FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137  
138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   >>   >|  
rough it; it was full of people and merchandise; all things in abundance; no one called after me, but I did not like to stay long to expose myself. The principal provisions and domestic animals offered for sale are cattle (oxen), sheep, camels, asses, goats, beef, mutton, samen, honey, ghaseb, ghafouley, a little wheat, dried fish (rather stinking, because no salt is used in drying), kibabs or roasted pieces of meat, beans, dankali or sweet potatoes; which last are brought from Kanou, as also is the fish, &c. I purchased three sweet potatoes for a fifth of a penny. There was, besides, also a good quantity of merchandise of every sort, and slaves in numbers. Honey also is brought from Kanou to this souk. In Kanou, twelve pounds and a-half are sold for four thousand wadas, or four-fifths of a dollar. In Zinder, the same quantity sells for about double the price. They adulterate here and send it to Aheer. In the evening I went with the Shereef to his garden. He has brought with him the tastes of the people of Morocco for gardens, and has introduced into Zinder tomatas from Kuka. His beds contain onions, peppers, cucumbers, wheat, lemons, date-palms, and some other small things. There is a little wheat also, but merely as an ornament. The date-palms bear twice a-year, but the dates do not dry in this country. There is a part of Soudan where the dates are said to become dry as those of Fezzan. The lemons are as good as those on the north coast, but they are found only in Soudan. But two or three trees have been seen in Bornou. Onions are in abundance, and it is said that those people who eat onions do not catch the fevers of Soudan. The Shereef considers the horses of this country to have little strength--not to be compared with those of the north coast. He has sent me one to ride round the environs. We conversed upon Algerian affairs. The Shereef said nothing against the French in general; he only complained of the non-fulfilment of the treaty of capitulation with Abd-el-Kader and his fellow-prisoners. I told him Bou Maza was liberated, which news surprised him. He said Bou Maza was a fool, and had no followers. All the conversation of the Shereef was marked with good sense. He had been in Malta, and resided there two months. His native place is two days' journey from Tangiers. He is well acquainted with Christians. He speaks with a strong Mogarbi accent. As to this country and the Tuaricks, he observed the Sheikh was dete
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137  
138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Shereef
 

Soudan

 

country

 
brought
 

people

 

potatoes

 

abundance

 

Zinder

 

quantity

 

things


merchandise

 
lemons
 

onions

 
fevers
 
compared
 

strength

 

horses

 

considers

 

Onions

 

observed


Fezzan

 

Tuaricks

 

Sheikh

 

Bornou

 

conversed

 
journey
 

liberated

 

prisoners

 

fellow

 

Tangiers


native

 

resided

 
marked
 

conversation

 

surprised

 

followers

 

capitulation

 

treaty

 

affairs

 

Algerian


accent
 
months
 

environs

 

Mogarbi

 

French

 
fulfilment
 

acquainted

 
Christians
 
general
 

complained