CHAP. VIII. 
SOCKNA. 
S17 
the first of their Spring, and a day of general rejoicing, it is the custom 
to dress out Uttle tents or bowers on the tops of the houses, de- 
corating them with carpets, jereeds, shawls, and sashes. A gaudy 
handkerchief on a pole, as a standard, completes the work, which is 
loudly cheered by the little children, who eat, drink, and play during 
the day in these covered places, welcoming the spring by songs, 
and crying continually, " O welcome spring ! with pleasure bring us 
plenty." The women give entertainments in their houses, and the 
day is quite a holiday. From the top of our house these Httle 
bowers had a very pretty effect, every roof in the town being orna- 
mented with one. They are called Goobba. 
I saw this day four ears of corn perfectly ripe, which was very 
early for the season. The gardens here are excellent, comparatively 
with the others in Fezzan. They are surrounded by mud walls. 
Lemon trees had been lately introduced from Tripoh, and promised 
well, but too young to bear fruit. The dates here were very fine, 
and there were several sorts pecuhar to Sockna. I was confined 
the chief part of the day to my bed with hemma. 
No Arab that I ever met with has any idea of sweet milk, or, 
more properly, cannot conceive why it is not equally good when 
sour. As I was unable in my weak state to eat the food of the 
country, I made all the exertions I could to procure sweet milk ; for 
though a great deal was brought me, it was always sour, and when 
I objected to it on that account, they said, " It is but now from the 
ewe, we mixed it with other to make it good." Thus they always 
milk their ewes, mixing the fresh and the stale milk. As I had 
been four days confined to my bed, and constantly longed for this 
beverage in its sweet state, my repeated disappointments were 
severe. 
In the gardens are found two kinds of rats, which, from the 
