Moroccain merchants who visited Paris at that time. This name is given to them by the Bambara, who call their country Marka-kanne or kanda, and are greatly intermixed with them. The Fullán hereabouts also formerly had great power, and have become famous under the name Kowár.

66

The Aswánek, Swánínki, Sébe, or Wákoré, were the original inhabitants of the country, and once formed the principal stock in the vast and glorious empire of Ghánata, the ruling class not improbably belonging to the Pullo stock, the Leukæthiopes, who were settled in this very region since the time of Ptolemy, till they were overpowered by the nearly-related tribe of the Mandingoes or Juli, who, on the ruins of the empire of Ghánata, founded a new empire, extending its influence over the whole middle course of the great river. This new empire was called Melle," from melle, a word meaning "free," "noble," as the dominating tribe of the Mandingoes called themselves, in opposition to their oppressed brethren, the Aswánek, just in the same manner as the free, roving portion of the Berbers from ancient times seem to have called themselves Mázigh, Imóshagh, in opposition to the degraded settlers in the towns. The feeble remains of the empire of Melle, which had been nearly annihilated by the Songhay, were extinguished, as it seems, in the beginning of the reign of Múláy Ism'ail, when the Arabs on the one side, and the Bambara on the other, began to take the lead in those quarters, while the Fulbe or Fullán appeared in the background.

The catastrophe of the extinction of this last remnant of the empire of Melle is not without interest in the modern history of the western part of Central Africa. For a civil war having arisen between the royal princes Dábo and Sagóne, sons of Feréngh Mahmúd, the late king or ruler of Melle (the title "Feréngh," instead of the more exalted one of Mansa, showing his reduced state of rank), all the most powerful tribes in that part of the continent took part in the quarrel: one faction being formed by the Bambara, who, in the mean time, had won Ségo from their masters and near relations the Mandingoes, the Welád Mazúk, the noblest portion of the Welád Mebárek, and the A ́hel Sembóru-that is to say, a section of the Fullán, who meanwhile had settled in these quarters; while the opposite party consisted of the Rumá, or Ermá, the Moroccain conquerors of Songhay, who had settled down in certain places of that vast empire, and intermarried with the natives; the Zenágha; the Welád 'Alúsh, a very warlike tribe, mentioned above; and the A'hel Mása, or Sáro, a section of the Wákoré. In this struggle the capital of Melle was destroyed; and while the people of Bambara took possession of the southwestern portion of its dominions, the Welád Mebárek, with their friends the Welád Mazuk, rendered themselves masters of its northeastern districts. For Hennún, the son of Bóhedel, son of Mebárek, who had led this tribe in the sanguinary and long-lasting war, received from the hands of Múláy Ism'aíl, the energetic emperor of the Gharb, as a sort of feudal dominion, the lordship of Bághena; and his successors have at least partly retained it up to this day. I here give a list of these chiefs, adding the length of their reigns, wherever I was able to make it out:

'Omár (A'mmer) Weled Hennún, a powerful chief, who has given his name to the ruling tribe, which, after him, is called Welád 'Omár (A ́mmer), a name corrupted by Park into Lúdamar.

Alí Weled 'Omár ruled almost forty years; was visited by Park shortly before his death.

'Omár Weled 'Alí, ruled about thirteen years.

Mohammed Weled 'Omár was chief about the same number of years.

'Alí Weled Mohammed was chief seven years.

Hennún Weled Mohammed murdered his brother 'Alí, but was chief only four months, being murdered in his turn by

Mukhtár, a near relative of his, who was chief for about twelve years. Babúne succeeded him. Between this chief and Hámed Weled 'Alí e' Sheikh Weled Hennún Weled Bóhedel, there arose a civil war, which lasted seven years, devastating all Bághena, and weakening especially the power of the Arabs. At the end of seven years Hámed died, Babune, who altogether ruled about nine years, surviving him by one year. He was succeeded by

'Alí Weled el Mukhtar, the present chief of the Welád Mebárek, who in 1853 had ruled two years.

As for the Fullán, or Fulbe, they had become very numerous in Baghena, and were in possession of several ksúr, principally Dáguní, Jibónfo, Kemeñyómo, Nara, Kebda, Barréu, and Gurúnge, till they were driven out of these places by 'Omár

HISTORICAL FACTS RELATING TO BA'GHENA.

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Weled Hennún, when most of the ksúr remained deserted. But the policy of the Fullan of Baghena became entirely changed when their brethren on the other side of the river, led on by the fanatical and energetic chieftain Mohammed Lebbo, raised the standard of the Jihad in the year 1821. Jealous of their political independence, which thus became threatened, they then joined the Arabs in their struggle against the new empire of Hamda-Alláhi, and supported them. Nevertheless, favored as he was by the civil war among the latter, the chief A'hmedu, son of Mohammed Lebbo, made considerable progress in Baghena, which was not arrested until recently. At present Sumbúnne, son of Bú-Bakr, the present emír of the Fullán in Baghena, has built a new ksar, the place El Imbediye mentioned above, situated a few miles east from Lombo Tendi, and to the north of another ksar called Gurúnge. There is also a Pullo emír in Bághena, of the name Abú El Háji Ibrahima, who seems to enjoy considerable authority.

As for the Aswánek of Baghena, who, as will have been gleaned already from the itineraries, are masters of many ksúr, their present policy is said to consist in keeping prudently in the background, and economizing their strength for some great exertion in favor of their own independence. I here insert a list of the several sections into which the Aswánek are divided, as far as I have become acquainted with them:

The Kométen, in Sansándi or Sansánni, which originally was an Aswánek town. The Síse, not unlikely related with the Susu.

The Sása.

The Konne.

The Berta.

The Berre.

The Dukkera or Dukerát.

The Silláwa or Sillát.

The Kágorát, a very remarkable tribe, distinguished by a lighter hue, and, according to report, even by a peculiar idiom, while in other respects, especially by the three cuts which they make along both cheeks, they approach closer to the customs of the Bambara and A'hel Mása.

The Kúnnatát.

The Jáwarát, speaking nothing but the pure Aswánek language, and divided into the two sections of the Welád Dábo and the Swági, the latter especially being very numerous and warlike.

The Fófanát.

The Dárisát.

The chief of the Aswánek in Bághena is Músa, son of Benédik, who resides in Ershán, at no great distance W. from Bisága.

Related to the Aswánek are also the Sáro, whose seats are one day S. from Jinni, and who, together with the Bambara, fight against the Fúlbe. Their former chief was Chong Weled Músa.

The hostilities carried on between the inhabitants of the northern banks of the Niger or Dhiúliba as a whole, on the one side, and the Fulbe of Hamda-Alláhi on the other, exercise their influence also upon the relation which exists between the Arabs of Baghena and the Bámbara, which therefore at present can not but be a friendly one.

On the whole, the country of Bághena, which well deserves the attention of Europeans, is not less capable of fixed settlements than it is fit for rehála life, or nomadic wandering, although it is not suited for the camel. Besides cultivation of dukhn, or, as it is here called, bíshen or héni, and dhurra or sába, wild rice is procured from the numerous swamps formed in the rainy season, as is also the case in the whole of El Hódh. The trees most common in Bághena are the tédum or baobab, at least in the southern districts, the róma or líyene, the chigfit, the baferéwa, and the aúrnal; of the date-tree I have spoken above.

Z. Route from Kasambára to Tishit or Shétu, from the information of El Imám, a native of the latter place.

1st day. Mabrúk, a large well or hasi.

5th. Ajwér, a large and much-frequented well, distant a long day's journey W. from the celebrated well "Bír Nwál." As far as Ajwér the direction is almost N., but here it becomes N. W.

10th. Agérijít, in former times nothing but a well, but in the year 1850, owing

to a civil war having broken out in Tishít, one section of the Welád Bille left their home and settled near this well, where they built a small ksar or village. Here the direction of the road changes to the W.

These

11th. Tishít, or, as the place is called by its original inhabitants, Shétu. indigenous inhabitants of Tishít are the Másina, a section of the Aswánek or Azér, consisting of two divisions, one of darker and the other of lighter color. These Másina are the founders of the kingdom of Másina or Másín, whose centre was the island or rúde formed by the Mayo Balléo and the Mayo Rannéo, with Tenéngu as its chief place. It is still an important market-place. Tishít is said by the Arabs to have been founded by 'Abd el Múmen, about the fifth century of the Hejra; but that means only that about the period indicated the Berbers took possession of the town, the original name of which they thus changed into Tishít. At present there live in the town, intermixed with the Masina, the Welád Bille, who about two centuries ago formed an extremely rich and powerful tribe, but part of whom, as stated before, have at present emigrated. The consequence is that the town has decayed greatly, and seems scarcely to contain at present more than about 3000 inhabitants. Besides the Welád Bille, there live also in Tishít a certain number of Zuwaye or Tolba, especially the A'hel Hindi Nislim.

Tishít lies not far from the southern foot of the Kódia, which encircles El Hódh, and there is at no great distance from it a sebkha where an inferior kind of salt is obtained. The only produce of the place are dates of various quality, the names of which are as follows: Básebúrk, Dérmakúl, Dérmasúggin, Bataye, Mandínga, Géti, Habbes, Getfáf, Dáram, Birkeráwi, Zengít, Tamaraniye. All other articles of food are brought from Nyámi, which forms the great market-place of Tishít and the surrounding country.

There is another more westerly road leading from Kasambára to Tishít, and reaching on the 4th day the well called "Bir Fóg," or perhaps "fók," meaning "the upper well;" on the 8th, another well or hasi called "A'jwe," and bringing the traveler to Tishít on the 10th before noon.

AA. List of stations between Tishit and Waláta.

1 short march, A'gerijít, the well where the road from Kasambára joins. 1 short march, Tuwéjínit. long march, Bottat el abés. 1 short march, A'ratán. 1 short march, 'Imód elán, hills or columns of sand, one of them called 'Amad el Abiadh. This station is very important, as it is the point where the direct road from Wadán to Waláta joins this track. See lower down. day, Bú-mehaye. 1 day, I'ghelád Timasóra.day, Shebbi, "m'aden sheb abiadh," mines of white alum. 1 long day, Ojáf. 1 day, Tagoraret. day, El 'Ayún Khanfóreten Aísa. 1 day, Wadi Níti, with wells (hasián) and íghelád. 1 day, Waláta.

BB. Route from Tishit to Bot-hadiye.

3d day. Tyggebo, a ksar or village inhabited by the Teghdaust, a very remarkable tribe, about whom I shall say more farther on, and by the Tájakánt. The village belongs to the district called Erkíz, perhaps identical with what others call Taskast. About ten miles west from Tyggebo there is an ancient place called Nyadásh, inhabited likewise by the Teghdaust.

4th. Ergébe, or rather a resting-place in the hilly district called by that name. In another part of this hilly tract, on the frontier of Afólle, a party of Zuwaye have recently built a ksar or small town of the name of Makámet.

5th. E'nwasár, a shallow well or hasi.

10th. Bú-bothá, a well or hasi, evidently near a botha or swampy depression. Between E'nwasár and this place there are other watering-places, but informant has forgotten their names.

11th. Jók, a well or hasi.

14th. Limódu, a ksar or village inhabited by the Medrámberín, a tribe of the Kunta.

16th. Jígge, a valley with plenty of water in the rainy season.

17th. El Mal, a small island in a lake of fresh water, and not even drying up during the dry season.

19th. Krá el ásfar, a creek of the bahr Fúta or Senegal, so called by the Arabs. 21st. Bír el Ghála, a well.

22d. Testaye, a well.

23d. Bothadiye or El Bot-há, as Fort St. Joseph seems to be called by the Arabs.

STATIONS BETWEEN WADA'N AND WALA'TA.

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CC. Stations on the route from Wadán to Tishit.

5 days, Bú-Sefíye.day, Khat el Moina or Shwékh. 1 day, Lobér. 1 long, Tin-tét or Ghaleb e' dál. 1 day, Felísh el milha. 1 day, Kátib. 1 day, El Badiyát. 1 day, El Jerádiyát. 1 day, Ganeb, a well or hasi, with date palms. 1 day, Dikil ghaleb. 1 day, Tishit. From Wadán to the sebkha I'jil, a salt basin at the foot of a considerable mountain, is ten days' journey with laden camels, and seven with unladen ones going at a swift rate. 1 day, Tagálift, on the northern side of the valley.day, U'm el bédh. 2 days, Aushish, in the district called Maghtér, consisting of high sandy downs.day, Bot-há el haye. 1 day, El Argiye, the nearest well to the salt lake. One day S. from the sebkha is the high mount I'jil.

DD. Stations on the route between Wadán and Waláta.

3 days, Warán. 1 short, Tésserat-u-Láhiat. 1 long, Temnakarárit. 14 day, Ijúfa, all sandy downs. 14 day, Akáratín e' sbot and Akáratín el had. 1 day, El Mehámer. day, El Ksar-rawát. 1 day, Engéwel. 1 day, Agamíyirt. 1 day, Imódhelán; here this route joins the former one. 1 day, Bu-meháye. 1 short, Begére, a dhaye. day, Shebbi.day, Keddámu. day, Warásh. 1 short, El Atilt (El Ethelet?) seraye. 1 short, Rek E'rdhedhír. 1 long, El Ogúdh el himmál. 1 day, Rodh el hamra. 1 day, El Felish. 1 day, El Derrúmbekát.day,

Waláta.

EE. Stations between Wadán and El Khat, by a circuitous route.

1 short day, Tanúshirt, a hasi with date-trees; "tanú" means vale. 1 day, A'herúr. 4 days, A'wakan; this part of the road passes through a desert tract without wells, called Táyarát Idaw el Háj. 1 day, Sharaniye. 1 day, Hasi el harka. 1 day, Itílen, a mound. 1 day, El Khat, having passed the heat in BúSefiye. El Khat is a rich valley, which I shall say more about in the general account of El Hódh, and a very important locality where most of the routes traversing this region join. A'wakan, which will be mentioned in a following itinerary, is thus tolerably well determined.

FF. From Wadán to Rashid, by way of El Khat.*

1 day, Roj, a well. 1 day, Shingít, an ancient town, which has become very famous in the whole of the East on account of its having given its name to all the Arabs of the West. The reason of this is said to be that a distinguished man, a native of this place, of the name of 'Abd e' Rahmán, visited the court of Harún e' Rashid. I shall say more about this place farther on. 1 day, encamp beyond the A'kela without a well. 1 day, Hawéshi. 1 day, Awázgar (identical with A'wakan ?), with a hasi at the foot of the kódia, leaving the small town of A ́tar eastward. 1 day, Tákenus and El Khósa. 1 day, El Sharaniye, a hasi or well belonging to the Welád el Wáfi, and still forming part of A'derér e' temar. 1 day, El Khat Smirár, a tract with many wells, but, as it seems, on high ground, from whence Tejígja, Ksar el Barka, Rashid, and even Tisígi may be seen. 1 day, Tagánet el bédha. 1 day, Rashid.

GG. From A'tar to Tejigja or Rashid.

N.B.-A'tar is two days E. of Shingít and Ojúft, another ksar or village which is two days S. E. of Shingít, and one day S.S.W. of A'tar. (These data I had not made use of in my map.)

1 day, Tozarótín, with a well or hasi. 1 short, Zeríbe, a dhaye or pond. 1 day, A'ús, difficult march, high kódia. 1 day, a locality a short distance to the south of Shingít. 3 days through the A'kela, without a well; then reach Kíder Wámu, a well three days from Shingít. 1 day, A'wakan, the above-mentioned well. 1 day, Hasi il harka. 1 day, Shwékh, or Khat el Moina, on the south side of the Khat. 1 day, El Laye, a well. day, Tanúshight. 1 short, Atwél and Awén Tisba. 1 day, E' Nwalík Warzák. day, either Tejígja or Rashíd, two villages in Tagánet, the distance of both places being the same. Tejígja is a place of considerable renown.

N.B.-This itinerary was not made use of for the map of the western part of the desert which I sent home from Timbúktu.

VOL. III.-Y Y

HH. From Tejigja to Jáfena or Jáfunú.

2 days, Wedán, with a large dhaye or pond. 1 short, Adírg el Mejúj. 1 day, Dhú el Rodíye, passing by Daúdad. 1 day, E' Nugga. day, Korkol, a kódia or hill at the frontier of Tezízzay, between Aukár and El Kódia. day, Gárrugát. 1 short, Agúrsh Gasámu. 1 day, Gundége nwamélen (wan mellen?) two mountains with hasián. 4 day, Kífa, a well or hasi. 1 day, U'm el A'khseb, a dhaye or tamurt, surrounded by baobab-trees. 1 day, Samba-sandíggi, a well, with plenty of sgillem (the dúm bush) and deleb palms. day, Isíl, a dhaye. 1 day, Gár-allah, a large dhaye. The district Asába is south from here. 1 day, Erísh. 1 day, Elgilte el Khaddra, a large dhaye or pond full of fish. 1 day, encamp in the open country. 1 day, Jáfena or Jáfunú, or rather Gúghi or Gúri, the capital of that province, which is four or five days south of Bowár or 'Akerút, a well in Mesila.

II. Route from Ksar el Barka-Bú-télimit.

Ksar el Barka is one short day southwest from Rashid.

1st day, Gébbu, a tamurt or dhaye where sába or dhurra and wheat are cultivated by the Welád Sídi Haiballa, who usually encamp here. 2d, Tisígi, a short well at the foot of a kódia, from whence the passes crossing the range of sand-hills toward the south are seen. 3d, El Júwelát e' Twáma, two of these passes, either of which you may choose. 4th, U'm e' dér, a hasi or well belonging to the district Agán.* 5th, El Aíní, a hasi or well. 6th, Titárikt or A'sabay, a well about thirty-five fathoms in depth, and the most eastern of "El Abiár," or the deep wells, which have given their name to the whole district called "El A biár."

Besides the wells here mentioned, the most famous wells of "El A'biár" are the following, all lying west of Aftót: A'r-éddeke, Bú-Telehíye, Rézelán, Bír el Barka, Dukhn, Bú-Twerige, Yáre, Bu-Tumbúski. Farther to the northwest from Aftót, and at the distance of about two days north from Bú-Tweríge, is a famous well called Bú-télimít, but not to be confounded with the well of the same name mentioned hereafter. In the district of Aftót there are only shallow wells.

7th, El Wastha, a deep well dug in stony ground. 8th, Twersát, a group of shallow wells. 9th, a well, being the property of a man called E' Sheikh el Kádhi, with an encampment of the Ijéjebó. 10th, Tin-dámmer Abél, a well. 11th, Butélimít, a large well or hasi near the camping-grounds of the Brákena, much frequented. From here Bot-hadíye is said to be only one day and a half distant. If that is the case, the latter must be identical with some place in the "Ile de Morfil.”

KK. Route from Ksar el Barka to Kahaide.

2d day, Tésigí, the locality mentioned above. 3d, Létfatár, a large tamurt or pond. 4th (long), Agáyar, a well or hasi. 5th, Gímí, a hasi, belonging, like the foregoing one, to the district Aftót. 6th, Keréni, a hasi. 7th, El Wád, a valley without water. 8th, El A'rruwa, a hasi. 9th, encamp in the wilderness without water. 10th, Shemmáma, a name which is given by the Arabs to the whole district along the north side of the Senegal. You arrive at the river opposite two villages called (by the Arabs) Gúru 'l hajar. It seems not to be identical with the Gúri 'l haire of the Fulbe, as that is one short day from Bakel, while our route evidently follows a far more westerly course, even west of the one which I am about to give.

LL. Route from Kahaide to the frontier of Tagánet, direction N.N.E., according to Háj Ibrahim from Kahaide.

1st day. Enjekúdi, or Tisílit Táleb Mahmud, a well with an encampment of Arabs called collectively by my informant Shénagít and Limtúna.

2d. Monge, a village of the Limtúna, consisting of tents made of camels' hair. 3d. Moyet, another village of the Limtúna, or rather two sections of this once powerful but now degraded Berber tribe, the Dagebámbera (this is probably not their proper name), and the Welád e' Shefága.

4th. Basengíddi, a village inhabited by the Limtúna, the Twabér (a section of the former), El Hejáj, the Rehála, El Heba, and the Welád 'Abd-Allah. The country rather hilly.

On my MS. map I placed Agán wrong, giving it an intermediate position between Aftót and Asába.