from important chiefs in the far interior. Between the years 1882 and 1884 I made two expeditions into the interior accompanied by a native guard. who, I am very pleased to record, acted most faithfully. The first journey I made was to a place called Port Consado, which is situated about forty miles to the northward of Cape Juby, and is supposed to be the site of the ancient Spanish settlement of Diego de Herrera. I found that this port is now almost silted up, and forms a vast depression running for about fifteen miles inland, covered with salt. The entrance is blocked up with sand, so that no vessel could approach it. The sea breaks at a great distance out. The ruins of the old castle still remain on the beach, but the whole building appears to have sunk, the tower being the only portion now visible. I found some native inhabitants at this place, who live chiefly on fish, of which there is an unlimited supply. I may here remark that the portion of country over which we travelled from Cape Juby to this place could, with little labour, be brought under cultivation. Now it yields pasture to Arab flocks. The second journey I undertook was to the southwards, starting from Cape Juby. I passed along the sea-coast until I reached a dry river-bed, which is called by the natives Sagia el Hamra. After examining the delta, I followed the channel for some considerable distance into the interior. The country rose gradually until it reached 500 feet above the sea-level. There were no mountains or high lands visible. On penetrating some distance into the interior, I observed that the waters were rising on account of heavy rains inland. The channel of the river was about two miles wide and 200 feet deep. From all I could gather it appeared that this river takes its rise in the Atlas Mountains, and forms a great branch of the river Draa. It runs in a southerly direction, sweeping round Tendoof, and then it takes a bend to the west, winding through the plain until it reaches the Atlantic, at about sixty miles south of Cape Juby. Numerous fresh-water springs are to be met with up the cliffs which form the river-bank. The date-palm grows here most luxuriantly, and some portions of the soil were cultivated to great advantage by the natives. Many parts of the channel were thickly studded with brushwood, in which the wild boar, the leopard, and other wild animals found shelter. My Mohammedan guard engaged in prayer on the banks of this great river, while I stood near, gazing with much interest on the scenes by which I was surrounded in this desolate wilderness. When their devotions were ended, a priest came up to me and said, "You are the only Christian who could stand here alive," at which I felt very much flattered. I suppose the danger arose from the fanatical character of the people. On my return journey I visited the only Arab settlement that is to be found near Cape Juby. It is called by the natives Dowrah. As we approached it we observed two buildings with square towers, having the appearance of castles. One of these buildings we found inhabited by robbers, who from the towers brandished their guns as a sign of hostility. We naturally prepared for war. However, after a brief palaver, peace was established between us; for they found that several of my followers were also highwaymen. We passed the night in the same building with these wild sons of the desert, who seemed as we know it, is traversed by chains of mountains covered in some places with perpetual snow, hard-baked earth instead of sand, and many parts are to be found thickly peopled by industrious inhabitants ruled over by kings.; and we find that for ages past the Sahara has been used as a great highway for commerce between the Mediterranean ports and the far interior of Africa. pleased with our hospitality. It appeared that these castles were built at the head of the plain to guard some excellent springs near the spot. There were also other houses in the neighbourhood, but without inhabitants, the natives having left it with their flocks to find better pasture in other places. The plain of Dowrah showed every sign of fertility, and had been quite recently under cultivation. We observed caves underground The numerous empires and kingwhich had been used for the stor- doms of which the eastern and age of grain. This district, if pro- western Soudan western Soudan are composed, perly cultivated, would sustain a have a population estimated at very large population; the wells about forty millions. These people would supply abundance of water have always received their supply for irrigation. The natives are of European merchandise by these very anxious that the place should routes; and it was in order to give be improved, and they have often the Arab traders a shorter and asked if we could help them. I more convenient means of comhope the day is not far distant munication with the civilised world when the Dowrah may become a that the commercial settlement at prosperous and peaceful settlement. Cape Juby was established—a proOn our way back to Cape Juby ject which we believed would very we passed several large depressions materially increase the present of great depth, showing evident traffic, and might ultimately lead signs of having been under the sea to great and beneficial changes in at no very remote period. The those interior regions. The encoursides of these depressions rose in agement which we received at the almost perpendicular cliffs of about starting of our settlement was soon 250 feet in height. There are clouded through opposition from several of these dried-up sea- several quarters. Spain began to beds in the desert covered with think that she ought to occupy her thick layers of salt, but their old settlement on the coast. In extent is as yet unknown. We 1883 a Spanish and Moorish comafterwards entered into a fer- mission examined the coast from tile district called Aftot; which Agadeer to Cape Juby with a view stretches from the interior to with- to find out the site of the castle of in four miles of Cape Juby. The Diego de Herrera. They wished soil is exceedingly good, and could to proceed by land from our place easily be brought under cultivation. to Port Consado, but our old Arab In fact, the idea that is conveyed chief would not permit it. The to the mind by the words, "the commission then returned back, desert of Sahara," is really very and so the whole matter came to misleading. It is usually reprean end, notwithstanding the many. sented by geographers as a great years of agitation by the Spanish wilderness of moving sand, with press. Spain, however, occupied oases here and there to serve as the river Oro, a point about 300 resting-places for the weary and miles south of Cape Juby. (I exthirsty travellers. But the Sahara, amined the whole of this river to its source in 1880.) They also annexed about 500 miles of coastline from Cape Bojador to Cape Blanco. Many of the Spanish settlers were killed by the natives, and others were taken prisoners. I am happy to say that the hostility of the Spanish authorities to Cape Juby, which was shown in the early part of the undertaking, has now ceased, When the Sultan of Morocco heard that, notwithstanding the dangers which his Majesty pointed out I should encounter in landing at Cape Juby, the settlement was actually established and operations progressing, he then feared that such a. port in the hands of the English, where all kinds of merchandise could be exported and imported without any restrictions, would eventually injure the commerce of his empire, and also interfere with the supply of slaves which the inhabitants of Morocco receive from the Soudan. The trade in European and native merchandise between the western Soudan and Morocco is estimated at £300,000. With a view to thwart our operations, the Sultan despatched a mission by land to Cape Juby, with the object of endeavouring to turn the chiefs against us, but without avail. His Majesty afterwards complained to the British Government, stating that we had established ourselves within his dominions; but he was referred to his previous declaration, in which he pointed out that Cape Juby was situated a long way south of his empire. In 1882 the Sultan took stronger measures to carry out his designs against Cape Juby, proceeding with a large expedition to the southern districts of his country to bring the rebel tribes under his control. At that time his Majesty sent to me a special mission, composed of his cousin, two governors, and some soldiers. At a meeting which we held, I explained to them under what conditions we settled at Cape Juby, with which they appeared to be satisfied, but privately they tried to turn the people against us, but in vain; so they had to return to their master without accomplishing anything, and the Sultan's expedition turned out a complete failure. He promised that a port should be opened in the southern parts of his empire, so that the people might forsake us, but this has never been carried out. His Majesty having found all his efforts against us thwarted, turned to bribery and corruption, and threatened those traders who resorted to our port with death-offering at the same time a large sum of money to any one who would murder myself. All this opposition and various other difficulties by which we were surrounded, had very materially injured our business relations with the natives and brought our trade to a standstill. We had also the misfortune of losing our aged chief, who had been our strong friend throughout these difficulties. In writing to me of the decease of the chief, one of his brothers said: "Know, O Christian, that what has happened to my brother is destined to happen to all living creatures. He has gone to the mercy of God and his vast Paradise." Mohammed ben Bairook was succeeded by a young son, but being opposed by his uncles who were in the pay of the Sultan, and having to encounter other enemies as well, he was obliged to leave Cape Juby. The place was now left without a government of any kind, and a few of the Sultan's soldiers came to menace our position. These troubles culminated in 1888, in the murder of our manager and the wounding of some of our servants. The British Government, however, took the matter in hand very promptly, and a heavy indemnity has been paid to the widow and those who were wounded. It was at this critical moment that my co-directors of the North-West African Company requested me to proceed to Cape Juby and investigate the state of affairs at that place, with a view to endeavour to re-establish friendly relations with the natives, and open trade once more if possible. I left England in August of last year, accompanied by Col. Baron Lahure and Lieutenant Fourcault, who were intrusted with a mission from Belgium, whose object was to report on the suitability of Cape Juby as a sanatorium for the Red Cross Society in connection with the Congo State. On our arrival at Cape Juby we found the place in a most deserted condition, the natives having left it on account of the late troubles. Very soon, however, people began to come from the interior, with whom I had friendly interviews. In the meantime Baron Lahure, his companion, and myself, visited several places in the interior and on the coast. These gentlemen made also plans of the harbour, and the Baron made sketches of various places of interest in this neighbourhood; they also gave me every possible assistance while they remained with me. Baron Lahure, on his return to Brussels, made a most favourable report on Cape Juby, which he laid before his Majesty the King of the Belgians. This year I paid another visit to Cape Juby, and met a large number of chiefs, who assembled together to appoint a chief to rule over them, and they also agreed among themselves to protect Cape Juby against the Sultan of Mo rocco and all evil-disposed persons to the best of their ability. I was a party to these arrangements, as representing the English Company, and I have every hope that tranquillity for the future of Cape Juby is to some extent assured. Trade commenced and the place assumed a busy appearance. We are now building a house for our new chief, El Bashir woold Mohammed ben Bairook, and shelter for the merchants. With regard to the policy which we adopt towards the natives, we always keep our engagements, and never take advantage of them in any way. We do not sell spirits or permit them to be supplied to them, and we do all that is possible to treat them with respect. This I find the most suitable plan for keeping on friendly relations with the inhabitants of north-west Africa. are Regarding the natives themselves, I may remark that the inhabitants in the district around Cape Juby, and the interior as far as the Soudan, are mostly Arabs, others half negroes. They divided into many tribes, with several chiefs for each. The strong help the weak for a consideration, which is paid as a tribute. They are governed by the chiefs, who have the power of electing a head chief to rule over them. Law is administered by shereefs or priests, who also make marriage contracts and write bills of divorce. All the inhabitants profess the Mohammedan religion, and in some parts of the interior they are very fanatical; but in the immediate neighbourhood of Cape Juby the natives are now more liberal on account of their long contact with ourselves. their religious exercises the natives use two books, the Koran, and the Daleel, composed by vari In ous learned Mohammedans. I had a translation of the Daleel made from the Arabic into English, which I believe is the first instance of the kind. I presented the translation, together with the Arabic original, to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who expressed himself well pleased with it, and specially admired the elaboration of the Arabic version. The wealth of the people consists of cattle and corn, and they wander about from place to place for pasture for their animals. They all engage in trade, and are very keen merchants. Some of the priests are well educated, and possess good libraries of Arabic books. Notwithstanding the difficulties by which our settlement at Cape Juby is surrounded, I have every confidence that our labours will ultimately be crowned with success. Geographically, we possess perhaps the best position for the trade of the interior on the whole coast of north-west Africa. It is healthy, near England, most conveniently situated for native merchants-in fact, it is the very key to the commerce of the western Soudan, and may in time become one of the most valuable possessions we have in Africa. All we require is that our hands should be strengthened by the British Government, and I do not anticipate that the assistance which we need will be withheld from us at the right moment. DONALD MACKENZIE. 21 VOL. CXLVI.-NO. DOCCLXXXVII. |