Chap. LXXI. INTERESTING EPISODE. 
57 
favourable letters from Hamda-Allahi, having written, 
as he said, the threatening letter from Kdbara merely 
at the instigation of the Saheliye, or merchants from 
Morocco ; and that he himself, on his part, had as- 
sured Ferreji that, if Sheikho A'hmedu left me alone, 
I should be forwarded on my home journey after a 
short delay ; but adding, that the Fiilbe ought to 
assist him from the public revenue, in order to hasten 
my departure. 
The same day I witnessed an interesting episode in 
the private life of these people. The Sheikh's mother- 
in-law having died, he went to pray for her soul at the 
" rodha," or sepulchre, of Sidi Mukhtdr, a sacred lo- 
cality a few hundred yards on the east side of the 
town, which in my career in this place was to become 
of greater importance to me. Such is the reverence 
which these Arabs have for the female portion of their 
tribe. There are, moreover, several women famed for 
the holiness of their life, and even authoresses of well- 
digested religious tracts, among the tribe of the Kunta. 
Political circumstances were not quite so favour- 
able as my host wanted to represent them to me; 
as, like many other people, he was not very par- 
ticular, when endeavouring to obtain a good object, 
about saying things that were not quite true : and 
the following day, when Ferreji paid a visit to the 
Sheikh, he designated me as a war-chief and a " me- 
harebi," or freebooter, who ought not to be allowed 
to remain any longer in the town. Altogether it was 
fortunate that El Bakay had provided for the worst 
