78 TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. ciiAr. ii. 
his family. I found I acquitted myself very well, although one or 
two of the old people, as I thought, viewed me with an eye of sus- 
picion, well aware that I had but very little knowledge of Arabic. 
The tribute-money was brought this day by the Sheikh, a great 
crowd attending him. A little boy who was amongst them made 
himself known to us, as having come in the same kaffle with us 
from Tripoh. We recollected, and made use of him to show us 
round the town, which he did readily, occasionally running before 
us, and calling to all the girls of his acquaintance, to come out and 
look at the new Mamlukes. This they did in crowds, and with 
their faces uncovered : some of them were rather pretty, and ap- 
peared to take pleasure in conversing with us, laughing much at 
the mistakes we made, in consequence of our slight knowledge of 
Arabic. The boy asked us many amusing questions about our 
future intentions, and was particularly anxious to know where 
we were going, and whether for the purpose of collecting slaves, 
as he suspected. We, of course, disclaimed any such intention, 
adding, that in our own country we looked on slavery with 
horror. At this he expressed great contempt of us, exclaiming, 
" D — n their fathers, the asses !" a common oath amongst these 
people, " what are they made for, but to serve us ? go then and take 
them, for they are Kaffirs, and we cannot do without them." I men- 
tion this as a specimen of all the Arabs, who believe most religiously, 
that the Negroes were only created for their service. The natives 
of Hoon are of the tribe Fateima A^i, and are of good character. 
17th April. — We returned to Sockna. On this day I made an 
attempt to prove how far it was possible to exercise authority over 
the Arabs, and Mr. Eitchie not wishing to interfere, left me to act 
as I thought proper. The case was this : during our journey from 
Tripoli I had observed a poor slave, of about fifty years of age, 
belonging to the owner of some of our camels, so fatigued as to be 
