,178 JOURNEY FROM CHAPTER VIII.

Leave Nehim — Arrive at Boosaida — Shekh Hamed Shakshak — Return of Shekh Mahommed — Revival of the Report above mentioned — Motive for renewing it — Discharge our Mesurata Camel-drivers — Treaty with the Diibbah for others — Interested Conduct of Shekh Mahommed — Commencement of another Salt- Lake at Sharfa — Easy mode of shifting Quarters practised by the Arabs — Their manner of travelling — Termination of the Lake — Arrive at Shegga — Remains of Forts observed there — Other Remains in its Neighbourhood — Abundant Pasturage at Shegga — Fortress ofBengerwad — Peculiarities of its Position — Bengerwad considered as the Castle of Euphrantas — Objections to this Supposition — Reasons in favour of it — Leave Wady Shegga — Cross a Tract of Red Sand — Spacious Bay at Ras Howeijah — Good Anchorage probably found there — Remains of an ancient Town near Ras Howeijah considered as those of Charax — Trade of Charax alluded to, as mentioned by Strabo — Further Reasons for placing the Tower of Euphrantas at Bengerwad — Allusion to the Barter of Silphium at Charax — Emendation of Strabo’s Text proposed by Signor Della Celia — Arrive at Hudia — Alleged Origin of this Name as applied to the Place in question — Hudia lately infested by a formidable Band of Robbers — Precautions of our Arab Esjcort to prevent any Attack — Rigorous Measures of Mahommed Bey apparently very necessary — Remarkable Hill of Gypsum at Hudia — Celebration of Christmas-day by our Party at Hudia — Fortress at Mahiriga — Arrival of a Party of Pilgrims from the Westward— Disturbance at Linoof — Apparent Causes of it — Ill-behaviour of the Diibbah — His sudden change of Conduct, and artful Manoeuvres — Remarks on Arab Character — Satisfactory Termination of the Disturbance— Arrival at Mukhtar, the Boundary of the Districts of Syrt and Barka.

On quitting Nehfm we proceeded along the edge of a marsh which commences there, extending itself for several miles parallel with the beach, from which it is separated by sand-hills, and in the evening arrived at Boosaida. The whole of this tract (from Nehim to Boosaida) is very flat and uninteresting, and we could perceive no remains there of any kind. At Boosaida may be observed the ground-