The Tooariks are great smokers. They have all fine horses, which they manage ably. They are as cruel as they are warlike. Their weapons consist of three or four pikes and a poniard which they wear on the left arm; the blade pointing upward and the hilt touching the back of the hand. To the sheath of these poniards is attached a kind of muff, through which the hand is passed; they are straight and very well made. This weapon is brought from the banks of the Mediterranean. These men also carry bucklers, of tanned ox-hide, the workmanship of which is elegant. In their form they resemble the shields of the ancient knights, except that they are square at the extremities.[5] They are adorned with handsome designs, and are large enough to cover the whole body. Some negroes of Timbuctoo have likewise bucklers of the same form, but smaller. The only weapons of the Tooariks, who are always on horseback, are the lance and the poniard. They do not use the bow, as the management of their bucklers would prevent them from employing that weapon advantageously. The people who compose this wandering tribe have long hair and a very swarthy complexion, like the Moors. The nose is aquiline, the eyes large, the mouth finely formed, the face long, and the forehead rather elevated. The expression of their countenance is, however, savage and barbarous. They are supposed to be of Arab origin, and in fact, in some of their customs they resemble that race; but they speak a particular dialect. They assemble in force to attack the caravans from Tripoli, but the Morocco caravans are less exposed to their depredations because their haunts are more northerly. They keep many slaves, whom they partly employ in collecting gum on the banks of the river. This gum, and also considerable quantities of ivory, they sell to the merchants of Timbuctoo. It is astonishing that such a number of different tribes submit quietly to the yoke of these Tooariks, when, were they to come to an understanding, they could so easily rid themselves of their troublesome enemy. The Dirimans, the Ginbalas, the Kissoors, and the Moors of Zawâ and Salah, if united, would be greatly superior to the Tooariks, and could soon deliver themselves from their oppression. The Tooariks dread fire-arms, of which they make no use, while the negroes of Timbuctoo and the Moors are armed with double-barrel guns.