CHAPTER IV.
Concerning the Tribes, that occupy the habitable Parts of the Great
Desert.— Tibbo, and Tuarick.— Lmptres of Bournuy Asben% and
Haussa .— General Observations.
T h e inquiries of Mr. H'omeman throw some new light o» the
distribution of the habitable tracts^ inclosed by, or adjoining to, that
part of the Sahara which lies to the east of Tombuctoo; as well
as of the tract that stands, in the same relation to the Eastern, or
Libyan Des.ert.
The empires; of Houssa and Bournou, consisting of various lesser
states, appear to divide the space along the Niger, from the quarter
of Tombuctoo, to that of Darfoor, eastward ; and to extend a eqn-
siderable way to the north, beyond the general line of the river.
Two considerable nations, also, the T ibbo and T u a r ic k , appear
to divide the remainder of the space, northward, within the Deserts;
embracing Fezzan on every side but the north; and closing on the
maritime states along the Mediterranean, from the Desert which
shuts up Egypt on the west, to Mount Atlas. Mr. Horneman appears
to be the first person who has given these general ideas of the
Tibbo and Tuarick; and they merit attention.
The Tibbo, or Tibboo, possess the eastern, and the Tuarick the
western, and most extensive part of this vast tract. Fezzan separates
them oh the north : and its meridian forms nearly their common
boundary, until they close southward on Kashna and Bournu.*
According to Mr. Horneman, the settlements of the Tibbo, begin
at the south and south-east of Fezzan, and extend from thencé eastward,
along the south of the Harutsch and Of the Augilan Desert,
to the wide sandy Desert of the Lebetas-f (Libya) , which shuts up
Egypt, on the west. This Desert Forms the eastern boundary of
the Tibbo. On the south, wandering Arabs possess the tract between
them and the empire of Bournu; and on the west, are the
Tuarick of Asben (Agades), Tagazee, &c.
The Tibbo are Said to be divided into the following tribes:
i. Rsháde, or Rock Tibbo. 2. Febabo. 3. Burgu, or Birgu. 4. Arna.
5. Bilma. 6. Nomadic Tibbo.
1. The Rshade. This tribe possesses the country adjoining to the
south and South-east of Fezzan; and is besides intermixed with
the FezzdnerS, in those quarters of Fezzan, (as the Tuarick are in
* There is a town named Taboo, a considerable way to the SW of Fezzan.
D ’Anville writes it Tibedou. It seems to be the Tabidium of Pliny, one of the towns
conquered by the Romans, under Balbus. (Pliny, lib. v. c. 4 and 5.) Pliny says,
c. 8. that “ the Romans possessed the country, even to the river Niger, which sepa-
rates Africa from Ethiopia and gives a long list of provinces and towns suhject to
them. It may be conceived, that besides Fezzan, Gadamis, Taboo, &c. they possessed
the fertile tract, in the line from thence to the Niger j that is, Agadez, Kashna,
and perhaps Gana,
It may be remarked that Pliny (c. 8) speaks of t w o Éthiopias; and quotes
Homer, as having divided them into Eastern and Western. One may conceive that
the division between them, was the fertile tract in question, extending from Fezzan,
in the line towards the Niger. t Levata of L eo, page 245.