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The Touaricks of Aheer, though not cruel masters, feed their slaves mostly on herbage, which is picked up en route. At least, so the people tell me. Afternoon, the aged Berka paid me a visit. I gave him his tobacco, or that which I had promised him.
"Here is some powder, you must mix it with a bowl of water; but take care, it's poisonous." Sheikh Berka. "Good God, Christian! take it back, my little son will eat it for sugar. He gets everything and eats." The writer. "Here's some sugar for him." Sheikh Berka. "God Almighty bless you." The writer. "How old are you, Berka?" Sheikh Berka. "My mother knows, but she's gone. She's gone to God!"
I admonished him: "The poor slaves got little from this city of dervishes, now and then a little barley-meal, or lived almost altogether on a few dates. It was not surprising they stole to satisfy the cravings of hunger." Berka the liberated slave of Makouran, and Said's intimate friend, now came in, dressed up in his holiday clothes. He asked for Said.
The giant is one of the chiefs of a powerful tribe of Ghat Touaricks, of whom the aged Berka is the reigning Sheikh. The giant is quite at home here and possesses some forty or fifty camels, with which he conveys the goods of the merchants between this city and that of Ghat. After several trials of changing food, find I am greatly relaxed, and am convinced it must be the water.
I am obliged to be content with a bald outline of their characters, and a miserable translation of their thoughts into English dress. This Kandarka is in himself a complete character, and a study for the tourist. This evening paid a visit to Berka, the most aged Sheikh. It was dark when I arrived at his date-branch hut. I entered; it was a large enclosure.
The castle was besieged by the terrible one-eyed Hussite commander, Ziska with the Flail, and he succeeded in capturing the lower tower after great loss of life, but entirely failed to take the upper donjon. After the departure of Ziska the castle was taken as a residence by Margaret, widow of Otto Berka, who secured the lower tower, and her granddaughter Barbara occupied the higher.
They refused to conduct us to the frontier of Aheer, according to their agreement at Mourzuk. 4th. They demanded seventy reals for the passage of our free blacks. 5th. They insisted on having the presents for Berka, Khanouhen, and Jabour, before the treaty was signed. The first two demands I successfully resisted, as also the third at Ghât.
Berka was very gentle and affable, like every man of a good old age. "You are welcome in this country," he addressed me; "this is a country of peace." Whilst conversing with the old Sheikh, I heard a gruff heavy whisper from the farther end of the hut, Hash-Hālik, "How do you do?"
My negro companion is called Berka Ben-Omer, to distinguish him from another slave of his master called Berka. Frequently both slaves and free men have but one name, or one name is employed in speaking of them. When there are many of the same name in their circle of acquaintance or town, then the names of the fathers are used.
Said now came in, having borrowed another pot, and Berka was comforted at the return of his friend. In The Desert, every accident of life is ascribed to an ever-present and all-superintending Divinity! All people enjoy their festival or carnival, to-day. They follow the reckoning of Tripoli, but as the people saw the moon a day sooner there, a day of fasting is here saved.
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