A strange thing is a devoted slave.  Zangheema is the devoted slave of En-Noor.  He is his right hand, his man of business, his vizier, his shadow, his second self.  Alternately Zangheema attends the marts of Mourzuk and Kanou; and, fortunately for us, he is now going to Kanou.

25th.—­Whilst we were occupied in drying our clothes after the previous day’s tempest, we learned that another Sultan had put himself on the list of beggars.  His Excellency Astakeelee of Asoudee has written a long letter to En-Noor, of which we are the subject.  The substance is that it is a sin (haram) to plunder us Christians.  En-Noor says we must send him some trifle as a present.  There remain yet to come Lousou and some others.  I am glad we are not expected to give much in these cases, as our means would not allow us to do so.  I sent to Astakeelee a red cloth caftan or long loose gown, a white turban, a fez, a small looking-glass, and a few cloves for the Sultana, the total value about twelve dollars.

Serious news has just come in from the northern frontier.  It appears that the Azgher who followed us all the way from Aisou to Aheer, secretly exciting the people against us, have joined with the Kailouee borderers in an attack upon a small Tibboo caravan.  Two of the merchants have been killed, and thirty-five slaves stolen and carried away over the desert, in the direction of Tuat.

This news was brought in the afternoon by a caravan of Fezzanees, who have arrived from Ghat.  They declare that they buried the bodies of the two murdered men.  A servant who escaped gave them the rest of the news.  It is probable that the Tibboos made considerable resistance on the road, as they are brave fellows, and this resistance occasioned their being murdered.  The news has produced great excitement.

The people begin to see the evil effects of countenancing the forced exactions made upon us.  This will be an instructive lesson to the holy marabouts of Tintaghoda, who headed the tribes of the frontier against us unfortunate Christians.

When we met these very small caravans on the road, with only two owners, three or four servants, and some forty or fifty slaves, and all without arms, or perhaps with only a couple of swords, I used to wonder at their apparent security, and could not help observing, when we were night and day pursued by bandits, “These robbers must have an extraordinary affection for Muslims, and be very Deists themselves; for these few defenceless people pass unmolested, and we are pursued continually, although our caravan is full of arms.”

En-Noor and the new Sultan of Aghadez have been talking loudly of a razzia to the north; they will now see its absolute necessity, unless the route between Aheer and Ghat is to be closed, except for very large caravans.