CAMP OF KING HAMET-DOU. 
59 
ployed all the means in my power to induce him, but in vain; 
he chose to return to his master^ I must stop at Lam 
Khate to give a description of the royal camp. 
This camp comprises the tribe of Oulad-Sidy, otherwise 
called the lakariches, or princes ; and from this tribe spring 
all the kings of the Braknas. In some circumstances, the 
camp is divided into two or three parts, all retaining the 
original name, but distinguished also by the name of the 
chief who commands them. The camp of Hamet-Dou pro- 
bably contained at the time of my visit about one hundred 
tents, and four or five hundred inhabitants. When the king 
receives his customary tribute, his camp is filled with 
strangers, who come to ask for presents. I have seen some 
of these gentry who had staid for three months in the hope 
of at last obtaining ten ells of Guinea cloth, worth, perhaps, 
about eight shillings. These parasites establish themselves 
in the first tent where they can procure lodging, and twice a 
day, morning and night, they sally forth, with their beads in 
one hand, and a tin can in the other, to beg milk from door 
to door. In the day time they walk about the camp, two 
and two, or assemble in tents to converse ; and here they 
commonly fall asleep, while they are ridding each other of 
the vermin with which they are infested. 1 was a great 
source of amusement to them, and when they came about me, 
they were sure to pass a part of the day in questioning and 
tormenting me. 1 suffered most from the hassanes,^ or 
warriors ; fanatical, idle, and ignorant they were never con- 
tented but when they annoyed me, and they added to all 
their other insults an insupportable ironical laugh. They 
were continually asking me whether 1 meant to be circum- 
cised. I replied, that I had referred the affair to my ma- 
rabout, who, to my great satisfaction, declared that the 
* Or hassanyeh. The Moors call those who bear arms hassanes ; they 
are also called harabis. 
