bashaw, to intrigue against one another at the court of Tripoli; and now there was scarcely a camel left in Fezzan, or any other means of travelling. Major Denham therefore saw no alternative but that he himself should hasten back to that city, and remonstrate with his highness on this apparent violation of his promise. After a tedious journey of twenty days, with only three attendants, he arrived, and waited on the barbarian, who received him with his usual courtesy; but, not giving that full satisfaction which was expected, the major lost no time in setting sail for England, to lodge a complaint with his own court. This step was painfully felt by the other, who sent vessel after vessel, one of which at last overtook the traveller, while performing quarantine at Marseilles, and announced that arrangements were actually made with Boo Khalloom for escorting him to the capital of Bornou. Accordingly, on his return to Tripoli, he found the Arab chief already on the borders of the Desert.

This trader, who was now to be a guide to the English into the immense regions of the south, was a personage of a very different character from what we in this country can form any idea of. The African caravanmerchant has nothing in common with that respectable class of men who, seated in counting-houses at London or Amsterdam, direct the movement of their ships over the ocean, and count the silent accumulation of their profits. He, on the contrary, must accompany his merchandise from one extremity to the other of a great continent, and across its immense deserts, the scene of much suffering, and frequently of death itself. Nor is it from a parched wilderness and a burning climate that he has most to apprehend: His path is every where beset by bands, whose trade is plunder, and who find amusement in assassination. He must therefore have his property guarded by an armed band, ready to defend with their blood what his money has purchased. These followers, being in continual service, and exposed to frequent fighting, become practised soldiers, and are more than a match

for the roving barbarians who infest the Sahara. Even the greatest princes view these merchant-chiefs with fear and jealousy; and, though they contrive to draw considerable advantage from their trade, scarcely reckon the kingdom their own while these troops are within its boundaries. The merchants unhappily do not confine themselves to self-defence; but, seeing robbery practised on every side against themselves, begin to retaliate, and soon find it cheaper, and, according to African ideas, not less honourable, to replenish their stores by plunder than by purchase. Slaves, the staple of their trade, are generally obtained by the most atrocious violence, in expeditions called ghrazzies or felateas, undertaken solely for that nefarious purpose. Provided they can escape the dangers and casualties to which they are exposed, their profits are immense, the value of merchandise being somewhat more than tripled by its conveyance across the Desert. Thus a few successful journeys enable a man to acquire a fortune almost princely, and a high degree of influence in the Barbary States. In short, the merchant, the warrior, the prince, the robber, are united in this extraordinary character; and he is prepared, according to circumstances, to act in one or in all of these capacities. Yet Boo Khalloom might be reckoned a good specimen of this evil race: He possessed an enlarged and liberal mind, and was honourable, and even humane, so far as a slave-merchant could retain these qualities; he was dragged, too, with reluctance into the most odious parts of his vocation,-while at home his generosity was such as to make him almost idolized.

Under the guidance of this remarkable personage Major Denham set forth, with almost the full assurance of reaching those depths of Africa from which no European had ever yet returned. Little occurred to diversify the usual monotony of a desert-route, till they arrived at Sockna, where Boo Khalloom, who was fond of display, determined to make his entrance with suitable pomp. He rode a white Tunisian horse, with gilded saddle, and trappings of scarlet cloth bordered with gold;

his dress consisted of various caftans and robes of the richest silks adorned with gold buttons, lace, and embroidery the burnouse, a present from the bashaw, had cost 400 dollars. The citizens meeting the party with shouts and guns, and the females with singing and dancing, formed a species of triumphal procession. Several days were spent at Sockna, Khalloom being ill, and wishing to try the effect of various charms and superstitious remedies. The English, meantime, witnessed a great marriage-ceremony, the chief pomp of which consisted in placing the bride in a basket on the back of a camel and leading her round the town, while numerous horsemen galloped up and discharged their muskets quite close to her head; the honour of which compliment was understood to compensate for the fear which it could not fail to occasion.

In journeying onwards to Mourzouk the travellers passed along the naked sides of the Gebel Assoud, which the major crossed now for the third time; but no familiarity could relieve the sense of dreariness and misery which its aspect occasioned. A rainy day came as a blessing to the whole party,-especially to the poor slaves, on whom Boo Khalloom had, in special kindness, bestowed one draught of water in the day to cool their burning thirst. On the 30th October, the caravan made its entry into Mourzouk, with similar pomp as into Sockna, amid the shouts of the inhabitants, whom the chief, by his liberality, had inspired with the warmest attachment. The major, however, was much disheartened by not seeing any of his countrymen amid the joyous crowd; and his fears were confirmed by finding Dr Oudney just recovering from a severe attack in the chest, and Lieutenant Clapperton in bed the fifteenth day with ague,—facts which, combined with the unfortunate result of the last expedition, and the sickly look of the natives themselves, indicated some peculiarly baneful influence, without any visible cause, in the climate of that district.

Invalids so severely afflicted were not very fit to begin

a long and laborious journey; but their ardour was extreme; and, imagining that a change of air would be beneficial, they contrived, even before Boo Khalloom was ready to set out, to move forward to Gatrone, leaving Major Denham behind at Mourzouk. On the 29th November, the whole caravan breaking up from that city, began their journey through the Desert, and were escorted by nearly every inhabitant who could hire or borrow a horse. The expedition, besides the English, comprised 210 Arabs, ranged in tens and twenties, under different chiefs. The most numerous were the M'Garha, who, to the amount of seventy, came from the steril shore of the Syrtes. These barbarians enlivened the route by their traditionary tales, their songs, their extemporary poems, in which all the incidents of the journey were narrated; in short, by an inexhaustible fund of wit and vivacity. Their pride, their revenge, their robberies, did not come into view in their intercourse with our countrymen, who, being received into their camp, having eaten of their bread and salt, and being bound in the cord of friendship, were entitled to all the rights of hospitality, and would have been protected even at the hazard of life.

The caravan arrived in due time at Traghan, a small town containing a fine carpet-manufactory, and ruled by a marabout, who used the sanctity of his character to maintain order and promote the prosperity of the place. Passing that station they were soon in the heart of the Desert, where they spent whole days without seeing a living thing, even a bird or an insect, that did not belong to their own company. After painful marches under the direct action of the solar rays, they were delighted by the silence and beauty of the night. The moon and stars shone with peculiar brilliancy; cool breezes succeeded . to the burning heat of the day; and, on removing a few inches of the loose hot soil, a soft and refreshing bed was obtained. Even the ripple of the blowing sand sounded like a gentle and murmuring stream. Every noise was rendered doubly impressive by the deep stillness, as well as by an echo from the surface of the surrounding waste.

In this track the travellers had on the one side the Tibboos, on the other the Tuaricks, two native tribes, probably of great antiquity, and having no alliance with the Arab race, now so widely spread over the continent. The Tibboos were on the left hand; and it was through their villages that the caravan passed. These people live partly on the milk of their camels, which pick up a scanty subsistence on the few verdant spots that rise amid the Desert, partly by carrying on a small trade between Mourzouk and Bornou, in which they are so busily employed that many do not spend at home more than four months in the year. They are black, though without the negro features; the men ugly, but the young females possessed of some beauty, not wholly obscured by the embellishments of coral stuck in the nose, and of oil streaming over the face. They are, besides, a gay, good-humoured, thoughtless race, with all the African passion for the song and the dance; which last they practise gracefully, and with movements somewhat similar to the Grecian. This cheerfulness appears wonderful, considering the dreadful calamity with which they are daily threatened. Once a-year, or oftener, an inroad is made by their fierce neighbours the Tuaricks, who spare neither age nor sex, sweeping away all that come within their reach. The cowardly Tibboos dare not even attempt resistance; they can only mount to the top of certain steep rocks, with flat summits and perpendicular sides, near one of which every village is built, carrying up with them every thing that can be removed; and this rude defence avails against still ruder assailants. The Tuaricks, again, were observed by Clapperton and Oudney in a journey to the westward from Mourzouk, and were found in their private character to be frank, honest, and hospitable. The females are neither immured nor oppressed, as is usual among the Mohammedan tribes, but meet with notice and respect; indeed the domestic habits of this nation much resemble those of Europeans. They are a wandering race of shepherds and robbers, holding in contempt all who live