210 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

defeat, as far as possible, the constant attempts at theft. Round the hut the soil was thrown up a foot high, and a kind of Avail formed, and ditch to save it in case of any high flooding, from the rains. Above, in front, was a round hole, and two doors with pointed gothic arches formed the entrance ; so that the whole, when looked at from the front, was not very unlike a Gothic chapel. We had bought one of the here common large carpets of coarse avooI, which at night, on the inner side, covered doors and Avindow, and Avas fastened to the ground by some small posts. The interior of the hut AA-as divided into tAVO compartments, the front one having on right and left of it our angarebs, that serA'cd us as sleeping places and divans. In the back part, that had also a small door, Avas our store of provisions, and many chests and cases placed on stones : these took it all up, save a passage. This we called our sanctum. Behind this our recuba were the huts of our servants, made l)y themselves in their usual careless manner. Our chateau so pleased the Pascha, that he gaA'e me the employment of superintending the building of a recuba for him, that Avas to be as lai'ge as a castle (kasr). He himself fixed on length and breadth, a heap of the longest Dom-palms Avere dragged in, an-i the carpenters (baltaschi, sappers*) set to Avork to sink them in the ground ; and these Averc then bound to one another, and from one side to another, Avitli long ropes, to pi'cvent their giA'ing way, as cross beams of such length could not be found, and the Pascha would haA e no partition in the interior. The spar Avork of slender palms Avas laid on, and fastened in the joinings with long rails, Avhich for this purpose Averc sunk into the great tree. I Avould liaA'e added supports, but the Pascha rejected these Avith an "Allah Kerim ! " and thus Avas formed a house far surpassing all the rest.

Hardly Avas this erection finished, than my brother Avas summoned to the Pascha, to inspect tAvo female slaves purchased for him by MohamnKKi Elile (Ehle, Avliite, innocent). According to my brother's report, they Avere both very pretty, of bright brown colour, free from blemish, very young, and from the land of Basa. The poor girls sat in one corner of this larger recuba, behind a great curtain ; they were totally ignorant of the Arab language, and, trembling in CA'cry limb, awaited their fate. Ei"c * From balta, axe.