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In passing these desert wilds, where hills disappear in a single night by the drifting of the sand, and where all traces of the passage of even a large kafila sometimes vanish in a few hours, the Tibboos have certain points in the dark sandstone ridges, which from time to time raise their heads in the midst of this dry ocean of sand, and form the only variety, and by them they steer their course.
It is thus evident that the Tibboos do derive a revenue from their salt, contrary to what was stated by them to Major Denham. Since his time, however, this people have found themselves in a better condition to enforce this impost on the Kailouee salt-merchants than they were formerly.
Several days were now chiefly occupied in writing reports on the progress made by the expedition hitherto; and in voluminous correspondence on petty, matters petty, I mean, in themselves, but very important to us all connected with our future proceedings. I forwarded to the Foreign Office a letter addressed by the Sultan Laoul, of the Tibboos of Bilma, to Mr. Gagliuffi.
The Tibboos and Arabs kept them awake half the night with their singing and dancing, in consequence of the bousafer or feast, on entering the Tibboo country. Boo Khaloom gave two camels, and the major and his party gave one.
Our merchants give the Tibboos a bad character, and the caravans are afraid of them. Ranke says: "Amongst the early Germans, families were held together by a peculiar preference on the mother's side; the mother's brother being, according to ancient custom, a very important personage.
The town stands about one mile west of the Tchad, four short days' march from Bornou. The women, like the Tibboos, have a square piece of blue or white cloth tied over one shoulder, which forms their whole covering; their hair is, however, curiously and laboriously trained, and it was observed, that no one of tender years had any thing like a perfect head of hair.
There is little connexion between the people, although they speak a similar language. The Bilma Tibboos lie in the direct route to Bornou, and were fully studied by the Denham and Clapperton expedition. 15th. Continue to prepare papers to send home. Report the fact, that the functionaries of Mourzuk trade in slaves. 16th.
This news was brought in the afternoon by a caravan of Fezzanees, who have arrived from Ghât. They declare that they buried the bodies of the two murdered men. A servant who escaped gave them the rest of the news. It is probable that the Tibboos made considerable resistance on the road, as they are brave fellows, and this resistance occasioned their being murdered.
The spear-shaft is wood, whilst those of the Ghât Tuaricks and Haghars are frequently metal, of the same substance as the point of the weapon. These iron spears are said to be manufactured by the Tibboos. They are much more formidable weapons than the spears with wooden shafts. To these arms the people in Aheer now begin to add matchlocks, which are sent up from the coast.
The Tibboos received them kindly at first, but presumed rather too much on sheik Kaneny's protection, which they claim or throw off, it is said, accordingly as it suits their purpose.
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