RETURN TO CAMP. 185 



with rice, &c, in my cooking pot. As I thus got 

 as much as I wanted in return for my shot, whilst 

 the other birds went to my Islam attendants, the 

 division was hailed with universal approbation, 

 and was followed by a general consent to return to 

 camp, bearing our game in triumph slung upon a 

 spear, and carried on the shoulders of two men. 

 This was the best course that could be adopted, for 

 what with the report of the guns, and the noisy 

 talking crowd of Bedouins who had now collected, 

 there was not much likelihood that we should have 

 another chance of adding to our bag, as everything 

 in the shape of an antelope had taken alarm and 

 trotted away to a distance, farther than Ohmed 

 Medina deemed it prudent for us to follow. 



In the afternoon several men of the Debenee 

 tribe came into camp. They were very friendly, 

 and accordingly very troublesome, pestering me for 

 the remainder of the day, for small presents of 

 needles, paper, and buttons. Tobacco was a con- 

 tinual demand of theirs, and the only method I 

 could take to get rid of them was by referring them 

 to Ohmed Mahomed, who undertook, at my request, 

 to divide two large skin-bags of this luxury amongst 

 them. Women also brought milk in large quan- 

 tities, which they offered for the most trifling things. 

 A square bit of paper, scarcely four inches in extent, 

 would purchase at least a gallon of the richest and 

 sweetest milk, and Allee, Zaido, and myself so 

 satisfied ourselves with it, as to be enabled to pre- 



