THE LIBYAN FAMILY. 23 



with an imposing air of pride and independence. Their features resemble those 

 of southern Europeans ; their natural complexion is nearly white, much darkened, 

 however, by exposure to a hot sun, and their hair is long, black and glossy. They 

 are said to be less treacherous than the Arabs, yet passionate, cruel and revengeful. 

 They are fond of war, and plunder both their Arab and Negro neighbors, and 

 reduce the latter to slavery. They are chiefly pastoral in their mode of life ; and 

 although they have horses, they mostly travel and fight on foot. 



The Shilloohs inhabit south of the Tuariks, are less robust and have darker 

 complexions : they are also said to be more industrious, peaceful, civilised and 

 humane, having some manufactures, and being more husbandmen than shepherds. 

 They occupy the western valleys of Mount Atlas, in the province of Temsna, 

 but are still more numerous south of the city of Morocco. 



The Mem inhabit the oasis of Ghadamis, south of Tripoli, and are said to 

 be divided into two hostile tribes which are at constant war with each other. 



To this family also belong the Beni-Mozab^ and other tribes of Belad-el-gerid, 

 south of Atlas, the Zuaves of the Tunisian territory, the Kolluvians in the neigh- 

 borhood of Soudan, the Tagama near Tombuctoo, who are white, and the Hagara 

 and Matkara, who are yellowish.* 



"The Kabyles," says Dr. Prichard, "who appear to be intimately connected 

 with the Berbers, inhabit the higher part of the Algerine and Tunisian territories, 

 living in mountain villages composed of huts, which resemble the magalia of the 

 old Numidians. The Kabyles, as we learn from Dr. Shaw, are in general of a 

 swarthy color, with dark hair ; but those who inhabit the mountains of Auress, 

 though they speak the same idiom, are of a fair and ruddy complexion, and their 



hair is of a deep yellow."! 



It is probably a tribe of Berbers to whom M. Arago alludes when he informs 

 us, that, "in going from Bougia to Algiers in 1808, by land, he saw women of all 

 ages in the different villages, who were white, had blue eyes and fair hair; but 

 that the nature of his journey did not permit him to stop and ask if they came 

 from any particular tribe." 



The GuANCHEs of the Canary Islands appear to have been a colony of 

 Berbers, as is inferred from the remains of their language, their features and their 

 customs. The singular perfection with which they practised the art of embalm- 



* Prichard, I, p. 246, &c. — The best account of the Berbers I have any where seen is contained 

 under that article in the Penny Cyclopaedia, a learned and elaborate work with a very iiumble title, 

 t Idem. p. 243. 



