“There is a general opinion of all Burnu and Fezzan people, that Burnu and Fezzan, according to our manner of speaking, lie under the same meridian. Burnu is distant from Kashna 15 days, by travelling very slow 20 fisturnees, or about 330 English miles. Fiddri from Burnu E by N 25 days. The people of Fiddri have no salt in their country, but what they prepare from straw ashes.
“A great part of the people of Wadey, together with their king, are Arabs.
“In the direction of south by west from Augila, distant ten days, or about 200 miles, are the Febabo, and some days more to the south the Birgu, nations of the Tibbo, whose country is very fine and fertile: they are said to be Pagans. It is singular, that the people of Augila, in speaking of these tribes, make much the same comparison which Herodotus (Melpom. c. 183.) does, when speaking of the Ethiopian Troglodytæ, hunted by the Garamantes, ‘that their language is like the whistling of birds.’
“The most interesting nation of Africa, is the Tuarick. (Leo Afr. calls them Terga, طرجي.) They are in possession of all the country between Fezzan, Gadames, the empire of Morocco, Tombuctoo, Soudan, Burnu, and the country of the Tibbo. They are divided into several nations, of which the Kolluvi in Asben, and the Hagara near to Fezzan, are the chief.
“Christians and tailed men, I suppose, never will be found in the interior of Africa. The Mahometans call Nazari (which is properly the name for Christians) not the Christians only, but also every other people who are not of their religion. Of tailed men I heard no accounts, except from one person, (but not a testis fide dignissimus,) who placed them ten days south of Kano; he called them Yem Yem, and said that they were cannibals. In ten months I shall be near to that direction.
“I shall now, Sir, conclude this letter, which I hope will find you in good health. I am, &c. &c.
“FREDERICK HORNEMAN.”
FOOTNOTES:
[13]I have given further particulars on this subject in the account of my journey, from Cairo to Fezzan.