308 Countries adjacent to Timbuctoo. however, I ha ve b y chance met with afterwards at Mogodor and Agadeer, where my commercial establishments were, when finding I was engaged in foreign commerce, they became ve ry circumspect and cautious, and apparently regretted having communicated intelligence to me concerning their country. I cannot attempt to giv e the exact geographical bearing and distance o f places from Timbuctoo, in a country like this, as the Africans are ignorant o f geography as well as other sciences; but from the several accounts which I have at different times received during my residence in Africa, and which were from respectable people who have resided years at Timbuctoo, and had travelled across Africa, it appears to be situated fifteen hundred miles S S E o f Fas, eleven hundred and fifty m iles about S S E o f A k k a , Tatta, and Wedinoon; thirteen hundred miles in nearly the same direction from Marocco; one thousand three hundred and twenty miles from Tafilelt: it is also about two hundred and thirty miles eastward o f the city o f Jiunie ; one thousand miles west o f Houssa. T h e country north o f Timbuctoo is inhabited by the powerful tribe o f Arabs called Brabeesh, whose original stock emigrated in the eighth century, and took possession o f a tract o f country bordering on Egypt westward ; there are several duars o f that kabyle, inhabitants of. the western confines o f Egypt, who long since emigrated from the original stock, on account o f family disputes ; the y are a turbulent, restless, and warlike tribe, but extremely afraid of fire arms, having no means o f defence against such, being armed only with (zeraga) the lance, and occasionally with knives, or daggers : hence the inhabitants o f the towns, when they go far into the country, carry guns and pistols with them. Countries adjacent to Timbuctoo. 309 There is another nation situated many (erhellat)journiessouth- east o f Timbuctoo, who worship the sun, and abstain from animal food, livin g on milk and vegetables. One o f these people was at Mogodor about ten years since, and continued his national custom, nor could all the flattering invhations to Mohammedanism induce him to renounce his doctrine. In some part o f the country between Timbuctoo and Casina, or Cashna, which is called (Beb Houssa) the Entrance o f Houssa, is discovered a race o f people, whom the Arabs compare to the English, alleging, that they speak a distinct language ot their own, different from all the others known in Africa , and that it resembles the whistling o f birds, to which they compare the English language. T he people ride on saddles, similar to those o f England, and wear rowelled spurs, the only nation in A fr ica that does, without shoes. T he ir faces are covered to the eyes, b y tlieir'turbans folding round their necks and faces. T he ir weapons are swords, bows, arrows, and lances. W h en they engage in battle, each man selects an antagonist, they therefore never risk an engagement unless they think themselves superior in number, or at least equal to their enemy, resembling, in this respect, the Chinese. T h e y are represented as a grossly superstitious p eop le ; their bodies as well as their horses being covered with (herrcz) charms, or amulets. About fifteen (erhellat) journies east o f T imbuctoo, is an im mense lake, called (El Bahar Soudan) the Sea o f Soudan;^ on which are decked vessels, and the borders o f it are inhabited b y the above p eople; they brought, in or about the y e a r 1793, some of their decked vessels to rimbuctoo, and transported thence goods to Jinnie; but as they were ascertained to be neither Arabs, Moors, Negroes, Shell uhs, nor Berebbers, the
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