Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 2 | Page 3

30 long days from Ghât, N.N.E.; 60 short
and 50 long from Mourzuk, N.E.; 20 short, 15 long, from Zinder or
Damerghou, S.S.W.; 7 long, 10 or 12 short, from Bilma, E.; 38 to 45
days from Tuat, N.W. (viâ Taghajeet). Maharees, of course, trot and
gallop in half the time. These are native statements.
The principal feature of Tintalous itself is what may be called the
palace of En-Noor. It is, indeed, one, compared with the huts and stone
hovels amidst which it is placed. The materials are stone plastered with
mud, and also the wood of the mimosa tree. The form is an oblong
square, one story high, with an interior courtyard, and various
appendages and huts around on the outside. There is another house, and
also a mosque built in the same style, but much smaller. Of the rest of
the habitations, a few are stone sheds, but the greater part are huts made
of the dry stalks of the fine herb called bou rekabah, in the form of a
conical English haystack, and are very snug, impervious alike to rain
and sun. There are not more than one hundred and fifty of these huts
and sheds, scattered over a considerable space, without any order; some
are placed two or three together within a small enclosure, which serves
as a court or yard, in which visitors are received and cooking is carried
on. There is another little village at a stone's-throw north. The

inhabitants of these two villages consist entirely of the slaves and
dependants of En-Noor.
All around Tintalous, within an hour or two hours' ride, there are
villages or towns of precisely the same description, more or less
numerously peopled. At Seloufeeat and Tintaghoda, however, we saw
more houses built of stone and mud. This may be accounted for by the
fact that the inhabitants are not nearly so migratory as those of
Tintalous, who often follow in a body the motions of their master, so
that he is ever surrounded by an imposing household.
I must not omit mentioning an important article of furniture which is to
be observed in all the houses of Aheer--namely, the bedstead. Whilst
most of the inhabitants of Fezzan lie upon skins or mats upon the
ground, the Kailouees have a nice light palm-branch bedstead, which
enables them to escape the damp of the rainy season, and the attack of
dangerous insects and reptiles like the scorpion and the lêfa.
I shall hereafter make a few observations on the tribes inhabiting Aheer.
Here I will note that they are all called Targhee, that is Tuarick, by the
traders of the north; and that the predominant race is the Kailouee. To
me the latter seems to be a mixture of the Berbers, or supposed
aborigines of the northern coast, with all the tribes and varieties of
tribes of the interior of Africa. This may account for their having less
pride and stiffness than the Tuaricks of Ghât, who are purer Berbers; as
well as for their disposition to thieving and petty larceny, of which I
have recently been obliged to give some examples. The pure Berbers,
likewise, are much less sensual than their bastard descendants, who
seem, indeed, to have no idea of pleasure but in its grossest shape.
The Kailouees are, for the most part, tall and active, little encumbered
by bulky bodies; some having both complexion and features nearly
European. At any rate there are many as fair-looking as the Arabs
generally, whilst others are quite negro in colour. The women are
smaller and stouter; some are fattened like the Mooresses of the coast,
and attain to an enormous degree of embon-point. They are not
ill-looking, but offer nothing remarkable in their forms.

I have already set down many particulars of manners, and shall proceed
to do so in the same disjointed way. At a future time all these traits
must be collected to form one picture.[2] For the present I am anxious
about the future progress of the Mission, and impatient, at any rate, to
hear some news of our advance. We cannot do all the things we would.
Our position is almost that of prisoners. We must depend entirely on
the caprice of En-Noor, who, however, may already have laid out his
plans distinctly, though he does not choose to communicate them to us.
[2] Perhaps the note-books of Mr. Richardson, in which facts are set
down fresh and distinct just as they presented themselves, will be found
to be more interesting than an elaborate narrative. At any rate it has
seemed better not to attempt to do what was left undone in this
matter.--ED.
Oct. 2d.--We have been lately discussing the practicability of going to
Sakkatou, on a visit to the Sultan Bello; and this morning I