Early the next morning, as we were making the customary preparations
for continuing our journey, we perceived that our new camel-
drivers had all assembled together, and on being told to bring the
camels as usual, not one of them stirred from his place, the whole
party exelaming in concert, in no very conciliatory tones, hàt el flus,
hàt el flus, give us the money. Here' was evidently one of those
concerted manoeuvres which Arabs of all classes are so skilful in'
practising ; but we were at a- loss to conjecture its real cause, which
is generally very different from thé apparent one. At Boosaida,
where the camels were hired, we had arranged with the Dûbbah
that they should be paid for on arriving at Bengazi ; and the camel-
drivers themselves, who (with the exception of one)'were all his own
relations, had certainly understood and agreed to this arrangement.
But they were now in à place which was too well adapted to their
views to be passed without inventing some scheme for extorting
money, a practice which is seldom omitted by an Arab when he
thinks there is a proper opportunity for making suéh an attempt.
A more dreary and barren spot could scarcely have been anywhere
found than that which our-friends here selected; it was at least
two days’ journey from any encampment, and wholly without produce
of any kind; if we except the rocks and stones of the soil,
and the jackalls and hyaenas which sheltered themselves among them.
I t was imagined that being here without any resource, unable to
procure either provisions or water, and faf from any inhabited place,
we should necessarily be induced- to comply with whatever demands
it might be advisable to make on the occasion. They1 Could not
really have been anxious about their money ; for they had seen the
former camel-drivers punctually paid, and well pleased with the additional
gratification which their general good conduct had induced us
to make them. But the opportunity was too tempting, and they
could not find it in their hearts to pass it over, j ¡It, is true that had
we paid them every day, the supply of money; which we had brought
with us from Tripoly, for the expenses of the road, would not certainly
have lasted us to Bengazi; and there were no means of
obtaining any more till our arrival at that place, where we had an
order from the Bashaw on the-Governor of the town. Neither the
camel-drivers, however, or their relation the Dhbbah, were at all
aware of the present slenderness of our supply; and if was not
because they doubted our ability to pay them that they got up the
scene which was acted at .Linoof, but because they thought the
opportunity too good to be lost, of getting what money from us they
could. Whatever may have been their object, we were determined
not to comply with it, and accordingly told them that although we
should not have had the least objection to comply with their proposal,
had they made it in a more proper manner, yet the insubordination
and the insolence which they had displayed upon the occasion
had determined us at all events to reject it. We reminded
them also of the understanding with which they were hired at
Boosaida, to which none of their party could plead ignorance, and
declared that we should certainly abide by it, whatever they might
imagine to the contrary.
In order however to leave open a door for reconciliation, we told
2 D 2