CITY AND GOVERNMENT OF TIMBUCTOO, NEARLY IN THE CENTRE OF AFRICA. [From Jackson's Account of the Empire of Marocco.] TIMBUCTOO, the great emporium of central Africa, has, from time immemorial, carried on a very extensive and lucrative trade with the various maritime States of North Africa, viz. Marocco, Tunis, Algier, Tripoli, Egypt, &c. by means of (akkabaahs) accumulated caravans, which cross the great Desert of Sahara, generally between the months of September and April inclusive: these akkabaahs consist of several hundred loaded camels, accompanied by the Arabs, who let them to the merchants for the transport of their merchandize to Fas, Marocco, &c. at a very low rate. During their route, they are often exposed to the attacks of the roving Arabs of Sahara, who generally commit their depredations as they approach the confines of the Desert. In this tiresome journey, the akkabaahs do not proceed in a direct line across the trackless Desert to the place of their destination, but turn occasionally eastward or westward, according to the situation of certain fertile, inhabited, and cultivated spots, interspersed in various parts of Sahara, like islands in the ocean, called Oas, or Oases; these serve as watering-places to the men, as well as to feed, refresh, and replenish the hardy and patient camel: at each of these Oases, the akkabaah sojourns about seven days, and then proceeds on its journey, until it reaches another spot of the same description. In the intermediate journies, the hot winds, denominated Shume, are often so violent, as considerably, if not entirely, to exhale the water carried in skins by the camels for the use of the passengers and drivers; on these occasions, the Arabs and people of Soudan affirm that 500 dollars have been given for a draught of water; and that ten or twenty are commonly given when a partial exhalation has occurred. In 1805, a caravan proceeding from Timbuctoo to Tafillet, was disappointed, in not finding water at one of the usual watering-places, when, horrible to relate, the whole of the persons belonging to it, 2000 in number, beside 1800 camels, perished of thirst! Accidents of this sort account for the vast quantities of human and other bones, which are found mingled together in various parts of the Desert. The intense heat of the sun, aided 'by the vehement and parching wind driving the loose sand along the boundless plains, gives to the Desert the appearance of a sea, the drifting sands resembling exactly the waves of the ocean, and hence aptly denominated by the Arabs (El Bahar billa mâa) a sea without water. It is generally affirmed that the guides, to whom the charge of conducting these numerous accumulated caravans is committed, in their routes to and from Marocco, direct their course by the scent of the sandy earth; but I could never discover any reasonable foundation for such an opinion, and apprehend it to be an artful invention of their own, to impose on the credulity of this superstitious and ignorant people, and thus to enhance the value of their knowledge. These guides possess some idea of astrology, and the the situation of certain stars, and being enabled by the two pointers to ascertain the polar star, they can, by that unvarying guide, steer their course with considerable precision, preferring often travelling in the night, rather than under the suffocating heat of the scorching meridian, sun. When the akkabaah reaches Akka, the first station on this side of the Desert, and situated on the confines thereof, in Lower Suse, which is a part of Bled-el-jerrêde, the camels and guides are discharged, and others there hired to proceed to Fas, Marocco, Terodant, Tafilelt, and other places. The akkabaahs perform the traverse of the Desert, including their sojournments at El-wahs, or Oases, in about 130 days. Proceeding from the city of Fas, they go at the rate of three miles and a half an hour, and travel seven hours a day; they reach Wedinoon, Tatta, or Akka, in eighteen days, where they remain a month, as the grand accumulated akkabaah proceeds from the latter place. In going from Akka to Tagassa (the g should be pronounced guttural), they employ sixteen days, here sojourning fifteen days more to replenish their camels; they then proceed to the Oasis and Well of Taudeny, which they reach in seven days; here again they remain fifteen days: their next route is to Arawan, another wateringplace, which they reach in seven days; here they sojourn fifteen days, and then proceed and reach Timbuctoo the sixth day, making a journey of fifty-four days actual travelling, and of seventy-five days repose, being altogether, from Fas to Timbuctoo, one hundred and twenty-nine days, or four lunar monthis and nine days. There is another akkabaah which sets out from Wedinoon and Sok Assa, and traversing the Desert between the black mountains of Cape Bojador and Gualata, touches at Tagassa, El Garbie (both g's guttural, being the letter or West Tagassa, and staying there to collect salt, proceeds to Timbuctoo, The time occupied by this akkabaal is five or six months, as it goes as far as Jibbed-el-bied, or the White Mountains, near Cape Blanco, through the desert of Mograffra and Woled Abussebah, to a place called Agadeen, where it sojourns twenty days. The akkabaahs which cross the Desert, may be compared to our fleets of merchant vessels under convoy, the (stata) convoy of the Desert being two or more Arabs, belonging to the tribe through whose territory the caravan passes: thus, in passing the territory of Woled Abussebah, they are accompanied by two Sebayées, or people of that country, who, on reaching the confines of the territory of Woled Deleim, receive a remuneration, and return, delivering them to the protection of two chiefs of Woled Deleim; these again conducting them to the confines of the territory of the Moraffra Arabs, to whose care they deliver them, and so on, till they reach Timbuctoo: any assault made against the akkabaah during this journey, is considered as an insult to the whole clan to which the (stata) convoy belongs, and for which they never fail to take ample revenge. Besides these grand accumulated caravans, there are others which cross the Desert on any emergency, without a stata, or guard of soldiers; but this is a perilous expedi tion, and they are too often plun dered dered near the northern confines of the Desert, by two notorious tribes, called Dikna and Emjot. In the year 1799, an akkabaah, consisting of two thousand camels loaded with Soudanic produce, together with seven hundred slaves, was plundered and dispersed, and many were killed. These desperate attacks are conducted in the following manner: a whole clan picket their horses at the entrance of their tents, and send out scouts to give notice when an akkabaah is likely to pass; these being mounted on the Heirie, or Shrubba Er'reeh, quickly communicate the intelligence, and the whole clan mount their horses, taking with them a sufficient number of (niag) female camels, to supply them with food (they living altogether on the milk of that animal); they place themselves somewhere in ambush near an Oasis, or watering-place, from whence they issue on the arrival of the akkabaah, which they plunder of every thing, leaving the unfortunate merchants entirely destitute. Those who have philosophy enough to confine their wants solely to what nature requires, would view the individual happiness of the people who compose the caravans with approbation. Their food, dress, and accommodation, are simple and natural: proscribed from the use of wine and intoxicating liquors by their religion, and exhorted by its principles to temperance, they are commonly satisfied with a few nourishing dates, and a draught of water; and they will travel for weeks successively without any other food: at other times, a little barley meal and cold water is the extent of their provision, when they undertake a journey of a few weeks across the Desert; living in this abstemious manner, they never complain, but solace themselves with a hope of reaching their native country, singing occasionally during the journey, whenever they approach any habitation, or whenever the camels appear fatigued; these songs are usually sung in trio, and in the chorus all the camel-drivers, who have a musical voice, join; it is worthy observation, how much these songs renovate the camels, and the symphony and time they keep surpasses what any one would imagine, who had not heard them. In traversing the Desert, they generally contrive to terminate the day's journey at l'Asaw, a term which they appropriate to our four o'clock, P. M. so that between that period and the setting sun, the tents are pitched, prayers said, and the (Lashaw) supper got ready; after which they sit round in a circle, and talk till sleep overcomes them, and next morning, at break of day, they proceed again on their journey. The Arabic language, as spoken by the camel-drivers, is peculiarly sweet and soft; the guttural and harsh letters are softened, and with all its energy and perspicuity, when pronounced by them, is as soft, and more sonorous, than the Italian; it approaches the ancient Korannick language, and has suffered but little alteration these twelve hundred years. The Arabs of Moraffra, and those of Woled Abussebah, frequently hold an extempore conversation in poetry, at which the women are adepts, and never fail to shew attention to those young Arabs who excel in this intellectual and refined amusement. The articles transported by the company of merchants trading from Fas to Timbuctoo, are principally as follows: various kinds of Ger man man linens, viz. plattilias, rouans, are collected on the confines of brettanias, muslins of different qualities, particularly muls, Irish linens, cambricks, fine cloths of particular colours, coral beads, amber beads, pearls, Pengal raw silk, brass nails, coffee, fine Hyson teas, refined sugar, and various manufactures of Fas and Tafilelt, viz. shawls and sashes of silk and gold, hayks of silk, of cotton and silk mixed, of cotton and of wool; also an immense quantity of (hayk filelly) Tafilelt hayks, a particularly light and fine manufacture of that place, and admirably adapted to the climate of Soudan; to these may be added red woollen caps, the general covering of the head, turbans, Italian silks, nutmegs, cloves, ginger, and pepper, Venetian beads, cowries, and a considerable quantity of tobacco and salt, the produce of Barbary and Bled-eljerrêde. The produce of Soudan, returned by the akkabaahs for the above. articles, consists principally in gold dust, twisted gold rings of Wangara, gold rings made at Jinnie, bars of gold, elephants' teeth, gum of Soudan (guza Saharawie), grains of Sahara, called by Europeans grains of Paradise, odoriferous gums, called el b'kor'h Sodan, much esteemed by the Arabs for fumigating, to which they ascribe many virtues; a great number of slaves, purchased at Timbuctoo, from the Wangareen, Houssonian, and other slatees, who bring them from those regions which border on the Jibbel, Kumra, or Mountains of the Moon, a chain which, with little or no intermission, runs through the continent of Africa, from the west to the east, viz. from Assentee in the we., to Abyssinia in the the Desert, and are added to the merchandize before mentioned.The gold jewels of Jinnie are denominated by the Arabs El Herrez, from the supposed charm they contain; they are invariably of pure gold, and some of them of exquisite workmanship, and of various forms, but hollow in the middle, for the purpose of containing the Herrez, or amulet, which consists of passages from the Koran, arranged in some geometrical figure, on paper, which being inclosed in the gold jewel, is suspended from the neck, or tied round the arms, legs, or elsewhere. These charms have various and particular powers attributed to them, some insuring the wearer against the effects of an evil eye, others from an evil mind; some are intended to secure a continuation of prosperity and happiness, or to avert misfortune, whilst others secure to the wearer health and strength. This superstition, and predilection for charms, pervades the greater part of Africa: thus, in the northern maritime states, in Suse, and other parts of Bled-el-jerrède, the fakrees, saints attach half a hundred Herrez (without, however, the gold covering, for which they substitute a leathern one) to different parts of their body, and even to the horses: at Marocco I have seen eleven round one horse's neck. The inhabitants of these countries imagine no disorder incident to mankind can attack either man or beast, without the aid of some (jin) spirit, or departed soul, or (drubba d'lain) an evil eye. от The slaves brought by the akkabaahs are more or less valuable in Barbary, according to their beauty and symmetry of person, and also according to their age, and the country country from whence they are procured: thus a Wangareen slave is not worth so much as one from Houssa; the former being a gross, stupid people, little superior in understanding to the brute creation, whilst those of Houssa are intelligent, industrious, acute, and possess a peculiarly open and noble countenance, having prominent noses, and expressive black eyes: those of Wangara, on the contrary, have large mouths, thick lips, broad, flat noses, and heavy eyes. A young girl of Houssa, of exquisite beauty, was once sold at Marocco, whilst I was there, for four hundred ducats, whilst the average price of slaves is about one hundred, so much depends on the fancy or the imagination of the purchaser! These slaves are treated very differently from the unhappy victims who used to be transported from the coast of Guinea, and our settlements on the Gambia, to the West-India islands. After suffering those privations, which all who traverse the African Desert must necessarily and equally submit to, masters as well as servants and slaves, they are conveyed to Fas and Marocco, aml after being exhibited in the sock, or public market-place, they are sold to the highest bidder, who carries them to his home, where, if found faithful, they are considered as members of the family, and allowed an intercourse with the (horraht) freeborn women of the household. Being in the daily habit of hearing the Arabic language spoken, they soon acquire a partial knowledge of it, and the Mohammedan religion teaching the unity of God, they readily reject paganism, and embrace Mohammedanism; their Mooselmin masters then instil into their vacant minds, ready to re ceive the first impression, the fundamental principles of the Mooselmin doctrine; the more intelligent learn to read and write, and afterwards acquire a partial knowledge of the Koran; and such as can read and understand one chapter, from that time procure their emancipation from slavery, and the master exults in having converted an infidel, and in full faith expects favour from heaven for the action, and for having liberated a slave. When these people do not turn their minds to reading, and learning the principles of Mohammedanism, they generally obtain their freedom after eight or ten years servitude; for the more conscientious Mooselmen consider them as servants, and purchase them for about the same sum that they would pay in wages to a servant during the above period; at the expiration of which term, by giving them their liberty, they, according to their religions opinions, acquire a blessing from God, for having done an act, which a Mooselman considers more meritorious in the sight of Heaven, than the sacrifice of a goat, or even of a camel. This liberation is entirely voluntary on the part of the owner; and I have known some slaves so attached to their masters from good treatment, that when they have been offered their liberty, they have actually refused it, preferring to continue in servitude. It should not, however, be supposed, that the Arabs and Moors are always inclined thus to liberate these degraded people: on the contrary, some of them, particularly the latter, are obdurate, and make an infamous traffic of them, by purchasing, and afterwards intermarrying them, for the purpose of propagation and of sale, when they are placed in the pub |