QUADRUPEDS.
The Thaleb.—The animal called thaleb[73] is the red fox; it emits the same strong scent as the fox of Europe, and is found in all parts of the country; but is far from being so common as the deeb, which some have compared to the jackal, others to the brown fox. It is certain, that the deeb emits no offensive smell; it is a very cunning animal, and its name is applied metaphorically to signify craft, which it possesses in a greater degree than any other animal; this circumstance alone seems to ally it to the fox species. It is very fond of poultry; and at night, a little after dark, the still air of the country is pierced with its cries, which alternately resemble those of children, and that of the fox. They assemble in numbers, and abound throughout the country, particularly in the environs of plantations of melons and other vinous plants. Some of these deebs have longer hair than others, and their skins are particularly soft and handsome. The provinces of Shedma, Haha, and Suse abound with this animal: the Arabs hunt it, and bring the skins for sale to the Mogodor market.
The (Dubbah) Hyæna.—The Dubbah, a term which designates the hyæna among the Arabs, is an animal of a ferocious countenance; but in its disposition, more stupid than fierce; it is found in all the mountains of Barbary, and wherever rocks and caverns are seen; this extraordinary animal has the opposite quality of the deeb,[74] having a vague and stupid stare, insomuch that a heavy dull person is designated by the term dubbah.[75] The flesh of this animal is not eaten, except in cases of extreme hunger: those, however, who have tasted it assert, that it causes stupefaction for a certain time; hence, when a person displays extraordinary stupidity, the Arabs say (kulu ras Dubbah), he has eaten the head of a hyæna.
The mode of hunting this animal is singular; a party of ten or twelve persons, accompanied with as many dogs of various kinds, go to the cavern which they have previously ascertained to be the haunt of the hyæna; one of the party then strips himself, and taking the end of a rope with a noose to it in one hand, he advances gradually into the cave, speaking gently, and in an insinuating tone of voice, pretending to fascinate the hyæna by words; when he reaches the animal, he strokes him down the back, which appears to soothe him; he then dexterously slips the noose round his neck, and instantly pulling the rope to indicate to those on the outside of the cave, who hold the other end, that it is fixed, he retires behind, throwing a handkerchief or cloth over the eyes of the hyæna; the men then pull the rope from without, whilst he who fixes the noose urges the animal forward, when the dogs attack him. Some of the Shelluhs are very expert at securing the hyæna in this manner, and although there may be some danger in case the rope breaks, yet the man who enters the cave always carries a dagger, or large knife with him, with which he has considerably the advantage, for this animal is by no means so ferocious as he appears to be: in the southern Atlas I have seen them led about by the boys; a rope being fastened round the animal’s neck, and a communicating rope attached to it on either side, three or four yards long, the end of each being held by a boy, keep him perfectly secure. It is confinement that is inimical to a hyæna,[76] and which increases his ferocity. There are other modes of hunting this stupid animal, either in the night with dogs, or by shooting him; but he never comes out of his cave in the day-time, but sits at the further end of it, staring with his eyes fixed. Their general character is not to be afraid of man, nor indeed to attack or avoid him; they will, however, attack and destroy sheep, goats, poultry, asses, and mules, and are very fond of the intoxicating herb called Hashisha.[77] The hyæna is said to live to a great age.
The dubbah and the deeb resemble each other in their propensity to devour dead bodies; so that whilst the plague ravaged West Barbary in 1799 and 1800, these animals were constant visitors of the cemeteries. The drawing of the hyæna in the fifth volume of the work just quoted is very correct.
The Gazel (antelope).—The gazel is that pretty light and elegant animal, swift as the wind, timid as a virgin, with a soft, beautiful, large, and prominent black eye, which seems to interest you in its favour. In its general appearance, the gazel resembles our deer; it is however much smaller, and has straight black horns, curving a little backwards. The eye and figure of the gazel, so well known to all Arabian poets, are emblematical of beauty, and the greatest compliment that can be paid to a beautiful women, is to compare her eyes to those of the gazel.[78] Much art is employed by the Arabian females to make their eyes appear like those of this delicate animal. Eyes originally black and lively, are made to appear larger and more languishing by tinging the outer corner with El kahol Filelly, a preparation of lead ore procured from Tafilelt, which gives an apparent elongation to the eye. The eye-lashes and eye-brows being also blackened with this composition, they appear peculiarly soft and languishing; it is said also to improve and strengthen the sight. Every one who has accurately observed the eye of the African gazel will acquiesce in the aptness of the simile before alluded to. The word angel, so often employed by our poets to designate a beautiful female, is, with the Arabs, transformed to gazel: thus the Arabian sonnet;
ڧل الغزالِ راكَ
خليتني نرجاكَ
كيڢ اَلما مُل معاك
اش حليتيِ و اش عماليِ
رڢڧي بالي يهواك
يا تاَج اَلريام غزالِ
Kul el gazelli râk
Kulitini nerjak
Kif el m’ amul mak
Ash heliti wa ash amelli
Rafki billi ihuak
Ia taj miriamme gazelli,
Say, thou Antelope in beauty,
Since permitted to return,
Say, what is a lover’s duty,
Who with ardent fire doth burn.
Sympathize with him who loves you,
Crown of all my hopes and joys,
’Tis your constant swain approves you,
His Gazel all his soul employs.
Great numbers of gazels are found in all those extensive plains situated at the foot of the Atlas mountains; in those of Fruga, south of Marocco, after descending the Atlas, I have seen a hundred together; they also abound in the plains of Sheshawa near Anek Jimmel. Wild as the hare, and more fleet than the Barbary courser, they are seen bounding over the plains in large numbers. The antelope, however, soon fatigues, so that the horses of the Arabs gain on it, and the dogs are enabled finally to come up with it; it is hunted rather for the meat, which is similar to venison, than for actual sport, the Arabs having little desire to hunt merely for amusement. They kill and cut the throats of as many animals as they can procure. They often hunt the gazel with the (slogie) African greyhound, a peculiarly fine breed of which is produced in the province of Suse. The Arabs and Moors whilst hunting the antelope, often throw (zerwâta) thick sticks about two feet long at their legs, to break them, and thereby incapacitate them from running: a cruel device, at which the natural predilection for this delicate and beautiful animal recoils.
El Horreh.—This, as its name implies,[79] is reckoned among the Arabs the prince of animals, and the emblem of cleanliness. It is an inhabitant of Sahara and its confines, and is not found north of the river Suse. It is somewhat similar to the gazel in its form and size; the colour of its back and head is of a light red, inclining to that of a fawn; the belly is of a beautiful and delicate white, insomuch that its brilliancy affects the eyes in a similar manner to the sensation produced in them by looking stedfastly at fine scarlet.
This animal, according to the tradition of the Arabs, never lies down, lest it should deface the colour of its belly, of the beauty of which it appears to be conscious. The stone called in Europe bizoar stone,[80] is produced by the horreh, but whether it be a concretion formed in its stomach, or an egg, or the testicle, is probably not accurately ascertained. The Bide el horreh, or egg of the horreh, signifies also the testicle of the animal, and I am inclined to think it is either the testicle, or a peculiar concretion formed in its stomach, all those which I have seen being nearly of the same size and form, similar to a pigeon’s egg. This stone is scraped and taken as an antidote against poison. Some whimsical people carry it about with them, taking it frequently in tea.
From this rare and beautiful animal’s being an emblem of purity, its skin (Jild el Horreh) is held in great estimation by the Bashaws, and men of rank, who prefer it to every other substance, to prostrate themselves upon at prayers. The Bashaws generally have an attendant with them, who carries this skin, which is cured or prepared with allum and tizra,[81] and assumes a white colour when it comes from the tanners.
The Aoudad.—This animal is to be found only in the very steep and inaccessible cliffs, and in the woods and forests of the mountains of Atlas, south of Marocco and in Lower Suse, except when it descends to the rivers to drink. It throws itself from lofty precipices into the plains below, alighting generally on its horns or shoulders.
None of them have ever been caught in a state to allow of their being kept alive, being so very wild that it is not possible to approach them without great danger. In size and colour the Aoudad is similar to a calf; it has a beautiful long mane or beard, growing from the lower part of the neck; its teeth are very strong, and indicative of its longevity; the horns are about twelve inches in length, curved, of a dark colour, and are used for various purposes.
The only two skins of this animal which ever came to Europe, I had the honour of sending to the Right Honourable President of the Royal Society;[82] the horns and teeth were with one of them, which I had much difficulty in procuring from a Shelluh merchant, who having inadvertently observed to some of his friends the interest I took in procuring it, the jealousy of the Moors was raised, and they conceiving it to be some rich treasure, the officers of the Custom-house obliged me to pay an enormous duty for it. No other skin of this hitherto undescribed animal has been brought to Europe since; nor do I apprehend we shall know more respecting the animal itself, whilst the present imperfect knowledge of Africa continues. Emissaries, whether commercial or philosophical, to that country, should furnish themselves with a general and practical knowledge of the Arabic language, without which little progress can be expected in its discovery.
The Wild Boar.—This animal, the hunting of which affords so much sport, is by the Arabs called El Kunjar, or El Helloof; they abound in the Shelluh province of Haha, and in Suse, where they are called Amuren; they are so plentiful about Agadeer, that it is not unusual to catch two or three before mid-day; one day we saw seven. They will sometimes run by a group of men without appearing at all alarmed; an instance of which happened once, as I remember, near Agadeer, where at a pic-nic party under some high trees, some Europeans who were present were not a little alarmed at seeing two wild hogs pass close by them; but they never attack a person unless wounded by him. In hunting this animal, whose strength is proverbial, the dogs should be good, and strong enough to keep him at bay; for if he be fired at and wounded by a man on foot, he will immediately make up to him, if he discovers from whence the wound was inflicted; but in the mean time he is either attacked by the dogs, diverted from his object by a stratagem, or brought down by some other shot. A boar will sometimes rip open the dogs as well as the horses with their tusks; but this rarely happens when the hunt is well appointed: a strong dog of the greyhound breed is the best and most effectual in securing this ferocious animal. The (slogies) greyhounds of Suse, of the third breed, always attack the boar on the nape of the neck, and never quit their hold.
The Nïmmer.—The word Nimmer may be translated Leopard; it is spotted rather than striped, and in size resembles the royal tiger of Asia. The strength and agility of this animal is wonderful; I have seen one receive nine balls, before he fell. When the Nimmer is known to be in any particular district, deep holes are made in the ground, and covered lightly over, on which if he happen to tread, the ground sinks, and he falls in. The sides of the hole being formed like an inverted cone, the animal cannot get out, though he will make many efforts to regain his liberty; in the mean time the hunters come up and shoot him. At other places where he is supposed likely to pass, they build up a wall, and cover it over, making a hole or two sufficiently large to admit a musket-barrel, and here the patient Shelluh will wait whole days for his enemy, living all the time on (Hassowa) barley-meal mixed with water. After building a few of these walls enclosed like rooms, several Shelluhs will go in quest of the Nimmer, each taking his station either in these buildings, or in some lofty tree, and waiting a favourable opportunity to get a shot at him. The Arabs say that this ferocious animal, after he has seized his prey, if he be not impelled by hunger, will leave it for a few days, and afterwards return to the spot and devour the carcase, even if it be putrid.
The Lion is too well known to need a particular description in this place: he is hunted by the Africans in the same manner as the Nimmer; but they do not consider the chase to be so dangerous: the lion is not so active, nor does he climb as the Nimmer does. The Arabs say that if a person unarmed meet the Nimmer, he is sure of being destroyed; but that if, on the sight of a lion, he let his garments drop off, and stand before him undaunted, seeming to defy him, the lion will turn round and quietly walk off. Few people would be inclined to try the experiment for the purpose of ascertaining the truth of this assertion. In the forests near the city of Mequinas the lions are very fierce, and have frequently been known so to infest the roads, as to render it impracticable for the caravans to pass. They are seen also at the foot of the Atlas, where the country is well wooded. The flesh, when eaten, is said, by the Arabs, to inspire courage.
The Bear.—Various conjectures have been formed respecting this animal’s being a native of Africa: from the concurrent testimony of the inhabitants, I am of opinion that it does not exist in West Barbary; it may, however, have been seen (as I have heard it has) in the upper regions of Atlas, which are covered with snow during the whole year. The name given by the Arabs to this animal is Dubb.[83]
The Sibsib.—This animal appears to be of an intermediate species between the rat and the squirrel; it is somewhat similar to the ichneumon in form, but not half its size; it inhabits the Atlas, and lives in holes among the stones and caverns of the mountains; it has brown hair, and a beautiful tail (resembling that of the squirrel) about the length of its body. The Shelluhs and Arabs eat this animal, and consider it a delicacy: and it is the only one the Mohammedans torment before death; this is done by taking hold of its fore and hind legs, and rubbing its back on a stone or flat surface for a few minutes, which causes the animal to scream out; they then cut its throat according to the Mohammedan custom. Seeing some Shelluhs in South Atlas performing this operation, and asking their motives for it, they informed me that the rubbing made the flesh eat tender; that in taste it resembled a rabbit, but that without the friction it was not palatable. Being a subterraneous animal, it is prohibited food; but the eating of any forbidden thing becomes lawful to the Mohammedan, by ascribing to it some medicinal property; it is then denominated (Dûah) medicine, and not food: by this evasion, wine is drank by many who are not rigorous Mooselmin.
I never saw the Sibsib north of the province of Suse, but it abounds in the mountains of that district. Its motions are so excessively quick, that it is extremely difficult to shoot it.
Wild Cat.—El Cat el berranie is the Arabic name for this animal; it is much larger than the domestic cat, but similar in form; the back, neck, and forepart of the legs are of a dirty gray, inclining to brown; the belly is of a dirty white, spotted with brown; and the tail is long and handsome. The wild cat is so fierce, that when pressed with hunger it will sometimes attack a man.
The Ape.—This animal, which appears to form the intermediate link between the human species and the brute, is found of a very large size in North Atlas, and also about Ceuta.[84] There are various species of the ape; some are called by the Arabs D’Zatute, others El Kurd; the Berebbers, or Africans, call them Tongemon, or Babuin, and affirm that the (Hel Shouel) tailed men of Sahara, are a production from these animals with the human species. They live upon fruits, grass, and corn, and are often seen in great numbers in the fields, having a centinel to keep watch on some eminence; and when any person appears he gives the alarm, and they all run off together to the woods, climbing the trees. The females will jump from one branch to another with their young on their shoulders; they are very subtle and vindictive, though easily appeased.
The Rhinoceros.—Reem is the Arabic name of the Rhinoceros. Various and contradictory have been the accounts both of the ancients and moderns respecting the beast with one horn, called the Unicorn, which is probably no other than the young Rhinoceros, which is said, by the Arabs, to have but one horn, till of a certain age, when a second appears, and some affirm that a third appears when the animal grows old. The horn of the Reem is called Kirkadune by the Arabs, and figuratively, gurn min gurn, i.e. horn of horns, being extremely hard and fine-grained, and receiving a high polish; it is sold at a most enormous price, and is used for the hilts of swords. With regard to the animal called by our heralds the unicorn, and represented in armorial bearings, I doubt if ever such an animal existed; the Reem[85] is called also Huaddee, which signifies the beast of one horn, Aouda signifies a mare, hence, perhaps, by an easy corruption of names, the Aouda has been mistaken for Huaddee, and the figure of a horse with a horn has been adopted as the figure of the Reem in our heraldic supporters; for I have frequently conversed with men who had been twenty years in the different countries of the interior of Africa, but never could learn that a beast with one horn existed in figure resembling a horse.[86] The Reem is also figuratively denominated boh gern el harsh, i.e. the father of the hard horn.
Jumars.—The reputed offspring of the ass and the bull, or cow, is an animal whose existence is still doubted; I have never, in any of my travels, seen such a one; but I was once informed by Sid Mohammed E——m, that such a beast was sometimes seen in Bled-el-jerrêde; he had not, however, seen it himself. Dr. Shaw has described one that he saw in Barbary; notwithstanding which, the Count de Buffon disputes its existence.
These observations on the more remarkable wild animals may serve as a clue to future travellers; their names in the language of the country being accurately given, it will not be difficult to procure some of the natives to direct where to find them, by which means their respective species may be ascertained by those who may be desirous of elucidating natural history. I shall now mention the most particular domestic quadrupeds, or such as are subservient to the use of man.
El Heirie, or Erragual.—Nature, ever provident, and seeing the difficulty of communication, from the immense tracts of desert country in Sahara, has afforded the Saharawans a means, upon any emergency, of crossing the great African desert in a few days; mounted upon the (Heirie) desert camel (which is in figure similar to the camel of burden, but more elegantly formed), the Arab, with his loins, breast, and ears bound round, to prevent the percussion of air proceeding from a quick motion rapidly traverses, upon the back of this abstemious animal, the scorching desert, the fiery atmosphere of which parches, and impedes respiration so as almost to produce suffocation. The motion of the heirie is violent, and can be endured only by those patient, abstemious, and hardy Arabs who are accustomed to it.[87] The most inferior kind of heirie are called Talatayee, a term expressive of their going the distance of three days journey in one: the next kind is called Sebayee, a term appropriated to that which goes seven days journey in one, and this is the general character; there is also one called Tasayee, or the heirie of nine days; these are extremely rare. The Arabs affirm that the Sebayee does not always produce another Sebayee, but sometimes a Talatayee, and sometimes a Tasayee; and that its class is ascertained by the period which elapses before the young one takes the teat of the mother; thus, if it be three days, it is considered to be a Talatayee, if seven days, a Sebayee, and if nine days, it proves to be a Heirie of nine days journey. If it prove a Tasayee, there are great rejoicings, it being an accession of wealth to the proprietor, as a Tasayee is bartered for two hundred camels; the Sebayee for one hundred, and the Talatayee for thirty, or thereabout.
This valuable and useful animal has a ring put through its upper lip, to which is fixed a leathern strap which answers the purposes of a bridle; the saddle is similar to that used by the Moors, or what the mountaineers of Andalusia use. With a goat skin or (a bakull) a porous earthen pitcher filled with water, a few dates, and some ground barley,[88] the Arab travels from Timbuctoo to Tafilelt, feeding his heirie but once, at an oasis in the desert, for these camels, on an emergency, will abstain from drinking and from food seven days or more.
A journey of thirty-five days caravan travelling will be performed by a Sebayee in five days; they go from Timbuctoo to Tafilelt in seven days. One of these animals once came from Fort St. Joseph, on the Senegal river, to the house of Messrs. Cabane and Depras, French merchants at Mogodor, in seven days.
In the great desert of Africa, where cultivation is so rare that one may travel several days on an ordinary camel with baggage, without seeing any habitation, the use of the heirie must be evident, for it is more abstemious, and bears a longer continuation of fatigue, than the (Sh’rubah Er’reeh) desert horse, hereafter described.
The self-exiled Muley Abdrahaman, a prince of undaunted courage and great penetration, son of the old Emperor, Seedy Mohammed bn Abdallah bn Ismael, of the Tafilelt dynasty whilst residing among the Arab clan of Howara in Suse, kept, night and day, at the door of his (keyma) tent, two heiries, ready caparisoned, one having a load of gold dust and jewels, and the other for riding, in case of a sudden surprise, that he might pass into the desert out of the reach of his father’s power. The Emperor’s soldiers, by their master’s order, having treated his highness’s woman in a manner disgraceful to a Mooselmin, he had retired to the confines of Sahara for more security.
The swiftness of the heirie is thus described by the Arabs in their figurative style: “When thou shalt meet a heirie, and say to the rider, Salem Alick, ere he shall have answered thee, Alick Salem, he will be afar off, and nearly out of sight, for his swiftness is like the wind.[89]”
Talking with an Arab of Suse, on the subject of these fleet camels, and the desert horse, he assured me that he knew a young man who was passionately fond of a lovely young girl, whom nothing would satisfy but some oranges: these were not to be procured at Mogodor, and as the lady wanted the best fruit, nothing less than Marocco oranges would satisfy her; the Arab mounted his heirie at the dawn of day, went to Marocco,[90] purchased the oranges, and returned that night after the gates were shut, and sent the oranges to the lady by a guard of one of the batteries. I am aware, in relating this circumstance, that I shall incur the imputation of credulity; but Mr. Bruce, who related many things very common in Africa, was lampooned by Munchausen; much, however, of what was doubted, has been confirmed by other travellers after him, and I am persuaded that in a short time much more will be ascertained to be fact, which he has, by the ignorant and presuming, been censured for relating.[91] If transactions and facts well known by the African be incompatible with the European’s ideas of probability, and, on that account rejected as fables, it is not the fault of the former, but of the latter, who has neglected to investigate a neighbouring quarter of the globe.
The Sh’rubah Er’reeh,[92] or Desert horse, is to the common horse what the desert camel is to the camel of burden; this animal does not, however, answer the purpose so well for crossing the barren desert, as he requires a feed of camel’s milk once every day, which is his only sustenance, so that there must necessarily be two she camels wherever he goes to afford this supply: for he will touch neither barley, wheat (oats are never given to horses in Africa), hay, straw, nor indeed any other thing but camel’s milk: they are employed chiefly to hunt the ostrich, at which sport they are very expert.
When the desert horses are brought to Marocco, as they sometimes are, they fall away; and if obliged ultimately from hunger to eat barley and straw, the Moorish provender, they recover, gradually fill up, and become handsome to the sight, but lose entirely their usual speed.
Alkaid Omar ben Daudy, an Arab of Rahammenah, when Governor of Mogodor, had two Saharawan horses in his stables; finding it inconvenient to feed them constantly on camel’s milk, he resolved to try them on the usual food given to Barbary horses; he accordingly had their food gradually changed, and in a short time fed them altogether with barley,[93] and occasionally with wheat and straw: they grew fat, and looked better than before (for those of Sahara of this particular breed are by no means handsome; they have a small slender body, formed like that of the greyhound, a powerful broad chest, and small legs), but they lost their speed, and soon afterwards died, as if nature had designed them to be appropriated solely to that district, whose arid and extensive plains render their use essentially necessary.
A person unaccustomed to ride the Sh’rubah Er’reeh, finds its motion uneasy at first; but the saddle forms a safe seat, and a man who never rode before, acquires a facility in these saddles in a few days; the pommel rises perpendicularly in front, and the back part rises reclining a little from a perpendicular, and supports the back as high as the loins; the stirrups are placed far back, and give the rider a firm hold,[94] inducing him to grasp the horse’s sides with the knees, as, from the form and disposition of the stirrups and the seat, the legs and knees naturally incline inwards, and press the horse, so that the rider can, by this means, turn the animal whichever way he pleases, without using the reins; the stirrup is broad at the bottom, and receives the whole length of the foot; at the heel of the stirrup is hung loosely a spike, six inches long, which is the Moorish spur, a barbarous looking weapon, which a person, unacquainted with the dexterous manner of using it, would expect to rip open the horse’s sides; but a good horseman seldom uses it in a way to injure the horse; it is sufficient that he shake it against the stirrups, to animate him. The whole art of riding is confined to the dexterous management of the spurs, and a good rider is distinguished from a novice by their position, as the points should never be nearer to the flank than about four inches; sometimes they are not within eight. I have seen one of the Arabs of the warlike and powerful province of Shawiya, whilst mounted and the horse curvetting, mark his name in Arabic characters, with the spur, on the horse’s side: this is accounted the perfection of horsemanship among the Shawiyans, who are acknowledged to be the first horsemen in Marocco, and not inferior to the Bukarie cavalry of the Emperor’s life guard, both of whom consider the Mamulukes as very inferior to them, in every thing but their gaudy trappings: their exercise of cavalry consists in what they call El Harka, which is running full speed, about a quarter of a mile or less, till they come to a wall, when the rider fires his musquet, and stops his horse short, turning him at the same time; this amusement, of which they are ridiculously fond, they continue several hours, wasting much powder to little purpose, as they do not improve in the direction of their piece, having no ball with the charge, nor mark to fire at; their pieces have nothing in them but gunpowder rammed down, for if they had wadding, many accidents would happen from their discharging them close to one another’s faces. Ten or twenty horsemen suddenly dart off at full speed, one half turning to the right, and the other to the left, after firing, so as not to interfere with each other.
The men who ride these Sh’rubah Er’reeh, as well as the Arabs who ride the Heiries, have their bowels relaxed at the termination of their journey; for which, on leaving the Desert, they drink a draught of camel’s milk,[95] called Hallib Niag, which being rejected by the stomach, they drink again; this second draught, after remaining a longer time, is sometimes also rejected; the third draft, finding the tone of the stomach somewhat restored, remains, and turns to nourishment.
(Jimmel).—The Camel of burden. This most useful animal serves for various purposes of domestic life: its flesh is good, and when young, is preferred by the Arabs to beef; it is, however, rather insipid, but very easy of digestion; the milk of the (Naga) female camel, is extremely nutritious, and if taken in the morning for breakfast is an infallible remedy for (murd irkek) consumption; on this account it is in high estimation among all ranks of people: the Arabs of Sahara, for the most part, live on nothing else; it is of a bluish hue, and possesses a rather glutinous quality. In Soudan and Sahara the camel carries a load not exceeding four hundred weight; those of Duquella and the north of Marocco carry six, seven and eight hundred weight: the difference of the burden varies with the abundance or paucity of food; and the camel will never rise from the ground with a burden which he cannot proceed with.
Sheep.—This useful animal is found in all parts of west Barbary, even to the confines of Sahara, where their flesh is of a peculiarly fine flavour, which is occasioned by the aromatic herbs on which they feed. About the mountains of Lower Suse and Wedinoon the mutton is of such a superior flavour, that when the Emperor is at Marocco, it is often sent to him in presents. As the aromatic herbs of Africa are much stronger scented than those of Europe, the flesh of the Wedinoon sheep has accordingly a stronger aromatic flavour than those of the Sussex South Down; they are larger than the ordinary sheep; the ewes are very prolific, yeaning twice a year, and having often two or more lambs at a time. I sent a ram of this breed to England, where it did not (with the change of climate) lose altogether its prolific nature, for the ewes to which he was admitted produced two lambs each.
The wool of these sheep varies considerably, that of some being very coarse, whilst that of others is extremely fine; no care is taken of the quality, but nature is left, in this respect (as in all others in this country), to take its course.
Tedla, a rich province bordering on Atlas, north of Marocco, abounds in sheep, whose wool is so fine, that no silk is softer: it is used in the manufacture of caps, worn by the opulent, and is sold at Fas for a very high price: its exportation being prohibited, it is consumed by the inhabitants. A breed of these sheep would be an acquisition in Europe, and they might be procured. The average price of a fleece of wool in Barbary is (wahud drahim) one ounce, or five-pence English, that of a sheep is one Mexico dollar. Wool was, till lately, exported to Europe; particularly to Marseilles, and other ports in the Mediterranean, to Amsterdam, Hamburgh, and London, but a very inferior quality being sent to the latter place, it got a bad name; the demand, however, from other places was so great, that the Emperor had representations made to him, that wearing apparel of the Barbary manufacture was rising in value, in consequence of the unlimited exportation of wool, and an order was accordingly issued, prohibiting it, the Emperor, to gratify his people, assuring them that for the future he would not suffer it to be carried out of the country.
Goats.—Every lady in England has contributed to the Emperor of Marocco’s treasury, by consuming the leather which is made from the skin of the goat; that denominated Spanish leather being prepared from the Marocco goat skins.
The goats of Africa are very prolific, particularly those of Tafilelt, which is one cause of such an immense number being exported: the duty on this article of commerce forms a considerable part of the custom-house revenue. They have young twice a year, and often one goat is followed by six or seven kids of her own, the production of nine months.
The goats of the Arab province of Shedma, and the Shelluh province of Haha, are the finest in West Barbary, but the Tafilelt goats, as before observed, surpass them in size and quality; their milk is richer and more abundant; their meat more delicate, particularly when young.
The (jild Filelly) Tafilelt leather, is the softest and the finest in the world, and much superior to that of Marocco, or even to that of Terodant: soft and pliable as silk, it is impervious to water. The tanners of Tafilelt use the leaves of a shrub called tizra, which grows in the Atlas mountains; this, it is pretended, gives their leather that peculiar softness for which it is so much esteemed; this however is doubtful, as the tanners, above all people, are cautious of discovering to strangers their art of tanning. Some quality in the air and water possibly may contribute to give the leather that extraordinary pliability.
REPTILES, INSECTS, SERPENTS, &c.
The Camelion.—Tatta is the Arabic, and Tayuh the Shelluh name for this extraordinary and complicated animal; its head resembles that of a fish, the body that of a beast, the tail that of a serpent, and the legs and feet are somewhat similar to the arms and hands of a human being; the tongue is pointed like that of a serpent, and is so instantaneous in its motion, that the human sight can scarcely perceive it when it darts it out to the length of its body, to catch flies (its ordinary food); in doing this it never misses its mark, so that I imagine there must be some glutinous substance which attaches the fly to the tongue, or else it pierces the insect with its point, which is very sharp. I have often admired the velocity with which the camelion thus secures its food, but never could discover whether it were to be attributed to the former, or the latter cause. It is partly nourished by the sun and air; it delights to bask in the sun with its mouth open, to receive the heat of its rays.
| Drawn by J. G. Jackson. | Engraved J. C. Stadler. |
(Tûta) The Chamælion; Natural Size
London Published June 4. 1811. by W. G. Nicholl Pall Mall.
The length of the camelion when full grown is ten or twelve inches, including the tail. When suddenly discovered, and pursued, it runs fast, forgetting its wonted caution, which is never to trust to the tread of the foot, the toes of which grasp the object they tread on: in its ordinary movements, its step is geometrically exact; it looks carefully around to discover the state of the surrounding place, and to ascertain if every thing be safe, one eye looking behind, the other before, and in all transverse directions; for this organ is a perfect hemisphere, projecting from the head, and moving in various and independant directions. Having ascertained that its feet are safe, and that the substance on which they are fixed is firm, the camelion disengages its tail, and proceeds on, with the same caution, again fastening the tail, by twisting it round some branch or twig, till it has ascertained the safety of the next step.
Many doubts have arisen with regard to the camelion’s mode of changing its colour; from the various and repeated observations which I have from time to time made on this most extraordinary animal, in a confined as well as in a free state, I have been enabled to ascertain, that in gardens (its ordinary resort), it gradually changes its colour, assuming that of the substance over which it passes, and to do this it requires two or three minutes; the change beginning by the body becoming covered with small spots of the colour of the substance over which it actually passes, and which gradually increase, till it is altogether of that particular colour; green appears its favourite, or at least it assumes that hue more distinctly than any other, for I have seen it on vines so perfectly green, that it was scarcely distinguishable from the leaves; when it assumes a white or black colour these are not clear, but of a dirty hue, inclining to brown. When irritated, it will gradually assume a dirty blackish colour, which it retains whilst the irritation lasts, swelling its sides, and hissing like a serpent; when asleep, or inclined to rest, it is of a whitish cast. In the course of the various experiments which my curiosity and admiration of the camelion induced me to make, I discovered that it never drinks, and that it always avoids wet and rain. I kept three in a cage for the period of four months, during which time I never gave them any food: they appeared withered and thin. Others, which I kept in a small confined garden, retained their original size and appearance; consequently it is to be supposed that they feed on the leaves of vegetables: those confined in the cage did not vary their colour much, appearing generally that of the cage; but if any thing green, such as vegetables, were placed near it, they would assume that hue; those confined in the garden assumed so much the colour of the object over which they progressively passed, as to render it difficult to discover them. Various medicinal qualities are assigned to the flesh of the camelion; and many whimsical effects are attributed to fumigation with it when dried; debilitated persons have recourse to it, and it is accordingly sold in all the drug shops at Marocco, Fas, and other places, which shops are named Hanute El Attari: the smell arising from the fumigation is by no means grateful; but what scent will prevent an African from using that remedy which credulity or superstition has persuaded him will give strength to the impotent?
The Arabs assert, that the camelion is the only animal which destroys the serpent,[96] and it is said to do it in the following manner: it proceeds cautiously on the bough of some tree, under which the serpent sleeps, and placing itself perpendicularly over its head, discharges a glutinous thread of saliva, having a white drop at the end, which falling on the serpent’s head, soon kills him. This assertion being general and uncontroverted, among the Arabs, I have mentioned it, as a hint to future travellers, who may be desirous of investigating its truth.
The camelion is, by some persons, said to be venemous: but I never knew any harm done by them, though the boys sometimes carry them in their bosoms.
The Dub, or Saharawan Lizard.—This animal always avoids water; it is about eighteen inches long, and three or four inches broad across the back; it is not poisonous, being an inhabitant of Sahara, which, like Ireland, is said to contain no venomous animals:[97] it lays eggs like the tortoise; it is very swift, and if hunted, will hide itself in the earth, which it perforates with its nose, and nothing can extricate it, but digging up the ground. The similarity between the name of this reptile, and the Arabic name of the bear (Dubb), has probably led some persons to assert, that there are bears in Africa.
Locusts (Jeraad).—This destructive creature, which the French call sauterelle, confounding it with the common grasshopper, differs very much from that insect, in the direful effects and devastation it causes in the countries it visits. Dr. Johnson, in his translation of Lobo’s Abyssinia, has rendered it grasshopper, although it evidently should have been translated locust.
Plate 3.
| Drawn by J. G. Jackson. | Engraved J. C. Stadler. |
(Jeraada) a Locust, natural size.
London Published June 4. 1811. by G. & W. Nicholl Pall Mall.
Locusts are produced from some unknown physical cause, and proceed from the Desert, always coming from the south. When they visit a country, it behoves every individual to lay in a provision against a famine; for they are said to stay three, five, or seven years. During my residence in West and South Barbary, those countries suffered a visitation from them during seven years. They have a government among themselves, similar to that of the bees and ants; and when the (Sultan Jerraad) king of the locusts rises, the whole body follow him, not one solitary straggler being left behind to witness the devastation. When they have eaten all other vegetation, they attack the trees, consuming first the leaves, and then the bark, so that the country, in the midst of summer, from their general rapacity, bears the face of winter. In my travels, I have seen them so thick on the ground, as sometimes actually to have covered my horse’s hoofs, as he went along; it is very annoying to travel through a host of them, as they are continually flying in your face, and settling on your hands and clothes. At a distance, they appear, in the air, like an immense cloud, darkening the sun; and whilst employed in devouring the produce of the land, it has been observed that they uniformly proceed one way, as regularly as a disciplined army on its march; nor will it be possible to discover a single one going a different way from the rest. In travelling from Mogodor to Tangier, before the plague in 1799, the country was covered with them: a singular incident then occurred at El Araiche; the whole country from the confines of Sahara to that place was ravaged by them, but after crossing the river El Kos,[98] they were not to be seen, though there was nothing to prevent them from flying across it; moreover, they were all moving that way, that is to the north; but when they reached the banks of the river, they proceeded eastward, so that the gardens and fields north of El Araiche were full of vegetables, fruits, and grain. The Arabs of the province of El Garb[99] considered this remarkable circumstance as an evident interposition of Providence.
This curse of heaven can only be conceived by those who have seen the dismal effects of their devastation: the poor people by living on them, become meagre and indolent, for no labour will yield fruit, whilst the locusts continue increasing in numbers. In the rainy season they partially disappear, and at the opening of the spring the ground is covered with their young; those crops of corn which are first mature, and the grain which becomes hardened before the locust attains its full growth, are likely to escape, provided there be other crops less forward for them to feed upon.
In the year 1799, these destructive insects were carried away into the Western Ocean by a violent hurricane; and the shores were afterwards covered with their dead bodies, which in many places emitted a pestilential smell; that is, wherever the land was low, or where the salt water had not washed them:[100] to this event succeeded a most abundant crop of corn, the lands which had lain fallow for years, being now cultivated; but the produce of the cultivation was accompanied with a most infectious and deadly plague, a calamity of which the locusts have often been observed to be the fore-runners.[101] The Saharawans, or Arabs of the Desert, rejoice to see the clouds of locusts proceeding towards the north, anticipating therefrom a general mortality, which they call (el-khere) the good, or the benediction; for after depopulating the rich plains of Barbary, it affords to them an opportunity of emanating from their arid recesses in the Desert, to pitch their tents in the desolated plains, or along the banks of some river; as was done by one of the kabyles of Tuat, after the plague had depopulated Barbary in the summer and autumn of 1799, and the spring of 1800, when these wild Arabs poured into Draha from Sahara, and settled along the banks of the river of that devastated country.
Locusts are esteemed a great delicacy, and during the above periods dishes of them were generally served up at the principal repasts; there are various ways of dressing them; that usually adopted, was to boil them in water half an hour; then sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and fry them, adding a little vinegar; the head, wings, and legs are thrown away, the rest of the body is eaten, and resembles the taste of prawns. As the criterion of goodness in all eatables among the Moors is regulated by the stimulating qualities which they possess, so these locusts are preferred to pigeons, because supposed to be more invigorating.[102] A person may eat a platefull of them, containing two or three hundred, without any ill effects.
When the locust is young, it is green; as it grows, it assumes a yellow hue, and lastly becomes brown. I was informed by an Arab, who had seen the (Sultan Jeraad) king of the locusts, that it was larger and more beautifully coloured than the ordinary one; but I never myself could procure a sight of it.
The mode of catching locusts is thus: several persons go out in the evening, and where they find the bushes covered, they through Haicks, or garments, over them, beating them with sticks or canes; they then collect the insects together, and put them in a sack, which they will fill, by this means, in half an hour.
A drawing of this devouring insect will be found in [Plate 8th, page 103.]
The Venomous Spider (Tendaraman).—This beautiful reptile is somewhat similar to a hornet in size and colour, but of a rounder form; its legs are about an inch long, black, and very strong; it has two bright yellow lines, latitudinally crossing its back; it forms its web octagonally between bushes, the diameter being two or three yards; it places itself in the centre of its web, which is so fine, as to be almost invisible, and attaches to whatever may pass between those bushes. It is said to make always towards the head before it inflicts its deadly wound. In the cork forests, the sportsman, eager in his pursuit of game, frequently carries away on his garments the Tendaraman, whose bite is so poisonous, that the patient survives but a few hours.
The Scorpion (El Akarb).—The scorpion is generally two inches in length, and resembles so much the lobster in its form that the latter is called by the Arabs (Akerb d’elbahar) the sea-scorpion: it has several joints or divisions in its tail, which are supposed to be indicative of its age; thus, if it have five, it is considered to be five years old. The poison of this reptile is in its tail, at the end of which is a small, curved, sharp-pointed sting; the curve being downwards, it turns its tail upwards when it strikes a blow.
The scorpion delights in stony places, and in old ruins; in some stony parts of the district of Haha they abound so much, that on turning up the stones, three or four will be found under each. Some are of a yellow colour, others brown, and some black; the yellow possess the strongest poison, but the venom of each affects the part wounded with frigidity, which takes place soon after the sting has been inflicted.
During the summer, the city of Marocco is so infested with this venomous reptile, that it is not uncommon to find them in the beds; all persons, therefore, who visit Marocco at this season of the year, should have the feet of their bedsteads placed in tubs or pans of water; this precaution will also prevent the attack of bugs, which in summer are a perfect nuisance; but the inhabitants are accustomed to all these sorts of inconveniences, and care little about them.
Most families in Marocco keep a bottle of scorpions infused in olive oil, which is used whenever any person is stung by them; for although the scorpion carries an antidote in itself, it is not always to be caught, as it often stings a person whilst asleep, and disappears before he awakes, or thinks of looking for it; in which event the body of the live scorpion cannot of course be procured. It is necessary to bind the part, if possible, above the place stung, then to cauterize, and afterwards to scarify the puncture, to prevent the venom from pervading the system; this method is sometimes effectual, and sometimes not, according to the situation of the part wounded, and the nature of the scorpion, some being more poisonous than others; but where the flesh of the reptile can be obtained, the cure is said to be infallible.
Musquitos (Namuse).—Musquitos, gnats, and various other kinds of annoying insects, appear to have made the lakes of West Barbary their general rendezvous. I was once compelled to encamp, during the night, on the banks of the lake of Mamora (having travelled, on horseback, a fatiguing day’s journey of fifty-six miles), where I was intolerably tormented with the musquitos; it being suggested, that they were attracted by the lights in the tents, these were extinguished, but without affording any relief: fatigued as I was, as well as every one else, I endeavoured in vain to sleep, and was at length obliged to cause the tents to be struck, the camels loaded, and to proceed on my way in the night, all which the servants and Arabs cheerfully performed, though nearly exhausted with the heat of the preceding day. In the morning, I found my face and hands in a most deplorable condition, being similar to those of a person in the worst stage of the small-pox.
The musquitos and other insects attack strangers with great keenness, biting them, and sucking their blood in a most distressing manner. The thick skins of the Arabs, exposed daily to the scorching heat of the sun, are impenetrable to their bite, otherwise they would not be able to exist; for although the country is productive, and the soil good, yet nothing can compensate for the vexation arising from the unremitted attacks of these irritating insects.
Cricket.—This insect abounds in the Atlas mountains, piercing the still air of night with its incessant noise. They are very large, having beautiful gray wings, covered with several gold coloured spots; the back is yellow, variegated with green.
Serpents (Henushe).—Of these there are various species in Barbary, but two only are extremely venomous; the one is of a black colour, about seven or eight feet long, with a small head, which it expands frequently to four times its ordinary size, when about to attack any object. This serpent is called Bûska, and is the only one that will attack travellers; in doing which, it coils itself up, and darts to a great distance, by the elasticity of its body and tail. I have seen it coil itself, and erect its head about twelve or eighteen inches above the ground, expanding it at the same time when it darted forward. The wound inflicted by the bite is small, but the surrounding part immediately turns black, which colour soon pervades the whole body, and the sufferer expires in a very short time. This serpent is carried about by the (Aisawie[103]) charmers of serpents.
Plate 4.
The Bûskah.
| Drawn by J. G. Jackson. | Engraved J. C. Stadler. |
London Published June 4. 1811. by G. & W. Nicholl Pall Mall.
El Effah is the name of the other serpent remarkable for its quick and penetrating poison; it is about two feet long, and as thick as a man’s arm, beautifully spotted with yellow and brown, and sprinkled over with blackish specks, similar to the horn-nosed snake. They have a wide mouth, by which they inhale a great quantity of air, and when inflated therewith, they eject it with such force as to be heard at a considerable distance. These mortal enemies to mankind are collected by the Aisawie before-mentioned, in a desert of Suse, where their holes are so numerous, that it is difficult for a horse to pass over it without stumbling.
Plate 5.
El Efah.
| Drawn by J. G. Jackson. | Engraved J. C. Stadler. |
London Published June 4. 1811. by G. & W. Nicholl Pall Mall.
The Boah, or desert snake, is an enormous monster, from twenty to eighty feet long, as thick as a man’s body, and of a dingy colour: this inhabitant of Sahara is not venomous, though it is not less destructive: the Arabs (speaking of it figuratively)[104] affirm, that as it passes along the desert it fires the ground with the velocity of its motion. It is impossible to escape it; it will twist itself round an ox, and after crushing its bones, will swallow it gradually, after which it lies supinely on the ground two or three days, unable to proceed till the animal be digested. Two of these monsters stationed themselves near the road from Marocco to Terodant, near to the latter city, a few years since; one of them was killed, the other remained there several days, and prevented travellers from passing the road: they were both young ones, being about twenty feet long. Various stories are related by the Arabs of Sahara respecting the Boahs; but they are mostly ingenious fables, originally intended to inculcate some moral lesson. Without speaking of all the various kinds of serpents which are either timid, harmless or not venomous, I must observe, that
The Domestic Serpents claim some attention. In the city of Marocco these animals abound; there is scarcely a house without its domestic serpent, which is sometimes seen moving along the roofs of the apartments; they are never molested by the family, who would not hurt them on any consideration, conceiving them a benediction on the household; they have been known to suck the breasts of women whilst asleep, and retire without offering any further injury. They are so susceptible, as to be sensible of enmity towards them, and it is thought imprudent to incur their displeasure; for this reason the inhabitants of Marocco treat them kindly, and as members of the family, not wishing to disturb an animal that claims the rights of hospitality by settling in their house.
The Tortoise. (Fackrone.) Land-tortoises of a very large size abound in Barbary and in Suse, where, in the afternoon of a hot day, one may collect a dozen in the course of an hour. They are esteemed good eating by the French, and the inhabitants of the shores of the Mediterranean.[105] The wonderful geometrical construction of this animal is such, that it will bear a ton weight on its back.
In Sahara the turpins, or land tortoises, are reported to be very large, weighing four, five, or six hundred weight; but I never heard of any like those found at the time Leo Africanus wrote, who mentions a man who had seen one as big as a tun, and he himself says he saw one the size of a barrel.