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In its present subject and fallen state, the inhabited part does not cover a tenth of the wide circuit enclosed by its walls, yet a considerable trade is still carried on with the Tuaricks, or with caravans coming across the desert by the route of Ghadamis and Suat.

The people who first attacked us are called El-Fadeea, or El-Fadayan, and are styled by Yusuf Arab Tuaricks, or Tuaricks living in tents. This tribe was joined by bandits and a few adventurers from all the surrounding districts. The people of the second attack are called Aghazar: these are also Arab Tuaricks, or people living in tents.

One day Major Denham was roused from a reverie, by the sound caused by a skeleton crackling under his horses hoofs. The Arabs aimed blows at the limbs with their muskets, jesting at these melancholy remains of mortality. Their road lay between the two tribes of Tibboos and Tuaricks, and they passed through the villages and settlements of the former.

The camels all went well, ours faster than the Targhee; but these latter, not being allowed to stray, always make, as a rule, better and more regular journeys. The Tuaricks themselves are getting more civil. Hateetah already enters into the idea of a treaty of amity and commerce: he says he will fix the amount the English merchants are to pay when they attend the mart of Ghât.

The same gentleman says that Sakonteroua is only a chicken in his own country quite powerless; if this be the case, his enmity is not of so much consequence as I feared. The camels of the Tuaricks usually go well, and make good hours, because they are not allowed to eat on the road. They all march in strings, one being tied behind the other; each string is led on by servants or slaves.

Hateetah says we must lodge at Ghât with Haj Ahmed, the governor, outside of the town, to be out of the way of the begging Tuaricks. The Germans, like myself, find the fatigue too great to enable them to continue their observations and writings with regularity. We must not be extravagant of our health and strength at this early period of our expedition.

The same band goes once or twice round the head and hides the mouth, coming down below the chin, so that the tip of the nose is all that is visible. The Tuaricks are perfect riders, and mounted on first-rate horses or on fleet camels; each man is armed with a spear, a shield, and a dagger. They are the pirates of the desert, and innumerable are the caravans they have robbed, or blackmailed.

But I keep as far from the Tuaricks as I can, and do not visit them. I find this to be the best policy. We feed them every night, and they are apparently contented. The weather continues cool, the wind being always partly from the north. Many birds, crows and others, pretty large, were seen about the wells of Ailouah; and a rival sportsman to Dr.

Suddenly a man, mounted on a maharee, brought us news, at first in a friendly way, that an immense number of Tuaricks were pursuing us; and then, throwing off the mask, in their name demanded of our escort that they should deliver us up to them.

The Tuaricks possess a good number of these useful animals, brought from Soudan, of a finer breed than those at Mourzuk. All the domestic animals of the country are from the same place the horses, bullocks used to draw the water from the wells, as well as the sheep and asses.