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 affording no shade. In some places there were bushes covered with leaves of a most brilliant green. The branches, and especially 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. Suleiman 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-