TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 
125 
spring of the arch upwards, and ornamented with a pattern raised 
from the surface ; the lower parts of the interior walls are at present 
wholly bare, and do not appear to have been coated. The outer 
parts of the building are now a mass of ruin, and the form of the 
external roof is not to be ascertained ; at least we were not able to 
make it out. 
A day or two before our arrival at Jebha, Chaous Mahmoud, one 
of the Arabs of the Dubbah’s party, had stoutly refused to accompany 
us across the marsh ; but after having been severely reprimanded, 
and threatened with the loss of his pay, the punishment most 
dreaded by an Arab, he consented to go, provided we would allow 
him to leave his own horse with the camels, and take one belonging 
to our party. 
This arrangement being acceded to, we trotted on in advance, 
telling him to follow as soon as he was mounted ; but he continued 
to busy himself about the saddle and stirrups, making one little 
difficulty after another, till we were nearly out of sight ; and then, 
mounting the horse which he had exchanged for his own, he galloped 
round the marsh in another direction, to meet us as rre arrived on 
firmer ground. 
On coming up with us he began to make excuses for his conduct, 
and declared, like a true Arab, that his life was at our service, and 
that he was ready to risk it for us on aU occasions ; but his horse, 
he said, was his friend and companion, and he could not bear the 
idea of losing him in the marsh, which he was certain he should 
have done if he had rode him across it in the direction which we 
