120 
OLD MEN BAG HZ EM. 
ill spare. I feel most determinedly disposed to 
give nothing* more; but in justice I have to add, 
that his highness sends regularly the milk in the 
morning, that he gave me a piece of gour-nut 
on the road, and that he sent me a few dates at 
my request ! These are great things for Tuaricks ; 
so, " patience." 
16*7*. — I rose at daylight; the cold was moderate, 
morning foggy as yesterday. People say we shall 
be only nine days from this going to Damerghou,. 
but I will give them twelve. All the old men in 
this country apply to the Taleb for medicine to* 
restore their powers. They very unwillingly relin- 
quish the exercise of the functions which give them 
most delight ; but nature is stronger than all things 
and they must submit to its inevitable course. In a 
country like Africa, where woman is only thought of 
for one purpose, it chagrins these old fellows to see 
all their nice plump slave-girls about them, and to 
find themselves past and gone, so far as this state of 
existence is concerned. En-Noor and Hateetah 
both made this kind of application to the Taleb. 
When I was alone in my former journey in the 
desert, I had also the same kind of experience. 
We came two hours to-day to the well of 
Anfesas, before the mountain of Baghzem. Our 
course was through valleys and rocks, as yesterday, 
and, indeed, always in this country; for there is 
very little variation in the landscape. Baghzem, 
instead of being the high mountain pictured to me 
