its inability to walk, and trembles at every joint, slipping, or rather sliding as it goes. It sometimes happens that a fall on wet ground occasions the death of the animal by splitting open its fore legs. Old Baba Hassein’s camel fell first, with him upon it, which raised a general shout of joy throughout the whole Kafile. The Arabs most religiously believed that the tempest of yesterday, and the falls of to-day, were owing to his never having given his Bousaferr; and to the same cause was attributed our many delays in coming from Sockna, because “ Ma fi el Barca there was not the blessing on the Kaffle. A considerable time elapsed before we succeeded in finding the Gusba, or Castle; at last, to our great delight, we gained an entrance, though not till after we had all been well drenched by two or three heavy showers. My fellow travellers took such rooms as had roofs water proof, while Belford and myself preferred pitching our tent in the yard; by that means avoiding, in some measure, the multitude of fleas found in these buildings. We had travelled this day north 15? east, seven miles. I think it necessary to mention, that near our last resting-place I found two Roman ruins, one about a mile north-east of the other. In one, the foundations of two or three rooms are perfect, as are the bases of some very large pillars ; the other has part of a wall standing, with several square niches in it. The stones which compose these buildings are some of them seven feet in length by three in breadth, and appear to have been mortised into each other. On our rising the tops of the mountains we observed with great joy the sea, beating on some shoals at a distance from the shore; but we could not see the beach, as it was hidden from us by the sands of Zleetun. To the great astonishment of my fellow travellers, who no doubt thought me mad, I chanted God save the King, and Rule Britannia, as loud as 1 could roar. The poor slaves looked forward to the mighty river before them with wonder and fear, and I believe at that moment all the stories they had heard ofi “ the people on the great waters who eat the Blacks,” recurred to their imagination. It blew a heavy gale from the north-east, and the white foam added not a little to the imposing appearance of this (to them) terrific water. The houses of Zleetun are scattered about amongst palms and olive trees, which cover a space of ground of three or four miles in extent. Corn is cultivated in great quantities. Sunday, 19th March.—This place is particularly blessed in possessing the remains of a great Maraboot, who is buried in a really handsome Mosque, ornamented with minarets and neat cupolas, and white-washed all over. The name of the Saint is Sidi Abd el Salam. His descendants are much respected, and are called Waled el Sheikh MttHtyM “ Sons of the E l d e r t h e y think themselves authorised to be the most impudent begging set of people in the whole Regency of Tripoli. I was on the point of kicking out of my tent one of them who would not understand the monosyllable no in answer to a request which he made me for some powder in the name and on account of his illustrious ancestor; but luckily Lizari came in at the moment and prevented me; and he afterwards told me I might as well have thought of kicking a descendant of the Prophet himself. The whole of the surrounding country is most luxuriant in corn, dates, and olives, and is quite level. The Castle in which we were is of the true Arab character, built of mud and gravel, and swarming with .vermin. The rooms are round the large courtyard, and their roofs, being flat, are the platforms for one or two four-pounders. Two markets are held here weekly;. one on a Friday, in front of the Castle, the other on a Tuesday, near the Maraboot’s tomb. The country is governed by a Mamluke of the Bashaw, who has the title of Kaid. I f I may judge from the number of drunken men
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