306 THE AFRICAN ASSOCIATION. 
the Arabs he saw a white woman, like the white 
Indians in the South Sea islands, and Isthmus of 
Darien. The Arabs engage with a long spear, 
like the New Zealanders. Those that inhabit the 
desert have an invincible attachment to liberty, 
like the Tartars ; a propensity which can neither 
be conquered by the arts, nor by any modifica- 
tion of government. 
Of the Caravans. — The Mahometans in Africa 
are what the Russians are in Siberia, — a trad- 
ing, enterprising, superstitious set of vagabonds ; 
wherever they are determined to go, they go. 
As they cannot afford to traverse Africa without 
trading by the road, they make no voyages merely 
commercial or merely religious ; and where they 
are not engaged in commerce, they are not to be 
found. They pass to Sennaar, Darfur, Wangara, 
and Abyssinia, while they know little or nothing 
of geography, as they are able to sing, dance, and 
traffic without it. They trade to Darfur for 
slaves, gum, and elephants' teeth. The slaves of 
this nation are of a good form and size, quite 
black, with the true Guinea face, and curled 
short hair. The importation of negro slaves into 
Egypt, in a year, was estimated by M. Rosetti at 
20,000. To Sennaar they carry trinkets, soap, 
antimony, red linen, razors, scissors, mirrors, 
beads ; and bring back elephants' teeth, gum 
Senaar, camels, ostrich-feathers, and slaves. In 
