TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 
175 
began to make inquiries about the camels which he was to provide 
us with at Boosaida, where we expected to arrive the next day. 
He replied that he had already given directions about them, but 
that he thought it would be better that he should proceed on in 
advance of the party, to make arrangements for their being in readi- 
ness on our arrival ; he proposed in the mean time to leave his eldest 
son as his locum tenens, who had lately come from the eastward to 
pay his respects to his father. 
This proposal being agreed to, we remained silent for a few 
moments, in expectation that he would rise and leave the tent ; we 
were however disappointed, for the Dubbah kept his post, and 
it was evident that he had something more to ask. The customary 
toll of a little brown sugar had already been allowed and accepted ; 
for Shekh Mahommed, though old, had not yet lost his relish for 
sweets, and we usually indulged him when he visited our tent with 
a few spoonfuls of his favorite dainty. His approbation had also 
been extended, as usual, to the knives, pens, and pencils, pocket- 
pistols, and powder-flasks, and other little things usually lying about 
the tent, without any of them having been offered to him : yet he 
still remained sitting, to our great annoyance ; for besides taking up 
our time, as we thought, very unnecessarily, he was all the while 
colonizing our carpets and mats with the fleas and other animals 
which escaped from his baracan ; and this article of his dress (which 
indeed was generally his only one) was at all times sufficiently 
well provided with these residents to allow of very extensive emi- 
gration. At last our patience was exhausted, and our complaisance 
