74 THE JOURNEY. 



mentioned by Salt, a graceful little thing, scarcely 

 twelve inches high, of a greyish fawn-colour, with 

 beautifully formed head and large prominent black 

 eyes. My double-barrelled carabine being loaded 

 with ball, I would not shoot at them, fearing that I 

 might miss, and I could not well afford to lose my 

 character as a marksman among the people I was 

 now living with, who consider every white man to 

 be naturally a good shot. 



Prayers being over, we again started, and soon 

 passed a small native village of about eight houses, 

 called Ambabboo, where we met some Bedouins 

 with two or three camels who had come with the 

 intention of joining our Kafilah. A little girl here 

 brought me some milk in one of their curiously 

 constructed baskets, and her brother, dragging 

 along a young kid, wanted me to accept it. Cassim, 

 who suspected the real meaning of all this gene- 

 rosity, objected to the kid on the plea of incon- 

 venience. I, however, made them both happy by 

 giving them a few beads and a couple of needles. 



Leaving the coast, we entered a wood of low 

 mimosa trees, the thorny boughs of which I was 

 obliged to be continually throwing from before my 

 face. We soon came to a fordable part of a small 

 creek communicating with the sea, and which I 

 then found had caused the detour. . The water 

 where we passed was about two feet deep, and 

 after crossing we reached the sea-shore again in a 

 short time, and travelled along the sands until 



