K A S 



i.Jcs by the fands of the vaft defart of Bilm^, where the 

 ardent her. of a fiaming (l<y is returned with double fierce- 

 ncfs by the fin-face of the burning foil. A thoufand camels, 

 bred and maintained for the puqjofe, are faid to compofe the 

 caravans wh ch annually explore, in the favage wildernefs, 

 the long h,ie of this adventurous journey. Perilous however, 

 and full of hardftips as their labour is, the merchants find an 

 ample recompence in the profits of their commerce ; for 

 while the .vrefched viilagers who inhabit the neighbourhood 

 of the lakes, and colledl the fait that congeals upon the 

 fliOres, arc contented to receive, or obUged to accept a 

 fcanty price, the value which the merchants obtain in the 

 various markets of Cafhna, Tombuftoo, and of the countries 

 S. of the Niger, is fuited to the high cUimation in which 

 the article k held. The people of Agadez are equally 

 anxious to avail themfelves of the produftions of their own 

 country. Accordingly, being well apprifcd of the fupcrior 

 quality of the fenna, which grows upon thefe mountains, 

 they demand and receive from the merchants of Fezzan a 

 proportionable price. From Tripoli this fenna is conveyed 

 to Turkey, Leghorn, and Marfeilles. Of the other articles 

 of fale which the extenfive empire of Kaflina affords, the 

 principal arc goldduft, flaves, cotton cloths, which are the 

 general maniifaaure of Caflina, Bornou, and the Negro 

 ftates S. of the Niger, goat-fl<ins of the red and yellow dyes, 

 ox and bufFalo hides, and civet ; and in return for thefe, the 

 inhabitants of KafTina receive cowries, horfes, and mares, 

 red woollen caps, check linens, lisjht coarfe woollen cloths, 

 baize, barakans or alhaiks, fmall Turkey carpets, plain 

 Mefurata carpets, filk, wrought and un\<rought, tilTues and 

 brocades, fabre blades, Dutch knives, fciflbrs, coral, beads, 

 fmall looking-glaffes, tiches, or a parte prepared in Fezzan, 

 from dates and the meal of Indian corn, and which, when- 

 ever they travel, is in great reqnell among the people of 

 Fezzan ; and Gooroo nuts, which are brought from the 

 Negro Hates on the S. of the Niger, and which impart a 

 pleafant bitter to any liquid in which they are infufed. 



The Fezzaners, equally connected by their conimerc; 

 with Cafhna and Bornou, difpatch to the former as well as 

 to the latter, and always at the fame feafon, an annual cara- 

 van. From Mourzouk, their capital, which they leave at the 

 clofe of October, they take their courfe to the S.S.W. and 

 proceed to the province of Hiatts, the moil barren, and the 

 word inhabited diftrict of their ccuntrv. From Hiatts they 

 crofs the low mountains of Eyre, which feparate the king- 

 dom of Fezzan from the empire of Cafhna, and next arrive 

 at the town of Ganatt, where they repofe for two days. 

 From thence, by a march of 19 days, during fix of which 

 they are expofed to the fcorching heats of a thirfty defart, 

 they pafs on to the town of Aflbuda. On leaving AfTouda, 

 they traverfe a delightful country, fruitful, and populous ; 

 and while the exhilarating fight of Indian com, and of fre- 

 quent herds of cattle accompanies and cheers their palTage. 

 the eighth day introduces them to the large and populous 

 city of Agadcz, the capital of an extenfive province. Diftin- 

 guifhed as the mod commercial of all the towns of Cafhna, 

 and, like AfTouda and Ganatt, inhabited by Mahometans 

 alone, Agadez naturally attrafts the peculiar attention of 

 the merchants of Fezzan. Many proceed no farther ; but 

 the greateft part, copimitting to their agents the care of the 

 flaves, cotton, and ftnna, which they purchafe in the courfe 

 of a 10 days' refideuce, continue their journey to the fouth. 

 In this manner, if the camels are completely loaded, 4.7 

 days, excKifive of thofe which are allotted to refrelhment 

 and neceffary reit, arc employed in travelling from Mour- 

 zouk to Agadez. At the end of three days more, amidll 

 fields that are enriched with the luxuriant growth of Indian 



K A S 



corn, and pallures that are covered with multitudes of cowj; 

 and with fiucks of (lieep and goats, the traveller reaches the 

 fmall town of Begzam ; from which, through a country of 

 hcrdfmen, whofe dwellings are in tents of hides ; the fecond 

 day condufts him to the town of Tegomah. There, as he 

 furveys the ftony, uninhabited, defolate hills that form the 

 chceriefs profpcft before him, he calls a regretful oyc on 

 thofe verdant fcenes that furrouudcd him the day before. 

 Employed for two days in the paflage of thefe dreary 

 heights, he defcends on the third to a deep and fcorching 

 fand, from which he emerges at the approach ( f the fifth 

 evening, and entering a beautiful country, as pleafingly 

 diverfified with the natural beauties of hills and vales and 

 woods, as with the rich rewards of the hufbandman's and 

 the fliepherd's toil, he arrives in feven days more at the 

 city of Caflina, the capital of the empire of which it bears 

 the name, and the ufual refidence of its powerful fultan. 



The river Niger traverfes the empire of Caflina With fuch 

 rapidity, that no vcffel can afcend its (Iream ; and fuch is 

 the want of lltill, and fuch the abfence of commercial in- 

 ducements among the inhabitants of its borders, thai even 

 luil/j the current, neither veCels nor boats are feen to navi- 

 gate. In one place, indeed, the traveller finds a paffage for 

 hiiiifelf and his goods ; but even there, though the ferrymen, 

 by the indulgence of the fultan of Caflina, are exempted 

 froiTi all taxes, the boat which conveys the merchandize 

 is nothing more than an ill-con II rufted raft; for the 

 planks are fallencd to the timbers with ropes, and the feams 

 are clofed, both within and without, by a plailler of tough 

 clay. The depth of the river, at the place of paffage, which 

 is more than 100 miles to the fouth of the city of Cafhna, 

 is ellimated at 23 or 24 feet Engtifii. (Proceedings of the 

 African Alfociation.) Tiie city of C,ifhna, or Kaffina, is 

 dillatit 650 miles W.S.W. from Bornou, and 690 miles 

 E.S.E. from Tombuftoo. N. lat. 16 30'. E. long. 11'^ 

 34'- 



KASSON, a ftrong hilly country of Africa, of fmall ex- 

 tent, bounded on the N. by the Moors of Jaifnoo, on the 

 E. and S.E. by Kaarta, on the S. by the Senegal, and on the 

 W. by Kajaaga ; about 50 miles from N. to S., and nearly 

 the fame from E. to W. N. lat. 14- to 15-'. W. long. 8' 

 to g\ 



KASSUTO, an African mufical inflrument, compofcd 

 of a hollow piece cf wood, about an ell long, covered with 

 a plate cut into a kind of fcale, upon which the negroes beat 

 with a flick. See Mu/lc cf the Negroes. 



KAST, in Geography, a town of Perfia, in Segeflan ; 40 

 miles S.W. of Arokhage. 



KASTANOVITZ, a town of Croatia, fituatcd on an 

 ifland in the river Unna ; 50 miles S.E. of Carllladt. 



KASTHOLM, a town of Sweden, on the S.E. coaft of 

 the ifland of Aland. 



K.ASTRIC.AUR, C.\PE, a cape on the N.E. coaft of 

 the Company's ifland, in the North Pac.J ocean. N. lat. 

 46 30'. E. long iji 40'. 



KASTRIL, m Zoology. See Kestril. 



K.'\SYA, in H'w.doo Mythological Hijhry, was the Guru, 

 or fpiritual preceptor of Kriflina, of whofe wife the follow- 

 ing legend occurs in the Pedma Purana, and in the Sri 

 Bhagavat among the llrange miracles recorded of this in- 

 carnate deity. She complained to Krifhna that the ocean had 

 fv.allowed up her children on the coall of Gurjura, or Guze- 

 rat, and fupphcated their relhiration. Krifiina, proceediug 

 to the coall, was alTured by Varuna, the regent of the ocean, 

 that not he, but the fea-monller, Sankafura, had ilolen the 

 children. Krifhna fought, and after a violent conflitt, flew 

 the demon, aiid tore him from his Ihell^ named Par.chajanya, 



which 



