SECTION IV.
Of Zuila.
Z u i l a being a place of importance in the territory of Fezzan, and
the place of residence, not only of many leading and wealthy men,
but of relations to the family of the Sultan; we halted at some
little distance from the town, and prepared to do the proper honours
of our. arrival.
The merchants, their pages and slaves dressed themselves in their
best apparel'; and the Sheik ordered his green flag to be borne before
him, in honor to the Shereefs who live in this place. W.e had
scarcely formed ourselves in procession, when we perceived twenty
horsemen, mounted on white horses, with a green flag carried in
their centre. It was the Shereef Hindy, the principal man of the
town, who with his eight sons and other relations, was . come out
to meet us: at some distance followed a great number of men and
boys on foot. They joined our caravan, and we passed together near
the town, with huzzas and discharge of muskets, till we reached
our place of encampment and pitched our tents.
Many other inhabitants then came out to us, some from curiosity,
and some to barter their goods; all behaved with the greatest decorum
and regularity; but the family of iheShereef was distinguished
by its particular complacency 'and politeness of manners:
they wore the Tripolitan dress, but over it a fine Soudan shirt
or Tab. The dealings of the caravan, on this occasion, were
considerable, and especially with the women, who purchased various
articles of ornament, in exchange for garden-stuff, milk, and
poultry,
Zuila has received the name of Belled-el-Shereef, or town of the
Shereefs: in former times it was an important place, and its circumference
appears to have been thrice the extent of what it is now.
Some of the Shereefs family told me, that some centuries past Zuila
had been the residence of the sultans, and the general rendezvous
of the caravans: and even yet the voyage to Fezzan is termed, the
voyage to Seela, by the caravan from Bornou.
This little city stands on a space of about one mile in circuit; as
in Augila, the houses have only a ground floor, and the rooms are
lighted from the door. Near the centre of the town, are the ruins
of a building several stories high, and of which the walls are very
thick; and report says, this was formerly the palace. Without the
town near the southern wall, stands an old mosque, little destroyed
by time, serving as a sample of the ancient magnificence of Zuila;
it contains in the middle a spacious hall or saloon, encompassed by
a lofty colonnade, behind which runs a broad passage, with entrances
to various apartments belonging to the esfablishment of the
mosque. At some little distance further from the city, appear
ancient and very lofty edifices, which are the tombs of shereefs,
who fell in battle, at time the country was attacked by Infidels.
The environs of Zuila are level, supplied with water, and fertile.
The groves of date trees are of great extent; and its inhabitants appear
to pay more attention to agriculture than those of adjoining
places.
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