little indeed; there is no sensual charin or
allurement in Mahommedanism for the African mind, whilst its fasts and
commands of abstinence from strong drinks deter thousands from embracing
the religion of the false Prophet. It cannot allure the African by
polygamy, because the African has as many women as he pleases by the
permission of his native superstition. Islamism, therefore, takes no
hold of the native African mind. There are a few Tuaricks scattered
amongst all this population, but living generally out of the villages by
themselves; they are all subjects of the Sheikh, and have escaped the
desert to lead an easier life in Soudan. It is strange that some of the
Tuarick women are enormously corpulent, whilst a corpulent woman is not
found amongst the blacks. I must add, that the morality of these black
villages seems of a much higher and purer kind than that of the Tuarick
villages of Asben. Here they do not look upon woman, as in Asben, simply
in the light of an instrument of pleasure: but I fear this will soon
change. What morality, indeed, can there be without higher and more
binding motives?

I was much pleased with the condescension of the Kashalla in furnishing
me with information on routes, and gave him a head of sugar. He is a man
of great generosity, and immediately divided it amongst his people. He
says he never leaves the Sheikh's presence, and it was solely on account
of me that the Sheikh sent him to fetch me from Zinder. If this be true,
their sovereign has paid a high compliment to the Mission.

The only character whom I could discover in Dairmu was the constable, or
general police-officer. This was an ill-looking fellow, with one eye
damaged,--a most unamiable Dogberry. He approached the Kashalla twice,
keeping, however, at a timid distance, kneeling down and throwing the
dust in handfulls over his head, in the most abject manner. Yet this man
was the dread of the whole neighbourhood! The exercise of all
disagreeable employments seems to debase man. Before his superiors he
crouches and grovels in dust; with the people he commands, he is a very
tyrant!

_10th._--I was joined yesterday evening by the rest of the caravan,
Said, and Moknee, and my new interpreter. Said brings goods for Haj
Beshir. We started early, and made seven hours; our route varying
between east and south-east, through a fine wavy country, rising at
times into high hills, with few trees in comparison to what we have
hitherto ha