Certainly the circumstances of life have changed since then but the spirit remains tenacious, deeply attached to the values and customs of the ancients.
A 12-year-old lived with his family in Bardai, Tibesti. In November 1931, his father sent him to Mourzouk to Fezzan (Libya) with a trailer in the tracks of the people who took one of his camels with them. In Mourzouk these people say they lost his camel on the way.
In January, he learned from Travellers that the tracks of his camel were seen in Madama. he goes to Madama in a trailer. he learns that his camel was driven by a detachment in Bilma (Niger) three days before. the trailer that brought him to Madama having taken another direction, he leaves alone and on foot, his guerba half full on his back. he has two stages without water of 90 and 80 km on a track he travelled for the first time. He makes them. he catches up with the detachment at Yat, collects his camel. But we steal his Guerba at the time of departure.
he returns to Madama, assembled this time but without guerba, and he files a complaint for the robbery of la guerba. The post manager gives him a new guerba and, touched by so much crannery, gives him a gift of 25 francs. Then he asks her: ′′ Are you going back to Bardai? ′′ The kid answers No. Now I have a camel, a guerba and money, I go back to Mourzouk to get dates ". It's March. He left his tent in November. He will return to Bardai, his mission completed after nine (9) months of absence, having travelled 2400 km. he is 12 years old. What won't he do at 20?
When the circumcised father says ′′ here you are man ′′ it's not a simple formula. ′′
Chapel Jean, Black Nomads of the Sahara
Nine decades after this striking and striking anecdote, what have become of young toubou?