In their eyes, a plain of
stones and sand holds the place of a heath of growing bloom; a barren
valley is a vale of fertility; rocks and mountains are always objects of
beauty; whilst wells are treasured of wealth, as indeed they are verily
in the desert. A Tuarick may be said to know every stone of his arid
kingdom.
Taking these things into consideration, and making a merit of necessity,
we agreed together to offer him thirty reals. He had already come down
to fifty, and now accepted the thirty, but said they must be the large
ones, or _douros_ (dollars). It was arranged that I should pay the money
to En-Noor in Aheer; for all now had become convinced that not one of us
three had any dollars worth speaking of left. I believe I have some six
or seven, whilst the Germans have none. If we had brought a thousand
with us, they would all have been scattered to the wind in these Tuarick
countries. Our servants, being persuaded that we have no dollars left,
have sworn to the fact; so that my candid declaration, "That if they
were to kill me, they could not find ten dollars to pay them for their
trouble," is now believed.
_14th._--Wataitee came early to my tent, and asked me for a bit of
sugar. I gave him half a loaf, with which he was apparently well
satisfied; for afterwards he asked if I had any letters to take to Ghat.
I consigned to him a letter for Mr. Bidwell and my wife.
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