336 
TRAVELS m AFRICA. Chap. XXXI. 
of peaceful intercourse. What to me seemed the 
most interesting objects were the splendid trees 
adorning the place. The sycamore under which 
our party was desired to rest in the house of Fiigo 
'Ali's sister was most magnificent, and afforded 
the most agreeable resting-place possible, the space 
overshadowed by the crown of the tree being inclosed 
with a separate fence, as the " fage," or place of meet- 
ing. Here we were feasted with a kind of " bol6-bolo," 
or water mixed with pounded argum or dukhn, sour 
milk, and meat, and then continued our march to Kii- 
kawa, where we arrived just as the vizier was mount- 
ing on horseback to go to the sheikh. Galloping 
up to him, we paid him our respects ; and he ex- 
pressed himself well pleased with me. My com- 
panions told him that we had been swimming about in 
the lake for the last two days, and that I had written 
down everything. The whole cavalcade, consisting of 
eight horsemen, then accompanied me to my house, 
where I gave them a treat. 
I returned just in time from my excursion ; for the 
next day the caravan for Fezzan encamped outside 
the town, and I had to send off two of my men with 
it. One of them was the carpenter Ibrahim, a hand- 
some young man, but utterly unfit for work, of 
whom I was extremely glad to get rid ; the other was 
Mohammed el Gatroni, my faithful servant from 
Miirzuk, whom I dismissed with heartfelt sorrow. 
He had had a very small salary ; and I therefore pro- 
mised to give him four Spanish dollars a month, and 
