1897] Lodged in the Diivan 269 



med Ibn Aruk of Tadmor had given me), also my little store of gold 

 — £29 had been abstracted from my small red bag, which must have 

 been done by the sheykhs themselves, for the silver had been left, and 

 certainly the common plunderers would have left nothing. And so, 

 little by little, matters cleared. The Maown brought water, and him- 

 self washed my cheeks from the blood, and a katib (scribe) having ar- 

 rived, I dictated a statement of the case, though I don't think it was 

 signed by any one. 



" After this, my servants one by one appeared all with tales of the 

 losses, and Suliman and Osman of their bruises — and we were escorted 

 by the Maown to the diwan, which is the general Government House of 

 Siwah. Here we now are, in not uncomfortable quarters upstairs, with 

 several mud-built rooms and a nice roof top. The camels are below 

 in a great yard ; and after all the trouble nothing serious has really hap- 

 pened. Only it is clear our onward journey is stopped. Our money 

 and our arms are gone, and there is a general demoralization among the 

 servants. Salem is thoroughly frightened and has given warning, and 

 the others all declare for an immediate return by Alexandria. So here 

 my expedition ends. The timid Beseys, it turns out, ran away to his 

 friend Mohammed Said at the first news of the approaching army, and 

 came late, on the Maown's summons, to the mejliss, where the Sheykhs 

 set upon him, excusing themselves for the attack by laying it on Beseys' 

 assurance to them that I was this that and the other; and, indeed, I 

 think it has been mainly his fault. It was quite unnecessary for him 

 to talk about my going to Benghazi to anybody but Mohammed Said ; 

 and I am not sure he had not talked also about the road to Jerabub. 

 Still we must be thankful for small mercies, and it has all been in the 

 way of the adventure I was seeking. None of us is hurt, and for the 

 small losses I shall make the Egyptian Government responsible. They 

 should either give up holding Siwah or keep order here. As it is, the 

 Maown, poor man, is powerless. He told me his sorrows to-night. He 

 has been twelve years here, on £7 a month, and has but six men under 

 him for the preservation of the peace, four of whom are disabled by 

 fever, and he himself suffers from it. His second in command is dying 

 of consumption, and spits blood continually. His superior, the Mamur, 

 at £25 a month, has just been recalled, and I think he cannot read or 

 write. His bashkatib, chief secretary, is down with fever, and the 

 second, too, is sick. 



" 1st March. — Things look pleasanter this morning. It is arranged 

 that we are to leave to-morrow with a messenger the Maown is sending 

 to Alexandria with the news of our adventure. We shall take the 

 northern road by Akabah and the sea coast. Last night was a noisy 

 one, of chaunting and processions, as Ramadan is ending. [N.B. The 

 diwan overlooked the great square of the mosque, which was crowded 



