The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-09-02 00:00:00

whole sustenance consisted of a little bread and
water, barely sufficient to prevesit us frosts dying.
The last stage was marched duriilt the day, fur
our condor:furs had uutlsitig mon to fear. and we
arrived at Mount Felix dis the evriiiiig of the ninth
day. This is the residence of Sheik Osusiii. He
has many ioferior sheiks trailer his orders, each
of whom e ssssss mends • district of two or three
different mountains. These tiloWilaimi are peo-
pled by Arabs who live in adowair, a norm gotten to
several tents, contaiiiing from (Orly 10 bury maw-
rut periwigs. Each lousily composes In aduwar ;
still the 11111iiller of tents serves to denote a iilll.ge,
town. or city. There are sio houses isi this county,
except the Palace of Osman, mud the prison for his
slaver.
The sheiks owe a yearly tribute to Osman ; it
eolihi•r• of 'floury, wax, hooey. elephants' teeth,
wool, skins, ostrich frathrra. & Wisest unlade 10
pay from their own nominees, the sheiks attack and
ravage the territories of those to the steighbout hood,
who are 1101.1.1101ig enough to resist ; and if the tn.
bole is not deposited at Oonatt's feet. iii litter'
days after it bee fffff es doe, use sheik loses his head,
should he not be Ale to justify himself by a pro-
per explinottoo, of the validity of which Osman
Is the sole judge.
Thus despot lives in a palace built of stone, two
stories high, and ter 11111 l ming in a terrace. Three
hundred women are shut Op in it, and attended
by ass equal number of then own sex. They are
allowed to walk in the garden, which is very eaten.
sive, and tilled with butt trees and flower., hut the
prospect is confined *Ohio the walls, fur the great
height of these pi events the possibility of their seen%
hey I them.
We were presented to 00m en on the day after
our arrival ; lie was a time-looking nisei. about five
fret right niches high. and is IWO fifty-tier years
old. Ilia first question was, that of impriting to
what matins we belonged, and 011 our rep!. big that
we were Frenchmen. " teerteh," said he, "
Frroeh-
Oen ! teithunt faith. lams. spiteful, and devils !
Ilet them In. chained." His order wits nu sootier
given than put Iwo immediate execution.
I was a perfect criprle by this lime, nor were my
passions much better. three of them having
died mime days alter we arrived; stripped of oar
clothes, they threw a small coarse isr..olleis shirt
over each of us; This covering reached within a few
inches of the knee, its the inaiiiier of the Scotch
Highlanders; we were then hound together two sod
two, by a large chain nearly ten feet long. weigh-
ing sixty pounds; this was fixed In the ankle by a
heavy clasp in the form of a horse shoe, and ri-
vetted, on as to render escape impossible. 11l order
to ditniiiishthe fatigue of dragging the chain along
the ground, etich nom procured a sash made of
twigs or hemp. with which he tied several links
sip to his middle. thus leaving a festoon of five
feet between Isiniself and companion ; this contriv-
asset. slid not prevent them f workiiig, and they
were inseparable till one of the party was exchanged
for soother, either through sickness or with a view
to his receiving some p • !mem.
Thus naked and loaded with irons. were we
!mord to the prison, winch is situated within
half a league of the palace. This budding is of
an extroordinsry length, greatly resembling a
stable; there were but two thousand slaves at die
time of our arrival, though it would easily accosts-
modete double that number; the otitis are about
forty feet high, and eight in breadth, the roof is
like those of Europe. except that instead of tiles it
it covered in with planks overhqing each tither in
the manner of slated houses in France. The ceil-
ing is composed of a mortar made of lime and send,
and although there are molly windows secured by
several large bars of iron, the ;orison is very dark.
These openings, which are only breast high, ena-
ble the captives to see the various beasts of prey
which are nightly allured by the odour of so loony
homiest bodies stint up together, and to which they
are extremely partial ; these sniorals are frequently
seen within Is few yards of the grate, where their
roaring is heard for hours together, spreadiug ter-
ror and dismay amoogst the horses and other do-
mestic ',inlets in the neighbourhood. The window*
are separated by an interval of teas feet each, and
are very large.
There are a great number of turrets built on the
top of the walls, each large enough to commits fif-
teen persons. these are inhabited by the keepers,
the cominuoicution to them is by a ladder which
rises and falls. like a draw-bridge. On reach-
isig the top, tech keeper proceeds to his !inlet,
where a fire is generally lighted to boil their cutlet,
of which they drink !urge quantities. Some of
these remain on the watch while the rest ate em-
ployed to supelititrod the wenkiug potties, colt-
staidly armed. and without ever taking off their
clothe.; they frequently discharge their muskets,
loaded with rock salt, at any of the slaves who hap-
pen to be noisy or disorderly ; they are very like our
sttitinrls in Europa, mill (luring the night ofeeu
cry out, luke care if Ilse tlgristilns."
There is a rhatiot-I cut ill the middle of the
prison, which receives the filth that descends into it
limn each side, for the fl.air shelves off towards
the centre. The water is kept in several tanks
formed of bullock's hides, suspended from the
walls at one end of the prison. and supplied fruits
sprittgs its ilte neighhooirliond. The 'node of draw.
log the water from these tusks is managed by a
slight mid faucet, fixed on the skin of one of the
bullock's lure-fart.
On out arriving at this abode of wretchedness. the
slaves se. Inc! to be greatly pleased with the sight
of so new companions to share in their wi-
lier! 4'. Having distaiL:ageil the chain from wit
hips, it ars seemed to an iron ring and padlock,
nletoit three reel from the ground ; u little straw was
ultowed us to lie out, 011 ti slave had a stone for his
pillow ; they also permit fed 1111 to sleep, if we could ;
but this a a. extremely dilfieult,owitig to die quantity
of different vermin that fell Irons the ceiitiq and
crawled about UN in every tlorixtiogi. These
destrortil by handfuls ou starting from sleep,
awak- tied by their stings and biting. Such erns
thee effect of those unwelcome visitors, that when
calor to our relief ier the morning after
•
atrivo,o tit the prison. on looking at each other,
and coinpiiiiion were oat a little

• Tbr eleven first jean of my captivity petard without
mt o'cing Rainier new slave; Ibis long interval was at but
atom. pted by the appearance of • Spaniard, who lead Mk*
into tlodiaaJa of an inferior awit, su4 was ales comfaciall
baswagot use—Dussui. •