Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/48

 82 NORTH-WEST AFRICA. confined to a solitary hamlet. Numerous structures, however, attest the former presence of these ancient inhabitants, as well as of their forefathers or precursors, the Garamantes. Numerous worked flints also afford proof of a prehistoric period in this Libyan region analogous to that of the Stone Age in Europe. On the crest of the Jebel B use una, an ancient village has been so well preserved that the cabins might be again rendered inhabitable by simply spreading a roof of pabn-branches above the circular walls. The posterns, defensive towers, and outer ramparts all remain just as they were originally constructed. The rocky eminence rising in the middle of Lake Buseima is also crowned with a citadel of the same type as those erected by the former inhabitants of the country. There are even some ancient burial-grounds, which the Mohammedans suffer to be profaned with impunity, the bodies, deposited in a sitting attitude, being those of "reprobate Kafirs." The Zwiya Arabs, now masters of the land by right of conquest, claim to be amongst the most zealous disciples of the Prophet since they have accepted the teachings of the Senusiya brotherhood. A Zwiya sheikh will never present himself before the people of his tribe except on horseback, shaded by an umbrella, bearing a falcon on a small cushion, and followed by a greyhound. He is always armed with a long matchlock provided with a rusty bayonet. The Zwiyas leave to the despised Tibbus of the southern village the use of their primitive weapons, such as the long heavy iron club tipped with steel, which describes a whirling motion in its flight through the air. Topography. The Kufra group comprises five chief oases, of which the most important, if not the largest, is Taiserbo, in the north-west. Here Jrangedi, the old capital, and residence of the Tibbu sultans, is still crowned by the remains of a castle built with blocks of salt. The name of Kufra, now applied to the whole territory, appears to have been originally restricted to Taiserbo abne. But the political pre-eminence of this oasis caused its name to be extended to all the other members of the group, although lying at a mean distance of about 60 miles from each other. Sirhen, in the north-east, is almost uninhabited, and here the Zwiyas have not even planted date-palms, although extensive groves might soon be developed with a little culti- vation. Nevertheless, it forms a very important caravan station, thanks to the excellent pasturage it affords for camels. Buseima, in the centre of the group, is noted for its lake, and for the Jebel Buseima, Jebel Sirhen, and Jebel Nari ranges enclosing it on the north, north-east, and south, respectively. The latter, under various names, and interrupted at several points, develops a total length of about 120 miles in the direction from east to west. In the south-west, Erbehna is about the same size and presents analogous features to those of Buseima, consisting, like it, of a circular zone of palms enclosing a lake, which is dominated northwards by the abrupt escarpments of a mountain