d
the river, in the ferry, to visit Salee. The inhabitants of this
town are inimical to Christians: we viewed the subterraneous cavern
where the Sallee rovers formerly confined their Christian slaves:
it resembled a mitfere or large subterraneous granary; it had two
grates to let in the air; it appeared perfectly dry, but no one was
in it. The Comte observed that it was far preferable to the prison
where he was confined in France, during the reign or usurpation of
Robespierre. The air of Salee and Rabat, and the adjacent country,
115 is strongly perfumed, morning and evening, with the sweet odour of
the orange-flower, of which they make immense quantities of
delectable comfits.

On the morning of the 15th, we pursued our journey to Mequinas,
passing through a very fine country, inhabited by a Kabyl of
Berebbers, called Ait Zemurh. We halted, at four o'clock P.M. at a
circular Douar of these Berebbers, in a fine campaign country. The
next morning, at five o'clock, we struck the tents, and proceeded
through a dangerous country, infested by artful robbers, and the
occasional depredations of the lion and other wild beasts, whose
roaring we heard at a distance. We saw several square buildings,
which our guides informed us were built by the Berebbers, for the
purpose of destroying the lion. The patient hunter will conceal
himself in one of these buildings, which are about five feet by
seven, and will wait whole days for an opportunity to get a shot at
the lion: these noble beasts are here said to be the largest in all
Africa. After travelling this day ten hours, we pitched our tents
at another circular encampment of the Zimurite[113] Berebbers.
These people drive in stakes and place thorny bushes round their
encampment, eight feet high, and fill up the entrance every night
with thorns, as the fiercest lions of Africa abound in the adjacent
forests, and sometimes attack their habitations, accordingly they
116 keep a large fire all night to deter the lions and other wild
beasts from approaching. About two hours after midnight, my grey
horse, who was an old campaigner, neighed and awoke us; this gave
the alarm, and my people were presently on the alert, and perceived
two men approaching our tents, crawling naked along the ground,
which was of the same colour w