the bells, which are always worn on their
camels on such occasions. The drumming was kept up again the greater
part of the night, the screech-owl and crickets joining the discord as
before.

_29th._--Several of our people have recently been unwell, Yusuf amongst
the rest. They take little care of themselves, and attribute their
illness to the ghaseb. I expect we shall have them all ill in Soudan.

Early this morning I found Ibrahim, servant of the Germans, holding in
his hand and playing with a huge scorpion, which he had caught near the
tents. He seemed to have fatigued it so much that it could not sting. It
kept, indeed, always striking with its tail, but very feebly. Its head
was not at all prominently brought forward out of its body, and it
looked as if it had no head at all. It had ten legs. I told Ibrahim that
he was a marabout, at which he was greatly flattered.

The twenty maharees have joined the nuptial festivities this morning. A
number of women are squatting in a group on the ground, and the men
mounted on their camels are riding round and round them, sometimes in
single file, and at other times in two's and two's. Whilst this is going
on, another mounted party gallops up one by one to the group from a
short distance. All this is done to the sound of rude noisy drums. I
have not heard any songs, or seen any other species of music but this
drum. There are, however, several drums of different sizes, and
producing various noises. They are made of wood and with bullocks' hide.

The women looloo as on the coast, and both men and women dance; not
exactly as the negroes do, but still somewhat indelicately. Hamma, who
commanded our escort, has returned from visiting his friends.

The Tanelkums report that Hamma is something like Achilles, for he has
often been wounded, having been in many battles, but none of his wounds
have ever proved fatal, or even much incommoded him.

It would seem that Tintalous, like all the Tuarick countries, is a
miserably poor place; for it is said that none, or very few, of the
people in the town have a fire for cooking their _bazeen_, except the
great En-Noor himself. The time, however, approaches for the departure
of the caravans for Zinder, whence they bring back a great quantity of
ghaseb and samen.

A Haghar, or Ghat Tuarick, I know not which, came into my tent this
morning and behaved insolently. Amongst other antics, he took up a gun.
I immediately wrested it out of his hand