We had. travelled Ë. and by S. I f t ® ? Hajeel 7 miles, j (. from Zaizow 16 miles. 23 miles. Dec. 16th. Therm. 9°. Fine clear morning. I paid a visit to the Maraboot, who was sitting on an earthen mound, half naked, and in a very dignified manner, enjoying the heat of the sun. His dependants were seated round on the sand, listening with mute attention to the sagacity of his remarks. He was very fat, greasy, and consequential, and told me that all his family had been Marfi- boots, and equally eminent for learning with himself, i On leaving him, full of admiration'at : his modesty, I went out to the gardens to see the springs, of which I had heard so much! As I was a stranger, and these springs were the pride of Fezzan, several people, left their work to follow me, and to witness my surprise and admiration at the first sight of them. There are four ponds, each 30 or 40 feet in diameter, covered with a green crust, and containing innumerable frogs. Insignificant, however, as they were, I dismounted and drank heartily from them, although the water, even here, was not perfectly fresh. The gardens which are supplied from them are altogether as white with salt as those watered from the wells. À number of strangè birds, resembling thrushes, but with longer tails, fluttered-about us ;-but having no gun with më, I was unable to kill one. The date trees'here are very thickly planted, and form a most agreeable shade.' I got a meridian altitude of the sun; 81°. T. 30'. which, gives the latitude 25?. 55V N . On our return to the town, I observed:that its walls and houses were of a light green colour, while thé castle'ih ruins appeared of a reddish clay; but I soon discovered that the earth and clay all round the town were actually green, and I collected specimens o f them. This place appears to have been once of some consequence, but is now nearly in ruins, and has not, I should imagine, above five or six hundred inhabitants. A t 2 P. M. thermometer 19°. The Maraboot sent us a couple of fowls and some bread; and as the Raid of the town followed the present to know if we were properly served, he came in for his share. I observed here, with much satisfaction, that Belford seemed quite recovered from his giddiness, though he remained very thin and weak. Dec. 17th. Thermometer 8° 30'. Bawl misty, morning, with the wind in the north-east, i IVe visited the O usba, or castle, the ruins of which show it to have once been a place; o f : some importance; as an Arab - fortress. - The Maraboot informed me .that it had' been built prior to Morzouk, in which case it must be. nearly1 six hundred years old. A story is told, that o f the asses employed in bringing the materials for building it, 500 died'before it was finished,;of mere fatigue. About sixty years.ago.it was inhabited .by.a brother of the native Sultan’s,'who: governed th e ; eastern provinces,' and was styled “ Sultan el Shirghi,” or Sultan of the1 East. From the castle we were enabled to observe that the town stood on a plain, bounded to the southward by palms, and from east-south-east to west by the Desert. The following towns bore thus: El Glaib, south-west three or four miles; Be n Gleif; south-south-west four miles ; Mafen, south- half-west eight miles; Zebbar, south four miles; and Zaitdon,southeast by east seven miles. There are four mosques in Traglian, having small mud minarets. The houses are many of them large,; but are now in ruins, owing to the great alteration in the circumstances of their owners. That of our friend Yttssuf had been, one of the best. We had, however, a proof of its present altered state, in finding the roof breaking in upon us, which obliged us to change our quarters. Three beams
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