240 PRINCELY DEBT STORY OF THE TIBBOO. 
26th, Sunday. — We have still to remain here 
another week at least, so I must make what use 
I can of the time of this delay, caused by the ne- 
farious razzia, now in course of operation. In the 
extravagant manner that this government of Zinder 
conducts its affairs, it can only support itself by 
periodical expeditions of this kind. There is one 
Fez merchant here, to whom the Sarkee owes four 
millions of wadas, or about two thousand reals of 
Fezzan ; and other creditors claim in a like pro- 
portion. Now, indeed, we begin to understand 
how the slave-markets of quasi-civilised countries 
are supplied by the surplus produce of these expe- 
ditions. 
The route from Aghadez to the country of Sidi 
Hashem, now governed by his son, is three days' 
journey, and from the country of Sidi Hashem to 
Wadnoun, three days : there is also a route of five 
days, a little more direct; and the route direct from 
Aghadez to Wadnoun is four days' journey. 
The story of the Tibboo is going the round of 
the town, and becoming the daily gossip. This 
story has now assumed a substantial historical 
shape. The facts are, as I have already intimated, 
that the Tibboo persecuted me to give him a me- 
dicine to enable him to trade with profit. I 
scribbled over a bit of paper,, cut in the shape of 
a dollar, the number 10,000 dollars, and told him 
to swallow it, and afterwards to bring it me in the 
same state. The price for this was a fowl. He 
