CHAP. VI. 
GATRONE. 
S49 
the proclamation, and carry it to their neighbours. This evening it 
was an order to every family to supply a certain quantity of food 
on the morrow for the Ghrazzie " of our Lord the Sultan," and a 
proportionate allowance of straw and dates for the horses ; we took 
the hint, and secured three days' fodder for ours. I was informed 
that all the towns south of Morzouk have these drums, but 1 had 
never seen one ; the poor people consider this kind of sound as 
not very agreeable, for they never hear the music without paying 
the piper. 
In the course of our journey Besheer often mentioned his 
having been at the Bahr el Ghazal ; and his account agrees with 
almost every one I have heard. He says that there must once 
have been a great sea there, as he himself has picked up handsome 
shells, (according to the Arabs, Beit el Khoot, cli^^\^s^, or fishes' 
houses,) imbedded in the earth, and as large as his double fist ; also 
backbones of fish the size of his arm, (no small one,) which were 
petrified ; and he added, that if the pieces were joined together, 
it would appear that the fish, when alive, must have been ten or 
twelve feet in length. The Kaid dressed and dried, v/ith the hair 
on, the skin of the sheep I had killed, by stretching it on the 
ground, and rubbing it Viith Gurd pods pounded, and afterwards 
with salt ; he allowed it one day to dry, and then softened it by 
rubbing it with butter, the hair remaining perfectly firm. 
January 10th. Thermometer 2° 30'. Vfent out to meet Sidi 
Aleiwa and the Ghrazzie, whom I joined at El Bakklii. The 
horsemen were in a body, and the foot and captives followed. 
After many compliments, and shaking hands with all my old 
friends, I returned with them to Gatrone. They had brought with 
them 800 lean cripples, clad in skins and rags, between 2000 and 
3000 Maherries, and about 500 asses: 180 of the mounted Arabs, 
and about 300 foot, were still left behind in the negro country ; 
K K 
