M I M C I N A. 
165 
lected together in conversation with one of our Trajacants^ 
who had been in the town all day, and had already related 
part of my history to the assembly. Among the crowd was 
an aged Moor, who, having performed two journeys to Mecca, 
had acquired great preponderance over their counsels : this 
man talked to me a long time about the christians, and 
shewed me a fac-simile of the manner in which Christ is 
represented in Europe ; he tried to chant in imitation of the 
priests whom he had heard at Tripoli in Barbary, and often 
repeated, striking his breast, ameUy amen. He asked me if 
I was disposed to eat some dates, for which I thanked him. 
The Trajacant marabout told him that I was with a guide 
named Aly, who persecuted me in order to force me to sell 
my dress and purchase provisions for the journey ; the old 
man appeared incensed at such perfidious conduct, and de- 
clared that such a person could not be a good Musulman. He 
inquired whether I would like a present of dates, which I 
accepted ; and he immediately ordered those about him to 
provide me with a sufficient quantity to last till our arrival 
at Tafilet ^ and leading me to the mosque reiterated his 
orders. After the prayers, a great quantity of dates was 
brought to me, enough indeed to load an ass ; but unfortu- 
nately they turned out to be spoilt and bad : these good peo- 
ple carried their complaisance so far as to carry them to our 
camp; bad as they were, Aly, the covetous Aly, received 
them with pleasure, and on that day behaved better to me 
than usual. 
The houses of Mimcina consist of a ground- floor, only ; 
like those of Timbuctoo, they have terraced roofs, and admit 
the air only from an inner court. I saw several dirty Jew- 
esses, covered with rags, walking barefoot, and displaying the 
utmost extremity of wretchedness. The inhabitants of Mim- 
cina have but few beasts of any kind, and scarcely any oxen 
or horned cattle : they breed a few sheep for the sake of their 
wool, some goats and poultry ; they are excellent husband- 
men, and have many date-trees, in which their wealth prin- 
