1821.] Notices relative to the Interior of Africa . 239 
Such, however, is the country inha¬ 
bited by the Arab Moors, and which 
they are loth to quit, as in no other part 
of the globe could they gratify inclina- 
nations and propensities, which they 
have contracted, by habit, from their 
birth. Fierce, active, warlike—they 
adore liberty, and despise other nations, 
espeeialty such as pent themselves up 
In cities, and are attached to the soil. 
They prefer being on the travel, or en¬ 
gaged in commerce and in warfare. By 
means of guides that are found in every 
part of the desart, they traverse it in 
all directions, with their camels,horses, 
oxen, sheep, she-goats, and all their 
wealth ; they repair to Egypt, to Abys¬ 
sinia, Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, Morocco, 
Cachenah, Bournou, Timbooctoo, Se¬ 
negal, Gambia, the Gold Coast, and 
even to the borders of the Zaire. In 
short, to acquire the titles of Hadji and 
Sidi, (pilgrim and saint), they pass the 
boundaries of Africa, and undertake 
the long pilgrimage of Mecca. They 
are constantly encamped under their 
dark tents, which are impenetrable to 
rain. Interdicted by their religion 
from every intoxicating beverage, water 
is their only drink. They live on 
mares’ and camels’ milk, on dried mil¬ 
let made into a pastry, called couscou, 
on maize, dates, figs, gums, and the 
luscious juice of the palm-tree. They 
weave their own studs, tan their lea¬ 
ther, work it for all sorts of uses, and 
of it make beautiful morocco leather. 
Their fire-arms they procure from Eu¬ 
ropeans, but they make their own za- 
gays, or darts, their pikes, their 
poignards, their harness, and other 
necessaries. They even work in gold 
and silver, with much skill and adroit¬ 
ness. 
Their principal occupation, however, 
is taking care of their cattle. Their 
horses obey the slightest signal, fall on 
their knees, salute with the head, and 
seem to enjoy all the caresses of their 
master. Sometimes, in perilous occa- 
- sions, these proud coursers rush into a 
gallop, with inconceivable velocity, 
when the spur tears their flanks, and 
the bit, roughly made, fills their mouths 
with blood. 
These Moors, in general, are zealous 
Mahometans, and carry about with them 
their priests, known by the names of 
marabouts and talbes. They sleep, 
eat, and pray in common, without dis¬ 
tinction of age or sex. Their language 
is the ancient Arabic, which they sound 
very soft and melodious. In their long 
journies, they sing songs, by way of 
beguiling time, or soothing their camels, 
ready to sink under fatigue; often, 
also, in celebration of the great exploits 
of their warriors. They have impro¬ 
visator! that make verses with facility. 
At night, after prayers and supper, 
they delight in hearing tales and histo¬ 
ries, till sleep close their eyes. The 
youths are encouraged to discuss be¬ 
fore the old men, the interests of their 
tribe. But it is the wives of the chiefs 
that are employed to negociate matters 
of peace. Before these interlocutors, 
lances and scymitars drop, and the re¬ 
spect paid to them annihilates obstacles. 
In respect of character, these Moors 
are rapacious, envious, and choleric, 
yet practising dissimj|lation and expert 
in fraud with such as, from interest or 
policy, they have to deal with. They 
exercise the most horrid [barbarity on 
the whites that fall into their hands, by 
shipwreck, or other calamitous event, 
treating them as a degraded species, 
incapable of supporting the fatigues of 
the desart. Such would be instantly 
plundered and massacred, if there was 
no hope of drawing some advantage 
from them. To such as have submitted 
to their protection, they shew mildness, 
justice, humanity, and such is their be¬ 
haviour to their negro slaves. Their 
tents are a sacred asylum, wherein if 
their direst enemy seeks refuge, he may 
sleep in security. 
Sn respect of person, they are tall, 
well-made, copper - coloured, unac¬ 
quainted with sickness or infirmities. 
From their sober, regular, and laborious 
life, they acquire such a vigour of health 
and constitution, as to lengthen their 
days beyond the usual term of human 
life. Such is the desart, and such are 
its inhabitants. 
In the Soudan and in Senegambia, 
the face of nature is reversed ; majestic 
forests rise, immense lakes spread out, 
extensive rivers roll; every where ap¬ 
pear limpid waters, verdant umbrage, 
cultivated fields; enormous trees, the 
colossi of the vegetable kingdom, are 
the natural growth ; and there wander 
the largest of the animal creation 
known on our globe. In these fertile 
regions, the water, ail, plants, interior 
soil, clefts of the rocks, beds of rivers 
and streams, the bottoms of lakes and 
marshes, yield the spectacle of a per¬ 
petual agitation. Here nature is in¬ 
cessantly exhibiting her productive fa¬ 
culties, and the phenomena of life and 
animation appear every hour under 
thousands 
