120 TRAVELS IN THE 
stopped on the road by a party of Moors, who had taken most 
of her clothes, and some gold from her ; and that she would be 
under the necessity of returning to Deena till the fast moon was 
over. The same evening the new moon was seen, which 
ushered in the month Rhamadan. Large fires were made in 
different parts of the town, and a greater quantity of victuals 
than usual dressed upon the occasion. 
March nth, By daylight the Moors were in readiness; 
but as I had suffered much from thirst on the road, I made 
my boy fill a soofroo of water for my own use ; for the Moors 
assured me that they should not taste either meat or drink 
until sunset. However, I found that the excessive heat of the 
sun, and the dust we raised in travelling, overcame their 
scruples, and made my soofroo a very useful part of our bag- 
gage. On our arrival at Deena, I went to pay my respects to 
one of Ali's sons. I found him sitting in a low hut, with five 
or six more of his companions, washing their hands and feet, 
and frequently taking water into their mouths, gargling, and 
spitting it out again. I was no sooner seated, than he handed 
me a double-barrelled gun, and told me to dye the stock of a 
blue colour, and repair one of the locks. I found great difficulty 
in persuading him that I knew nothing about the matter. 
However, says he, if you cannot repair the gun, you shall give 
me some knives and scissars immediately ; and when my boy, 
who acted as interpreter, assured him that I had no such arti- 
cles, he hastily snatched up a musket that stood by him, cocked 
it, and putting the muzzle close to the boy's ear, would cer- 
tainly have shot him dead upon the spot, had not the Moors 
