CHAP. V. 
NOTICES OF THE INTERIOR. 
229 
people, but form a separate community, and adhere to their ancient 
manners, language, and costume. Gatrone has a plentiful stock 
of jMaraboots, for which profession the Fezzanners are admirably 
adapted. News now arrived of the Ghrazzie, or slave hunt, being 
within three or four days of Tegerry ; corn in consequence became 
very dear, hieing one kail, or about two gallons for a dollar. In the 
afternoon our pretty dancers paid us another visit, and passed 
through the town. I certainly never saw dancing performed with 
more modesty, which is saying a great deal for Africans, who, 
generally speaking, regard decency as the last consideration, and 
totally incompatible with their ideas of grace. 
I at this time visited Hadge el Easchid, a great Maraboot, and 
a very cunning fellow, who gave me much information about 
^»Yaday and Tibesty, and offered to accompany me to all the Tibboo 
tribes, if I would give him a watch and a long telescope. It had 
been my intention to have accepted his terms ; but I gave up the 
idea for the present, in consequence of Belford's health, which was 
now very precarious, and which he feared would be unequal to the 
journey of seven days from Tegerry, over the rocks of Tibesty, 
without wood or water. The Maraboot treated me to a dish of 
the Taberca, or seeds of the colocynth apple, which were brought 
from Tibesty. I found them vei-y palatable, and not at all par- 
taking of the bitter of their outward covering. He told me many 
stories of the southern Tibboo ; of their great love of plunder, and 
appropriating to themselves the property of others. They wiU 
sometimes carry off' a camel in the night, which before morning will 
be entirely devoured ; and many traders have been so completely 
fleeced by them as to be obliged to wait for other Kaffles, before 
they could return to their own country. 
Of Tibesty, and the road to Waday, he gave me the following 
