on, it would be an infringement on the laws of hospitality to
deliver him up, adding, that he desired to know if the views of El
Arsheed were hostile or not; to which the latter replied, after
endeavouring in vain to procure the person of Aly, that he was not come
hostilely, but was about to return, which he forthwith did: and the
Bambareen sultan, having received from Aly two beautiful renegade
virgins, was so much flattered with the present, that he promised him
any thing that he should ask; whereupon, he requested permission to go
to Timbuctoo, and to settle there with his numerous followers; which
being granted, he proceeded thither, and having established a Moorish
garrison, resided there several, months, and afterwards returned to
Barbary, bringing with him many thousand Bambareen negroes: but, on his
reaching Suse, he heard of the death of Muley El Arsheed, and having
then no farther occasion for these negroes, he dismissed them. They went
to various parts of the country, serving the inhabitants in order to
procure daily subsistence; but the arch-politician Muley Ismael, who had
then recently been proclaimed as his successor, ordered them to be
collected together, and incorporated in his negro army, which was,
however, before this, very numerous, consisting for the most part of
blacks, brought away from Sudan by Muley El Arsheed the preceding year.
The Sultan Ismael also seized this opportunity of establishing his
authority at Timbuctoo, and he met with little or no opposition in
putting that place under contribution. Having sent fresh troops to
occupy the Moorish garrison there, the inhabitants were glad to make a
contribution, in exchange for the protection and power which it afforded
them; for previous to this, they had been subject to continual
depredations, from the Arabs of the adjacent country, to whom they had
been compelled to pay tribute, as a security for their caravans, which
were constantly passing the country of these Arabs, who are of the race
of Brabeesh. In the year 1727, A.C. when Ismael died, it is reported
that he possessed an immense quantity of gold, of the purity of which,
his gold coins, to be seen at this day at Timbuctoo, bear testimony; it
is also said, that the massive bolts of his palaces were of pure gold,
as well as the utensils of his kitchens. After his decease, however, the
tribute was discontinued, and the Moorish garrison at Timbuctoo,
intermarrying with the natives, and dispersi