Travels in the footsteps of Bruce in Algeria and Tunis

by Sir R. Lambert Playfair

Spinaque vagæ torquente cerastæ.

Luc. Bell. Civ., l. ix.

Its bite is accounted mortal by the Moors, especially in summer, and they immediately fly for remedy either to amputation of the part, deep incisions or actual cautery; however, application of oil of olives, rubbed over the fire upon the wound, after an opening was made by a lancet, never failed to obviate any fatal consequence, even when the poison had occasioned convulsive vomitings and sickness, by having had time to circulate.

Almost as bad as the cerastes is the Istell,[289] a very venomous Phalangium of the Cyrenaicum; it dwells chiefly upon shrubs, and builds a nest of moss like a bird; it is larger than a spider of the largest size in England, and is of a dark black colour, or rather inclining to blue. The male is covered with fine down or hair; the female is smooth. When young they are painted with yellow along the back, with a figure much resembling the representation of the Silphum upon the medals of this country. The bite of this animal is in hot weather said to be attended with death; those who sleep on the ground among the bushes are generally those that suffer. One bit by this animal had his tongue in about half-an-hour so swollen as to be incapable of speech, but had no other mortal symptom. The glands of his throat were much swelled, and down his shoulder and arm. The bite was in the neck, which was but little discoloured; he recovered by rubbing oil upon the wound and places affected, and by repeatedly swallowing, as much as the swelling of his tongue would permit. He complained of pain in his veins, and shivered often suddenly, as before the attack of a fever: he had no remarkable thirst. Many who recover from the bite of this animal and the leffah continue lame in the hand or foot, the parts generally affected. This seemed to me extraordinary, and not easily accounted for, till, upon examining one who was in these circumstances, I found that he had, in his incision into the upper part of the foot, cut the tendons of two of his toes, which, after long torment and suppuration, remained useless. This is the case, I suppose, with the others, for they make no use of outward remedies, and could scarcely believe in or be brought to use so simple a remedy as oil, though they had seen its effects, and admired them, not knowing what it was. Those who have not courage to lay open or cauterise the part, apply to marabouts for charms, and swallow certain characters, or hang them on their persons as amulets; such people, if the bite is given in hot weather, usually die.

At Ras Sem begin the sands, which continue to Ougela, and from thence, as far as is known, to the banks of the Niger. The sands are charged or impregnated to a very great degree with salt, the prevailing mineral in Africa, and from Bengazi to Ougela, and much beyond, the country is as perfectly level as the ocean.

Ougela is the seat of a Bey dependent upon, and named by Tripoli. It is in his district, and not, as has been advanced, in that of Derna, that Ras Sem is situated. Ougela consists of three villages; the largest, or capital, is Zibeel, the next Zaila, about 16 miles south-west, governed by a Caid; the other is Marad, still further south-west, but scarcely inhabited, save by those who come hither to hunt wild cows or beeves, for it is very unwholesome, by reason of stagnant water and marshes full of canes. These habitations are surrounded by large plantations of excellent dates, which are ripe in September, and hither the Arabs of the province of Bengazi come annually to load their camels with dates, for the rest of the year.

Ougela is in the way of the caravan from Fezzan to Mecca, with which come the merchants of Borno and Tombucto, as well as many other black nations to the south and south-east. Those from Tombucto are nearly two months upon their journey to Fezzan, chiefly along the Niger. Ougela is in the direct road from Fezzan to Cairo. From this to Cairo they are twenty-three days. Each camel pays one sequin, 8s. 6d. to the Bey of Ougela. They bring with them manna and gold-dust, some ostrich feathers, &c., but the trade of Tombucto is of late much decreased or turned some other way, by reason of war among the Arabs, through which the merchants have to pass. From Fezzan to Ougela, twenty-eight days. Seven days east and by north of Ougela is Siwah, which pays no acknowledgment to Tripoli, but is governed by four sheikhs of its own; it is situated on a very steep rock, and the way to the town is by a narrow winding passage, only wide enough for one person, till you arrive at the top. The water here is very bad though in great abundance, and this makes the air so bad that it has always proved fatal to those who attempted to conquer it. It is eight long days’ journey due south of Derna, and is the place, which, like Ougela, supplies the Moors of its district, the most considerable of whom are the Welled Aly, with dates.

All the interior of this vast country is very badly laid down, both as to latitude and longitude, in the French maps of Rollin, Delisle and Sanson.

The small islands, or rather rocks, before Derna, are called Kerse at this present by the Moors, and the desert to the southward of Bengazi is still called Barca or Barga.

The most distant community known to the southward of Ougela is Cuffra, that is to say, in the language of the country, the City of Infidels, so the Arabs call a nation or people of blacks, which inhabit the desert, seven days’ journey, or about 130 miles due south of Ougela.