I said that nothing could be given until the Sheikhs and the people of Ghat did something for the Queen—­for the presents were the Queen’s presents.  Finally, the day before our departure, a great uproar was made on this subject, and I was obliged to yield the point, and give them burnouses.  These presents had been promised to Hateetah on the road from Mourzuk to Ghat, upon the condition that the Sheikhs and people would agree to the treaty.  They had also been mentioned at Mourzuk; but then, nothing had been said about conditions.  I considered it highly impolitic to allude to the treaty in the hearing of the Turks, who would have thought I was secretly going to enter into an alliance offensive and defensive with the Ghateen against them.  The Tuaricks, however, stood upon the point, that when the burnouses were promised first, there was no talk of an equivalent, and I was obliged to concede.

When I had finished distributing these presents, there was peace for the few hours that we were yet to remain at Ghat.  Haj Ahmed, however, seeing and hearing of all this confusion, became alarmed lest I should repeat it to Mourzuk, and refused to take the presents of tea, coffee, sugar, a white burnouse, and a few large carpet-rugs, which I offered him.  His son, also, refused what I tendered, a fez and a turban, because it was not enough.  Everybody in Ghat who expected a present from us, seemed determined to be satisfied with nothing less than a burnouse.  The Governor wished to appear perfectly disinterested amidst this confusion and these extortionate demands of the Tuaricks.  I was not sorry for the refusals, for really I have ten thousand people to give presents to before I return from the interior.

I do not consider that, after all, Haj Ahmed treated us so well as he might have done.  The first dinner was good; but the others were poor, and some of it I could not eat at all.  He was disappointed at my not bringing him a printed Koran; but I could not, on this occasion, make such a present.

Hateetah, in all these disputes at Ghat, has acted a double part.  Publicly he was our enemy; but privately he pretended to be our greatest friend.  He was imitated in his conduct by the son of Shafou, who seemed to look upon him as his Mentor.  On leaving, Hateetah promised that I should see something wonderful which he would do for me, speaking of the treaty.  I am afraid that not much reliance can be placed on these fine promises.

On the morning fixed for my departure, the Sheikhs and Haj Ahmed, seeing me much grieved, out of health and out of temper, all came forward to try and repair any mischief they might have done me and their own reputation.  They begged me to leave the treaty with them, and promised faithfully in the assembly of all the Sheikhs, in the winter, to do their best to gratify the wishes of the British Government.  They also undertook to write private letters themselves, especially Hateetah.  Haj Ibrahim, to whom I presented