THE AEABS OF DAE-FOR— SOCIAL USAGES. 277 



the Arabs in speech. There are moreover numerous other communities, whose 

 classification is a matter of great difficulty. All call themselves Arabs, so as to 

 appear of more noble extraction ; but the bulk of them are probably allied to the 

 Forians. The powerful Massalit tribes, several of which live in complete inde- 

 pendence on the western frontiers of Dar-For and in Wadaï, are amongst those 

 tribes believed to be of aboriginal descent. Till recently they were in constant 

 feud with the Habanieh tribe, who occupy more especially the southern region of 

 Dar-For ; but peace has now been restored. According to Nachtigal, some of 

 these people are still addicted to anthropophagy. 



The Arabs of Dar-For. 



The northern part of the country, on the verge of the desert between Kordofân 

 and Wadaï, is peopled by Barâbra immigrants, Zogawahs, Bideyats, and many 

 others, and even by Bisharins from Eastern Nubia. There are numerous Wadaï 

 colonies in Dar-For which, like the other natives of the western countries, are 

 generally known by the name of Takrur or Takarir. Dar-For has also been 

 colonised by Fulas, belonging to the same race as those of Western Africa, and by 

 Homrs, Hamrs, or Beni-Hamrans, who possess many camels, and who claim to have 

 come from Marocco. They live principally to the north-east of the Marrah Moun- 

 tains, in the Om-Bedr oasis, and to the west in the Wady-Bareh, where they 

 practice sorcery ; some of their families have even penetrated as far as Kordofân. 

 According to Ensor, the Homrs are distinguished from the other inhabitants of 

 Dar-For by the respect which they show to their wives. The majority of the 

 strangers consist of Arabs, or of " peoples assimilated to the Arabs," who have 

 come from the north and east. Already some centuries ago, and probably even at 

 a period anterior to the Hegira, nomads from the Arabian peninsula had penetrated 

 into Dar-For. The Tunjur or Tunzer, who governed the country and whose 

 descendants still live in the mountains and plains situated south of El-Fasher, 

 claim to be Arabs and are considered as such, although they are not Mohammedans, 

 and although the peoples in these countries are usually classed according to their 

 religion. In the opinion of Lejean they are not Arabs, but Tubbu tribes who 

 have migrated from the north-west. The Mussulman " Arabs " also, who roam in 

 the plains, divided into numerous groups, are evidently of mixed origin, like those 

 of Kordofân, whom they resemble in customs and speech. In southern Dar-For 

 all the tribes belong to the great Baggâra family. According to Mohanmied the 

 Tunisian, children born of mixed Arab and For parents die at an early age, whilst 

 those born of parents of the same race are usually of sound and vigorous constitu- 

 tion. Consumption is extremely rare amongst them, and this malady is almost 

 unknown elsewhere in Dar-For. 



Social Usages. 



The civilisation of the Forians is of Mussulman origin, and the Arabs have 

 evidently been the instructors of the nation. Literature and science, if these two 



