ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



967 



his own country fashion, by taking 

 off his hat, which, however, is con- 

 sidered bv iMooselmin,unacctistotnf 

 ed to Christians, much in the same 

 light that we should a man taking 

 off his wig ; for they go uncovered 

 in the presence of the emperor, un- 

 less they have a red or Moorish cap 

 on, which is a substitute for a wig, 

 their heads being shaved."' 



" Those who have philosophy 

 enough to confine their wants solely 

 to what nature require?, would 

 view the individual happiness of 

 the people who compose the cara- 

 vans, with approbation. Their 

 food, dress, and accommodation, 

 are simple and natural : prescribed 

 from the use of wine and intoxicat- 

 ing liquors by their religion, and 

 exhorted by its principles to tem- 

 perance, they are commonly satis- 

 fied with a few nourishing dates, 

 and a draught of water, and they 

 will travel for weeks successively, 

 without any other food; at other 

 times, a little barley-meal and cold 

 water is the extent of their provi- 

 sion, when they undertake a jour- 

 ney of a few weeks across the de- 

 sert ; living in this abstemious man- 

 ner, they never complain, but so- 

 lace themselves with the hope of 

 reaching their native country, sing- 

 ing occasionally during the journey, 

 whenever tliey approach any habi- 

 tation, or whenever the camels ap- 

 pear fatigued ; these songs are usu- 

 ally sung in trio, and in the chorus 

 all the camel-drivers who have a 

 musical voice join ; it is worthy 

 observation, how much these songs 

 renovate the camels, and the sym- 

 phony and time they keep, surpas- 

 ses what any would imagine, who 

 had not heard thera. In traversing 



the desert, they generally contrive 

 to terminate the day's journey at 

 I'Asaw, a term which they appro- 

 priate to our four o'clock, P. M. 

 so that between that period and the 

 setting sun, the tents are pitched, 

 prayers said, and the (Lashaw) 

 supper got ready ; after which they 

 sit round in a circle, and talk till 

 sleep overcomes them, and next 

 morning, at break of day, they pro» 

 ceed again on their journey. 



" The Arabiclanguage, as spoken 

 by the camel-drivers, is peculiarly 

 sweet and soft; the guttural and 

 harsh letters are softened, and with 

 all its energy and perspicuity, v.'hen 

 pronounced by them, is as soft, and 

 more sonorous, than the Italian; it 

 approaches the ancient Korannick 

 language, and has suffered but lit- 

 tle alteration these twelve hundred 

 years. TheArabsof Moraffra, and 

 those of Woled Abbusebah, fre- 

 quently hold an extempore conver- 

 sation in poetry, at which the wo- 

 men are adepts, and never fail to 

 show attention to those young Arabs 

 who excel in this intellectual and 

 refined amusement.' 



" These slaves are treated very 

 differently from the unhappy vic- 

 tims who used to be transported 

 from the coast of Guinea, and our 

 settlements on the Gambia, to the 

 West India islands. After suffer- 

 ing those pvivalions, which all who 

 traverse the African desert must ne- 

 cessarily and equally submit to, 

 masters, as well as servants and 

 slaves, they are conveyed to Fas 

 and Marocco, and after being ex- 

 hibited in the sock, or public mar- 

 ket-place, they are sold to the high- 

 est bidder, who carries them to his 

 home, where, if found faithful, 



they 



