1 20 A CURIOUS DENOUEMENT. 



them ; in the foreground, the soldier, motionless 

 and confounded ; the two Egyptians, stupidly 

 gazing at each other ; myself in the background, 

 biting my nails, with looks of anger and indigna- 

 tion ; and lastly, the draughtsman, .weeping aloud, 

 and answering me with sobs, when I asked him if 

 he had met with any ill usage, ' No, sir ; but what 

 can we now get to eat ?'" The denouement of this 

 affair was exceedingly curious. In compliance 

 with the spirited remonstrances of his conductor, 

 Hossein, Sonnini was released and his property 

 restored to him the Bedouin chief demanding a 

 certificate to the effect that the stranger who had 

 fallen into his hands had been honourably treated, 

 and was satisfied with his conduct ! By way of 

 conclusion, they ate* together a meal of bread and 

 lentils ; and after the repast, the Arab robbers ap- 

 proached the man they had so recently stripped 

 and plundered, " with a degree of interest and cor- 

 diality, blaming the temerity which had induced 

 him to attempt a journey through the wilderness, 

 which was acknowledged to be the resort only of 

 thieves and banditti." 



As everybody knows, the Turks are great cat- 

 fanciers ; and in Egypt a cat is even allowed in a 

 mosque. These animals are in all the houses of 

 the inhabitants, and are indulged and caressed by 

 Ilie effeminate and indolent of the upper classes. 



