The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-03
TIMBUCTOO.
A Mysterious City in Central Africa and
What is Known About 1t.


Perhaps no foreign name-thanks to
the rhyme of "hymn-book-too - is
better known in America, if we except
Mesopotamia, which is supposed to be a
religouss word, than Timbuctoo. And
yet q very few persons can tell exactly
what Mesopotamia is, 80 still fewer have
any definite notion of Timbuctoo, except
that it is mysterious city somewhere in
Central Africa, which may be rival of
Pekin, and may be of no more conse-
ouence THANH Barnkhamsted. And it is only
fair to say that the world at large, even
tay geographers, have not much more
definite Information about it. rs
But the geographical society at Oran
in Algeria, has just been SO fortunate as
to catch a Jewish rabbi, on his way
from Paris to Timbuctoo, who has twice
traversed Central Africa, and was able
to give some definite information about
this mysterious city. According to the
rabbi, Timbuctoo is an Arab city in
every respect, built like all those in the
interior. We know what this is-it is q
collection of mud houses, thatched with
grass or straw, with narrow alleys and
dark and dirty bazars. It has ho white
inhabitants except transient travellers
the residents are all Foulah negroes. 1t
contains about $4,000 people, being
larger, he says, than Oran (Which is six
miles around) and smaller than Murrul-
les. It is in fact collection of small
villages, extending over considerable
area.
1t is situated in the midst Of very
rich country, and lies about mile
north of the Niger, which there flows
from the west to the southwest and is
very broad. The natives call it "the
Nile" or in Arabic. Ell Bor (the sea).
1t overHows it's banks periodically like
the Nile, the flood extending up to the
walls of the town. and fertilizes the
land; and the land which is not so
irrigated is not cultivable. But with
this inundation the soil is very fertile,
and produces crops of sorgho. millet,
rice, tomatoes, onions and turnips; in
digo grows wild. There are near by
forests of valuable timber, many Cocoa
nut trees, and gum tree from which
the natives get oil for illumination.
The river supplies fish in abundance,
and the natives navigate it by means of
cared barges and RATS constructed of
pieces of wood bound together with
cords.
The present ruler of the country is
Sultan Mahomet el-Bekoe, who resides
at the capital. This is large town of
which we have not before heard, called
Ahmet Elijah, situated about twelve
miles north of Timbuctoo, and con-
tains a population Of about 100000.
The highway connecting these two cities
must be very pleasing and picturesque,
as it is lined all the way with villages
and gardens. Timbuctoo is governed
by kaid, who has full authority and
has under him rigorous tax collector.
There seems to be no spot in the world
where pilgrim could escape taxes.
The sultan has no regular army, but
everybody is a soldier on an emergency
the fighting is done with bows and ar
rows, only the chiefs earring guns,
pistols and sabers. The liveliest trade
is in slaves, which is conducted on a
very large scale. Salt is valuable i'm
port, slave often being exchanged for a
kilogramme or two. Tradeis carried on
by barter, or by means of strings of
shells. The caravans. which seem to
be conducted largely by Hebrews from
North Africa, who cross the Sahara,
bring. n cotton and linen goods, glass
trinkets, arms (mostly of English manu-.
facture), knives, needles, etc.; and
carry out rice, sorgho, millet, ostrich
feathers, gold dust, gum, ivory, lead and
coffee. 70 the north of Timbuctoo
large quantities of camels are reared,
and on the plains to the south, the native
tribes wander about, after the fashion of
the Bedouin Arabs, with herds of sheep
and cattle.