Infidels." These semi-savages, called out for
the defence of the Empire, were merely armed with a bad gun or
matchlock; some had only knives and clubs. Such levies are certainly
more fit to pillage the Emperor's coast-towns than to defend his
territory against the foreign enemy.
These poor tribes bring their own provisions, a little barley meal, and
olive or argan-oil, or liquid butter; on this being exhausted, they
could stay no longer, for Government supplies them with nothing but bad
matchlocks.
They were loud in their complaint on not receiving any nations, and
threatened to join the French Nazarenes when they arrived. His
Excellency the Governor was very anxious to get rid of them, which was
not at all surprising. So avaricious is the Emperor, that when he can,
he makes the rich Moors supply arms for their poorer brethren, instead
of furnishing them from government depots. And this he insists upon as a
point of religion. The Governor called upon rich Moors to supply the
poor with arms.
A friend of mine who understands Shelouh as well as Arabic, overheard a
characteristic quarrel between a Shedma man and a Hhaha man. The Shedma
people, or inhabitants of the plains, mostly speak Arabic, those of the
mountains, Shelouh, which difference of language embitters their
quarrels, and alienates them from one another.
