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and in consequence, they imagine that our ships sail about with great lanterns attached to them. They also believe that Christians use the milk of pigs as a beverage, and in fact, that it forms their chief subsistence. That we have horses, cows, and sheep, is not at all credited by them; and that our country should be destitute of dates excites their greatest commiseration. They cannot at all conceive how we avoid falling off our islands and rolling into the sea, or how, being surrounded by water, we have sufficient room for animals to graze. There are some on the other hand who think highly of our wealth and dignity, until they are told that our country is an Island, when their admiration decreases considerably. Buonaparte, or as the Arabs call him, Bono barto, is in great estimation amongst them, not on account of his military achievements; but because they have heard that he has 200,000 dollars an hour, and that he sits on a golden throne. The Arabs are good and bold horsemen, and though in •general but poorly provided with food for their horses, they make them perform very long journeys. The inducement to all exertion, however, is now nearly at an end, their wars having ceased; but in the time of the Waled Suliman, who infested the road from Tripoli to Fezzan, and committed every excess, journeys were made and difficulties overcome which equalled any .of the stories of the Arabs of old. This once powerful tribe had formerly possession of every pass from Tripoli to the interior, and were so much dreaded, that few traders would venture amongst them, even when they were at peace with the Bashaw. These are the people whom Lucas mentions as having declared war against Tripoli, and prevented the KafH6, to which he was attached, from proceeding from Mesunata to Fezzan; but they are now completely destroyed. About eight years since the Bashaw in the regency o f Tripoli, and Mukni, in the kingdom of Fezzan, commenced: so. hot an attack upon them that they were scattered, and. being: in: small parties, easily felL a prey to the troops employed against them. It was the custom during this war (as in all previous wars) to give no quarter; all prisoners therefore had their throats.cut on being taken, and every species of cruelty was practised on them. Two hundred and fifty, who were seized in a town in the Wadey Shiati of Fezzan, were butchered in cold blood, even: though they had surrendered on condition of having their lives spared. This tribe perhaps would still have flourished in Fezzan, but that not expecting any attack from Mukni, they quitted for a time their own territory and proceeded to Egypt, in order to wage war on some other tribes who had offended them : this circumstance was taken immediate advantage of by Mukni, who contrived before their return to gain possession of Morzouk, which he could not otherwise have done. They, however, besieged him there with great activity; but leaving in the meantime their frontiers undefended, the Bashaw poured his army into the country, and thus completely effected their destruction as a tribe. The small number who escaped became wanderers for a time, and were occasionally met with and killed, until at last the remaining few incorporated themselves with other tribes. That of the Waled Suliman, which does not now exist, is. celebrated in all the Arab stories ; and there are few places in this part of Africa which have not had ample occasion to remember them. Wherever they removed, their families and immense flocks accompanied them; and they were commanded by one or two Sheikhs of known courage and experience. A friend of ours, who in the first wars had spared the life o f one of their chiefs, was, a


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