68 
THE TOOARIKS. 
weapon advantageously. The people who compose this wan^ 
dering tribe have long hair and a very swarthy complexiony 
like the Moors. The nose is aquiline, the eyes large, the 
mouth finely formed, the face long, and the forehead rather 
elevated. The expression of their countenance is, however, 
savage and barbarous. They are supposed to be of Arab 
origin, and in fact, in some of their customs they resemble 
that race ; but they speak a particular dialect. They assem- 
ble in force to attack the caravans from Tripoli, but the Mo~ 
rooco caravans are less exposed to their depredations because 
their haunts are more northerly. They keep many slaves, 
whom they partly employ in collecting gum on the banks 
of the river. This gum, and also considerable quantities of 
ivory, they sell to the merchants of Timbuctoo. 
It is astonishing that such a number of different tribes 
submit quietly to the yoke of these Tooariks, when, were 
they to come to an understanding, they could so easily rid 
themselves of their troublesome enemy. The Dirimans, the 
Ginbalas, the Kissoors, and the Moors of Zawa and Salah, if 
united, would be greatly superior to the Tooariks, and could 
soon deliver themselves from their oppression. The Tooa- 
riks dread fire-arms, of which they make no use, while the 
negroes of Timbuctoo and the Moors are armed with double- 
barrel guns. 
The Foulahs in the neighbourhood of Jenne, led by 
their chief Sego-Ahmadoo, attacked the Tooariks; the Foulahs 
were few in number, on account of their distance from their 
country, and the difficulty of procuring supplies of pro- 
visions; nevertheless, they defeated the Tooariks, made a 
number of prisoners, whom they put to death, and carried 
off a multitude of slaves and cattle, which were valuable 
prizes to the victors. This defeat proves, that there is no 
good reason for the dread with which the Tooariks are 
regarded, and that they are really formidable to those only 
who fear them. Were these tributaries, supported by the 
