The valley of Edree is very shallow, and this portion of it is mostly covered with bushes of wild palm and with coarse herbage; it looks green and grateful amidst the surrounding aridity.  There are still remaining many fruit-bearing date-trees—­about seven thousand, scattered at great distances.  The water is good, although the surface of the valley is in parts covered with a whitish crust of salt.  Some large springs are continually overflowing with bubbles of gas, like the great well of Ghadamez.

In the garden-fields of Edree are cultivated wheat and barley, the former white and of the finest quality.  A good deal of grain has already been got in this year.  With industry, and a few more animals to draw the water for irrigation, a great quantity of wheat might be grown in this oasis.  The gardens contain also a few figs and grapes.  Doves were fluttering in the branches of the palms, and swallows darting through their waving foliage.  There were thousands of native flies here, besides those that had come with us.  When we complained, we were answered, “This is a country of dates!”

Shaty has eighteen districts, some very limited, but having date-palms, and paying contributions to Mourzuk.  Edree, itself, is drained of four hundred mahboubs per annum.

27th.—­I rose at sunrise and went to see the ancient dwellings of Edree, where the people lived underground:  they are excavations out of the rock, some fifty yards from the surface beneath the modern town.  The entrances are choked with sand, and they are not entered by the people, who say “They are the abodes of serpents.”  At present, there is nothing remarkable about them.  Probably they were originally natural caves, which were enlarged and arranged as dwellings.

On returning to the encampment, I found that the Kaid, or commander of the troops of the Shaty district, had arrived with some Arab cavaliers:  he has in all thirty horsemen.  Our visitors offered to “play powder” in order to do us honour; but were compelled to beg us to supply the ammunition.  It was a very animating scene, after the dreary journey over the Fezzanee deserts.  A dozen mounted cavaliers dashed to and fro, shaking the earth, scouting and firing from time to time.  Everybody enjoyed it; even the half-naked, dirty, brown-black ladies of the town, stopped with their water-jugs, and looked on with satisfaction.  The Kaid was the best man of his men; but Yusuf afterwards dressed and beat the victor, riding with great dexterity, and attracting the spontaneous applause of all the spectators.  The Kaid trembled whilst contending with Yusuf, who was set down as a marabout in consequence by our chaouch.

I gave the Kaid, who was a mild and respectful man, a handkerchief, a little bit of writing-paper, and some soap, and sent him off to his station, whence he had come on purpose to visit us.  Three handkerchiefs formed also an appropriate present to the Sheikhs of Edree.