206 JOURNEY FROiM to bring their camels to be loaded as usual ; whereas one single word from him would, at any time of the dispute, have been sufficient to put an end to it altogether.

This farce was kept up, however, with all due solemnity ; and as an opening was now made towards accommodation, we left Shekh Mahommed to manage matters in his own way, without letting him know we saw through his manoeuvres. It must be allowed, at the same time, that the acting on both sides was excellent : some pretended they were weighing the Dhbbah’s arguments very gravely, while others made a show of not listening to them at all, and walked away towards their camels as if to drive them away, the old Shekh following closely, and holding them by the baracan, while he went through all the manual of pantomimic persuasion. At last he made his appearance in our servants’ tent, and told them very gravely that he had succeeded in appeasing the malcontents, who had now agreed to drop their demands, and to bring their camels to be loaded. He then went through a long string of arguments which he had been obliged to use to induce them to make these concessions, but all of which had proved unavailing ; and he promised at last (he majestically asserted) laying his hand at the same time on his breast, to be answerable for the money himself! Nothing, however, would do, till he fortunately bethought himself of offering in pledge the new gold-lace crimson burnoose, which His Highness the Bashaw had presented him with on his departure from Tripoly ! All eyes, he observed, were fixed on it, as he drew this precious object out of the bag ; and when he unfolded the eloquent garment, and