THE CARAVAN. 145 



may spend a few weeks in the Desert with 

 as little of real privation or discomfort of any 

 sort, as in ordinary travelling in America or Eu- 

 rope. In general, the Desert furnishes no supplies, 

 except now and then a sheep at an exorbitant 

 price, or, if you are a sportsman, occasionally a 

 gazelle, a mountain goat, (beden,) a hare, or a 

 partridge ; but at Suez, Mount Sinai, Akaba, and 

 the Oases, you find bread, coffee, eggs, Arab 

 cheese, and sometimes vegetables. The necessity 

 of taking along with you these stores, as well as 

 your camp equipage and cooking utensils, and a 

 supply of water for several days' journey, obliges 

 you to engage a great many camels, and you will 

 be fortunate if you are not made to pay for a 

 considerably larger number than are really needed 

 for the purpose. The loads are seldom weighed, 

 and the superior knowledge of the Arab as to 

 the burden his camel really ought to carry gives 

 him an advantage over the traveller, which it is 

 pretty difficult to resist. 



" Your luggage and stores being at last packed 

 in trunks, canteen-boxes, sacks, and palm-leaf 

 crates, or cafasses, and with much vehement al- 

 tercation, shrill shouting, and passionate gesticu- 

 lation of the Bedouins, infinite growling of their 

 blatant beasts, and alternate coaxing and scold- 

 ing of your dragoman, fairly loaded and secured 

 with ropes and netting, you must look to your 



