ARRIVAL AT THE HAMRAN VILLAGE. 63 



of the branches, and looking like little baskets swinging 

 to and fro with the slightest breeze. Our daily pro- 

 gramme has been to depart with the baggage camels, 

 halt for luncheon for an hour or two, keeping Albert to 

 attend to our wants and act as interpreter, and later in 

 the day to catch up with the others, who continue the 

 journey without interruption. We passed them this 

 afternoon, and with one soldier acting as our guide we 

 arrived at the chief Hamran village about 7.30 P.M., and 

 were received by the Sheik and several of his followers, 

 and taken to a piece of ground outside the village to 

 encamp upon, where we found a straw mansion for the 

 use of strangers. Angareps were brought and the custom- 

 ary talk commenced, unaccompanied, however, on this oc- 

 casion by the social pipe, for the Sheik * don't smoke.* 

 He offered to kill a sheep and give us food, but we ex- 

 plained to him that the rest of our party would soon 

 arrive with all we required, and in the meantime accepted 

 an invitation to pay a visit to a dead horse close by, on 

 the chance of a shot at a hyaena. Watching for hyaenas 

 by moonlight when very tired and hungry is not a very 

 pleasant amusement, especially if you are near your 

 bait, so we soon gave it up ; and on our return heard to 

 our dismay that our party had encamped some way 

 from us, not knowing where we were. Our first idea 

 was to rejoin them ; but it had to be given up, for the 

 Sheik said, ' No, you have come here, and are my guests, 



