Ruined cities within Numidian and Carthaginian territories

Front matter

EUINED CITIES.

I

RUINED CniES

Preface

The country to whicli the reader's attention is directed in the following pages was partly visited by Dr. Shaw in the beginning of the eighteenth century, and is the same portion of the world which first proved attractive to the great Abyssinian traveller. In 1763, or just a century ago, Lord Halifax, on assuming the reins of Government which Lord Chatham had resigned, proposed to Bruce a plan for exploring the classical portions of North Africa. He wished that traveller to be the first in the reign of His Majesty George III. to " set an example by procuring interesting information, and by making additions to the royal colviii PREFACE.

lection" of drawings of ancient cities and monuments. As an encouyagement, his Lordship pledged himself to be the supporter and patron of the dauntless Scot, promising him substantial reward for services to his country in this field. As an official position was calculated to facilitate the enterprise, his Lordship offered him the post of British Consul at Algiers, giving him, at the same time, full permission to appoint a vice-consul to attend to the business of the office.

Bruce did not accomplish much in this part of Africa, for this simple reason — ^he was bent upon solving a mighty problem which had for ages baffled the learned of many countries, and preferred a triumph at the " mysterious " sources of the Nile.

The prevalence of piracy, the fierce and lawless character of the inhabitants of the Barbary coast, and the fanatical jealousy of their piratic governments, as well as other causes, combined in contributing towards keeping the civilized world in ignorance of the real character of ancient remains which are dispersed throughout a country highly interesting for its association with the chequered history of Carthage, " the ocean's earliest queen " — a country famous also, among other great events, for the struggle with Jugurtha, in which the ambitious tyrants Marius and Sylla were engaged, and for the campaign of Julius Caesar, which terminated in the defeat of the Republican party, headed by Scipio and Cato — a defeat which led to the inauguration of the Imperial Government of Rome.

PREFACE. ix

After the conquest of a large portion of the North African continent by France, Moslem fanaticism was so far staggered, that a European was able to venture a little distance into the interior, and explore the vestiges of ancient civilization. The one who then made the attempt (and this was in 1834) was Colonel Sir Grenville Temple. His book, however, which really deserves to be better known, has, from some cause or other, scarcely seen the light of day. But neither he, nor Shaw, nor Bruce have achieved much ; and, I may add, even now there are more ruined cities in Numidia, in Africa Proper, in the territories of Tripoli and Pentapolis, which have not been described by the traveller, than those with which the public has been made acquainted. For more information, and for more tangible results, we must wait till encouragement shall again be given to enterprises eminently so useful.

It will be observed that in my intercourse with the Ai'abs (the present " lords of the soil " of classical Africa), with whom I came in contact in these migrations, I made them, wherever it was practicable, the exponents of their moral depravities and of their redeeming qualities. The reader is thus placed in a position to form his own estimate of their real character. Moreover, if his imagination is only sufficiently ardent, he can wander with me, participate in my toils and in my pleasures, in my privations and in my enjoyments, and that with this agreeable difference — he is able to give a degree of reality to the illusion of the one, while he can, at his option, readily dissipate the other. And with reference

X PREFACE.

to the task which, like other authors, I have voluntarily imposed on myself, I will add — " If I have done well, and as is befitting the story, it is that which I aimed at ; if not, it is all I could achieve."

N. DAVIS.

25, The Cedars, Putney.

ARCH AT HAMMAM— ANCIENT ASSURA.

CAPE AFRICA.

rage 309.

Chapter I. Our Lady Of Bent Saidaan

PAGE

Lilla Ayslia — The Golden Horse — Preparations for the Journey — Discouragements— Departure — First Troubles — The Temple of Zucchara — Death of our Cicerone — Moorish Etiquette — Collegiate Course — Our Lady of Bent Saidaan — Fate of Government Officials — A Professor mistaken — A Piteous Situation — Necessity's Law — Treachery of our Protector ......... 1-25

Chapter II. The Arab Patriarch

Mounting the " Maniac"— Halt at an Encampment — Euins of Risca — Hospitable Reception from Lord Feraj — Evening Prayer and Evening Meal — A Picture — Scenery — Search for Water, and Disappointment — Inscriptions at the Ruins of Aquce — Agriculture — A disconsolate Arab Maiden — Courage among Cowards — The Truth of Lslaam — Effects of Despotism — Dreed Arabs — Ain Furnah — Seat of Justice — Wisdom of a Judge 26-50 xii

CONTENTS.

Chapter III. Three Spare Bullets

PAGE

A Challenge — The Enchanted Horse — The Idol Destroyed— Venerable Eemains of Moghrawa — Domiciliary Search for Antiquities — A Trial — The Sentence Reversed — A Difficult Pass — Ruins of Hammam — Three Spare Bullets — Another Adventure — A Semicircular Gun — A Naval Hero and his large Key 51-76

Chapter IV. The Contest, Or The Unknown Hero

Petrifactions — Ruins of Mokthar — The Sheikh of the Hamaada — The Cane Steeple — The Unknown Hero — Visitors — The Refi-actory Chief — Ride to Elniedad — An Arab Taxpayer — Tombs and Ruins of Elmedad— A Lady in a Cage— Another Victim to our "Police" — DisajDpointment ......... 77-103

Chapter V. A Princely Reception

The River Tana — A Natural Flower-Garden — Taxation — Barometrical and Superstitious Indications — The Moslem versus Nazarene Rule — A Watery March — Narrow Escape— Moslem Reformer — A Princely Reception — Deceitfulness — Thala, Jugurtha's Stronghold — Its Modern Population — Weakness of the Thalian Fair Sex — Prison and Crime 104-127

Chapter VI. The Tables Turned

Ancient Boundaries — Noah's Dog — Inhospitality of the Chawaafed — Precautionary Measures — A Bandit's Fate — Ruins of Hydra — Treasure Seeking — Hydra, the Casa Nigra of Ecclesiastical History — Vestiges of African Christianity — A Melee — Its Issue — The Anaya, or Primitive Passport 128-153

Chapter VII. The Moslem Under " Nazarene " Rule

Our New Companion — Ludicrous Robber Scene — Monuments of Violence — A Veritable Lion — Night March — Sumptuous Supper — Ruins of Teveste— French Conquests in Africa — Mamlook Government — The Youthful Nimrod 154-178

CONTENTS.

xiii

Chapter VIII. The Bride Of Cassareen

PAGE

Hainmama Marauders — A Sham Assault — An Ancient Road — The Oulaad Naaja — A Wild Pass — Another Seat of Justice — Arab's Adaptation to Circumstances — United States' Flag— Diminutive Hero — A Jenoon or Spectre — The Deposed Governor — Rat-Catchers — The Ruins of Casgareen — Shaw's Blunders — A Verdant **True Believer" — Complaint of Hammama Arabs— The Bride of Cassareen ^ . 179-206

Chapter IX. The Black Dervish And The Moslem Patriot

Arab Misery — Contribution towards Marriage Festivals — Welcome from "True Believers" — Ruins of Feriana — Feriana in the time of Marius —The Modern Towti— The "Holy Fraternity "— The Black Dervish — A Moslem Patriot — His Grievance — A Disappointment — Disappearance of one of our Part}!- 207-226

Chapter X The Canvas City

Fording the Waad Foscana — A Collector of Charity — A fruitless Chace — Ruins of Sbaitla— A Moslem C.E. — Restoration of the "City of Judges"— The Restorer — A Friend in need — A quarrel among Thieves — The Black Inscription — We enter Africa Propria— Ruins of Gilma— Belaarem's Request— The Canvas City— The Prince 227-256

Chapter XI. A Moslem Gate To Heaven

A Government Appointment — An act of Treachery— The value of a Beard— A healthy Climate— Morning Scene in the Canvas City- Character of the Slaass Arabs— A shaven Horse— A Moslem Gate to Heaven — Description of Cairwaan — Inscriptions from its large Mosque—" Unbelievers "in " the Holy City "—Our quarters 257-280

Chapter XII. Solitary, Yet Not Alone

An Arab's Domestic Economy— Our new Escort— A rude Arab Dame- The impotence of Nazarenes— First view of the Eljem Coliseum —The destroyers intimidated— The Coliseum— The modern Tisdrians —A terrible Night Journey — Arrival at Sarsura — A marvellous Digestion— Approach a Maritime City 281- xiv

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIII. C-a:SAR*S LAST AFRICAN BATTLE-FIELD

PAGE

Mehedeah and the Impostor Mohdi — Mehedeali proved to be the ancient Thapsus — The modern Town — An honest Merchant — The ancient Leptis — A Man of no mean descent — A restless dead Saint — A Aveeping Column— More ancient Towns— The speaking Leopard — A truly restless Night— Account of Monasteer — Arrival at Susa . 302-322 *

CHAPTER XIV. MARITIME TOWNS OF C^SAR's AFRICAN CAMPAIGN

A Dinner Party — The Moadzan and Church Bells — A labyiinth in a Tomb — Susa, the ancient Ruspina — The Horse-dealer's Escape — Results of Usury — Remains of "Towers and Castles" on the Beach 323-337

Chapter XV

THE RUINS OF " PARADISE " AND THE REMAINS OF " THE HALL OF DEATH."

A Merry Guide — Ruins of Paradise — A Pilgrim's Knowledge — More Geographical Differences — Arrival at Hammamet — The Modern Town — The ancient Adrumentum 331-350