FOSSILS — TUARICK BEHAVIOUR. 143 
plain of Taeeta. About three hours before we 
reached the well of Tabea we crossed the real 
boundaries of the Fezzanee territory, although the 
Tuaricks seem to claim the pass on the mountains 
as their own. The weather vv^as hot, there being 
no wind. On these occasions the afternoons are 
very oppressive, and the sun causes his power to be 
unpleasantly felt until an hour before sunset. 
From the plain to-day we had a view of the 
Ghat mountains, which seem at a distance to pre- 
sent diff'erent forms and characters from the high 
lands on the edge of the plateau of Mourzuk. The 
bed of the undulating plain of Taeeta is covered 
with pebbles and blocks, of both sand and limestone. 
Yesterday I picked up some fossils of the star-fish — 
the fixed star-fish, having branches by which it holds 
to the bottom of the sea. Some fossils of vege- 
tables were also found. Two or three hours before 
reaching the well we descended rapidly into a broad, 
deep wady, where were the recent marks of a water- 
flow. The camels all went well, ours faster than 
the Targhee; but these latter, not being allowed to 
stray, always make, as a rule, better and more re- 
gular journeys. 
The Tuaricks themselves are getting more civil. 
Hateetah already enters into the idea of a treaty of 
amity and commerce : he says he will fix the 
amount the English merchants are to pay when 
they attend the mart of Ghat. The son of Shafou 
is always represented as a very good fellow ; he is 
