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seem to be seated in the breadth and strength of his chest, which is two spans between his fore-legs; these, though extremely fine in bone, are uncommonly strong in sinew, and his swiftness and durability exceed those of the common barb almost in the same degree, as the sebayee exceeds the common camel. The arab employs him chiefly in hunting the ostrich, a sport in which he is particularly expert. The motion of this little speedy animal is uneasy to an unpractised rider. He is very low in the crest, and carries his head straight out, and so tucked up (as the jockey phrase is) that he must be girted round the breast. The Scheik Abyd Allah, a familiar friend of Mr. Jackson, rode one of these horses from Mogodor to Santa Cruz, which is not less than a hundred English miles, between the dawn of day and four o'clock in the afternoon. My author also informs me, that upon meeting this Scheik on the sands of Mogodor, so mounted, and being challenged to try the speed of his Barbary horse, which was one of the finest in that country, fifteen hands and a half high, the Scheik upon his desert galloway gave him a start of one hundred yards in the distance of about one mile, and soon passed him with a velocity that put all competition of speed instantly out of question.

The Arabs, who inhabit the cultivated spots, called Oasis, in the desert, where this horse is bred, feed him upon camel's milk, to which he becomes so attached as to reject all other sustenance, even water; and when brought to Marocco, which sometimes happens, he falls awayand if obliged ultimately from hunger, to eat barley and straw, the Moorish provender, he recovers, gradually fills up, and becomes handsome to the sight, but loses entirely his usual speed." Nay, he does more than this, for Mr. Jackson quotes an instance within his knowledge, of Alkaid Omar ben Daudy, an Arab of Rahammenah, and governour of Mogodor,

"who had two Saharawan horses in his stables [horses of the desert] and finding it inconvenient to feed them constantly on camel's milk, he resolved to try them on the usual food given to Barbary horses. He accordingly had their food gradually changed, and in a short time fed them altogether with barley, and occasionally wheat and straw. They grew fat, and looked better than before; but they lost their speed, and soon afterwards died, as if nature had desi ned them to be appropriated solely to that district, whose arid and extensive plains render their use essentially ne

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If Mr. Jackson's famous barb was as speedy as one of our profest running horses, the experiment of his match with the Scheik Abyd Allah might tempt our gentlemen of the turf to speculate upon an importation of one of these Sh'rabah Er'rechs, or wind suckers, accompanied with a nursery of camels, and an Arab for his training groom and rider. His breed, however, might be attainable, and an object, perhaps, which some may think worthy of the experiment.

"Gold and silver mines are found in several parts of the empire of Marocco, particularly about Messa, in the province of Suse." Of these the emperour had caused some to be destroyed from reasons of policy, and others, particularly one very rich in silver, which being situated between two clans, who were continually fighting for it, was rendered of no use to either. Iron, copper, and lead ore, saltpetre, sulphur, and antimony, of the finest quality are in great abundance, and "vast quantities of salt are conveyed by the Akkabas to Soudan, where none is produced, and on that account is so valuable at Timbuctoo, that a pound weight is frequently bartered for an ounce of gold dust." To that city, the great emporium of central Africa, where immense treasures of gold are amassed, and which is as yet unvisited by any European adventurer, the curiosity

of the reader will naturally be di- finest ostrich feathers and ambergris rected.

are collected by the caravans in their The caravans of Marocco, Fez, passage on the confines of the desert. Tunis, Algier, Tripoli, Egypt, &c. As the caravans perform their have, from time immemorial, carried stated daily journies over this trackon a very extensive and lucrative less waste, they direct their course trade with Timbuctoo, across the to certain well known hospitable spots, great desert Sahara, between the interspersed like islands in the ocean, months of September and April in- called Oasi's, or Wahsi's, which are clusive. From Fez, the distance inhabited, cultivated, and of amazing may be reckoned at fifteen hundred fertility and luxuriance; in these the miles, S.S.E.

caravans halt about seven days, for “ The articles transported by the com- the purpose of feeding, refreshing pany of merchants trading from Fez to

their camels, and recruiting their Timbuctoo, are principally as follows: Various kinds of German linens, viz. pla

water skins. tillas, rouans, brettanias, muslins of dif

There is no reason why any Euroferent qualities, particularly muls, Irish pean traveller might not safely attach linens, cambricks, fine cloths of particu- himself to one of these accumulated Jar colours, coral beads,, amber beads, caravans, and visit Timbuctoo, propearls, Bengal raw silk, brass nails (in

vided only that he had made himself great request) coffee, fine hyson teas, refined sugar, and various manufactures

a master of the western Arabick; an of Fez and Tafilelt, viz, shawls and sashes indispensable accomplishment, which of silk and gold, hayks of silk, of cotton I understand Mungo Parke to have and silk mixed, of cotton and of wool; been deficient in, and of course unalso an immense quantity of (hayk filelly) qualified for the task he undertook. Tafilelt hayks, a particularly light and fine manufacture of that place, and admirably

The caravans perform the traverse adapted to the climate of Soudan; to these of the desert, including their sojournmay be added red woollen caps, the ge- ments at the watering places, in about neral covering of the head, turbans, Ita- one hundred and thirty days, going lian silks, nutmegs, cloves, ginger, and

at the rate of three miles and an half pepper, Venetian beads, cowries, and a considerable quantity of tobacco and salt,

an hour, and travelling seven hours the produce of Barbary and Bled-el-jer

a day. Out of these one hundred rêde."

and thirty, they rest seventy-five The returns made for these arti- days, which leaves fifty-five days for cles by the traders at Timbuctoo, actual travelling, and from these data consist in gold dust, twisted rings of the reader may easily make a loose Wangara of pure gold, gold rings computation of the distance. It is wrought at Jinnie, where they make practicable, however, for caravans to various trinkets of such workmanship perform this journey in much less as would be difficult to imitate either time, and there is a note [p. 241] in England or France, bars of gold, in which Mr. Jackson says, “ That elephant's teeth, gum of Soudan, when he had a commercial establishgrains of Sahara [called by us grainsment at Agadeer, he himself received of paradise] odoriferous gums of ex- a caravan of gum Soudan from Timquisite perfume, for the purposes of buctoo in eighty-two days." fumigation, slaves in great number, As the slaves of Wangara and brought from the regions which bor. Houssa, purchased by the caravans der on the Jibbel Kumra, or Mountains at Timbuctoo, are sold on their reof the Moon(so called from their white turn to the Moors and Arabs of Barbaor lunar colour) a chain, which, with ry, it is clear that there is a traffick for little or no intermission, runs through the human species carried on between the continent of Africa from west to inhabitants of the same continent, in east, viz. from Assentee in the west to which no European nation, or even Abyssinia in the east-whilst the individual, is concerned. This traf

fick is of high antiquity, long antecedent to any European practice of that reproachful nature. So far, therefore, as it may have contaminated the character of the Christian trader, he has to plead in extenuation of his errour, that he was the last to begin, and the first to leave it off. The territory of Timbuctoo, as described by Mr. Jackson,

"May be said to extend northward to the confines of Sahara, or the Desert, a tract of country about ninety miles in breadth; the western boundary is one hundred and thirty miles west of the city,

and the eastern extends to the Bahar Soudan, or the Sea of Soudan, which is a lake formed by the Nile El Abeede, whose opposite shore is not discernible. On its opposite or eastern shore, begins the territory of the white people, denominated by the Arabs N'sarrath, Christians, or followers of Jesus of Nazareth. South of the river is another territory of immense extent, the boundary of which extends to Lamlem, or Melli, which latter is reported to be inhabited by one of the lost or missing tribes of Israel."

The city of Timbuctoo would fur

nish to the traveller a most interesting spectacle, forasmuch as it is resorted to by traders from all the neighbouring nations, who enjoy perfect security of property and person, with unlimited toleration as to their religious worship, of whatever description that may chance to be. The city is about twelve miles in circumference, and without walls.

The

houses are on one floor, spacious, and the apartments lighted by doors, that open into an interiour square; the inhabitant not requiring the accommodation of a window, whilst the climate never reminds him of the inconvenience of an open door. The women are extremely handsome, and the men proportionably jealous. In every other respect they are hospitable, splendid, and particularly pride themselves in their attention to strangers. What, then, has a European to fear in such a community, and where can he be so entirely to his heart's content, as in a country whose mines of gold are inexhaustible, and where every thing he sees and touch

es, and can take away with him, is that precious metal, the very object he adores, the crown of all his wishes, the reward of all his travel, the first and last great ruling passion of his heart?

The name of the rich and potent monarch, who governed Timbuctoo, in the year 1800, and was sovereign of Bambarra, was Woolo. He is native of the country, and, like his people, black. His usual residence is in the neighbouring city of Jinnia, though he has three palaces at Timbuctoo, which are said to contain an iminense quantity of gold; and fortunate it is for Woolo, that his surrounding deserts are such an impassa ble barrier, else his black army of five hundred thousand negroes would hardly serve to keep certain marauding white men from unfurnishing those palaces, whose stores are so much more tempting to the plunderer than the statues and pictures of Italy and Spain. Still there are avemues, by which commerce may ap proach and reach him, and as he will weigh gold even against salt, when there is a dearth of that necessary in his country, we have only to find those avenues, and his hoards at Timbuctoo will gradually melt The away into general circulation. climate of this yet unvisited city, is salubrious in the extreme, which is more than men bargain for, when they go to a country that abounds in gold. The sexes marry early, for they are in the latitude of 16o 40 ́; and the natives, as well as those who have resided there any considerable time, have a suavity of manners, not to be observed on the northern side of the desert. There are several large caravanseras, or houses of accommodation for travellers in Timbuctoo, where they will find lodging for themselves and their cattle till better provision can be made for their establishment.

I particularly recommend the following extract to the attention of my readers.

“ It has been said, that there is an ex- belong to the sultan, and are deposittensive library at Timbuctoo, consisting ed in his before mentioned palaces.” of manuscripts in a character diftering from the Arabick. This I am inclined to

I shall now conclude by giving the think has originated in the fertile imagi- substance of certain passages, exnation of some poet, or perhaps some

tremely curious, which relate to the Arab or Moor, who, willing to indulge at river near Timbúctoo, which is called the expense of European curiosity, has fa- the Nile el Abeede, or Nile of the bricated such a story. In all mig inquiries Negroes. In the interiour of Africa, during many years, I never heard of any such library at Timbuctoo. The state li

and amongst the rich traders, who brary, which is composed for the most part of engage in this traffick across the conmanuscripts in the Arabičk, contuins a friu tinent, there is but one opinion with Hebrew, and perhaps Chaldaichana

books; regard to the Nile of Egypt and the amongst the Arabick it is probable there are Nile of Timbuctoo, and that opinion many trunslutions from Greek and Latin is, that they are one and the same authors at present unknown to Europeans.” river, or rather that the latter is the [P. 257.]

western branch of the former. The It seems by this account that there is a state library, and probably many

source of the Nile of Timbucioo is

at the foot of the western branch of Arabick translations of Greek and

the chain of mountains called Jibbel Latin authors hitherto unknown. How much, therefore, is it to be re

Kumra, where it forms a merja, or gretted that Mr. Jackson, qualified throw the water up with great force,

swamp The copious springs, which as he is by his perfect knowledge of Arabick, had not found leisure and

are very numerous, and are found

on both sides of the mountain, that ambition to visit and examine this

is on the eastern as well as on the library, which perhaps contains a

western side. That these streams treasure richer and more valuable to

communicate with each other is an the enlightened world, than all the opinion so general, that the Africans golden palaces, which the negro monarch of Bambarra has in his pos

express their astonishment, whenever session!

the Europeans dispute the fact, and

assert that it is a folly to doubt whatthe The path seems open to adventure, experience of succeeding ages has and the time may come, when those demonstrated to be true. That the who send forth missionaries to ex- Nile of Timbuctoo communicates plore those interesting regions, will with Cairo, has been ascertained to a recollect, that when a traveller can- certainty by a party of seventeen nenot speak the language of the country groes of Jinnie, who proceeded thihe is in, he will gain very little in- ther in a canoe, on a commercial formation from the people that inha- speculation, and reached Cairo, after bit it.

a trafficking voyage of fourteen It is asserted that the mines belong- months, who reported that there are ing to the sultan Woolo are so pure,

twelve hundred cities and towns, with that lumps of virgin gold are mosques or towers in them, between stantly found of several ounces in Timbuctoo and Cairo, built on or weight. These mines are worked near the banks of the Nile el Abeede by the negroes of Bambarra, who and the Nile Massar, or in otherare thereby made extremely rich, words the Nile of Soudan and the « for 'all pieces of ore, which they Nile of Egypt. Precisely where they take from the mines, not weighing join is not ascertained, or, more protwelve mizams, or about two ounces, perly speaking, has not come to the. become a perquisite to themselves, knowledge of my author. The Nile as a remuneration for their labour, el Abeede being the greater, and and all pieces of a greater weight running through a larger tract of

con

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country than the Nile Cham, or Nile ern banks is covered with forests of
Massar, is called Nile el Kabeer, the primeval growth, in which are many
greater Nile; the Nile of Egypt, trees of great size and beauty. These
however, is not called the lesser Nile, forests abound with elephants of an
but always, as above, the Nile Cham, enormous size.
or Nile Wassar ; Cham being the I now close my imperfect review
Arabick name for Egypt, when united of this very interesting work, which
to Syria and other countries. The I earnestly recommend to my rea-
Nile el Abeede overflows in the ders, not doubting but they will find
same manner as the Nile of Egypt, it altogether as worthy of their study
when the sun enters Cancer. At and attention, as the Swedish literati
Kabra near Timbuctoo, it becomes have of theirs, who, as I am well in-
a very large stream. River horses formed, are preparing a translation
and crocodiles are found in it, and in the Swedish language at the uni-
the country contiguous to its south- versity of Upsala near Stockholm.

FROM THE MONTHLY REVIEW.

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A Poetical Picture of America, being Observations made during a Residence of se

veral Years at Alexandria and Norfolk, in Virginia ; Illustrative of the Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants : interspersed with Anecdotes, arising from a general Intercourse with Society in that Country, from the year 1799 to 1807. By a Lady. 12mo. 48. 1809.

A picture of America in doggerel “ Such dull stupidity was there rhymes, but not a poetical picture; I thought it seemed exceeding clear

That those who chose to live and stay unless this epithet be taken in a sense which the fair writer, we suppose,

In this same Alexandria,

Must feed on air, or for a treat, cannot mean. We are very modestly Their household furniture soon eat." told that “ no muse is invoked ;" and

At Norfolk, the lady promenaded as the lady seems to have no acquain- to “ see the lions :" tance whatever on the forked hill, we “ The weather fine, I walked about should have commended her pru- To see the town, and view the fort." dence had she abstained from any To open our eyes respecting the trespass on the manor of the muses, supposed cheapness of living in Ämeand confined herself to the plains of rica, it is hinted humble prose. Nothing is gained by

" That living is not near so low lazy and hobbling rhymes, except it

As people hope when first they go." be the amusement of the reader at

Sometimes the lady the expense of the author ; for it is pin” for grammar, when it opposes impossible, when verse is execrably the formation of a rhyme; though, bad, to refrain from laughing at it,

in general, she is not very nice in

this latter respect :* whether the subject be the travels or even the sorrows of a lady. For “Sometimes the young men smart at example :

pears “Unwilling serious thoughts to check,

And some look well spite of their ears." I took a place upon the deck.”

In allusion to female resources in Further on, we contemplate the America, we are presented with this lady at her ease, regardless even of somehowing couplet: the restraints of rhyme :

As money must be had somehow,
“We'd time enough to look about,

There every lady has a cow.”
The wind grew slack--the mate had
sport.

* In one piece, milk is selected as a The state of society in Alexandria rhyme to think. is thus depicted :

cares not a

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