THE AMORITES. 193 doctor observed the wild and tattered appearance of these excellent horsemen. There was nothing evil-minded in them ; but their observations were remarkable. The Doctor wore powder, a custom unknown in this country : one party would say, " He has got lime in his head to kill the vermin ;" another would observe that *'He was old or grey-headed.'* The Doctor was fond of his bottle, and some said skurren beI akkaran, i. e. " The * son of a cuckold is drunk." Others would bawl out, Wa Tebeeb washka't dowie elmoot, i.e. "O, doctor, canst thou cure death ?" To which he replied, " No.'' — ** Then," returned they, " thou art no doctor !" On the following morning at sun-rise we proceeded, and reached L'Araich at twelve o'clock ; we did not enter the , town, but dined in the plains, and proceeding afterwards out of the main road, we directed our course south-east, till we reached a most beautiful and very extensive plain, called M'sharrah Rummellah. This plain was covered with numerous and immense flocks of sheep and horned cattle, and is many times more extensive than Salisbury plain. We pitched our tents near a very extensive and populous douar of Arabs. We departed the next morning at sun-rise, and reached the plains of the river Seboo about two oclock in the afternoon ; which plains are a continuation of those of M'sharrah Rummellah ; the * Intoxication is a damnable vice with these people ; and when they remark drunkenness, they invariably add an opprobrium to the observation.

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