48 JOURNEY FROM CABRA TO TIMBUCTOO. 
CHAPTER XXI. 
Journey from Cabra to Timbuctoo. — First view of the city. — ^The Kissoors. 
— The king grants the traveller an audience. — Condition of the slaves. 
— Description of the city, its buildings, extent, and commerce. — Food 
and dress of the people. — Bousbehey, a city of the Zawats. — Toudeyni. 
— Tribe of Salah. — Terror inspired by the Tooariks. — Description of 
that tribe. — The Ginbulas. — Particulars respecting the fate of Major 
Laing. — Reflexions on the means of penetrating to the centre of 
Africa. 
On the <20th of April^ at half past three, I set out for 
Timbuctoo, escorted by Sidi-Abdallah Chebir's slaves. Our 
road lay northward. The slaves who had been on board 
our canoe also accompanied us, so that we formed a nume- 
rous caravan. The youngest slaves were mounted upon 
asses, as the road is very sandy and wearisome. Near 
Cabra we passed two lakes, the banks of which were over- 
grown with mimosas from five to six feet high. A little 
further the eye was refreshed by some signs of vegetation. 
The country presented the same scenery until we had pro- 
ceeded half way on our journey, and then it began to be more 
naked, and the sand becoming exceedingly loose, rendered 
travelling very difficult. On the road we were followed by a 
Tooarik, mounted on a superb horse. This marauder, who 
appeared to be about fifty years of age, shewed a disposition 
to appropriate to himself a young negro slave. Sidi-Abdal- 
lah Chebir's men represented to him that the slave belonged 
to their master, and that if, on arriving at the city, he 
would pay him a visit, he would doubtless receive a present. 
This appeared to satisfy him, and he ceased to molest us. 
He eyed me narrowly, and several times inquired who 1 
was, and whence I came. They told him I was poor, and 
he relinquished the hope of getting any thing from me. 
