Count Graberg Pretends Gomera
Now Contains Three Thousand Inhabitants!
Whilst other writers, and of
later date, represent this ancient city, which has flourished and played
an important part through many ages, as entirely abandoned, and the
abode of serpents and hyaenas.
Gellis is a small port, six miles east of
Velez de Gomera.
Tegaza is a small town and port, at two miles or less from the sea near
Pescadores Point, inhabited mostly by fishermen, and containing a
thousand souls.
The provinces of Rif and Garet, containing these maritime towns are rich
and highly cultivated, but inhabited by a warlike and semi-barbarous
race of Berbers, over whom the Emperor exercises an extremely precarious
authority. Among these tribes, Abd-el-Kader sought refuge and support
when he was obliged to retire from Algeria, and, where he defied all the
power of the Imperial government for several months. Had the Emir
chosen, he could have remained in Rif till this time; but he determined
to try his strength with the Sultan in a pitch battle, which should
decide his fate.
The savage Rifians assemble for barter and trade on market-days, which
are occasions of fierce and incessant quarrels among themselves, when it
is not unusual for two or three persons to be left dead on the spot.
Should any unfortunate vessel strike on these coasts, the crew find
themselves in the hands of inhuman wreckers. No European traveller has
ever visited these provinces, and we may state positively that
journeying here is more dangerous than in the farthest wastes of the
Sahara.
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