No sooner did I approach the camp than three large dogs rushed upon me, tore my garments and bit me in several places. I cried aloud to the Berbers for assistance, but these unfeeling wretches carelessly looked on or turned away with the utmost indifference: assailed by so many enemies I found the combat very unequal; and, for fear of being torn in pieces, sounded a retreat, still sustaining some bites as I retired: the dogs carried off some pieces of my dress as trophies, and did not leave me till I was at a considerable distance from their tents. Heartily cursing the inhumanity of their masters, I returned sorrowfully to our own camp under the date-trees. The Berbers keep a great number of dogs to watch their flocks, and they are so accustomed not to suffer the approach of any stranger whatsoever to the habitations of which they are left in charge, that the fear of being devoured by them serves as a wholesome restraint upon the depredations of those robbers by whom the country is so much infested. The Berbers themselves dare not approach without caution the camps of their own tribe to which they are strangers; but, if business obliges them to repair thither, they take the following method to escape the fury of these pitiless guardians. The visiter advances slowly, and makes a circuit round the tents at a considerable distance; the dogs begin to bark, without advancing on account of the distance; as soon as the owners of the tents shew themselves, he acquaints them with the object of his coming, when they are anxious to satisfy him; if he applies for hospitality, supper is spread for him on a mat at a short distance from the tents, which no one is ever allowed to enter.
At five in the evening, when the heat was abated, I took a walk to the town of Mimcina, accompanied by a neighbouring Moor, who, being a friend of Sidi-Aly’s, had come to visit him and brought him a present of dates, which, by the invitation of the donor, we ate together. The chief of our Berbers strongly recommended me to this Moor, and charged him especially to guard me from insult and not to suffer me to be robbed of the pagne which I wore; a recommendation which gave me but an indifferent opinion of the people whom I was about to visit. The town is walled and surrounded by pleasant plantations of palm-trees. I observed under a shed near the gate a party of loungers, who, as soon as they saw me, crowded round me asking a thousand ridiculous questions, for they were already apprised that I was an Arab who had escaped from the christians. With some trouble I got quit of these impertinent fellows, and, penetrating into the town, I passed through a very narrow, winding, and dirty street; the walls of the houses are at least fifteen feet high and very badly plaistered. I was followed by a crowd of men, for the women were veiled and durst not look at me. I seated myself under a gallery, where many old men were collected together in conversation with one of our Trajacants, who had been in the town all day, and had already related part of my history to the assembly. Among the crowd was an aged Moor, who, having performed two journeys to Mecca, had acquired great preponderance over their counsels: this man talked to me a long time about the christians, and shewed me a fac-simile of the manner in which Christ is represented in Europe; he tried to chant in imitation of the priests whom he had heard at Tripoli in Barbary, and often repeated, striking his breast, amen, amen. He asked me if I was disposed to eat some dates, for which I thanked him. The Trajacant marabout told him that I was with a guide named Aly, who persecuted me in order to force me to sell my dress and purchase provisions for the journey; the old man appeared incensed at such perfidious conduct, and declared that such a person could not be a good Musulman. He inquired whether I would like a present of dates, which I accepted; and he immediately ordered those about him to provide me with a sufficient quantity to last till our arrival at Tafilet; and leading me to the mosque reiterated his orders. After the prayers, a great quantity of dates was brought to me, enough indeed to load an ass; but unfortunately they turned out to be spoilt and bad: these good people carried their complaisance so far as to carry them to our camp; bad as they were, Aly, the covetous Aly, received them with pleasure, and on that day behaved better to me than usual.
The houses of Mimcina consist of a ground-floor, only; like those of Timbuctoo, they have terraced roofs, and admit the air only from an inner court. I saw several dirty Jewesses, covered with rags, walking barefoot, and displaying the utmost extremity of wretchedness. The inhabitants of Mimcina have but few beasts of any kind, and scarcely any oxen or horned cattle: they breed a few sheep for the sake of their wool, some goats and poultry; they are excellent husbandmen, and have many date-trees, in which their wealth principally consists. Their breakfast is composed of bread with a little gruel made of barley-meal; and they sup upon couscous. About seven o’clock a plentiful couscous with mutton was sent to Sidi-Aly, who, after having made his own supper with two or three persons whom he looked upon as his equals, shared the remainder between me and six camel-drivers, who were not admitted to his table: the poor slaves also, to my great satisfaction, were not forgotten. We afterwards lay down under the palm-trees, the broad leaves of which formed a canopy over our heads, and I, contrary to my usual habit, slept tolerably well.
On the 15th, at three in the morning, we took leave of the town of Mimcina and its inhabitants; and, bending our course E. N. E., traversed a hard soil of white sand, with a surface of small pebbles of the same colour, mixed with gravel; the country is diversified with hills of an extremely arid appearance. The Moors of Mimcina informed me that Beneali, the residence of the chief of the Berbers, is situated N. N. W. of their town, at the distance of a day’s journey, on the road to Morocco. This nation, according to their account, pays no tribute to the emperor.
A day’s journey from Beneali in the same direction lies the village of Amsero; a days’ journey beyond that Ranguerute, a large town, and six days farther still Morocco, the capital of the empire.
Six days’ journey east of Mimcina is situated the town of Tabelbât, on the road to Tawât, which is eight days’ journey beyond. The Moors of Tawât are husbandmen; they have numerous palm-trees, trade with Timbuctoo, and occasionally visit Tafilet and el-Drah to purchase goats and sheep.
Pursuing our route, we arrived at the wells of Yeneguedel, where we halted: a quarter of mile to the south we saw a delightful grove of palms, offering a striking contrast with the barrenness of the neighbouring mountains; but our guides neglected this spot, where we might have enjoyed the shade, and left us exposed to the scorching sun, which on that day was more than usually powerful. I visited the wells, situated on a little hill, as bare as the neighbouring country, and there found a single drooping mimosa ferruginea, under which I stretched myself, and, resting my head on a stone, slept soundly. On awaking, I approached the wells to drink, and saw there some Berber women watering their sheep: the wells are three feet deep, and their water is good and abundant; they are sunk in grey sand, containing many calcareous stones of a flat shape. On our departure from Mimcina, we had been joined by a Moor from Tafilet: he and his train were mounted upon mules, the animals most commonly used for travelling this stony road, which is apt to wound the feet of camels; those of Sidi-Aly were however obliged to carry his goods.
The Berbers had a barley-cake baked upon the ashes for our supper; each of us after this light repast, drank a glass of cold water, and lay down for the night on the stony ground.
On the 16th, at three in the morning, we proceeded slowly N. N. E., till near eight, when our course was changed to the north. Our march lay over a very mountainous soil, covered with sharp stones, which were very troublesome. The mountains are not high, and composed of granite without any appearance of vegetation. The Moor Sidi-Boby, who still perpetually insulted me, threw a stone at me, which striking me on the right side, hurt me much, and I retained the mark of it a considerable time: this brute had no other cause for such savage treatment than my having mounted my camel without giving him notice. Old Aly, seated upon his, had preceded us; immediately on rejoining him, I complained of the outrageous treatment to which I had been exposed; but he paid little attention to me and answered laughing: “That is nothing, all will be well.” Exasperated by his conduct, I told him that if all was well with him, all was very ill with me: he was silent, and turned his head another way. I ought to repeat here that it was to the two Trajacant marabouts alone that I was indebted for not encountering still worse treatment from such men, in the journey between el-Drah and Tafilet: I thanked them for it; but for them I should have been obliged either to desert, or to seek another guide to conduct me to Ghourland. The Moors of my company were restrained from doing me greater mischief solely by the fear of passing for infidels.
About ten in the morning, we halted near the wells of Faratissa, agreeably shaded by beautiful palms: in the environs are some veins of sand, studded with patches of grass on which the camels are accustomed to browse; stunted mimosas are also scattered around. The wells are but two feet and a half deep; the water is very good.