ALI BEI'S TRAVELS IN MOROCCO

Ali Bei el Abassi (pseudonym of Domingo Badia y Leblich,)

Numéro d'objet:	369
Date:	1816
Genre:	Article
Lieu:
Sujet:	Voyages

Recherche dans "Notes":

1814. Ali Bei el Abassi [pseudonym of Domingo Badia y Leblich, a Spanish traveller]. – Voyages en Afrique et en Asie pendant les années 1803-1807. Paris: 3 vol., 8vo, with atlas, 4to, Ixxxv. Plates, of which those from i. to xii.bis, relate to Morocco, and 3 maps.
An English version was published at London in 1816, 2 vol. 4to; a Spanish one in 1836, at Valencia, 3 vol. 8vo; and a second French edition at Paris, 1884, 3 vol. 12mo.
The author travelled (1805-6) as a Turk; he landed at Tangier, where he saw the Sultan, passed through Mekenes to Fez, returned to the coast at Rabat, going from thence to Merakish, where he remained for some months, being all the time treated with great magnificence; he returned to Fez, Ujdq, and El Araish (Larache), whence he embarked for Tripoli and the further East, including Mekka, which he duly reached. (Edinburgh Review, vol.xxiii p. 521.) In the introduction to the English edition full particulars are given of his visits to England, both before and after his memorable journeys. But the man's history is still a mystery. No one seems to have ascertained the source of the funds which he spent with princely magnificence. He pretended to be a native of Aleppo ; and was known as Sid Helebi – i.e. « the gentleman of Aleppo : » and it is thought that the Spanish Government supplied him with money, though what purpose they had in so doing is not quite clear. Latterly both the Sultan and the officials got suspicious of him, and the rumour spread qbroad that he was an agent of Bonaparte. Two renegades in his employ whispered that he had corns on his feet, excresences unknown to Moors, whose shoes are loose over the toes. The Emperor sent him wives, who were intended to spy upon him; and his departure from the Empire was closely akin to expulsion. Latterly, the absurd report circulated that he was actually Bonaparte himself, and for a time he was called « Parte; » for as « Bonna » signifies in the Lingua Franca « good », they would not designate him by a name which might imply that the Frankish conqueror was anything but a fiend. A son of his was living in Fez fifteen years after his departure. Some curious particulars about Ali Bei are given in Jackson's « Timbuctoo and Housa » (No.527), pp. 297-304.



Catalan scholar, French spy and linguist (1766[-]1818). Studied at Valencia; journeyed to London in 1802 to seek the endorsement of the African Association for the exploration of the interior of Morocco. Landed in Tangier in 1803 disguised as a Syrian prince of noble lineage and was received at the court of Moulay Sliman before progressing to Mecca. Returned to the court of Napoleon as General Badia. In 1818 he planned to reach Timbuktu by journeying with a caravan of returning pilgrims but died at Damascus en route to Mecca.