Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/525

 INHABITANTS OP TIBESTI—THE TIBBU8. 429 But over nince the name has Ikhti known to the Arabii, the crntreof their power have been the mountains of Tib<>Hti, the eountry of •• rocks." In these highland! they have dwelt probably from the remotest times, for no warlike expeditions erer jH>netrate to these isolated uplands. Here they are surrounded on all sides by deserts of difficult access, far removed from all the great caravan routes, and holding out little attraction to aggressive or marauding tribes. For any other iMwple suddenly transiwrtod to these barren highlands existence would be absolutely imi)ossible, 86 deficient is the countrj' in supplies. Even for the natives, certain valleys, amongst others those opening towards the north-west, are quite uninhabitable. In this arid region scarcity is the normal condition for months together. After the summer rains the goats find the necessary pasture, and then yield in abundance the milk which forms the staple food of the Tedas. They also gather the berries of certain plants, raise a few crops, and collect the fruit of the dum-palm, elsewhere held in small account. Nor is even the coloquintida de8pi8<Hl, which mixed with various ingredients to remove its bitterness, is ground to a flour and kneaded with dates, in this form constituting one of their chief alimentary resources. During the date season the Tedas resort to the palm groves to gather the " fallings," which are the common property of all, or to purchase provisions in exchange for animals, arms, and woven goods. Meat they rart^y cat, never killing their animals except when old, diseased, or wounded ; but then the whole carcass is consumed. After being dric^ in the sun, it is pounded with stones so as to crush the bones and soften the sinews. The very skins are eaten, and during Nachtigal's visit the shoes stolen from him while asleep serve<l to regale some daring thieves. Condemned by the scarcity of supplies to a life of extreme frugalit}', the Tedas can nevertheless occasionally consume enormous quantities of footl without any inconvenience ; but such gastronomic exploits are censured by all who pride themselves on their good manners. Almost constantly living on such a frugal diet, the natives of Tibesti are naturally far from stout ; nevertheless all are robust and surprisingly agile. The stranger is amazed to sih) them bounding along, and keeping jmce with the swiftest camels during forced marches of several days. Mostly of middle size, ttey are perfectly proportionetl in all their limbs, except the hands and feet, which seem rather too small. The complexion is lighter than that of the blacks of the southeni ])lains, nor do their features present the flat nose, thick liiw, or other marke<l ciiaracteristics of the true Negro. The hair is longer and less crisp, and the beard fuller than that of the Sudanese peoples. Their women are charming while still in the bloom of youth, unrivalled amongst their sisters of North Africa for their physical beauty, pliant and graceful figures. Amongst these hardy highlanders diseases are rare, the Guinea worm, the Abyssinian tenia, the leprosy so common amongst the Arabs, the affections of the liver so prevalent in most hot countries, infectious fevers and dysentery, st) dreaded on the African coastlands, being disorders almost unkno^-n in Tibesti. They are also exempt from syphilis, scrofula, rickets, and all epidemics except small-jjox. Without being absolutely unknown, diseaaee of the chest are at all evenU extremely