840 



NIGRITIA. 



necessaries of life are very cheap , Dulcher's meat is in great plenty, and very good. The 

 exports are principally civet and blue check tobes. The common imports are brought from 

 Ashantee, and coarse calico, and woolen cloth in small quantities, with brass and pewter 

 dishes, and some few spices from Nyftee. The Arabs from Tripoli and Ghadamis bring un- 



wrought silk, altar of roses, spices, and beads. 

 Slaves are both exported and imported. 

 A great quantity of Guinea corn is taken 

 every year by the Tuaricks, in exchange for 

 salt. Population about 80,000. 



On entering this torritoiy, the British trav- 

 elers found ihemselves at once among a su- 

 perior people. The fields were covered with 

 large crops of wheat, two of which were an- 

 nually produced by irrigation. The country 

 exhibited numerous plantations, neatly fenced 

 as in England. The roads wei'e thronged 

 with travelers, and in the shade of the trees 

 by the wayside, the women sat spinning cot- 

 ton, and ofl'ering for sale to the passing cara- 

 vans, gussub water, roast meat, sweet pota- 

 toes, cashew nuts, &c. In many parts of 

 the kingdom, there is a regular system of taxation, which is paid in horses, slaves, cloth, 

 cowries, lead ore, cattle, &c. 



13. Timbuctoo. This city, which has so long been the object of intense and unsatisfied 

 curiosity to Europeans, was first visited during the present century, by Adams, an American, 

 Laing, an Englishman, and Calllie, a Frenchman. Adams was sbipwrecked on the coast and 

 carried to Timbuctoo as a slave in 1810 ; his relation, however, is not generally received as 

 authentic. Laing reached the city upon his travels in 1826, but was nuu-dered on his return. 

 Caillie visited Timbuctoo in 1S27, returned to France and published a nairative of his travels, 

 which, though doubtful on many points, is too interesting to be disregarded. According to 

 this traveler, the city stands about 8 miles from the Joliba or Niger, and forms a sort of trian- 

 gle, measuring 3 miles in circuit. The houses are large, but not high, consisting entirely of 

 a ground floor. They are built of round bricks baked in the sun. The streets are clean, and 

 sufficiently wide to permit three horsemen to pass abreast. Both within and without the 

 town are many circular straw huts, inhabited by poor people and slaves. The following sketch 

 of Timbuctoo is presented by Caillie, as drawn by him from an eminence overlooking the 



Inhabilants of Timbuctoo. Tieio of Timbuctoo. 



city. It has no walls, and is surrounded by an immense plain of yellowish white sand. Its 

 population is 10 or 12,000. The inhabitants are principally Moors of the Kissoor nation, and 

 carry on a trade in salt. The king or governor is a negro. The State, once powerful, is now 

 tributary to the Tuaricks. 



14. Borgoo. This kingdom lies to the east of Dahomey in Guinea, and is 11 days' journev 



Inhabitants of JVigrilia. 



