Page:Ossendowski - The Fire of Desert Folk.djvu/199

Rh honked to an Arab on a mule ahead, from behind a jagged stone the form of one of these beasts of prey flashed for a moment and made off for safety.

"Dib, dib!" shouted the Arab at the top of his voice.

After topping this particular rise and leaving Arab and jackal in possession, we saw a little farther down a group of picturesque white buildings set among the everwelcome trees. The chauffeur drew up in their shadow and turned to say:

"The ruins of Volubilis."

We bundled out with the intention of paying a visit to Monsieur L. Chatelain, who is the director of the archaeological work in the place, but found that he was away and had, therefore, to content ourselves with taking an Arab guide to show us through the ruins. Having read many books about Roman Africa and Volubilis in particular, I was most keen to see with my own eyes some of the vestiges of that exceptional civilization.

The Arabs believe these to be the remains of a city left by the Egyptians and call it "Ksar Faraun," or "the city of the Pharaohs." As a matter of fact, Volubilis was one of the most advanced western military and commercial outposts of the Romans and is mentioned by Pliny the Elder, Ptolemy, Pomponius Mela and other writers who described Mauretania Tingitana, as they called this western country. French authorities assert that the Roman legions came here to help defend the frontiers of the immense Empire. Tangier was the principal Roman military base in Morocco, and Volubilis almost the last post toward that vast, outlying south from which hordes of warlike Berbers swarmed off from time to time.