17th April.—We returned to Sockna. On this day I made an attempt to prove how far it was possible to exercise authority over the Arabs, and Mr. Ritchie not wishing to interfere, left me to act as I thought proper. The case was this: during our journey from Tripoli I had observed a poor slave, of about fifty years of age, belonging to the owner of some of our camels, so fatigued as to be scarcely able to follow us. His frame was quite emaciated, and his feet and legs much swelled. His inhuman master, notwithstanding the deplorable state in which he was, invariably sent him out all night to attend the camels, and he only brought them back to commence another sad day’s journey, during which he was frequently beaten. On arriving at Sockna he was sent on to the desert with the animals, and returned to the town this day in a high fever, and in a most miserable condition. His master, according to custom, beat him severely with a stick, and finding the poor black unable to cry out, actually took stones and beat him on the head with them, another Arab assisting in the cruel task. So much unnecessary barbarity induced me to endeavour to defend the poor sufferer; but my interference was greeted with no very polite expressions, and my endeavouring to prove that the poor black was a human creature as well as his master, exposed me to much laughter and contempt. I pursued my point, however, and immediately went to Mukni’s chief black, swearing by the Sultan’s head, that he should instantly punish the master of the slave. To my great satisfaction he immediately complied, giving the wretch a very severe bastinado, as hard as two men could lay it on. When I returned to our house, the other Arab laughed at and taunted me to such a degree, that I was obliged (to his great astonishment) to give him a good thrashing, not a little apprehensive, I must own, lest some revenge should be taken on me in consequence; but I soon found I had nothing to dread, for these very men never after omitted coming daily to kiss my hand; and, while I was in sight, always caressed the poor slave, who from that time became a kind of pensioner on us. The Arabs of Sockna are of the tribe Riahh رياه. There are also some wanderers from Tripoli and the Syrtis, who frequent these towns on the soofra جوفره, or frontier. They are of the tribes Waled boo Saif اولاد ابو سيف, Waled ben Miriam اولاد بن مريم and Sohhoob سحوب, and change their residence as they find pasture. Their little moveable tents are their only habitations; for even in the neighbourhood of towns they make a small encampment while they remain. All our business being settled, we prepared to leave this place. Mr. Ritchie presented the Sheikh with some powder and cutlery ware, which, as I discovered some time after, was taken away from him by the covetous Sultan for his own use.