NUBIA, or Nouba, in the more extensive application of the name, comprehends all the countries, which are included between 1 Ph and 24th degrees or north lati tude ; which are bounded by Egypt on the north, by the Arabian Gulf on the east, by Ab)ssinin on the south, and by Bornou on the west ; an extent of territoly about 700 miles in length, and 500 in breadth. 'clic princi pal districts in this division of eastern Africa, are Se. naar, Mcrae, Dongola, and Nouba, or Nubia Proper. It is to the last of these that the following short account applies.
Nubia Proper, is the tract of country between Upper Egypt and Dongola, lying along the banks of the Nile, between thc 19th and 24th degrees of north latitude. It is divided into two parts, called Wady Kenous, and Wady el Nonha ; the former extending from Assouan to Wady Seboua, and the latter from Seboua to Mosha, on the noithern frontier of Dongola. In each of the subdiNi sions, a different language is spoken, but they are both inhabited by the same race of men.
The present Nubians derive their origin from the Bedouin Arabs who invaded the country, after the pro mulgation of the Mohammedan creed ; and only a few descendants of the Christian inhabitants, who had adopt ed the tenets of their conquerors, arc to be found in one or two places. Nubia was occupied for several centuries by two of these Arab tribes ; but they were continually engaged in war with each other, and were at last rendered tributary to the kings of Dongola. The tribe of el Gharbye, the weaker of the two, procured from Sultan Sclym the Great a body of Bosnian soldiers for their protection, who expelled the other tribe and their allies of Dongola ; and whose descendants are still found in the vicinity of the castles of Assouan, Ibrim, and Say, excepted (according to the privilege of their progenitors) from all taxes and contributions. They call themselves the people of the castle ; but by the Nubians ale denominated Osmanli, or Turks; and are governed by their own agas, independent of the Nubian chiefs. The present governors of Nubia are three brothers, descendants of the chief whom Selym had placed over the country, at the head of the. Bosnian
troops. They bear the title of Kuslief, which is given in Egypt to the governor of a district ; and they pay an annual tribute of about 120/. to the Pasha of Egypt, as the Miry of Nubia ; but not unfrequently a detachment of Turks from Egypt traverses the country, and levies a second assessment upon the oppressed inhabitants. The revenues of the governors arise from a tax upon every water-wheel employed in agriculture, generally at the rate of six sheep and six measures of grain for every wheel. There are about 700 of these wheels between the first and second cataracts, and in good years, the land watered by each wheel will yield about 1500 bushels of grain. The governors, also, take two clusters of fruit from every date tree, and levy a duty upon the dates which are exported. They derive a considerable in come, likewise, from the administration of justice, which they literally sell to the best payer. It is estima ted that each of them collects annually about 3000/ , of which he does not spend 300/. Each maintains a few hundred horsemen, consisting principally of their own relations, slaves, and armed negroes. With these they arc constantly moving from place to place to collect thc revenues; and, in the smaller villages, where the inha bitants are unable to resist, they commit the most op pressive acts of injustice. It is only, however, upon the property of the people that these governors exercise their tyranny ; and they seldom inflict any punishment beyond a finc, except in cases of open rebellion. To extort money from their more wealthy subjects, these governors demand their daughters in marriage, for them selves or their sons, and then contrive to get possession of their property, as presents to the daughters.
The capital of Nubia, or the usual residence of the go vernors, is Dehr. (or Derr) a village of the larger class, containing about 200 mud houses, with a brick building of two stories for the governor. Its inhabitants are chiefly Turks, the descendants of the Bosnian soldiers already mentioned.