136 
JOURNEY FROM 
his company, and we were glad to have discovered this circumstance 
so early, as it might prevent us from relying upon their co-operation, 
in cases of greater importance. We did not much expect that the 
Arabs would proceed to extremities, but our party, at all events, was 
quite as strong as theirs, and we were determined to carry our point. 
When the Camels were loaded, and we were about to drive them 
off, the warmth of our opponents had abated; for an Arab very 
easily makes up his mind to submission when he finds that the 
chances are not greatly in his favour ; and they follow ed our party 
without offering further resistance, resuming by degrees their cus- 
tomary occupations. A little beyond Giraft’ is a small ravine or wady, 
called Ghebaiba, the banks of which present the only cultivation 
which is to be found in this neighbourhood ; and near it,- on a little 
rising ground, are the remains of some building, too much in ruin to 
admit of any satisfactory description, and which bears the same 
name as the wady. As we passed over the plain which occurs after 
Giraff, the country began to assume a more pleasing aspect. Instead 
of the dreary, level surface of the marsh over which we had lately 
travelled, we now passed over a succession of undulating ground, 
covered with pasturage, among which appeared flocks of sheep and 
goats, and here and there an Arab tent. But the most welcome 
objects which this change of soil afforded were the wells of sweet 
water which presented themselves at Zaffran, near one of which we 
encamped for the night ; and after a few copious draughts, we soon 
forgot the nauseous flavour of that which we had lately been drinking, 
which nothing but necessity could have induced any one to swallow. 
