DAR-TUR., 
eexift within the limits of Fir. The rocks chicfly confit of 
granite. Of ftone adapted to building, or convertible into 
lime, there i is either none, or the quantity mult be extremely 
{mall. Foffi'e falt is common within a certain diftri&t; and 
there is a fufficient fupply of nitre, but it is applied to no 
. A quantity of fulphur is brought by the Arabs from 
the fouth and weft. The charatteriftic marks of thofe 
trees which moft abound in Dar Fir are their fharp thorns, 
and the folid ca peniable quality of their fubftance. Of 
-the vegetables, which are very various, we can only felect 
the following, viz. the folanum fanétum, or night-fhade, 
ufed for food, two kinds of beans, which are ftrung and 
ufed as ornaments by the women, the common onion, gar- 
lick, water-melon, cucumber, the gourd ufed for food when 
frefh, and ferving for drinking veffels and other ee 
the colocynthis, very common, the ufhar, a plant com- 
mon as to cover whole plains, and ufed under — and 
goods to guard them from the depredations of the white 
ant; hemp much cultivated, rice, cayenne-pepper, fefa- 
mum ufed for food, and by the great for fattening their 
horfes, Mahreik and ce the holcus dochna of Forflcal, 
which are the bafis of their provifion, particularly the lat- 
ter, and tobdcco, which feems to be of native growth. 
he government is a kind of defpotic monarchy, fimilar 
to that of other countries, in which the Mahometan reli- 
gion is profeffed ; the fovereign of Dar-Ftir {peaks in pub- 
lic of the foil and its produ€tions as his perfonal property, 
and of the people as little elfe than his flaves. e only 
perfons to — = pays any great attention are his foldiers. 
° 
fo) 
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a. 
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e de of 
the elde& of 
.of the wi 
eaft wind the greateft quantity of rai . The breeze 
from the north an th-weft is moft ing ; and the 
hot and oppreffive winds, which fill the air with thick duft, 
‘blow conftantly from the fouth. os harveft is conducted 
in a very fimple manner. - men and flaves of the pro- 
prietor are employed of the ears with their hands, 
leaving the itraw faudie.. which is afterwards applied to 
buildings and various other ufeful purpofes. ‘They are then 
carried away in bafkets. When thrahed, which is awkwardly 
and incompletely a ae they expofe the grain to the 
fun till it becomes quite dry; and then dig a hole in the 
earth, the bottom and fides of which are covered with chaff 
to exclude the vermin. This cavity is filled with grains 
which is covered firft with chaff and then with eart 
When it is wanted for food, they grind it, and boil it in 
the form of polenta; and eat it either with frefh or four 
milk, or, more frequently, with a fauce made of dried meat 
pounded in a mortar, and boiled with onions, &c. h 
Farians ufe little butter. Asa fubftitute for bread, cakes 
with milk, or merely with w w 
the grain be ufed, the rich caufe it to be fermented before 
it be reduced to flour, which gives it a val agreeable tafte. 
‘They alfo eat ohn raw, d with water, 
Hara either grinding it or fubjeCting to the operation 
an ie beginning of the wet feafon, or ** Harif,”? the 
king goes out with his meleks and the reft of his train, not 
only to obferve the fowing of the feed, but to take part in 
t'e operation, by making f{everal holes with his own hard. 
Whether this ulaze be antecedent to the introduétion of 
Mahometanifm ito the country, is not known; but as it 
is attended with no nen ree obfervance, it wou'd rather 
feem to belong to that creed. In order to make fome efti- 
mate of the population of the country, Mr. Browre di- 
reéted his attertion to che war levies. Hence he concludes, 
eight or ten towns of great population. 
le of Dar-Ftir the Arabs are very numerous; they lead a 
wandering kind of life in the frontiers, and breed camels, 
oxen, and horfes; and they are not in fuch a ftate of abfo- 
lute dependence as to contribute effectually to the ftrength 
of the monarch in war, or to his fupplies in peace. After 
the Arabs we may mention the Zeghawa, which once form- 
ed a diftiné kingdom, | whofe ai went to the field wiah 
a thoufand horfemen from among his own fubjetts. The 
Zeghawa {peak a different diale€t from the people of Far. 
We muft then enumerate the people of Pézo or Dageou, 
who are now fubje&t to the crown of Fur , but area difting 
tribe, which formerly ruled the country. " Kordetin; which 
is now fubject te Far, and a number of other {maller kings. 
doms, as Dar-Berti, &c. &c. abe amy which h 
king, who is, however, dependent, but more on Bergoo 
than on ha What are the cae cee of each it is not ye 
to afcerta 
The ialinesd of the Fiirians are sae plain and sa 
A flight roof fhelters them from the fun 
i ] 
wi ie a kind o 
apartments are of three kinds; one is called a ‘“ don- 
a new s a cube commonly formed in the proportion of 
e four walls are covered with a flat roof, 
soning of light ces laid horizontally from fide to fide; 
over this is fpread a ftratum of ufhar, or fome other light 
wood, or coarfe mats; a quantity of dried horfe’s or camel’s 
dung is laid over this, and the whole is finifhed with a ftrong 
and f{mooth coating of clay. The roof has a flight obli- 
quity, having {pouts to carry off the water. The “ don- 
ga’”’ is provided with a door, confifting of a fingle plank, 
hewn ith the axe, as the plan oer 
having no door, and havin 
like our barns, camper of kaffob, the flraw of the maize, 
and fupported by light rafters. This is cooler in fummer 
than the more omy covered buildings, and is appropriated 
ing 0 c ac 
ae eee the cattle, and prevents the flaves from e 
capin 
‘The troops of Dar-Fiir are not famous for military fill, 
courage, or perfeverance. In their campa‘gns, therefore, 
they 
