and I fed her during the journey. She certainly was not a very interesting figure, being much marked with the small-pox, and resembling, in form and person, a little fat man; and I was well aware that I should not make a very beautiful or virtuous addition to the Tripoli ladies : feeling, however, great pity for her, I consented to take her under my charge. Lilia Fatma, whom this unfortunate female had served for a whole year, allowed her to come away without giving her even a shirt, or money to help her on her journey. Thursday, March 2nd.—We left Sockna, and rested for the day at some palms and sand hills, called Hammam, j»£=-, four miles north of the town, where we found our former fellow-travellers already lying with their Kaffles. I last night had one of the yellow rats brought me, much resembling those found in Morzouk, having a sandy red back, and white belly; I put it into the cage with the other, who killed and partly ate it before morning. The first is called Guntsha UJo. Before we set off this day, our friend Abd el Rahman gave us a fine bowl of milk and dates. My camels were hired at the rate of two dollars the Kantar, the drivers feeding themselves: some of the animals carried six Kantar, and were very fine creatures, in excellent condition. I perceived here that my Maherry, which I had sent out while we were at Sockna to feed in company with the camels, had received some injury in his foot, and was again lame. None of the camel men would allow Sleema, the white woman who had escaped from Tripoli, to ride, even though I offered three dollars for her passage, their animals being too heavily laden. The poor creature was therefore, in despair, obliged to return to Sockna. I gave her all the money I could afford, which was three dollars, promising to mention her to the Consul, in case she came to Tripoli and took refuge under our flag. She was all gratitude, and went crying back again to the house of a woman she had known when at Tripoli, and who had maintained her while we were at Sockna. CHAPTER IX. Leave Sockna—Stop at Hammam—Well of Temedd—Sufferings of the Slaves—Arrive at Bonjem—Danger on the Desert—Zemzem- - ■ Sofageen—Storm in the Mountains —See two Roman Ruins—Arrive at Zleetun—Description of that Place—Leave Zleetun—Visit Lebida—Illness—Arrival at Tripoli—Account of the Negroes of the Knfllu—General Notices of the Desert—Belford’s bad State of Health—Departure from Tripoli—Pass Quarantine at Leghorn—Return over the Continent to England. F r i d a y , 3rd of March.— Hadge Mohammed brought a poor girl to me for advice. She was very feverish and fight-headed, and complained of excessive pain in the chest, for which I bled and gave her some cooling medicine. A t seven we proceeded, having filled water for three days, the well immediately before us being unfit to drink; our road lay over a gravelly plain. A t 12. 15. mountains closed in from the left to those on the right, which at the distance of half a mile ran parallel to our road ; they were of yellow limestone and sand, and all table-topped. We passed along a Wadey closely bounded by mountains, until two, when we stopped for my patient, who had lagged behind; her unfeeling master, contrary to my earnest request, having suffered her to walk, while he lazily rode a camel. She arrived in about an hour, very weak, and in much pain; and would have been beaten, had I not interposed. I gave her some cotton impregnated with lemon-juice, to steep in water, t t 2
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