D e se r t; acco rding to the strength, or. openness o f the situation. I t is probable, however, that the Negroes, who are an ag ricultura l people, neve r possessed an y considerable portion o f the Desert, Which is so much better suited to the pastoral life o f the M o o rs . I t appears as i f matters had not underg on e much change in this respect, since the d ay s .of H e ro d o tu s ; who fixes the boundary o f the L i b y a n s a n d E T H io p iA N s , in other words, o f the M o o r s and N e g r o e s , n ear the borders o f the N ig e r ; and he apparently pointed to the quarter in which Kassina o r G h an a are now situated.* T h e N eg ro e s in the western quarter o f the continent, are o f two distinct races, o f which th e least numerou s.are named F o o l a k s , o r F o o l a h s .- T h e s e , although they partake much o f the N e g ro form and complexion, have neither their je / fy co lour, thick lips , or crisped hair. T h e y h a v e also a language distinct from the M an din ga, which is the p re va ilin g one, in this quarter. T h e origina l country o f the Foulahs is said to b e a tract p f no great e x tent along the eastern branch o f the Senegal r iv e r ; situated between M an - din g and K a s so n ; Bam b o u k and K a a r ta : and which bears the name o f F o o l a d o q , o r the country o f the F o u lah s . B u t whether this be re a lly the ca se, o r whether they might not h a v e come from the country within Se rra L e o n a (called also the F ou lab country), may b e a ques tion ; o f which) X more in the sequel. T h e Foulahs o c cu p y , at least as sovereigns, several provinces o r kingdoms, interspersed throughout the tract, comprehended.between the mountainous border o f the country o f Serra L eon a , on the west, and that o f T om b u c to o , on the east ; as also, a large tract on the lower part o f the Sen ega l river : and these provinces are insulated from each other in a v e r y remarkable manner. T h e ir religion is mahomedanism, but with a grea t mixture o f Pa ganisms and with less intolerance than is practised b y the Moors. T h e p r in c ip a l o f the F o u lah States, is that within Serra L e o n a ; and o f which T e em b o o is the capital. T h e next, in order, appears to be that bord e r in g on the south o f the Senegal r iv e r , and on the J a lo ffs : and which is properly named Siratik. Others o f less note, are B on dou, with F o o ta -T o r ra , * See Euterpe, c. 3a.; and Melpomene, c. 197. adjacent to it, lying between th e rivers G am b ia and' F a lem e 5 Foola-doo; and B ro o k o , along the upper part o f the Senegal r iv e r ; W a s s e la ,: b e y o n d the upper part o f the N ig e r ; and Ma s sina, lower down o n the same r iv e r, and jo in in g to T om b u c to o on the west. T h e Moors have in very few instances, established themselves on the south o f the great rivers. T h e y h a v e advanced fa r th e s t to the south in the western quarter o f A fr ic a ; so that the common boundary o f the tw o races, passes, in respect o f the parallels on the g lo b e , with a considerable degree o f o bliquity to the north, in its wa y from the r iv e r Senegal towards N u b ia , and the N ile .* M r . P a rk arranges the Moorish States which form the fr o n t ie r towards N i - gritia, together with the N e g r o states opposed to them, on the south, in the line o f his progress; in the fo llow ing o r d e r : T h e small Moorish state o f Gedumah, situated on the north bank o f the Senegal river, and the last that touches o n it ,+ is opposed ta th e small Negro- kingdom o f K a ja a g a , on the south. T h is latter o ccupies the ex tremity o f the navigable course o f the Senegal, terminated in this plae e , b y the cataract o f F ’low. F rom this point, the N e g ro and F o u lah states o c cu p y botb banks o f the Senega l river, to its s o u r c e ; and beyon d that, both banks o f the N ig e r (o r Jo lib ab ) likewise, to the la k e D ib b ie , situated beyond the term o f M r . P a rk ’ s expedition. T h is space is d iv id ed , un equa lly , between Ka s son , a hilly strong coun try , but o f small e x te n t ; and which has the M o o rs o f J a ffn oo o n the north; K a a r ta , a considerable state, which has Ludamar fo r its opposite (a co u n try held b y A l i , a Moorish p rince, who is lo ad ed with infamy, on the score o f maltreatment o f the-only tw o Europ eans , w h o appear to h av e entered his country, in latter time s ): Bambara, o f still more consideration, which has on the north, the M o o r ish kingdom o f B e e ro o , and Massina, a F o u lah state. H e r e M r . P a rk ’s personal kn owledge ends; b u t he le a rn t that T om b u c to o and Hou ssa , which succ e ed in order, to Massina, and o c cu p y bo th sides o f • The common boundary o f the Moors and Negroes, in the map o f Mr. Park’s route, is described by a blue line. f The Moors appear to be masters o f the northern bank o f the Senegal through the greatest part o f its navigable course: the Foulahs o f the southern bank.
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