up, and put in a large cow-skin bag, that stood in a corner of the tent.
The same evening Ali sent three of his people to inform me, that there
were many thieves in the neighbourhood, and that to prevent the rest of
my things from being stolen, it was necessary to convey them all into his
tent. My clothes, instruments, and every thing that belonged to me, were
accordingly carried away; and though the heat and dust made clean linen
very necessary and refreshing, I could not procure a single shirt out of
the small stock I had brought along with me. Ali was however
disappointed, by not finding among my effects the quantity of gold and
amber that he expected; but to make sure of every thing, he sent the same
people on the morning following, to examine whether I had any thing
concealed about my person. They, with their usual rudeness, searched
every part of my apparel, and stripped me of all my gold, amber, my
watch, and one of my pocket compasses; I had fortunately, in the night,
buried the other compass in the sand; and this, with the clothes I had
on, was all that the tyranny of Ali had now left me.

The gold and amber were highly gratifying to Moorish avarice, but the
pocket compass soon became an object of superstitious curiosity. Ali was
very desirous to be informed, why that small piece of iron, the needle,
always pointed to the Great Desert, and I found myself somewhat puzzled
to answer the question. To have pleaded my ignorance, would have created
a suspicion that I wished to conceal the real truth from him; I therefore
told him, that my mother resided far beyond the sands of Sahara, and that
whilst she was alive, the piece of iron would always point that way, and
serve as a guide to conduct me to her, and that if she was dead, it would
point to her grave. Ali now looked at the compass with redoubled
amazement; turned it round and round repeatedly; but observing that it
always pointed the same way, he took it up with great caution and
returned it to me, manifesting that he thought there was something of