THEIR EXTEMPORE SONGS. 215 



in search of the mule belonging to the former, 

 which had strayed during the night. The western 

 portion of the plain of Arabderah is much less 

 stony than the eastern, and the ground was covered 

 with little shallow depressions of dried clay, the 

 residium of evaporated water. The country of 

 Owssa is visible from that point, where we leave the 

 elevated plateau, and descend into the valley-plain 

 to the south. The prolongation of the height of 

 Arabderah towards the north-west is called Dul- 

 hull, and forms the southern border of the Abhibhad 

 Lake. 



This morning I rode upon my mule, as my boots 

 were getting much the worse, for walking over the 

 rough and stony road we had travelled along. Lohitu 

 was very reserved, walking nearly all the way by 

 my side without speaking a word, except in answer 

 to me, when I sought to know the names of different 

 places we passed. However, on the other side of 

 me there was plenty of noise, for the Bedouins who 

 accompanied us were walking in two lines of five 

 or six in a row, and amusing themselves with sing- 

 ing alternately extempore stanzas, in which my 

 name, " Ahkeem," and that of Lohitu very fre- 

 quently occurred. One or two of them occasionally, 

 broke out of the line to touch my knee with the 

 butt-end of their spears, when they wished me to 

 listen, more particularly to something or other that 

 related to myself, and that I might be aware that 

 what they were saying was a compliment. Simple- 



