An Account Of Timbuctoo And Housa Territories In The Interior Of Africa Part 36

_Kaffer is the general term_ applied to all who have not faith in the Arabian Prophet.[298]

"That which you call the Talk Tree, is the tree which produces the Barbary gum; the name is _talh_.[299]"

[Footnote 297: Vide Leyden's Africa, p. 306.]

[Footnote 298: Ibid, p. 429.]

[Footnote 299: Ibid. 204.]

"The _Keydenah_.--This is the Sudanic name for the tree which produces the Argan nut, or olive, the _kernel_ of which resembles a bitter almond, and from _it_, not from the sh.e.l.l, they extract the oil, so celebrated for frying fish, and for burning; a pint of which will afford light as long as two pints of olive oil.

"The She plant, or properly Sheh is not wild thyme, nor does it resemble it, it is the wormseed plant, the seed of which is an 511 article of exportation, from the ports of Marocco, The sheh resembles the absynthum. The wild thyme is called _zatar_, also an article of exportation from the ports of the Marocco empire.[300]

"The _Alsharra_ signifies the Book of Laws of Muhamed.[301]

"_Gebel Ramlie_ should be written _Jibbel Rummelie_, i.e. the Sandy Mountain.[302]

"The Elwah [303]Elgarbie is inhabited by the Maggrebee Arabs. My late friend, Muley Abd Salam, elder brother to Muley Soliman, the reigning Emperor of Marocco, had a very large estate in this Wah, called Santariah. In the 1793d year of the Christian era, he sent his friend and servant Alkaid Muhammed ben Abd Saddack, late governor of MoG.o.dor, to effect the sale of this estate. He was absent on this emba.s.sy two years and three months.[304]

"_Sheb_ is the Arabic for alum, the correct orthography is _s.h.i.+b_.[305]

"_Marybucks_ should be _Marabet_, i.e. Priests, or Holy Muhamedans.[306]

"The primitive plough is used in all the African countries inhabited by the Arabs, or their descendants; the negroes, however, use the hoe." [307]

[Footnote 300: Vide Leyden's Africa, p. 312.]

[Footnote 301: Ibid, p. 334.]

[Footnote 302: Ibid, p. 398.]

[Footnote 303: Let the African traveller be careful to p.r.o.nounce these g's guttural ?]

[Footnote 304: Ibid, p. 399.]

[Footnote 305: Ibid. ibid.]

[Footnote 306: Ibid. p. 225.]

[Footnote 307: Ibid. p. 227.]

512 "The Mouselmines is a French corruption of the term Muselman, i.e.

Mohamedans.

"Mongearts, i.e. Moguert, the g guttural.

"Ouadelim, i.e. Wooled Deleim, or the sons of Deemy.

"Labdessebah, i.e. Woled Abbusebah, 'the sons of Abbusebah.'[308]

"Wed de Non, i.e. Wedinoon.

"The herb, with a decoction of which they dye their nails and hands, is called by the Arabs _El Henna_: it imparts a coolness and softness to the hands, and diminishes the excessive perspiration incident to warm climates.[309]

"Hooled ben Soliman ought to be Woled ben Soliman, 'the sons of the sons of Soliman;' and Benioled, should be Ben El Waled, 'the sons of Elwaled.'[310]

"The small beautiful species of deer, is the _El Horreh:_ it is an inhabitant of the confines of the Saharah; it is said never to lie down. It produces the anti-poison called bezoar stone, (called in the Arabic _Bide El Horrek_, i.e. the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e of the Horreh.) This is an article of commerce at Santa Cruz, and Wedinoon. The back and sides of the skins of these animals are of a red brown, and of a vivid white underneath." [311]

[Footnote 308: Vide Leyden's Africa, p. 262.]

[Footnote 309: Ibid. p. 291.]

[Footnote 310: Ibid. p. 299.]

[Footnote 311: Ibid. p. 303.]

513 TO JAMES GREY JACKSON, ESQ.

Sir,

Edinburgh, May 3. 1818.

I have lately been favoured with two communications from you:--the one a letter to Mr. Napier, editor of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, on the subject of the article _Africa_, of which I was the author, and which Mr. Napier, therefore, put into my hands; the other, a letter direct to myself, on the subject of my edition of "Leyden's Discoveries in Africa." I fully intended to have answered them before now, but the pressure of other business, with the wish to bestow upon them the leisurely consideration which they merited, has. .h.i.therto prevented me. I feel much gratified by the favourable opinion which you express of what I have done on this subject, and much obliged to you for your communications, and offers of further information. I experienced very much the disadvantage arising from a want of knowledge of the languages of North Africa, with which you appear to have a _very extensive acquaintance. Indeed, several of the etymologies which you have given, are very interesting_. I was particularly pleased to receive that of the term _Ba Sea Feena_, though I cannot conceal that it tends to strengthen the doubts which I have entertained of its applying to the sea on the Gold Coast. The distance, the direction southwards, the Christians, the motion one way and another, and even the s.h.i.+ps, are all 514 circ.u.mstances which would agree. There are arguments, however, against it; and it is certain that Park did not so understand it.

Do you think there is any chance that the Bahr Soudan could be the Gulf of Guinea?

If you are acquainted with any circ.u.mstances which could tend to confirm or refute the narrative of Sidi Hamet, as given by Riley, or throw light upon Riley's general credibility; or if you have ever heard any report of such a city as _Wa.s.sanah_, I should feel particularly obliged to you for communicating such information: and whenever I find myself at a loss, I shall gladly avail myself of the liberality with which you show yourself disposed to impart the knowledge of which you have become possessed.

I shall communicate this letter to Mr. Napier; and it is but fair to mention, that, from the circ.u.mstances already stated, I am solely responsible for the too long delay which has taken place in answering your letter to him, as well as that to myself.

HUGH MURRAY.

_On the Niger and the Nile._

London, 7th April, 1820.

In the 25th number of the Quarterly Review, (article Park's Travels,) the hypothesis there laid down as almost indisputable, is 515 the non-continuity of the two Niles of Africa, or (according to the European phraseology of the day) of the Niger and the Nile.

This hypothesis founded on the opinion of Major Rennel, carries with it no evidence whatever, but the speculative theory of that learned geographer. The ident.i.ty or connection of the two Niles, and the consequent water communication between[312] Cairo and Timbuctoo receives (supposing the Quarterly Review to be correct), as our intelligence respecting Africa increases, additional confirmation: and even the Quarterly Reviewer, who denominated the opinion recorded by me, the gossipping stories of Negroes, (_vide_ Quarterly Review, No. 25, p. 140.) now favours this opinion!

The Quarterly Reviewer appreciates Burckhardt's information on this subject, and depreciates mine, _although both are derived from the same sources of[313] intelligence, and confirm one another_: the reviewer says, Mr. Burckhardt has revived a question of older date; viz. "that the Niger of Sudan and the Nile of Egypt are one and the same river: this general testimony to a physical fact can be shaken only by direct proof to the contrary."

[Footnote 312: _Vide_ Jackson's enlarged Account of Marocco, p.

310.]

[Footnote 313: _i. e_. Intelligence from natives of Africa.]

This is all very well: I do not object to the Quarterly Reviewer giving up an opinion which he finds no longer tenable; but when I see in the same review (No. 44, p. 481.) the following words,--"we 516 give no credit whatever to the report received by Mr. Jackson, of a person (several Negroes[314], it should be) having performed a voyage by water from Timbuctoo to Cairo," I cannot but observe with astonishment, that the Reviewer believes Burckhardt's report, that they are the same river, when, at the same time he does not believe mine.

[Footnote 314: _Vide_ Jackson's enlarged Account of Marocco, p.

312.]