blackness were owing to intermixture with Negroes, it would
be accompanied by assimilation in other physical characters-
to the Negro race, which is expressly denied.*
Captain Denham describes the Tuaryk as a lively people.
“ The women,” he says, “ have a copper complexion ; eyes
large, black, and rolling ; moses plain.” ' “ Two or three had
finely-shaped noses of the ancient Egyptians h apéi^ Hair
long and sfiedded^not plaited like the Arab women,’ nor oiled.
It seems, frofn these accounts, that the nations, whose his-
tory we have traced in this chapter, present all varieties of complexion,
and these variations appear, in some instances . at
least, to be' nearly in relation to the temperature, whether depending
ou elevation of surface or the latitude of the regions in
which they display themselves.
Section VI.—Of the Tibbo.
- This survey of the nations of northern Africa and of the
Sahara would be incomplete without some further notices of
the Tibbo.
The Tibbos extend eastward of Fezzan, along the southern
side of the Harudje and the desert of Augelah, towthe-" vast
desert which borders on Egypt to the westward. To the
southward of the Tibbos are wandering Arab tribes who possess
the desert between them and Bornu, and to the westward
are the Tuaryk of Arba, or Aghades, and of Tagaze.
According to Homemann, the following are the«principal
tribes of Tibbos
1st. Hecliâdéh, or Tibbos of the rocks, to the southward
and south-east of Fezzan. The towns of Abo and Tibest.y
belong to them.
2nd. The Febabos, situated about ten days’ j ourney towards
the south-south-west of Âugelah.
3rd. The tribe of Borgou, placed further southward, nearly
on the parallel of the southern part of Fezzan.
4th. The tribe of Arno.
5th. The tribe of Bilma, which is the greatest tribe of the
* Hornemann’s Travels in Africa. Trad, de M. Langïès, p. 152.
f Clapperton and Denham’s Travels in Africa, p. 52.
Tibbo nation, and occupies the • country between Fezzan and
Bornou#
■ Tibtes.v«i; (fee? borders of the empire of
Bornou.
The Tibboos are described by Homemann, who .says that
thev atée^ïf not quite black.” He adds/ that their-growth is
slender- * their limbstöre ■v^elMüfned,/' their walk as hght and
s'wift; their eyeS>'are quick.; -their life thick ; their are
uotrtprned upor. battened, and not large»:; their hair-.is-1^ -
curled than that of the Negroes.*', s
The Tibbo appear touh&t a^fpeepléfofpeomliaT character,
wto ^S ibW bSÉrs* the i «pressie»-of the cMernal
agenc^ete under which they exist, and which it seems
harmoniously adapted. They aa?e black,~oflo£,|,'sai dark colour,,
but have not the form of the. head that belong» do* Negstoter
The following account of them is given by/Cgptain Lyon:
“ The Tibbp females are-light and-elegant in form;» and
their graceful costume, quite; different from that* of the Fcz-x
aaners, as well put on. They have-aquiline rioses^'fine teeth,
and lips formed like those ©f Europeans: thêir •eyes":are ex-
pressive, and their colour is of the brightest Mack; there m
something in their walk and erect manner ©f carrying them-
SelVes/which is very striking; Their feet and ankles* are de«
licately forced, and are not loaded with a mass of brass, or
iron, but have merely a light anklet of polished silver or
copper sufficient to showtheiryetfft/ skin to more advantage^
They also wear red slippers. Their hair is plaiéeêf«tf^ea®h
side in such a manner as to hang down on the cheeks like
a fan, or rather in the form of a large dog’s ear.” “ The
Tibbo women do not, like thé Arabs, ieover their faces.
They retain their youthful appearance longer than the latter.” #
The principal region of Tibbo is Bilma, in latitude 18°,
some hundred miles north of Lake Tscbad, where they have
been seen by the English travellers who- visited Bornou.' The
Tibbo of this region are described by Clapperton and Denham.*
They Say that “ the women have very pleasing features.
The pearly white uf their regular teeth.is beautifuly contrasted
with the glossy blackness of their skin ;• triangular
* Capt. Lyon’s Travels, p. 224—227-