570 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
I rxpLAINED myfelf to this purpofe, briefly to the people, 
on which a great cry followed, “ God is great! let them — 
come!” Our arms were perfectly in order, and our old 
Turk Ifmael feemed to move about and direct with the vi- 
gour of a young man. As we had no doubt they would 
be mounted on, camels, fo we placed ourfelves a little with- 
in the edge of the trees. The embers of our two fires were 
on our front; our tents, baggage, and boxes, on each fide of 
us, between the opening of the trees; our camels and wa- 
ter behind us, the camels being chained together behind 
the water, and ropes at their heads, which were tied to trees.. 
A {kin of water, and two wooden bowls befide it, was left 
open for thofe that fhould need to drink. We had finifhed 
our breakfaft before day-break, and I had given all the 
men directions to fire feparately, not together, at the fame 
fet of people; and thofe who had the blunderbuffes to fire: 
where they faw a number of camels and men together, 
and efpecially at any camels they faw with girbas upon them,, 
or where there was the greateft confufion. | 
Tue day broke; no Arabs appeared; all was ftill. The dan-- 
ger which occurred to our minds then was, left, if they were 
few, by tarrying we fhould give them time to fend off mef- 
fengers to bring affiftance. I then took Ifmael and two. 
Barbarins along with me, to fee who thefe neighbours of ours: 
could be. We foon traced in the {and the footfteps of the man 
who had been at our camels ; and, following them behind’ 
the point of a rock, which feemed calculated for concealing: 
thieves, we faw two ragged, old, dirty tents, pitched with. 
grafs cords.. ) | 
h THE. 
