98 AFlilCAN WANDERINGS.

branches, till we again got into our old path among the durra fields This young man, who, next morning accepting our invitation, accompanied us into the camp, acted thus to protect us from an intended attack, which might have cost us our lives, had he not fortunately heard of it, and so avoided it. This evil opinion of us Melek Mahmud afterwards confirmed, and told us the people were very much excited (salahn) from our taking such accurate notice of every thing.

Our way back led through the same country we had already seen, but our march was very slow, as our dromedaries, from all supplies being yesterday refused us, had been without food ; and on their account we were often obliged to stop to allow them to browse on the trees as they went along. "VVe again rode along the gohr in Mohammed Din's village, and quietly dismounted at Sali Effendi's small branch-formed hut, he having proceeded somewhere else on his tribute-collecting business. Although this hut was open on both sides, we fortunately found here a store of some pieces of flesh which we much enjoyed, and by promise of some medicine for the cholic, we obtained from a Sheik some merissa ; but from the natives themselves, as before, nothing was to be had. Towards evening we reached our own camp ; but some half hour before doing so we came on some trees, where many hundreds of turtle doves were roosting, so that we soon supplied ourselves with materials for a supper ; though many we shot we had to leave on the ground, as we dared not venture into the bushes to pick them up, from the numerous venomous snakes and other insects, and the darkness, too, which was setting in. On our return, we had again been met by long trains of Arabs bearing away durra from the fields to their hiding places. The cotton plantations round our camp of Aronga were, indeed, of considerable extent, and even during the present dry season oflered a vigorous and fresh verdure that showed their healthiness, but neither in extent or luxuriance are they to be compared to the durra fields, nor are they, considering their great importance, at all in keeping with the numbers of the Haddenda; it is true the Haddenda are yet too much of the Bedouin, — a race that shun and despise all kinds of domestic labour, and who, if they had cotton plantations, would be tied to these spots ; but