Wars in the Interior--Anticipated Disputes--Mr. Boro of Aghadez--Our Treatment at Mourzuk--Mustapha Bey--Start for Ghât--Row with the Escort--Fine Weather--Leave Tesaoua--Sharaba--Travelling in the Heat--Hateetah and the Germans--The Camels--Snakes--Journey continued--Nature of the Country--Complete Desert--Rain--Overtake the Caravan--Interview with Boro--Pool of Ailouah--The Tanelkums--Halt--Birds--Bir Engleez--Wind in the Desert--Begging Escort--Brilliant Heavens--News from Ghât--The Pilgrims again--Bas-relief of Talazaghe--Moved over the Desert--Mountains--Extraordinary Pass--Central Table-land of Fezzan. Hateetah has brought stirring intelligence: the Sultan of Bornou is at war with his brother. Ten thousand Tuaricks of Aheer have gone against the Walad Suleiman; and, taking advantage of the opportunity, the Tuaricks of Timbuctoo are marching from the other direction to fall upon their brethren of Aheer. Quarrels of kites and crows!--Yes, to those at a distance; but it is too much to hope that our caravan will prove a lark's nest in some Saharan battle-field. We must pray that a general peace shall be proclaimed in Central Africa during our march across the desert. However, we must not be frightened by rumours, and, indeed, are not. We pass from discussion of this warlike intelligence to bargain with Hateetah, who, as I have hinted, seems inclined to play the Jew, or rather--to speak in character--the Tibboo with us. It will cost a large sum to pass through Ghât, and obtain an escort to Aheer. As a consolation, we learn that we are to be persecuted by Boro Sakontaroua, sheikh of Aghadez, who is displeased that he has received no presents from us. It would appear that the letters of Hassan Pasha rather compromised us to employ him as our escort; but I am not responsible for this, having never deviated from the original plan of procuring an escort from Ghât. Indeed, I wrote to that effect immediately on my arrival in Tripoli; and it would not do, after keeping my friends in the oasis in a turmoil all this while, to disappoint them. The desert has its etiquette as well as the drawing-room, and infringements might be rather more dangerous here. The new acting Pasha has made the Tuaricks a present of some burnouses. This, whilst lessening perhaps the comparative value of what we have given, at any rate lays the chief under some obligations to the Turks, and assists in making up a good round sum in payment for the trouble of coming all the way from Ghât to Mourzuk to escort us. By the way, Mr. Boro of Aghadez has been fetched back from his encampment at Tesaoua by a man on horseback. The business was of some consequence, according to the notions of these people. He had sold a female slave, and the poor woman was now found to be _enceinte_ by Boro's son, with whom she had been living as concubine. The law soon despatched the affair, and compelled the Sheikh to restore the purchase-money and take back his slave.