f 
CHAP. VI. ARRIVAL OF BOUKHALLOUM. 26f3 
or three, in proportion. Two little children are considered as equal 
to a young boy, and two boys of about nine or ten years of age, or 
one girl of the same age, make a share. 
About this time I frequently visited the slave-markets, which 
are conducted with the same degree of indifference to the feelings 
of the captives as at Tripoli. There are many auctioneers, as well 
for slaves, as for other articles of trade ; each runs from side to sidt^ 
of the street, crying in a shrill voice the price last bidden, and 
standing on tiptoes : should he be selling a slave, the poor creatui'e 
follows him at a trot, like a dog, to the different groups of merchants 
who are sitting on the sand. 
Aboo Becker Boukhalloum ^^yjjyt], the Sultan's head man, 
arrived from Tripoli, bringing with him the Bashaw's Teskera, con- 
tinuing Mukni in the command of Fezzan for three years, on con- 
dition of his paying to the Bashaw 80,000 dollars. In order to 
treat this person with great respect, and to show he was " the man 
the King delighted to honour," the Sultan's three sons, and all the 
horsemen to be found, were sent to meet him at Dgleim, and 
accompany him to the town ; drums and colours preceding him, 
and the inhabitants, who cared not if he were alive or dead, 
roaring for joy. This man had been an Angela Arab five or six 
years before ; but now, covered with gold and scarlet, was as great 
as fine clothes (the African standard of dignity) could make him. 
On his arrival at the Mezlis, the Sultan received him sitting in his 
chair of state ; and having read the Bashaw's letter (or affected to 
do so, for his Majesty is no scholar), he thrice kissed and put it to 
his forehead. The Fighi then read it in a loud voice to the people, 
who all exclaimed, " Thank God !" 
A fine yellow Bornouse, ornamented with lace, having been sent 
as a present, Mukni descended from his throne, and after being 
