e necessity of
his assisting in relieving the Government from the double payment of the
sums advanced by the Sfaxee. He agreed that it was highly important to
save this money, and promised to place his goods at my disposal for sale
in Soudan.

On the departure of the caravan for Zinder and Kanou every male
inhabitant will leave Tintalous, some starting with it and others going
for salt, leaving only the women and children behind. This is considered
by the Moors as preferable to leaving a few men behind, because these
few would occasion quarrels amongst the women, and, besides, excite the
jealousy of the absent husbands.

Most of the men who go with us to Damerghou and forward to Tesaoua will
find another wife and family in both these places. This is a regular
emigration of males, not the accidental departure of fathers and
husbands. These gentlemen pass half the year in Soudan and half in
Aheer. The system does not appear to be advantageous to the increase of
population: the wives of these birds of passage hardly bear two children
a-piece. Indeed there are very few children in Tintalous. We have not
yet sufficient data or experience for a conclusion on this part of
statistics; but, up to the present, all that we have seen in Africa
during this journey exhibits it as singularly miserable and destitute of
population. We can hear of no man, not even a sultan with his fifty
female slaves, having more than four or five children. As for the poor,
one or two are all that they can bring up.

Whence, then, comes the supply of slaves? So far as this part of Africa
is concerned I may observe, in reply, that the annual number of slaves
brought is exceedingly limited, amounting only to a few thousands. When
we get nearer the western coast, we shall probably be able to account
for the supplies of slaves which are transported across the Atlantic.

This afternoon a well was commenced near our tents. The digging of a
well is an important matter; his highness En-Noor, therefore, vouchsafed
his presence. A number of the excavators came to me to beg for sugar. I
brought out a piece of white loaf sugar, and broke it into thirty pieces
or so; then ordered one of them to divide it fairly amongst themselves:
but this was impossible. Anything like fairness amongst the Kailouees,
all of whom are addicted to thieving (a habit acquired from Soudan), was
out of the question. As soon as I rose from the ground, after breaking
the sugar on a leath