"Leurs Habits Sont Aises A Faire, Car En Ce Doux Climat On Ne Porte Qu'une Piece D'etoffe Fine Et Legere, Qui N'est Point Taillee Et Que Chacun Met A Long Plis Autour De Son Corps Pour La Modestie; Lui Donnant La Forme Qu'il Veut."

CHAPTER XX.

During the time that Major Denham had been occupied with transacting his business with the bashaw of Tripoli, Dr. Oudney and Lieutenant Clapperton had determined to make an excursion to the westward of Mourzouk, for the purpose of ascertaining the course of the rivers, and the local curiosities of the country. Accordingly on the 8th June 1822, Dr. Oudney, Lieutenant Clapperton, and Mr. Hillman, departed from Mourzouk, accompanied by Hadje Ali, brother of Ben Bucher, Ben Khalloom, Mahommed Neapolitan Mamelouk, and Mahomet, son of their neighbour Hadje Mahmud. It was their intention to have proceeded direct to Ghraat, and laboured hard to accomplish their object; obstacle after obstacle was, however, thrown in their way by some individuals in Mourzouk. Several came begging them not to go, as the road was dangerous, and the people not all under the bashaw's control. They at length hired camels from a Targee, Hadge Said, but only to accompany them as far as the wadey Ghrurby.

This course was over sands skirted with date trees, the ground strewed with fragments of calcareous crust, with a vitreous surface from exposure to the weather. About mid-day, after an exhausting journey from oppressive heat, they arrived at El Hummum, a straggling village, the houses of which were mostly constructed of palm leaves. They remained until the sun was well down and then proceeded on their course.

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