[Sidenote: Sunday, October 13th.] My Kél-owí companions regaled me with a string of dates from Fáshi, the westernmost oasis of the Tébu or, as the Tawárek call them, Berauni. But instead of indulging myself in this luxury, I laid it carefully aside as a treat for my visitors, to whom I had (so small were my means at present) neither coffee nor sugar to offer. I then accompanied my friends once more to the Alkáli; but the litigation which was going on being tedious, I left them, and returned quite alone through the town, sitting down a moment with the Tawatíye, who generally met at the house of the Emgédesi Ídder, a sort of Tawáti agent, and an intelligent man. When I returned to our house I found there a very interesting young man of the tribe of the Íghdalén, with a round face, very regular and agreeable features, fine lively black eyes, and an olive complexion only a few shades darker than that of an Italian peasant. His hair was black, and about four inches long, standing upright, but cut away all round the ears, which gave it a still more bristling appearance. I hoped to see him again, but lost sight of him entirely. The Arabs call these people Arab-Tawárek, indicating that they are a mixed race between the Arab and Berber nation, and their complexion agrees well with this designation; but it is remarkable that they speak a Sónghay dialect. They possess scarcely anything except camels, and are regarded as a kind of Merábetín. I afterwards went to call upon our old friend Ánnur Karamí from Aghwau, who had come to Ágades a day or two before us, and had accompanied me also on my visit to the sultan. He lived, together with my amiable young friend the Tinýlkum Slimán, in the upper story, or soro, of a house, and, when I called, was very busy selling fine Egyptian sheep-leather called kurna (which is in great request here, particularly that of a green colour) to a number of lively females, who are the chief artisans in leatherwork. Some of them were of tolerably good appearance, with light complexion and regular Arab features. When the women were gone, Ánnur treated me with fura or ghussub-water; and young Slimán, who felt some little remorse for not having been able to withstand the charms of the Emgédesíye coquettes, told me that he was about to marry a Ma- Ásbenchi[149] girl, and that the wedding would be celebrated in a few days. As to the fura, people who eat or rather drink it, together, squat down round the bowl, where a large spoon, the “lúdde,” sometimes very neatly worked, goes round, everybody taking a spoonful and passing the spoon to his neighbour. Subjoined is a drawing of this drinking-spoon as well as of the common spoon, both of ordinary workmanship. [Illustration]