CHAPTER XI 



THE "CITIES" OF KUFARA 



ON January 16 our battles began again. Unfor- 

 tunately Hassanein was ill, but he dragged him- 

 self up for a last effort. Perhaps success had gone 

 to our heads a little, for not content with visiting Taj 

 and Jof, the religious centre and the seat of Government, 

 we had lately made plans for exploring the oasis to its 

 farthest limits. In vain the unfortunate retinue pointed 

 out that it would be another case of Hawawiri. "The 

 Zouias are in the two 'cities,' " they urged. "There is 

 nothing in the villages. You can throw a stone into 

 Buma from these walls, so why tire yourselves further?" 

 We felt that this sudden thought for our comfort had 

 an ulterior motive, so we pursued the subject. "I should 

 like to see the people," I said to Yusuf. "You will see 

 them all in the suq at Jof. Everj^ week they come in to 

 buy and to sell. They are savages, the Zouias who live 

 on the edge of the oasis, and they are poor people with- 

 out interest." "Well, I should like to see the western 

 end of the w^adi." Yusuf looked puzzled. "But you 

 can see everything in Kufara from this mountain," he 

 said with some truth. I was reduced to retorting that 

 I could not see the actual houses of Tolab and Zuruk. 

 Our fat retainer had a distinct sense of humour. "Nor 

 could you see the houses of Hawawiri from our camp!" 

 he reminded. "I want to meet the heads of the Zouias 

 and if I go to all the villages I can talk to them." 

 Yusuf seized upon this happily. "They can come 



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