Chapter I: Preface

My journey among the cave dwellers of Southern Tunisia was essentially one of research, since I was entrusted by Doctor Sophius Müller, Director of the Second Department of the National Museum, with the honourable task of purchasing ethnographical objects for the said museum.

On submitting this work to the public, it is incumbent upon me to offer my sincere thanks to all those who afforded me support and help in my travels: the Minister of Foreign Affairs, at whose recommendation Cubisol, the Danish Consul in Tunis, addressed himself to the French Regency, and obtained permission for me to travel through the country, and also an escort, guides, etc. Doctor Müller and Chamberlain Vedel, whose respective introductions, given from the National Museum and the Society concerned with ancient manuscripts, and addressed to other similar institutions, introduced me not only to these, but also to those remarkably scientific men, Gauckler and Doctor Bertholon, whose friendship I have to thank for much information and assistance.

England’s Representative in Tunis, Drummond Hay, may be said to have traced my path through Tunisia, as, on the basis of his remarkable knowledge of both individuals and of relative circumstances, he sketched a plan of my journey, from which I required to make little or no deviation. The Government and officers in El Arad, the officials, both military and civilian, showed me the greatest hospitality, and assisted me in the highest degree; Colonels Billet and Gousset especially claim my warmest gratitude.

Much of what I have recorded has been left in its original form, namely, as letters written home, some to my wife, some to other persons, as, for instance, to the publisher, Herr Hegel. I have not altered these lest they might lose the fresh impression under which they were written. Several portions were composed with a view to publication in the French journal the _Revue Tunisienne_, and in the Parisian magazine _Le Tour du Monde_.

The illustrations were obtained from various sources. Albert, the photographer in Tunis, obligingly allowed me to make use of a number of photographs, from which were chiefly drawn the views of the town and of the sea-coast. With a detective camera I myself took some instantaneous photographs on the journey from Gabés to the mountains, of which a number are introduced. Besides these, Mr. Knud Gamborg has engraved some drawings of my own. Mr. Gauckler also gave me the free use of the sketches already published in his _Collection Beylicale_, from which were selected the pictures of the villages in the Matmata mountains. Lastly, from the wife of Consul Henriksen at Sfax I received two paintings, which are reproduced.

When, in the spring, I made an expedition to Greenland, I left my manuscript with my friend Doctor Kragelund, of Hobro, who had already afforded me his assistance, and gave him full powers to arrange the somewhat heterogeneous materials. In my absence he corrected the proofs as they came from the press, and has therefore taken a very important part in my work, and enabled it to be published in its present form. For this act of friendship I tender him my warmest thanks.

DANIEL BRUUN.
_November_ 1894.

NOTE.—The fact of three years having elapsed since the Danish original of the _Cave Dwellers_ was published, renders the letter form of which the author speaks somewhat unsuitable for translation. It has been necessary, therefore, in many cases to modify that form, and also to omit certain passages in the work as being of little or no interest to English readers.

CONTENTS

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CHAP. PAGE

I. WITH DRUMMOND HAY IN TUNIS 1

II. SUSA 5

III. FROM SFAX TO GABÉS 17

IV. FROM GABÉS TO THE MATMATA MOUNTAINS 32

V. RETURN TO GABÉS 59

VI. OF THE MATMATA MOUNTAINS AND THEIR INHABITANTS 93

VII. FROM GABÉS TO THE OASIS OF EL HAMMA—THE SHOTTS 116

VIII. THE OASIS OF EL HAMMA 129

IX. OVER AGLAT MERTEBA TO THE MATMATA MOUNTAINS 152

X. BRIDAL FESTIVITIES IN HADEIJ 158

XI. OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS THE PLAIN FROM
HADEIJ TO METAMER 197

XII. METAMER AND MEDININ 217

XIII. SOUTHWARDS OVER THE PLAIN TO TATUIN 233

XIV. DUIRAT 243

XV. THE TUAREG 253

XVI. BACK TO TUNIS 274

XVII. TUNIS 285

SUPPLEMENT—THE TRIBES OF TUNISIA: A SYNOPSIS 292

COSTUMES—THE DRESS OF THE COUNTRYWOMEN 324

POSTSCRIPT 334

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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PAGE

THE BEY OF TUNIS _Frontispiece_

DRUMMOND HAY, BRITISH CONSUL-GENERAL AT TUNIS 3

SUSA 8

TWO KHRUMIR WOMEN 13

AT SFAX 20

TOWER IN THE VILLAGE OF MENZEL 24

JEWESSES AT MENZEL 25

ON THE OASIS OF GABÉS 28

WASHERWOMEN AT THE JARA BRIDGE 30

MAP OF SOUTHERN TUNISIA 33

PLOUGHING—GABÉS 37

JEWISH FAMILY IN A CAVE DWELLING IN HADEIJ 43

CAVES IN MATMATA 45

A CAVE DWELLING, MATMATA 46

THE BRIDAL FESTIVITIES 49

HOLD UP! 59

EXCAVATED STABLE 62

BERBER WOMAN OF THE VILLAGE OF JUDLIG 65

A CAVE INTERIOR 66

FALCONERS 77

MANSUR 100

SECTIONS OF DWELLING IN MATMATA WHERE I LIVED—PLAN 103

MEDININ 112

BEDOUIN WOMEN GROUPED BEFORE THEIR HUT 113

AT GABÉS 117

IN THE MOUNTAINS—ON THE ROAD TO AIN HAMMAM 120

REARING 156

CAMEL WITH CANOPY 169

THE BRIDE ESCORTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS 176

FANTASIA 179

A STREET IN BENI BARKA 219

MEDININ 224

DUIRAT 245

SHENINI 248

A HALT IN THE DESERT—TENT OF A TRIBAL CHIEF 251

A TUAREG 254

A TUAREG 262

MOORISH WOMEN IN A STREET IN TUNIS 289

THE CAVE DWELLERS OF
SOUTHERN TUNISIA

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