Printed by A. and R. Spottiswoode,
Printers Street, London.
TO HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY
GEORGE THE FOURTH,
&c. &c. &c.
THIS WORK
IS
WITH PERMISSION,
RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED,
BY
HIS MAJESTY'S
MOST DUTIFUL SUBJECT
AND SERVANT,
JAMES GREY JACKSON.
INTRODUCTION.
The person who communicated the following intelligence respecting Timbuctoo and Housa, is a Muselman, and a native of Tetuan, whose father and mother are personally known to Mr. Lucas, the British Consul. His name is Asseed El Hage Abd Salam Shabeeny. His account of himself is, that at the age of fourteen years he accompanied his father to Timbuctoo, from which town, after a residence of three years, he proceeded to Housa; and after residing at the latter two years, he returned to Timbuctoo, where he continued seven years, and then came back to Tetuan.
Being now in the twenty-seventh year of his age, he proceeded from Tetuan as a pilgrim and merchant, with the caravan for Egypt to Mecca and Medina, and on his return, established himself as a merchant at Tetuan, his native place, from whence he embarked on board a vessel bound for Hamburgh, in order to purchase linens and other merchandize that were requisite for his commerce.
On his return from Hamburgh in an English vessel, he was captured, and carried prisoner to Ostend, by a ship manned by Englishmen, but under Russian colours, the captain of which pretended that his Imperial mistress was at war with all Muselmen. There he was released by the good offices of the British consul, Sir John Peters [a], and embarked once more in the same vessel, which, by the same mediation, was also released; but as the captain either was or pretended to be afraid of a second capture, El Hage Abd Salam was sent ashore at Dover, and is now [b], by the orders of government, to take his passage on board a king's ship that will sail in a few days.
In the following communications, Mr. Beaufoy proposed the questions, and Mr. Lucas was the interpreter.