34 A Cow, Erak Arózshel, Ærak Hellemaráh, S Baggivæ, or Lib- S Baggra, sing: l'bug Maiz. Kibsh. Nasaranay. Nasaranée. S'feena. Gharba. Arrajel. El Murrah. 2g're, plur. 35 He-Goat, 36 She-Goat, 37 Ram, 38 House, 39 Water, gher, Artroos, Atruse. El'lang. Dâr. Elmâ. 9 Tolch is the tree which produces the Gum-Barbary, other gum-trees are otherwise called: thus Arar is the Sandrac-Gum tree; Aurwar the Gum-Sudan tree; Fashook the Gum-Ammoniac shrub; Dergmuse the Gum-Euphorbium shrub, &c. 10 She-da ̄er-ga en is probably an error of the press-it should be Shejra Argân, i. e. the tree of the Argan olive. This tree has been already described in the first part of this review, p. 358. The name of the oil-tree, or olive-tree, is Zituna. 13 and 14 These two words are not Arabic, but Shelluh; the prickly pear opuntia or cochineal-tree, is called by the Arabs Kermuse Nassareh, i. e. the Christian's fig. It is reported in Suse that this plant was imported originally from the Canary islands, and called the fruit of Canary or Takanareet. 18 This is the Shelluh word: the Arabic is in the third column. 25 The word Roselled is El Grazel, i. e. the Antelope, not the Deer, being spelt with the letter ain, which resembles gr more than any other letters of European alphabets; we call it grasel, not gazel. 32 and 33 The word Erak signifies you shall see; from the verb æra, to see. We know not what it has to do with the word man or woman. In ten or twelve days after the arrival of the tribe in El Ghiblah, they went on a plundering expedition, taking Scott along with them. In three days they reached the tents they wished to plunder, and meant to attack them in the night; but the dogs* gave the alarm and prevented the surprise, and the two tribes fought in the morning. Scott's companions beat the other party, killed several of them, took their camels, and burned their tents; but in five days afterwards the beaten tribe retaliated, attacked and beat their enemies, obliging them to fly, leaving all their property behind them: they took refuge in the Wad Seyghi, close to the sea-shore. There they remained two months, and were at one time almost starved for want of food, at which time Scott says he was of essential service to them, and fish being their only resource, Scott was lowered down from high rocks to the beach, where he collected musclest and fish for their sus tenance. They afterwards departed from this place, and going in search of their old adversaries, they found them in fourteen days, attacked them but were resisted; in this action Scott killed a man, his party gained the battle, and he was honoured with the 40 El Hâzsh signifies any wild beast, particularly a large wild beast; it is Arabic, but the Arabic for elephant is unquestionably Elfeel. 42 A rocky mountain or cliff is called Jerf, as Jerf Lihudie, the Jews Cliff, » celebrated pass in the province of Ubda in West Barbary; Jerf El Suffar, the Yellow Cliff. 43 Sadrhu is a prickly bush or shrub Shijra a tree. 47 These words signify the armies of the Sultan, not Moorish soldiers. The dogs are the guards of the towns as well as of the douars or encampments. They keep a continual barking till every one has retired to rest. † During the ravages of the plague and scarcity in West and South Barbary in 1799, Mr. Jackson tells us he often visited a tribe of Arabs, who settled on the coast between the river Tensift and Mogador, and subsisted several morris on muscles only. name of the prophet for having killed an enemy in battle, and he was therefore called Mahommed the Christian. On another occasion, being on a plundering expedition, and going to attack a douar or encampment, a dog barked and they fled, were pursued, and taken prisoners; Scott was threatened with death, but contrived to make his escape in the night, after killing some men who were asleep, and taking their arms. He then attempted to make his escape from his master, was traced, retaken, and severely bastinadoed: his feet were struck with a hot iron, which prevented him from walking two or three months.* After this period he was engaged in several depredatory attacks on other tribes, when he and his party were sometimes beaten and plundered, at other times victorious and robbing their enemies. One day Scott and his master's daughter were attending sheep, they were both overcome by sleep, and awaking, found the sheep dispersed by a wolf or hyæna, and three dead sheep lying by them. Fearing severe chastisement for the loss of the sheep, he desired the girl to seek for the sheep in one direction whilst he would seek in another; he instantly fled to the seashore, along which he travelled in a northerly direction four days, during which his only sustenance was a little fresh water. Early on the fifth day he saw a great smoke eastward (which was from the houses at Wednoon). When near the houses he met a Moor, who was going to shoot him, but on an explanation Scott briefly told him who he was, and the Moor took him by the hand, told him he was safe, led him to his house, and gave him food. He afterwards desired Scott to write to the English consul at Mogador, and Scott did so. This man leaving Scott under the care of his brother and his son, set off with the letter; and after an absence of eight days returned with a letter from William Willshire, esq. the English consul at Mogador, who sent a horse for Scott to ride upon, and 27 dollars to buy provisions. Here the writer of Scott's narrative pays a very pretty compliment and a very just acknowledgment to Mr. Willshire, for the fidelity with which he discharged the agreeable office of redeeming Christians from slavery; and we think a compliment here paid to the Ironmongers' Company, would neither have been ill-timed nor ill-placed: the energy and decision with which this respectable company paid the ransom of a British sailor many years since, on an application from Mr. Jackson; and the decisive manner in which the Board of that Company * This mode of punishment is called by the Arabs El Kêy, from the verb kowa, to burn with a hot iron or knife: they keep striking the part till it forms a blister. urged Mr. Jackson to communicate his observations on the means eligible to be adopted in future for the redemption of British wrecked mariners, deserves more praise than we have language to describe, and reflects the highest honour on that Company. Every British sailor will be gratified to reflect that his brother sailors, who may be so unfortunate as to be cast on that desert coast, have only to suggest to the Arab who first claims him as his captive, to conduct him to the district or the neighbourhood of Wednoon;* and then write to the English consul at Mogador, and he will, without delay, receive the money for his redemption! After recruiting himself for three days longer, Scott accompanied by the Moor set off, and arrived safe at Mogador in five days, travelling about thirty miles a day. From the neighbourhood of Wednoon, Scott saw to the eastward the ridge of Atlas, covered with snow, which he was told remained on them all the year round. At Mogador, and at Wednoon, the language spoken is called by Scott Schlech. He received every attention from Mr. Willshire during his stay at Mogador, who paid his ransom to the Moor, on account of the Ironmongers' Company of London. Scott reached Mogador on the 31st of August, left it on the 11th of November in the Brig Isabella of Aberdeen, and arrived in London 9th of December, 1816. In Major Rennell's observations on the geography of Mr. Scott's route, annexed to the foregoing narrative in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, it is said, in substance, page, 236:— "As Scott travelled probably as fast as he could go four days and nights, and part of the fifth day, it is supposed he travelled over one hundred and ten miles of distance in a direct line; this, it is said, will place Ourera at that distance S. W. of Cape Noon, and directly opposite to Fortaventura; then the province of Till is said to extend to the south of Ourera; after which comes the Sahell, or flat coast, invisible at sea; but if this were the case, the wreck must necessarily have been south of Cape Bojador, as that Cape is not more than a hundred and twenty or a hundred and thirty miles south of Cape Noon." * Wednoon, or the river of Noon, abounds in eels. Noon, or Nune, is the Arabic for eels, not Nun. If the river is spelt Noon, the cape should be speh also Noon, not Nun. † Mr. Jackson confirms this report, and says, he could see clearly the same mountains from Santa Cruz, which were continually covered with snow.-Fi Shabeeny's Account of Timbuctoo, &c. page 94. This unquestionably means the Shelluh language; but the Shelluh lasguage, although it is the language of Wednoon, is not generally spoken at Mogador, except among the boatmen and fishermen; the upper and middling ranks speak the Arbea, or vulgar Arabic. This, therefore, is apparently an error, as there is no doubt that the wreck of the Montezuma was north of Bojador, and south of Noon, where the land is very flat, the current strong towards the coast, and the atmosphere hazy, as marked down in the Map of West Barbary, &c. in Shabeeny's Account of Timbuctoo, p. 55. Lat. N. 28° 20, Long. W. 130: and this is the Sachel, or (more properly) the Sahell spoken of by Scott, viz. between Lat. N. 26° and 28°; in corroboration of which we are informed by Mr. Jackson, that the mariners whom he redeemed from time to time, whilst resident at Santa Cruz, all, invariably told him, that they were wrecked on this flat, invisible, and hazy coast, called by the Arabs Sahell, and lying between 26° and 28° of N. Lat. We think the Major's calculation of ten miles a-day for the caravan travelling, is rather under the mark. We also think, with all deference to the Major's calculations, that the late Dehebbie Dibbie, or Tieb, (which, by-the-by, is never called Dolomie, or the dark lake) is larger than he makes it. The boats, described by Scott, on the Bahar Tieb, are exactly the same in fashion and construction as those used at Santa Cruz, at Messa, and at Wednoon; differing only in size, and being joined together with nails; those of the Bahar Tieb being twice or three times as large. Mr. Jackson tells us, that he has frequently gone in them at the rate of three miles an hour with six oars, in calm weather; but with a hayk for a sail, and a slight breeze, they go five miles an hour, or rather more, when assisted also by the oar. Now, Scott says, they embarked on their return (see Édin. Phil. Jour. p. 225) at noon, and reached the opposite shore at six o'clock, A. M. next morning, being a traverse of eighteen hours, at five miles an hour: this would give ninety miles for the width of the lake; which, from the circumstance mentioned by Mungo Park, that the canoes, in crossing from W. to E. lose sight of land one whole day, we presume is a tolerably accurate calculation. FROM THE ITALIAN OF LUIGI ALAMANNI. Whilst back from Troy returning, Down her cheeks streaming many a tear, "I've not inconstant proved to thee, And with my person made too free, " That," said her spouse, "I well believe Is true-nor need I doubt you; The part you left was (I perceive) VOL. I. No. 6.-1821. 4 L |