TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 45 usudly found to be necessary a day or two after the commencement of a long journey.

We continued our route on the following morning, and found the country beyond become gradually hilly, and the road to be again intersected by Wadys, or ravines, extending themselves from the mountains to the sea*. By four we had arrived at Sidy Abdellati : so called from a celebrated Marabut, whose tomb, surrounded by gardens and date-trees, stands conspicuous on the banks of one of the Wadys. The country about it is everywhere well cultivated, the wells are numerous, and the hills were covered with sheep and goats ; but notwithstanding the numerous flocks in our neighbourhood, we found considerable difficulty in procuring a single lamb for our party.

While we were here a disturbance took place which had, at one time, assumed rather an alarming appearance. Our camel-drivers had allowed their beasts to stray over the cultivated grounds of the neighbouring Arabs, who came to demand remuneration, or to revenge themselves, in the event of not obtaining it, upon the owners of the camels f : the latter, together with our Arab escort, formed a tolerably strong party, and thinking themselves in a condition to do so, did not hesitate to resist the demand ; a scuffle accordingly took place, in which many blows were exchanged, bara-* From Guadigmata, two ruius (Selma and Ipsllata) appear conspicuous on high and pointed hills at the distance of about seven miles; they seem to have been watch-towers commanding the plain ; but our guides could only tell us they were Gussers, a name which they applied indiscriminately to ruins of every description.

t These were the camel-drivers themselves.