each other, and both about four hours from Augila; Mojabra to
the south, and Meledila to north of the road by which we passed,
Mojabra and Meledila are occasionally comprehended in the general
name of Fallo, designating the district.
Augila, a town well known in the time of Herodotus,» covers a
■space of about one mile in circumference. It is badly built, and the
streets are narrow and not kept clean. The houses are built o a
limestone, dug from the neighbouring hills, and consist on y o
one story or ground floor. The apartments are dark, there being
no aperture for light but the door; and are generally ranged round
a small court, to which the entrance of each room faces, for purpose
o f collecting the more light. The public buildings, comparatively,
are yet more mean and wretched. Mojabra is of smaller extent, bu
appears proportionally more populous than Augila. The ^habitants
of Meledila are chiefly employed in agriculture; those o oja r
engage mostly m trade, and pass their lives in travelling etwix
Cairo and Fezzan. The people of Augila are of a more sedentary
disposition; though some of these too, were with our caravan.
The men of the above places, who engage in the caravan trade,
generally keep three houses; one at Kardaffi, near Cairo; one at
Mojabra, and a third at Zuila, or sometimes at Mourzouk. Many
have a wife and family establishment at each of these houses , and
.others take a wife for the time, if the stay of the caravan is longer
than usual. The men from their very youth devote themselves to
such traveller’s life. Boys from thirteen to fourteen years of age,
accompanied our caravan the long and toilsome journey from Augda
* Herodotus places Augila at 1« days journey from the city of
Melpom. 182. N .B . Mr. Horneman was nine days on journey
Siwah, partly by forced marches.
to Fezzan on foot, or at least seldom mounting a horse. In observing
the general character of this people, I could not but remark a
degradation, self-interestedness, and mean and shuffling disposition,
derived from early habits of petty trade, and the manner in which
it was conducted, as contra-distinguishing those engaged in this-
traffic, and those who remained at home.
The men of the country are engaged in gardening and agriculture
; but in the last to no great extent. The women are very industrious
in manufacturing coarse woollen, cloths, of five yards in length
and a yard and a half wide, which are called Abbe, and are sent in
considerable quantities to Fezzan. These constitute the chief clothing
of this people; they wrap them about their bodies, and without
even a shirt or shift under.
Round Augila the country is level and the soil sandy, yet, being
well watered, is tolerably fertile. Corn is not cultivated in quantity
sufficient for subsistence of the people. The Arabs of Bengasi, distant
about thirteen days journey, import annually both wheat and
barley ; and this their corn caravan is generally accompanied by
flocks of sheep for sale.
The inhabitants of this region can generally speak the Arabic,„
but their vulgar language is a, dialect similar to that of Siwah,
above noticed.