The Akkabaahs are sometimes obliged suddenly to strike their tents, and proceed on their journey, from the Shume arising, and drifting the loose sand along the plains, which attaches to every fixed object in its course, and soon buries it. Savary, who often sacrifices truth to the pomp of language, has committed a gross error in describing the Desert; he says—“Woe to him, whom a whirlwind from the south surprises in the midst of the solitude, if he have not a tent to shelter him; he is assailed by clouds of burning dust which fills his eyes, ears, and mouth, and deprives him of the faculty of sight and breathing.” (See Letters on Egypt.) Now, so far from tents being any permanent protection during these winds, they are rather an annoyance, for it is impossible to keep them upright; and if they are not immediately struck, they, and all within them, are soon buried in the overwhelming torrent of sand.
[198]A person pronouncing this word in Africa, unless he knows the power and force of the letter غ and how to pronounce that difficult guttural, would be unable to make himself intelligible.
[199]Some akkabaahs perform the journey in less, I myself having, when I had a commercial establishment at Agadeer, received a caravan of gum Soudan from Timbuctoo in eighty-two days.
[200]Arguin in the maps.
[201]There is an emigration from this tribe of one hundred families, now residing in several encampments near the city of Marocco.
[202]During my visit to the Viceroy of Suse, Mohammed ben Delemy, he introduced me to four Arabs of the Woled Abbusebah tribe, who conversed in our presence on various subjects, in this poetic manner, and it is astonishing what accuracy in measure and expression is acquired by a long habit in this mode of entertainment. The old Emperor, Seedy Mohammed, encouraged this poetic conversation, and when any one excelled, he never failed to reward him munificently; for although no scholar himself, he encouraged every one who contributed to diffuse a knowledge of the Arabic language.
[203]I presented one of these rings, some years since, to Mr. James Willis, ci-devant consul for Seni-Gambia; they are of pure gold, twisted, and open at the extremity, for the purpose of inserting them in the middle cartilage of the nose; and such is the fashion, that it is esteemed more genteel to appear in rags with a nose-ring, than in fine garments without one. I saw a party of these Wangareens whilst I was on a visit to the Viceroy of Suse, the Khalif Mohammed ben Delemy, who, when eating, threw the ring upwards, to prevent it from coming in contact with their mouth.
[204]The Arabs acknowledge the superiority of Europeans in mechanical arts, and allow that they excel the Africans in general, with the exception, however, of the working in gold, in which the natives of Jinnie do most eminently excel. I have seen trinkets, particularly a figure of an eagle, of such workmanship as would have been difficult to imitate either in England or France.
[205]Slatee is a slave merchant, or seller of men.
[206]Sometimes called Jibbel Kumrie, or the White or Lunar coloured Mountains (see [map the 2d]); so a white horse is called by the Arabs a moon-coloured horse (aoud kumri).