$10 
not above eighteen or twenty feet in 
heicht, and hardly more than three feet 
round ; fuch are, according to the report 
ef the Moors that fell us the gum, 
the trees of the three forefts of Sahel, 
Abfatack, and Eljhiebar. Gum-trees of 
twenty-five, and twenty eight, feet high, 
are found in the ifles of Thiong and 
Sorr; but the foil here is covered with 
jayerof vegetable earth—fuch trees however 
are very {carce. 
The gum-iree is ufually crooked, of a 
diiagreeable ARP GaTAuGts and of an irre- 
gular and unfeemly make; almoft ail the 
trees are, in the language of forefters, 
fiunted and grubby ; aad the young plants 
in their firft growth, look more like bufhes 
than infant trees. 
‘Fhis doubtlefs is occafioned by the art- 
city and other bad qualities of the {andy 
foil that produces them; but chiefly by 
the baleful tharpnefs of the eaftern winds 
that blow confanily during the whole win- 
ter, and prevent their r thriving, and com- 
ing to their full perfeGtion, 
The leaves of this tree grow alternately, 
and are doubled- -winged ; they are very 
imal], and of a dry and dirty Sreens the 
branches are thorny ‘at the root of 
leaves ; ; the bloffoms white and fhoit ; the 
wood is folid hard and dry, and the bark 
{méoth, and of a darkith grey. 
Thofe who are defirous of further de- 
tails and paiticulars concerning the gum- 
trees of Senegal, will find them in the 
writings of Mr. Adanfon, member of the 
academy of {ciences, who travelled and 
dwelt in the Sencgal, more than Aft ty years 
2go, asa naturali te and a man of learn- 
ing. 
He gives a defcription of all the fpecies 
‘of gum-trees that grow in the countries 
compriaed between. the tenth and four- 
teenth degree of nerth latitude, and from 
the forces of the Atlantic, to the eighth 
aegree of longitude from the ifle of Ferro. 
The Moorifh tribes we have formed 
connexions with, in the Senegal, and who 
frequent the weftemn fides oF that river, 
: ae fell us their giim, are three in number, 
known by the names of Tratrfhaz, Brach- 
haz, and Ouled-Elhashi, or Darmanko. 
‘Thefe three. tribes feem to have enjoyed, 
for feveral ages, the dominion and com- 
merce of the countries fouth of the Zaarha, 
and lying north ef the courfe of the Se- 
negal, from the mouth of that river, to 
the longitude of Galam. 
Thefe three tribes have fixed fettlements 
-in fome of the habitable paris of the vaft 
Gefert of Zaarha. Thefe fettlements are 
nearly 200 leagues diftant from the Se- 
if 
the 
“On the Trait of the Gum of Senegal. 
ing fo 
fMay Ny 
negal, in the moft interior part of the de- 
fert. 
The defert of Zaarha may be compared 
to that of Thebais, with this difference 
however, that the fettlements in the great 
defert of Barbary are lefs confiderable, 
as well as lefs agreeable, than thofe of. 
Thebais ; they lie at very great diflances 
from each other; vegetation is forwarded 
in the lands areund them, by feveral 
fprings of frefh water. Palm and date 
and other trees of the like fort grow there, 
and produce fruits and nutritious fub- 
ftances; but above all afford fhade, no 
Jefs defirable in fome refpects, than the 
fruits themfelves. 
The foreft of Sahal is in the fole pof- 
fefion of the Trarfhaz, It confifts en- 
tirely of white gum-trees, or that pro- 
duce the white gum ; which is the moft 
precious of any, on account of its white- ” 
nefs and purity. Sahalis fituated twenty 
leagues to the eaft of Portendick, and- 
tw enty- five to the north-eaft of that bank 
of the river, which is frequented by. the 
Trarfhaz. In 1787, this foreft was of 
principal importance, as it gave oc- 
cafion to the mot aftivé conneétions 
Hevecs them and the French,.on the 
Senegal,-and.alfo with the Englith, who 
fince the peace of 1783 had_ continued 
to carry on their trade in the OHNE of the 
neighbouring fhore. 
According to traditions in credit among 
the Moors-inhabiting the countries fouth 
of the Zaarha, and preferved for genera- 
tions by the Marabouts, who are their 
priefts, the tribe of the Brachnaz and 
that of Ouled-el-Haghi compofed formerly 
but a fingle one. It is now upwards of 
four centuries fince acolony of the Ouleds, 
that poffefs a very confiderable fettlement 
under the. HOR of Cancer, between the 
roth and 15th degree of longitude eaft of 
the ifle of Ferro, left its native habitations, 
under a chief nanied Amar Abdallah, and 
fettled in a, country that was habitable, 
rooleagues to ihe north of the Forefts of Al- 
fatack and El-hiebar. Thefe Ouleds bore 
alfo the name of Brachnaz. ‘They appro- 
priated to themfelves from that time, the 
poffefion of the territery comprized be~ 
tween that of the Trarfhaz, and the Lu- 
damar, together with the management of 
the forefts of Al-fatack and El-hiebar, 
and the working of the feveral falt-mines, 
in thofe fandy delerts, 
The foreft of Elhiebar, pelong- 
thefe Moors, lies more to the . 
north than the two other forefts of gum- 
trees. Jt is thirty-two leagues from the 
Efcale, or trading place, called the Cok, 
an 
