chief of the Mussulmans of the East, as the Shereefan Emperor of Morocco
is the chief of the Mussulmans of the West. We may add, also, the
tremendous severity of the Turkish criminal law, or, rather, the
inexorable justice with which a crime committed against a Turkish
functionary is visited. The French make their razzias and strike off
heads enough; but their criminal code in Algeria is perhaps not so
summary and sanguinary as that of the Turks. Possibly one of the chief
reasons of this curious contrast may be the fact that the French soldier
is scarcely to be depended on when isolated. He acts well in masses, but
considers himself deserted and betrayed when left comparatively alone.
At any rate, the fact is that the Turks hold Tripoli with a handful of
men, whilst the French, with a military force nearly as large as the
whole British army, can scarcely maintain a feverish and uncertain
possession of Algeria.

The population of Mourzuk numbers two thousand souls. It is very much
mixed, and the people vary greatly in colour, so that there is no
general character. There are more women than children, the greater
portion of the females belonging to the members of the great winter
caravans. Contrary to what I had been told, these women seem to be
rather remarkable for modesty and virtue than otherwise. It is worth
observing, that Fatamah, the proper name of Mahomet's daughter, is here
used, by excess of delicacy, to describe the softer sex, more especially
ladies.

From October to January, as at Ghât, there is a large annual souk, or
market, at Mourzuk. One general caravan comes from Bornou and Soudan,
every year during the winter season, and small bodies of merchants also
go up and down to Soudan in the summer; whilst to Bornou there is no
intermediate trade. Caravans also congregate here from Egypt, Bengazi,