44 
it instantly discharges all its contents into a stone tank, and is 
then let down again. Little trenches convey the water all about 
the garden : as the sand would soon soak it up, these trenches are 
of plaster. The water is limpid and tasteless. All day long the 
Mzah haul it up. Tliey are all teetotalers and never touch wine, 
which enables them to work hard continually. “ The Mzah work 
always,” has become a saying. Men, women, and children, toil in 
the gardens even in the noontide hours, Avhen no European could 
venture out of doors without imminent risk of a sunstroke. A 
different system of irrigation is pursued at Laghouat, where the 
water lies on the surface. 
Having with difficulty obtained some gunjDowder, for the French 
are not allowed to sell it to the Arabs under any pretence, I went 
out shooting. The Egyptian turtle-dove was so common, that I 
had only to take my stand in a garden, and load and fire until 
enough had been killed. Directly a bird falls, the Arabs rush up 
to it ; their object is to cut its throat before it dies. Of course 
they ruin everything for stuffing. I soon found out that they would 
never cook a dove which did not die by the knife. Every house 
was tenanted by house buntings {Fringillaria saharoe Bp.) They 
nest in the large square court, and I think the eggs must be 
deposited in March. They are rather like sparrows’ eggs, but 
rounder. The nest is composed of little sticks and twigs, and 
lined with hair. 
On the 14th news came that the Touareg — a lawless tribe of 
robbers — were assembling in force on the Waragla route. This 
did not alarm us, but the following day a letter was brought to 
me (in Arabic) with tidings of a great camel razzia at Zergoun, 
(which though not in our road, lay to the north of us,) in which 
2,000 camels had been carried off, and, it was said, six men killed; 
but as the Arabs habitually exaggerate, I did not place much 
reliance on this latter statement. The Spahis ^ were in hot 
pursuit, but with little chance of coming up with the fugitives. 
Trusting that they would not come our way, we on the IGth loft 
Ecrryan and travelled to Gardaia, which is the chief city of the 
Mzah confederation. Our route lay through a dreary tract of 
country stony, brown, and mountainous — save at rare intervals, 
* Tlic Spaliis are Arab soldiers in tlie French jtay. 
