The following are excerpts from;
AN ACCOUNT OF A JOURNEY FROM FAS TO TIMBUCTOO, PERFORMED IN OR ABOUT THE YEAR 1787, A.C. BY EL HAGE ABD SALAM SHABEENY.
_WITH NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY._By; JAMES GREY JACKSON,Printed by A. and R. Spottiswoode,Printers Street, London. 1820.
TRADE.
Timbuctoo is the great emporium for all the country of blacks, and even for Marocco and Alexandria.The principal articles of merchandise are tobacco, kameemas [35],beads of all colours for necklaces, and cowries, which are bought at Fas by the pound.[36] Small Dutch looking glasses, some of which are convex, set in gilt paper frames. They carry neither swords,muskets, nor knives, except such as are wanted in the caravan. At the entrance of the desert they buy rock-salt[37] of the Arabs, who bring it to them in loads ready packed, which they carry as an article of trade. In their caravan there were about 500 camels, of which about 150 or 200 were laden with salt. The camels carry less of salt than of any other article, because (being rock-salt) it wears their sides. They pay these Arabs from twenty to fifteen ounces[38] of Barbary money per load. An ounce of Barbary is worth about _6d._, and a ducat is worth about _5s._ sterling. They sell this salt at Timbuctoo upon an average at 50 per cent. profit; it is more profitable than linen. They take no oil from Barbary to Timbuctoo as they are supplied from other places with fish-oil used for lamps but not for food; they make soap with the oil. There turns are made in gold-dust, slaves, ivory, and pepper; gold dust is preferred and is brought to Timbuctoo from Housa in small leather bags. He bought one of these bags of gold dust and pieces of rings for 90 Mexican dollars, and sold it at Fas for 150. The merchants bring their gold from Timbuctoo in the saddlebags, in small purses of different sizes one within the other. The bag which Shabeeny purchased was bought at Housa, where it sells for seven or eight ducats cheaper than at Timbuctoo. On articles from Marocco they make from thirty to fifty per cent. clear profit. Cowries and gold dust are the medium of traffic. The shereefs and other merchants generally sell their goods to some of the principal native merchants, and immediately send off the slaves, taking their gold-dust with them into other countries. The merchants residing atTimbuctoo have agents or correspondents in other countries; and are themselves agents in return. Timbuctoo is visited by merchants from all the neighbouring black countries. Some of its inhabitants are amazingly rich. The dress of common women has been often worth 1000 dollars. A principal source of their wealth is lending gold-dust and slaves at high interest to foreign merchants, which is repaid-by goods from Marocco and other countries, to which the gold dustand slaves are carried. They commonly trade in the public market,but often send to the merchant or go to his house. Cowries in the least damaged are bad coin, and go for less than those that are perfect. There are no particular market days; the public market for provisions is an open place fifty feet square, and is surrounded by shops.[39] The Arabs sit down on their goods in the middle, till they have sold them. The pound weight of Timbuctoo is about two ounces heavier than the small pound of Barbary, which weighs twenty Spanish dollars; they have also half and quarter pounds; by these weights is sold milk, rice, butter, &c. as well as by the measure. The weights are of wood or iron under the inspection of a magistrate called in Barbary _m’tasseb, i.e._ inspector of weights and measures, and if the weights are found deficient, he punishes the offender immediately; they have also a quintal or cwt. Theyhave a wooden measure called a _m’hoad_[40], equal to the small_m’hoad_ of Barbary, where a _m’hoad_ of wheat weighs about 24 lb.Both the weights and measures are divided into 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and1/16.
MANUFACTURES.
The black natives are smiths, carpenters, shoemakers, tailors, and masons, but not weavers. The Arabs in the neighbourhood are weavers, and make carpets resembling those of Fas and of Mesurata, where they are called telisse[41]; they are of wool, from their own sheep, and camels’ hair. The bags for goods, and the tents, are of goats’ and camels’ hair; there are no palmetto trees in that country. Their thread[42], needles, scissors, &c. come from Fas:most of their ploughs they buy of the Arabs near the town, who are subject to it. Some are made in the town. These Arabs manufacture iron from ore found in the country, and are good smiths. They make iron bars of an excellent quality. They tan leather for soles of shoes very well, but know nothing of dressing leather in oil: theupper leather comes from Fas[43]; their wooden combs[44] and spoons come from Barbary; they have none of ivory or horn. No lead is brought from Barbary; he thinks they have lead of their own. The best shoes are brought from Fas.
HUSBANDRY
The country is well cultivated, except on the side of the desert.They have rice, _el bishna_[45], and a corn which they call allila_[46], but in Barbary it is called drah: this requires very rich ground. They make bread of _el bishna_: they have no wheat or barley. Property is fenced by a bank and a ditch. Dews are very heavy. Lands are watered by canals cut from the Nile; highlands by wells, the water of which is raised by wheels[47] worked by cattle, as in Egypt. They have violent thunder-storms in summer,but no rains: the mornings and evenings, during winter, are cold; the coldest wind is from the west, when it is as cold as at Fas.The winter lasts about two months, though the weather is cool from September to April. They begin to sow rice in August and September, but they can sow it at any time, having water at hand: he saw some sowing rice while others were reaping it. _El bishna_ and other corn is sown before December. _El bishna_ is ripe in June and July; as are beans. Allila may be sown at all seasons; it requires water only every eight or ten days. Their beans are like the small Mazagan beans, and are sown in March; the stalk is short, but full of pods. The allila produces a small, white, flattish grain.
PROVISIONS.
Rice is their principal food, but the rich have wheaten flour from Fas[48], and make very fine bread, which is considered a luxury. Bread is also made from the _allila_. They roast, boil, bake, andstew, but make no _cuscasoe_. Their meals are breakfast, dinner,and supper. They commonly breakfast about eight, dine about three,and sup soon after sunset. They drink only water or milk with their meals, have no palm wine or any fermented liquor; when they wish tobe exhilarated after dinner, they provide a plant of an intoxicating quality called _el hashisha_[49], of which they take a handful before a draught of water. [Footnote 48- And also from Marocco.][Footnote 49- _El Hashisha_. This is the African hemp plant: it is esteemed for the extraordinary and pleasing voluptuous vacuity of mind which it produces on those who smoke it: unlikethe intoxication from wine, a fascinating stupor pervades the mind, and the dreams are agreeable. The _kief_ is the flower and seeds of the plant: it is a strong narcotic, so that those who use it cannot do without it. For a further description of this plant, see Jackson's Marocco, 2d or 3d edit. p. 131 &132.]
ANIMALS.
Goats are very large, as big as the calves in England, and very plentiful; sheep are also very large. Cattle are small; many are oxen. Milk of camels and goats is preferred to that of cows. Horses are small, and are principally fed upon camels’ milk; they are of the greyhound[50] shape, and will travel three days without rest.They have dromedaries[51] which travel from Timbuctoo[52] to Tafilelt in the short period of five or six days.[Footnote 50: These horses are the desert horse, or the_shrubat er'reeh_. See Jackson's Marocco, 2d or 3d edition, p.94. to 96.][Footnote 51- These are _El Heirie_, (or _Erragual_), for a particular description of which see Jackson's Marocco, p. 91.to 93.][Footnote 52- A distance of upwards of 1200 British miles.]
BIRDS.
They have common fowls, ostriches, and a bird larger than our blackbird[53]- also storks, which latter are birds of passage, and arrive in the spring and disappear at the approach of winter;swallows, &c.
FISH.
They have many extremely good in the Nile; one of the shape andsize of our salmon[54]- the largest of these are about four feetlong. They use lines and hooks brought from Barbary, and nets, likeour casting nets, made by themselves. They strike large fish withspears and fish-gigs.
PRICES OF DIFFERENT ARTICLES.
Sheep from ten to sixteen cowries. Cowries[55] are much valued, andform an ornament of head-dress even for the richest women; they are highly valued as ornaments. Goats are cheaper than sheep; the bestfrom eight to twelve cowries. Fowls from four to six cowries each.Antelopes are very scarce and dear. Camels from thirty to sixty cowries, according to their size and condition. Ostriches, of which vast numbers are brought to market, are very cheap; thefore-feathers[56] are often carried to Tafilelt and Marocco, theinferiors are thrown away. A good slave is worth ten, fifteen, or twenty ducats of five shillings each; at Fas, they are worth fromsixty to a hundred ducats: females are the dearest. Slaves are most valuable about twelve years old. They have fish-oil for lamps, but use neither wax nor tallow for candles. The fish-oil is a greatarticle of trade, and is brought from the neighbourhood[57] of the sea by Genawa[58] to Housa, and thence to Timbuctoo; dearer at Timbuctoo than at Housa, and dearer at Housa than at Genawa.[Footnote 55- Cowries are called _El Uda_, and are sold in Santa Cruz and in South Barbary, at twenty Mexico dollars perquintal.][Footnote 56- Called _Ujuh_.][Footnote 57: Probably from the coast of Guinea, with whichHousa carries on an extensive trade.][Footnote 58- _i.e._ Guinea; Genawa being the Arabic name for the coast of Guinea.]
DRESS.
The sultan wears a white turban of very fine muslin, the ends ofwhich are embroidered with gold, and brought to the front; thisturban comes from Bengala.[59] He wears a loose white cotton shirt, with sleeves long and wide, open at the breast; unlike that of theArabs, it reaches to the small of the leg; over this a _caftan_[60]of red woollen cloth, of the same length; red is generallyesteemed. The shirt (_kumja_) is made at Timbuctoo, but the caftan comes from Fas, ready made; over the caftan is worn a short cotton waistcoat, striped white, red, and blue; this comes from Bengala,and is called _juliba_.[61] The sleeves of the caftan are as wideas those of the shirt; the breast of it is fastened with buttons,in the Moorish style, but larger. The _juliba_ has sleeves as wide as the caftan. When he is seated, all the sleeves are turned upover the shoulder[62], so that his arms are bare, and the air is admitted to his body.[Footnote 59: _i.e._ Bengal.][Footnote 60: A _caftan_, or coat, with wide sleeves, no collar, but that buttons all down before.][Footnote 61: It is not the cotton cloth which comes from Bengal that is named _Juliba_, but the fashion or the cut ofit.][Footnote 62: The Moorish fashion.]Upon his turban, on the forehead, is a ball of silk, like a pear;one of the distinctions of royalty. He wears, also, a close redskull-cap, like the Moors of Tetuan, and two sashes, one over each shoulder, such as the Moors wear round the waist; they are rather cords than sashes, and are very large; half a pound of silk is used in one of them. The subjects wear but one; they are either red, yellow, or blue, made at Fas. He wears, like his subjects, a sash round the waist, also made at Fas; of these there are two kinds,–one of leather, with a gold buckle in front, like those of the soldiers in Barbary; the other of silk, like those of the Moorish merchants. He wears (as do the subjects) breeches made in the Moorish fashion, of cotton in summer, made at Timbuctoo, and of woollen in winter, brought ready made from Fas. His shoes are distinguished by a piece of red leather, in front of the leg, about three inches wide, and eight long, embroidered with silk and gold.When he sits in his apartment, he wears a dagger with a gold hilt,which hangs on his right side: when he goes out, his attendants carry his musket, bow, arrows, and lance.His subjects dress in the same manner, excepting the distinctions of royalty; viz. the pear, the sashes on the shoulders, and the embroidered leather on the shoes.The sultana wears a caftan, open in front from top to bottom, under this a slip of cotton like the kings, an Indian shawl over the shoulders, which ties behind, and a silk handkerchief about herhead. Other women dress in the same manner. They wear no drawers.The poorest women are always clothed. They never show their bosom.The men and women wear ear-rings. The general expense of a woman’s dress is from two ducats to thirty.[63] Their shoes are red, andare brought from Marocco.[64] Their arms and ankles are adornedwith bracelets. The poor have them of brass; the rich, of gold. The rich ornament their heads with cowries. The poor have but one bracelet on the leg, and one on the arm; the rich, two. They also wear gold rings upon their fingers. They have no pearls or precious stones. The women do not wear veils.[Footnote 63: Equal to from two to thirty Mexico dollars.][Footnote 64: They are manufactured at Marocco.]
Filed under: Africa, Black History, History
