THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 179 



diately, Charlotte; and, upon our arrival, we perceived the 

 Turks were parading round the tents in arms, and foon 

 after our Howadat Arab came to us, and with him a mef- 

 fenger from Sidi Haifan, defiring me to come inftantly to 

 his tent, while my fervants advifed me firft to hear what 

 they had to fay to me in mine. 



I soon, therefore, perceived that all was not well, and I 

 returned my compliments to Harlan, adding, that, if he had 

 any thing to fay to me fo late, he would do well to come, or 

 fend, as it was pail my hour of vifiting in the defert, efpe- 

 cially as I had not eat, and was tired with having the charge 

 of the water. I gave orders to my fervants to put out all 

 the extraordinary lights, as that feemed to be a mark of 

 fear ; but forbade any one to fleep, excepting thofe who 

 had the charge of our beails, and had been fetching the 

 water. 



1 found that, while our people had been aflecp, two per- 

 sons had got into the tent and attempted to fteal one of the 

 portmanteaus ; but, as they were chained together, and the 

 tent-pole in the middle, the noife had awakened my fer- 

 vants, who had feized one of the men ; and that the Turks 

 had intended inftantly to have difpatchcd him with their 

 knives, and with great difficulty had been prevented by my 

 fervants, according to my conftant orders, for I wifhed to 

 avoid all extremities, upon iuch occafions, when poffible. 

 They had indeed leave to deal with their flicks as freely 

 as their prudence fuggefted to them ; and they had gone, 

 in this cafe, fully beyond the ordinary limits of difcrcthit, 

 efpecially Abdel Gin, who was the firft to feize the robber. 

 In fhort, they had dealt fo liberally with their flicks, that 



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