convulsion on his own account. One day, in the Targhee's absence, he
took his gun to "play at powder," and using English material, succeeded
in splitting the machine near the lock. When the Targhee returned, and
found what damage had been done, he began first to whimper, and then
working himself up into a towering passion, swore he would shoot the
culprit. Scarcely with that weapon, O Targhee! When his excitement was
over, I offered to make a collection among the people to indemnify him;
but he shook his head, laughed, and refused. The gun was nearly all his
property, and he had just bought it new at Tripoli.[2]

[2] The Orientals are prevented by superstitious fear from
allowing any article destroyed by accident to be replaced
in the way mentioned.--Ed.

All this part of Northern Africa may be compared to an archipelago, with
seas of various breadths dividing the islands. Three days took us from
Tripoli to Gharian, and three more to Mizdah. We were now advancing
across the preliminary desert stretching in front of the great plateau
of the Hamadah, which defends, like a wall of desolation, the approaches
of Fezzan from the north. At first occur broken limestone hills, as
previous to Mizdah; but when we approach the plateau the aspect of the
hills changes, and they are composed chiefly of variegated marl mixed
with gypsum, and with a covering of limestone. Fossil shells were picked
up at intervals. Some huge, irregular masses, that appeared ahead during
the first day, were mistaken by us for the edge of the plateau; but we
broke through, and left them right and left as we proceeded. They are
great masses of limestone and red clay, in which are scooped deep
valleys, many of them supplied with abundant herbage. As yet we have
never attained a level of more than 2500 feet above the level of the
sea. Water must exist underground, if we may argue from the presence of