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.
We next marched to Byrlafee, about twenty miles, and ninety-one from
Toser, where there are the ruins of an old town. The weather continued
cold and most wintry. Here is a very ancient well still in use.
Fragments of cornices and pillars are strewn about. The foundations of
houses, and some massive stone towers, which from their having a pipe up
the centre, must have had something to do with regulating the water, are
all that remain.
We had now much wind, but no rain. A great many camels and horses
perished. Altogether, the number of camels that died on the return of
the camp, was 550. The price of a camel varies from 60 to 200 piastres.
Many good ones were sold at the camp for eighty piastres each, or about
two pounds ten shillings, English money. A good sheep was disposed of
for four or five piastres, or about three shillings. There were also
some ludicrous sales. A horse in the extremities of nature, or near to
the _articulo mortis_, was sold for a piastre, eight pence; a camel, in
a like situation, was sold for a piastre and a half. A tolerably good
horse in Tunis sells at from 800 to 1000 piastres.
There are the remains of an aqueduct at Gilma, and several other
buildings, the capitals of the pillars being elaborately worked. It is
seen that nearly the entire surface of Tunis is covered with remains of
aqueducts, Roman, Christian, and Moorish. If railways be applied to this
country - the French, are already talking about forming one from Algiers
to Blidah, across the Mitidjah - unquestionably along the lines will be
constructed ducts for water, which could thus be distributed over the
whole country. Instead of the camels of the "Bey of the Camp" carrying
water from Tunis to the Jereed, the railway would take from Zazwan, the
best and most delicious water in the Regency, to the dry deserts of the
Jereed, with the greatest facility. As to railways paying in this
country, the resources of Tunis, if developed, could pay anything.
Marching onwards about eighteen miles, we encamped two or three beyond
an old place called Sidi-Ben-Habeeba. A man murdered a woman from
jealousy in the camp, but made his escape. Almost every eminence we
passed was occupied with the remains of some ancient fort, or temple.
There was a good deal of corn in small detached patches, but it must be
remembered, the north-western provinces are the corn-districts.
In the course of the following three days, we reached Sidi-Mahammedeah,
where are the magnificent remains of Udina.
