ART. II.-1. A Narrative of Travels in Northern Africa, in the years 1818, 19, and 20; accompanied by Geographical Notices of Soudan, and of the Course of the Niger. With a Chart of the Route, and a variety of Coloured Plates illustrative of the Costumes of the several Natives of Northern Africa. By Captain G. F. Lyon, R. N. companion of the late Mr. Ritchie. 4to. pp. 382. London. 1821.

2. A Dissertation showing the Identity of the Rivers Niger and Nile; chiefly from the Authority of the Ancients.-By John Dudley, M. A. Vicar of Humberston and Sileby, in the county of Leicester; and sometime Fellow and Tutor of Clare Hall, Cambridge. 12mo. London. 1821.

"THE world,' said Doctor Johnson fifty years ago, is now not

contented to be merely entertained by a traveller's narrative; they want to learn something.' The world, we suspect, is somewhat more fastidious at present than when the good Doctor made his observation; and yet, though the Narrative' before us has no claim to merit as a literary composition, no pretensions whatever to abstract science, antiquarian research, or discoveries in natural history; though it frequently returns on itself, and sets all arrangement at defiance; yet, with all these defects, we are not afraid to hazard an opinion, that it will not only be read, but be found to afford both entertainment' and instruction.' There is so much natural and unaffected simplicity in relating the incidents, so much good feeling apparent in the statements, and withal so much information scattered over its desultory pages, that the reader is irresistibly carried on to the conclusion, and rises with a wish that the details had been more expanded, and particularly those relating to the personal sufferings and adventures of our countrymen; which, severe and perilous as they were, appear to have always been borne with uncomplaining resignation. The manners are well described, the traits of character are lively and amusing, and the costume of the several natives is illustrated by a number of interesting prints. A neat chart of the routes explains at the same time the nature of the surface in different parts of the country.

Our author was serving as one of the lieutenants of the Albion, bearing the flag of Sir Charles Penrose, when the late Mr. Ritchie arrived at Malta. Weary of a life of inactivity, and anxious to visit new countries, he volunteered his services to accompany that gentleman, then proceeding on his mission into the interior of Northern Africa from Tripoli; as did also John Belford, a carpenter of the dockyard at Malta. On assembling at Tripoli, in November, 1818, they found there the Bey of Fezzan, who was about to proceed to Mourzouk, the capital of that country, (which

may

may be considered as a province of Tripoli ;) and under whose protection our travellers, by order of the Bashaw, were to commence their arduous expedition. As, however, a very considerable delay was likely to occur in the preparations of Mukni, (so the Bey was named,) Mr. Ritchie thought a short excursion to Benioleed, by the way of the Gharian mountains, might tend to habituate them to the mode of travelling and the manners of the Arabs, as well as enable them to gain some information of the state of the interior of the Tripolitan dominions.

Captain Lyon gives some details, which this journey furnished, respecting the domestic economy of the Arabs; but as they differ not materially from the accounts already before the public, we shall only notice his description of the subterranean villages, or nests of caves, inhabited by the tribes of the Gharian. On reaching the summit of these mountains, through narrow, rugged and intricate passes, a table-land opened upon the travellers, apparently in a high state of cultivation; extensive fields of corn and saffron, mingled with olive, apple, and almond trees, formed a lively contrast with the arid deserts on all sides beneath :—but no human dwelling was visible, all the habitations lying below the surface. A hole of about twelve yards square is dug in the limestone rock, to the depth of twenty-five or thirty feet. At the bottom of this, excavations are made into the perpendicular faces of the rock according to the number and size of the families they are to lodge. The only access to this area is through a sloping passage, the entrance of which is at the distance of 90 or 100 feet. It is rudely arched with stone, and secured by a ponderous door. Through this their cattle are driven, and securely shut up within the square during the night.

A few years ago the present Bashaw of Tripoli made war upon these mountaineers. For some time they defended their passes with great bravery, and destroyed numbers of the Tripoline army; they were at length forced back on their subterranean abodes, when the Bashaw's people collected heaps of straw, set them on fire, threw them blazing into the areas, suffocated the inhabitants, men, women and children, and returned in triumph to Tripoli, with twelve camel-loads of heads! Notwithstanding this, the Bashaw, we are told, is considered as a mighty good sort of man for a Turk, and much less bloodthirsty than his brother despots of Tunis and Algiers and, in fact, though in his younger days he openly rebelled against his father, and murdered his elder brother in presence of their mother, as related in the interesting letters of Mrs. Tully, (Vol. XV.) he is unquestionably the most liberal of all the sovereigns who have wielded the blood-stained sceptre of Tripoli.

Before he made this excursion, however, Captain Lyon, who had assumed the dress of the country, and duly qualified himself for

passing

passing as a good Musselman, ventured into the streets of Tripoli, (on occasion of a solemn procession, at which time no Christian or Jew can with safety show himself,) to witness the tricks of a set of vagabonds known by the name of Maraboots, who, under pretence of superior sanctity, like the faquirs of India, practise all manner of juggling and imposture; take up snakes and scorpions; lacerate their bodies; and, in short, make themselves appear as odious and as disgusting as their ingenuity can devise, by tearing their hair, smearing their faces, whirling rapidly round, and working themselves into an apparent state of frenzy.

'One of these mad and mischievous maniacs had a large nail run through both cheeks; and all had bitten their tongues in so violent a manner, as to cause blood and saliva to flow copiously. They were half naked, at intervals uttering short groans and howls; and as they proceeded (sometimes three or four abreast, leaning on each other), they threw their heads backwards and forwards with a quick motion, which caused the blood to rise in their faces, and their eyes to project from the sockets to a frightful degree. Their long black hair, which grew from the crown of the head (the other parts being closely shaven), was continually waving to and fro, owing to the motion of the head. One or two, who were the most furious, and who continually attempted to run at the crowd, were held by a man on each side, by means of a rope, or a handkerchief tied round the middle. As we passed through one of the streets, a party of Maltese and other Christians were discovered on a terrace, and were instantly assailed by showers of stones. I observed that whenever the Maraboots passed the house of a Christian, they affected to be ungovernable, and endeavoured to get near it, pretending they made the discovery by smelling out Unbelievers.'-p. 10.

It was not till the 22d March, 1819, that Mukni was ready to take his departure for Mourzouk. The cofflé (or caravan) consisted of about 200 men, and as many camels. To these were added several small parties of liberated negroes, joyful at the idea of returning once more to their native land, though with slender means of subsistence, and several of the women with young children at their backs: many of them had the prospect of a journey of two thousand miles, the greater part of the way over stony or sandy deserts. As a contrast to the appearance of these poor creatures, Mukni joined them on the 26th, preceded by flags and music, and attended by about fifty horsemen dressed in the most superb and gaudy apparel.

It was market day when they reached Benioleed, on which account the caravan halted; and here Captain Lyon was introduced to the wife of Sheik Barood, the chief manager of Mukni's affairs. He had heard that she was the most beautiful creature ever seen, and (the very acme of female perfection in Africa) so fat that she could scarcely walk. The following is his account of the interview.

'On

'On my entrance she so veiled herself as to exhibit to advantage her arm, with all its gay ornaments, and on my requesting to be favoured with a view of her face, she, with very little reluctance, gratified me. Her chin, the tip of her nose, and the space between her eyebrows, were marked with black lines; she was much rouged; her neck, arms, and legs, were covered with tattooed flowers, open hands, circles, the names of God, and of her numerous male friends. She had a multitude of gold ear-rings and ornaments, set with very bad and counterfeit jewels, and weighing all together, I should think, two or three pounds. Her shirt was of striped silk; and she had a rich purple silk barracan, or mantle, gracefully thrown round her, and fastened at the breast by a gold pin, with ornaments of the same metal suspended from it: all the other articles of finery which she possessed were displayed round the tent, whilst a multitude of poor thin wretches, resembling witches, sat round her in astonishment, never having in their lives seen such a paragon of perfection. Like all other Arabs, they touched whatever pleased them most, one admiring this object, another something near it, so that our poor belle was sometimes poked by a dozen fingers at once; all, however, agreeing on one point, that she was beautifully and excessively fat, and I must say I never before beheld such a monstrous mass of human flesh. One of her legs, of enormous size, was uncovered as high as the calf, and every one pressed it, admiring its solidity, and praising God for blessing them with such a sight. I was received most graciously, and invited to sit close to her, when one of the first questions she asked me was, if in my country the ladies were as fat and handsome as herself? For the plumpness of my countrywomen, I owned, with shame, that I never had seen one possessed of half such an admirable rotundity, which she took as a great compliment; but I did not attempt to carry the comparison farther, though she was really very handsome in face and features. She amused herself while speaking with playing on a kind of drum made of clay, called Derbooka, by beating with one hand, and playing with the fingers of the other; and perceiving that I was amused by it, she ordered an old man to get up and dance. The females sang and clapped their hands in good time, and the dancer went through a variety of figures, all equally indelicate. A woman then succeeded him, and in this respect quite threw him in the shade; but as I knew it to be the general mode of dancing in this part of Barbary, I of course applauded it. Lilla Fatma herself then thought proper to honour us with a few graceful attitudes in the same style; but Mr. Ritchie's entrance into the tent soon put a stop to the exhibition, and the ceremony of veiling took place in the same manner as before.'-p. 62.

The farther the party advanced, the more dreary the country became; the surface was unenlivened by a single tint of verdure, except by the sickly leaves of a few stunted bushes, and now and then by the appearance of a wadey, or valley, with a little patch of cultivated ground. On the 6th April they reached the northern frontier of Fezzan, at a place called Bonjem, marked by a well, and a Roman

a Roman castle in ruins. They now entered upon a stony plain entirely destitute of food and water for the camels; here they experienced one of those dreadful storms known by the name of Sirocco, which blow from the east or south-east across the deserts of Africa, sweeping before them such clouds of sand as to make it impossible to move, or even to open the eyes. In addition to the excessive heat and dryness of these winds,' says Captain Lyon, 'they are so impregnated with sand, that the air is darkened by it, the sky appears of a dusky yellow, and the sun is barely perceptible. The eyes become red, swelled and inflamed, the lips and skin parched and chapped, while severe pain in the chest is very generally felt, in consequence of the quantities of sand unavoidably inhaled.'

The following day, the wind having abated, they reached Sockna; when the attendants of Mukni dressed themselves in their best clothes; and with music and dancing, and firing of muskets, and accompanied by seven or eight hundred of the inhabitants, they entered, or rather rushed into the town in a sort of irregular pro

cession.

'Sockna stands on an immense plain of gravel; bounded to the south by the Soudah mountains, at about fifteen miles; by the mountains of Wadan about thirty miles to the eastward; a distant range to the west; and those I have already mentioned on passing through to the north. The town is walled, and may contain 2000 persons; more than half the people we saw this day were from Hoon and Wadan. There are small projections from the walls, having loop-holes for musketry. It has seven gates, only one of which will admit a loaded camel. The streets are very narrow, and the houses are built of mud and small stones mixed, many of them having a story above the ground floor. A small court is open in the centre; and the windows, or more properly the doors, which open from this area, give the only light which the rooms receive. The water of Sockna is almost all brackish or bitter. There are 200,000 date trees in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, which pay duty also an equal number, not yet come into bearing, which are exempt. These dates grow in a belt of sand, at about two or three miles distant from the town, and are of a quality far superior to any produced in the north of Africa. Owing to their excellence, they are sold at a very high price at Tripoli. The adjoining country is entirely destitute of shrubs, or any kind of food for camels, which are therefore sent to graze about five miles off; while in the town all animals are fed on dates.'-p. 72.

The dress of the men is described as neat, and the women are said to be handsome, many of them being as fair as Europeans; but all of profligate manners. The language is not Arabic, but similar to that of the Tuarick, who inhabit various parts of the southern desert, and is considered as a dialect of the original Brebers.

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