It would be difficult to conceive a wilder or more desolate spot. In front was an extensive marsh, half covered with water, through which the river pursued its devious course, the banks being covered with rushes; at the back lay the dreary country through which we had passed; to the right the marshy plain extended to the sea, some 10 miles distant, and to the left it stretched as far as the eye could reach, bounded by blue hills of considerable elevation. There was not a soul in the house but the kanghè or master, and another man and a boy. He welcomed me, however, very civilly, and showed me to the upper floor by an outside staircase; here I found two rooms with bare walls, brick floor, a trestle for a mattress, a wooden table, and a couple of rude chairs; to my great delight there was a chimney-place, in which I soon lighted a wood fire. The kanghè brought up a couple of tolerably clean mattresses, two oil lamps, and some bread, and water, which was all he had. This, however, was of no consequence, as I had come provided, and after a good supper, in spite of the loneliness of the place I slept soundly. As there, was no road any farther, it was necessary to provide horses to go to Utica the next day, which the kanghè said he would do. At daybreak we mounted, and were just about starting when we were joined by an aga, a fine handsome fellow, exceedingly well mounted. He was accompanied by two or three servants, also well mounted and armed. The aga saluted me very courteously, and said he was proud to see Englishmen, and that if I was fond of sporting he would be most happy to see me at his castle, and would show me some capital sport, wild boars, deer, partridges, quail, &c.; for this kind invitation I thanked him, but was obliged to decline on account of want of time. We rode together along the marshy plain, our horses at times being up to their knees in water, and crossed the river by a rough stone bridge, immediately beyond which we reached the high land which bounds the river on the west. Here we parted in the most courteous manner, and I continued along the left bank for two or three miles farther, when I reached the ruins of Utica, situated at the foot of the hills, at a height of about 30 feet above the level of the bottom of the valley, and about a mile distant from the left bank of the river, and 5 miles from the sea-shore, with nothing but a dreary flat marsh intervening. Utica was originally seated on the sea-shore, and was a port of considerable importance; the marshes that now exist have been gradually formed during the lapse of centuries; and in this there is nothing remarkable, as there are many similar examples, even to a much greater extent, at the mouths of rivers in different parts of the world.
Of the city nothing now remains but portions of the broken down walls, a square tower near the middle, and some remains of foundations scattered about. Nothing could be more desolate and solitary than the whole scene, which afforded a most striking contrast to its former magnificence; and reflecting upon its ancient compared with its present state, one could not help remarking, “Alas, poor human nature!”
On my return from Utica I found that His Highness the Bey had consented to receive us at his palace, distant about 12 miles from Tunis, on the following day at eleven o’clock. We accordingly started off about eight o’clock, and got there in good time, and were presented to the Bey—who was seated in great state and surrounded by his officers—by our consul, Mr. Wood, and were most graciously received. The Bey was about fifty-five, of the middle size, rather stout, with an open, frank, kind countenance; he conversed in Arabic with the consul in the most genial manner, said he was glad to see us, and was much pleased at the idea of having railways in his kingdom, about which he had heard so much; he said he would give us every assistance in his power, and hoped that this would lead to other European improvements, that would tend so much to the prosperity of his country. After about twenty minutes of very agreeable conversation we retired, very much pleased with his Highness’s courteous reception. In front of the palace there was an encampment of about 2000 troops of all kinds, horse, foot, and artillery, whom the Bey was in the habit of reviewing daily.
The remainder of the story is soon told. We knew perfectly well that the French were very jealous of any foreign capital or enterprise being introduced into Tunis, that the consul was somewhat suspicious of us, and that he and his spies were always on the watch: we were warned of this, and advised to be very cautious. So well was our secret kept, that the French consul had come to the conclusion that we were nothing but a party of ordinary travellers, and was just getting rid of his suspicions. On the other hand, the Bey and his Divan had agreed to grant a most favourable concession, and there can be no doubt that the line would have succeeded admirably in every respect. But in an evil moment Messrs. Peto’s agents discovered that they could not make a proper report to their employers without taking levels. In vain I represented the extreme imprudence of such a proceeding; that it was a mere surface line, without the slightest engineering difficulty, and which did not present the least obstacle; moreover, that the land was to be conceded free of all cost, and that, in short, there was nothing which men of their experience could not estimate accurately without taking the smallest measurement. They persisted in their intention, and, of course, the moment they got out their instruments the French consul understood the whole affair, and in an audience with the Bey threatened him with the vengeance of France if the concession were granted. The poor Bey had no alternative but to submit, and there the whole matter ended.
Before leaving Tunis I saw all the different sights; amongst others, serpent charming, which is quite a profession. The charmers display considerable dexterity; indeed, it is a profession of long standing. The northern portion of Africa, on account of its sandy and sultry climate, is peculiarly well adapted for the breeding of serpents of the most venomous kinds, and in consequence they attain an enormous size and secrete a large amount of poison. The bites of many of the species are fatal, and hence it has become for ages past the object of certain of the natives to study the habits and characteristics of these reptiles and the antidotes to cure any unfortunate individual who may by chance have been bitten by them; indeed, the Roman armies during their campaigns in this part of the world were always accompanied by a certain number of these serpent charmers, and the profession exists at the present day. You find them in Egypt and throughout the whole of the northern part of Africa, and they not only practise the cure of serpent bites, but also collect numbers of them for exhibition to the multitude, to show their power over them, and by this means realize a considerable amount of money. At Tunis I saw several of these serpent charmers, who were always surrounded by a large crowd. They appeared to have complete control over the reptiles; they always kept their eyes constantly upon them, and regulated their movements by a wand in their hands, whilst an attendant boy kept time by beating a small drum and blowing a pipe with a low monotonous sound.
I was much surprised to find the natives so very civilized; we walked about the town, in the suburbs, and in the country, without experiencing the smallest molestation or incivility. I was told that robberies were very rare, and that frequently large sums of money were sent by a single messenger on a dromedary from Tunis to Tripoli without the least danger of being robbed. There were scarcely any palm trees to be seen, but we had plenty of the finest dates, which were brought from the interior, I think Tafilet.
Upon the whole I was much pleased with Tunis. It is a country possessing great natural resources of all kinds, by which, if only properly developed, this kingdom might be again rendered very powerful, as it was in the time of the Carthaginians and Romans, when, it is said, it contained above ten millions of inhabitants, whereas at present there are little more than two millions.