BEDOUINS. 



403 



Bedouins. able artist. In one place you might have seen, dis- 

 ^~ "" v~ ' puting over the booty, the band of robbers, covered 

 with dust, some of black, others of tawny com- 

 plexions, and their countenances dried up like the 

 sands, which their robberies render still more dismal : 

 in the midst of them my old servant, coolly endea- 

 vouring to recover from them some small portions of 

 our spoil, and occasionally dealing a blow with his 

 fist to attain his object. In the fore-ground, the 

 grenadier, motionless and disconcerted ; the two 

 vptians staring stupidly on each other ; me, at a 

 d' .tance, biting my fingers, with a look of indigna- 



D and chagrin ; and, in the last place, the draughts- 

 man, crying bitterly, and answering me with sobs, 

 when I went up to him, to ask him if he had recei- 

 hurt : ' No, sir, but what shall we get to 

 cat now ?' 



" Tired of being the spectator of a scene in which 

 it was useless for me to take a part, I proceeded to- 

 wards the monastery, hoping to find Hussein, who 

 had repaired thither ; when I heard myself called, and 

 presently felt myself seized by the arm. It was the 

 chief of the robbers, an Arab of the desert of Nubia, 

 for his face was as black as a negro's. He led me 

 back, without saying a word, into the midst of the 

 troop. I imagined that he was desirous of the gar- 

 ments they had left me, or that, on deliberation, he 

 had resolved to take away my life. How great was 

 rr.v surprise, when I found this chief carefully inqui- 



ig what clothes and effects belonged to me ; and, 

 after having acted as my valet-de-chambre a little too 

 roughly in undressing me, now taking upon himself 

 the same office, but with more civility, in assisting 

 me to put on the different parts of my dress ; re- 

 turning me my purse, and restoring my arms ! Other 

 Bedouins performed the same office to my compa- 

 nions, equally astonished at so singular and unexpect- 

 ed an adventure. 



" This was the fruit of Hussein's spirited conduct. 

 While he was near the walls of the convent, to which 

 he had repaired with his fusil slung over his shoulder, 



ne of the Arabs set off to detain him. They had 

 seized his arms ; but Hussein, after a long dispute, 

 succeeded in getting up behind one of the Bedouins, 

 and being conveyed to the place where the whole 

 troop was, " Arabs !" said he, addressing himself to 

 the chiefs, " you have stripped a man confided to 

 my protection, and for whom I have pledged my own 

 head ; a man with whom I have eaten, who has slept 

 under my tent, and who is become my brother. I can 

 never again enter that tent ; I dare not shew my face 

 again in the camp ; I must renounce the pleasure of 

 r more embracing my wife and children. Arabs, 

 take away my life, or restore all that belongs to my 

 brother." This speech, which was accompanied 

 with a look of firmness and a tone of resolution, made 

 some impression on the minds of the Bedouins. Hus- 

 sein had snatched his fusil out of the hands of him 

 who held it, and, while waiting till they had taken 

 their resolution, presented it to the chief commander 

 of the robbers, determined to shoot him in case of a 

 refusal, and thus expose himself to be massacred, ra- 

 ther than consent to our suffering the least injury. 

 Our conductor was well known ; they were aware, 

 that hi3 resolute character would lead him to carry 



his threats into execution ; thus, partly through fear, Bedo uin*, 

 partly through deference, the black chief consented v ~*~ "V ' 

 to restore all that was taken from me ; and this was 

 done with truly admirable fidelity. It is true, every- 

 thing that appeared valuable in the eyes of him who 

 had taken it, required to be particularly claimed ; 

 but when the chief insisted upon it, it was produced ; 

 and this discipline among people, and in a place where 

 we could not have expected to find an instance of it, 

 appeared to me highly astonishing. The chief came 

 to ask me what was missing still ; on my naming an 

 article, he mounted on a little eminence, and cried, 

 " Arabs, such a thing is not restored; let it be 

 brought." If the person who had it was not prompt 

 in his obedience, he added, " Come, Arabs, no de- 

 lay ;" and it was delivered to me immediately. The 

 chief then mentioned an other article that had been 

 stolen, and it was restored to me in the same manner. 



" Two hours were thus spent before the inventory 

 of my effects was gone through. Every thing was 

 restored to me except my money, of which I received 

 only a small part. This, however, was not the fault 

 of the two scheiks. Hussein, in particular, insisted ou 

 my counting in his presence the sequins that had 

 been returned. The Arabs, to whom my purse ap- 

 peared a good prize, and who had shared the chief 

 part of its contents, waited till I had finished count- 

 ing them with some uneasiness, which was quickly 

 removed on my declaring that I had all my money. 

 Thinking myself happy to come off so well, I had 

 voluntarily sacrificed two-thirds of what I possessed, 

 that I might not incur the hatred of the honest rob- 

 bers that surrounded me, and expose myself to their 

 vengeance. These banditti thought it not sufficient 

 to appear just, they would also be polite. The 

 chief brought me his horse, and insisted on my 

 mounting it, to ride the little distance from the 

 place we were to the monastery, while he attended 

 me on foot. Some others of the Arabs paid the same 

 ct to my companions, each of them walking, in 

 like manner, by the side of his horse. When we 

 came near the walls, we saw some baskets of bread, 

 and wooden dishes of lentils, let down by ropes. 

 Seating ourselves on the ground, in a circle, we ate 

 up this provision with people who just before were 

 our enemies. After our repast was finished, some of 

 them came up to me with frankness, and even with a 

 sort of cordiality, thanking heaven that no injury had 

 befallen me ; with a tone of concern for my temerity 

 in travelling through a desert, which, by their own 

 confession, was the resort only of thieves and robbers. 

 Above all, they did not forget to say their prayers 

 with great devotion, after they had rubbed their arms 

 and legs with sand, for want of water, to perform the 

 ablutions prescribed by their law. Mahomet, an 

 Arab himself, was aware of the circumstances to 

 which his followers would frequently find themselves 

 in the desert, and accordingly directed them to make 

 use of sand instead of water. 



" I learned afterwards, that these Arabs had been 

 informed of our journey, and that they had watched 

 our steps from its commencement. They had been 

 under the walls of the monastery ever since three 

 o'clock in the morning, and had acquainted the 

 monks, that they would have a visit from some Franks 

 7 



