“Here I am, thank God, well and happy. The climate is hot, but I have not experienced it very disagreeable. My health, indeed, has been better since I left home than it was for a long time before. Clapperton and I have been visiting a number of different places, and intend spending our time in that way for the next two months, when I hope we shall be able to proceed to Bornou. The soil is sandy, and we have no other tree but that of the date. There is, however, abundance of this sort, and its fruit forms the principal sustenance of many thousands of the people. Without this tree, the whole country, from this place to Bornou, would be a dreary waste. You perhaps know that no rain falls here; on that account corn fields and gardens are not to be expected. At the expense, however, of much labour and care, as the ground requires to be continually watered by streams from the wells, we have many of both. We have always plenty of good water, at all times, a circumstance which, in a country destitute of rain, you will be apt to think is rather singular and curious, but it is one which you cannot be expected to understand were I to enter into any explanation of it. All the places in Fezzan exhibit a sameness of aspect. The towns are formed of mud houses, generally of one flat; they have, for the most part, an old ruined castle in the centre; and all of them are surrounded by walls. On the outside of the towns, and in some places within the walls, a few abodes are constructed of the leaves of the palm. The people are really a fine race, and have uniformly treated us with the greatest kindness. Wherever I go, and every day that I remain in this town, I have numerous applications for medicines. Some of the applicants have very curious complaints, which, were I to state them to you, would make you laugh heartily. Many of them, however, are real, and for which I can in general prescribe something for their relief. We are much better here than we could have been in Tripoli. We meet every day with persons from the country we are going to visit, and from those through which we have to pass. We thus make friends that may be of considerable service to us in our future investigations. We are all living comfortably, in a tolerably good house in the castle; and often in the mornings, about sunrise, take a ride round the town. It is not safe to go out much in the sun; we, therefore, in this respect, follow the example of the natives, and stop within during the heat of the day.”