4,8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



out of reach, as they thought, their behaviour was entirely 

 changed ; they fcarce deigned to fpeak to us, but fmoked 

 their pipes, and kept up a converfation bordering upon ri- 

 dicule and infolence. 



On the fide of the Nile, oppofite to our boat, a little far- 

 ther to the fouth, was a tribe of Arabs encamped. 



These are fubject to Cairo, or were then at peace with its 

 government. They are called Howadat, being a part of the 

 Atouni, a large tribe that pofTefTes the Ifthmus of .Suez, and 

 from that go up between the Red Sea and the mountains 

 that bound the eaft part of the Valley of Egypt, They reach 

 to the length of CofTeir, where they border upon another 

 large tribe called Ababde, which extends from thence up 

 into Nubia. 



Both thefe are what were anciently called Shepherds •, and 

 are now conftantly at war with each other. 



The Howadat are the fame that fell in with Mr Irvine* 

 in thefe very mountains, and conducted him fo generoufly 

 and fafely to Cairo. Though little acquainted with the man- 

 ners, and totally ignorant of the language of his conduc- 

 tors, he imagined them to be, and calls them by no other 

 name, than " the Thieves" 



One or two of thefe draggled down to my boat to feek 

 tobacco and coffee, when I told them, if a few decent men 



among 



* See Mjjjrvine's Letters 



