Chap. LXIX. THE TAWA'liEK. — AN EMBASSY. 503 
Tawarek, who in a short time made themselves quite 
at home, and were in high spirits. They became 
very much interested in a map of Africa which I 
showed to them, with the adjoining shores of Arabia, 
and they paid a compliment to their prophet by 
kissing the site of Mekka. 
Being thus on good terms with my barbaric veiled 
friends the Molathemiin, I enjoyed extremely, the 
following morning, the half-desert scenery, enlivened 
as it was by horses, camels, cattle, and interesting 
groups of men ; but about noon a serious alarm arose, 
a great many horses being seen in the distance, and the 
number being exaggerated by some people to as many 
as two hundred. In consequence, we saddled our 
horses with great speed, and I mounted with my 
servants, while the Tawarek also kept their animals in 
readiness ; but the advancing host appeared rather of 
a peaceable character, consisting of about twenty-five 
of the most respectable inhabitants of the town, with 
Mulay 'Abd e' Salam and Fasidi, the latter a very 
noble old man, at their head. They came, however, 
on a very important errand, based on the direct order 
as promulgated by the emir of Hamda-Allahi, and 
addressed to the whole community, being in hopes 
that, through their personal authority, they might 
obtain from my host, in a friendly manner, what he 
had denied to the display of force. They had two 
requests, both aimed against myself: first, that El 
Bakay should give them a copy of the letter which I 
was said to have brought with me from Stambiil ; and 
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