Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 1.djvu/349

 THE ARABS OF DAE-FOE— SOCIAL USAGES. 277 the Arabs in speech. There are moreover numerous other communities, whose classification is a matter of great difficulty. All call themselves Arabs, so as to appear of more noble extraction ; but the bulk of them are probably allied to the Forians. The powerful Massalit tribes, several of which live in complete inde- pendence on the western frontiers of Dar-F6r and in "Wadai, are amongst those tribes believed to be of aboriginal descent. Till recently they were in constant feud with the Ilabanieh tribe, who occupy more especially the southern region of Dar-F6r; but peace has now been restored. According to Xachtigal, some of these people are still addicted to anthropophagy. The Arabs of Dar-F6r. The northern part of the country, on the verge of the desert between Kordofdn and Wadai, is peopled by BarlLbra immigrants, Zogawahs, Bideyats, and many others, and even by Bisharins from Eastern Nubia. There are numerous Wadai colonies in Dar-F6r which, like the other natives of the western countries, are generally kno*Ti by the name of Takrur or Takarir. Dar-F6r has also been colonised by Fulas, belonging to the same race as those of Western Africa, and by Homrs, Hamrs, or Beni-IIamrans, who possess many camels, and who claim to have oome from Marocco. They live principally to the north-east of the Marrah Moun- tains, in the Om-Bedr oasis, and to the west in the Wady-Bareh, where they practice sorcery ; some of their families have even penetrated as far as Kordofan. According to Ensor, the Homrs are distinguished from the other inhabitxlnts of Dar-For by the respect which they show to their wives. Thfe majority of the strangers consist of Arabs, or of " peoples assimilated to the Arabs," who have come from the north and east. Already some centuries ago, and probably even at a period anterior to the Hegira, nomads from the Arabian peninsula had penetrated into Dar-For, The Tunjur or Tunzer, who governed the country and whose descendants still live in the mountains and plains situated south of El-Fasher, claim to be Arabs and are considered as such, although they are not Mohammedans, and although the peoples in these countries are usually classed according to their religion. In the opinion of Lejean they are not Arabs, but Tubbu tribes who have migrated from the north-west. The Mussulman " Arabs " also, who roam in the plains, divided into numerous groups, are evidently of mixed origin, like those of Konlofan, whom they resemble in customs and speech. In southern Dar-For all the tribes belong to the great Bagg^ra family. According to Mohammed the Tunisian, children bom of mixed Arab and For parents die at an early age, whilst those born of parents of the same race are usually of sound and vigorous constitu- tion. Consumption is extremely rare amongst them, and this malady is almost unknown elsewhere in Dar-For. Social Usages. The civilisation of the Forians is of Mussulmon origin, and the Arabs have evidently been the instructors of the nation. Literature and science, if these two