But Before Returning,
We Ate Some Sweetmeats Sent Us By The Guarda-Pipa, With A Cup Of Coffee.
The Guarda-Pipa Is Also A Dragoman Interpreter Of His Highness, And A
Genoese By Birth, But Now A Renegade.
In this country they do not know
what a good breakfast is; they take a cup of coffee in the morning
early, and wait till twelve or one o'clock, when they take a hearty
meal, and then sup in the evening, late or early, according to the
season.
Before returning to Tunis, we called upon his Highness, and told
him our object. We afterwards called to see the Bey every morning, to
pay our respects to him, as was befitting on these occasions. His
Highness entered into the most familiar conversation with us.
On coming back again from Tunis, it rained hard, which continued all
night. In the evening the welcome news was proclaimed that the tents
would not be struck until daylight: previously, the camp was always
struck at 3 o'clock, about three hours before daylight, which gave rise
to great confusion, besides being without shelter during the coldest
part of the night (three hours before sun-rise) was a very serious trial
for the health of the men. The reason, however, was, to enable the
camels to get up to the new encampment; their progress, though regular
and continual, is very slow.
Of a morning the music played off the _reveil_ an hour before sunrise.
The camp presented an animated appearance, with the striking of tents,
packing camels, mounting horses, &c. We paid our respects to his
Highness, who was sitting in an Arab tent, his own being down.
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