The 17th continued our course towards Ferreanah over the mountains Tenoucla, on the skirts of which, in the neighbourhood of Jebbel Usmir, found large strata of petrified oyster-shells. Passed Tenoucla and lay (18th) on a plain without inhabitants or water, called Lerneb.[248] From Lerneb arrived the 19th, in the evening, at Melew, where the Bey of Constantine was encamped with about 3,000 men.

The 20th, in the morning, set out for Ferreanah, from whence we were distant about 10 miles. Ferreanah is the ancient Thala[249] taken and destroyed by Metellus in his pursuit of Jugurtha. I had formed, I know not from what reason, sanguine expectations of elegant remains here, but in this I was disappointed. I found nothing but baths of very warm water, without the town; in these there was a number of fish, above four inches in length, not unlike gudgeons. Upon trying the heat by the thermometer I remember to have been much surprised that they could have existed, or even not been boiled by continuing long in the heat of this medium. As I marked the degree with a pencil while I was myself naked in the water, the leaf was wetted accidentally, so I missed the precise degree I meant to have recorded, and I do not pretend to supply it from memory. The bath is at the head of the fountain and the stream runs off to a considerable distance. I think there were five or six dozen of these fish in the pool. I was told likewise that they went down into the stream to a certain distance in the day and returned to the pool, as warmest and deepest water, at night.

The ruins of the ancient town begin at the mouth of a valley, or opening of the mountains to the south of that valley, on the west side of the bed of what appears to have been a river, but which is now only sand. This part is called Gobul. On the river side is a well or reservoir paved with cut stone, on which are the marks of the cord of the bucket, which are so strong as to seem to indicate that the water was brought from a great depth. The mouth is on a level with the bed of the river. There are here the traces of a very large fabric, which by the remaining ornaments, now much consumed, appears to have been a very elegant Corinthian. There was no possibility of making out the place, though there seemed to have been three temples, situated nearly like those of Spaitla. These ruins extend, with considerable interruption, south-east, till within a mile of the sanctuary of Sidi Mohamed Teleely, the building of whose Cubba has probably taken up many of the most elegant materials.

About two miles south-east of this marabout, there are four columns on foot which seem to be in their places, about two feet buried in the earth, forming the four angles of a square, 17 feet distant, in very bad taste. These are all the remains at this time, no traces remaining of Dr. Shaw’s.

The situation, in a plain everyway surrounded with mountains, agrees with the ancient Thala; so does its extent; but Metellus might have met with water nearer than 50 miles, as there were two large lakes at Malen, in a very convenient situation, where the Bey encamped . . .[250] from the history other objections in Jugurtha’s flight to the desert before he came to Thala.

The 21st, left Ferreanah, continued along the river to the mountain Sidi Eisa[251] within sight of his sanctuary, no water or inhabitants.

Next morning descended into a plain, passed Sidi Ali Ben Oune and still further the Maretba (?), the route of the Tunis camp, about seven miles east; continued along the plain, where copied the following inscription on a monument of bad taste.[252]

The 23rd, came to Gaffsa, the Capsa of Jugurtha, situated immediately in the narrow plain between the point of two mountains, a valley to the south . . . . . the mountains east and west, advantageous positions for a prince whose strength is horse.[253] The key of the Jereed, the hilly place where Marius halted, to the south the Jugis Aqua, a plentiful spring in two basins from one to four feet deep and thirty feet square, in the middle of the town,[254] another in the citadel,[255] the water, which is more than lukewarm, runs in a pretty considerable stream, and is drunk up in watering the plantations of date trees and gardens among them, on the west side of which Gaffsa is situated.

Gaffsa is built of clay, but is considerable and much better than Ferreanah. No antiquities.

The 24th to the 28th, stayed here correcting and perfecting my designs; the 29th, set out for Tozer.

On the left, or east, Jibbel Orbatt;[256] on the right Jibbel ben Younus to the Dowary, another mountain, and so on to the frontier of Algiers. Passed Garbata[257] about four miles; lay that night at a Dowar of Zowawas, Welled Seedy Abid.

The place where Marius encamped before the taking of Capsa was to the east, at the foot of the mountain, and answers the description locum tumulosum, as it agrees in distance. These hillocks are continued to the brink of the river, after passing the dry bed of which there is a plain of about 500 yards broad, and over this, on a small eminence to the west, is situated Gaffsa.

On the night of the 29th, and all the next day, we were followed by five of the Nememchah, who had not the courage to attack us, but on our arrival at El-Hamma, about 22 miles, they fell suddenly upon some people herding sheep and drove them off in triumph.

We lay here on the 30th; it is a small, mud-walled date village; five miles further is Tozer. It is the largest of the date towns, the residence of a Cayd, the chief of all the Jereed. It is the ancient Tisurus, but nothing now remains of the old town but three broken columns of cippolino, whose capitals were Corinthian, but are now consumed entirely. It is the greatest mart in Barbary for woollen goods, such as haicks, burnooses, baracanes, &c. Its next commodity is dates, with which it furnishes the Bedouins throughout the kingdom. 20,000 camels are annually loaded here with this fruit. Here the caravan arrives from Timbuctoo in . . .[258] days bringing gold of Tibar and negroes. Here also did formerly arrive the caravans of the Gaddemsees, but being plundered and waylaid by the Nememchah, they now direct their course to Nefzowah.

From Tozer to Wurglah is about ten days with camels; thence to Tripoli ten days.

The second of January (1766), arrived at El-Hamma or Tegeuse,[259] another set of villages about six miles east of Tozer.

Tozer is better situated than any of the date towns, by a number of springs which break out above a mile west of the town, and immediately form several considerable streams, which are divided by the hour amongst the inhabitants as of old; between the palm trees are gardens of figs, vines, and herbs. In some places, and chiefly at Tigeuse, the ground between the trees is laid out in small beds, about five feet long and two broad, sown with wheat, which is here very scarce and only brought when the camp comes in November, when the Dreedy and other clans attend, and bring this in exchange for dates and manufactures.

The third of January passed the Lowdeah or Palus Tritonides, about three miles below Tegeuse, the large lake of water called the Lake of Marks, because in the passage of it there is now a row of large trunks of palm trees set up to guide travellers in the road which crosses it.

Dr. Shaw has settled very distinctly the geography of this place and those about it. It is the Palus Tritonidis,[260] as he justly observes.

This was the most barren and unpleasant of my journeys in Africa, barren not only from the nature of the soil, but from its having no remains of antiquity in the whole course of it.

From entering the water to the small island half-way to Fatnassa, the route is entirely through water, equal in saltness to the sea, the depth is never above seven inches after passing this. It is chiefly dry for the other ten miles of the distance to Fatnassa, but never more than one inch where the water is deepest; it has a fine gravelly bottom. I measured four hundred feet on each side of the signals; the breadth nowhere seven miles.

It is nearly east and west; in the west end inclining more southerly. The mountains of Lowdeah form the north boundary, but it is plain on all sides on the south and south-west, and extends with some very considerable interruptions far into the Sahara. Anciently it was of consequence, much larger, and gave just reason for the account of a number or succession of lakes, which Dr. Shaw thinks impossible, from intervention of mountains, erroneously (sic).

There are 102 villages of dates here in Nefzowa,[262] but much inferior to those of Tozer. The fruit is chiefly sent to Europe. The eastern of these are called the Ghaara, inhabited by the Noile and many others. The panther, or faadh, and the fennick are natives of this district.

To the southward, Fatnassa is a small, mud-walled town. Telemeen is the largest of this district; it has a small fort with a cayd, and the town a sheikh. The fort is in a wood of date trees; it is of stone, very small, with fifty Moorish foot, or Zowawa, for a garrison. Few medals.

Arrived here the 4th; staid the 5th; the 6th, set out for Ebilla,[263] arrived there at noon, being but 6 miles.

The 7th, went hunting to Ghaara, five miles southwards; killed three wild boars with the lance.

The 8th, hunted likewise; killed one. At night, the house attacked by banditti, and we were near assassinated; my horse wounded.

The 10th, we passed the camp of the Henneishah at the foot of the mountains, to the north near the Thibkah,[264] and about 7 miles to the eastward that of the Welled Yagoube, who that day were in motion, and encamped at Nisse y-deep.[265] The next morning they fell upon and robbed the caravan going from Biscara to Mecca.

The night of the 10th arrived at El Hamma of Gabbs, the Aquæ Tacapitanæ of antiquity, consisting of three small mud-walled villages, Sambat, Menzil, and . . .[266] The first we stopped at, and were miserably lodged. It belongs to the Beni Zeed, a set of banditti of the neighbouring mountains, whose douars we passed at the foot of a mountain called Sidi Ben Owne, to the southwards.

There are about fifty hot springs at El-Hamma, all sufficient to form a considerable rivulet, were they not drunk up. They are of different degrees of heat, from bloodwarm to boiling hot, as intense as those at the baths near Baiæ. There are, in many of the miserable hovels built over the bagnios, remains of their ancient magnificence, such as bases of columns and pilasters, and large blocks of white Grecian marble.

One of these springs arises in the castle, a weak ruinous building, with a garrison of 50 Zowawa or Moorish foot. The Palus Tritonidis arrives at El-Hamma, the brook of which falls into it to the north-east [at a distance of] two miles.

The moisture which it furnishes most agreeably and suddenly changes the desert scene, and covers the adjacent fields with all kinds of flowers and verdure.

The 11th, changed to the neighbouring town, Menzil, where we were better lodged.

The 12th, set out from El-Hamma, arrived in three hours and three quarters at Gabbs; it is about 12 miles, though Dr. Shaw and the Itinerary made it XVII, through a large plain full of the seedra or lotus, a shrub not unlike blackthorn.[267]

Gabbs consists of three villages, as is the custom of the Jereed, in groves of palms, Menzil, Jaara, and Shineny,[268] the two former constantly at war with each other.

The river of Gabbs, which runs along the north side of the south division of Jaara, separates it from a grove of palm trees where is a house of the Bey, and behind it the town. Menzil is a short mile to the south-west; in the same direction is the old Gabbs, the Tacape of the ancients, formerly a very considerable place on the Lesser Syrtis. Its ruins at present consist of three broken frusts of granite columns of an oval form, and one square one, which last is still standing, and seems to have had a statue upon it. The buildings here seem to be so small in circumference that I rather imagine this was some considerable temple than the city itself, which I imagine did extend a mile further to the east, to that chain of eminences which run north and south, upon which, and between which, there are traces of ancient buildings. Between these and the river was probably the port, now choked up by the east and north-east winds, the violent ones on these coasts.

Digging for building materials four years ago, the inhabitants of Menzil found a statue as big as life, which, contrary to their usual practice, they did not break immediately to pieces; but after it had been an object of contention between them and Jaara, the latter obtained it and buried it under ground.

Here it continued till some months before I came to Tunis, when, hearing of it, I did ask it of the Bey, who readily granted it, and by a special order desired it might be delivered into my hands; but upon my arrival I found it had been broken to pieces, to repair a miserable bridge, and only some of the pieces could be gathered, which were brought on producing the king’s order.

It was of white Greek marble, in a very elegant taste, the hair before, gathered under a round crown-like ornament, which we see on the medals of Faustina, from which a veil fell down behind. The hair on the sides fell down in small curls on the shoulders. It was in a sitting posture, the two feet appearing from under the robe, one upon the other, in the attitude like the Agrippina the elder in the Farnese Gallery; but the pleats in the clothing were larger than those of the Agrippina.

The whole was in excellent taste. There was also brought me a piece of a basso relievo, probably belonging to the temple, likewise a half figure, that of a Neptune or Triton stretching his hand over a stormy sea, with a dolphin before him; all diligence was used, but it was impossible to find the other part.

The river is undoubtedly the Triton; it has no connection with the Palus Tritonidis; it rises in a plain called Chausæ, directly west, and near the palms it is divided; part continues its course by Jaara to the sea, part is conducted through the palms, after which it is again united, and continues its course to the sea, a small distance from the palms.

The 13th being calm, I observed the flux and reflux of the tide; the wind was from the S.W.; the tide rose on the bar at the mouth of the river 37½ inches perpendicular height. 14th, stormy, wind N.E. 15th, wind continued till 8 o’clock more easterly; fell calm at midday. The evening we could not measure, having a swell.

The full sea the next evening rose 41 inches perpendicular height upon the bar; no sea; the wind changed to N.W.; no swell.

The plantations of Gabbs are laid out in the most advantageous as well as the most pleasant manner; between the palms the grape is made to run along cords of hair in festoons. Below, the plats are laid out in squares, in which is planted the Al-Henna,[269] the chief commodity of this place, a shrub like the myrtle, which the women use when dried to paint themselves with. It is packed in large oblong baskets of a caphise weight, and sells, according to its goodness, from seven to eight and a half piastres of Tunis (four and a half piastres being seven shillings English)[270] per hundredweight. This is cut every year and kept low; the ground around is bordered with roses. Between Menzil and Jaara is a castle, and under it encamps the Cayd of Amadis.(?) He has with him 100 spahis of Tunis and Zowawa; he collects the tribute from all the tribes of the south-east district of this kingdom, resembles a Bey, and has the greatest command in Tunis given to a subject. It extends to the frontiers of Tripoli.

Ottoman ben Mengsah was Cayd at this time; he was one of the descendants of a Portuguese renegade, now called Welled Hassan. Although considered as Turks, they were always abroad among the Moors. In the time of Ali Bashaw, whose relations they were, although in the wars of Younus he strangled eleven of their number in one night, as well as in the present reign, they were always employed in great commands among the Moors.

Three miles S.E. of Gabbs is a small village called Tobulbu, with a plantation of dates; four miles further in the same direction another called Zereega. About . . .[272] miles hence, still eastward, inclining to the south, is Cattan,[273] another; and further is the river el-Fert,[274] which comes from below the river Matamata. At the head it is fresh, but receiving some salt springs in its course, it turns brackish where it falls into the sea.

Zaratt is 18 miles from Gabbs; and from Gerba, which lies S.E., as Matamata does . . .[275] and Dimmer . . .[275] S.W. by S., and El-Faggera, behind which is Jibbel Abeide, due south; over this lies the way to Gaddems, according to some, eight days’ journey for a camel lightly laden; that is, from Gabbs to Matamata, 22 miles, or one day; thence to Jibbel Abeide, two days, or 40 miles; from thence five days, but it is said by others to be much longer.

The inhabitants of Matamata live underground in the earth; their houses go down with a stair about . . .[276] feet; from thence there is a passage, on each side of which are the chambers. The inhabitants of Jibbel Abeide are the Dowarets, a clan of about 1,000 fighting men. Their houses are not sunk in the earth, as the Matamata, but perforated in the rock itself, like the Trogloditæ of old.

Mela says that they lived in caves, and fed upon serpents; if he had said fed together with serpents, his observation had been just. They have such an esteem for snakes as to suffer them to feed promiscuously with them, and to live continually in their houses, where they perform the office of cats. These animals are perfectly inoffensive to their protectors, and suffer themselves to be lifted up and carried in their hands from place to place. Some are six or seven feet long; they suffer no one to hurt them or transport them to any other place. No persuasion or reward could induce them to let me carry away one of them, it being universally believed that they are a kind of good angels, whom it would be the highest impropriety, and of the worst consequence to the community, to remove from their dwellings.

· · · · · · ·

The Jibbeleah runs in a direction parallel to the coast, which it approaches as we advance eastward to Zarratt. Matamata is S.E. of Gabbs. South of that is Toujan; S.E. is a sharp-pointed mountain called Dimmer; again, continuing the line of Matamata eastwards, is Feggera, due south from Gerba.

I was now arrived upon the Lesser Syrtis, and continued along the sea-coast northward to Inshilla without having made any additions to my observations.

I turned again to the north-west, and came to Tisdrus, as it was anciently called, now El-Gemme.[277]

This was the last ancient building I visited in the Kingdom of Tunis, and I believe I may confidently say there is not, either in the territories of Algiers or Tunis, a fragment of good taste of which I have not brought a drawing to Britain.

I continued along the coast to Susa, through a fine country planted with olive trees, and came again to Tunis, not only without any disagreeable accident, but without any interruption from sickness or other cause.

Dr. Shaw says the fruit he calls the lotus is very common all along that coast. I wish he had said what was this lotus; to say it is the fruit most common along that coast is no description, for there is no sort of fruit whatever, no bush, no tree, nor verdure of any kind excepting the short grass that borders these countries before you enter the moving sands of the desert. Dr. Shaw never was at Gerba, and had taken this particular from some unfaithful storyteller.[279]

In this island there is a very considerable manufacture of woollen shawls; the generality of these are coarse and cheap, for common use, but there are others where the best wool is employed, and these are of great price and fineness.

They are all sent to Alexandria to be dyed, then returned, and are the head-dress of the soldiery of the State of Tunis, and indeed of most other people, unless those who profess law or religion, who wear them white, and not dyed.

This wool, though employed here in Gerba exclusively, is not the produce of the island itself. In the mainland, immediately south of the island, the very numerous clans of noble Arabs, the Wargummah and Noile inhabit, and pay only a nominal obedience to the Bey, passing the frontiers as their occasions require. They have factors in the island entirely at their devotion, and to them they send the wool, which is dressed, woven, dyed and accounted for to the proprietors through the hands of these factors.

Here we found that the Bey of Tunis had prepared a house for us, and sent from his own palace every sort of refreshment that he could devise, with orders to receive us with every possible honour, and furnish us with what we required at his expense. Here I stayed a month with an intention to proceed to Tripoli through the desert, making fair copies of my minutes[280] and designs, and having sent back to Tunis two of my spahis who had been wounded, and one that was afraid to go further.

I sent a letter to Mr. Fraser, the consul at Tripoli, desiring an escort, as I was now reduced to nine men in all, seven of whom, though indeed resolute people and well armed, were encumbered with the mules and camels which carried our tents and provisions; the other two were an English servant, and a renegado, my dragoman, who, with myself, were the only three mounted on horses and at liberty.

No return came from Tripoli, for the Bey being on ill terms with the Consul, though he promised, he would not send any escort. I and my servants did indeed most rashly attempt to pass the desert inhabited only by ruffians and assassins, the Noile, the Wargummah and many other tribes, at continual war, who pay no sort of acknowledgment to any sovereign, and where the caravan from Morocco to Mecca, which we found near Tripoli, had been defeated and plundered, though they amounted to about 3,000 men.

This enterprise is one of so great a danger that when Younus Bey, prince of Tunis, fled for his life, when the Algerines had murdered his grandfather Ali Bey, and taken his father prisoner, he declared that that passage was the greatest enterprise of his life; yet he was a prince allowed among the first for bravery even to rashness, nor did we escape, for the night of the third day we were attacked by a number of horsemen, and four of our men were killed on the spot. Providence, the prodigious resolution of our little company, and the night, saved the remainder, and we arrived at Tripoli when given over by everybody for lost.

About four days from Tripoli I met the Emir Hadjee, conducting the caravan of pilgrims from Fez and Sus in Morocco, all across Africa to Mecca. He is a middle-aged man, uncle to the present Emperor, of a very uncomely, stupid kind of countenance. His caravan consisted of about 3,000 men, and, as his people said, from 12,000 to 14,000 camels, part loaded with merchandise, part with skins of water, flour and other kinds of food for the maintenance of the Hadjees.

They were a scurvy, disorderly, unarmed pack, and when my horsemen, though but fifteen in number, came up with them in the grey of the morning, they showed great signs of trepidation and were already flying in confusion. When informed who we were, their fears ceased, and after the usual manner of cowards they became extremely insolent.