hav-e followed exadly. enough the t r a d ;o f the wells and
way to Egypt, and had furvived all his fellow-travellers. At
ele ven o’clock we came to fome plains o f loofe, moving fand,
and faw fome pillars in motion, which had not windotd
fuftain them for any time, and which gave us, therefore,
little concern. At one we alighted near the w e ll Mour,
which was to the N. E. o f us. At four w e left the well M ou r:
At forty minutes after four palled the well itfel'f, which was
then d r y a n d at a quarter pall fix we found a dead man,
whole corpfe was quite dry, and had been fo a confiderable
time. At fevcn b’clock in the evening we alighted at El
Haimer, where are the two wells in a large plain o f fand.
The water is good. There is another well to the weft o f
us, but i t is bitter and faltifh, though more abundant than
. either o f the other two, which, b y filling our ikins, We
had feveral times drained.
On the 25th, at h a lf pall feven in the morning wedeft
the well El Haimer, and at ten o’clock alighted among
fome acacia-trees, our camels having ate nothing a l l night,
except the dry bitter roots o f that drug, the fenna. While
we were attending the camels, and relting ourfelves on the
grafs, we were furprifed at the appearance o f a troop o f
Arabs all upon camels,, who looked like a caravan, ea h
camel having a fmall loading behind him. They had two
gentle afcents before they could arrive at the place where we
were. The road is between two fandy hills, at the back o f
which our camels were feeding .in a w ood ; and near the
road was the well El Haimer, where our Ikins were ly ing
fu ll o f water, it was neceffary then to underftand one another
before we allowed them to pafs between the fandy
hills. Upon the firli alarm, my people all repaired to me,
3 bringing
bringing their arms in their hands, as well thofe that they
carried upon them,, as the fpare arms, all o f which were"
primed and charged.
; T h e firft queition was, what to do with the Bifliareen ?
None o f us had any fufpicion o f him. We unchained him
from the Barbarin, and fattened his other hand, then gave
him to the Tucorory, and made them ftand behind to in-
ereafe the appearance o f our number. I then advanced to-
the edge o f the h ill, and cried out with a loud voice, “ Stop !
for, you cannot pafs here.” Whether they underftood it I
do not know, but they ttill p e r f i f t e d in mounting the hill.
I again cried, fhewing m y firelock, K- Advance a ttep farther
and I’ll fire.” . After a ihort paufe they all difmounted from
their camels, and one o f them, w ith his lance in his hand,
came forward till within twenty yards, upon which Idris
immediately knew them,, and faid, they were Ababde. A-
babde or not, faid I, they are feventeen men, and Arabs,
and I am not o f a difpofition, without further furety, to put
myfelf in their hands as Mahomet Aga did. I am fure they-
are perfectly in our power now, as long as they ftand where
they are.” I d r i s then told me that he was married to one
o f the Ababde o f Shekh Ammer, and he would go and get.
a fure word from them. Tell them from me, faid I, that I,
too, am the friend o f Nimmer their Shekh, and his two fons,
and o f Shekh Hammam o f Furihout; that I am going into
Egypt, have been followed by the Biiliareeq, and truft nobodyy
have twenty men armed with firelocks, and w ill do.
them no harm, provided they confent to pafs, one by one ,
and give a man for a. hoftage..
Imua