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.
SECTION II.
The west and south of Fezzan is inhabited by the Tuarick, a mighty people, who border south-west on Burnu; south on Burnu, Soudan, and Tombuctoo; eastward on the country of the Tibbo and Fezzan; northward on part of Fezzan, and the Arabs who live behind the regions of Tripoly, Tunis, and Algiers; and westward on the great empire of Fez and Morocco, of whom a few colonies are found in Sockna, (in the dominion of Fezzan), Augila, and Siwah; in which places the language of the Tuarick is the only one spoken by the inhabitants.[13]
The Tuarick are divided into many nations and tribes, who all speak the same language; but, by their colour and manner of living, it is probable that they differ widely in their origin. As I will give only certain informations, on this account I confine myself, in the following relation, to the Tuarick of the nation of Kolluvi and the tribe of Hagara. These are thin in growth, rather tall than short; their walk is swift but firm; their look is stern, and their whole demeanour is warlike. Cultivated and enlightened, their natural abilities would render them, perhaps, one of the greatest nations upon earth. Their character (particularly that of Kolluvi,) is much esteemed. The western tribes of this nation are white, as much as the climate and manner of living will admit. The Kolluvians who reached the region of Asben and conquered Agades, and mixed with the nations, are of different colours; many of them are black; but their features are not like those of Negroes. The Hagara and Matkara are yellowish, like the Arabs; near Soudan there are tribes entirely black. The clothing of this nation consists of wide dark-blue breeches, a short narrow shirt of the same colour, with wide sleeves, which they bring together and tie on the back of their neck, so that their arms are at liberty. They wind a black cloth round their head in such a manner that at a distance it appears like a helmet, for their eyes only are seen. Being Mahometans, they cut off their hair, but leave some on the top of the head, round which those who wear no cap, contrive to fold their black cloth, so that it appears like a tuft on their helmet. Round their waist they wear a girdle of a dark colour; from several cords which fall from their shoulders, hangs a koran in a leather pouch, and a row of small leather bags containing amulets. They always carry in their hands a small lance, neatly worked, about five feet long. Above the left elbow, on the upper part of the arm, they wear their national badge, a thick, black or dark-coloured ring, of horn or stone.
Their upper dress is a Soudanian shirt, over which a long sword hangs from the shoulder. The travelling merchants of this nation carry fire-arms; the others use only the sword, the lance, and the knife, which they carry on their left arm, like the Tibbo, but the handle is finely worked; for they have the art of giving to copper as bright a colour as the English artists, and this art they keep very secret.
They carry on a commerce between Soudan, Fezzan, and Gadames. Their caravans give life to Mourzouk, which, without them, is a desert; for they, like the Soudanians, love company, song and music.