On the 11th, I saw an ox killed: the four feet were first tied by slaves, who knocked the beast down, and thrust a stake through the skin of his throat to prevent him from moving his head; a marabout stuck him, and the slaves took off the skin. The flesh was cut into thin slices and hung upon cross-bars, fastened to poles, to dry. A fence of briars was formed round it to keep off the dogs, and it was covered with mats to preserve it from being spoiled by the sun. A slave slept by it till it was dry, and kept up a small fire at night to counteract the effect of damp. The meat thus dried was put in leather sacks to preserve it. When it is well dried, it will keep a long time, and has no disagreeable taste. The Moors generally eat it without further preparation or cooking. The slaves who flay the ox receive the neck and some bones; the head is given to the haddads, and the other bones are distributed as presents. The Moors never invite their friends, not even their relations, to eat meat; what they have they keep for themselves. Sometimes a number of them join together, each furnishing his ox, which they kill in turn, and eat the flesh in common, as I have before said respecting the young men and the sheep. This is a sort of carnival amongst them, and they give it a name which signifies “a party to eat flesh.” On the 12th of December I went to lake Aleg, it was surrounded by camps of marabouts, for it is the rendezvous of all those who travel on the banks of the river. The environs are broken by little hillocks covered with iron-stone. The _voscia integrifolia_ grows abundantly in the plain; the Moors collect the fruit, which they call _iré_, and eat it cooked with meat. The banks of the lake are covered with _mimosa_, _zizyphus lotus_, and _nauclea africana_. Its breadth does not exceed three miles; it stretches from south to north, and terminates in a north-westerly direction; the circumference may be about twelve leagues. It overflows periodically, like the river, and inundates the contiguous lands for a mile round. These lands are particularly productive, and are cultivated by the Moors when the waters have subsided. The lake is fed by the el-Hadjar, and by an immense number of ravines, which collect water during the rainy season. The season for collecting gum had now arrived, and every body was employed in making preparations; I intimated a wish to accompany those who were going out for that purpose, but I could not get leave. I attribute this refusal to distrust; for the Moors conceive that the Europeans wish to take possession of their country as being the finest in the world. Not being allowed to gratify my wish of observing these operations, I tried at all events to obtain accurate information on the subject.