CHAP. VIII. 
RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
311 
camels, and who always prayed and slept apart from the Kaffle. I 
supposed him to be the father of some of the camel-men, and fre- 
quently gave him food, until I learnt that he was related to none 
of our companions, and that he had but one object in coming with 
us, which was to hve upon us. He had a voracious appetite, and 
finding he could not obtain food at home without working for it, 
had been for many years in the habit of passing this desert with the 
Kaffles, on whom he quartered himself: his character was well known, 
yet the Arabs were unable to shake him olf, fearing he would spread 
a report that they allowed him to starve, while they had plenty, 
which would have been a great reproach to them. At the well 
where I killed the camel, I gave him two days' allowance, or about 
four pounds of food, which he devoured at once : he then dined 
witli my drivers, and again with the Shreef Sadig's men, and even 
managed to coax the hungry slaves out of part of their dinner. 
Having lost his teeth, he never chewed, but bolted liis food, and was 
a complete glutton. 
Thursday, Feb. 24th. Therm. 4°.— The Sheikh of Sockna, who 
was on his way to congratulate the Sultan, met us here and gave 
me fifty doUars, with letters from the Consul, Dr. Dickson, and Mr. 
Carstensen, who were all well. He also informed us of the death 
of the Bashaw's eldest Mulatto son Sidi Mourad, of a pestilential 
disorder, wliich, he said, was reported to be the plague. We 
dressed ourselves in our best clothes, and passed on, in company 
with Lizari, before the Kaffle, for the town of Sockna, to prepare 
houses. After proceeding for about two hours over a plain sprinkled 
with shrubs, we passed a sandy flat and date trees : at about two 
miles from the town, having traversed north-east nearly fourteen 
miles, arrived at the town of Sockna. Before we entered it above 
a hundred friends of Lizari, who was once acting, and is now 
