder that I could possibly contrive to represent such little men on paper, and they never failed to trace a likeness to some one of the company present, even although the colour of the skin, or the costume itself, might be different. In one instance I excited evident jealousy in the Sultan, who could not be persuaded that a Negress I had drawn was not one of his favourites; and he asked me, in no very gentle manner, how and where I could have seen her, as she was confined to the Castle, and was visible to no one but himself? Many of the people, on first taking up a drawing, did not appear much struck with it; but no sooner had they discovered the eyes than their astonishment and delight were expressed by loud laughter, by cries of Allah! Allah! and by placing the back of the open hand against the forehead. Few, however, confined themselves to this mode of admiration, but boldly pushed at the drawing with two fingers, one for each eye, to the great risk of its entire destruction, exclaiming, “There are his eyes; ’tis Abd Allah, Mohammed, or some other of our friends. Look at his eyes! there are two of them! God is merciful! How wonderful! Well! I never thought a man could be put upon paper. That’s the very Kaftan he bought of Hadje Mahmoud! And look, he has a nose and mouth too, oh! oh! oh! Allah! Allah! Allah!”
Fighi Sālem, a friend of ours, was particularly anxious that I should give him, before my departure, a stock of medicines, such as would enable him to become a father. I constantly made some excuse, but he was so pressing, that, unwilling to own my want of ability to comply, I gave him a compound of the dust of our medicine chest, which I pompously assured him was excellent, and would produce the desired effect. I recommended to him, when taking the prescription, to shut one eye while he drank, or to hold his ears; which he promised faithfully to observe, and I make no doubt was anxiously awaiting the result.
I made up some packages of medicine, which I presented to Mukni, begging him to accept also a small still which he had borrowed, and which I knew he never intended to return. He asked it first for the purpose, as he said, of making caraway water; but I strongly suspect it was employed in composing something more congenial to his palate, as his Negresses kept the still on the fire night and day, and much mystery was observed on the occasion. Belford was sent for once or twice to put it in order, Mukni allowing him to enter the Haram attended by one of his sons.
I sold our small horse for twenty dollars, and hired camels to bring home our goods as far as Sockna at one mitgal (or at the rate of the exchange of gold, one dollar three-fourths), the kantar.
We had a japanned tea-tray, which was considered by far the finest thing ever seen in Morzouk. This I presented to Hadje Mahmoud for the improvement of his family. He had often extolled it highly, and whenever he brought any one to visit us, begged that his friend might be indulged with a sight of it. We at last discovered that he wanted it to show to his Negress, who was with child by him (to his great boast, as he was seventy-five years of age), that she might produce a handsome boy, all his family being horridly ugly, and, like their father, very short; and the lady being near her time, the gift was most thankfully received. I was promised a very handsome ewe and ram of the Soudan breed, which were to accompany me to England; and Aleiwa sent me, as a present, a very fine Maherry, which he had ridden himself from Borgoo. It was quite white, and very fleet and docile.
| Drawn from Life by G. F. Lyon. | On Stone by D. Dighton. |
A Tuarick on his Maherrie.
London. Published by J. Murray Albemarle St. Feb.1.1821.
C. Hullmandel’s Lithography.
Hateeta, a Tuarick of the tribe of Benghrasāta at Ghraat, of whom I have before spoken, came to take leave of me. He now pressed me very much to promise him, that on my return to Africa, I would pass through his country, of which he is Chief, and take him with me to the Negro land, adding, that if I would bring him a sword like the one I wore, he should be perfectly content. He is the only Tuarick I ever saw, who was not an impudent beggar, or who made presents without expecting a return. He brought me some curious little cords, made of the hide of an antelope; and as a proof of attachment, gave me the dagger he wore on his wrist, and which was finished in a superior style: he gave me, besides, a saddle cloth for my Maherry, and instructed me how to mount it. I made him accept, in return, a pound of gunpowder; and we parted with mutual promises of being always friends. Yussuf’s mother made me a large quantity of dweeda, cusscussou, and tikkery, a cake made of dates, flour, and spices, and sent me some very fine dates for my friends in England. I spent my time, whenever I was free from the attacks of hemma, which generally confined me about four hours daily to my bed, in visiting the slave markets, and attending the merchants, with many of whom I was on very good terms; which led me to expect a good reception from them, in case, according to my promise, I should visit their native countries, on my return to Africa. Every thing being in readiness for our departure, and Lizari having, though with some difficulty, obtained the Sultan’s permission to go to Tripoli, we took leave of our friends.