106 
NYMPHS OF THE GARDENS. 
come out constantly to the wells, when the irriga- 
tion is going on, early in the morning or late in the 
evening, and thus take advantage of the supply of 
water raised. They are all dark women of the city, 
for the most part unlovely and very dirty in appear- 
ance, despite their occupation. Tlieir system of 
w^ashing is the primitive one practised by the 
labouring classes all over the north of Africa. They 
roll up the clothes into a round flat heap, and then 
with their heels keep up a continual round of tread- 
ing, using for soap a peculiar sort of clay. Some of 
the girls are very impudent and immodest when a 
stranger passes by ; but as a rule they are not so. 
The wells at Mourzuk are not all good ; some are 
fresh, others salt. In many places will be found a 
well of very sweet, delicious water ; and running 
nearly to the surface, at twenty paces distant from it, 
are found others really quite salt. The same phe- 
nomenon has been observed at Siwah, in the Libyan 
desert. 
One of our party received a present this morning 
of some fresh and most delicious leghma. A good 
deal is drunk in Mourzuk, in an acrid state, for the 
purposes of intoxication. 
In the evening I went to see the acting Pasha, 
with the Consul. He received us with his usual 
urbanity, and gave coffee and lemonade twice. He 
mentioned the things which a functionary of govern- 
ment was permitted to receive as presents, — viz., two 
sheep, twelve pounds and a half of butter, fifty eggs, 
and two fowls. This to be received once only from 
