MISTAKE OF A NATIVE. 415 



place, I made several messes with it, which were 

 pronounced by all hands to be excellent. All the 

 Hy Soumaulee had tasted it, and knew that the 

 white milky-looking contents of the wooden bowl 

 which was sometimes placed to cool on one side of 

 my hut, was a nice enough pudding. A member 

 of the Sidee Ahbreu tribe, however, not being 

 sufficiently aware of the character of my food, came 

 one afternoon, and seeing, as he supposed, such a 

 capital opportunity of greasing his hair, with what 

 he took to be prepared sheeps'-tails fat, squatted 

 down by the side of the bowl ; and before I could 

 prevent him had filled his hair with the greater 

 part of its contents, having taken two large 

 handfuls from the bowl, and well rubbed it into 

 his long dirty matted locks. No one could help 

 laughing at the mistake, and even Zaido, who had 

 to make a second bowl-full, grinned a revengeful 

 smile, as he saw the disappointed Bedouin, anxiously 

 trying to wipe away with his tobe all traces of a 

 composition, which he was led to believe by his 

 joking companions, would have the effect of 

 reddening the colour of the hair, like the quick- 

 lime dressing, which changes to that hue the hair 

 of the Soumaulee exquisite. 



The third evening of our stay, Ohmed Medina and 

 his two companions returned. He had succeeded 

 in purchasing the ivory, but had left it at Dowaleeka 

 until his return. Himyah, who was standing by, 

 asked me if I knew what ivory was, or had ever seen 



