[--71]

CHAPTER 3

The Guhayna Group (continued)

(i) THE BAKKARA

I The word "Bakkara" means no more than "cattlemen," and it

is primarily applied to the large group of closely cognate nomadic

or semi-nomadic Arab tribes inhabiting the rich belt of country which may be roughly described as lying south of the thirteenth

parallel of latitude and stretching from the White Nile to Lake Chad^.

Generally speaking the typical Bakkara at their best are a dark

lithe people with clearly cut handsome features, hawk-eyed, with

sparse beards tilted forward and moustaches carefully combed to

bristle^. The young "bloods" roll their hair in tresses back from the

forehead, but with middle age the habit is discarded^. They carry a very long-shafted and full-bladed spear. The women and young girls

ride on bulls and wear great lumps of amber^ round their necks and

bosses of silver across the forehead. Their hair is brought straight forward in braids on the crown of the head and rolled back into a

fringe across the forehead. Large earrings and nose-rings are also worn. They evince little shyness and do not affect the exaggerated modesty and secretiveness which has spread from Egypt along the banks of the Nile. On the contrary, the girls, though never exceeding

the bounds of decency, and wearing a " rahad,'' or a long flap of cloth

before and behind, habitually display breasts and thighs to all the

world^.

Among the men it is very frequent to note a cast of face that with

^ The term Bakkara is sometimes applied, quite legitimately, to various other cattle-owning tribes such as the Kenana, the Hasania, the Bedayri'a of Kordofan, the Ma'alia, etc. ; but these, belonging to quite difTerent groups, are only occasionally spoken of as Bakkara, and that with special reference to their cattle. The term Bakkara in the Sudan, when used in a general sense, is always taken to mean the tribes dealt with in this chapter—the Bakkara par excellence.

- A small comb for the beard and moustache is worn hanging round the neck.

^ Browne (p. 466, App. 11) speaking of the Messiria says they "comb their hair back, twist it, and fasten it in the form of a scorpion's tail behind": a good description.

* A fashion common also to the Kanembu. " Les femmes Kanembou aiment beaucoup I'ambre comme parure et, suivant leurs ressources, les morceaux d'ambre dont se composent leurs colliers sont plus ou moins gros" (Carbou, i, 39, 40). Compare Denham, Clapperton and Oudney's description of the Shawia Arabs of Bornu coming to market on their bulls {Narrative, p. 167).

^ For a good account of the Bakkara mode of life see Pallme's sixth chapter.