60 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
CHAP. II. 
liberated Blacks, who were all joyful at the idea of returning once 
more to their native land ; though their means of support were 
very slender, and many of them, with their young children, had to 
walk a distance of above two thousand miles, before they could 
reach their own country. 
March 26th. — At 8 A.M. we again moved on over a sandy, irre- 
gular desert, all in high spirits at having commenced our journey, 
after so many and apparently unnecessary delays. Having travelled 
south-east twelve miles, we encamped near a very deep well, which 
I have before mentioned, where we were to wait for Mukni. Our 
kind friend. Dr. Dickson, here left us, the Bashaw requiring his at- 
tendance at the Castle. After dark we observed several flashes of 
muskets, which were fired by Mukni's attendants, in order to dis- 
cover the position of the Kaffle ; we fired others in return, and 
soon heard the shrill pipes of the musicians announcing his approach. 
A beautiful scene now presented itself when he entered the camp, 
attended by about fifty horsemen, dressed in their gayest apparel, 
preceded by wild music, and three stand of silk colours. As we 
had coffee prepared for ourselves, Mukni, who was very fond of it, 
visited us in our tent, and partook of it with his son Yussuf, a 
mulatto boy of about eight years of age. They were splendidly 
dressed, and had ridden from the town at full speed, the Httle boy 
being a most excellent horseman. 
March 27th. — Early in the morning we went on, and discovered 
that in the night another Shibha had joined us, containing a very 
fat and beautiful woman, the wife of Sheikh Barood, who was 
director of the Kaffle, and manager of Mukni's affairs. Our road 
lay over a fine country, with corn, many flocks, and a few Arab 
tents scattered here and there. In the afternoon, having passed 
through several low liills, we arrived at some corn, and encamped 
