I d r i s , without arms, h aving joined the man who had advanced
towards us, went dowrj with him to the body o f
ftrangers, and the treaty was foon agreed to. Two o f the
principal men among them approaching me without their
lances, and the compliment off peace, “ Salam AlicumTand
Alieum Salam!’-’ was given and returned by both fides.
They feemed, however, ftartled at feeing the Biihareeil with
both his handsj chained ; but I toldthem, that had no regard
to them, and deiired Idris to' order their camels to go
on; and one ofitheTafbarins in the meantime brought them
a gourd fu ll o f water,-and bread, for-eating together is like
pledging -your -faith. They had not heard o f the fate o f
Mahomet Aga, and feemed very ill-pleafed at it,'faying, that
Abou Bertran was a thief and a murderer. All the camels
being pail, I afked them whither they were going ? They
faid to Atbieh, weft o f Terfowey, to gather fenna'for the
government o f Cairo. I would very fa in have had -them to
fell or exchange with m e a couple o f camels. They faid
theirs were not ftrong ¡ that before they could reach home
they would be much an the fame condition with o u r ‘own
that they were obliged to load them very heavily, as indeed
the bags they had behind them to fcarry the fenna feemed
to indicate their profit was but fmall, fo that the death
o f one camel was a moil ferious lofs.
I t h o u g h t myfelf obliged in humanity to introduce our
prifoner to the two Ababde that had remained with us.
They faid, they intended to take wafer i t Terfo’wey, and we
told them briefly.tire accident by which we came in company
with the Bilhareen. Theyy on the contrary; thought
that we had been a party o f foldiers from Aflbuan who apprehended
the Arab. Immediately after which they con-
d verfed
Verfed in the language o f Beja, which is that o f theHabab,
Suakem, and Mafuah. I told them plainly, that, though I
kn ew that language, I would not fuffer them to fpeak
any but Arabic, underftood by us all. They immediately
complied, and then inquired about the pofttion o f Abou Bertran
and his tribe o f Bifhareen. This, too, I would not fuffer
the Arab to inform them of, but charged them, as he
did alfo, to tell his wives that he was well, and ate and
drank as we had done, and was within two days o f arriving
at Aflouan, whence he'ihould be returned to them with the
rewards promifecL I -then defired him to lay a .lance in a
manner that the point ihould be towards Syene, which they
accordingly did, and with a long needle o f i rinches in a brafs
box, having an arch o f a few degrees marked on it, I, with
the utmoft attention, took the direction from Haimer to
Syene N. N. W. or more northerly. I w ou ld very w illin gly
have had it in my ¡power to have made an Obfervation o f latitude,
but noon was paft ; I contented myfelf, therefore,
with keeping my route as diftindfly as pollihle till the evening.
A t 40 minutes paft one o’clock w e le ft fiaimer, and our
friends, the Ababde, continued their route, after giving us
great praife, as well for our civility, as our keeping the
watch like men, as they exprefled it. At h a lf paft eight w e
alighted at Abou Ferege, a place where there was very little
verdure o f any kind. Here, for the firft time on our journey,
we met with a cloudy fky, which effeftually difap-
pointed my obfervation o f latitude ; but every noon and
night I defcribed, in a rough manner, my courfe through
the day, carrying always a compafs, w ith a needle about five
V ol. IV. ~ 4 F inches