DHALAC. 
shower of rain fell, which obliged us to remove our cots, on which 
we had hitherto slept in the open air, into the house for shelter ; 
but the covering of these habitations is so little adapted for keeping 
out the inclemency of the rainy season, that we could not find even 
one " snug corner." Captain Court went out at dawn of day, and 
took a set of bearings from the top of the northern mosque. The 
water, which we this morning procured, was filled with so thick a 
sediment, that we were obliged to give up our tea. The well itself 
we found, on measuring it, to be seven fathom deep, and with only 
three feet water. This is, I think, the most inhospitable place we 
have visited. The men were by no means obliging, and seemed to be 
jealous, or the women were extremely shy, for they evidently kept 
out of our way as much as possible. The character of the people is 
probably, in no small degree, affected by their intercourse with 
Arabia. The shell of a turtle was lying in the yard, about two feet 
and a half diameter ; they speak of them as being very common ; 
by a small piece of the shell which remained, it appeared to be of 
that species which yields the true tortoise shell. The stench of 
dead goats was as unpleasant to us here, as at Gerbeschid. There 
are more doom-trees than at the other villages, besides many other 
species of tree. 
" At half past nine we quitted this miserable place. Captain 
Court took an exact account of our bearings, and found Gerbeschid 
to be, as we computed, only four miles and a half from Dobelew* 
We saw a covey of partridges on the road, and got to our 
journey's end by half past ten. Immediately on our arrival at Ger- 
beschid, we looked out for an eminence, from which we might see 
some one of the points which Captain Court had taken, and thus 
1 
