SUSPICIOUS CAUTION. 303 



request, Himyah had given it to him, for me. This 

 was brought to me at night, to avoid observation ; 

 and, although, I thought it to be in this case, quite 

 unnecessary, the same caution was exhibited, as on 

 all other occasions of sale, or of making presents. 

 So as not to excite the cupidity of the Bedouins, 

 nothing like the delivery of any property occurs 

 during the day. Among these wily and suspicious 

 people, every thing of that kind changes hands, 

 under the convenient cover of the darkness of night. 



May 1st. — At sunrise, we were up and off ; and 

 if I complained, yesterday, of the short march, 

 to-day, had I not felt more pleased, than other- 

 wise, with the progress we made, I might with 

 equal reason, have objected to the length of our 

 journey, being eight hours travelling, and all the 

 way on foot. The road was very good, with but 

 few inequalities of surface, as we continued 

 following the dry watercourse of Alee-bakalee, 

 which appeared to contract as Ave advanced. 



The appearance of the country that we passed 

 through was, as might be expected, very uniform, 

 the whole way; a beautiful long valley, extending in 

 a general direction, from the south-west towards 

 the north-east. A rich alluvial soil was thinly 

 strewn with a few dark coloured fragments of the 

 lava ridges which formed the boundaries towards 

 the east and west. Grass was very plentiful ; and 

 the trees so thick, as in some parts, to assume the 

 appearance of a wood. Enormous ant-hills 



