Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 2

ed to Honour-Shonshona-Herbage-Birds-Appearance of the Salt-Caravan-Colours of Dawn-Bilma Salt-Mode of Barter-Pass the Rock of Mari-Granite-Indigo Plant-Presents at Stamboul-The Su

he coldest morning we have had; thermom

and allowed him to go out of prison on the promise that he would restore all the things taken from us-but not to us; so these Sultans and Sheikhs of Aheer will probably get all these things back, and divide the spoil. But, nevertheless, it is better that the people in authority should have them, than that they should remain in the possession of the robbers, the lawless plundering tribes of the

ants and other strangers. Thus the village of En-Noor is called by strangers Tintalous, and by the people themselves Chintullus. Travellers had better adhere to the name the place has amongst the strangers and foreign merchants, otherwise their narrative might be questioned by the people abroad, who do not know the native name. Maradee has its native name of Mariadi, but if you were to mention this name in Mourzuk and Tripo

m of a withered plant, and were amazingly busy. The tracks did not wind much. I noticed, also,

ing I have yet had, according to the thermometer, whi

mending them to render us all necessary protection. It is dated back two months. Probably this letter was written on ac

orning. And oh, most gracious God! give us a prosperous journ

iving at Damerghou. Our encampment is a pleasant wady, under a conical-formed rock of considerable elevation, perhaps 1500 feet. We are also in a high situation, some 1000 or more feet above the level of the sea. There is near this rock a lower one of an oblong form, its sides fluted with pi

ricks of Aheer being friends; and to maintain this friendship one important condition is required-that they, the Tuaricks of Aheer, shall protect all the merchants or other travellers passing through their country, and coming from Mourzuk. In the event of their comm

nd herbage; for along the line of the current of the wady are seen immense numbers of dead and overthrown trees, torn from

follow the caravan. The rocks were, as yesterday, many conic-formed, and others rounded or appearing in ranges, like huge haycocks: granite, sandstone, and trachite. We have in the distance before us, a peculiarly shaped rock of considerable height, called Mari, in the midst of a range. We are encamped in the bed of an immense broad valley, and camels are feeding about in considerable numbers. The

a; the Tuaricks and Fellatahs being the only people who abstain from this barbarous practice. Each device of scarifying deno

of marking the body is a sin, but nevertheless the black

being in this place abundance of room, herbage, and a large well, all necessary for such an assembly of people and beasts. On the road we put

e leaves of the doom-palm, called by the people kabba. Our caravan resembles the march of a wandering tribe, there being camels, sheep, oxen, asses, dogs, with all the paraphernalia of tents, cooking utensils, &c. Some of the animals are laden, some unladen, playing, running,

the sky will change to a colouring more like England. Sunset and sunrise in the Sahara are essentially different from those of England, the colours in the desert being exceedingly light and bright; a

ind the salt all ready for them, and they pay a barter for it in this way,-a zekka of ghaseb is exchanged against twenty of the coarse cakes; a zekka for six of the refined cakes, and three zekkas of ghaseb for two of the pillars. Ghaseb appears to be the only staple thing which the Tibboos receive for their salt; they may also take now and then turkadias, or black turbans, and on the other side the Tuaricks bring a few dates with them: the fruit, even those of the best quality, are not very good or fine. This commerce of barter is managed almost solely by the women: the men remain in their houses, whilst the women go to t

the dens of lions. At the mouth of these caves or h

Aheer. Another detachment of the salt-caravan passed or crossed us, and took another route to the east. Our course was always southwards, now S.E. now S.W., through wadys filled with trees, mostly tholukh and its varieties; the rocks were all granite. Aheer appears to be a region essentially of granite, although here and there are volcanic cones striking up, composed of basalt, or a variety of this stone. The weather was very cloudy and cold, only a little warm in the middle of the day

but, on the contrary, everything which the English demanded of the Sultan of the Turks he did for us; and because

Barth, I believe, has not yet made the Sheikh a present, and he is coming Hateetah over my worthy friend. Overweg has given the Sheikh a cloth jacket, which he could ill spare. I feel most determinedly disposed to give nothing more; b

ly relinquish the exercise of the functions which give them most delight; but nature is stronger than all things, and they must submit to its inevitable course. In a country like Africa, where woman is only thought of for one purpose, it chagrins these old fellows to see all their

rved to-day were, first, a "traveller's sharpening stone," on which every person passing by sharpened his dagger or his sword: next, were heaps of sand scraped together, and sticks or stalks of herbage stuck on the top, as frail marks of the route, corresponding to the heaps of stone which mark in line the routes of the Sahara. There was also a mosque formed of boughs of tree

always an hour and a-half: we have few people,

d himself in a fine yellow burnouse, a sort of ensign of au

ans, they have almost become Kohlans themselves, forgetting their own language and their own customs and manners. This would naturally result from their habit of taking femal

nt enough, there being a good well of water. A little temporary village sta

f an hour to a neighbouring eminence, where I had a view from the top of a quartz rock of the surrounding landscape of stony hills and valleys. On the east and west were ranges and groups of mountains; on the north-east and towards Bilma, and on the south-west round the mountain of Baghzem, the country appeared open. North and south w

ese stealthily: so, I suppose, the Sultan was not to know of it. But they say that all the goats belong to the women, and, consequently, the milk