Heirie, or Shrubba E r reeh, quickly communicate the intelligence, and the whole clan mount their horses, taking w ith them a sufficient number o f (niag) female camels, to supply them with food (they livin g altogether on the milk o f that animal); they place themselves somewhere in ambush near an oasis, or watering place, from whence they issue on the arrival o f the akka- baah, which they plunder o f eve ry thing, leaving the unfortunate merchants, i f they spare their lives, entirely destitute. Those who have philosophy enough to confine their wants solely to what nature requires, would view the individual happiness o f the people who compose the caravans, with approbation. T h e ir food, dress, and accommodation, are simple and n a tu r a l; proscribed from the use o f 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 draft o f w ater; and they w ill travel for weeks successively without any other food ; at other times, a little barley meal and cold water is the extent o f their provision, when they undertake a journey o f a few weeks across the D e s e r t; livin g in this abstemious manner, th e y never complain, but solace themselves with a hope o f reaching their native country, singing occasionally during the journ ey, whenever the y approach any habitation, or whenever the camels appear fatigued; these songs are usually7 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 the y generally contrive to terminate the d a y ’s jou rn e y at 1 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 thev sit round in a circle, and talk till sleep overcomes them, and next morning, at break o f day, they proceed again on their journ e y. ‘ . . T h e A rabic language, as spoken b y the camel-dnvers, is p ecu liarly sweet and s o ft ; the guttural and harsh letters are softened, and with all its energy and perspicuity, when pro- nounced b y them, is as soft, and more sonorous than the Italian; it approaches the ancient Korannick language, and has suffered but little alteration these twe lve hundred years. T h e Arabs o f Moraffra, and those o f Wo led Abbusebah, fre quently 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.* t* T h e articles transported b y the company o f merchants trading from Fas to Timbuctoo, are p rin cipa lly as follows: various kinds o f German linens, viz- p laltilias, rouans, brettanias, muslins of diffeient qualities, particularly muls, Irish linens, cam- bricks, fine cloths o f particular colours, coral beads, amber beads, pearls, Bengal raw silk, brass nails, coffee, fine Hyson teas, refined sugar, and various manufactures o f Fas and T a fi- * During my visit to the Viceroy of Snse, Mohammed ben Deleiny, he intro- duced me to four Arabs of the Woled Abbusebah tribe, who conversed in our presence on various subjects,' in this poetic manner, and U | astonishing what accuracy in measure and expression is acquired by a long hab.t m this mode of entertainment. The old Emperor, Seedy Mohammed, encouraged this poetic conversation, and when any one excelled, he never failed to reward him munificently ; for although no scholar himself, he encouraged every one who contributed to diffuse a knowledge of the Arabic language. P P
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