400 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXV. 
had muskets. Entering the house rather abruptly, and 
squatting down in the ante-chambers and courtyard, 
just where they could find a place, they stared at me 
not a little, and began asking of each other who this 
strange-looking fellow might be, while I was reclining 
on my two smaller boxes, having my larger ones and 
my other luggage behind me. I was rather at a loss 
to account for their intrusion, until I learned, upon 
inquiry from my landlady, that they were come in 
order to protect their cattle from the Tawarek, who 
at the time were passing through the place, and who 
had driven away some of their property. The very 
person whom they dreaded was the chief Kneha, who 
had just left me, though they could not make out his 
whereabouts. Having refreshed themselves during 
the hot hours of the day, these people started off ; 
but the alarm about the cattle continued the whole of 
the afternoon, and not less than 200 armed men 
came into my apartments in the course of an hour. 
My messengers not returning at the appointed time 
from their errand to the town, I had at length 
retired to rest in the evening, when shortly before 
midnight they arrived, together with Sicli A'lawate, 
the Sheikh El Bakay's brother, and several of his fol- 
lowers, who took up their quarters on the terrace of 
my house in order to be out of the reach of the mos- 
quitoes ; and after they had been regaled with a good 
supper, which had been provided beforehand by some 
of the townspeople, I went to pay my respects to 
them. 
