Chap. LXXIV. AMALE'LLE.— TAWA'EEK WOMEN. 127 
distance, the white sandy downs of Ernesse, with a 
(Snall strip of the river. I made a sketch of this plea- 
sant and animated locality, which is represented in 
the plate opposite. The scenery was particularly beau- 
tiful in the moonlight when I ascended the ridge of 
the downs, which rise to about 150 feet in height. 
In the evening I received a little milk from the wife 
of one of the chiefs of the Kel-gogi of the name of 
Ldmmege, who was a good-looking woman, and to 
whom I made a present of a looking-glass and a few 
needles in return. The Tawarek, while they are fond 
of their wives, and almost entirely abstain from poly- 
gamy, are not at all jealous ; and the degree of liberty 
which the women enjoy is astonishing ; but, according 
to all that I have heard, instances of faithlessness are 
very rare among the nobler tribes. Among the de- 
graded sections, however, and especially among the 
Kel e' Siik, female chastity appears to be less highly 
esteemed, as we find to be the case also among many 
Berber tribes at the time when El Bekri wrote his in- 
teresting account of Africa.* 
Meanwhile my good and benevolent protector was 
in a most unpleasant dilemma, between his regard 
for his own interest and his respect for myself. He 
severely rebuked the Tarki chief for having disturbed 
the friendly relation which had formerly existed 
between himself and me ; for since our retrograde 
movement, in order to incite my friend to a greater 
* El Bekri, ed. de Slane, p. 182. ^Lx? j^bX>^ J 
