which it appears these Ramazan ascetics break their fast, and which is presented also to the guests in little cups not bigger than a dram-glass. Then came the signal for dinner, and we all went to the other end of the tent, where it was laid out.

In the centre of the space in front of the cushions, which were covered for the occasion with coarse canvass bagsby way of tablecloth, it is presumed-there was raised a sort of platform of wood, about six feet in diameter; and on this, in an immense copper dish, smoked a heap of rice, amounting to nearly three hundred weight. Encompassing this grand centre-piece were ranged smaller platters filled with sundry preparations of mutton and pastry. The former was boiled or stewed, and dressed up as forced meat, with plums, raisins, and other good things; the latter was in still more varied shapes, and, though rather greasy, all exceedingly good. Most of the dishes, indeed, were swimming in melted butter and rich sauces, and the whole exhibited a chief-like profusion. Around this banquet sat about thirty of the savages before described, with their long, black, disordered locks hanging over the dishes; and behind these stood or sat a still more extensive circle of expectants; for their practice is, that as soon as any one has satisfied his appetite, he gives place to another; and thus the succession proceeds, until the whole party, often amounting to hundreds, has been fed, should the viands suffice. It was amusing to witness the vigorous set-to that was made by one and all the moment the "Bismillah!" was uttered. In one second, every hand was plunged arm-deep into the rice; and each man vied with his neighbour in making huge balls of it with the grease and sauce of the stews, and in the dexterity with which he stuffed them into his mouth. The sheik, though he did not forget his own share in the feast, was by no means unmindful of his visiters. He took large lumps of the meat and pastry, and threw them down before us on the rice, pouring whole dishes of sauce and melted ghee over it to increase its savouriness. The drink provided to wash down these solid morsels was a sort of sherbet made of sugar and water, acidulated, and very agreeable; and it appeared to be quite as abundant as the eatables.

The guests then rose like the others, washed their hands, and retired to the withdrawing-room, that is, to the fire

place at the other end, where the cawachee had resumed his seat, having before him a row of large coffee-pots, from which we were soon served with small cups of that beyerage, the dose being repeated every ten minutes as long as we remained. This cook or butler was a miserable scarecrow, with a face like a reaping-hook, a ragged shirt and gown, and headgear of unspeakable squalidity; his coffee, which was excellent, was flavoured with cardamoms, was handed about by barelegged Ganymedes, in canvass shirts of pretty much the same colour as the beverage. Being the chief guests, we were served first, and afterward the whole party indiscriminately; the cawachee helping himself and his cup-bearers as regularly as the rest.

Entertainments like these, and the practice of a profuse hospitality, constitute the principal claim on the revenue of an Arab chief. His personal expenses, or those of his family, are trifling, compared with the outlay of a Persian or a Turkish noble; but an almost incredible amount of viands and provender is expended on numerous occasions. The daily consumption of the Zobeid patriarch, when alone, was not more than four sheep, and 250 or 300 lbs. of rice; but when he had company it varied from ten to twenty sheep, with rice in proportion. At the entertainments of Suffook of the Jerbah tribe, it was not uncommon to see the carcasses of twenty sheep lying boiled or roasted upon huge masses of rice, and this repeated three or four times a day.

The party, having sojourned two days with the sheik, took a direction down to Jezirah towards the country of the Montefic. The way for some time stretched over a flat desert, sprinkled with the small mimosa agrestis, caper bush, camel's thorn, and some salsuginous plants. These were seen in smaller numbers towards the marshy land near the River Hye, which is annually overflowed, and where a few tamarisks are almost the only vegetation that appears. In approaching the Lemlum marshes, and the borders of the Euphrates near Grayim, the party had to make their way through reeds or sedgy grass, which serves as pasture to numerous herds of buffaloes kept by the Madan Arabs who frequent these tracts. The whole country, whether dry or boggy, presents a monotonous and forbidding aspect, void of all the cheerful tokens of

man's presence, unless when the eye is greeted by the occasional sight of the black Bedouin tent, the reed hut of the Madan Arab, or of the animals which, from constituting the chief property of the children of the wilderness, usually indicate their neighbourhood.

On the first day of this march the travellers witnessed an amusing specimen of bullying. In the morning they were alarmed by observing a party of twelve or fourteen men, on camels, make their appearance in an opposite direction; for, as every one met with in these deserts is held to be an enemy until the contrary is proved, there was some reason for apprehending an unpleasant rencounter. As it was important to learn who the strangers were, a horseman was instantly despatched towards them; but, as this demonstration appeared rather to produce an acceleration of their pace from us than any hostile movement towards our front, certain individuals who had accompanied us on foot, and who had given evident symptoms of alarm, began to recover their valour, swearing that the persons in question were no better than sand under their feet, and that they would drive them like dust before the wind."

When our messenger rejoined us, and all this unnecessary courage had apparently been expended in a flash of heroism, we were surprised by observing the guide, who had remained with us, fall into a desperate state of agitation. He flung his abba and headkerchief upon the ground, stamped about with wild grimaces, and tucked up the long sleeves of his shirt to his shoulders, uttering all the time strange inarticulate sounds. Something was obviously wrong; but so great was the ferment of his spirit, that it was not without some difficulty we could come at the truth. It appeared, at length, that the people in sight were of the Shummur, or, rather, of the Jerbah tribe, and were his enemies. They had robbed him and murdered his people; so he swore he would go after them, and put every one of them to death. Thus he went on, girding up his loins, examining his matchlocks and pouches of ammunition, from which he selected a parcel of bullets, and tossed them into his mouth to be ready for prompt service, and all the while he uttered most awful threats, to which his comrade responded, though with somewhat less vehemence.

On putting the question to Seyed Hindee what all this

Y

folly could mean, that worthy only shrugged up his shoulders, and treated the bravado with the contempt it deserved; but, as it was occasioning very inconvenient delay, we made the interpreter signify to the guides, that if this was to be their mode of performing their duty to us, we should return to the sheik and inform him. This, with a small show of displeasure, brought the man to his senses; he untucked his sleeves, resumed his abba, and began, looking very much like a fool, to excuse his antics by a detail of the causes of his enmity to those wicked Shum

murs.

The fact was, he never had the slightest notion of meddling with them at all: it was merely a flourish, got up to impress us with an idea of his courage. Had the strangers indicated the smallest disposition to attack us, he would have been the first to betake himself to flight. This incident places the character of Arab courage in those parts in its true light.

A day or two later the party had a specimen of Arabian hospitality and kindness to strangers. Having bivouacked in the open plain without food or drink either for their horses or themselves, they proceeded next morning, hungry, thirsty, and weary, till the appearance of camels at a distance gave token of an encampment. The men ran away on the approach of our party, but a horseman was sent out to satisfy them of our pacific intentions. In the mean time, three or four more cavaliers, armed with spears, manœuvred on our right, who, after flourishing about for a while, came off at full gallop. Another of our Arabs dashed forth to meet them; down went the butt-ends of their spears to the ground; and, after a short converse, we had the satisfaction of seeing the leader and our hero lean forward and embrace each other from their saddles. All fear of assault was thus terminated, and our hopes of a kind reception were confirmed by the welcome which they gave us as they came forward to join our party. These expectations, however, proved fallacious. The horsemen, indeed, rode along with us towards some tents, which now appeared at a distance; but, finding between them and us a natural canal, partly filled with mud and water, they discouraged us from attempting to cross it by asserting that the occupiers of those tents were unable to entertain us, and offering to take us to a richer tribe a little farther

on. This, we discovered afterward, was but a stratagem to inveigle us away from their own homes-the very encampment we had seen-for one after another slunk off as we advanced, until we were left alone. In the mean time we observed the country beyond the creek studded with tents, while on our side not one was to be seen; so, perceiving that we had been cheated by those who first met us, we halted opposite the largest group, and resolved to send our guide across to negotiate for our reception. He had directions to assure them not only of our good intentions, but of an equal ability to remunerate our entertainers. To sell food, indeed, to the traveller is quite against the laws of Arabian hospitality, but an interchange of presents is admissible; so, after a considerable negotiation, arising more from mistrust than delicacy, the scruple of etiquette was got over. We passed the canal, and at length got barley for our horses, and a supply of hot bread and dates stewed in melted butter for ourselves. The marsh which we had now reached was one appropriated entirely to pasture for buffaloes; animals that delight in mud and water, and immense herds of which are kept by a peculiar race of Arabs, well known along the banks of the rivers by the name of Madan. They are fixed, not migratory; they live upon the produce of their cattle, which, with a few sheep and cows, constitute their whole property; occupying huts formed of split reeds, in society with their animals, which they are said scarcely to exceed in intellectual endowments. It is from the notorious uncouthness and brutality of their habits that the other Arabs give them the name of Madan, a term compounded of two words signifying not wise. They also have the reputation of being the most inveterate thieves in the whole country; and probably they are not a whit behind their neighbours in the arts of petty larceny. But, wild and brutal as they are, we did not discover a great difference between them and the other tribes.

Though they received us sullenly at first, yet after a few words of explanation all went on smoothly enough. They did not profess to entertain us, and we did not consider ourselves their guests; but they gave us what we required at tolerably fair prices, and assisted us in getting water, wood, and other necessaries. Moreover, they pledged themselves for the safety of our cattle, keeping watch