hat next Wednesday; at any
rate the Germans talk of doing so, whilst I am inclined to wait for
Hateetah and his escort. It would be imprudent to run the risk of a
disaster at this early stage of our proceedings, and my greater
responsibility renders me more cautious, and perhaps more timid, than my
enthusiastic companions. I am engaged in finishing my last despatches
and reports, collecting Arabic descriptions of Fezzan, one of which is
by the Bash Kateb, and corresponding on the future expenditure of the
Mission. The weather has become very hot with the advancing season, but
I am now pretty well used to the heat. The thermometer has risen to
103 deg.; in Bornou it rarely exceeds 105 deg.: I may hope, therefore, to brave
the sun's rays under or near the line.

Few incidents worth recording mark the latter days of our stay at
Mourzuk. I paid a visit to Abd-el-Kader, the Sheikh of the Pilgrims.
This holy person is quite humanized, and talks freely of the politics of
the Barbary coast. He entertained myself, the German, the Greek doctor,
and Gagliuffi with tea; and this at _sunset_, when all the other
pilgrims were at their prayers. He is a Tuatee of Gharai, and has been
many times to Mekka in his present capacity. Indeed he makes the journey
about once every three years. The pilgrim caravans travel very fast; no
others can keep up with them. On leaving any place where they have
halted, the Sheikh has the privilege of demanding the release of two or
three prisoners; and the scandalous whisper that any Barabbas can
sometimes obtain his liberty by a judicious investment of presents. When
encamped near a town, moreover, the tent of the Sheikh becomes an
inviolable asylum for every criminal who chooses to take refuge there.
Many other privileges equally valuable are enjoyed by this functionary.
Abd-el-Kader himself is an extremely urbane gentleman, and we retired
quite satisfied with our reception. He gave me a vocabulary of the
Tuatee dialect, and some account of the statistics of the place, which I
forwarded to the Foreign Office. It appears that formerly the people of
Tuat paid to the Algerines five hundred camel-loads of dates and ten
_necks_ of gold, i.e. the gold ornaments sometimes worn round the
camels' necks. When the French made their conquest, they sent to the
Tuatees to renew their tribute to them as the actual masters of Algeria.
The answer returned was, "Come and take the tribute!"

_11th._--The gardens continue