August the 15th, at six in the morning, hastily quitting this inhospitable place, I resumed my journey towards Rabat on foot, carrying my bag, and but scantily provided with food.
Beyond the town I passed some gardens, and several plots of well cultivated hemp. I soon discovered that it would be impossible for me to reach Rabat on foot, for my limbs had scarcely strength to support me, and the pain which I felt in the spleen was aggravated by fatigue. Resting therefore for a moment against a wall I considered how I should proceed, and finally determined upon returning to the town. Taking my purse out of my bag, and observing with sorrow that its contents were much diminished, I was nevertheless under the necessity of abstracting a few shillings from what remained, proposing to change them on my return to Mequinaz, to procure me a conveyance. Inadvertently I laid my knife and pocket-compass on the ground beside me and forgot them. Much grieved by their loss, I returned from the city to seek them, but unhappily in vain. As I again approached the city I saw several Spaniards, who had been shipwrecked on the coast, followed by a crowd of Moors, and escorted by soldiers, armed with sticks for the purpose of preventing the pressure of the crowd; they were being conducted to the Emperor, and I remarked with pleasure that they were not ill-treated. A Jew, who spoke the Spanish language acted as their interpreter. I followed them a short distance, but, finding it impossible to penetrate to them, returned towards the market, and seated myself at the door of a Berber, who, perceiving that I was suffering pain, asked me who I was and what ailed me: I told him my story, which, like all his countrymen, he believed. Having imparted to him my intention of hiring a conveyance to Rabat, in the hope of seeing the Emperor and applying to him for assistance to enable me to return to my own country, this good Berber induced me to place my bag in his shop and promised himself to negociate with the muleteer for the fulfilment of my wishes.
In the course of the day, I visited the fandacs, and there met with a man from Tafilet, who proposed to me to hire an ass for my conveyance to Rabat. I took him to the Berber, and, having agreed upon the price, which was fixed at a piastre and three quarters, I paid him the earnest; we were to set out the following day. In the evening I bought some fruit and bread for my guide and myself.
On the 16th of August, at six in the morning, I mounted my ass, not without the assistance of my guide, which on account of my weakness I was unable to dispense with: we travelled due north for about an hour, then turned N. W. till nine in the morning. The route is interrupted by hills, and turns a little to the south. About two o’clock we halted under the shade of a zizyphus lotus, to repose during the extreme heat: at three we resumed our route to the north, till half-past four, and then proceeded N. W. On the road we met a traveller in the utmost distress on account of the death of his horse, for, besides the inconvenience of prosecuting his journey on foot, the poor man was compelled also to carry his saddle to some inhabited place; my guide took pity upon him and placed his saddle behind me, which suited me well, for I was so weak that I could scarcely sit up, and this saddle made a convenient support for my back.
At six in the evening, we reached a considerable brook, which runs S. S. W., and afterwards west, and stopped to slake our thirst at it. I had been suffering from fever nearly the whole day, and the heat had been overpowering; I now lay down to take a short repose. During this halt, the Moor, who was not the owner of the horse he had lost, obtained from a sherif a certificate of its death: the sherif, having interrogated me in common with the other witnesses of the event, gave on our evidence the writing which testified that the horse had died without any fault on the part of its rider.
At sun-set, after having eaten some figs given us by the Berbers, we proceeded northwards till eight o’clock, when we reached a camp, provided with a tent that served as a mosque, and was destined also for the reception of travellers; we took up our quarters in it, and the inhabitants of the camp brought us supper. This spot is covered with prickly shrubs.
At two o’clock in the morning of the 17th, we quitted this hospitable camp; for half an hour we were followed by a troop of nearly thirty dogs, which barked incessantly, and even bit our beasts. At five o’clock, turning to the N. W. we proceeded over level ground covered with a fine vegetation. Towards eight in the morning, we halted for an hour beside a well, where we breakfasted upon fresh bread, and some water-melons which we had found in the fields. After this rural repast we drank some pretty good water, which we were able to take up by hand, the wells being shallow. We continued our route to the N. W., and at eleven o’clock, the heat being violent, again halted under a beautiful clump of fig-trees, where several travellers were sleeping; we rested till noon, my guide, who was sufficiently complaisant, having some consideration for my illness. After this short repose we proceeded still towards the N. W. till three P. M. when our direction turned E. S. E.; we now journeyed over loose sand. At half-past two we stopped before a camp of soldiers, who were on their march to rejoin the emperor; they had pitched their tents near an arm of the sea, which my guide told me was called Sbo.[22] To my great surprise tolerable order was preserved in this camp: the centinels were placed at equal distances from each other, but they slept the whole night; the chiefs were lodged in handsome tents, having a centinel at the door, and soldiers around them. The women of the neighbouring districts supplied them with bread.
On the 18th, at three in the morning, we set forward, crossing the camp, where the soldiers were still all asleep; but one, waking up with a start, exclaimed: “Who goes there?” This did not however interrupt our progress. Farther on we encountered the advanced guard, also asleep, but our noise disturbed them, and waking up they inquired who we were and whither we were going: upon receiving our answer they permitted us to pass through the midst of them, for there was no other road, and it was necessary to cross a bridge. We proceeded by a fine road to the S. W.; the soil composed of grey sand is naturally fertile. At eight in the morning we halted to take a slight repast of bread and some nuts purchased at Mequinaz, and ate it in peace beside a well. We continued our route to the S. W. over a soil similar to that which I noticed over-night, and arrived at an arm of the sea on the opposite shore of which Rabat is situated; here I saw several Portuguese vessels. The vine flourishes in the environs of this town, and the fields are well cultivated.
Upon entering Rabat, I proceeded with my guide to the fandac, where I rested awhile and then set out to walk through the town in hopes of finding the French consul, for I concluded that there would be one here. I held some shillings in my hand, by means of which I proposed without committing myself to find the consular house. I begged several Moors to change them for me, knowing that they would not (for they have little complaisance) but I foresaw that they would refer me to a christian, to whom I hoped by this innocent stratagem to be enabled to speak without exciting suspicion. In fact, the first Moor whom I requested to change my shillings for the coin of the country directed me to the christians; I took advantage of this circumstance to inquire for the French consul, saying, that the money was French, and he, having no suspicion of me, immediately pointed out the consul’s residence. I knocked at the door, and was thrilled with joy at the thought of being about to see a Frenchman.
A Jew, who spoke tolerable English, opened the door; he told me that the consul was at this moment with the sultan, but that he would soon return. I retired for a short time, and on my second application was by the same Jew presented to the French consul at Rabat. Gracious God! how was I disconcerted, when I found that he was himself a Jew! I was so thunderstruck that I remained for a moment speechless; meanwhile he addressed me in pretty good French, inquiring what I wanted with him: recovering a little from my stupefying surprise, I shewed him my shillings and begged him to change them; an English merchant who chanced to be with him, and to whom I confided my secret, assured me that I might safely communicate to the Jew the true cause of my application to him. I then told the consular agent that I wished to converse with him for a moment in private, upon which he shewed me into his warehouse and seated me upon the floor. There I informed him that I was a Frenchman, that I came from the Soudan, and that, desiring to return to my own country, I claimed the protection due to a subject of the King of France. The Jew asked if I had any papers, and if I was travelling by order of the government: having satisfied him on all these points, he opened a French book of geography, and pointed out upon a map the Senegal and other districts, no doubt to display his learning: he then shewed a letter from M. Sourdeau, consul-general of the King of France, announcing his nomination to the dignity of consular agent at Rabat; but he gave me to understand that he received no pay, and that in consequence I was not to expect much assistance from him; then dismissing me, he recommended me strongly not to make myself known if I valued my head; for, added he, the Moors are no triflers on the subject of religion.