Moreover, he had been laughed
to scorn by the Badawin, who seeing him pull up his dromedary to mount
and dismount, had questioned his sex, and determined him to be
[p.127] a woman of the “Miyan.[FN#3]” I could not rebuke them; the poor
fellow’s timidity was a ridiculous contrast to the Badawi’s style of
mounting; a pull at the camel’s head, the left foot placed on the neck,
an agile spring, and a scramble into the saddle. Shaykh Nur, elated by
the sight of old Ali’s luxuries, promised himself some joyous hours; but
next morning he owned with a sigh that he had purchased splendour at
the extravagant price of happiness—the senior’s tongue never rested
throughout the livelong night.
During our half-halt at Al-Suwayrkiyah we determined to have a small
feast; we bought some fresh dates, and we paid a dollar and a half for
a sheep. Hungry travellers consider “liver and fry” a dish to set before a
Shaykh. On this occasion, however, our enjoyment was marred by the
water; even Soyer’s dinners would scarcely charm if washed down with cups
of a certain mineral-spring found at Epsom.
We started at ten A.M. (Monday, 5th September) in a South-Easterly
direction, and travelled over a flat, thinly dotted with Desert
vegetation.
