at about four days west of Ghât. This is probably the locality of Janet.
For myself, I do not believe the Azgher Tuaricks number more than two
thousand families.

Of the population of Aheer I have been able to learn nothing definite;
that is to say, nothing which I can absolutely depend upon. Some make it
reach above fifty thousand souls. There are, however, only forty towns,
exclusive of Aghadez; and about twenty places where people live in
tents. I wrote down a second list of them, with their directions, and
some guess at the number of male inhabitants. The son of the Tanelkum
Sheikh considers the Kailouee warriors to amount to about fourteen
thousand; which, indeed, will make the whole population above sixty
thousand. The accounts I have received, therefore, seem to be
sufficiently exact for general purposes.

The Tanelkum Sheikh says there are no other tribes of Tuaricks but those
enumerated above. The largest and most powerful tribe is that in the
neighbourhood of Timbuctoo, the Oulimad, answering, perhaps, to the
Sorghou of Caillie; and the smallest and weakest, the Tanelkum. But the
Tanelkums, if small in number, are great in pride, and consider
themselves a race of marabouts. They certainly make long prayers, and
several of them can write a little. The Turks treat the Tanelkums with
great consideration, and every year the Pasha of Mourzuk gives their
Sheikh a fine burnouse and other presents. They pay no impost, though
living in the Fezzan valleys. They are devoted to peaceful pursuits, and
are camel-drivers and small merchants. Formerly they were powerful; and
gave a sultan to the town of Ghât. About a century ago, their Sheikhs
and the greater part of the Tanelkums were destroyed by a razzia of the
Tibboos. They had then a town, which was situate in the Wady Esaiyen,
where there are still ruins to be seen, and which we passed near Berkat.