166 
INTRIGUES. 
sand people to give presents to before I return from 
the interior. 
I do not consider that, after all, Haj Ahmed 
treated us so well as he might have done. The first 
dinner was good ; but the others were poor, and 
some of it I could not eat at all. He was disap- 
pointed at my not bringing him a printed Koran ; 
but I could not, on this occasion, make such a pre- 
sent. 
Hateetah, in all these disputes at Ghat, has 
acted a double part. Publicly he was our enemy ; 
but privately he pretended to be our greatest 
friend. He was imitated in his conduct by the 
son of Shafou, who seemed to look upon him as his 
Mentor. On leaving, Hateetah promised that I 
should see something wonderful which he would do 
for me, speaking of the treaty. I am afraid that 
not much reliance can be placed on these fine pro- 
mises. 
On the morning fixed for my departure, the 
Sheikhs and Haj Ahmed, seeing me much grieved, 
out of health and out of temper, all came forward to 
try and repair any mischief they might have done 
me and their own reputation. They begged me to 
leave the treaty with them, and promised faithfully 
in the assembly of all the Sheihks, in the winter, to 
do their best to gratify the wishes of the British 
Government. They also undertook to write private 
letters themselves, especially Hateetah. Haj Ibrahim, 
to whom I presented a watch worth twenty dollars, 
