TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 205 sengers returned with the camels. We now threatened the Dubbah with reporting his conduct to the Bashaw, who he very well knew was our friend ; but he appeared not to mind what we said, and did not offer to interest himself in our behalf. Our refractory cameldrivers still refused to bring their camels, although they did not attempt to proceed further on the offensive than the hammering and priming above mentioned ; and nothing seemed left for us, but to put our proposed plan into execution, however ill-timed the delay might be to us, and however unpleasant might be the annoyances which we should probably have been exposed to from the Arabs to whose encampment we must remove, while at variance with the Dubbah and his relations. As there was, however, no alternative but submission to the mutineers, or the immediate adoption of some plan like that we have mentioned, we made up our minds at once upon the occasion; and having concerted arrangements for despatching two of our party to Bengazi, we were proceeding to put them in execution, when matters began to assume a different aspect, and our project very happily was rendered unnecessary.

The Dubbah was the first who began to relent ; he had probably been reflecting upon our threat of reporting his conduct, and he very well knew what an unfavourable footing he would stand upon with the Bashaw, if he ventured so decidedly to disobey the injunctions he had received from him when he was directed to conduct us to Bengazi. He now came out of his tent, and going first to one of his party and then to another, pretended that he was using all the means in his power to induce them to relinquish their demands, and