uses
of most of our misfortunes. In whatever case, every European travelling
through these countries will be considered to have half his baggage
consisting of gold and silver. I have been telling the people all along
I have not any money, but no one quite believes me.

In this country, by the way, and all Saharan countries where many
languages are spoken, a great deal is done by signs. The sign of the
crooked forefinger represents the crouching of man and beast under
sickness; but no sign is more common than which represents the large
Spanish dollar, namely, forming a circle with the thumb and forefinger,
and turning the thumb downwards.

Escort En-Noor, as I am obliged to distinguish him, returns to his place
this night, and takes with him three or four camels, to give them
something to eat; they are starving here near the town. I settled with
him for the thirty-seven reals of Wataitee in goods, not money;--so the
Queen's property goes!

The peculiarity of this locality at the present season of the year
appears to be, that it rains every afternoon, beginning about three
P.M.; the showers being preceded by a few puffs of strong wind, and
continuing till an hour before dark. This is fortunate for us, for we
know how to prepare ourselves for circumstances. Under tent we have a
most drenching dampness during the night, continuing till the sun gets
well up next morning. The people say that the rain has given over in
Soudan. The season is, therefore, later here. The rain, if I may use the
expression, would seem now to travel north; it has, however, began up in
the higher regions surrounding Constantine. When I was there, I believe
in August 1846, it had already set in; and now it will soon begin in
Tripoli. At nine A.M. we begin to dry our clothes, and we get pretty
well dried and aired by the time the rain begins again in the afternoon.

The day before yesterday a woman died in Tintalous, and was carried to
the grave solely by women. This was considered an extraordinary thing by
the Moors of the coast, but I see nothing extraordinary in the
circumstance. The fact is, the Moors think the men ought to do
everything except bear children and perform the drudgery of the
household.

We have little communication with the town, the rain cutting us off from
it and its inhabitants. A flood of water pours down the valley every
evening, after which the ground continues all night and all next day in
a state of wet mud.

_9th._--