(see Judges, iv. 19, " a bottle of milk), into which they had run the melted butter, bought with Lady Hester's present. We proved to them before departing that we had not a para in our pockets, thus preventing any temptation to pilfer; all our baggage consisted of a sheep-skin coat, the woolly side in, and the other side coloured red with ochre, and greased to keep out the rain (19). We went five hours, our guides singing nearly the whole time a favourite Arab song. Arriving at a Bedouin camp, we had some scruples about entering a tent, expecting they would have had many objections against receiving us; instead of which, to our surprise, we were welcomed by both men and women; the latter smiling, said, we were Frangi (Franks), and retired to their part of the tent to prepare supper.

January 27. Being regaled with a breakfast, we proceeded at eight and marched till four in the afternoon, stopping at another Arab camp, where we were again well received.

January 28. We started at dawn of day, and met with many dwarf trees, of which the country had hitherto been destitute; it now resembled a heath with a plentiful stock of aromatic shrubs, and occasional hill and dale. We followed no particular road or track, but our general direction appeared to be east. We had this morning

a striking instance of the value the Arab sets on his time, and of his impatience to accomplish a journey when once undertaken. Suddenly one of our party quitting us, hastened on in advance, and was soon out of sight; shortly after, on coming up with him we found he had collected brushwood and made a blazing fire; presently some butter was melted and sweetened with honey. In this we dipped our bread which we had brought; and what with the Arab's voracious mode of eating, and these time-saving measures, our breakfast did not detain us above ten minutes. The same hurry was subsequently shewn on our wanting to drink some water from a small crevice in the rock close to us; we were prohibited and told there was plenty before us; but as the camps were hours in advance to our knowledge, we were not to be controlled, and dismounting, quenched our thirst. The soil was excessively rich, but we saw no water, and all species of cultivation had ceased a few hours from Homs. We could not help laughing at our principal guide, who with a rusty old match-lock and no powder, pretended to be very vigilant in reconnoitring from all the heights for harami (robbers), while we knew that he and his companions were of the most timid nature, and that to their knowledge we were going with the sanction, and under the protection of their own

chiefs, who commanded the whole country. At noon we saw a wild boar, so large that we at first took him for an ass. About four in the afternoon we opened the valley in which Mahannah's camp was pitched. The Arabs were obliged to inquire before they could find out the direction of the camp, and as they had only been absent a few days, some idea may be formed from this circumstance of the difficuly of attacking the tribes in the desert. As we approached, we beheld a very animated and busy scene; the girls were singing, and the children busied in running down the young partridges (20) with dogs, as they were as yet only able to fly a short distance at a time. Presently we heard a hue and cry from all quarters, and soon perceived a large wild boar, with his bristles erect, beset by all the dogs; every body running eagerly to the pursuit. He was found behind one of the tents; they chased him all through the camp, and two Arabs on horseback, with spears, soon joined in the pursuit. The animal, however, kept both men and dogs at bay, and finally got off with only one wound. We now approached the sheikh's tent and found Mahannah with his two sons, Sheikhs Narsah and Hamed, together with about thirty Arab chiefs of various camps seated round an immense fire; Sheikh Narsah was leaning on a camel's saddle,

H

their customary cushion; he did not rise to receive us, although we afterwards observed that he and the whole circle rose whenever a strange sheikh arrived. We attributed this cool reception to the low estimation he held us in, in consequence of the unusually small sum we had paid for visiting Palmyra, and from the plainness of our dress and appearance. All the assembly kept up a most profound silence, while Narsah alone addressed us. Mahannah, his father, was a short, crooked-backed, mean-looking old man, between seventy and eighty years of age, dressed in a common sort of robe; his son, Narsah, to whom he had, in consequence of his age, resigned the reins of government, was a good looking man about thirty years of age, with very dignified and engaging manners. He had the Koran open in his hand when we arrived, as we suppose to give us an idea of his learning. He was well dressed with a red pelisse and an enormous white turban; we observed much whispering going forward between Narsah and every stranger that arrived, evincing a distrust of those near him, and all our guides were separately questioned in the same manner, as we suppose to learn whether we had much money or not; he also asked us why the English wished so much to see Palmyra; and whether we were not going to search for gold? We told him

he should have half of any we might find there. It appeared they had only arrived the day before, as they are constantly shifting their quarters, in order to provide food for their numerous camels, sheep, and goats; the scarcity of water and dryness of the pasturage prevents them from having cows and oxen. As the evening advanced, the Arab guests increased to the number of fifty, all giving way as new faces arrived; their mode of saluting their chiefs is by kissing either cheek alternately (1), and not the hand as in Nubia. Narsah questioned us about Buonaparte and the occupation of France by the allied troops; I suspect his knowledge of these matters proceeded from his correspondence with Lady Hester Stanhope. Inquiring after Sheikh Hamedy, a handsome young man apparently between twenty and twenty-five years of age, with evident confusion in his countenance, acknowledged himself as the person; at the same time remarking that we had probably heard a bad account of him, but that the reports to his prejudice were not correct; this man confined Mr. Bankes a day, and obliged him to pay two hundred piastres exclusive of the one thousand two hundred he paid to Narsah for visiting Palmyra. Some of the partridges which the children had caught, were now brought in; they roasted them on the fire, and part was given