44 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
CHAP. I. 
hearten the persevering Arab, who, notwithstanding, drives his 
sheep once a week to drink. They feed as they go and come, and 
therefore do not suffer much on their long journey. The wants of 
the people are easily supplied ; a few skins of water being brought 
at stated times by a camel, and economised with great care. I have 
remarked, that not only the Arabs and their camels, but all ani- 
mals in this country have the power of remaining a great length of 
time without water. Sheep, (provided they have tolerable herbage), 
will pass even a month without drinking. Antelopes and buffa- 
loes, I should conceive, in some cases never taste water, none 
being found on the surface of the desert, and they are unable to 
obtain that which is in the wells. On the other hand, wolves, 
hyaenas, foxes, and jackals, are less capable of enduring thirst. 
They descend such wells (or more properly pits) as are not deep ; 
and the vicinity of one of these places is frequently ascertained 
from observing the tracks of animals, which, during the night, go 
there to drink. 
The Bedouins sow their scanty stock of corn, after turning up the 
earth with a rude plough, or more generally with a hoe. These 
cultivated spots are respected by other wanderers, and the corn is 
rarely stolen ; should the Bashaw, indeed, be at war with the Arabs, 
he never fails to destroy their crops. When a sufficient time has 
elapsed to allow of the grain being in a state of maturity, those to 
whom it belongs come and gather in their harvest (sometimes before 
it is perfectly ripe), lest the Bashaw should be informed of the 
circumstance, and deprive them of a larger portion than they can 
afford ; emissaries, indeed, are never wanting, who make it their 
business to ascertain the exact time when the corn is to be cut, and 
then pounce on the poor Arabs for the Bashaw's share of it. To 
avoid such taxes, therefore, they sometimes gather it so prema- 
turely, that it will not serve as seed for the ensuing year. \VTien 
