telescope. An old _hadji_, after he had been helped to fix the glass on
the moon, uttering an exclamation of wonder, walked off as fast as he
could, repeating words from the Koran.

Few adventures were met with; but one whole day the travellers were
annoyed by a strong east wind, and the next day the wind and drifting
sand were so violent that they were compelled to keep their tents. They
had to sit in their shirts, as the sand could thus be shaken off as soon
as it made a lodgment, which with any other articles of dress could not
be done. Denham found the greatest relief by rubbing the neck and
shoulders with oil, and being shampooed by his servant, Barca's wife,
who, when a slave in the palace of the pacha, had learned the art.

The Tibboos, a tribe who had for some time accompanied them, went off to
obtain some sheep, an ox, honey, milk and fat. On their return the milk
turned out sour camels' milk, full of sand, and the fat very rancid,
while a single lean sheep was purchased for two dollars.

Some of their horses were very handsome and extremely fat, which arose
from being fed entirely on camels' milk, corn being too scarce for the
Tibboos to spare them.

The girls of this tribe were pretty, but the men extremely ugly.

Their Arabs, who were sent as an escort to oppose banditti, after a time
became dissatisfied at having nothing to do, and were evidently
contemplating inroads on the inhabitants.

Denham, with Boo-Khaloum and a dozen horsemen, each having a footman
behind him, started off towards a spot where some Tibboo tents had been
seen. On their arrival they found that the shepherds had moved off,
knowing well how they should be treated by the white people, as they
called the Arabs. Their caution was made the excuse for plundering
them. "What! not stay to sell their sheep? the rogues!" exclaimed the
Arabs.

After a time they came in sight of two hundred head of cattle and about
twenty persons--men, women and children--with camels, moving off. The
Arabs, slipping from behind their leaders, with a shout, rushed down the
hill, part running towards the cattle to prevent their escape. The
unfortunate people were rapidly plundered, the camels were brought to
the ground and the whole of their loads rifled. The poor women and
girls lifted up their hands, stripped as they were to the skin, but
Denham felt that he could do nothing for them beyond saving their lives.

When Boo-Khaloum came up, however,