Under each had once been a large eagle, carved in basso relievo; but they are now so mutilated, as to bear very little resemblance to that bird.
This place is the northern boundary of Fezzan. All slaves of Mukni’s, going from Fezzan to Tripoli on account of the Bashaw, belong to the former until Bonjem is past; should any die afterwards, the Bashaw is the loser. The same risk attends the latter when he sends horses or goods to Mukni; all losses being made good by him north of the boundary, and by Mukni south of it. All camels found straying on the desert are appropriated to the respective kingdoms.
| Drawn from Nature by G. F. Lyon. | On Stone by G. Harley. |
The Castle of Bonjem.
London. Published by J. Murray Albemarle St. Feb.1.1821.
C. Hullmandel’s Lithography.
Bonjem, according to Mr. Ritchie, is in latitude 30°. 35′. 32″. N. A few Arabs passed us with three camels and twelve female slaves, from Morzouk. We expected, on leaving Tripoli, to be much troubled about the established prayers, which should be repeated by the natives five times a day, though by travellers only thrice; but our present companions certainly were not very scrupulous in their religious duties; no one, or at most only two or three of them, ever praying at all; and, as for Mukni and his followers, they seemed to give themselves very little trouble about it. The only devout person amongst them, was one of our camel-men, who roared out all day, as loud as he was able, verses from the Koran, and charms against the devil; yet, in spite of all his sanctity, he was the greatest rascal in the kafflé. This fellow, in speaking of us, contemptuously called us Romees, or Christians; which coming to Mukni’s knowledge, he threatened him with a good thrashing, if he ever again called us any thing but Mamlukes, as the Sultan himself did.
The people of the kafflé having, by this time, become better acquainted with us, soon discovered Mr. Ritchie’s medical talents, and accordingly gave him no little trouble with their real and fancied complaints. They were all very anxious to be bled, and to take physic. One or two who were the most troublesome, and who had only imaginary ailments, were consigned to my management; for these I prepared, with an air of affected gravity, a mixture of coffee, salt, vinegar, and red pepper, giving to each a spoonful, with many serious instructions, how they were to eat, drink, and sleep; and I found, next morning, to my great satisfaction, that my patients had spread a report all over the kafflé, of the excellent effects of my wonderful medicine. During the night we heard a few jackals, whose tracks absolutely covered the sand hills round the castle.
April 7th.—The camels, which had been out on the plain to feed on the bushes, were brought in; and having waited till 1.30. P.M. to rest the people, we loaded, and went on our way. Abd Allah el Bendag, an old Arab, was despatched to Morzouk on a Maherry, to announce the approach of the Sultan. Our camels were loaded with four days’ water; a strong south wind covered us with sand, and the day was uncommonly sultry. Our road lay over a barren desert called Klïa, قليه. The surface, where clear of sand, was of gypsum. At 5 P.M. we passed a remarkable mound of limestone and sand; which, until a very near approach, resembled a white turret, and is called Bazeen, برزين. This name is also applied to the country immediately surrounding it. Our view was bounded on every side by distant yellow hills, appearing to be perfectly destitute of every kind of vegetation. At 11.40. P.M. rested for the night in a sandy wadey, called Boonaja, ابوناجه (or the ewe’s father), having made twenty-two miles south-south-east. This evening, as we rode along, the horsemen amused themselves in skirmishing before Mukni; and the Negroes danced and sang as well as their fatigue would allow them. The Sultan himself took my gun, and rode among his people at full speed, firing at their horses’ feet. All this parade was in consequence of our now being in the kingdom of Fezzan.
April 8th.—At 6 A.M. we left the wadey, and at 7 went through a pass, called Hormut Emhalla, خرموت المخالّه (or the pass of the army.) At 9.20. we passed a range of table mountains, running north-east and south-west, called Elood, الود. The desert here became stony and very uneven; a range of mountains to the southward, two or three miles, running east and west, and forming a crescent to the east of our path: they are called Guatela, قواتله. The westward was an uneven yellow range, distant five or six miles. At 10.5. A.M. we passed the west point of Guatela, our road lying close under the foot of the mountains. At 11 A.M. we turned to the southward and eastward. At 1.15. P.M. passed a conical hill standing apart from the neighbouring mountains, and resembling a tent, called El Khayma, الخيمه. At 5 P.M. entered a pass called Hormut Tuzzēt, حرموت طزّيت. At 6 cleared the pass, and opened on a plain; table mountains bearing south-east, called Matta Imhammed, مته امحمّد. At 6.30. encamped: one of our camels died this day, and three others were, from fatigue, unable to come up; indeed all the camels in the Kafflé were much distressed, not having for several days tasted any kind of food, and our marches were in general long.