Chap. XL. SPECIMEN OF PREDATORY LIFE. 
71 
report of an attack intended to be made by the Arabs 
upon that town, had fled. This news, if it proved 
true, held out, of course, a feeble ray of hope that 
we might be able to penetrate to the eastern shore 
of the lake ; and the Arabs formed schemes accor- 
dingly. As Haj 'Abbas, who had come with us in 
order to raise from the Arabs Haj Beshir's share 
in the spoil of their last predatory excursions, was 
to return to Kukawa in a few days, I wrote a letter 
to the vizier concerning the prospect we had of pro- 
bably not being able to accomplish the whole of our 
design. The rest of the day I enjoyed in comfort, 
stretched quietly in the shade of a tree ; but my tran- 
quillity was a little disturbed by disputes that arose 
amongst my men. 
Very early in the morning, when all was Saturday 
quiet, I was aroused from my sleep by the October 4th. 
mournful song of an Arab, who, between the different 
stanzas of his dirge, seemed to give vent to his tears. 
The impression made by this song, which was full of 
deep feeling, among such a horde of lawless people, 
where generally only the meanest side of man was 
exhibited, was charming ; but as the singer was at some 
distance from my tent, I could not distinctly make 
out what was the cause of his grief, neither was I able 
to learn it afterwards : the thoughts of the Arabs were 
taken up by another affair. The most handsome 
among the female slaves who composed part of the 
spoil that was to be taken to the vizier by his officer Haj 
F 4 
