CHAPTER VIII. Arrangements for our Departure from Morzouk—Parting with the Sultan—Leave Mor- zouk to return to Tripoli—Sleep At Dgleim—Mode of conducting a KafHé of Slave* —Arrival at Ghroodwa—Pass two Days at Sebha—Are joined by more Kafílés— Marriage of an Arab—Account of the Wadey Shati-—Arrive at Temenhint—Zeghen Om el Abeed—Pass of Kenair—Pass over the five Days Desert to Sockiia—Troubles at Sockna—Further Description of that Place. D u r in g the few days I remained in Morzouk after my return from the south, my time was much taken up in visiting and endeavouring to relieve a poor boy who had a locked jaw. H e was in a state of great debility when I first saw h im; one of his hands, which had been injured by a weight falling on it, and which accident occasioned the disease, was in a terrible condition, uncleaned, and smelling most offensively. H e had not for many hours taken any nourishment; hut I succeeded in forcing out one of his front teeth, and making him swallow some soup and milk, with a dose of bark twice a day. He died on the 5 th of February of exhaustion, in defiance of my utmost care, and the numberless charms which were written on his skin. I have observed that the Fighis, who compose these charms, hold out that it is wicked to read or copy one of them if it has been written for any particular person, and that the original alone may be read by the owner. In order to avoid unthinkingly reading charms which they have purchased, the Fezzanners immediately enclose them in a small case of leather or cloth; if this is not to -be procured, they carefully tie up the paper with cord or thread. It has erroneously been supposed that the Moors or Arabs will not permit any one to draw views or figures, in consequence of a prohibition to that effect in the Koran, evidently taken from our Second Commandment. As far as regards myself, I certainly found no opposition in taking sketches, farther than being told that it was forbidden to make likenesses on paper or otherwise, as the Romees, or Christians, worshipped such images, I explained to them, however, that it was not for a religious purpose that I employed my pencil, but merely to make resemblances of my friends: all jealousies then vanished, and I was ever after quietly suffered to proceed. It was a matter of much speculation and wonder that I could possibly contrive to represent such little men on paper, and they never failed to trace a likeness to some one of the company present, even although the colour of the skin, or the costume itself, might be different. In one instance I excited evident jealousy in the Sultan, who could not be persuaded that a Negress I had drawn was not one of his favourites; and he asked me, in no very gentle manner, how and where I could have seen her, as she was confined to the Castle, and was visible to no one but himself? Many of the people, on first taking up a drawing, did not appear much struck with i t ; but no sooner had they discovered the eyes than their astonishment and delight were expressed by loud laughter, by cries of Allah! Allah! and by placing the back of the open hand against the forehead. Few, however, confined themselves to this mode of admiration, but boldly pushed at the drawing with two fingers, one for each eye, to the great risk of its entire destruction, exclaiming, “ There are his ey e s; ’tis Abd Allah, Mohammed, or some other of our friends. Look at his eyes ] there are two of them! God is merciful! How wonderful! W e ll! p p 2
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