The sheep and goats are driven from the mountains near Benioleed, a distance of four hundred miles; they pass over one desert, which, at their rate of travelling, occupies five days, without food or water. Numbers, therefore, die, which of course raises the price of the survivors. They are valued at three or four dollars each when they arrive quite skeletons, and are as high as ten or twelve when fatted. Bread is badly made, and baked in ovens formed of clay in holes in the earth, and heated by burning wood; the loaves, or rather flat cakes, are stuck into the side, and are thus baked by the heat which rises from the embers. Cusscussou, Dweeda, and Mogatta, are the best food they have.
The mills are of the same description as the hand-mills of the Arabs. The corn, when ground, is tolerably fine; but the unavoidable friction of the stones causes much grit to mingle with it. In all their food, those who can afford it mix as much grease and red pepper as possible. A quart of butter is sometimes poured over the doughy mess for one man, who generally manages to finish it. This butter is brought in goats’ skins from the Syrtis, and other parts of the sea-coast; is very rancid, and from having been boiled previously to putting it in skins, is as liquid as oil: it is considered a great dainty, and is very dear. Shahm, or salt boiled suet, is brought by the same people who trade in butter. Oil is the produce of Benioleed, Mesurāta, and the Gharian Mountains. All the animals live on dates. Horses and asses are fed on the fruit; camels, sheep, and goats, on the stones, which the women break up by hammering them on some hard substance. This is the general occupation of females, who are not employed to work in the gardens.
October 1st.—This was the great feast called Aid el Kebire, which is to commemorate the meeting of the pilgrims at Mecca, and their offering sacrifices on holy ground. On this occasion each master of a family feeds his wives, children, and slaves on meat, and it is considered meritorious in him to kill, with his own hands, any animals he may purchase. By chance the Sultan recollected us at this festival, and sent us a lamb, which was a treat we little expected. Mr. Ritchie being weak and nervous, I, as in duty bound, became the butcher, and performed my task with great alacrity. Animal food was such a novelty to us, that we actually were tempted to eat too much, and in consequence the next day we all fell ill.
No good Moslem will eat of an animal which has not had its throat cut in a particular way, and “In the name of God.” We had never offered meat, having, indeed, none to offer but such as was killed in the markets; but on this occasion we found the most scrupulous ready to accept, and perfectly satisfied with the lawfulness of the food, although when we first came into the country they would not eat pigeons, which were killed by us, fancying that in cutting their throats we had omitted the prescribed ceremonies.
At this period the Sultan became a little better, and began to give Belford a great deal of trouble, by employing him to repair his three field-pieces, the wheels and carriages of which were much out of order. There was great difficulty in explaining to the blacksmiths how to make large nails, or to bend the iron for the wheels, and, in Belford’s weak state, he found it a very laborious task to overlook and instruct them. He, however, was rewarded with wholesome food, with which we could not have supplied him at home, the Sultan daily sending him some rice and meat whilst at his work. The poor fellow often thought of us, and wished we could have partaken of his good fare. This job being at last finished, I was consulted by Mukni respecting the construction of a coach, and I promised him that if he could manage to procure good wood for the purpose, Belford should make it, provided Mr. Ritchie did not object, and that I would train four horses to run in it.
I anticipated much pleasure and amusement in this new occupation, as I had at the time nothing to interest or divert me. Mukni sometimes, in high good humour, sent us a few fresh dates of a peculiar kind, of which Mr. Ritchie was very fond, and even extended his generosity so far as to allow of our cutting two palm-trees out of a million and a half, for Lackbi.
Belford now began to contrive the coach in question, and out of an old Shiblia and some boxes, he made a body, six feet in length, three in breadth, and four in height. This he covered over like a higgler’s cart, with an arched top, having a door open behind, by which a person could easily get in; but Mukni finding he could squeeze himself into a smaller compass, had it reduced in such a way, as to render it necessary for him to be pushed in and shot out like a sack of coals. The body being completed, and springs being out of the question, it was mounted on two strong poles, which did duty as shafts; and to these were fixed two wheels from one of the field-pieces, so that the carriage stood at about three feet from the ground. The Sultan never for a moment quitted the place where Belford was at work, and was all delight at the progress which he made. Numbers of people came to see it, and many asked if that was the kind of vehicle in which our King and his wives used to ride. I was frequently puzzled how to answer; for to say the truth, though Belford, considering his want of materials, had done wonders, it very much resembled one of those little market carts which are dragged about London by donkies. It soon, however, lost that appearance, by being covered with a splendid hood of scarlet cloth, and having a bed laid inside of it. The shafts, body, and wheels were painted green, though not very durably. The Sultan had some verdigris, which he had brought from Tripoli; part of this was mixed with olive oil, which, not drying, was scraped off, but the rest being prepared with vinegar, formed a wash which answered his fondest expectations. The carriage was now as gaudy as the Sultan could wish, and he was the sole and happy possessor of it; but a serious inconvenience soon presented itself: the coach was not large enough to allow of a place for a driver, and his horses were too spirited to be trusted alone with such a small state-carriage. After devising many plans to remedy the defect, we found we had but one expedient left, which was to convert the vehicle into a gig. Accordingly, a jack of all trades, who was a very ingenious fellow, made, by my directions, a set of harness tolerably well, except that the little pad on the horse’s back weighed above fifty pounds. This, however, was soon reduced; but when the animal was put into the shafts, we discovered that the carriage was so low as to form an angle of at least twenty-five degrees with the ground. The Sultan’s head would consequently be about a foot lower than his feet; but as he intended at any rate sitting with his face to the horse, he thought nothing of this inconvenience.
His Majesty indulged himself with many rides in the space near the Castle, and in one instance through the town, the coach being drawn by slaves. He, however, at last determined to venture a ride into the country with the horse to draw him. The animal being put into the vehicle, and led slowly through one little gate to where Mukni stood, made an attempt to run through another to his stable; the man who led him being frightened, suffered him to set off at full speed. The gate brought him up, one of the wheels knocking down the gate-post and part of the wall, but the carriage itself remained undamaged. This proof of its great strength quite charmed every one, and it was at last decided that a large saddle should be put on the horse, and that Baba Ismael, the Turkish cannoneer, should ride him, and direct the whole machine. Mukni, by way of showing his approbation of Belford’s talents, gave him seven dollars, which he brought home to us in triumph, and which really saved us when on the very brink of starvation. This piece of good luck was soon followed by another, for within a day or two afterwards I managed to sell a saddle for eight dollars to a Tibboo.
Mr. Ritchie again got a little better by the middle of the month, but continued so very silent and low spirited, that we feared he would soon relapse.
Some Kafflés of the Tibboo now came in with slaves, and our horses having got a little more into condition, owing to the great cheapness of the dates at harvest time, we made many attempts to sell them. From my having sent a bill to the Consul, we soon expected money, and Mr. Ritchie empowered me, in the meantime, to dispose of one of our horses. Accordingly, after a good deal of manœuvring, I succeeded in getting the Tibboo to come and examine them, the Sultan having given us leave to sell them if we could. I often drenched the horses with water when they were not thirsty to increase their size, and to improve their appearance, and at length sold a grey horse, given by the Bashaw to Mr. Ritchie, for seventy dollars, twenty of which, with a negress, valued at thirty-two, were paid us on taking the animal away; the remainder was to be given us when the man had sold his slaves. We sent the girl, who was a native of Mandra in Bornou, and about thirteen years of age, to Hadje Mahmoud’s daughters, until she was able to cook for us. Mr. Ritchie was witness with Belford to my liberating her in due form from slavery; but as we were much in want of a servant, it was settled that she was not to return to her native country, my ticket of freedom being only to prevent all chance of her being sold.