Viceroy for our passing from Derna to Alexandria; and we afterwards
received a firman from Mahommed Ali, which he considered would
be sufficient to ensure our advance.
These preliminaries settled we began to make preparations for our
journey, and consulted with the most intelligent natives in Tripoly
on the best means of forwarding the ohjeets of the Expedition.
We found them on all occasions particularly obliging, and
always ready to afford us every information in their power. From
Sidi Mahommed D’Ghies, in particular, the same well-informed
native who had been of great service to Mr. Eitehie and Captain
Lyon, as well as from his son *, a most excellent young man, we
received at various times much useful advice, and always the most
friendly and cordial reception.
At the house of Sidi Mahommed, we were one day introduced to
one of the most respectable Mahometan traders to Timbuctoo; who
* This youngsinsin, who rathe- second! son of Sidi Mahommed d’Ghies, and is also
named Mahommed, is an admirable example of true- devotion to the religion of his
country, united with the more extended and liberal feelings of Europeans. He daily
visits th e public school where young boys are tau g h t to lead the Koran; and superintends
the charitable distribution of food which th e bounty of Sidi Mahommed provides
for the. poor who daily present themselves a t his gate. Besides his acquaintance with
the English and French languages, he is able to converse with the slavés of the family
in several languages o f the interior of A frica; and when .it is-considered, that Mahometans
in general seldom- trouble themselves to speak any language b u t their own, this
proficiency is greatly to his credit; we should rather, perhaps, say, -to the credit o f his
father, under whose eye he has been hitherto brought up, and who ísj himself.well
acquainted with the French, and we believe with several other languages. The elder son
of Sidi Mohammed was in England while we were a t Triptcdy, and must be remembered
by many of the first circles in London.
offered to ensure our arrival at that place, and our return in perfect
safety to Tripoly, provided we would place ourselves entirely under
his directions; allowing, of course, for ill health, as well as for such
accidents as could not be foreseen, and may happen to any one in
travelling across the desert. As Timbuctoo; however, formed no
part of the object of our mission, this offer was naturally declined;
and we merely mention it here as one which may be worth consideration,
should any future traveller decide upon attempting this
journey by way of Tripoly.
Our next care was to provide ourselves with the dress of the
country, which was strongly recommended to us by our Mahometan
friends, and which, indeed, on the former experience of one of our
party, we had before proposed to adopt. The opinion of Colonel
Warrington was in favour of the European costume ; but as we supposed
it to have been founded on the experience of journeys in the
neighbourhood of Tripoly only, within the immediate range of the
Bashaws authority, and in places where the natives are more accustomed
to the dress; we thought it most advisable to adopt the advice
of our Turkish friends, which we knew to he formed on an extensive
acquaintance with the prejudices, manners, and customs of the Arabs:
this opinion, besides, had the additional recommendation of being
quite in unison with our own; and it is probably not unknown to
some of our readers that a similar coincidence has usually its
weight in decisions of much more importance. The experience of
our journey through the Syrtis and Cyrenaica confirmed us still more
decidedly in our former opinion; and as the propriety of adopting