A BEGGING CONSUL. 
135 
Ghamoud, suffered nothing. The wind; — which we 
notice as if on ship-board — now comes always from 
the east, generally with a point north. It seems to 
be a sort of trade-vvind throughout this portion of 
the desert. I begin now to read on the camel's 
back, and find this a pleasing relief from the jog- 
trot monotony of the movement. I am anxious to 
read the whole of the Bible in Hebrew on the 
camel's back. Our friends the lizards were still 
glancing along the ground in the bright sunshine, 
but in diminished numbers. 
Hateetah is always begging, and now asks for 
burnouses for the Ghat Sheikhs, Khanouhen, 
Jabour, Berka, and his brother. He still pre- 
tends that the Germans must give him a present, 
and that he knows no one but the English. In 
compliment, and to soothe him, I said, " You must 
dress in all your fine clothes at Ghat." This 
awakened his vanity, and he seemed delighted with 
the idea. His reply was, " You also must one 
day dress in all your best clothes — one day — only 
one day." I replied, " I have no fine clothes;" at 
which he seemed puzzled. Turning the conversa- 
tion, he said I must change all his Tunisian piastres 
into dollars ; which I shall certainly not do. This 
Consul of the English is a tremendously grasping 
fellow. 
The Tanelkums all give the son of Shafou a 
good character. We parted with them this morn- 
ing. They take some loads of dates for us, and 
