The Jewish, as well as Moorish women, wear a piece of stuff, twelve or fourteen feet long, about the body and thrown over the head, and go barefoot; their costume indeed differs only in the head-dress. They have on each side of the head a thick large tuft of hair hanging over the shoulder, about five inches in length and three in circumference, and they habitually cover their heads with a piece of coloured stuff, always dirty, like the rest of their garments.
The Jewesses whom I have seen in Tafilet are in general small, lively, and pretty: they have blue eyes, animated and expressive, aquiline nose, and a mouth of middling size; they are inquisitive, and very fond of talking. Drawing water, washing linen, fetching wood for cooking, in short all the household labours, fall to their share.
I shall not undertake to portray the Musulman women of Tafilet; I found it impossible to obtain a view of their faces: when out of doors they have the appearance of an uncouth moving mass, from an enormous woollen cloak, in which they are enveloped from head to foot, and which scarcely allows them to see the way they are going: it is only in the bosom of their families, and sometimes in the inner court, that they shew themselves unveiled. Care is taken to give the women notice to retire to their private apartments, when strangers are about to enter the dwelling upon any business.
A custom prevalent in the east obtains also here and is rigorously observed: when a common Moor passes a sherif he unties his sandals, takes them in his hand, and makes a low and respectful obeisance.
On the 2nd of August, about half past four P. M. the caravan proceeded in a N. N. E. direction. We met on the road a vast number of Moors from the country, driving asses loaded with all sorts of productions, as melons, grapes, figs, and other fruit, and vegetables, going to a neighbouring market.
We crossed some fields, and passed near a walled village the name of which I have forgotten: continuing our route for the space of a mile to the N. N. E., we arrived at the village of Afilé, without which we halted at sun-set. It is situated near a considerable rivulet, called by the natives Sidi-Aiche, the water of which although brackish, is their only beverage: this rivulet runs slowly to the N. W. Plenty of barley for our beasts was brought, soon after our arrival, and some water-melons for the refreshment of the sherifs, of whom we had half a dozen in the caravan travelling to Fez to sell their dates; and who were not prevented by the insignificance of their traffic from assuming airs of importance.
Towards eleven at night, several large calabashes full of couscous, with the flesh of a kid killed for the purpose, were brought to us from the village; the bearers carried them on their heads, and were lighted by a taper. No sooner had these messes arrived than the descendants of Mahomet feasted voraciously, and gave what remained to the Moors of their train: care was taken to awaken all who were or pretended to be asleep. I was at the moment lying on the sand beside the baggage; and as no one seemed to pay any attention to me, I patiently resigned myself to the loss of my supper, although I had eaten nothing the whole day but some dates, given to me by my host at parting. At length a Moor from the village, walking about with his taper in his hand, discovered me, and asking who I was, led me to an immense dish of couscous, round which several Moors were assembled, and desired me to help myself. The Moor who presided at the repast placed some scraps of meat upon an old mule-cloth, and, when we had eaten the couscous, he gave to each a little bit of the reserved meat, tearing it with his dirty fingers.
On the 3rd of August, at half-past five in the morning, we again proceeded northward, through plantations entirely surrounded with earth walls, over which I perceived beautiful fruit trees, such as pears, figs, apricots, vines, and some rose bushes. These charming plains though rather deficient in moisture, often renewed the delightful remembrance of our European gardens. The sterility of the Sahara was still so impressed upon my imagination, that the plains of Tafilet appeared by comparison a terrestrial paradise.
About ten in the morning we passed Tanneyara, a little village, a mile to the east of our road, shaded by immense numbers of date-trees. Here our caravan was retarded by a troop of Arabs, to whom we were obliged, whether we would or not, to pay the passage-dues. This prank occasioned a great deal of confusion; the two parties had nearly come to blows; but fortunately no bad consequences ensued: the merchants gave a few dragmes, and the Arabs left us to continue our route, which lay over a dry and gravelly soil. The gently swelling hills which rose on either hand were apparently composed of red sand, and bore no vegetation: the heat was extreme, and we had no water to moisten our parched lips. At one in the afternoon we reached Marca, a large village enclosed by a wall twelve or fourteen feet high, and there halted.
We ran in haste to the wells, situated beyond the village, but could not draw water enough, having unfortunately no better bucket than an old leathern bag full of holes. My thirst being at length satisfied, I seated myself in the shade near the gate of the village; where many idle Moors were lying on their backs, waiting the call to supper: immediately upon perceiving me they rose with astonishment and asked each other, “Who is this man?” easily detecting me for a stranger by the costume I always wore, which was of Soudan stuff, and strikingly different from their own.