On the 20th, at four A. M. we again pursued our course to N. N. E., over a nearly similar soil, but somewhat stony; the chain of hills still continued equally bare.
At eleven, we halted at the wells of Zénatyia, twenty or twenty-four feet deep, yielding abundance of tolerably good water. The surrounding soil presents a pleasing appearance of vegetation; some mimosas and zizyphus lotus flourish there, together with a number of very tall tamarisks, which afforded us an agreeable shade. The level is broken by hills of loose white sand, the abode of numerous antelopes, one of which was killed by a Moor of our party, and divided amongst the whole caravan, allowing only a small share to each.
A day’s journey N. W. of the wells of Zénatyia, is a Berber town, called el-Yabo, and one of its inhabitants who belonged to our caravan parted from us here to return home. The husbandmen of el-Yabo extend their labours, during the rainy season, as far as Zénatyia, preparing the ground for wheat and barley, which they cultivate in small quantities.
On the 21st, we again proceeded towards N. N. E., at four in the morning, travelling three miles in about an hour, among the hills of loose sand. We then came to a plain of smooth sand firmer than that of the hills, covered with small gravel and pebbles. About ten, we halted at the wells of Chanérou, where we found some Berbers watering their sheep, the fleeces of which are remarkably white.
Near these wells I observed a small shed, constructed of the branches of the zizyphus lotus, and covered with straw and brambles: here I took shelter in company with some Moors, and three Berber women, who left the task of questioning me to the men, paid apparently but little attention to my adventures, when cursorily related to them; but my person seemed to attract much of their notice, and to please them greatly. Now and then I asked them for some water; which they good-humouredly gave me from the bucket, carefully holding it in a position that enabled me to drink with ease.
The plain, in which these wells are situated, is gravelly, interspersed with rocks, and inclosed by sterile hills, which seem to be about three hundred and fifty feet in height. A little grass grows in the clefts of these rocks, and serves the sheep for pasturage. We had been joined in the morning by a Moor from Tafilet, who came to meet his father. The old man, whose name was Sidi-Abdoul-Rahman, was about fifty-five or sixty years of age, and nearly bald: he was returning to his native village, Ghourland, after a long residence at Timbuctoo; where he had seen Major Laing, as he informed me by the way. His son brought him some black grapes for his refreshment; he gave me a bunch with a small bit of wheaten bread, which I accepted with pleasure. Little, indeed, had I expected to eat fresh bread and grapes in so sterile a country! In the evening, some troops of Berbers came to water their flocks. Sidi-Aly proposed to buy a sheep for our supper, the Berbers of another troop joined us, and twenty of them contributed towards this purchase; each gave for his share a dragme, the coin of the country, worth about eight French sous. Sidi-Aly whom I had allowed to see that I possessed three or four shillings, consented to lend me this dragme, which I promised to repay on our arrival at Tafilet. I must here anticipate by observing, as a fact which greatly surprised me, that at parting he would not accept payment; desiring that I would keep this piece of money to assist me on my journey to Fez, and saying that he gave it me for the love of God. It was doubtless from remorse of conscience which he wished to silence at a cheap rate. The mutton thus procured, and which was dressed like the last, proved delicious, though it had not been so carefully cleaned.
On the 22nd, at two o’clock in the morning, we set off in a N. N. E. direction; the soil still the same, and the mountains extending on both sides of our route. About ten in the forenoon we halted at the wells of Nyéla, (or Ain-Yela) the water of which is abundant and good; they are situated in a very stony ravine, and so shallow that the water is taken up by hand. The heat was extreme, and our only shelter some of the zizyphus lotus.
At a short distance south of the wells is seen a high mountain of granite, in the crevices of which there are a few patches of verdure: I observed on its declevity a flock of sheep, which appeared no larger than young lambs. This mountain is nearly pointed, and rises to the height of one hundred and fifty or two hundred fathoms above the level of a very stony soil. When my fellow-travellers had retired to rest for the night I went to the wells with a satala, and washed myself in the cold water, which afforded me much comfort; returning afterwards to my companions and lying down on the ground, I slept soundly till three o’clock in the morning.
On the 23rd, I was still half asleep when we set out, proceeding for the first half hour in a N. N. E. direction; we afterwards turned to the N. E., till six in the morning, and, quitting the barren mountains, descended into a plain of very hard grey sand, susceptible of cultivation.
From this plain we beheld the beautiful and majestic palm-trees of the country of Tafilet, an enchanting prospect and one which raised my spirits by announcing the speedy alleviation of my sufferings. We passed through fields, separated, some by earth walls, and others by narrow ditches. The country was beautiful, but parched up by the scorching heat of the sun, which left no other verdure than the evergreen leaves of the palm. About nine in the morning we reached Ghourland, and were presently surrounded by a crowd of children, attracted by curiosity. We encamped under the shade of the palm-trees, at the gates of the town. When the arrival of our caravan from the Soudan was reported, numbers of dirty and ill-clad Moors and Jews came to meet us, and soon surrounded the baggage: many of my companions warned me to be careful of my leathern bag and of my pagnes, or they would be stolen, even off my back; they advised me not to go too far from the village, because there were thieves, who, in the supposition that I had brought much gold from the Soudan, might attack me. The Moorish merchants who came for their goods made a single mule carry the burden of a camel. I took mine upon my shoulder and followed my guide to the house of old Haggi-Le-Mekke, the chief of Ghourland. I passed in my way through several long and narrow streets, and arrived at the house of my new host. An inner court formed the entrance both to the chambers and magazines. Part of this court was covered by a shed, supported by trunks of palm-trees, in the middle of which was a sort of sky-light. A staircase of earth led to the terraced roof of the house. I deposited the bag containing my notes in a locked-up warehouse, and, the bag itself being padlocked, I was set at ease respecting the curiosity of the Moors. Our host gave us for breakfast some excellent dates, so ripe that they resembled preserves, and added a small piece of new wheaten bread: this would have been a sumptuous regale, had not the water which we drank with it been brackish. The young sons of Haggi received me kindly; they congratulated me more particularly upon the resolution I had taken to forsake the christians and unite myself with the Musulmans; telling me that I was under the special protection of God, and that all who should do me good would be favorites with the prophet. I need not, they added, feel any further uneasiness as to my return to my country; now that I was at Tafilet, I should find no difficulty in reaching the place of my birth, and they would themselves defray the expense of my journey to Fez, which should cost me nothing. In conclusion, they invited me to remain with them, assuring me that they would supply all my wants.