Chap. LXXXV. 
a'shenu'mma. 
431 
title of Maina, was a man of advanced age and of re- 
spectable behaviour. At the time of our entrance he 
was squatted on fresh white sand in front of his 
" diggel," placed in the ante-chamber or segifa. He 
received my present (which consisted of a black tobe, 
two tiirkedis, and a haram, worth altogether about 
four Spanish dollars) kindly, and expressed his hope 
that I might get safely over the tract before me, if 
1 did not lose any time by a longer delay. Meanwhile 
a Tebu merchant who was present gave me the very 
doubtful information that the people of Tawat paid 
to the French an annual tribute of 60,000 dollars. 
The inhabitants of A'shenximma and of the neisfh- 
bouring places, are very differently situated from 
those of Dirki and Bilma, for the latter on account 
of their being the medium of communication in the 
salt trade, are respected by the Tawarek, for whom 
they prepare that article, and who, in consequence, 
do not plunder them even when they meet them in 
the desert. Nay, they even protect them, as I have 
described in the former part of my journey, so that 
merchants from Dirki and Bilma were proceeding to 
Hdusa by way of A'sben. The inhabitants of the 
other places, on the contrary, such as A'sheniimma, 
are exposed to all sorts of oppression from the former, 
and even run the risk of being slain by them when 
met alone. With regard to the Tebu in general, 
1 have already spoken repeatedly about their in- 
timate connection with the Kaniiri race, and have 
enumerated the names of the sections of their tribe. 
