S04 THE EASTERN HUNTERS. 



brought to them a tray of sweetmeats, almonds, 

 small raisins, and sugar-candy. 



As it would have been discourteous to decline the 

 intended honour, the hunters, though anything but 

 relishing it, intimated the pleasure it would give 

 them. 



They were the more inclined to do the civil thing 

 from the circumstance of its being their intention, 

 after leaving their present place, to hunt in the 

 neighbourhood of some villages which belonged to 

 the chiefs, and whose good- will it was, therefore, 

 desirable to secure. 



As military men serving with their regiments 

 none of them having ever been employed in the 

 civil or political departments our hunters were not 

 very well versed in the formalities and ceremonies 

 attendant on the reception of native gentlemen of 

 position, and which are deemed by the latter of so 

 much importance. Norman had, however, on one 

 occasion visited a friend of his, a resident, or charge 

 d'affaires, at one of the native courts, and had -there 

 acquired some slight insight into the mysteries of 

 the etiquette usual on such an occasion as the 

 present. 



With some assistance from Sheik Hussein he was 

 able therefore to instruct Mackenzie in the duties 

 of his responsible position as senior of the party. 



