I almost fancied I heard him add

Hic pietatis honos?

and if he did it not in words, his dejected look, and expressive gestures, unmistakeably conveyed the question to my mind

"Is it thus you reward our faithful services? And is this the recompence for our integrity ?"

In this ravine we slept for the first time with our loaded revolvers beneath our pillows, and that not from any fear of Abdallah's people, but as a precautionary measure against the possibility of an assault from the vagabonds who conducted us to him. That they bore a bad character was amply confirmed by our host, but on seeing our stand of arms— rifles and double-barreled guns-secured round the centre pole of our tent, he felt persuaded that they would meet with a very warm reception in case they had the imprudence to venture into the vicinity of our premises.

The night was terribly cold, and at six in the morning, although the weather appeared calm and the atmosphere quite serene, we found that our thermometer had fallen to 48°, but what we really regretted was to discover that the barometer had made a backward stride from 26% to 24. What was in store for us remained to be seen.

Although we rose at 5 a.m., it occupied nearly two hours before we were fairly en route. Whilst our men were busily engaged in packing I took these bearings-Thala, for which we were now starting, W. by S.; highest peak of Jebel Shektema, S.W. by S.; K'soor, or Kisr, or Kisser (which Shaw took for the ancient Assurus), W.N.W.; Jebel Sera Wortaan, in the plain of the same name, W.

We crossed the rivulet-the Waad Eshabba-which flows through Medad. On its banks we observed a stratum of petrifactions similar to that of which the columns we noticed at Mokthar are composed. After an hour's ride, we reached

the boundary which divides the territories claimed by the tribe Oulaad Ayaar from those of the Maajer Arabs, whose domains we were now entering. The boundary is the extensive plain Gioof, through which flows a waad of the same name. The southern half of this plain is called Kaf-Errai.

Near the boundary we found a few tents still belonging to the Oulaad Ayaar, and observed one of the men hastening towards us, beckoning as if he had some important communication to make. When within hearing distance he shouted

"Ya faares-0! horseman, where do you come from? where are you going to? and what is the news?"

Instead of satisfying the inquisitive Arab, our hambas were on the point of belabouring him with their sticks for having detained us; but the fellow escaped their resentment, for which he was indebted partly to his own fleetness, but chiefly to the badness of the road, by which our "officials," who were so incensed that the man "wanted to know," were prevented from pursuing him. There is "red tape" in Barbary, as well as barbarism in red tape.

CHAPTER V.

A PRINCELY RECEPTION.

The River Tana-A Natural Flower-Garden-Taxation-Barometrical and Superstitious Indications-The Moslem versus Nazarene Rule-A Watery March-Narrow Escape-Moslem Reformer-A Princely ReceptionDeceitfulness-Thala, Jugurtha's Stronghold—Its Modern Population— Weakness of the Thalian Fair Sex-Prison and Crime.

THE plain Gioof is divided from another by a chain of low hills. It is not very fertile, but it possesses a much richer soil about two feet from the surface, as is evident from the strata seen in the ravines and in the steep banks of the river. But no portion of that soil will ever come in contact with Arab agricultural implements. Through this plain also passes the Waad Serrai besides the Waad Gioof. The former is, however, much nearer Thala, and as there is no other running stream between it and that town, it is not improbable that this is the river mentioned by Sallust, from which Metellus took a supply of water on his expedition against that town. Sir Grenville Temple calls the river Tana; but I cannot find the name, in the Jugurthine War, in connection with any of the campaigns of Metellus. Such a river is mentioned as being about* three days', or rather three nights' march from Capsa, and from that river Marius took his

Leaving the Tana, Sallust says: "Dein tertia, multo ante lucis adventum pervenit in locum tumulosum, ab Capsa non amplius duum millium intervallo."-("On the third night, a good deal before daylight, he arrived at a hilly place, not more than a distance of two miles from Capsa.")-Sall. Bell. Jug. § 90.

supply for his army on his march against that unfortunate city. Shaw is inclined to identify the Tana with “a large brook called Waad el Thainee,"* near Sfax, a maritime town. Sir G. Temple, however, positively denies the existence of such a brook, and adds, "The Tana I afterwards found in a very different and remote part of the country." He then tells us that he imagines the river Tana " to be the present Wady Serrat."

On carefully examining Sallust it will appear that Marius marched upon Capsa from somewhere near Cirta, the modern Constantina, and, therefore, the Tana could not have been where Shaw has laid it down. To have approached the Seraat, or Serrat, according to Sir G. Temple, the Roman consul would not only have considerably deviated from his direct route, but he would have uselessly burdened his troops with loads of water, since, in that line of march, from the Seraat to Capsa, he was within reach of other rivers, numerous brooks, and springs, every few hours in the day. His real route lay vid Tebeste, the modern Tebessa. In the vicinity of this place, or at no great distance from it, we must look for the river Tana. It may have been the modern Waad el ma Elabyad, between which and Capsa there is a barren "waste, uncultivated and destitute of water," just as Sallust describes the country. The distance is from forty to fifty miles; and when we bear in mind that Marius only marched at night, and that over very difficult and unknown ground, he is not likely to have accomplished more in the three nights, which it took him to go from the Tana to Capsa.

But the river from which Metellus took his supply of water was not the Tana. Sallust simply tells us, "Thala and the next river—a distance of forty miles-was a dry and desolate

* Travels, vol. i. p. 212.

+ Excursions, vol. ii. pp. 119, 221.

space."* Now, Metellus marched upon Thala from somewhere near Vacca, the modern Baja; and, therefore, found himself on our present line of route. The Waad Serrai is the nearest from which his army could have obtained their supply, and it also approximates in distance with that mentioned by Sallust. But the Waad Seraat is not only too near to Thala, but it flows in a direction contrary to that indicated by the historian of the Jugurthine war-it flows on the other side of Thala, and hence could it not have been the river "out of which Metellus loaded his beasts of burden?"

This side of the Waad Serrai we came upon the first encampment of the Maajer Arabs, and what we saw of them was not calculated to inspire us with respect either for their bravery or for their courage. The men scampered off in every direction to hide themselves in the ravines, leaving the tents in charge of the women, the children, and the dogs. They may have mistaken us for a recruiting party, tax collectors, or, what is more probable, they may have thought that we intended to invite ourselves to a liberal share of their stores. But all we asked for was a drink of milk, and this the women freely granted. Our hambas manifested a great desire to linger behind; but this we prevented. We understood each other now so well that a single gesture sufficed to convey to them the intimation-you are not to rob these people!

These few tents of Maajer were pitched on a lovely flowerbed, and such a variety of rich hues one seldom meets with in the finest cultivated gardens. The beauty of the spot, the clear sky, the brilliant sunshine, and the rippling stream held out great temptations to bivouac here, and our men, who had fared badly the previous night, as well as our horses, whose repast consisted only of grass, would have gladly seconded such a resolution. The fugitive Maajer might have been coaxed into a compliance with our moderate demands,

* Bell. Jug. § 75.