•i6 BASHAX. 



monials. Tliej extend over thirty 3^ears, and are probably 

 unique. One Englishman writes thus : — ' On no account 

 have anything- to do with the bearer of this ; he is a 

 thorough villain and awful liar.' The other writers are 

 more guarded in their language, but they all give, in effect, 

 the same advice. After amusing ourselves by a thorough 

 inspection of the documents, we returned them with a 

 message, ' that the Sheikh of Suf 's character was already 

 too well known among Englishmen to require to be sup- 

 ported by testimonials ; that for ourselves we were travel- 

 ling under the protection of the Government, as he could 

 see by our being accompanied by a Bashi-Bazouk ; and 

 that if he had a commission from the Pasha to escort us, 

 it was well — otherwise we must decline his services.' On 

 the receipt of this message the Sheikh grew angry and 

 violent, and attempted to force an entrance through the 

 archway of the baths to our tent. This was blocked, except 

 in one place, by stones, and Khasim, who had stationed 

 himself in the gap, put a stop to the Sheikli's proceedings 

 by seizing him by the beard, and waggling his head with 

 one hand while he boxed his ears with the other. After 

 this, Yusuf and his followers rode off, not unnaturally in 

 a huff ; while Elias shouted 'after him, that as he had 

 chosen to come over, we should hold him personally re- 

 sponsible if anything was stolen in the night. 



To avoid any such misfortune, the mules and horses 

 were picketed in a ruined chamber close by. We could 

 not help speculating on the chance of old Yusuf seeking 

 revenge, and congratulated ourselves on the strength of 

 our position, which was protected on all sides by broken 

 masses of wall. The night passed quietly, except for an 

 alarm caused by my jumping out of bed with the idea that I 

 had been hit over the head. When a light was procured, 

 and it was discovered that one of the wooden poles, used 



