TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 175 began to make inquiries about the camels which he was to provide us with at Boosaida, where we expected to arrive the next day.

He replied that he had already given directions about them, but that he thought it would be better that he should proceed on in advance of the party, to make arrangements for their being in readiness on our arrival ; he proposed in the mean time to leave his eldest son as his locum tenens, who had lately come from the eastward to pay his respects to his father.

This proposal being agreed to, we remained silent for a few moments, in expectation that he would rise and leave the tent ; we were however disappointed, for the Dubbah kept his post, and it was evident that he had something more to ask. The customary toll of a little brown sugar had already been allowed and accepted ; for Shekh Mahommed, though old, had not yet lost his relish for sweets, and we usually indulged him when he visited our tent with a few spoonfuls of his favorite dainty. His approbation had also been extended, as usual, to the knives, pens, and pencils, pocketpistols, and powder-flasks, and other little things usually lying about the tent, without any of them having been offered to him : yet he still remained sitting, to our great annoyance ; for besides taking up our time, as we thought, very unnecessarily, he was all the while colonizing our carpets and mats with the fleas and other animals which escaped from his baracan ; and this article of his dress (which indeed was generally his only one) was at all times sufficiently well provided with these residents to allow of very extensive emigration. At last our patience was exhausted, and our complaisance