They declare that they buried the bodies of the
two murdered men. A servant who escaped gave them the rest of the news.
It is probable that the Tibboos made considerable resistance on the
road, as they are brave fellows, and this resistance occasioned their
being murdered. The news has produced great excitement.
The people begin to see the evil effects of countenancing the forced
exactions made upon us. This will be an instructive lesson to the holy
marabouts of Tintaghoda, who headed the tribes of the frontier against
us unfortunate Christians.
When we met these very small caravans on the road, with only two owners,
three or four servants, and some forty or fifty slaves, and all without
arms, or perhaps with only a couple of swords, I used to wonder at their
apparent security, and could not help observing, when we were night and
day pursued by bandits, "These robbers must have an extraordinary
affection for Muslims, and be very Deists themselves; for these few
defenceless people pass unmolested, and we are pursued continually,
although our caravan is full of arms."
En-Noor and the new Sultan of Aghadez have been talking loudly of a
razzia to the north; they will now see its absolute necessity, unless
the route between Aheer and Ghat is to be closed, except for very large
caravans.
The Fezzanees who left Ghat nineteen days after us also say that before
they started the news had arrived there that the Christians were all
murdered by the people of Janet.
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