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Afterwards they return to Tripoli, sell their slaves and goods, pay off their old debts, and contract new engagements. Meanwhile they have scarcely a para to call their own. Therefore European merchants, aided by native Jews, are the bonâ fide supporters of the traffic of slaves in Sahara. Visited my dearest lady-saint, or Maraboutess, this evening. The Saint. "Indeed!" I replied.
I gave the poor Maraboutess a few paras, received her blessing, and bade her an affectionate adieu. Happy would be many, if with such bodily afflictions they could amuse themselves with such blissful visions! His Excellency presented me with half a pound of coffee, and told me to beware of the Sockna people, who would rob me of it if they could. 29th.
For what toys do men sacrifice the best days of their life, and the most noble faculties of their being! Glad to get away from the dirty old Turk. Called later to see my dearest Maraboutess, with whom I was almost inclined to fall in love. It is a positive relief to find something, and somebody amiable in this Desert of human affections.
My Maraboutess was pleased to hear that the English knew God. 24th. Copied a letter or two. Since my return, looking over the published journal of the Bornou expedition, I find this paragraph under the rubric of Sockna. "And in this way we entered the town: the words Inglesi! Inglesi! were repeated by a hundred voices from the crowd.
Gardens of the Environs. Find several old Charms in my Lodgings. Commerce and Merchants of Sockna. Second Visit to the Maraboutess; her Character and Occupation Visit the Kaed; he compliments Christians. Panoramic view from the Castle of Sockna. Description of the Castle. Third Visit to the Maraboutess. Few Children in Sahara.
The Maraboutess was busy embroidering in coloured worsted, chiefly the bodies of frocks, which are worn by brides on their marriage-days, as well as by lady Mooresses on other festivals. In ten days she earns two shillings, the price of one embroidered frock. She has always more than she can do, for the women of Sockna consider garments made by her, "holy robes," and keep them all their life-time.
The Maraboutess, as well as the few Fezzaneers in Serdalas, are of short stature, of a very dark-brown complexion, approaching nearly to black, and some have the broad distended nostrils of the negro. The Shereef said to me this afternoon, "I'm going to pray at the Marabout shrine; I go happily, I return happily." Our Shereef is a little self-righteous. Evening, died a young female slave.
"Shall you bear children!" The Lady. "No." The Traveller. "Where is Paradise?" The Lady. "God knows, you don't know ." This good amiable lady is somewhat spirituelle for a Mooress, and makes lively and apposite remarks on other things, as well as religion. The Maraboutess may be twenty-five or thirty years of age, not good-looking, neither disagreeable.
The remarkable circumstance about this Sockna Maraboutess is, that she is very weak about the loins and cannot walk upright, being frequently carried about. She says, and the people confirm her testimony, she has "holy marks" upon her, imprinted by some supernatural being; I think the angel Gabriel was mentioned.
"Ah, that's good!" these proselyting ladies exclaimed. The Maraboutess was, however, more thoughtful. "Do you doubt there is a Paradise?" she asked, looking me full in the face. I. "There must be such a place, at least let us hope so; for this is a bad world, and everybody in it is miserable Sultans and Dervishes." "God is great!" exclaimed the Maraboutah.
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