24 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
inhabitants. Water, both, fait and frefh, abounds; but the 
fprings which furnifh the latter are moft of them tepid; and 
fuch is the nature of the water, air, and other circumftances, 
that ftrangers are often affedted with agues and malignant 
fevers. One of thofe fprings, v/hich rifes near the building de- 
fcribed, is obferved by the natives to be fometimes cold and 
fometimes warm. 
I had been incommoded by the cold in the way, but in the 
town I found the heat opprelTive, though thus early in the fea- 
fon. The government is in the hands of four or five Shechs, 
three of whom in my time were brothers, which induced me 
to fuppofe that their dignity was hereditary ; but the inform- 
ation I received rather imported that, oftenfibly, the maxim 6/etur 
dig7iiori was obferved in the election, though, in fa£t, the party 
each was able to form among the people, was the real caufe of 
his advancement. Thefe parties, as well as the Shechs, are 
continually oppofed to each other, which renders it difficult to 
carry any meafure of public utility. The Shechs perform the 
office of Cadi, and have the adminiftration of juftice entirely in 
their own hands. But though external refpedt is fhewn them, 
they have not that preponderating influence that is required for 
the prefervation of public order. On the flighteft grounds arms 
are taken up ; and the hoftile families fire on each other in the 
ftreet, and from the houfes. I obferved many individuals who 
bore the marks of thefe inteftine wars on their bodies and limbs. 
Perhaps too it is to the debility of the executive power that we 
are to attribute fome crimes, that feem almoft exclufively to be- 
long to a diiferent ftate of fociety. While I was there, a newly 
born 
