CHAP. IX. 
TRIPOLI. 
343 
None of the owners ever moved without their whips, which 
were in constant use ; that of Hadje Mohammed more so than 
the rest : in fact, he was so perpetually flogging his poor slaves, 
that I was frequently obliged to disarm him. Drinking too 
much water, bringing too little wood, or falling asleep before the 
cooking was finished, were considered nearly capital crimes, and 
it was in vain for these poor creatures to plead the excuse of being 
tired ; nothing could at all avert the application of the whip. No 
slave dares to be ill or unable to walk ; but when the poor sufferer 
dies, the master suspects there must have been something " wrong 
inside," and regrets not having liberally applied the usual remedy 
of burning the belly with a red hot iron ; thus reconciling to them- 
selves their cruel treatment of these unfortunate creatures,, 
I settled with my camel-men the day after my arrival in Tripoli, 
and having great reason to fear that Belford's health was too much 
injured to proceed immediately, I agreed to remain there a short 
time, that he might be benefited by the advice of my friend. Dr. 
Dickson, who had kindly taken him under his care : he had been 
for six months afflicted with dysentery, was quite deaf, and so 
reduced as to be nearly a skeleton. 
I think it right to account for what otherwise might be attri- 
buted to neglect, my having, in the latter part of our journey, 
omitted to notice the variations of the Thermometer from the 28th 
of February to the present time. Not using my tent, I found much 
difficulty, in so large a Kaffle, in preventing stray camels or the 
slaves from treading on the Thermometer ; and it was so frequently 
in danger of being broken, that I found no correct rate could be 
kept, and therefore gave up the attempt. 
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