I cannot omit mentioning the names of the Shreefs here, from whom we experienced the greatest kindness.

They were all related to each other, and appeared sensible and well behaved men, and, what is really worthy of remark, never asked us for any thing. Kaid Saad, who was a great cook, undertook to dress for us a whole sheep, which was to last us the remaining part of our journey to Gatrone. As this was one of the Arab methods of preparing meat for a journey, I shall here describe it. The sheep is deprived of all its fat, and cut into small pieces; the fat is melted in a large pot, and the meat, with garlic, onions, and red pepper, is then stewed in it without any water, and with a lid on the pot, for three or four hours, when it is taken out, and having been cooled, is put into a goat skin. The grease is kept for mixing with cusscussou, bazeen, and other dishes; and meat thus prepared will remain perfectly fresh for two or three weeks. He made us a very good mess of sheep skin, which is sliced and stewed with onions.

On the 23rd December I got a good meridian altitude of the sun 80°. 10′. 10″. which gives the latitude of Zuela, 26°. 11′. 48″. N. I also took an observation on this day; but owing to the interruption I met with from some of my visiters, unfortunately lost my reckoning.

I found myself obliged to hire another camel here, as we were to cross a three days’ desert, and it was necessary to carry water for our horses; our load too was much increased by large presents of zumeita, dweeda, dates, flour, and other provisions from the Shreefs.

Dec. 25th. Therm. 9°. At 10.45. A.M. we were attended out of the town by the kind natives, who promised to renew their acquaintance with us at Morzouk.

Belford was now much recovered; but I still continued in a very weak state. Our road lay over the highest and most irregular sand hills I ever saw; the horses with great difficulty ascending without their riders. I was too weak to walk, and was pulled up by Besheer. The hired camel and its load took a most terrific roll, and I greatly feared we should be at a stand: fortunately, however, a man travelling our way came up with us, and helped us to re-load the camel, so that by 11.45. we cleared the hills, and arrived on a heavy sandy plain, over which we toiled until 4. when we arrived at Terboo, the most wretched mud village I had as yet met with. All the men were mere skeletons, and the women equally miserable in appearance; yet they were obliged, poor and wretched as they were, to feed us and our horses without expecting a reward. I bought, however, a quantity of corn, and distributed amongst them; and they declared I was the first person coming from the Sultan, who had not distressed them by taking their small stock of provisions. Nothing could exceed the wretchedness of this place but the water, which was of a much worse quality than any we had tasted, from its close resemblance to sea water. A few old walls of about 12 feet high were in the centre of the huts, and were dignified by the name of the Castle. There are but few palms here, and the people subsist chiefly by attending camels, sent to feed on the Agool; and for the right of pasture they receive, in return, some very trifling payment in corn or dates. We made this day S. 12°. W. 10 miles. As it was Christmas day, Belford and myself drank to the health of our friends in England, in a bumper of coffee.

Dec. 26th. Therm. 3°. 40′. A beautiful morning; but being cold, we had a good fire, and at 8.50. A.M. the camels started. We were much amused by the blacksmith of the village, who had his forge in the sand at the gate. A man from a neighbouring place came to ask his advice for a liver complaint, which had for a long time troubled him; and having been so frequently burned with a red hot iron, in order to alleviate his complaint, his side was literally covered with scars. The blacksmith having felt the man’s side, and asked many questions, told him, that the most certain remedy for his disorder would be three long burns across the back, which he assured him would soon put all to rights. Feeling compassion for the poor sufferer, I told him if he would follow me to the camels, I would give him some medicine which would relieve, instead of putting him to the torture; but he refused, and I have no doubt paid the accustomed fee of corn, and submitted to the prescribed burning next morning. This operator showed us a file of his own making, of which he was very proud. It was a small bar of iron, and when red hot, had been notched by a flint. He boasted, that although its appearance was not in its favour, it was a far better file than any bought in Morzouk.

From this place some remarkable mountains bore Mengār Mejdool, S. 75°. W. Mengār Omesogueer, S.W. two miles; and Mengār Terboo, N.E. one mile. We followed the camels, and arrived with them at 10.20. at Omesogueer, 3½ miles S.W. by W. of Terboo. Here we were shown the tomb of a very great Marāboot; and, as usual on such occasions, repeated the Fatha. This holy man was named Sidi Saïd el Tare, (or lion the bird); because, on every Friday, according to the people of the plain, he appeared in the form of a beautiful green bird during the Asr, or afternoon prayer; but he was visible only to a few of his own relations and brother Marāboots.

We passed over a salt plain, and came to some scattered palms, after which we entered on a larger plain, and arrived at Mejdool مجدود at 1.50.; having travelled S. 75°. W. from Omesogueer. Mejdool is a large straggling village of mud and palm huts, and not surrounded by a wall; it has, however, a castle in about the same state of repair as the others we had seen. The people appear more lively and animated than the generality of Fezzanners.—Behind the town a continuation of the mountains from Terboo runs nearly north and south, as far as the Mengār.