INTERIOR OF TOUGOURT MOSQUE.
One day we visited the big mosque by the
market, which is famous for the plaster work in its
dome. This arabesque work, which was designed
by a famous Tunisian architect, makes the mosque
quite one of the show places of the Sahara, and the
inhabitants of Tougourt are justly proud of it. The
tiles which lined the wall round the Mihrab, or
niche to indicate the direction of Mecca, the pierced
brass pillars which stood on either side of it, and the
carved woodwork of the Mimbar or pulpit, all
combined to give an appearance of richness to the
interior which is very rarely met with in a desert
mosque.
We spent a considerable part of our time among
the raiders in their camp, for in spite of, or perhaps
because of, their disreputable character, I found
them extremely interesting.
Our acquaintance terminated in rather an unexpected
way. I was returning one afternoon from
the palm-groves to the town, when I came across
in the market the Kaid of Trood’s son, and some
dozen of his fellow tribesmen seated in a group on
the ground whiling away their time talking or
playing harubgah (a kind of go-bang) with pebbles
and date-stones on a ‘ board ’ scratched in the dusty
soil.
They were evidently awaiting my return, for they
rose and came towards me as I approached. After
a careful look round to see that no one was listening
they announced that they had been set at liberty,
and that as they had tasted blood again they were
thirsting for more. They clearly intended to make