Tíris—a word meaning in Temáshight the shallow well—is separated from El
Giblah, as I have stated above, by Magh-tér, a girdle of immense
sandhills stretching almost from the sea shore as far east as five days
beyond Wadán, and varying in breadth from three to five days. Tíris is
very much of the same nature as El Giblah, being destitute of water in
the dry season, but presenting sufficient herbage for the camel;
however, the whole tract does not present one and the same character,
the western part, or “Tíris el Khawára,” being much dryer than the
eastern portion, which extends from the hasi “El Auj,” to near Íjil, and
is called “Tíris el Firár.” In these two districts, there cannot be any
permanent dwelling-places, but there are two localities worth
mentioning, which occasionally become the scenes of much life and
bustle. These are the harbour called Ágadír Dóme and the sebkha of Íjil.
The former, being called by the Europeans “Arguin,” and seeming to be
identical with the place called Welíli by the Arab writers, when visited
by a European vessel attracts numbers of Arabs, principally of the tribe
called Malzen, between whom and the strangers the Démesát act as
brokers. As for the “sebkha” of Íjil, which was discovered it is said
about sixty years ago, it seems to lie in an opening of the sandhills of
Magh-tér, which have to be crossed in coming from Wadán as well as from
Sákiet el Hamra, having, at some distance towards the south, a high
mountain, on whose top some holy person, who was certainly an impostor,
is said to have seen a grove of palm-trees. It lies about half-way
between Wadán and Agadír, and has rich layers of salt of a good quality,
but of black colour, probably of a similar kind to the fourth stratum in
Taödénni, called “El Káhela;” but there being no fresh water nearer than
a good day’s distance, at El Argíye, there is no permanent settlement
here, and the Arabs belonging to different tribes, who come in
considerable numbers for the salt, endeavour to get off as quickly as
possible. The Sheikh Sídi Mohammed El Kuntawi, who generally has his
residence near the well Sidáti, exercises a sort of supremacy over the
sebkha, and levies a small tribute on those who carry away the salt.
Besides the sebkha of Íjil there seems to be hereabout, perhaps nearer
the sea, another sebkha, called Úm El Khashéb, and belonging to the
Welád Haye Ben ʿOthmán, but its exact position I have not been able to
make out. Among the Arab tribes wandering about in Tíris and Magh-tér,
and the adjoining districts, first of all must be mentioned the Welád
Delém, which tribe seems to be the most numerous of all the tribes of
the desert.
Welád Delém being classed into two groups, at least by the Arabs of
Ázawád, called Welád Máref and Delém el Áhmar. To the former group
belong the following three tribes:—
Welád Molád, the most numerous section of the W. Delém, but ill-famed
on account of their robberies, living also in Gídi. They are
subdivided as follows:—
Welád Bú-Karsíye, to whom belongs the chief of the whole section,
Hennún Welád Twéta.
El Hamáya, with a chief of their own, El Fádhel Welád Shwén.
E’ Sheháli, with a chief, the son of Allád.
Welád Sháker.
Welád Bú Hínde, who do not live in Tíris, but in Ázawád.
Sekárna, also in several divisions, the name of none of which became
known to me, except that of the Áhel Déde, who are the Shiúkh.
Welád Sálem, with the chief, Mohammed Weled ʿOmár, living here or in
Gídi.