XII.] THE CAUCASIC PEOPLES. 475 



name 1 . There are two distinct sections, the northern Tedas, 

 a name recalling the Tedamansii^ a branch of the Garamantes 

 located by Ptolemy somewhere between Tripolitana and Phazania 

 (Fezzan), and the Southern Dazas, through whom the Tibus 

 merge gradually in the negroid populations of central Sudan. 

 This intermingling with the blacks dates from remote times, 

 whence Ptolemy's remark that the Garamantes seemed rather more 

 " Ethiopians " than Libyans'. But there can be no doubt that 

 the full-blood Tibus, as represented by the northern section, are 

 true Hamites, and although the type of the men is somewhat 

 coarser than that of their Tuareg neighbours, that of the women 

 is almost the finest in Africa. " Their women are charming while 

 still in the bloom of youth, unrivalled amongst their sisters of 

 North Africa for their physical beauty, pliant and graceful figures 3 ." 

 It is interesting to notice amongst these somewhat secluded 

 Saharan nomads the slow growth of culture, and the curious 

 survival of usages which have their explanation in primitive social 

 conditions. " The Tibu is always distrustful ; hence, meeting 

 a fellow-countryman in the desert, he is careful not to draw near 

 without due precaution. At sight of each other both generally 

 stop suddenly ; then crouching and throwing the litham over the 

 lower part of the face in Tuareg fashion, they grasp the insepar- 

 able spear in their right and the shangermangor, or bill-hook, in 

 their left. After these preliminaries they begin to interchange 

 compliments, inquiring after each other's health and family con- 

 nections, receiving every answer with expressions of thanksgiving 

 to Allah. These formalities usually last some minutes 4 ." Ob- 

 viously all this means nothing more than a doffing of the hat or 

 a shake-hands amongst more advanced peoples ; but it points 

 to times when every stranger was a hostis, who later became the 

 hospes (host, guest). 



1 Ti-bu "Rock People''; cf. Kaneni-bu= lt 1&xs\sa\. People," southern- 

 most branch of the family on north side of Lake Chad. 



- "OVTUV 5e /cat avrwv 77577 fj.d\\ov Xidioiruv (i. 8). I take 77^77, which has 

 caused some trouble to commentators, here to mean that, as you advance south- 

 wards from the Mediterranean seaboard, you find yourself on entering Gara- 

 mantian territory already rather amongst Ethiopians than Libyans. 



1 Reclus, Eng. ed. vol. xi. p. 429. 



4 Ib. p. 430. 



