100 THE BURSANE BEDOUINS 



when Ohmed Mahomed came and awakened me, 

 to ask me to load my guns and pistols, as the 

 Bedouins were collecting on the opposite height to 

 oppose our farther progress. I always kept my 

 carbine, and three waist-pistols in readiness for 

 such anticipated occasions, but on this intimation I 

 soon charged, in addition, a fowling-piece I had 

 with me, and also produced two other holster pistols 

 from my saddle-bags. 



It was now nearly three o'clock, and a slight 

 sea-breeze blowing over the land, cooled the air, 

 whilst groups of our merchants and camel-drivers 

 were performing their afternoon prayers. A valley 

 at least three miles broad stretched from north to 

 south as far as the eye could reach. From our low 

 position, we could not see anything above the level 

 line of the flat top parallel banks which, not sixty 

 feet high, sloped gently into the plain below. The 

 banks were of rough loose stones of a very 

 large size, but the plain consisted of rich allu- 

 vial soil, which supported by its produce the flocks 

 of one of the largest tribes in the neighbourhood of 

 Tajourah, the Bursane Bedouins, and the fighting- 

 men of whom had now gathered for the purpose, as 

 they avowed, of plundering the Kafilah, and destroy- 

 ing the white man who accompanied it. 



As the prayers went on amongst our people, the 

 loud whooping of the collecting tribe was answered 

 by my Hy Soumaulee escort, who stood upon the 

 slope on our right, and facing that upon which 



