Siwah, either from general repute, or from my own observation. I
found them obtrusive and thievish. Our tents, and especially my
own, were constantly surrounded and infested by this people ; and
our merchants were under the necessity of guarding their bales of
goods, with more than ordinary attention, under apprehension not
merely of pillage, but of general and hostile attack.
I was told much of the riches of this people, and should suppose
there must be men of considerable property amongst them ; as they
have a very extensive traffic in datés with different and remote
countries, pay no tribute, and have little opportunity of dissipating
the money they receive. The policy of the Siwahans leads them to
cultivate a strict and close amity with the Arabs to the north of their
country, and who occasionally visit Siwah in small troops or parties,
and carry on a trade of barter for the dates. Here our caravan disposed
of part of its merchandize, receiving in exchange, datés, meat,
and small baskets, in the weaving and context of which, thé
women of Siwah are remarkably neat and skilful, and in the making
of which consists their chief employment. Diseases incident to
the country and climate, and from which the natives most suffer,
are the ague and fever, and opthalmic affections, or disorders of
the eyes.
The language of Siwah, whatever words or expressions may have
crept in, from various intercourse of people, is not fundamentally
Arabic; and this has led me to various conjectures. At first I looked
for the root or origin of this language to the East; but on maturer
consideration, and from communications with one of the Tuaricks
from Twat, with whom I was in habits of intimacy, I am now
satisfied of my former error,* and that the language of Siwah is a
* Vide Appendix, No. IV .
dialect of that used throughout the great nation of Africa, to which
my friend, the Tuarick, belonged, and which may be considered
as the aboriginal.
The larger collection of Siwahan words, which I had first made,
was lost with other papers, by an accident which I shall hereafter
have occasion to mention.
The following list I had from a man of Siwah, whom I afterwards
got acquainted with at Augila.
Sun, Itfuct. Horse, Achmar.
Clouds, Logman. Horses, Ickmare.
Ear, Temmesocht. Have you a horse? GoreckAcbmar.
Head, Aebfè. Milk, Acbi.
Eye, Taun. Fennel, Acksum.
Eyelid, FemaUin. Bread, Tagora.
Beard, Itmert. Oil, Tsemicr.
Hand, Fuss. Water, Aman.
Penis, Acbmum. Dates, Tena.
Camel, Lgum. House, Acbbén.
Sheep, Jelibb. Houses, Gebeun...
Cow, Ftunest. Sand, Itjeda.
Mountain, Iddram. Cap, Tscbatscbet.
Sabre, Aus. Catacombs, Tum-megar.
Sword, Limscha.
D a