lves up to the delight which always attends upon
difficulties vanquished. The name of the first district is Taghajeet. We
expected to behold groups of inhabitants coming joyfully to welcome us.
Our imaginations had adorned this country almost with the colours of
home. It was about one that we crossed the unmarked frontier. Still
there were rocks around, their angles softened away by trees; still wild
flowers mingled with the herbage on every side; the heavens were
clearing overhead, and the sun shed down a warm mantle of rays upon the
land; yet there were no signs of life. The silence that reigned, I know
not why, introduced ideas of terror into our minds, and we began to gaze
anxiously to the right and to the left. We remembered that this region,
likewise, was inhabited by Tuaricks, though not of the Haghar tribe.
They might be inhospitable, perhaps hostile. All the caravan, by
degrees, seemed to join in our uneasiness; and when at length, just
before we pitched our tent, the cry arose of "The Tuaricks! the Tuaricks
are coming!" it rose as a cry of warning and alarm. Every one snatched
up his weapons as a small group approached; and all waited with
impatience to learn whether they came as friends or enemies.

Our uneasiness was soon quieted. The newcomers were known to some of our
people, the Tanelkums, and soon scraped acquaintance with us. They paid
a visit to my tent, and I gave them a number of little things, with
which they were very much gratified. There was reason, then, to hope
that our first impressions of security were well-founded, and I began
writing my journal as if we had really arrived in a land of peace.

Suddenly a man, mounted on a maharee, brought us news, at first in a
friendly way, that an immense number of Tuaricks were pursuing us; and
then, throwing off the mask, in their name demanded of our escort that
they should deliver us up to them. This demand the Kailouees, of course,
rejected with indignation; but the circumstance put our people on the
_qui vive_, and we kept up a fire of musketry for two or three hours
during the succeeding night.

At sunset, Waldee, the great merchant of Mourzuk, came to the
encampment. His caravan was stopping half an hour higher up. He gave us
much encouragement, and eloquently recommended us to the care of all our
people, the camel-drivers and escort. Waldee has travelled this route
fourteen years. He is just the man to do it,--a small spare fellow with
an expres