Beyond Timboo, on the north side of the Nile, are very extensive.
Afnoo is subject to the king of Housa, no slaves can be made from
thence. Darfneel is near Afnoo; the latter is on the north side of
the river, nearer to its source, and a great way from Timbuctoo. No
Arabs are found on the banks of the Nile. He supposes the
circumference of the empire to be about twenty-five days' journey;
has heard that many other large towns are dependent upon it, but
does not remember their names.
The neighbouring countries are Bambarra, Timboo, Mooshee, and
Jinnie; all negroes. He has heard of Bernoo[90] as a great empire.
53
On the 31st of March, 1790, Shabeenee gave further information, in
the presence of Lord Rawdon[91], Mr. Stuart, and Mr. Wedgewood. Mr.
Wedgewood proposed the questions, and Mr. Dodsworth interpreted.
The following is some of the information, omitting what has been
noticed already.
Between Timbuctoo and Housa, there is a very good trade. Timbuctoo
is tributary to the king of Housa. The imports into Timbuctoo[92]
are spices, corn, and woollens from Barbary, and linens from the
sea-coast.
[Footnote 90: Ber Noh, or Bernoh, _i.e._ the country of Noah,
is said by the Africans, to be the birth-place of the patriarch
Noah.]
[Footnote 91: Now the Marquis of Hastings.]
[Footnote 92: For a more detailed account of the imports to
Timbuctoo, see Jackson's Account of Marocco, &c.]
The written character is very large, perhaps half an inch long. The
empire is divided into provinces; the provinces into districts. The
king appoints the governors of both; but the son of the deceased
governor is understood to have the preference.
They make their pottery by a wheel, but do not glaze it. The wheel
turns upon a pivot placed in a hole in the ground: at top and
bottom are two pieces of wood like a tea-table; the lower, which is
largest, is turned by the foot, and the upper forms the vessel.
When they make a large pot, they put on the top a larger piece: the
pots are dried in the sun or burnt in the fire. The iron mines are
in the desert; the iron is brought in small pieces by the Arabs,
54 who melt and purify it. They cannot cast iron. They use charcoal
fire, and form guns and swords with the hammer and anvil. The
points of their arrows are barbed with iron; the crossbows have a
groove for the arrow. No man can draw the bow by his arm alone,
they have a kind of lever; the bow part is of steel brought from
Barbary, and is manufactured at Timbuctoo. They do not make steel
themselves.
They inoculate for the small-pox; the pus is put into a dried
raisin and eaten. "_Rooka Dindooka_" is a kind of oath, and means,
by God. They believe only one God. After dinner they use the Arabic
expression, El Hamd Ulillah; praise to be to God.[93]
They believe the immortality of the soul, and that both men and
women go to paradise; that there is no future punishment; the
wicked are punished in this world. Happiness, after death, consists
in being in the presence of God. They are not circumcised. A
divorce may take place while a woman is pregnant, but she cannot
marry again till delivered. As soon as a woman is divorced,
midwives, women brought up to that profession, examine her to see
whether she is pregnant.
[Footnote 93: This is the Arabic, or Muhamedan grace after
meat; the grace before meat is equally sententious, viz.
Bismillah, i.e. in the name of God.]
[Illustration: map of West Barbary]
55
LETTERS
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF JOURNIES
THROUGH VARIOUS PARTS OF
WEST AND SOUTH BARBARY,
AT DIFFERENT PERIODS,
PERFORMED PERSONALLY BY J.G.J.