CHAPTER XXI.

CONTINUED RESIDENCE IN GHAT.

Parallels between The Desert and The East.--The Divine Warranty for carrying on the Slave Trade discussed.--Visit from Aheer and Soudanese Merchants, and present state of Soudan.--Form of the Cross on Touarick Arms.--Boy taught to curse The Christian.--Medina Shereef's opinion on my giving Presents.--A Negress begs in the name of Ouweek.--Visit to the Governor and Hateetah.--Streams of Water and Corn-Fields in the Fabled Region of Saharan Desolation.--Kandarka will recommend me to his Sultan.--Parallel things between Africa and Asia.--Atkee turns out a Scamp.--Visit from Berka.--Arabic is the Language of Heaven.--Khanouhen ridicules Hateetah to his face.--Hospitality of the Governor towards me, and interesting Conversations with him.--Moorish reckoning of Time clashes with mine.--Medina Shereef turns Beggar like the rest.--Meet The Giant begging at Haj Ibrahim's.--Affecting Case of the cruelty of one Slave to another, and compared to the Jews of Morocco.--Chorus Singing of the Slaves.--Mode in which Ostriches are Hunted.--Arrival of Senna and Ivory from Aheer.--Christians are not Liars.--Farewell Visit from Jabour.--Quick Route to Timbuctoo from Ghat.--Kandarka turns Comedian, and satirizes the Touaricks of Ghat.--Mercantile Transactions of the Governor.--Want of a strong Government in The Desert.--Assemblage of the Sheikhs, and preparations for War.

_19th._--DID not go out to-day, but amused myself with noting down in the journal several parallel things between The Desert and The East, which are mentioned in The Scriptures.

"And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die." (1 Kings xvii. 12.) We have in Sahara parallel ideas to all and every part of this simple and affecting discourse. The widow speaks with an oath. When anything particular and extraordinary is to be said or done, the people of Sahara must use an oath. The meal is the barley-meal of our people; the oil is used to cook it as we cook our bazeen. The sticks are gathered from The Desert every day to dress our food. The blank and absolute resignation of the woman is the same with every one here, not excepting those of immoral lives.

"And lo in her mouth, was an olive-leaf plucked off," (Gen. viii. 11.) "And Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard," (Gen. ix. 20.) The olive and the vine are still the choice fruit-trees in North Africa, and were the Mussulmans a wine-drinking people, the country would be covered with vineyards. In the beautiful parable of Jotham, (Judges