212 TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXVII. 
ments of Tawdrek, of the tribe of the rmedidderen, 
we entered a plain richly wooded with talha, hajilij, 
retem, fernan, and the poisonous euphorbia, which, 
as is generally the case, grew in the shade of the talha 
trees. 
We very nearly became embroiled in a serious quarrel 
with the inhabitants of one of these camps, who seized 
a small box which I had given to the Sheikh, and which 
one of his young slaves was carrying. I was riding 
in advance, and the people allowed me to pass un- 
molested, contenting themselves with putting some 
questions to me. The whole country was in a state 
of great agitation, a rumour having got abroad that I, 
in conjunction with the Sheikh, was to establish here 
a new kingdom. But a few considerate admonitions 
from the more respectable members of the troop 
brought the Tawdrek to reason ; and it was very 
curious to witness the theatrical attitudes which one 
of these simple-minded but energetic original inhabi- 
tants of North Africa made use of, in order to demon- 
strate to the author of the riot the absurdity of his 
proceedings. 
After some slight delay caused by this theatrical 
intermezzo^ we put our little troop once more in 
motion, following our former southerly direction, 
till we were overtaken by a messenger from the 
Sheikh, with the order that we were to approach 
nearer the river. Proceeding therefore in a south- 
westerly direction, we soon came to the exterior 
embankment of the river reached by its waters during 
