Note 126 — IBN BAṬÚṬAH’S JOURNEY.

Táserahlá تَاسَرَهْلا. Respecting the Masúfah, who were generally called el Takshíf, that is, the scouts or couriers, and who appear to have occupied the whole road from Tegháza to Tomboktú, there is a passage in Ibn Khaldún (fol. 89) which, with a little abridgment, is worth transcribing.—“After the fall of the Morabite dynasty, the tribes of the Molaththemún returned to the desert, and now occupy the countries which they originally possessed in the vicinity of Negroland. But as we have already observed, the emigration of the Zenágah tribes was but partial: a few only of the Masúfah and Lumtúnah obeyed the impulse, while the majority of the tribes remained behind, and keep in our days their old settlements in the Sahrá, paying tribute to the Kings of Negroland, on whom they depend, and in whose armies they serve. The Goddálah are directly opposite to the Dhawi-Hassán, a branch of the Moʿakel Arabs, settled in Sús el Aḳṣa; the Lumtúnah are opposite to the Dhawi-Mansúr and Dhawi ʿObeidu-llah, branches of the same great tribe living in Maghrebu-l-Aḳṣa. The Masúfah face the Zaghabah, an Arab tribe in Maghrebu-l-Aúsat; and the Lamṭah adjoin the Benú Riyyah, who occupy Ez-Záb.”—Thus it appears that the Masúfah inhabiting the tract of desert between Sijilmésah and Tomboktú were in their old settlements, and, therefore, in the tract between Sijilmésah and Ghánah. (See page 17.) Leo (pt. I. c. 17-19) points out the situation of the various families of the Machil (Moʿakel) tribe of Arabs.