60 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



comfortable bedsteads, but they have the great dis- 

 advantage of being easily broken when packed on 

 camels, and Vivian has already had to buy three for 

 personal use. 



Jan. 17. The entertainment last night was varied 

 by a watchman howling the whole time when saying his 

 prayers, we are told ; and by another playing some 

 lugubrious air on a reed. A new system has been 

 adopted with our camels, for they were kept all night 

 within our inclosure, and only allowed to feed after day- 

 light, consequently our departure was delayed till aftcr 

 midday. 



The Sheik brought us some milk as a present, but 

 he would not smoke a pipe we have brought for state 

 occasions 1 , as it is a day of fasting previous to the great 

 Feast of Beiram to-morrow. He asked, however, for some 

 sugar to sweeten water, as a drink for his sick child. 

 Albert and Bob came back from a ramble in the woods in 

 a state of great excitement, declaring that they had seen a 

 snake as thick as two fists and fifteen feet long, and that 

 they were so frightened that they ran away as fast as their 

 legs would carry them. Having now the benefit of the 

 moon to light us on our way we continued our journey 

 till nearly midnight, and then encamped near some Arabs, 

 who our soldiers say belong to a tribe that keeps up se- 

 cretly the slave trade. For some days we have seen that 

 a storm was brewing between our two dragomans, owing 



