TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 7

offered to ensure our arrival at that place, and our return in perfect

safety to Tripoly, provided we would place ourselves entirely under

his directions ; allowing, of course, for ill health, as well as for such

accidents as could not be foreseen, and may happen to any one in

travelling across the desert. As Timbuctoo, however, formed no

part of the object of our mission, this offer was naturally declined ;

and we merely mention it here as one which may be worth consi-

deration, should any future traveller decide upon attempting this

journey by way of Tripoly.

Our next care was to provide ourselves with the dress of the

country, which was strongly recommended to us by our Mahometan

friends, and which, indeed, on the former experience of one of our

party, we had before proposed to adopt. The opinion of Colonel Warrington was in favour of the European costume ; but as we sup-

posed it to have been founded on the experience of journeys in the neighbourhood of Tripoly only, within the immediate range of the

Bashaw’s authority, and in places where the natives are more accus-

tomed to the dress ; we thought it most advisable to adopt the advice of our Turkish friends, which we knew to be formed on an extensive

acquaintance with the prejudices, manners, and customs of the Arabs:

this opinion, besides, had the additional recommendation of being quite in unison with our own ; and it is probably not unknown to some of our readers that a similar coincidence has usually its weight in decisions of much more importance. The experience of

our journey through the Syrtis and Cyrenaica confirmed us still more decidedly in our former opinion ; and as the propriety of adopting