162 
ARRIVAL IN DAMERGHOU. 
same demand had been repeatedly made for my 
poor carpet ; so, on the following day, I took it off 
from the camel. 
An hour before we pitched tent, we passed a 
town on the top of a hill composed of huts, some 
covered with skins, and some made of straw. Our 
encampment is in a wady, near a cluster of hovels. 
The people came running to welcome us, by 
offering ghaseb for sale. Two volunteered to 
assist us in clearing a clean place for our tents. 
This being the first act of spontaneous assistance 
which we had witnessed from Tripoli to Damer- 
ghou, I gave them each a ring. We are now fairly 
in Damerghou ; and to-day we saw the first speci- 
mens of the culture in this part of Africa. The 
ground is cleared by burning, as on the coast; 
which burning serves partly to supply the place of 
manure. The people, apparently slaves, were burn- 
ing and raking up the ashes and stubble, with rakes 
made of fallen branches of trees. We passed 
through wide tracts of ghaseb stubble. Some of 
the stalks were seven or eight feet high, but the 
ears were not larger than those seen at Ghadamez 
— about eight or nine inches. 
Amongst the plants observed yesterday was the 
cactus, with a smooth leaf. Water-melons were 
also found in the road, mostly quite good and sweet, 
but some white ones perfectly tasteless. None, 
even those cultivated, are equal to the melons of 
the coast; there are no mealy ones here. 
