368 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXXIII. 
place to 200 dollars, on the condition that 400 should 
be repaid in Tripoli, at four months' date. This loan, 
which would not have been necessary at all if I had found 
my supplies, enabled me, on the other hand, to send 
off my despatches with the greatest ease and security, 
as it was, of course, the interest of these merchants to 
have these letters forwarded to Tripoli by the safest 
and shortest route. A courier was therefore des- ^ 
patched immediately, who being an experienced and 
well-known person, would be able to make his way 
through the country of A'lr, which in its temporarily 
disturbed state was closed to any one else. The only 
thing which caused me some displeasure in this trans- 
action, was the circumstance that these merchants 
from Ghaddraes had the insolence, although half of 
the money with which they trade is Christian money, 
to call the Christians, in the presence of the ghala- 
dima, by the offensive name of "Kafarawa," ("the 
infidels,") and I made a serious protest against such 
a term being employed in official transactions. 
The difficulty which I had in supplying my wants, 
and purchasing the articles that in my opinion were 
necessary for my outfit, was the greater, as every- 
thing was very dear at the time, the merchants 
being of opinion, on account of the turbulent state 
of the road, that no caravan from the north would 
arrive that year. Camels especially were exceed- 
ingly dear, seven fine animals which Khweldi had 
sent from Zmder, being sold for 60,000 shells each, 
a very high price for a camel. I deemed myself 
