Chapter XXV: Letter XVII

_An Account of a Journey from Mogodor to Saffy, during a Civil War,
in a Moorish Dress, when a Courier could not pass, owing to the
Warfare between the two Provinces of Haha and Shedma.--Stratagem
adopted by the Author to prevent Detection.--Danger of being
discovered.--Satisfaction expressed by the Bashaw of Abda,
Abdrahaman ben Nassar, on the Author's safe Arrival, and
Compliments received from him on his having accomplished this
perilous Journey_.

TO THE SAME.
Mogodor, 1802.

Having arranged all my affairs, I awaited an opportunity to depart
for England. A Spanish vessel was lying at the port of Saffy,
nearly ready to sail, bound to Cadiz; but how to reach the former
port was the difficulty; the provinces of Shedma and Haha, through
which I must necessarily pass, were at war against each other, and
an army of several thousand men were encamped at Ain el Hajar, a
spring near the road, between Mogodor and Saffy; so that all
communication was cut off, insomuch that it was dangerous, even for
a courier, to attempt to pass from one port to the other. I was
extremely anxious to reach Europe, and I determined to go to Saffy
by land. I accordingly sent for a trusty Arab, whose character for
135 fidelity I had often before proved. I asked him if he would
undertake to conduct me to Saffy. He required a day to consider of
it. He then resolved to attempt it, provided I would adopt the
dress of an Arab, and accompany him: I agreed; and we started from
Mogodor at 4 o'clock; P.M. We passed into a convenient recess, to
change my dress, which being done, we mounted our horses and rode
away; we had not gone two hours, before some scouts of the army
came galloping towards us. Billa (my trusty guide, who was a native
of Shedma, and a man of considerable influence in that province)
and his friend rode off with speed to meet them, and having
satisfied them that we were about business relating to the army,
they returned, and Billa's friend joining me, we inclined our steps
towards the sea, whilst Billa kept guard at a distance; and,
reaching a convenient and solitary retreat, we halted there till
dark; when retracing our steps for a few miles, it was concerted
that I should pass as a wounded man retiring from the army to have
my wounds examined and dressed. Billa was so well acquainted with
the roads, and all the bye-passes of the country, that, travelling
fast over the plains, not on the roads, we soon reached to the
northward of the encampments of Shedma. We passed several
straggling parties from the army, who saluted us with (_Salem u
alikume_) "Peace be to you;" to which we replied ("_Alikume
236 assalam_") "To you peace;" and Billa added "_Elm'joroh_," i.e. a
wounded man. In the old bed of the river Tansift, now full of
bushes of white broom, I narrowly escaped being discovered: as the
day was breaking, a party of Arabs suddenly turned a corner, and I
had just time to cover my mouth and chin with my (_silham_) cloak,
before they gave the salutation, or they would have discovered me
(being without a beard) to be a Christian; we passed the river,
however, perfectly safe, and were then soon in the province of
Abda, when all danger was at an end; we entered the town of Saffy,
at two o'clock in the afternoon. The Bashaw of Abda, _Abdrahaman
ben Nassar_, a renowned warrior, who had been at the head of an
army of 60,000 horse, in opposition to the Emperor, Muley Soliman,
received me with his accustomed urbanity and hospitality, and asked
me if I had come to Saffy through the air, or by sea. I replied, I
had come by neither, but by land. "How is it possible," said he,
"that you could come by land, when even a courier could not pass.
Did you meet with no impediment?--you astonish me: but praise be to
God, that you have arrived safe, and you are welcome."
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