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This place may be called the gate of the Tunisian Sahara; it is the limit of Blad-el-Jereed; the sands begin now to disappear, and the land becomes better, and more suited to the cultivation of corn. Three villages are situated in the environs, Sala, El-Kesir, and El-Ghetar. A fraction of the tribe of Hammand deposit their grain in Ghafsa.
The duties of the "Bey of the Camp" is to visit with a "flying-camp," for the purpose of collecting tribute, the two circuits or divisions of the Regency. I now introduce to the reader the narrative of a Tour to the Jereed, extracted from the notebooks of the tourists, together with various observations of my own interspersed, and some additional account of Toser, Nefta, and Ghafsa.
The dates are not so good as those of the Jereed. Ghabs is about 130 miles from Ghafsa. We here took our farewell of Santa Maria; he went to Beja, the head-quarters of the summer-camp: thence, of course, he would proceed to Algiers, to give an account of his espionage. Next season, he said, he would go to Tripoli and Ghadames; he had been many years in North Africa, and spoke Arabic fluently.
Sidi Mohammed. Plain of Manouba. Tunis. Tfeefleeah. The Bastinado. Turkish Infantry. Kairwan. Sidi Amour Abeda. Saints. A French Spy Administration of Justice. The Bey's presents. The Hobara. Ghafsa. Hot streams containing Fish. Snakes. Incantation. Moorish Village. Toser. The Bey's Palace. Blue Doves. The town described. Industry of the People. Sheikh Tahid imprisoned and punished. Leghorn.
Several fine horses were brought in as presents to the Bey, one a very fine mare. Our next march was towards Ghafsa, about twenty miles off.
The water which we drank was brought from Ghafsa: the Bey drinks water brought from Tunis. We marched across a vast plain, covered with the salt just mentioned, which was congealed in shining heaps around bushes or tufts of grass, and among which also scampered a few hares. We encamped at a place called Ghorbatah.
Tour in the Jereed of Captain Balfour and Mr. Reade. Sidi Mohammed. Plain of Manouba. Tunis. Tfeefleeah. The Bastinado. Turkish Infantry. Kairwan. Sidi Amour Abeda. Saints. A French Spy Administration of Justice. The Bey's presents. The Hobara. Ghafsa. Hot streams containing Fish. Snakes. Incantation. Moorish Village. The tourists were Captain Balfour, of the 88th Regiment, and Mr.
The Bey's Diversions. The Bastinado. Concealed Treasure. Nefta. The Two Saints. Departure of Santa Maria. Snake-charmers. Wedyen. Deer Stalking. Splendid view of the Sahara. Revolting Acts. Qhortabah. Ghafsa. Byrlafee. Mortality among the Camels Aqueduct. Remains of Udina. Arrival at Tunis. The Boab's Wives. Curiosities. Tribute Collected.
The modern city is built on a gentle eminence, between two arid mountains, and, in a great part, with the materials of the ancient one. Ghafsa has no wall of euceinte, or rather a ruined wall surrounds it, and is defended by a kasbah, containing a small garrison.
On our return to Ghafsa, we had rain, hail, and high wind, and exceedingly cold a Siberian winter's day on the verge of the scorching desert. The ground, where there was clay, very slippery; the camels reeled about as if intoxicated. The consequence was, it was long before the tents came up, and we endured much from this sudden change of the weather.
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