60 
STERILITY OF THE ENVIRONS. 
the issue of the Dhioliba into the ocean will thus be left to 
the demonstration of some more fortunate traveller ; but, if 
I may be permitted to hazard an opinion as to the course of 
the river^ I should say^ that it probably empties itself by 
several mouths into the Gulf of Benin. 
The Moors of Tripoli^ as well as those of Ardamas, trade 
with Haoussa^ whither they carry European merchandise, and 
in exchange bring back gold, which they procure in the rich 
country of Wangara ; they afterwards go to Timbuctoo with 
packages of the fine cloth of Wangara, which is woven in nar- 
row breadths, dyed a beautiful blue, and well glazed with gum. 
Sidi-Abdallahi shewed me a beautiful piece ; it resembled the 
cloth manufactured by the negroes more to the north. At 
Galam, in 1819,1 saw a similar kind of cloth which was 
brought from Sego, and was made by the Bambaras. It was 
as well glazed as that which I saw at Timbuctoo. In general, 
the negroes of the Senegal set a high value on this article. 
As the country of Timbuctoo is entirely destitute of pas- 
ture, (for even the camels can scarcely find food) the people 
obtain a considerable quantity of fodder from Cabra, which 
the inhabitants of that town grow in the marshes, and which 
they dry for the purpose of selling to those who keep horses, 
cattle, sheep, and goats. This forage is stowed on the roofs 
of the houses. Timbuctoo and its environs present the most 
monotonous and barren scene I ever beheld. 1 once indeed 
saw a herd of camels near the town feeding here and there 
upon thistles which had been dried up by the scorching east 
wind, and on branches of the mimosa ferruginea, the long 
thorns of which did not prevent these animals from devouring 
them. I was told that these camels belonged to the Moors 
who journey across the great desert. 
All the native inhabitants of Timbuctoo are zealous 
Mahometans ; their dress is similar to that of the Moors. 
J^ike the Arabs, they are allowed to have four wives each. 
The women attend to domestic occupations, and they are not. 
