The houses of Zleetun are scattered about amongst palms and olive trees, which cover a space of ground of three or four miles in extent. Corn is cultivated in great quantities.
Sunday, 19th March.—This place is particularly blessed in possessing the remains of a great Marāboot, who is buried in a really handsome Mosque, ornamented with minarets and neat cupolas, and white-washed all over. The name of the Saint is Sidi Abd el Salām. His descendants are much respected, and are called Waled el Sheikh والدالشيخ, “Sons of the Elder;” they think themselves authorised to be the most impudent begging set of people in the whole Regency of Tripoli. I was on the point of kicking out of my tent one of them who would not understand the monosyllable no in answer to a request which he made me for some powder in the name and on account of his illustrious ancestor; but luckily Lizari came in at the moment and prevented me; and he afterwards told me I might as well have thought of kicking a descendant of the Prophet himself.
The whole of the surrounding country is most luxuriant in corn, dates, and olives, and is quite level. The Castle in which we were is of the true Arab character, built of mud and gravel, and swarming with vermin. The rooms are round the large courtyard, and their roofs, being flat, are the platforms for one or two four-pounders. Two markets are held here weekly; one on a Friday, in front of the Castle, the other on a Tuesday, near the Marāboot’s tomb. The country is governed by a Mamluke of the Bashaw, who has the title of Kaid. If I may judge from the number of drunken men who were at the market, Lackbi is pretty universally drank. I bought a very fine sheep for a dollar and a quarter. Every thing here, as in Tripoli, is in the hands of the Jews: they are artisans and merchants, having dealings from one farthing up to hundreds of dollars; they also distil brandy from the dates, and find a very ready sale for it. Some small vessels bring goods to Zleetun; but as there is no roadsted, they anchor in the offing when the wind is from shore. Hills of sand obstruct the view of the sea at about a mile from the houses, and goods are carried that distance by camels.
I here unfortunately lost my black rat, which I had rendered quite tame; having appeared sick and drooping, I let it out of its cage, and wrapped it up in my barracan, the warmth of which so far recovered it, that, to my great regret, it made its escape: my other animals and serpents were alive and well.
Monday, 20th March.—As the corn was not ready for the slaves, we were obliged to stop over this day. I was much amused by the songs of the Negresses while pounding wheat; they sang all their country airs in chorus, and there was in their wildness much beauty. Their Boori, or songs used in sorcery, were particularly striking, and they kept time to the music with their wooden pestles and glass armlets, which sounded like cymbals. One of the songs was thus explained to me: the three girls who sung it were pounding in the same mortar, and regulated their beating according to the circumstances of which they sung. At first they pounded slowly, one telling the other two that they must keep up their spirits, as the warriors would soon be at home, and their lovers would bring more trophies than any one else; they then increased their time, and sang a song of triumph, the warriors being supposed to have returned; when suddenly they beat without measure, singing in a very shrill and rapid manner as for one who was dead. They then ceased beating altogether, and sung a trio, in which two endeavoured to comfort the girl who had lost her lover, she appearing inconsolable. At length they agreed to have recourse to sorcery, to ascertain if he died nobly. A goat was supposed to be killed, each of them examining its entrails, and singing several incantations, until a happy sign was discovered, when they resumed their pestles, winding up with a very beautiful chorus. The master of the girls forbade their singing any more, even though I earnestly requested that they might be suffered to continue; he said it was unholy, and that they were as great Kaffirs now, as before they acknowledged our Lord Mohammed to be the Prophet of God.
Tuesday, 21st March.—At eight we left the Castle, and passed over a sandy flat, the sea being hidden from us by the sand hills. At noon we crossed a romantic water-course, having a small limpid stream running through it. We saw here the remains of a magnificent aqueduct, which once ran to Lebida. At a short distance from one another were many small edifices resembling the mouths of wells, which were once used as communications with the aqueduct; these little buildings are seen all the way to Lebida, and show what course the aqueduct takes. At two we separated from the Kafflé, and went to the ruins of Lebida, which stand near the sea, and are surrounded by sand hills formed against them. The country inland of these hills, being highly and most luxuriantly cultivated, presents a pleasing aspect. As I was still very unwell, and little able to walk up the sand hills, I visited but three or four of the buildings, of which the lighthouse appeared the most extraordinary. Other ruins, which have once been fortresses, are formed of immense masses of stone.
The remains of the foundation of the ancient city wall are on a gigantic scale, and several pillars yet remain of the same description as those taken away in the Weymouth store-ship. My time being limited, and this place having before been visited and described by persons of more science and ability than myself, I did not attempt to search for any inscriptions. My short visit, however, afforded me much gratification, and I returned to the track of my companions, whom I came up with at seven, having travelled north- north-west thirty miles.
Wednesday, March 22nd.—I found myself much better. Fine morning. At seven we pursued our course over mountains covered with verdure, and at nine came to a Roman well standing at the foot of an old castle, which appeared to have an arched communication with it, to be used in time of war. This well was in a narrow deep ravine, which the castle commanded. We found the old Turk and his slaves waiting for us at the well; they had gone past us in the dark. The old man was in great wrath; some thieves having come in the night and robbed him of five hundred weight or a camel load of dates: suspecting his own hungry Arabs, he had ordered them to lie at a distance from the sacks. They told him they would pray to God that he might suffer for his suspicion; and were therefore not sorry to see him so soon punished for it. Some Bedouins among the rocks in the pass were the robbers; one of his Negresses saw them in the act, but feared to wake her master, because he once beat her for disturbing him while asleep. When the old man related to me his misfortune, I gave him no consolation, but said I admired the ingenuity of the thieves; and all our Arabs tauntingly told him that he had now paid his footing.
We passed many fine corn-fields, and several enclosures with vines and figs, apparently very flourishing. Many large flocks were feeding on the plains. At three we stopped, one of Hadje Mohammed’s camels having fallen from weakness. Lizari’s Maherry followed his example, on which he sent the Arabs back to kill the animal, and they brought the meat to the Kafflé, portioning it out to all. Many hints were given me that I ought to kill my lame animal, but I would not understand them, as I thought he might still be serviceable to me. Several Arab wanderers came to partake of our feast; and we were obliged, when it grew dark, to give warning that any stranger seen walking near the Kafflé would be fired at. One of the Sheikhs, who had flocks near us, sent us some oranges, which we devoured, rind and all, in a moment. Our road had been so very circuitous that I could not be accurate as to the bearings, but as near as I could judge we had gone west-north-west eighteen miles.
I was so ill on our march this morning as to be under the necessity of stopping with the camel I rode, and lying on the ground, an Arab remaining with me. I was seized with such violent trembling, that the man was obliged for some time to sit on and hold me down to prevent my injuring myself. I suffered much agony, and the most intolerable thirst; to assuage which the kind Arab went about two miles back on his road to bring me water. He was so long absent, that I began to despair of his return; my fever each moment increased, and my thirst, in consequence, became so excessive, that observing my camel, which was at a little distance from me, making water, I resolved to attempt reaching him, and endeavouring to avail myself of a resource, which, under any other circumstances, would have filled me with disgust. Weak and exhausted as I was, and with no alternative but to drink, or, as I thought, to expire, I was about to catch and swallow the nauseous draught, when, at that moment, I perceived my trusty Arab ascending a hill, and advancing towards me. Those only who have experienced the agonies of suspense, or the torments of parching thirst, can conceive my sensations when he joined me, bringing the wished-for beverage; which, after all, was only dirty water in a goat-skin, but which I thought delicious, and drank with delight and gratitude. After about three hours my fit went gradually off, and my man holding me carefully on the camel, brought me at nightfall to the Kafflé, which had waited for me. We were encamped at Wad el Meseed واد المسيد, a river of no magnitude, running through steep sandy cliffs. We had made about twenty miles west-north-west.