Chap. LXX. EMBARRASSING CIRCUMSTANCES. 5 
discussions that I obtained for myself the esteem 
even of those who were most anxious to extort from 
me as much as possible of my remaining property. 
The arrival of another small caravan of the Tawdti 
was very near causing me a serious embarrassment. 
Some of the merchants from Morocco, excited by 
commercial jealousy, had spread the report that the 
calico brought by that caravan was Christian pro- 
perty, belonging to the English agent in Ghadames : 
and I had some difficulty in making the people un- 
derstand, that, even if that article had originally be- 
longed to the agent, it was now the property of the 
Tawati merchants. The presence of those people, 
also, caused the road to the north, by way of Tawd^f, 
to be again brought under discussion, as the route 
most suitable for my home-journey. My departure 
was now discussed almost daily ; the arrival of our 
lively and talkative, but indiscreet messenger, A^hmed 
el Waddwi, who had at length returned from his er- 
rand to the Awelimmeden, holding out the hope that 
my departure was in reality not far distant ; but the 
fact that none of the Tawarek had come with him, 
notwithstanding his assertion that they were soon to 
follow, convinced me that my prospect of departure 
was put off for an indefinite period. 
Towards the end of January the waters of the 
river reached their highest level, exhibiting that mar- 
vellous anomaly, in comparison with the period of 
the rising of other African rivers north of the equator, 
which is calculated to awaken astonishment in any 
B 3 
