236 NEW ORDER OF KNIGHTHOOD. 



Birmingham ideas of what constituted elegance. 

 When I pointed out the defect, and suggested the 

 improvement, it was surprising to observe the 

 numbers who applied for the decoration. The 

 order of the button, in fact, became quite the rage, 

 and it was not until it had become very general 

 indeed, that I lost the popularity which its first 

 establishment had occasioned. Like knighthood, to 

 have been respected, it ought to have been kept 

 select, and the braves alone should have been thus 

 rewarded ; but when, moved by selfish considera- 

 tions, I bestowed it upon Zaido, whose cowardice was 

 the laugh of the whole Kafilah, I found the moral of 

 my influence gone, and the previously much-prized 

 button became valued only as an article of com- 

 merce. But the mean in spirit have no idea of 

 personal distinction, as I confessed to myself when 

 I heard, that Zaido had sold honour's bright badge, 

 for a small bag of tobacco. 



The halting-place was called Dulhull, although 

 I found afterwards that this, properly speaking, was 

 the name of the ridge to the north, which alone 

 separated us from the Lake Abhibhad. From one 

 informant I received the name Mokoito as that of 

 the plain, and the ridge under which our encamp- 

 ment lay was still called Mahree. 



Ohmed Medina had so much to tell the chief 

 people of the Kafilah, about the business which 

 had taken him to Owssa, that I did not have much 

 of his conversation during the day, or any oppor- 



