made up for their want of numbers ; and, it is probable, that
the greater part of the Arabs, who passed into Africa after
the conquest, preferred Maintaining their former habits of
life, and wandering through the plains of Biledulgerid and the
Sahara, rather than coop themselves up in towns, and change
their manner of existence.- This, indeed,-appears to havebeen
the case with the Arab tribes who migrated into Africa in
the first centuries after the Hegira, as we shall have occasion
to observe in a future section of this book.
. Through the ascendancy of the conquering people; and
the influence of -Islam, the constant reading of the Koran,
and by intercourse with other countries/ the Arabic language
must soon have become spread much more extensively than
the mixture of foreign population. In the time of Leo Afri-
canus, suflie informs us, all the cities on the African coast-—
a mari Mediterraneo ad Atlantem usque montera^spoke cor*
rapt Arabic. He excepts the kingdom and the city of Maroco,
as well as the Numidians of the inland country,; viz. those
who border on Mauretania and Caesarea. He seems, afterwards,
to limit the use of Arabic to the people* of Tunis and
Tripoli, and the nearly adjoining districts. “ Quare qui
Tuneto regno et Tripolitano confines sunt Arabic«* loquuntui,
sed corruptissimc*.” The people of Maroco spoke Berber in
the time of Leo; the Arabic language has since become the
popular idiom there also; not by any Sfibsequenti «olohization,
for there has been no change in the population of the country,
but by the influence of other causes above suggested.
We may, therefore, consider the population of Barbary as
principally consisting of the descendants of the aboriginal
Berber race.
S e c t io n V.—Physical Characters of the Barbary Moors,
and of the Native Tribes of Atlas and the Sahara.
The general character of the people of Barbary is well
known to Europe. Their figure and stature is nearly the
same as those of the southern Europeans, and their complexion
if darkerfiis only so in proportion to the higher temperature
of-the-countries which they inhabit. It displays, as
we shall see,* great varieties*.- *
Mr. Jackson informs vus that the men of Temsena and
Shdwiah are of a strong, robust make, and of a copper colour.
He adds, that the women are véry'beautiful.
The women of Fez,» àccording.-to-the same writer, are as
fair as* European women, but their hair and eyes are always
dark. He says .that the wome®5-of Mequinas are vefy beautiful^
and have the red and white complexion of English
females.
> M. Rozet gives the following description of the Moors :
“ HrC^ste cependant encore un certain nombre de families,
qui n’ont point contracté d’alliances avec des étrangers, et
chez* lesquel les on retrôuye les caractères de la race primitive.
.-Les hommes;-s‘ont d’une taille au ••àoyépsrçjfj.
leur démarche' est noble et grave ; ils ont les cheveux noirs ;
la peau tin peu basanée, mais plutôt blanche que brune; le
visage plein, mais les traits en sont moins bien prononcés que
çeîix des Arabes et des Berbères.- Ils ont généralement le nez
arrondéfsla bouche moyenne, les yeux très ouverts mais peu
vifb;- leurs muscles sont bien prononcés/ et ils ont le corps
plutôt gros que maigre. ■ Les-- femmes sont constituées en
proportion jdes hommes ; elles oM presque- toutes les., cheveux
noirs eteées'yeux magnifiques ; j ’en ai Vu de fort jolies. Elles
ne portent jamais de-corsets, et comme l’embonpoint est une
grande beauté aux yeux des Maures, et qu’elles font tous
leurs efforts pour en avoir, elles, ont 1e. corps mal fait, et surtout
extrêmement large de hanches.’’
The German travelled M. M. De Spix and Martius were
struck by the singular mixture of races which they observed
at Gibraltar, where northern and southern Europeans, as well
as natives of Africa, are seen collected in crowds, and they
have attempted to point,.outtbe distinguishing traits of each
people. “ Among the natives of northern Africa,” they say, “ a
great many resort hither from Maroco, who sell fruit and fine
leather manufactures in the streets. The : fair and sanguine
natives of the north, as well as the tawny, southern European,
distinguish themselves by strikingly different traits both in