ON Till: LANGUAGE OF THE BERBERS. 439 



nean. The country of the Berbers is considered as included 

 within tliose dominions, but tlie Moorish governments have 

 not yet succeeded, nor probably ever will succeed, in reduc- 

 ing these tribes to a state of com[)lcte subjection. Although 

 the greatest part of them follow the practices of the Maho- 

 metan religion, yet like our ultra-Mississippian hidians, they 

 live in a state of savage independence, occasionally sul)mit- 

 ting to, but never acknowledging, the supremacy of their no- 

 minal masters. 



These people are divided into four principal nations or 

 large tribes: 1. The Amaziig, who inhabit the dominions of 

 the Emperor of Morocco ; their language is called S/iilha. 

 2. The Kabyles, to the eastward in the territories of Algiers 

 and Tunis, and whose language is called Showiah. 3. The 

 'I'uarycks, in middle Africa, south westward of the kingdom 

 of Fczzan. I. The Siwahs, to the East, extending to the 

 frontier of Egypt. These inhabit the Oasis of the same name 

 where is supposed to have been the oracular temple of Ju- 

 piter Ammon. 



Some authors have considered the Tibho as a part of the 

 Berber nation ; they live to the south east of Fezzan, and are 

 believed to be the remains of the ancient Troglodytes men- 

 tioned by Herodotus. They, in fact, live in caves like their 

 ancestors. But they are a coloured race, approaching in 

 the shape of their features to the Negroes, althougli they do 

 not exactly resemble them. Nor have we yet any specimen 

 of their language, at least that I know of. It seems prema- 

 ture, therefore, to include them within the general denomi- 

 nation of Berbers. 



The Amazirg and the Kabyles were the only peojjle of 

 this extended nation known to the world. — the former by 

 mcansof the travels of George Hocst, a Dane, and the latter 

 by those of Dr. Shaw, until Mr. Horncmann, who, in the 

 years 1797 and 1798, travelled from Cairo to Mourtzouk, 

 the capital of Fezzan, in the employment of the English So- 

 ciety lor explorin-j; the interior of Africa, became and made 

 us acquainted with the Siwahs and the Tuarycks, and disco- 



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