of emolument which the peculiar position of their country supplies them
with. Hateetah claims to afford protection to all private English
travellers, and to receive presents from them; another patronises the
inhabitants of Tripoli, a third those of Soudan, and so on. This
arrangement enables a visitor to the place to calculate with some
certainty about the amount of obligation he incurs. All the Tuaricks are
easily distinguished by their habit of wearing a litham, or muffler,
with which they conceal their mouths and all the lower part of their
face. This custom gives them a strangely mysterious appearance.

The house of Haj Ahmed, the governor, to which we were conducted, is
situated three parts of a mile from the town, which I did not enter
during my stay. It would not have done to expose myself to the familiar
impudence of the people, who had known me during my visit under very
different circumstances. Besides, my time was fully taken up with
business matters; so fully, that I scarcely had time even to write one
or two brief despatches to Government.

On the morning of our arrival at Ghât all seemed to promise well. The
Governor welcomed us with hospitality, and his slaves unloaded our
camels, and quickly conducted us to our apartments. At noon, although it
was Ramadhan time, we received some dishes of meat, with figs, grapes,
and molasses--really a sumptuous repast. We were not allowed to go out
the first day.

The next morning there was a general meeting of the Sheikhs and people
of the town in our apartments; and from the turn affairs began to take,
we found it necessary to despatch a courier to Aroukeen, to beg the
Tanelkums to wait a few days for us at that place. During the meeting
began the first prevarication of the Tuaricks. The son of Shafou said