es--Aspect of the Country--A Slave advanced
to Honour--Shonshona--Herbage--Birds--Appearance of the
Salt-Caravan--Colours of Dawn--Bilma Salt--Mode of Barter--Pass the Rock
of Mari--Granite--Indigo Plant--Presents at Stamboul--The Sultan begs
again--Old Men's Importunities--Baghzem--Curiosities of the
Route--People of Damerghou--Temporary Village of Women--Country begins
to open--Barter Transaction with Lady En-Noor.

_Dec. 10th._--I rose before the sunrise; the coldest morning we have
had; thermometer at half-an-hour after sunrise, 38 deg..

It is reported that we leave here to-morrow, or the day following. There
is arrived from Aghadez the first man of that city after the sultan,
called Amagai. He is come here respecting the affairs of the Fadeea.
En-Noor also asked to-day for a list of all the things taken by force
from us on the frontiers. It appears the Sultan of Aghadez had captured
the Sheikh of the Fadeea, or some one sheikh, and allowed him to go out
of prison on the promise that he would restore all the things taken from
us--but not to us; so these Sultans and Sheikhs of Aheer will probably
get all these things back, and divide the spoil. But, nevertheless, it
is better that the people in authority should have them, than that they
should remain in the possession of the robbers, the lawless plundering
tribes of the frontier. Probably these people will be more cautious how
they plunder another caravan of Christians. It will always be a
satisfaction to us that the robbers were made to disgorge their booty. I
have also heard that a small camel was brought in exchange for my large
lost one; and En-Noor sent it back, ordering them to restore the large
camel of the boat. My camel has been to fetch salt from Bilma.

The children call Tesaoua, and the countries thereabout, Haussa, and say
it is near, and that they go on donkeys. From this it is certain this
portion of Soudan still has the ancient name of Haussa. Afaou is merely
the Bornou name for Haussa, there being no place or district of that
name. All these countries have most of them two names, or two
pronunciations of the same name; one by the natives, and one by the
Moorish merchants and other strangers. Thus the village of En-Noor is
called by strangers Tintalous, and by the people themselves Chintullus.
Travellers had better adhere to the name the place has amongst the
strangers and foreign merchants, otherwise their narrative might be
questioned by the pe