The military force by which the Turks hold possession of this vast but thinly-peopled territory—­stretching north and south twenty-one days’ journey, or about three hundred miles—­is the very inconsiderable number of six hundred and thirty men.  The garrison of Mourzuk itself consists of four hundred and thirty men, of whom about one-half are Fezzanees, twenty or thirty Turks, and the residue Arabs or Moors.  The remaining three hundred are Arab cavaliers, living chiefly on their own means, and changed every year, who serve as a flying corps, or mounted police, for all the districts of Fezzan.  The rate of pay for this latter class is one kail of wheat and half a mahboub per month for those who have no horses, and one kail of dates additional for those who are mounted.  This division, however, is fastidious at present, as all those on service in Fezzan are now possessed of horses.  In the whole regency of Tripoli there are but six hundred and sixty of these Arab soldiers; but in Bonjem and the Syrtis they are not cavalry, and the detachment at Ghadamez is mixed.[3] I am afraid these janissaries are obliged to commit spoliations in the towns and districts where they are stationed to avoid starvation.

[3] The distribution of the corps is as follows:—­

In Gibel 150
Fezzan 200
The Syrtis 150
Bonjem 60
Ghadamez 100

I visited the barracks of Mourzuk, and found them to be commodious, and apparently salubrious.  The good living of these stationary troops surprised me.  They have meat and excellent soup everyday, with rice and biscuit.  The Fezzanee is never so well fed and well clothed and lodged as when he is a soldier.  Indeed the men seem too well off, in comparison with their former state and with the rest of the population.  Nevertheless, they are glad to escape when the time of their service expires.  The people all dread being made soldiers:  so that Government is compelled to resort to the most paltry tricks to get recruits.  Men are often unjustly charged with theft or debt, and put in prison, and then let out as a favour to be enlisted, or sometimes are clapped into the ranks at once.  Youths have been seized as soldiers for kicking up the dust in front of a sentinel and dirtying his clothes.  I remarked the number of soldiers that were black, and the Bim Bashaw observed that he hoped the time would come when there would not be a white private left in Mourzuk.  The Turks manage to do with twenty or thirty of their own people, mostly officers, in this garrison; but, by one method or another, get as many Fezzanee recruits as they want.