98 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



kind and liberal to him. During his wanderings in. 

 Arabia, he had passed some time with one of the tribes, 

 had formed a friendship with the chief, and, by a stretch 

 of romantic or rather erratic fancy, had gone through all the 

 ceremonies of naturalization as an Arab, and been installed 

 a member of the tribe. 



Since that period he had quitted Mr. Banks, passed over 

 to Bombay, and there taken up the editorship of a news- 

 paper then beginning to be rather remarkable for its liberal 

 politics ; in fact, I had myself entered into a short correspon- 

 dence with him, relative to one or two little jeu $ esprit 

 that I had sent from Jaulnah for insertion in his paper, and 

 which accounted for his knowledge and information concern- 

 ing that station. What his Arab name was I forget, but his 

 business one was Smith 1 



Although I have ventured to relate this anecdote of a 

 pseudo Arab, I have still heard some remarkable stories of 

 the original article, and at the risk of repeating a twice-told 

 tale, shall trespass upon my reader's patience and credulity 

 with the following, the truth of which I can only say is 

 derived from the most authentic sources. 



At the period when the troops at Bombay were about to 

 embark for the disastrous campaign in Affghanistan, arid all 

 the subsequent horrors of the retreat from Cabul, a party of 

 officers were assembled one night on an eminence near the 

 fort, chatting together relative to the coming war, and 

 watching the stars in a remarkably clear firmament ; an Arab 

 of dignified and commanding appearance joined the group, 

 and in the course of conversation, pointing with his finger to 

 a particular part of the heavens, asked each officer in succes- 

 sion if he could discern a small star, the exact locality of 

 which he explained from its implied juxtaposition to others 

 which were clearly visible. One or two affirmed that they 

 distinguished it; the greater part of them confessed they 



