104 
EL-ARAW AN. 
mels, as well as a few goats and sheep. Walet is situated 
on a barren soil, not susceptible of cultivation, and the in- 
habitants buy corn in the Bambara country. I was told 
that this town is as large as Timbuctoo. I questioned some 
Moors respecting Tichit, but was unable to obtain any posi- 
tive information on the subject. 
During my stay at El-Arawan the same scorching east 
wind continually prevailed and obliged me to keep myself 
within doors, which vexed me not a little. 
The caravans which were assembled at El-Arawan pre- 
pared to depart in a few days. I looked forward with plea- 
sure to the happy moment w^hen I was to leave this dis- 
agreeable country. My host, a zealous Musulman, laid in a 
supply of provisions for my journey. It was neither to his 
generosity nor his friendship for me that I owed this atten- 
tion ; — it was purely a sacrifice, which his piety prompted 
him to make in order to conciliate the favour of the prophet. 
The provisions consisted of a bag of rice weighing about fifty 
pounds, a bag of dokhnou of the same weight, and about ten 
pounds of butter. This was more than sufficient to last me 
two months. Wishing to make some acknowledgment for 
the attention of Kalif, I offered him some pieces of silver, a 
pair of scissors, and a small piece of cloth, the only one I had 
left. The good Musulman at first affected an unwilhngness 
to accept my presents, saying that I was poor, and that pro- 
bably the things would be useful to me, and that what he 
had done for me was solely with the view of serving God. 
He however put the silver in his pocket, and was apparently 
much pleased with that sort of money which is very vincom- 
mon in this country. He sent my provisions to the tent of 
Sidi-Aly, a Moor, with whom I was to go to Tafilet. This 
man, whom Sidi-Abdallahi-Chebir had recommended to me, 
had received on departing from Timbuctoo ten gold mit- 
khals (equal to 120 francs) for my expenses in the desert. 
A Moor, who was settled at El-Arawan, and with whom 
