FROM TOSAYE TO FAFA 185 Without any disrcsp)ect to the memory of my " uncle " — my very worthy and excellent " uncle " — I suspect him of having been the hero of at least one idyl on the banks of the Niger, in which a young beauty of the Kel es Suk tribe also played her part.

Her name was Neschrun, and Barth, who generally dismisses the charms of the black or brown beauties he came across in his travels curtly enough, dwells on her graceful figure, her pleasing manners, her beautiful black eyes, and her hair parted on her brows, d la Vierge. He does not even neglect to tell us that she wore a garment alternately striped with black and red, which was most becoming.

The attraction was evidently mutual, for he adds that she one day said to him, half in fun — " Will you marry me ? " What prevented the course of true love running smoothly was some question about camels.

" I expressed to her," says Barth, "all the regret I felt at being obliged to refuse, and whilst explaining how sensible I was of the honour she did me I told her my camels were too tired to carry her."

I have already referred to the standard of beauty amongst these people, and how they admire embonpoint ; and I may here add that, when a woman has achieved the weight desired, she might very well claim to be admitted into the so-called " SociU des Cent Kilos The name given to this special charm by the Tuaregs is tebulloden, and those who know anything of the onomatopoeia theory will see in a minute how appropriate it is to a Tuareg Venus who is not content with being merely a Venus Callipyge.

Neschrun, no doubt, was rather of the tebulloden style of beauty, so that it is quite possible that the camels of the