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Aheer is the rendezvous of the salt caravan of Bilma, in the Tibboo country, situate, almost in a straight line, about ten days east, the route to which is over barren stony ground. A curious story is told of the manner in which the camel drivers supply themselves with forage over this treeless, herbless, naked waste.
A visit to this singular oasis might repay a hardy traveller; but the people of the country have a faithless character, and it would be dangerous to trust to their promises of protection. The Tibesty Tibboos must not be confounded with the Tibboos of the salt-mines of Bilma, who have recently made their submission to the Porte.
The sultan Tibboo, whose territory extends from this place to Bilma, was at this time visiting a town to the south-west of Anay, called Kisbee, and he requested Boo Khaloom to halt there one day, promising to proceed with him to Bilma. They accordingly reached Kisbee on the evening of the 5th, where the camels got some pickings of dry grass.
On leaving Bilma their road lay over loose hills of sand, in which the camels sunk nearly knee-deep.
About a mile from the little town of Bilma, the capital of the Tibboos, they came to a spring of water surrounded by green turf, the last spot of verdure they saw for thirteen days. They passed over loose hillocks of sand, into which the camels sank knee-deep. Some of these hills were from twenty to sixty feet in height, with almost perpendicular sides.
On the 12th, they reached Bilma, the capital of the Tibboos, and the residence of their sultan, who having always managed to get before and receive them, advanced a mile from the town attended by some fifty of his men-at-arms, and double the number of the sex, styled in Europe, the fair.
They had upwards of fifty miles to cross, over a frightful waste of movable sand-hills, to Zow; many of the poor children, panting with thirst, scarcely able to creep along. At Bilma they laid in a stock of dates for the next fourteen days, during which man and beast nearly subsisted upon them, the slaves for twenty days together mostly getting no other food.
I have just received an account of the route of the salt-caravans from Tintalous to Bilma: From Tintalous to Asaughar Five days. " Fakramah One day. " Kāwār One day. " Boulouma One day. The mediate time occupied is said to be between eight and fourteen days. The three stations mentioned between Tintalous and Bilma have wells of water.
They were different from those of Bilma, were more of a copper colour, with high foreheads, and a sinking between the eyes. They have fine teeth, and are smaller and more delicately formed than the Tibboos who inhabit the towns.
He muttered the words with his head still obstinately bent. "He went alone to Bilma, to the Air, quite alone to those places where no one had ever been. He is a brave man." "He is a brave man, undoubtedly," I answered with great restraint. "But he murdered his companion, Captain Morhange, did he not?" The old Sergeant trembled. "He is a brave man," he persisted. "Chatelain, you are a child.
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