March 31st.—As this was market day, we remained here in order to refresh ourselves, pitching our tents very pleasantly and securely amongst some Olives in the Wadey. Mukni had warned us, on coming here, to avoid encamping on the low ground, as, during the rains, it frequently became entirely flooded, and was therefore very dangerous. He told us of the Wadey being sometimes so completely covered with water, as to hide the highest olive trees from the view; the depth must therefore have been at least thirty feet. Many natives confirmed this account, adding, that men and animals had often been drowned in the night, before they could have time to escape; the torrents from the hill sides which form the Wadey, rushing down with such impetuosity that an hour or two is sufficient to inundate the whole country. We bought a fine sheep in the market, and killed it to feast our guests. A boy who accompanied us from Tripoli came to me, full of the praises of Lilla Fatma, the fat wife of Sheikh Barood, a white woman, who, he said, was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and so fat that she could scarcely walk: “her arm (t’barek Allah, تْبارك اله, God’s blessing on it!) is as big as my body,” continued he, “and she says she should like to see you and Sidi Yussuf.” Such a hint was not to be rejected, and I therefore immediately paid her a visit, the boy acting as my Interpreter. On my entrance she so veiled herself as to exhibit to advantage her arm, with all its gay ornaments; and on my requesting to be favoured with a view of her face, she, with very little reluctance, gratified me. Her chin, the tip of her nose, and the space between her eyebrows, were marked with black lines; she was much rouged; her neck, arms, and legs, were covered with tattooed flowers, open hands, circles, the names of God, and of her numerous male friends. She had a multitude of gold ear-rings and ornaments, set with very bad and counterfeit jewels, and weighing all together, I should think, two or three pounds. Her shirt was of striped silk; and she had a rich purple silk barracan, or mantle, gracefully thrown round her, and fastened at the breast by a gold pin, with ornaments of the same metal suspended from it: all the other articles of finery which she possessed were displayed round the tent, whilst a multitude of poor thin wretches, resembling witches, sat round her in astonishment, never having in their lives seen such a paragon of perfection. Like all other Arabs, they touched whatever pleased them most, one admiring this object, another something near it, so that our poor belle was sometimes poked by a dozen fingers at once; all, however, agreeing on one point, that she was beautifully and excessively fat, and I must say I never before beheld such a monstrous mass of human flesh. One of her legs, of enormous size, was uncovered as high as the calf, and every one pressed it, admiring its solidity, and praising God for blessing them with such a sight. I was received