TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 
185 
quence of the delays occasioned by the young camels which the 
Dubbah had provided for us, which were continually throwing off" 
their loads. The ground was besides so full of holes, made by the 
Jerboa, that both horses and camels were continually tripping. 
At Sharfa commences another salt lake wTich extends to Houei- 
jah, a remarkable promontory, taking the appearance at a distance of 
a castle in ruins, and which may possibly be the cape called Liconda. 
Between the lake and the sea is a narrow slip of land occupied by a 
party of Arabs, who were so completely concealed among the hills, 
that we were close upon them before we were aware that any living 
soul was in the neighbourhood. The cattle of this place were 
closely attended by the men, to prevent their ranging on the heights, 
and, consequently, becoming visible to those who might be passing ; 
a manoeuvre which they probably had adopted from supposing us to 
be some of the Bashaw^’s people, whose observation they hoped by 
such means to elude, and thus escape the payment of the tribute w^hich 
in the event of their discovery wmiild have been exacted from them 
by the soldiers of His Highness. We w'ere how^ever received by these 
people very kindly, and they brought us out milk and dried dates, 
unasked for ; in return for these attentions, we gave the men some 
gunpowder, with which they w^ere highly delighted, and presented 
the women with some strings of beads of different colours, which 
were accepted with many smiles of acknowledgment. 
So well practised are the Arabs in eluding observation, from the 
nature of the wandering life which they lead, and the little security 
which there is for property in the country they inhabit, that even 
those wiio are well acquainted with their usual haunts are often 
