ng themselves in the
neighbouring country, has given to Timbuctoo that tincture of Muselman
manners, which they are known to possess; their descendants forming, at
this period, a considerable portion of the population of Timbuctoo.

_Third Expedition to Timbuctoo and Sudan_.

Muley Ismael died of an abscess in 1727, and was succeeded by his
youngest son Muley Hamed Dehebby, a most avaricious prince, whose
treasure, collected in his government during the life of his father,
amounted to ten millions; to which was now added his father's treasury,
amounting to fifty millions, besides jewels and diamonds to a much
larger amount.

Dehebby[318], sanguinary and cruel when sober, was mild, affable, and
humane when intoxicated: unlike Muselmen, he believed not in
predestination, but had always several surgeons and doctors in his
suite, and consulted them with the most unlimited confidence when ill.
He decorated the palace of Marocco: in one of the apartments of the
seraglio, of which he had had painted, in a superior style, the twelve
signs of the zodiac; for which his ignorant and bigoted subjects accused
him of having conspired against the Deity, in imitating, by gross and
ill-formed images, the works of the Almighty. This prince was an
intolerable drunkard; so that the Marabets and chiefs of the empire
called Abdelmelk to the throne, whom they enabled to take possession of
Mequinas. This prince, anticipating the revenge of Dehebby, proposed to
deprive him of his eye-sight; but the Marabets and chiefs opposed this
resolution and replied to him in the following words:--"It is not for
his crimes that we have deposed thy brother, but for his continual
intoxication, which prevented him from watching over the government and
his officers: he has therefore only been guilty of weakness, which is
not a punishable crime." Abdelmelk dared not push his point, but was
contented to send his brother to the (_Bled Shereef_), country of
princes, i.e. Tafilelt. Before Dehebby was dethroned, he marched with a
numerous army across Sahara, to Timbuctoo, of which he took possession,
and brought home immense quantities of gold.

[Footnote 318: His proper name was Muley Hamed ben Ismael, the name
Dehebby is figurative of his riches in gold.]

1730.--Muley Hamed Dehebby dying, should have been succeeded by his son
Muley Bouffer; but money and intrigue gave power to Abdallah, a son of
Muley Ismael, who was proclaimed in spite of the effor