Congo, the Niger makes a curve to
the north, bidding defiance to the Sahara; but the desert wins in the
end, and the river turns off towards the south.

It is a struggle between life and death. The life-giving water washes
the choking sand, and just where the strife is fiercest lies Timbuktu.
From the north goods come on dromedaries to be transported farther in
canoes or long, narrow boats with arched awnings of matting, or, where
the river is not navigable, on oxen and asses or the backs of men.
Dromedaries cannot endure the damp climate near the Niger, which
especially in winter overflows its banks for a long distance. Therefore
they are led back through the Sahara. They thrive on the dry deserts.
The constantly blowing north-east trade-wind dries up the Sahara, and in
certain regions years may pass without a drop of rain.

The name Timbuktu has a singular sound. It stands for all the mystery
and fascination connected with the Sahara It leads the thoughts to the
greatest expanse of desert in the world, to long and lonely roads, to
bloody feuds and treacherous ambushes, to the ring of caravan bells and
the clank of the stirrups of the Beduins (Plate XXXI.). There seems to
be a ring in the name itself, and we seem to hear the splash of the
turbid waters of the Niger in its vowels. We seem to hear the plaintive
howl of the jackal, the moan of the desert wind, the squealing of
dromedaries outside the northern gateway, and the boatmen splashing with
oars and poles in the creeks of the river.

Caravans from the northern coast bring cloth, arms, powder, paper,
tools, hardware, sugar, tea, coffee, tobacco, and a quantity of other
articles to Timbuktu. But when they begin their journey through the
Sahara, only half the camels are laden. The other half are loaded with
blocks of salt on the way, for salt is in great demand at Timbuktu.
Caravans may be glad if they come safely through the country of the
Tuaregs, and at best they can only obtain an unmolested passage by the
payment of a heavy toll. On the return journey northwards the
dromedaries are laden with wares from the Sudan, rice, manioc, honey,
nuts, monkey breadfruit, dried fish, ivory, ostrich feathers,
india-rubber, leather, and many other things. A small number of black
slaves also accompany them. The largest caravans contain five hundred or
a thousand dromedaries and five hundred men at most. The goods they can
transport may be worth twenty-eight thousand pounds or