There are no Arabs between Timbuctoo and the Nile; they live on the
36 other side[71], and would not with impunity invade the lands of
these people, who are very populous, and could easily destroy any
army that should attempt to molest them. The lands are chiefly
private property. The Foulans are very beautiful. The Bambarrahs
have thick lips and wide nostrils. The king of Foulan is much
respected at Timbuctoo; his subjects are Muhamedans, but not
circumcised.[72] They cannot be made slaves at Timbuctoo; but the
Arabs steal their girls and sell them; not for slavery, but for
marriage.
Girls are marriageable very young; sometimes they have children at
ten years old.
[Footnote 71: North of the town.]
[Footnote 72: All true Muhamedans are circumcised, so that they
must partake of Paganism if uncircumcised.]
37
JOURNEY
FROM
TIMBUCTOO TO HOUSA.
Shabeeny, after staying three years at Timbuctoo, departed for
Housa: and crossing the small river close to the walls, reached the
Nile in three days, travelling through a fine, populous, cultivated
country, abounding in trees, some of which are a kind of oak,
bearing a large acorn[73], much finer than those of Barbary, which
are sent as presents to Spain. Travelling is perfectly safe. They
embarked on the Nile in a large boat with one mast, a sail, and
oars; the current was not rapid: having a favourable wind, on his
return, he came back in as short a time as he went. The water was
38 very red and sweet.[74] The place where they embarked is called
Mushgreelia; here is a ferry, and opposite is a village. As the
current is slow, and they moored every night, they were eight or
ten days sailing down the stream to Housa. They had ten or twelve
men on board, and when it was calm, or the wind contrary, they
rowed; they steered with an oar, the boat having no rudder. He saw
a great many boats passing up and down the river; _there are more
boats_[75] _on this river between Mushgreelia and Housa than
between Rosetta and Cairo on the Nile of Egypt_. A great many
villages are on the banks. There are boats of the same form as
those of Tetuan and Tangiers, but much larger, built of planks, and
have ribs like those of Barbary; instead of pitch or tar, they are
caulked with a sort of red clay, or bole. The sail is of canvas of
flax (not cotton) brought from Barbary, originally from Holland; it
is square. They row like the Moors, going down the stream.
[Footnote 73: Called El Belûte. These acorns are much prized by
the Muhamedans, and are considered a very wholesome fruit.]
[Footnote 74: The word hellue, in Arabic, which signifies
literally, sweet, here implies that the water was pure and
good.]
[Footnote 75: See Jackson's Marocco, page 314, 2d or 3d
edition.]
There is a road by land from Timbuctoo to Housa, but on account of
the expense it is not used by merchants: Shabeeny believes it is
about 5 days' journey. If you go this way, you must cross the river
before you reach Housa. They landed at the port of Housa, distant a
day and a half from the town; their merchandise was carried from
this port on horses, asses, and horned cattle; the blacks dislike
camels; they say, "_These are the beasts that carry us into
slavery_."
39
The country was rich and well cultivated; they have a plant bearing
a pod called mellochia, from which they make a thick vegetable
jelly.[76] There is no artificial road from Timbuctoo to the Nile;
near the river the soil is miry. Shabeeny travelled from Timbuctoo
to Housa in the hot weather when the Nile was nearly full; it
seldom falls much below the level of its banks; he travelled on
horseback from Timbuctoo to the river, and slept two nights upon
the road in the huts of the natives. One of the principal men in
the village leaves his hut to the travellers and gives them a
supper; in the mean time he goes to the hut of some friend, and in
the morning receives a small present for his hospitality.[77]
[Footnote 76: The pod of the mellochia, which grows near Sallee
and Rabat, is of an elongated conical form, about two inches
long.]
[Footnote 77: This is a common custom in West and South
Barbary; they always clear a tent for the travellers.]