Of The Number Of Ali's Moorish Subjects, I Had No Means Of Forming A
Correct Estimate.
The military strength of Ludamar consists in cavalry.
They are well mounted, and appear to be very expert in skirmishing and
attacking by surprise.
Every soldier furnishes his own horse, and finds
his accoutrements, consisting of a large sabre, a double-barrelled gun, a
small red leather bag for holding his balls, and a powder-horn slung over
the shoulder. He has no pay, nor any remuneration but what arises from
plunder. This body is not very numerous, for when Ali made war upon
Bambarra, I was informed that his whole force did not exceed two thousand
cavalry. They constitute, however, by what I could learn, but a very
small proportion of his Moorish subjects. The horses are very beautiful,
and so highly esteemed, that the Negro princes will sometimes give from
twelve to fourteen slaves for one horse.
Ludamar has for its northern boundary the Great Desert of Sahara. From
the best inquiries I could make, this vast ocean of sand, which occupies
so large a space in Northern Africa, may be pronounced almost destitute
of inhabitants, except where the scanty vegetation which appears in
certain spots affords pasturage for the flocks of a few miserable Arabs,
who wander from one well to another. In other places, where the supply of
water and pasturage is more abundant, small parties of the Moors have
taken up their residence. Here they live in independent poverty, secure
from the tyrannical government of Barbary.
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