60 BENIGHTED. 



We had asked him for water, which he imme- 

 diately fetched from the cottage; and whilst 

 presenting the earthen jar containing it with one 

 hand, he pointed with the other in the direc- 

 tion of the mountain, and related with evident 

 credulity a marvellous story about a large stone 

 among the ruins. This stone he said contained 

 a treasure ; and all who attempted to obtain it 

 by breaking the stone, instantly fell sick or dead. 

 Gleaning nothing more satisfactory either from 

 our communicative little friend or the inscrip- 

 tion on the tomb, we proceeded, still follow- 

 ing, as directed, the road which ran parallel 

 with the coast, hoping every moment to reach 

 Saaret. 



The sun set, and darkness came on without 

 any sign of a village ; hungry, tired, and in bad 

 humour we were at last brought to a stand by 

 losing all traces of a path. Our surigees raising 

 a shout in hopes of the wished-for village being 

 within hail, a light suddenly appeared, and a 

 woman's voice demanded who we were. Neither 

 village nor house, however, was there here ; only 

 a solitary Urook tent. We had taken a wrong 

 path and left Saaret two hours behind us. The 

 old woman who gave us this unwelcome informa- 



