150 PROFESSOR HULL, LL.D., F.R.S. 
head chief, was away at Damascus, so that we were delivered into the hands 
of four chiefs instead of one, and, consequently, had to make terms with 
that number instead of with the head only, as would otherwise have been 
the case. We were received, of course, with all that affected delight which 
is so becoming on such an occasion. No doubt they had pretty clear visions 
of dollars to come which were exceedingly pleasant, and when we had 
pitched our tents we had a grand conference. The Arab chiefs came to our 
tents, and squatted around, and we sat about and commenced the discussion 
of terms. We stated that we wanted to visit Mount Hor (or, Aaron’s 
Mountain), and also to pass through Petra. They said we might visit 
Petra, but for a Christian (they did not use the phrase “Christian dog ”— 
they were more respectful than that) to desecrate the Mountain of the 
Prophet was a thing that could not be permitted on any terms. I then said 
we must visit Mount Hor as well as Petra, or we should not proceed at all ; 
and upon this the Arabs held a conference, the result of which was that they 
gave up their point as to Mount Hor, and said we might make the ascent. 
It will thus be seen that, after all, the question of desecration did not bear 
so heavily on their consciences that their scruples could not be overcome 
by a certain amount of ‘‘bakhsheesh.” The question of terms lasted the 
whole of the evening and late into the night. It was Saturday, and I 
am sorry to say that on the following day, Sunday, up to about noon, 
we had to keep up that colloquy with the Arabs as to terms, and a most 
annoying business it was. No sooner had one point been settled than 
they started another. I suppose there are no people on the face of the 
earth who are such wonderful adepts at making a bargain as the Arabs. 
At last everything was apparently agreed to—the amount to be paid, and 
the number of camels and horses for our party—and we were writing out 
the terms, while our head conductor, who kept the purse, opened his box, 
and, bringing out the dollars, began to count them out on the floor, when, 
to our astonishment, a new demand was made, the Arabs saying we must 
pay an additional twenty-five per cent., or some such considerable sum, 
which was to go to the head chief, who was then at Damascus. We were 
so disgusted with this that we determined to have nothing more to say to 
them. I gave directions to strike the tents, and put up our baggage, in 
order that we might at once march off, and leave both Petra and Mount 
Hor. I need not say that this was a terrible disappointment to us all; still, 
there is a limit to human endurance, and in our case that limit had been 
reached. Well, we packed up, and struck down the road towards the 
Arabah valley, the Arabs getting up in great dudgeon and riding back 
towards Petra. But they did not go far before they halted, and came back 
after us, until, when we had gone five or six miles towards the Arabah 
valley, they came up with our rear guard. They were evidently repenting 
the loss of all the dollars they had so nearly had within their grasp, and they 
requested to be allowed to speak with Major Kitchener, who understood 
Arabic, and who at once held a conference with them. The result was 
that they came to the terms on which we had originally agreed, and which 
