ARKEEKO. 
217 
Kiya, the head men of the Hazorta tribe, who were to be our 
guides, the camel-drivers and the Ascari, all of whom in turn 
begged for themselves and for each other ; and, among this tribe 
of locusts, I was compelled to distribute nearly five hundred dol- 
lars, before I could get clear of the place, with any probability of 
passing in safety with his Majesty's presents to the mountains. 
25th.— With a pleasure somewhat similar to that expressed by 
Gil Bias, when he escaped from the robbers' cave, we quitted 
Arkeeko, and at twelve had the gratification of mustering all our 
cafila, at a station about four miles south from that, I had almost 
said, accursed town. Among ail the descriptions of men I have 
ever met with, the character of the half-civilized savages found at 
Arkeeko is the most detestable ; as they have ingeniously con- 
trived to lose all the virtues af the rude tribes to which they be^ 
longed, without having acquired any thing, except the vices of 
their more refined neighbours. At Massowa even, where the 
better sort of townsmen are scarcely equal to the worst of the 
Arabs, they entertain such a dread of the inhabitants of Arkeeko, 
that they will not, on any account, stay a night in the place ; so 
that the scale of degradation to which these last are reduced 
cannot very well descend lower. The only description I recollect 
that would particularly suit them, may be found in Mr. Bruce's 
very energetic account of the inhabitants of Sennaar. From 
this sweeping, though just, condemnation, I must except the 
Nayib and his two sons, who, laying aside their excessive rapa- 
city in endeavouring to extort presents, were very obliging to u s, 
and seemed to possess many valuable qualities, particularly the 
eldest Hamed, whose conduct with regard to his family appeared 
to be very exemplary. 
