File:An authentic narrative of the loss of the American brig Commerce - wrecked on the western cost of Africa, in the month of August, 1815. (1817) (14592241010).jpg

Identifier: authenticnarrati00rile (find matches)
Title: An authentic narrative of the loss of the American brig Commerce : wrecked on the western cost of Africa, in the month of August, 1815.
Year: 1817 (1810s)
Authors: Riley, James, 1777-1840 Bleecker, Anthony, 1770-1827
Subjects: Commerce (Brig) Slavery
Publisher: New-York : Printed and published for the author, by T. & W. Mercein, no. 93 Gold-street
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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Moorish settlement of badly built housesand tents. Passing this, we entered into one of therichest valleys ever formed by nature; the face of theearth here was smiling with cultivation, and speckledover with flocks and herds : here thousands of oxen,sheep, goats, and camels, horses and asses, werepeaceably feeding in concert, while hundreds of theinhabitants were busied in tillinis: the rich soil, insowing wheat and barley, and cutting down, with acommon sword, the weeds that grew where they hadreaped their last crops, higher than their heads, andsome of them more than an inch in thickness, in or-der to admit the plough. This valley is boundedon the south by a long sound or narrow arm of thesea, in which the tide ebbs and flows many feet:the sea-water enters it near Asbedre, and on itsright: the valley is bounded by a hill of easy as-cent : its mean breadth is about four miles, and itslength about twenty miles. The valley containshundreds of wells of excellent water, fitted with solid
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TRAVELS IN MOROCCO. 473 stone basins around t,heir mouths, which were coveredwith large stones; these serve to give drink to theirflocks, and to quench the thirst of the weary labourerand traveller. Some of these wells were immenselydeep, and a windlass was rigged to them to drawthe water. Near the middle of this valley we stopped to takeour dinner—my mind was absorbed in contemplatingthe riches and beauties of bountiful nature, whenI observed something that appeared like a cloud ofthick smoke rising over the hill at the north-east, andwith the wind, approaching us rapidly. I remarkedto my Jew, that there must be a monstrous fire inthat quarter; no, said he, they are only locusts. Inthe mean time the flight was fast approaching, andsoon came within a short distance, and directlytowards us. Every labourers attention was instantlyturned from his plough and other employment; theoxen were stopped and every one stood aghast withapprehension and dismay painted in strong colourson his anxi

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