116 ADAMS. 



correctness of his relation. The remarks, however, of 

 M. Graberg de Hemso, Swedish consul at Tripoli, lately 

 given in the Foreign Review, seem to justify the suspicion 

 that this narrative was in the main fictitious ; that though 

 Adams was cast ashore on the Sahara, it was in 1811 in- 

 stead of 1810, as he asserted ; that he never was south of 

 Cape Blanco, and could not therefore have known Tim- 

 buctoo except by report. His real name, besides, was 

 Benjamin Rose. At all events, he appears to have made 

 diligent inquiries as to the state of the country ; and his 

 details, accordingly, as corrected by M. Dupuis, have en- 

 abled the pubhc to form a pretty accurate opinion respect- 

 ing Tirabuctoo. 



The picture drawn by him of this city was different from, 

 and in many respects quite the reverse of, that hitherto 

 presented to Europeans. There is said to exist nothing 

 of that uncontrolled sway and fierce intolerance of the 

 Moors, the belief of which was so strongly impressed upon 

 Park. On the contrary, the king, and all his principal offi- 

 cers were negroes ; the few religious ceremonies observed 

 were pagan ; and the Moors were allowed to enter the town 

 only in small numbers, and under very rigid restrictions. 

 This statement, which appeared at first improbable, has, 

 however, been confirmed by subsequent accounts. The 

 rumours that intolerance prevailed to such an extent in 

 this seat of trade were, we may presume, exaggerated from 

 the very first ; but L'Hagi Mohammed, a resident at the 

 well of Aroan, told M. Cahill of Rabat, that, subsequently 

 to Mr. Park's first journey, the king of Bambarra had con- 

 quered Timbuctoo, and established there a negro govern- 

 ment. This is confirmed by Mr. Jackson, and agrees also 

 with the report which we shall find to be given by Riley. 

 The description of that city, again, corresponded very little 

 with the ideas formerly entertained of its pomp and splen- 

 dour. The most spacious mansions could scarcely rank 

 above huts, being composed of timber frames filled with 

 earth, and only one story high ; while the habitations of 

 the lower orders were formed by putting together branches 

 of trees, and covering them with mats made of the pal- 

 metto. Even the king's palace, or citadel, was represented 

 as only 'a collection of apartments on the ground floor, en- 

 closed by a mud wail. This, iii fact, is an exact descrip- 



