In this valley, amongst the trees, we found the flocks and horses of the Waled Bou Seif feeding.  This tribe—­the children of the Father of the Sword—­are wandering Arabs, who have never acknowledged the authority of the Tripoli Government.  They possess flocks, camels, and horses,—­every element, in fact, of desert wealth.  All the mountains near and round about Mizdah are claimed by them as their country, which has never, perhaps, been reduced by any power but the Roman.  A young man of the tribe, who was tending some sheep in the valley, came to visit us.  He was a fine, cheerful fellow, with an open countenance, well dressed, having, besides his barracan, red leather boots, trousers, and a shirt.  All his tribe, according to his account, are so dressed.  He boasted of the independence of his people, who number three thousand strong, and extend their influence as far south as Ghareeah.  The name of the tribe is derived, he tells us, from a great warrior who once lived, and was named by the people Bou Seif, because he always carried a sword.

Our chaouch gave us an account of this young man in the following strain:—­“He is in very deed a marabout!  His wife never unveiled her face to any man; and his own mother kisses his hand.  He is master of wealth, and never leaves this valley.  He has a house and flocks of sheep, and a hundred camels, which always rest in the valley, bringing forth young, and are never allowed to go into the caravans,” &c. &c.

We were detained during the whole of the 13th, because the water was at a distance and our people had to fetch it.  There were marks of recent rain in the valley, but there is no well; only a few muddy puddles.  Dr. Barth, in wandering about, discovered here a splendid mausoleum, of which he brought back a sketch.  It was fifty feet high, of Roman-Christian architecture,—­say of the fourth or fifth century.  No doubt, remains of cities and forts will be discovered in these districts.  Such tombs as these indicate the presence in old time of a large and opulent population.

One of the nagahs foaled this day, which partly accounts for our detention.  For some time afterwards the cries of the little camel for its mother, gone to feed, distressed us, and called to our mind the life of toil and pain that was before the little delicate, ungainly thing.  It is worth noticing, that the foal of the camel is frolicsome only for a few days after its birth—­soon becoming sombre in aspect and solemn in gait.  As if to prepare it betimes for the rough buffeting of the world, the nagah never licks or caresses its young, but spreads its legs to lower the teat to the eager lips, and stares at the horizon, or continues to browse.

Our people clubbed together and bought a goat for a mahboub.  They then divided it into five lots, and an equal number of thongs was selected by the five part-owners of the meat; these were given to a stranger not concerned in the division, and he arbitrarily placed one upon each piece, from which decision there was no appeal.