160 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



customed to it that he succeeded to-day in personally 

 testing its merits, and he declares that it was excellent. 

 Possibly, like many other ' good things/ a little was more 

 than enough, for there is no evidence of his having done 

 more than taste it. The country around us having been 

 well hunted over, and therefore much disturbed, we have 

 decided upon leaving it quiet for a time, and, by going 

 southwards some few miles, to strike the Royan ; for 

 though it was dry near its junction with the Settite, 

 Essafi declares that we shall find plenty of water where 

 he intends to bring us. 



Feb. 20. After five hours' ride over a most mono- 

 tonous and thinly-wooded high table-land, we arrived at 

 a thick covert, and shortly descended a steep bank, when 

 we halted in the dry bed of a river, apparently a mountain 

 torrent ; and as there were only two small pools left of 

 such muddy water that the most old-fashioned pea-soup 

 could hardly compare with it, we naturally supposed we 

 had only stopped here for a temporary rest. Our aston- 

 ishment was therefore great when, on the arrival of the 

 baggage party, there was a general halt and unloading 

 of camels, and the information was vouchsafed to us that it 

 was our camping ground. Essafi was summoned, and 

 on being asked what he meant by saying we should find 

 plenty of water, naively replied that he meant plenty of 

 water for animals to drink, and this we could not deny 

 if they liked it nourishing. Our first idea was to return 



