186 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
CHAP. IV. 
to pass along to his house ; when, after waiting about half an 
hour, he rose in a stately manner, and leaning his hands on the 
friends who walked on each side of him (in the manner of the 
Bashaw of Tripoh, and the Sultan of Fezzan), he slowly proceeded 
home ; the dancers following him and singing songs of congra- 
tulation. The second night passed in much the same manner ; 
and, on the following day, I saw the bridegroom, who had been a 
few hours before gUttering in scarlet and gold, cleaning a horse in 
the street, with a ragged shirt on. 
I had many opportunities of observing the Fighi and their 
scholars, sitting on the sand. The cliildren are taught their letters 
hy having them written on a flat board of a hard wood, brought 
from Bornou and Soudan, and repeating them after their master. 
When quite perfect in the alphabet, they are allowed to trace over 
the letters already made ; they then learn to copy sentences, and 
to write such small words as are dictated to them. The board 
generally used is in this form : 
The master often repeats verses from the Koran, in a loud voice, 
which the boys learn by saying them after him ; and when they 
begin to read a little, he sings aloud, and all the scholars follow him 
from their books, as fast as they can. Practice at length renders 
them perfect ; and in three or four years, their education is con- 
sidered complete. Thus it is that many who can read the Koran 
