s the announcement that our camels were
coming,--certainly a piece of good news that we had been anxiously
expecting; but it had often been given before, and after the first
excitement we began to feel the sickness of disappointment. However,
four of our camels were in reality brought in; there yet remain out two
of ours and three belonging to the Kailouees. However, our spirits begin
now really to revive. We learn that this act of restitution is
attributable to the marabouts.

I went to bed on receiving this news; but I had not rested long before
Dr. Barth called out, "Have you heard what has happened? Twenty-eight
maharees are arrived from En-Noor." On further inquiries, I learned that
the Sultan had sent us an escort of twenty men mounted, and eight on
foot; but rain having fallen and still continuing to fall, and the fact
of our being surrounded by water, prevented the approach of these troops
to the encampment. The intelligence of their arrival was brought by a
man well known to the Tanelkums. In the afternoon we had heard that
En-Noor had received a confused account of our two encounters with the
armed bands, and that we had been destroyed by them, or nearly so, but
had not yet received our courier. This circumstance tranquillised us. We
had been anxiously expecting news from En-Noor. The people always speak
of maharees, and not of mounted men; so that twenty maharees are twenty
men mounted on maharees. It rained this evening and during the night:
everything was damp around us. We now begin to feel, indeed, that we are
in a humid atmosphere.

_31st._--I rose early, but it rained hard, and everybody kept within
tent. I am much delighted with my double Bornou tent, for, although it
is nothing but a species of gauze cotton-work, it still keeps out the
rain.

We are collecting the names and qualities of the chief among our
assailants, as we shall have to make a formal complaint against them,
not only in order to obtain restitution for our goods, but for the sake
of any future travellers. The people who first attacked us are called
El-Fadeea, or El-Fadayan, and are styled by Yusuf _Arab_ Tuaricks, or
Tuaricks living in tents. This tribe was joined by bandits and a few
adventurers from all the surrounding districts.

The people of the second attack are called Aghazar: these are also Arab
Tuaricks, or people living in tents. They were joined by people from
Seloufeeat, Tintaghoda, and all the neighbouring places.

T