SECTION VII.
Departure from Schiacha—arrival at Augila.
On the fifth day (reckoning by our departure from Siwah,) we left Schiacha, and travelled about four hours, when we encamped. The next morning in two hours and a half, we came to a district called Torfaue, where we halted to collect fresh water: from this place we departed at four in the afternoon of the same day, and continued our march until eight the next morning, through a desert, the level of which was interrupted by numerous sand-hills; at eight o’clock we stopped to refresh, and rested till two o’clock, when we again pressed forward, and continued our march till eight in the morning, when we encamped till one. At one we again proceeded, travelled all night, and till three o’clock the next morning, when the party with whom I travelled, discovered, that during the night, we had wandered from the caravan; we resolved thereon to halt and await the return of day. We placed our baggage by the side of each camel, to be enabled on emergency, to load again with dispatch, and I laid me down to sleep on the sand, with the bridle in one hand, and my firelock in the other, and slept soundly till sunrise.
We now discovered our caravan; and at the same time, that we were not above half a mile from a spot, fruitful and abounding in water. We immediately made up to the place and encamped. The journey from Torfaue to this spot, was the most disagreeable and fatiguing that in the course of all my travels I had experienced. Both men and cattle were so wearied and exhausted, that as soon as the baggage was unladen, all resorted to sleep. We here reposed the whole day, and the next set forth for Augila, by short marches, (altogether not amounting to more than nine hours travel); we used no haste, as having nothing to apprehend, being now in the country of our friends.
Our entry into Mojabra, one of the three places belonging to the dominion of Augila, was solemn and affecting, as the greater part of the merchants of our caravan had here habitations and families. The Bey of Bengasi, Vicegerent for the Bashaw of Tripoly, and at that time resident at Augila, sent about twenty of his Arabs to note in writing the burden of the camels, and for which they demanded a small duty. These Arabs then ranged themselves, and formed a right wing to our caravan, drawn up for procession. The merchants who had horses formed the left, and the pilgrims and ordinary Arabs formed the centre, headed by the Sheik preceded by a green flag. The pilgrims marched on singing; and the Arabs made their horses prance and curvet, and so continued until we approached near to Mojabra; where a number of old men and children met us, to felicitate and get a first embrace of their sons and relations, whom, on hearing of the French invasion in Egypt, they had given over as lost.
We pitched our tents in a spot adjoining the town, and were most hospitably entertained. The following night I proceeded on my journey towards Augila, in company with two merchants, one of whom procured me a lodging on my arrival, it being the intention of the caravan to stop longer than usual at this place.
There are three towns within the territory of Augila; Augila, the capital, and Mojabra, and Meledila. The two last are near to each other, and both about four hours from Augila; Mojabra to the south, and Meledila to north of the road by which we passed. Mojabra and Meledila are occasionally comprehended in the general name of Fallo, designating the district.
Augila, a town well known in the time of Herodotus,[10] covers a space of about one mile in circumference. It is badly built, and the streets are narrow and not kept clean. The houses are built of a limestone, dug from the neighbouring hills, and consist only of one story or ground floor. The apartments are dark, there being no aperture for light but the door; and are generally ranged round a small court, to which the entrance of each room faces, for purpose of collecting the more light. The public buildings, comparatively, are yet more mean and wretched. Mojabra is of smaller extent, but appears proportionally more populous than Augila. The inhabitants of Meledila are chiefly employed in agriculture; those of Mojabra engage mostly in trade, and pass their lives in travelling betwixt Cairo and Fezzan. The people of Augila are of a more sedentary disposition; though some of these too, were with our caravan.
The men of the above places, who engage in the caravan trade, generally keep three houses; one at Kardaffi, near Cairo; one at Mojabra, and a third at Zuila, or sometimes at Mourzouk. Many have a wife and family establishment at each of these houses; and others take a wife for the time, if the stay of the caravan is longer than usual. The men from their very youth devote themselves to such traveller’s life. Boys from thirteen to fourteen years of age, accompanied our caravan the long and toilsome journey from Augila to Fezzan on foot, or at least seldom mounting a horse. In observing the general character of this people, I could not but remark a degradation, self-interestedness, and mean and shuffling disposition, derived from early habits of petty trade, and the manner in which it was conducted, as contra-distinguishing those engaged in this traffic, and those who remained at home.
The men of the country are engaged in gardening and agriculture; but in the last to no great extent. The women are very industrious in manufacturing coarse woollen cloths of five yards in length and a yard and a half wide, which are called Abbe, and are sent in considerable quantities to Fezzan. These constitute the chief clothing of this people; they wrap them about their bodies, and without even a shirt or shift under.
Round Augila the country is level and the soil sandy, yet, being well watered, is tolerably fertile. Corn is not cultivated in quantity sufficient for subsistence of the people. The Arabs of Bengasi, distant about thirteen days journey, import annually both wheat and barley; and this their corn caravan is generally accompanied by flocks of sheep for sale.