TIMBU^KTU TO WALA'TA.— EA^S EL MA'. 485 
A'man" by the Tawarek, or rmosliagh^ the out- 
lying creek, where the traveller from the north, 
on his way to Walata, seems formerly to have first 
reached the river. This creek is stated by tradition 
to have been dug by the Basha Jodar and his mus- 
keteers, or "erma." On the south side of this basin, 
already mentioned by El Bekri*, there are small 
villages, or " adabay," (pi. " tadebit,") inhabited by 
the I'delebo, a poor Moorish tribe, said to be related 
to the Shemman-A'mmas. It is an important fact, 
that all the wheat consumed in Timbuktu is culti- 
vated round the Ras el ma, and not brou2i;ht from 
the north, as Caillie stated (Travels to Timbuctoo, 
vol. ii. p. 20.). 
From Has el ma, which appears to be a little S. from 
W. of Timbuktu, the direct road to Walata leaves 
the basin of the river and reaches that place in seven 
good days' marches, or even in travelling as a courier 
in five, direction a little N. from W. In the dry 
season there is no water along this road, but in the 
rainy season plenty of tanks, or " dhaye," are met 
with, so that at that time of the year some peo- 
ple prefer travelling at their leisure, performing the 
distance in ten or twelve days. 
Our road keeps at some distance from the outlying 
backwaters of the river and reaches, with a long 
march. 
6th day. Ulakias, a very deep well, about twenty fathoms 
deep. On the way, you pass the locality *^ Tade- 
met," called by this name from a group of " tedumt," 
as the baobab is called by the people of Timbuktu. 
7th. A'dar, a well, with a small dwelling-place, or '^'ksar," 
inhabited by Songhay, and slaves of the Tdelebo. 
8 th. Bir e' Selem, a well. 
* El Bekri, p. 160. 
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