421j mr horneman's travels. 
man's faith. A deep impression was thus made en 
the assembly ; his own caravan eagerly espoused 
his cause ; several of the Siwahans joined ; so 
that those who were most eagerly bent on plun- 
dering him, were at last obliged to desist. Un- 
fortunately the interpreter, during his first panic, 
had removed the mineral specimens, books, papers, 
and other suspicious articles, and caused them to 
be buried in a neighbouring swamp, whence they 
could never afterwards be recovered. 
Our traveller, having thus established his repu- 
tation as an orthodox Musulman, left Schiacha along 
with the caravan, and in a few days arrived at Au- 
gila. This is a very ancient town, being mention- 
ed under the same name by Herodotus. Antiqui- 
ty is a general character of the towns in this part 
of Africa, since an immense track usually contains 
only one spot fit for cultivation ; on which spot the 
town must remain, in spite of every revolution* 
Augila does not present any other interesting fea- 
ture. It is ill built, the streets narrow and dirty, 
the houses of one story only, and without any 
light, unless from the door. The inhabitants are 
chiefly employed in the caravan traffic, and display 
that mean and shuffling spirit, which the habits of 
petty trade are apt to generate. 
Leaving Augila, the party came in four days to 
a mountain called the Neddeck, diversified by pe- 
culiarly wild and abrupt forms of rock. In three 
