Thursday, Apr. 7.—Therm. 76°. Beginning to look out for news: my man returned from the mines; the specimens he brought were very bad; he found great difficulty in getting any at all. There was a market to-day, where I bought nothing but a few carrots. Quite tired of Agadír. Hope two or three days will decide whether I can go on or not.
Friday, April 8.—Therm. 60°. Very cold. My fingers were so chilled, that I could not dress myself. At noon a courier arrived; all is right; wrote my letters, and after detaining the man an hour, dispatched him again to Mogadór, to say that we should be ready to start at an hour’s notice. The feast of the Passover finishes to-day: it has been very cold, with a strong breeze from the N.E.
Saturday, April 9.—Therm. 70°. Day beautiful; but a stiff gale from the E. This is the clearest day we have yet had here. The mountains can be seen distinctly: hard at work in arranging bags, &c.
Sunday, April 10.—Therm. 74°. Weather beautiful. Read the service. A large káfilah is now passing from Sús; the mountains very visible; in the afternoon there was a repetition of the easterly wind, accompanied with the dust, which was very distressing.
Monday, April 11.—Therm. 68°. Wind strong from the E. Disappointed again, as Hájí Majíibí[89] will not start for some days. Our horses are to leave Mogadór to-morrow, in order that they may be fresh for the start (‘Inshállah’) on Saturday next.
Tuesday, April 12.—Therm. 68°. The wind has got more to the N. with weather very clear. This delay makes me very fidgetty: besides, I am so well known here, that various reports have been circulated about me, which rather annoy me. In the evening, thermometer fell to 56°, when it became very cold. The horses and mules are to leave Mogadór to-day.
Wednesday, April 13.—Therm. 60°. A dies non. Felt very poorly: had a touch of the lumbago. Weather variable. Thirst excessive.
Thursday, April 14.—Therm. 70°. Looking out for the arrival of the horses, as Hájí Majíibí is to start to-day. The people here are rather too inquisitive, and I am getting rather alarmed. Evening came, but brought no tidings of my horses, nor has a courier arrived. I am very uneasy, and all the people here full of conjectures. The Hájí is thinking only of himself. If he would only consider for one moment what an object of suspicion I am, while I remain here, he would hurry on; but no, it is all self in this country. I cannot bite, and therefore I had better not shew my teeth. Wind got round to the E. The thermometer fell 11°., when it became very cold. Went to my carpet rather sulky.
Friday, April 15.—Therm. 70°. This is the first day of the Mohammedan year 1252. The horses, &c. have arrived. I made my present to the Sheïkh; got the Sultán’s letter, and one for Sheïkh Mobarik. A report has reached Mógador, that a party is waiting for me, who have determined to murder me. The governor here is very desirous not to let me go. I question, however, if there are any real grounds for these fears. At half-past seven there came on one of the severest gales of wind I ever experienced; it threatened the very fortress: a heavy sea, with lightning in the S.E. The gale from the N.W. continued to blow hard till half-past nine. This change of weather may go much against me. I find that I am an object of great suspicion. A party have sent to ask me to prescribe for a man who has been bewitched, and is now in a decline. I promised to see him on Monday, although he lives twenty miles off. This may, however, do me some good. The people of his tribe offered to bring him here, but I pointed out the danger of removing him, and hope to gain their good-will by going so far to visit a Muselmán. Tired, but not sleepy: no appetite, and out of spirits.
Saturday, April 16.—Therm. 72°. Day beautiful; the gale passed off without doing any damage. There was one about six weeks ago, which threatened destruction to the whole place. Despite all I said about the sick man, they have brought him to-day to Fontí. I had promised to go down and see him, when the sun was a little lower; I was scarcely half way down the rock, when I met him on the road; he was attended by eight of his people, who took it by turns to hold him on his horse, a splendid animal; the poor Sheïkh, Hájí Ibráhím, was seriously ill. As he was so far up, I ordered him to the governor’s, and told his attendants to lay him down, and let him obtain some rest, previous to my examination of him. I found him in a sad state, nearly dying to all appearance; he had been frightened, as they call it, by some spirit, whom, as usual, they had burned out: he had been fired all over his stomach, which had now lost all its powers. I gave him a saline draught with tartar acid in effervescence, and made him a good basin of arrow-root. He no sooner tasted it, than he put the bowl to his mouth, and nearly emptied it, telling the crowd, that had now collected to see the holy man, that he had got at last what his stomach was craving for. I promised to make him a breakfast on the morrow, and to give him some medicines. By my treatment of him, I got no little credit; for which I can obtain some help from him in return. Am heartily sick of this place; although it has lost all its commerce, it has still a considerable revenue; it may be considered a frontier town, and is capable of being well defended; it receives one ducat a-head for all slaves that pass through it, two ounces for each camel, half a peseta for each mule, and two blanquillas for each donkey; and as it is in the great road to Sús and Súdán, these imposts produce a large income.