At 11.30. A.M. set out, and at 2.30. passed a village on the left, named Areg el Libban, and an old castle, called Gusser Bighia. 2.45. Passed the ruined village and castle of Mokhāten مخعتن. 3.12. arrived at a place called Deesa ديس where we found the Kaid of Traghan, who promised to come to us on the morrow, and to send his brother as soon as he returned home. The village of Ershādi faces Deesa to the southward of the road. Leaving Deesa, we passed for an hour over a flat, so completely encrusted with salt, that it had the appearance of a hoar frost in England; indeed, the whole of the road from Hadge Hajeel bore, more or less, the same resemblance.
At 5. we entered the gardens and date groves of Traghan طرعغن which appeared in a higher state of cultivation than any we had yet seen, and at 5.45. arrived at the town, which stands clear of the gardens, on a flat desert plain. Yussuf having offered us his house, we put up there, although not without a great deal of clamour from an over-civil Negress and her husband, who, to do us more honour, shifted us and our baggage about without mercy. The Marāboot, the principal man here, sent to apologise for not being prepared to provide us with bread and meat. At 2. this day the thermometer was 25°.
| We had travelled E. and by S. | ⎰ ⎱ | from Hadge Hajeel | 7 | miles. |
| from Zaizow | 16 | miles. | ||
| 23 | miles. |
Dec. 16th. Therm. 9°. Fine clear morning. I paid a visit to the Marāboot, who was sitting on an earthen mound, half naked, and in a very dignified manner, enjoying the heat of the sun. His dependants were seated round on the sand, listening with mute attention to the sagacity of his remarks. He was very fat, greasy, and consequential, and told me that all his family had been Marāboots, and equally eminent for learning with himself. On leaving him, full of admiration at his modesty, I went out to the gardens to see the springs, of which I had heard so much. As I was a stranger, and these springs were the pride of Fezzan, several people left their work to follow me, and to witness my surprise and admiration at the first sight of them. There are four ponds, each 30 or 40 feet in diameter, covered with a green crust, and containing innumerable frogs. Insignificant, however, as they were, I dismounted and drank heartily from them, although the water, even here, was not perfectly fresh. The gardens which are supplied from them are altogether as white with salt as those watered from the wells. A number of strange birds, resembling thrushes, but with longer tails, fluttered about us; but having no gun with me, I was unable to kill one. The date trees here are very thickly planted, and form a most agreeable shade.
I got a meridian altitude of the sun, 81°. 1′. 30″. which gives the latitude 25°. 55′. N.
On our return to the town, I observed that its walls and houses were of a light green colour, while the castle in ruins appeared of a reddish clay; but I soon discovered that the earth and clay all round the town were actually green, and I collected specimens of them. This place appears to have been once of some consequence, but is now nearly in ruins, and has not, I should imagine, above five or six hundred inhabitants. At 2 P.M. thermometer 19°. The Marāboot sent us a couple of fowls and some bread; and as the Kaid of the town followed the present to know if we were properly served, he came in for his share. I observed here, with much satisfaction, that Belford seemed quite recovered from his giddiness, though he remained very thin and weak.
Dec. 17th. Thermometer 8° 30′. Raw misty morning, with the wind in the north-east. We visited the Gusba, or castle, the ruins of which show it to have once been a place of some importance as an Arab fortress. The Marāboot informed me that it had been built prior to Morzouk, in which case it must be nearly six hundred years old. A story is told, that of the asses employed in bringing the materials for building it, 500 died before it was finished, of mere fatigue. About sixty years ago it was inhabited by a brother of the native Sultan’s, who governed the eastern provinces, and was styled “Sultan el Shirghi,” or Sultan of the East. From the castle we were enabled to observe that the town stood on a plain, bounded to the southward by palms, and from east-south-east to west by the Desert.
The following towns bore thus: El Glaib, south-west three or four miles; Ben Gleif, south-south-west four miles; Māfen, south-half-west eight miles; Zebbār, south four miles; and Zaitoon, south-east by east seven miles.
There are four mosques in Traghan, having small mud minarets. The houses are many of them large, but are now in ruins, owing to the great alteration in the circumstances of their owners. That of our friend Yussuf had been one of the best. We had, however, a proof of its present altered state, in finding the roof breaking in upon us, which obliged us to change our quarters. Three beams gave way at once, and no doubt the whole would have fallen in before night; though the old man and woman stood fearlessly under it, and asserted that it could not happen, because no roof had ever fallen in their master’s house. The people here have an idea, that corn grows more luxuriantly in salt earth than in any other, and from the appearance of the crops, I am inclined to be of the same opinion. At eleven I sent the Maherry on, and waited, at the Marāboot’s request, to partake of a mess which he was preparing for us. I observed that Kaid Saad’s horse seemed in very poor case, and was greedily eating date leaves; but this was soon accounted for, on my learning that the allowance of food which he received for the poor beast was all sent home to the favourite wife. The people of this place have (if possible) a more whining tone in their salutations, than those of Morzouk. I sent the Marāboot a knife and pair of scissars; and at 12.45. left the town, attended by Yussuf’s slaves, who saw us well on our road, and then took their leave of us. At 3.15. came up with the Maherry, and at 3.25. entered a miserable assemblage of about two dozen mud and palm huts, called Zaitoon, زيتون, having proceeded east-south-east seven miles over a gravelly plain. We met the Kaid of Traghan on the road, with some other horsemen who were bringing eight slaves and some sheep, the property of Augela merchants.
As the huts promised but little comfort, we pitched our tent in the midst of them, to the astonishment of the natives; who, on hearing from Saad (who never forgot to order a dinner) that we were very great men, and friends of the Sultan, dispersed themselves about the village to catch all the unlucky fowls that came in their way, and, in consequence, we had six served up in an hour after we arrived. The Kaid felt much hurt at my paying for them, as he was afraid it would be the means of spoiling the people, who would always, in future, expect remuneration.