304 
ARAB CAMP. 
of his government, and their obedience. On the smallest com¬ 
putation, such must have been the manners of these people, for 
more than three thousand years ; thus, in all things, verifying 
the prediction given of Ishmael at his birth, that he, in his pos¬ 
terity, should “ be a wild man,” and always continue to be so, 
though “ he shall dwell for ever in the presence of his brethren.” 
And that an acute and active people, surrounded for ages by 
polished and luxurious nations, should, from their earliest to 
their latest times, be still found a wild people , dwelling in the 
presence of all their brethren , (as we maj^ call these nations,) un¬ 
subdued and unchangeable, is, indeed, a standing miracle; one 
of those mysterious facts, which establishes the truth of 
prophecy. 
Sheik Bassam is chief of the Agelis Arabs, an eminently brave 
tribe; at whose head he has often distinguished himself with an 
intrepidity and prudence rare here ; which renders him an ob¬ 
ject of such general reverence, that in disputes like the present 
he has formerly been of great service to both antagonists; allay¬ 
ing the fury of their resentments, and compromising differences, 
usually to the advantage of the oppressed. Strong coffee, black 
and thick, and bitter as possible, with the fumes of tobacco, 
composed the customary Asiatic formalities of the visit: but at 
* 
my departure, the eloquence of hospitable nature broke forth 
afresh, in a thousand reiterated assurances of friendship from 
him, and offers of immediate services from his people, while he 
and they attended me some little distance from his tent. At 
the spot where we were to separate, I saw a man standing, 
holding a fine Arab colt by the bridle. It was instantly pre¬ 
sented to me as an offering from the sheik; and, to excuse 
myself from accepting so really valuable a present, I found 
