th 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 Ghat, 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,
Tripoli, Ghadamez, Ghat, and Tuat. From forty thousand to sixty thousand
Spanish dollars is the value of the merchandise that usually changes
hands during the great mart. The principal articles of traffic from the
interior are slaves, senna, and ivory. This is the first year that a
hundred and fifty cantars of elephants' teeth have been brought from
Bornou; sixty or seventy of these were consigned to one merchant, forty
were on account of the Vizier of Bornou, and the remainder belonged to
Arab traders. This export of elephants' teeth direct _via_ Fezzan has
only lately been opened. Some manufactured cottons are likewise brought
from Soudan, and sell easily in this part of the Sahara, especially
amongst the Tuaricks. Besides, there are exported bullocks' and goats'
skins, and a small quantity of ostrich feathers. The gum trade has
lately been introduced into Fezzan by the British Consul, and one
hundred cantars per annum are already collected from the tholukh-trees.

The acting Governor of Fezzan always resides at Mourzuk. His principal
coadjutors in the despatch of affairs are a Kady with two secretaries, a
Sheikh or mayor of the city, some respectable men who act as privy
councillors, the Wakeels of Bengazi, Augila, Sokna, &c.

A little story may find its place here, as an apt illustration of the
state of society and manners in this out-of-the-wa