50 



GUMS FROM SENEGAL. 



sharp-pointed thorns : the wood is hard, the bark grey, and from the 

 latter the gummy liquid naturally exudes, which becomes hard in from 

 twenty to thirty days. It is more abundantly diffused, and forms 

 thicker forests on the right bank of the river than the left, growing in 

 Senegal, all round Saint Louis, in Oualo and Ghioloff, and in the 

 country of the Moors, to the confines of the Sahara Desert, as far even 

 as the shifting sands which extend to Cape Verd. In all these loca- 

 lities it is associated with the Acacia Neboued (the Mimosa Neb-neb, and 

 Red Gum-tree of Adanson), which chiefly differs from A. Verek by its 

 redder Gum, which is almost always formed in round balls, from'half 

 an inch to an inch in diameter, transparent, and slightly bitter-tasted. 

 The Neboued Gum, which dissolves perfectly in its own weight of water, 

 also forms a much thicker mucilage than the Verek, and colours litmus- 

 paper very little. 



The Senegal Gum is chiefly collected by the nomade Arabs of the 

 Southern Sahara, who call themselves Bedaouins (wanderers), but 

 whom the Colonists name Moors. A few quintals of the substance 

 are very occasionally brought by the Negros of Oualo and Ghioloff, 

 who inhabit the left bank of the river : the first are a most apathetic 

 race, and the latter, who offer a remarkably fine sort of Gum, are much 

 debarred from entering the market by the Moors, who are' jealous of 

 their neighbours, and who seek to monopolize the trade in Gum. 



There are several distinct tribes of Moors, who devote themselves to 

 the collecting of Gum, and each claims and explores its own peculiar 

 oasis or forest of Gum-trees. The best Gum is obtained from the 

 Oasis of Sahel, where hardly any tree grows but Acacia Verek; the 

 tribe called Trarzas owns this forest. An inferior article is produced 

 in the Oasis of El-hiebar, which consists more of Acacia Neboued than 

 A. Verek; it is in the possession of a very numerous family of Mara- 

 bouts. Again, a still less valuable Gum, called Gonakie, comes from 

 the Oasis of El-Futak; while scattered bands of Arabs collect small 

 quantities of gums, of greater or less value, in remote spots, far from 

 the river. 



When the rainy season ceases, in November, the Moors, whom the 

 inundations of the river had driven to considerable distances, return, 

 and set their black slaves to collect the Gum. For two or three 

 months the produce is very limited, but in February, and early in 

 March, when the drought increases, the harvest of Gum becomes more 



