Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa; Being a Journal of an Expedition Undertaken Under the Auspices of H.B.M.'s Government, in the Years 1849-1855 Volume 5 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: by sending for the Kel-iilli, who arrived in the course of the afternoon, about sixty strong, with great military demonstrations and beating of shields. It was on this occasion that I first made the acquaintance of this warlike tribe, who, notwithstanding their degraded position as Imghdd, have made themselves conspicuous by totally annihilating the formerly powerful tribe of the I'gelad and I'medidderen, who in former times ruled over Timbuktu and were hostile to the Kunta. The Kel-ulli are distinguished among all the tribes of the neighbourhood by three qualities which, to the European, would scarcely seem possible to be united in the same person, but which are not unfrequently found combined in the Arab tribes, viz. " rej'ela," or valour; " sirge," or thievishness; and " dhiyafa," or generous hospitality. chapter{Section 4CHAP. LXXII. GREAT CRISIS OBLIGED TO LEATE THE TOWN.?MILITART DEMONSTRATION. There was now a fair opportunity offered me of leaving the town in an honourable way, under the protection of the friendly Kel-ulli, who for this very purpose had brought with them from the encampment my four camels; but the Sheikh missed this favourable occasion, by relying too much upon the promised arrival of the great Tawarek chief Alkiit- tabu. As for our friends the Tademekket, to whom A'hmed Wadawi, the learned follower of the Sheikh, had been sent as a messenger, they did not come along with him, but sent word that they would follow him as soon as their presence was required; their chief A'wab having gone to raise tribute from the degraded tribe of the Ideleb6. Uncertain as my situation was under these circumstances, I felt cheered by the not very improbable chance of my departure; for at length the last cause which had delayed me so long seemed to be removed, ...