50 
TRAVELS IN AFEICA. Chap. XXXIX. 
whilst not a single tree broke the monotony of the 
level country. At length we encamped near a de- 
serted village of cattle-breeders, consisting of about 
twenty small conical huts, built in the form of a large 
circle. We had scarcely begun to make ourselves 
comfortable, when a noisy quarrel arose about the 
dates so unjustly taken from their owners, and some 
of the Arabs concerned in the dispute came to my 
tent in order to have their claims settled, when the 
whole particulars of the shameless robberies com- 
mitted in the course of the day, came under my 
notice, and especially that of the horse. But this 
was a delicate subject, and one that excited the angry 
passions of those concerned — so much so that one of 
them, named Ibrahim, came running with his loaded 
gun straight into my tent, threatening to blow out 
the brains of any body who spoke of injustice or 
robbery. As for Bakher, and 'Abd e' Rahman, who 
were the actual possessors of the horse, they were 
about to leave by themselves. 
The violent proceedings of our protectors had 
spread such terror throughout these almost desolate 
regions, that in the evening, solely from fear, two oxen 
and a quantity of milk were sent from a neighbouring 
beri as presents. The night was fresh, but not cold, 
and a very heavy dew fell. 
Friday, Reached about noon the first large 
Sept. 26th. cluster . of huts of the village of Ben 
after having followed a very numerous and fine herd 
of cattle (one of the finest I saw in the interior of 
