24 TROUBLE WITH CAMEL-DRIVERS.

with their spongy feet, especially when they are laden. On

our route, there was scarcely any grass the whole way ; and

what there was, was of course, at the season of the year in

which we travelled, completely burnt up ; it was mostly very

fine in texture, and as brittle as spun-glass. The grass that had

sprung up in consequence of the rain lasted only for twenty or

thirty miles after leaving the town, by which time we got out

of the rainy zone.

The greater part of the country was sparsely covered with

mimosa-bushes, mostly leafless during the dry season, and af-

fording no shade. In some places there were bushes covered

with leaves of a most brilliant green. The branches, and espe-

cially the roots, of this shrub {Capparis sodata), are much prized

by the Arabs as tooth-brushes : they are very fibrous, but I

doubt if they have any special cleansing properties. The teeth of these dark-skinned people are nearly always

very white : this is, no doubt, partly due to their very simple

diet, and also it is certain that the strong contrast afforded by

their dark skins makes them appear whiter than they are in

reality.

We commenced to have trouble with our camel-drivers on

the second day's journey from Souakim. The caravan had

been allowed to go on ahead, as we had stopped behind with

the camel-sheik, trying to bargain for another hygceu, but

without coming to terms ; and, on overtaking it, we found the

camels were off feeding, and their loads on the ground. We

were anxious to get out of the rains as quickly as possible, and

had given orders that they were to make a late march. Sulei- man and the other servants had done all in their power to make

them continue their journey; but the camel-drivers had insisted

on stopping at four o'clock, after a march of less than five

hours. On being pressed to go on, they had threatened Sulei-