104 BRILLIANT ATMOSPHERE THE GARDENS. 
food in return. It is worthy of remark, that this 
said Haj Lameen, brother of the governor of Ghat, 
took an oath during the past year that he would 
never again purchase slaves. This is a remarkable 
instance of the progress of opinion. I afterwards 
gave Lameen a present, consisting* of one pound of 
tea, five pounds of coffee, and four heads of loaf 
sugar. This was the first considerable present I 
made. In the evening we observed Mercury in 
conjunction with Venus. The heavens were un- 
usually bright for Mourzuk. We saw also 
Jupiter^s satellites at seven in the evening. The two 
upper ones were much nearer than the two lower 
ones to the great planet, but all in a line. Mars 
was very bright. The rings, or extinct volcanoes of 
*the moon, were also truly transparent this evening. 
Usually the sky of Mourzuk is charged with a dirty 
red haze, and not at all favourable to astronomical 
observations. 
2\st. — The culture of water-melons is progressing 
for the summer season. The melons are planted in 
the irrigation ducts that lead to the squares of 
clover, which is cultivated at this season for the 
horses of the cavalry stationed here, and also for the 
camels of the merchants. Every fifteen or twenty 
days a fresh crop is ready, all produced by irriga- 
tion. 
The fig-tree is found frequently in the gardens 
of Fezzan, and when planted near a well, produces 
as fine fruit as those on the coast. The rich green 
