212 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
have a perfect idea of his countenance, which, being fhort- 
fighted, and not thinking it very decent to ufe a glafs in his pre- 
fence, I had hitherto fcarcely found an opportunity of acquir- 
ing. He feemed evidently difcompofed at my having obferved 
him thus, and the moment the caufe was at an end, he retired 
very abruptly. Some perfons to whom I afterwards remarked 
the circumftance feemed to think that his attendants had taught 
him to fear the magic of the Franks, to the operation of which 
their habit of taking likenefTes is imagined by fome of the Ori- 
entals to conduce. He is a man rather under the middle fize, 
of a complexion aduft or dry, with eyes full of fire, and fea- 
tures abounding in expreffion. His beard is fhort but full, and 
his countenance, though perfectly black, materially differing 
from the negro ; though fifty or fifty-five years of age, he pof- 
fefles much alertnefs and adivity. 
At another of my vifits I found him in the interior court, 
ftanding, with a long ftaff tipped with filver in his right hand, 
on which he leaned, and the fword in his left. He then had 
chofen to adorn his head with the folds of a red filk turban, 
compofed of the fame material as the weftern Arabs ufe for a 
cindure. The Melek Ibrahim prefented him, in my name, with 
a fmall piece of filk and cotton, of the manufadure of Damas- 
cus. He returned anfwer, Barak ulla Ji ! — May the blefling of 
God be on him ! — ^a phrafe in general ufe on receiving any fa- 
vour, and inftantly retired, without giving me time to urge the 
requeft of which I intended the offering fhould be the precurfor. 
It is expeded of all perfons that, on coming to EI Faflier, they 
fhould 
