Had spread along the whole valley, so that on our
reaching the first habitations under the date-trees, where I intended to
rest for the night, all the Arabs
WADY FEIRAN
[p.615] assembled, and became extremely clamorous as well against me, as
against Hamd for having accompanied me. I cared but little for their
insolent language, which I knew how to reply to, but I was under some
apprehensions for my servant and baggage, and therefore determined to
rejoin them immediately. We ascended the valley, by a gentle slope, and
reached Hamd’s garden late at night, greatly fatigued, for we had been
almost the whole day upon our legs. We here met the Bedouins and their
girls occupied in singing and dancing, which they kept up till near
midnight.
June 2d.—When I awoke I found about thirty Arabs round me, ready to
begin a new quarrel about my pursuits in their mountains. When they saw
that I paid little attention to their remonstrances, and was packing up
my effects, in order to proceed on my journey, they then asked me for
some victuals and coffee. After having observed to them that I was more
easily prevailed upon by civility than harshness, I distributed among
the poorest such provisions as I should not want on my way back to Suez,
together with some coffee-beans and soap.
