The
Summer Camp To Beja Has A Somewhat Larger Force, The Arabs Of That And
Other Neighbouring Districts Not Being So Loyal To The Government.
Besides the above-named troops, there were two pieces of artillery.
The
band attendant on these troops consisted of two or three flageolets,
kettle-drums, and trumpets made of cow-horns, which, according to the
report of our tourists, when in full play produced the most diabolical
discord.
After a ride of about three hours, we pitched our tents at Beereen.
Through the whole of the route we marched on an average of about four
miles per hour, the horses, camels, &c., walking at a good pace. The
Turkish infantry always came up about two hours after the mounted
troops. Immediately on the tents being pitched, we went to pay our
respects to the Bey, accompanied by Giovanni, "Guardapipa," as
interpreter. His Highness received us very affably, and bade us ask for
anything we wanted. Afterwards, we took some luncheon with the Bey's
doctor, Signore Nunez Vaise, a Tuscan Jew, of whose kindness during our
whole tour it is impossible to speak too highly. The doctor had with him
an assistant, and tent to himself. Haj Kador, Sidi Shakeer, and several
other Moors, were of our luncheon-party, which was a very merry one.
About half-way to Beereen, the Bey stopped at a marabet, a small square
white house, with a dome roof, to pay his devotions to a great Marabout,
or saint, and to ask his parting blessing on the expedition. They told
us to go on, and joined us soon after. Two hours after us, the Turkish
Agha arrived, accompanied with colours, music, and some thirty men. The
Bey received the venerable old gentleman under an immense tent in the
shape of an umbrella, surrounded with his mamelukes and officers of
state. After their meeting and saluting, three guns were fired. The Agha
was saluted every day in the same manner, as he came up with his
infantry after us. We retired for the night at about eight o'clock.
The form of the whole camp, when pitched, consisting of about a dozen
very large tents, was as follows: - The Bey's tent in the centre, which
was surrounded at a distance of about forty feet with those of the
Bash-Hamba [31] of the Arabs, the Agha of the Arabs, the Sahab-el-Tabah,
Haznadar or treasurer, the Bash-Boab, and that of the English tourists;
then further off were the tents of the Katibs and Bash-Katib, the
Bash-Hamba of the Turks, the doctors, and the domestics of the Bey, with
the cookery establishment. Among the attendants of the Bey were the
"guarda-pipa," guard of the pipe, "guarda-fusile," guard of the gun,
"guarda-cafe," guard of the coffee, "guarda-scarpe," guard of the shoes,
[32] and "guarda-acqua," guard of water. A man followed the Bey about
holding in his hand a golden cup, and leading a mule, having two paniers
on its back full of water, which was brought from Tunis by camels.
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