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Updated: October 8, 2024
Janet is now only a day and a-half south-south-west from our encampment. It is a small oasis, inhabited by Moors and Tuaricks. The statistics of the place begin to interest us exceedingly. We are told that there is a good deal of corn grown there, on account of the abundance of water.
The son of Shafou is always represented as a very good fellow; he is growing more and more civil and companionable. This evening I gave him a small pair of good scissors, which much delighted him. As for the other Tuaricks, Hateetah excepted, I make it a rule to refuse what they ask, otherwise I should be annoyed every day with their importunities.
In saluting, the Tuaricks do not spread out the fingers much when they raise their hand, but present the palm and fingers outstretched to you. One of these gentlemen, whom I call the noisy one, has got a poor little slave-boy, about seven years of age, who works like a man, and goes quite naked.
We were astir at the encampment a little after daybreak: but it takes usually two hours to get off, although we have but seven camels. I hope our people will be quicker after a little more practice. The heat was very troublesome; and nothing could keep the Tuaricks from going on all through the day, for ten hours and a quarter, without stopping.
This valley is so shallow that it might almost be considered as part of the plateau, and is, in fact, nearly on a level with it; the temperature tells us we are on very high land. It is cool for this season, and the Tuaricks even complain of chilliness at night. Sometimes I am disposed to think the hot weather is passed, but we must take into account the strong breeze blowing from the north-east.
A gust of hot wind nearly carried away our tent. The Tuaricks use spoons, and do not eat with their hands like the Arabs and Turks; but the latter pretend that the Tuaricks never wash their hands at all, whilst they, before and after eating, always take this precaution.
I considered it highly impolitic to allude to the treaty in the hearing of the Turks, who would have thought I was secretly going to enter into an alliance offensive and defensive with the Ghâteen against them. The Tuaricks, however, stood upon the point, that when the burnouses were promised first, there was no talk of an equivalent, and I was obliged to concede.
The Kailouees tie their camels by the lower jaw, and fasten the string to the baggage piled on the back of the preceding animal; and the long line moves on well this way. The Tuaricks fasten their bridles, when they ride their maharees, by a round ring in the nose. We had granite again to-day, and fine beds of felspar, pebbles, and rocks.
A more definite account is given further on. It appears, however, that vulgarly in the Sahara all the Tuaricks are called Haghar or Hagar, which seems to have been used rather indiscriminately in the caravan as a term of fear. In this part of the country the scenery is far more open than it was before; the mountains are lower, but the wadys are not so wide.
I this day finished my dispatch, dated from Esalan, respecting the disputes and disagreements I had with the Tuaricks of Ghât; but since then these Haghars have, indeed, appeared very moderate people to us. Thermometer at half-past twelve P.M., under tent, 92° Fahr. Instead of much rain, we have had a squall of wind this afternoon, attended by a slight shower.
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