DESERT JOURNEYS. 321 



" But, sir, if thou holdest a safe-conduct from his high majesty, 

 why dost thou not demand the head of thy slave? It is at thy 

 service, on his orders. I take thy wishes on my eyes and on my 

 head. Command and thy servant obeys. Thou knowest the 

 government prices. Allah protect thee; in the morning I shall send 

 thee men, beasts, and water-skins." 



If any one imagines that all the preparations for the desert 

 journey were thus brought to a satisfactory conclusion, he is indeed 

 totally ignorant of the manners and customs of the people. In the 

 morning none of the promised drivers or beasts had put in their 

 appearance; only by afternoon did they begin to come in; not even 

 on the following morning, but at soonest about the time of after- 

 noon prayer, could one think of starting. " Bukra inshallah — 

 to-morrow, if God will" — is their motto, and it baffles all com- 

 mands. Indeed, there is much to do, much to arrange, and much 

 to be planned before the journey can be undertaken. 



In course of time the tent is the centre of a gay and lively pic- 

 ture. The sunburnt children of the desert bustle about among the- 

 baggage. Their activity is unbusiness-like to a degree, but they 

 seem to try to make up for this by incredible noisiness. Th& 

 baggage, which had been arranged in a sort of barricade, is scattered 

 about; individual pieces are lifted and tested as regards both, 

 weight and bulk; one package is compared with another, selected 

 and then rejected, strapped together and then pulled apart again. 

 Each driver tries to outwit his neighbour, each endeavouring to- 

 secure the lightest load for his own beast; each one rushes about 

 in opposition to the rest, and all are shouting and roaring, scream- 

 ing and scolding, swearing and cursing, entreating and execrating. 

 In anticipation of what is coming the camels also add to the noise 

 right lustily, and if, instead of roaring, and growling and grumbling, 

 they should keep silence for a while, that only means: Our time 

 has not yet come, but it is coming! Anyhow, with or without the 

 camels' accompaniment, the stranger's ear is harassed, literally 

 tortured, by all the medley of sounds which fall upon it at once. 

 For hours together the bustle, the racket, the uproar continues; 

 the men scold and quarrel over the loads until they have had 



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