MR horneman 's travels. 423 
bordered by vast precipices, composed of a rock 
which appears, by the description, to be shell lime- 
stone. It was in some parts absolutely crowded 
with shells and remains of marine animals. Ar- 
riving in four days at the fruitful valley of Schiacha, 
they were suddenly interrupted by the braying of 
some v hundred asses, which proved to be convey- 
ing the inhabitants of Siwah, armed and pre- 
pared for combat. The caravan was in a state of 
considerable alarm, though the scouts soon brought 
assurances, that no harm was intended against 
them. Horneman sent his interpreter to collect 
intelligence, and soon saw him return with a very 
doleful countenance. It had transpired at Siwah 
that they were Christians ; and the sole object of 
the expedition was to insist that they should be 
seized, and immediately put to death. The inter- 
preter was in a state of the utmost dismay, and 
considered his fate as inevitable ; but Horneman 
walked firmly up to meet this tumultuous assem- 
blage. The cry immediately arose, that these 
were the new Christians from Cairo (the French), 
and that they were traversing the country as spies. 
On this difficult occasion, Horneman acted his 
part with great courage. Besides meeting the 
statement of the Siwahans by the most positive 
averments to the contrary, he drew out a copy of 
the Koran, and displayed his skill in reading and 
interpreting that sacred standard of the MusuU 
