SECTION I.
Westward from Fezzan, and to the south and south-west, the country is inhabited by the Tibbo, who command also the country from Fezzan towards Egypt, from which it is said to be separated by a large desert. The nearest inhabited places north of Tibbo are Augila and Siwah. On the south they are bounded by wandering Arabs; and on the west beyond Fezzan, by the dominions of the Tuaricks.
The Tibbo are not quite black; their growth is slender; their limbs are well turned; their walk is light and swift; their eyes are quick, their lips thick, their nose is not turned up, and not large; their hair is not very long, but less curled than that of the Negroes. They appear to have much natural capacity, but they have too few opportunities of improving it, being surrounded by barbarous nations, or Mahometans. Their intercourse with the Arabs, to whom they convey slaves, has probably corrupted them; they are accused of being mistrustful, treacherous, and deceitful. The Fezzanians do not travel singly with them, for they are afraid of being surprised and murdered at the instigation of the company with whom they travel. The language of the Tibbo is spoken with extraordinary rapidity, and has many consonants, particularly the L and S. They number thus:
| One, | Trono. |
| Two, | —. |
| Three, | Agesso. |
| Four, | Fusso. |
| Five, | Fo. |
| Ten, | Markum. |
Their cloathing consists of sheep-skins, which they dress with or without the wool; the former for winter, the latter for summer; but the inhabitants of the principal places, or others, when they go to Fezzan, clothe themselves like the Burmuans, in large blue shirts; their head is wrapt in a dark blue cloth in such a manner, that their eyes only are seen. Their weapons are a lance about six feet long, and a knife from fifteen to twenty inches long, which they carry on their left arm, the sheath being fastened to a ring of leather about three inches wide, which they bear on their wrist.
The Tibbo are divided into several tribes, the principal of which are, the Tibbo of Bilma, whose chief resides at Dyrke, about one day’s journey from Bilma. This tribe is a good deal mixed, having established itself forcibly among the Negroes who lived in that district: to this day, the inhabitants of Bilma are mostly Negroes; in Dyrke, on the contrary, they are Tibbo. This tribe carries on a commerce between Fezzan and Burnu, and apparently with great safety to themselves; for they travel in small companies of six or eight men; but on account of their bad character, the slaves of either sex, from Burnu, who have been freed, do not return with them, as the poor people are afraid of being plundered and sold again, or murdered by them.
The religion of the Tibbo of Bilma, is the Mahometan; but it is said they hold it very cheap.
The tribe of the Tibbo Rschade, or the Rock Tibbo, is so called from their houses being built under rocks, and they frequently live even in caves, before which they build huts of rushes in a very coarse manner, for their summer residence. The chief of this tribe lives in Abo; next to which Tibesty is the largest place. The Tibbo Rschade go in multitudes to Fezzan, at which time they clothe themselves like the Tuarick; however, I have seen several wearing their sheep-skins. This tribe is reported to be good Mahometans.
The Tibbo Burgu are said to be still Pagans: the district which they inhabit, abounds in dates, corn, and grass.
A company of Fezzanians having this year been plundered by some of the people of Burgû, as they were travelling from Bergami to Mourzouk, the sultan of Fezzan sent a small army into their country: it consisted of thirty-two men on horseback, seventy Arabs on foot, and about two hundred Tibbos of the Rschade tribe. The Arabs went from Mourzouk into Gatron, fifty-four miles south of that place; to Fegherie thirty-three miles south-south-east of Gatron; then to Abo seven days, and Tibesty three days, in an easterly direction; then to Burgu eighteen days, (reckoning a day’s journey eighteen miles.) They stole about two hundred people, the greatest part of whom were sold in a treacherous manner.
The women of the Burgu tribe, wear their hair in plaits, which hang down from their heads, but the hair on the fore-part of their heads is cut off. The girls are accused of becoming pregnant by their brothers. The slave of one of my friends, who spoke the Tibbo language, assured me, that he had questioned a young woman who was with child, and that she did not deny it.
Farther towards the east lies Arna, the principal place of another Tibbo tribe, at the distance of five or six days.
South-south-west of Augila dwell the Febabo, who are exposed to the yearly depredations of the Arabs of Bengasi, who go out with the Arabs of Augila, to steal men and dates; and for that purpose, they convey with them several hundred camels.
The distance to Febabo was stated to me by the Augilarians to be ten days journey, (twenty-one miles per day,) and that during the first six days no water is to be found. The most southerly of the Tibbo tribes are the Nomadic Tibbo, who live in the Bahr-el-Gasel, which is said to be a long and fruitful valley, seven days journey from Bergami northward.