ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE TIYAHAH.

273

discussion, they agreed to divide equally the whole fare, which was 220 piastres for each camel between Mount Sinai and Dhahariyah. When they intimated their decision to us, and we saw them perfectly calm and peaceful, we came forward with a new proposal, which Mr. Smith and I had had in reserve from the beginning of the evening, but which we determined not to state till we had the full consent of our valued friends, Messrs. Sherlock, Parke, and Allan, from England. It was to the effect that the Tawarahs should be allowed to proceed with the English travellers unmolested, and that the Tiyáhah should conduct the Bombay travellers first to Petra, and then to Dhahariyah. Such an arrangement was mutually advantageous, we thought, to all the parties concerned. Our English friends could advance on the morrow without the inconvenience of changing their camels and incurring delay in procuring new ones, and without any farther apprehension of impediment from the Tiyáhah. We could at once go east to Petra, with a saving to us of five days' travel and considerable expense, and with the sight of a great portion of the desert entirely new to Europeans. The Tawarah, to a certain extent, would have still further employment before them. And the Tiyáhah, while sacrificing the fee of half the number of camels needed for our transit, could get the same amount by doubling the distance that they were to act as our guides. The only drawback was our suspicion of the character of the Tiyáhah, and the apprehensions which we had about the treatment which we might experience at their hands, arising from the violence which they had shown during the whole night. A bargain was closed according to the terms of our proposal Mr. Smith and I agreed to give the Tiyáhah 220 piastres for each camel for the whole distance between the place of our encampment and Petra, and between Petra and Hebron,

VOL. L.

S

exclusive of a dress to each of the sheikhs, valued at 250 piastres, or two pounds ten shillings sterling.

Friday, 3d March.-After the squabbles and excitement of last night, and the continued noise of the Tiyáhah till morning, we had but little rest or refreshment. The blaze of the sun through our tents, however, and the anticipated duties of the day, forced us from our couches before seven o'clock. After breakfast we made a division of our stores and our cooking utensils with our English friends, and assisted them in making ready for their departure. They kindly agreed to take charge of my Jewish friend Mordecai, till they might reach Hebron; and I committed to his care two or three camel loads of books which I had brought for distribution in Syria, and other luggage which I did not require on the journey to Petra. We then made a settlement with such of our Tawarah Arabs as were to obtain their leave, giving our sheikh five sovereigns for his faithful guardianship of us from Cairo, and about a pound's worth of clothing in addition, and each of our own personal cameldrivers a present of no great value. They all expressed their satisfaction with the treatment which they had received at our hands; and none of us had the least fault to find with the manner in which they had fulfilled their duties. The European traveller, I have no hesitation in saying, is perfectly safe in the hands of the Tor Arabs. He must not injudiciously attempt, however, to carry them beyond the limits of their own country and acknowledged influence. Sheikh Mateir of the Aleikát tribe, I can confidently recommend to my countrymen, from the experience which we had of him, as an intelligent, active, communicative, and faithful guide, and one who is able by firmness and kindness, to maintain his authority in his own camp, a matter—as we were afterwards taught by experience of no small consequence.

DIVISION OF OUR PARTY.

275

Our English friends bade us adieu a little after mid-day. We felt much in parting with them, as by their brotherly feeling, intelligent observation, lively and animated conversation, and commendable enterprise, they had contributed much to the interest of our journey. Long shall Mr. Smith and myself remember the agreeable and profitable fellowship which we had with them among the wonders of Egypt and the sanctities of Sinai. On their departure, our party besides Mr. Smith and myself, consisted of one European, engaged as our artist, Dhanjibháí, the young Pársí convert from India, and two servants. We were obliged to rest for the day at el-Búrak, as our new guides were in search of camels for the work before them, most of those which they had collected last night having been dismissed, from their alleged incapacity for a long journey. We made some little excursions in the neighbourhood of our tents. We were surprised to see one or two small fields of sandy soil in the valley laid out and enclosed for culture, and to learn that a small quantity of barley and some vegetables are raised upon them. them. We saw in them numbers of the large red-legged partridge (francolinus vulgaris.) Near the pools we observed one or two sandpipers; and a brace of aquatic birds, apparently ducks, flew over our heads.

Saturday, 4th March.-We were put to much trouble this morning in the assortment of the loads of our new animals, which, for the evident object of extorting money from us, but under the pretence of sparing their breeding camels, the Tiyáhah insisted should be light to absolute mockery. We were compelled to accept of twenty beasts, even though, including those which we required for the conveyance of our own persons, we had not proper burdens for more than a dozen. Most of the brutes which were given to us were quite unbroken; and it was no easy matter to drive them from their accustomed pasturages. That which was selected in the first instance as my dromedary was quite furious, and

COMMENCEMENT OF JOURNEY WITH THE TIYAHAH. 277

for some time far beyond the management of one of our leaders, who gave me his own animal in its place. A third sheikh was introduced to our notice; and we were obliged to promise to remunerate his dignity, as we had covenanted to do in the case of those who were present at the making of our bargain. We were obliged, contrary to all precedent, to advance nearly the whole sum promised for the journey, and thus to put ourselves entirely at the mercy of those whose fidelity and serviceableness had yet to be tested. When we began to get under weigh, a young Arab from another tribe, said to be a murderer, robber, and outlaw, to whom the Tiyahah had given shelter, came to pay us his respects; and on our declining to give him any present, the Tiyáhah gave him a couple of dollars, along with his dismission. It was half-past nine in the morning before we got fairly in motion. Our course lay almost directly east. At twelve o'clock Jebel Ḥarím, the Jehrimm of Dr. Robinson's map, was opposite to us on the north or our left hand, apparently about two miles distant. It stretches to a good extent east and west; for we were two hours before we cleared it in the line of our meridian. To our surprise, Jebel Ḥelál, apparently some fifteen or sixteen miles distant from us, appeared to the north a few minutes after we had passed Jebel Ḥarím. In the maps it is laid to the west of the hill last mentioned. A low chalk or limestone range, running to the east, named Tarf el-Mahashem, intervened between us and Helal. The Rás el-Bahah, or the "Headland of Beauty," a corresponding range, ran in the same direction a little to the south. We pitched in Wádí el-Maheshem, hitherto set down Meshehem, at sunset. The ground over which we passed in the course of the day was nearly level; and the branch Wádís, which we saw, but which we were unable to trace, are merely slight depressions in the sands.

Sabbath, 5th March.-The want of water,-our Badawín,