CABRA. 
47 
in their simple demonstrations of joy. They were all de- 
cently clothed. I asked a female slave, who was sitting 
before her hut, for some water to drink. She immediately 
rose, and, washing a wooden bowl, brought me some water 
in it, which she presented to me with great civility. 
The Soorgoos, or Tooariks, receive at Cabra the duties 
which they levy on vessels. They roam about the village, 
and behave in the most arbitrary way, making the inhabit- 
ants give them provisions and other property — in fact, seizing- 
whatever they can lay their hands on. The inhabitants of 
Cabra took no notice of me. The Moors of Adrar invited me 
to partake of their supper of rice, which I found very palata- 
ble ; and I passed the night in the open air, sleeping on a 
mat beside my companions. I was a little tormented by 
the mosquitoes, which, however, are not so common on the 
banks of the Dhioliba as on those of the Senegal. 
On the 25th of April, the merchants of Timbuctoo came 
to Cabra, to land their goods. They were mounted on ex- 
cellent horses. Sidi-Abdallahi Chebir, to whom 1 had been 
directed by the sherif of .Jenne, did not come ; but he sent 
his slaves. They were all well clothed, and armed with a 
common kind of muskets, made at Tunis. Sidi-Mbark, the 
owner of the canoe which had conveyed me to Cabra, had 
arrived at Timbuctoo several days before us, and had men- 
tioned me to Sidi-Abdallah Chebir. He, consulting only 
the duty imposed on him by his religion (for he had not 
yet received the letter of his correspondent in my behalf) 
ordered his slaves to congratulate me on my happy arrival, 
and to invite me to visit him. This message led me to 
augur a good reception from him. 
