220 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
CHAP. V. 
roll, and I greatly feared we should be at a stand : fortunately, 
however, a man travelling our way came up with us, and helped us 
to re-load the camel, so that by 11. 45. we cleared the hills, and 
arrived on a heavy sandy plain, over which we toiled until 4. when 
we arrived at Terboo, the most wretched mud village I had as yet 
met with. All the men were mere skeletons, and the women equally 
misei able in appearance ; yet they were obliged, poor and wretched 
as they were, to feed us and our horses without expecting a reward. 
I bought, however, a quantity of corn, and distributed amongst 
them ; and they declared I was the first person coming from the 
Sultan, who had not distressed them by taking their small stock of 
provisions. Nothing could exceed the wretchedness of this place 
but the water, which was of a much worse quality than any we had 
tasted, from its close resemblance to sea water. A few old walls of 
about 12 feet high were in the centre of the huts, and were dignified 
by the name of the Castle. There are but few palms here, and the 
people subsist chiefly by attending camels, sent to feed on the 
Agool ; and for the right of pasture they receive, in return, some 
very trifling payment in corn or dates. We made this day S. 12°. 
W. 10 miles. As it was Christmas day, Belford and myself drank 
to the health of our friends in England, in a bumper of coffee. 
Dec. 26th. Therm. 3*^. 40'. A beautiful morning ; but being cold, 
we had a good fire, and at 8. 50. A. M. the camels started. We 
were much amused by the blacksmith of the village, who had his 
forge in the sand at the gate. A man from a neighbouring place 
came to ask his advice for a hver complaint, wliich had for a long 
time troubled him ; and having been so frequently burned with a 
red hot iron, in order to alleviate his complaint, his side was literally 
covered with scars. The blacksmith having felt the man's side^ 
and asked many questions, told him, that the most certain remedy 
