from those arriving under Alaween escort from Nukh'l or 'Akabah; and this
agreement I ratified orally, as writing or sealing would have been
altogether out of place there. One might think that so simple a matter
could have been finished in five minutes; but just as in European
business of that nature, it is always necessary for the contracting
parties to be allowed scope for the display of their professional
talents.

_April_ 7_th_.--Sunrise, Fahrenheit 65.75 degrees. An inundation of
strange Arabs from the desert had arrived during the night, and it was
computed that there were not less than two hundred guns round our tents,
while our party had not more than five, with a few pistols. We were
hemmed in by the newcomers, and the crags over us were occupied by men
with guns laid in position between crevices. Some men were scattered
about, shooting at birds; but it seemed to me their real object was
rather the making of signals.

These people were 'Ali Rasheed's branch of the Alaween, from a district
not so distant as 'Akabah. Our Jehaleen party looked very insignificant
among them; they had evidently not expected this turn of events.

As soon as we Europeans showed ourselves after breakfast, the Fellahheen
rushed forward to serve as guides in exhibiting the curiosities. Feeling
rather lame, I decided on remaining at the tents with my two kawwases as
sentinels; the more disposed to do so, as the strangers had, during the
night, purloined some articles from the Jehaleen.

It was a warm, misty morning, and in the absence of my companion I found
considerable amusement in the screams of multitudes of wild birds, high
aloft "among the holes of the rocks, and the tops of the rugged
rocks,"--probably all of them birds of prey,--which echoed and
reverberated with sounds closely resembling the laughter and shouts of
children in their vociferous games. On their return, the Fellahheen were
rapacious in demands for remuneration of their services, but were at
length contented. This was the signal for the others to take their
advantage. They wanted toll to be paid for crossing part of the desert
on which they thought the Jehaleen had no right or precedent for bringing
strangers. So, on our preparing to leave the ground, they rushed up the
bank, secured commanding points for their guns, and thus exacted their
fee. The screams and hubbub were at length terminated by some small
backsheesh, (to our surprise, how little was r