cii. xvir.] A Dull March. 



We made a rather Ion 2; dull march to-day, and 

 the sun was very oppressive, so much so that Wilfrid 

 who rode his delul all the morning was constantly 

 dropping off to sleep and almost off the camel. 

 The only amusement was a fox-hunt which Wilfrid 

 and Mohammed enjoyed in the afternoon without 

 me. They had a breakneck gallop over rotten 

 ground for a couple of miles, and came back in 

 triumph with the skin. It is nearly white. We 

 are encamped this evening in a great open plain, the 

 outskirts of the Hamad, having the Bishari hills to 

 the north-west of us, a long ridge, the continuation 

 in fact of the Sinjar, which under different names 

 stretches all the way from M(5sul to Damascus. 



March 27. — Passed another caravan from Da- 

 mascus, fourteen days on the road. They report 

 that a certain truffle hunter of Tudmur, being down 

 in the Hamad, met a party of Sebaa Anazeh some 

 days ago, with two hundred camels they had taken 

 from the Eoala. Jedaan was said to be coming 

 north, having, they assured us, " ruined" his enemies. 

 We are pretty sure, then, to get news of our friends 

 at Tudmur, if not before. These camel men are not 

 by any means so anxious to meet the Anazeh as we 

 are, for they are making their journey now, on the 

 strength of the Bedouins being away south. I 

 suppose we are nearly the first travellers along this 

 road, who have watched for spears on the horizon 

 with any feelings but anxiety. As it is, I think 

 even a ghazu would be Av^elcome to Wilfrid. 



VOL. 11. D 



