120 AFRICAN WANDERINGS.

ing on liim after the decisive step was taken, liis first question was, as he looked inquiringly at us, " Chabare ? " (What's the news? What's going on?) On our giving no direct answer, he broached the subject and said, on our remarking that we were not sufficiently acquainted with the state of matters to judge fairly of them, that he certainly had the strongest grounds for so acting nay, that this course was absolutely the only one. Of one thing, however, he may rest certain, that his meditated mighty plans of improving these countries are, if not for ever, at least for a long, long period, all crushed and baffled, as he will never now make aught of their inhabitants, who will, after this, much rather desert and quit for ever these lands, than allow him to introduce alterations and improvements among them. With Mohammed Din's incarceration, all faith of the Arabs in the Pascha has vanished ; kind and friendly as he has acted, and may in future act toward them, all confidence is gone, and their hatred to the Turks, strong enough already, from the reports of their cruelties related by fugitives from Schendy and Damer, as well as by the former visits of the Defterdar, yet too well remembered, will be by his conduct inflamed and strengthened.

Life in our camp has little to recommend it. At night Arabs swarm round us on all sides, whose peculiar cries and bowlings portend nothing pleasant. The war-cry of the Arabs, a high shrill " Rara ra la lah," similar to that of the Maniotes, has something hideous and unnatural about it, especially during the night, and leads one to suppose the utterers to be far more numerous than they really are. Measures of great precaution have been taken on our side, in case of any sudden attack. The whole cavalry encamp at night outside the seriba, and one-third of the infantry is always under arms, being relieved at intervals of two hours by the other divisions. The fatigues of these duties, added to the bad food, have brought sicknesses of all kinds on the soldiery. Why should not one division remain on duty all night, and thus give the infantry two full nights' rest out of every three ?

To the tedium and ennui of our camp-life had now been added other annoyances. Our camel-keeper, Mahomet, must have his siesta during the day, and so allow to bo stolen from under his