222 
SHILLOKEE. 
to Dixan : the latter of these I knew to be an unprincipled 
villain ; the third was an entire stranger. 
At half past five, the whole caravan having assembled, we 
commenced our journey. The plain, which we had to cross, 
extended in a gradual ascent from Arkeeko to the first ridge of 
mountains, and was occasionally covered with a species of mimosa 
called Gira. We saw great numbers of camels, sheep, asses and 
goats in the course of the day, and passed two villages ; one of 
which was called Dukona, and the other Dabi. Round these 
villages several inclosures of kush-kush or juwarry had been 
formed, which appeared to be in a very flourishing state, and 
were guarded by boys mounted on stages like those common in 
Arabia, of which a drawing is given in the Description de I'Ara- 
bie, (page 137, Plate XV.) by Niebuhr. At sunset we reached a 
station on a rising ground, situated at the bottom of the first line 
of hills, called Shiilokee ; where we encamped for the night. 
There was something very exhilarating in the scene we now ex- 
perienced : the night was clear, and our party soon divided 
into a variety of groups, each collected round its separate fire ; 
and, at eight o* clock, when the short evening prayer of the Chris- 
tians, Jehu-maharnaxoo," Jesus forgive us,'') chaunted in 
very harmonious notes, stole along the camp, an awful sensation 
of independence and inexpressible delight thrilled through my 
whole frame, only to be conceived by those, who, like myself, 
had been just emancipated from the irksome confinement of a 
ship, and a society equally detestable with that at Arkeeko. 
On the 26th, at a quarter before three in the morning, we left 
our encampment ; and at half past six, after travelling over a 
