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THE GEOGRAPHICAL
REVIEW THE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEWalso becomes charged with salts. Consumption of the water, soil, and pasturage provides the camels with nutrients that are scarce during the dry season. Mineral-salt ingestion also serves as a purgative and an antihelminth. In addition, one plant, Ipomoea verticillata, contributes a significant portion of vitamin A, which improves both the vigor and especially the vision of the camel during nighttime caravaning. The advantages of the salt cure seem apparent, but the question arises whether the benefits are offset by the increased ease of parasite transmission that comes with the concentration of herds. Furthermore, one wonders to what extent herd concentration serves as a mechanism for selective mating and the retention of herd vigor. The salt cure, however, cannot be interpreted solely as an ecologically adaptive practice. It marks Tuareg cultural unity that itself becomes stronger as the result of the annual gathering of individuals who most of the year are widely scattered in small groups. The salt cure not only has a pivotal function in the herding calendar but also is a significant social occasion that fosters cultural cohesion.The second part of "Touaregs Nigeriens" demonstrates that the Tuareg, while possessing cultural unity, are by no means monolithic. The regional diversity in the cultural and economic patterns results mainly from rainfall variation. Pastoral nomads occupy the northern part of the corridor where less than 350 millimeters of precipitation fall annually, and they sell animals for grains that come chiefly from the south. Other Tuareg groups combine pastoralism with limited cultivation of small, irrigated plots in oases. The seasonal calendar and the rhythm of activities of the agro-pastoralist differ from those of the nomad only as the schedules for cultivation and herding must be meshed. In the southern part of the region some Tuareg carry on rain-fed agriculture and herding. Other Tuareg who practice caravaning, chiefly of rock salt, southward from the Sahara must also fit that effort in the annual round of activities."Touaregs Nigeriens" contributes significantly to an understanding of the culture and customs of a pastoral people who occupy a harsh environment. The book will long be a source of data and inspiration, an exemplar of cultural geography and dedicated fieldwork under difficult conditions. It complements but does not replace or update J. Nicolaisen, "Ecology and Culture of the Pastoral Tuareg" (Copenhagen: The National Museum, 1963). Nicolaisen provided anthropological insight...
