Chapter XXX: Tabarca

Early in the morning of April 27 we started for Tabarca. The Oued el-Kebir had fallen several feet during the night, and, though the operation was not an easy one, we managed to get across in safety, by the aid of a number of Khomair on foot and on horseback, who went over several times before us so as to tread down the soft mud in the bed of the river into something like consistency.

After passing this, a short gallop over soft elastic turf brought us to the sea-shore facing the island of Tabarca. We found that the boat we expected had not arrived; the bad weather of the last few days had not only prevented its reaching, but had compelled a number of coral boats to take refuge in the anchorage, so that there was an unusual amount of life and stir about the little place.

We were informed that on the previous evening an Arab had come with a letter for me from the Commandant Supérieur of La Calle, but finding that nothing was known of our intended arrival he had returned with it, and we were of course quite ignorant of its contents. We ascertained afterwards that it was to beg us to proceed by the sea-coast overland so as to avoid as far as possible the interior of the Khomair country, and saying that he would meet us and offer us the hospitality of his camp at the frontier. Had we received this letter, we should doubtless have accepted his invitation, but we should have lost the most pleasant and instructive ride in the whole of our wanderings.

I think I have frequently recorded my impression, that some feature of the landscape was more attractive than any we had seen before, and in fact this was literally the case. Our route was so well planned, commencing in the hot and uninteresting plains of the Sahel, passing through the smiling hills of the Tell, and culminating in the magnificent mountains of Nefsa and the Khomair, that each day’s ride was more picturesque than the one before it.

The island of Tabarca lies close to the shore, the strait by which it is separated is about a quarter of a mile broad at the west end, widening to nearly a mile at the eastern extremity. It has a small harbour, much frequented by coral boats when the weather is too rough to permit them to pursue their avocations at sea, and vessels of a larger size sometimes come under the shelter of the island to the east.

It is about 400 feet high, rising to a peak in the middle, on which are the picturesque ruins of a mediæval castle. There are no permanent residents save the Miralai commanding the troops, who occupies the only habitable room in the castle, and an Italian, Signor Lancella, who acts as agent of the Bey and supplies the fishing boats with such provisions as they require.

In ancient times Thabraca was a Roman colony; and after the defeat of Gildon, under whose yoke Africa had groaned for twelve years, by his brother Mascezel, the former endeavoured to effect his escape by sea, but being driven by contrary winds into the harbour of Tabarca, he was taken prisoner and put an end to his life by hanging himself, in A.D. 398.

El-Edrisi (1154) speaks of it as a strong maritime place moderately peopled, and the environs of which are infested by miserable Arabs, who have no friends, and who protect none. It was even then a port of refuge much frequented by Spanish vessels engaged in the coral fishery.

The manner of fishing was exactly the same as at the present day. He says: ‘They fish by means of implements, to which are attached numerous bags, made of hemp. These are put in motion, the threads become entangled in the coral, upon which the fishermen pull up the instruments and extract the coral in great abundance.’[237]

In 1535 took place the celebrated expedition of Charles V. against Tunis. On the conclusion of peace the perpetual right of fishing for coral was conceded to the Spaniards.

About the same period Jean Dorea, nephew of the celebrated Andrea Dorea, captured on the coast of Corsica the no less celebrated Algerian corsair Draguth. On the partition of the spoil he fell to the share of one of the Lomellini family of Genoa, which exacted as the price of his ransom the cession of Tabarca. This was granted by Kheir-ed-din, and confirmed by the Porte.

The Lomellini came to an agreement with Charles V., who undertook the fortification and defence of the island, and built the citadel still existing, principally with the stones of the ancient city on the mainland. The Genoese agreed to pay five per cent. on all the commerce, which they made. Soon, however, the Spaniards neglected to keep up the works or pay the garrison, and the flag of Genoa was substituted for that of Spain, and though the governor was still named by the latter power, he was obliged to render his accounts to the Lomellini.

The inhabitants of the mainland owned allegiance neither to the Bey of Tunis nor to the Dey of Algiers.

Peyssonnel visited it in 1724, when it was occupied by the Genoese. He describes in detail the fortifications armed with bronze cannon, bearing the arms of Lomellini, which he says ‘make the island strong and sure, and in a condition neither to fear the Turks nor the Arabs of Barbary.’ It was inhabited by Genoese, and had a garrison of 100 soldiers, 350 coral fishers, 50 porters with their families, making a total population of 1,500 men.[238]

Near it was the trading station of Cape Negro, which was first founded by private French merchants. It was subsequently taken by the Spaniards, was for a short time occupied by the English, but from 1686 till its destruction it belonged to the French. At first there was a separate company charged with its concerns, called _La Compagnie du Cap Nègre_, but it eventually merged into the _Compagnie d’Afrique_, which established its head-quarters originally at the _Bastion de France_, in 1609, and moved to La Calle in 1681. The establishment at Cape Negro consisted of a director or governor, four or five assistants, a chaplain, doctor and about eighty subordinate employés. The principal trade consisted of cereals, wax, oil and hides.

Large quantities of wheat were exported to France, especially when there was a failure of crops in that country, and in consequence this establishment was regarded as of the greatest national importance.[239]

In 1728 the Lomellini family ceded the full sovereignty of the island to one of its members, Jacques de Lomellini, for 200,000 livres, and a branch of coral every year, valued at 50 piastres.

In 1741, during the war which M. Gautier, the Consul of France, brought about between his country and Tunis, the latter took possession of the island.

The Consul had incurred the displeasure of the Bey on account of a scandalous affair in which the former was mixed up, and on the occasion of a public audience he was openly insulted by the Bey, who said: ‘I am the friend of your master, but not of bullies like you—leave my presence!’[240]

While war was impending between France and Tunis, on account of this outrage, a rumour reached the Bey that the Genoese were in treaty to cede Tabarca to the French Company, which very naturally viewed with jealous feelings the possession by any other nation of so important a trading post between its two factories. He therefore determined to take it himself, before it should pass into the hands of his enemy, and for that purpose despatched a force of eight vessels to attack it by sea, while his brother Yoonus co-operated by land.

The Governor of the island was induced to venture on board the ship of the Tunisian commander, when he was at once arrested, and this spread such a panic amongst the garrison that they did not even attempt any serious resistance.

A part of the inhabitants, about 500 in number, effected their escape to La Calle, and thence proceeded to the island of San Pietro to the south-west of Sardinia, then uninhabited, where their descendants exist to the present day under the name of Tabarcini, and still pursue the coral fishery, as well as aid in loading vessels arriving at their port of Carloforte for minerals.

The Tunisian historian, Hadj Hamouda ben Abd el-Aziz, says that 900 men, women and children were taken as slaves to Tunis,[241] and their descendants still form an intermediate population between the Christians from Europe and the native Mohammedans.

After the capture of the island, Sidi Yoonus caused the defensive works to be destroyed, with the exception only of the castle built by Charles V. He also connected the island to the mainland by means of a causeway,[242] but this has long since disappeared, though some of the masonry can still be seen under water when the sea is clear.

After Bruce had left Algiers in 1765, he visited the island and proposed to the Ministry of the day to obtain possession of it as a station for the British trade in the Mediterranean. He remarked:—

As a fortress, Tabarca has these advantages, it is situated nearly south from the mainland of Italy, the north end of Corsica, the Bocca de Bonifacio, and the south end of Sardinia, forming three channels; the two first are the constant stations of cruisers, to which if the third be joined, a chain is formed across the Mediterranean, through which the whole Levant trade must pass. The mountains opposite Tabarca are covered with oak-trees of immense size, where, I think, the Mediterranean ports might be easily supplied with timber for construction.

M. Desfontaines, who travelled in Tunis from 1783 to 1786, was equally desirous, that this island should be taken possession of by the Government of France, and expressed his conviction that it would be more useful for his country than Port Mahon was for the English, and that, were it occupied, France would be able to lay down the law throughout the Mediterranean, and that England would be excluded and lose the Levant trade.

On the mainland opposite to the island are several ruins of European construction, and on the hill above, a modern fort, occupied by a detachment of troops from Tunis. Traces of Roman occupation exist in the plain, but no remains of any importance, and we could hear of no inscriptions.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 237: El-Edrisi, trad. Jaubert, i. p. 266.]

[Footnote 238: Peyss., ap. Dureau de la Malle, i. p. 263.]

[Footnote 239: Ibid. p. 257.]

[Footnote 240: Desfontaines, ap. Dureau de la Malle, ii. p. 243.]

[Footnote 241: Rousseau, _Annales Tunisiennes_, p. 127.]

[Footnote 242: Desfontaines, ap. Dureau de la Malle, ii. p. 233.]