MERISSA HUTS. 05 and we would have been supplied, and in abundance, with all we could wish for ; but as he mistrusted us on account of our notetakings, and classed us among the Turks, this sign he did not give. Little or no coin is to be found among these people, but they are acquainted with the Theresa-thaler, or dollar (value one thaler, twenty piastres), which they call a real, and this they demanded from us for the merest trifles, the true value of which was not two or three pence. Austria still continues to have these thalers coined from the old die, for eastern use, and these are called by the Arabs here "Abu Nukta" (father of drops, i. e., the pearls in the diadem of the Empress Maria Theresa, of which there are numbers). The Kolonates in the land of Sudan call them " Abu Mutfa," mistaking the pillars of Hercules on them for cannon. In the Levant the Spanish money is commonly called piastres (from piasto), although it is reduced to one twentieth part of its value* and it is possible, that the Ai'ab and Turkish words gersch and grusch for piastre, may be the origin of our groschen.

To see at least as much as possible of the village, and its environs, we two, arming ourselves only with our sabres, now set out for a walk, but without our knowing it, two completely armed Schaigies followed us, and ere long, two young lads, relations of Sheik Mussa, joined us, to provide for our safety, as we afterwards learned. The whole village is formed of mat huts, and is similar in all respects to El Soffre ; its extent is great, and its population numerous, and seemingly rich in cattle. As we marched through it, the people stared greatly at us, the women ran off to hide themselves, as if from evil spirits, and the children who rushed out from their so-called schools, laughed at and mocked us, for they had never before seen white men. To our great satisfaction, we turned into a merissa drinking shop, which, erected under a large tree, was filled with men. We seated ourselves on some square stools with backs, and were at once supplied with some stout beakers full of merissa, which, being good, we relished much, and it even made us feel somewhat in the wind. In such places, the Arabs will sit from early morning to late eve, drinking and carousing, and often eating nothing for many dnys, as merissa is meat and drink too. Here I remarked for the first time, that even among these dark-skinned men, some red colour is perceptible on their cheeks, sucli being the case with some of the topers hern, who, from copious libations, had