and their weapons, doubtless, have passed from father to son, for several generations. We did not avail ourselves of the tendered services of the party of Bedaween whom we had found awaiting us, having learnt that Sheikh Hussein—the powerful chief of the Oualed Saïd, one of the tribes inhabiting the peninsula of Mount Sinai, was then in Cairo, under orders for escorting an English nobleman through the same route on which we had resolved. We were recommended to obtain and act upon the advice of Sheikh Hussein as to making up our caravan, and selecting our escort; for the purpose of securing which, we sent a polite message to this venerable and celebrated chief, who courteously answered our summons without delay. Though we could not have the benefit of his personal escort, yet I was glad to have an opportunity of seeing and conversing with him; for he had escorted Mr. Stephens, the American traveller, Lord Lindsay, Mr. D. Roberts, whose pencilled scenes in the east have immortalized him—and Mr. Kinnear, the author of one of the pleasantest and most sensibly written books I have met with, intituled "Cairo, Petra and Damascus, in 1839." The appearance of Sheikh Hussein was calm, quiet, and prepossessing. There was an ease and mildness about him which was very taking; and a smile of dignified affability was upon his lip. He was a study for a painter in his happiest mood. His dress was old and faded; but strictly after the manner of the Bedaween. His large iron-hilted sabre, slung by a rude belt of undressed leather, appeared as if it had been drawn in a thousand frays; and seemed scarcely to belong to one so gentle and peaceful in appearance as Sheikh Hussein. His cheeks were as brown as the deepest coloured mahogany or chocolate: his beard grizzled and flowing, and his eyes intensely bright and sparkling. He was thin and sinewy, as if all the animal juices of his body had been dried up by the scorching rays of his native sun. On his neck and bare chest, the skin seemed as if tightly stretched, and glued to the bones. On entering the room, he extended his right hand and gave us the usual salaam, and we exchanged with him the customary salutation, which consists in striking gently the palm of each other's extended hand, and then pressing one's own hand first upon the lips, and next upon the forehead. We all seated ourselves for the conference, and pipes and coffee, according to the oriental custom, were served. Unlike most of the Bedaween, Sheikh Hussein is no smoker; but as it is deemed uncourteous to refuse an offered pipe, he just put it to his lips, took one whiff, and laid it aside. Addressing him through an interpreter, we explained our wishes as to the Desert route, and begged his counsel and advice. He assured us that the route to Jerusalem (El Khoddes) by way of Mount Sinai (Gebel Mousa), Akabah, Wadey Mousa, and Hebron (El Khalil), was perfectly safe, and that the temperature of the season was quite suitable. He strongly recommended that we should put ourselves under the care of Sheikh Suleiman Mengid, the chief of another of the tribes, whose territory is in the peninsula of Sinai, who, he said, was then in Cairo. With all the novelty of such an expedition before us, demanding the utmost confidence in those who should be our escort, it may be easily supposed that we listened with great interest to the conversation of our new friend, whom we looked upon as a specimen of those to whom we were about to commit our persons and property, in a country where little else than the law of the sword prevails. We begged Hussein to introduce us to Sheikh Suleiman, which he promised to do; and, after a few minutes of further conversation, he rose to depart, again exchanging with us the usual salutations. For several days the hot khamseen wind had been blowing most oppressively. The thermometer stood at ninety Fahrenheit, in the shade-I know not at what in the sun. The very thought of the Desert at such a time, was scorching. On the day after Sheikh Hussein's visit, he returned to us, bringing with him Sheikh Suleiman, as our proposed SHEIKH SULEIMAN MENGID. 95 escort, first to Mount Sinai, and thence to Akabah. Suleiman was one of the most portly and majestic Arabs I have ever seen. He was dressed in an under garment or cassock of crimson, bound round the waist with a shawl, in which were placed his pistols and crooked knife. Over this he wore the usual purple mantle, in full picturesque folds, and a turban formed of a cashmere shawl. After a brief conversation, and interchange of civilities, we proceeded direct to the British Consulate, for the purpose of making our contract in a formal manner. A Bedawee Arab will haggle and drive the hardest bargain, in order to get the very last piastre; and for that purpose will descend to almost any meanness; but when once the contract is made with him, he honestly fulfils it to the minutest particular; and considers that he has enlisted himself-life and heart in your service. Though I had in some degree familiarized my mind, by previous reading, with the Desert route, and with the habits and customs of the Arabs, yet I confess there was almost an uneasy sensation in my mind, as we went with these two mighty chiefs—both fit subjects for the pencil of Salvator Rosa himself to the cancellaria of the British Consul, for the purpose of signing and sealing our preliminary arrangements. Again and again I felt, how vain is the help of man; and how entirely it became us to see that, in prospect of such an expedition, we were resting on the arm of a covenant God. Our contract was soon made, and consisted of the following particulars :-Sheikh Suleiman was to give us safe conduct direct to Mount Sinai, where we were to stay three days at the least; next, to the fort of Akabah, at the eastern gulph of the Red Sea, where we were to stay two days at least; and there to determine upon our future route, either through Edom, or otherwise. Sheikh Suleiman was to provide a suitable supply of camels, proportioned to our numbers and baggage, and an efficient escort of Arabs, of his tribe. The hire for each camel was to be two hundred and fifty piastres, that is, about two pounds ten shillings, English. 96 PREPARATIONS FOR THE DESERT. Should additional camels be at any time wanted, they were to be supplied at the same rate. And it was stipulated, that in the event of our staying more than three days at Mount Sinai, or two at Akabah, we were to pay ten piastres per day for each camel, in addition to the price already contracted for. When these various matters were all agreed on, they were reduced to writing, in the form of a regular contract, first in Arabic, and then in English. The former was read over to Sheikh Suleiman, who listened with great gravity of attention; and then, laying his hand first on his heart, and next on his head, as a token and pledge of fidelity, said "Tayeeb, tayeeb"-very good, very good. And when we had affixed our signatures to the document, the Sheikh drew from under his girdle, a small brass seal, engraved with Arabic charactershis name and style, I suppose-from which an impression was made on the paper. This act was duly registered in the cancellaria. This matter of business having been fully arranged, and the tenth of May fixed as the day of our departure, we separated with mutual satisfaction-the Sheikh to his bivouac, on the borders of the Desert, and we to the bazaars, to make the remaining needful purchases for our expedition-bearing in mind, that if any thing should be forgotten, no bazaars would be found by the way. To those who are accustomed to the ease and safety of European travelling, the preparations for a Desert route are of a very novel kind. Our provisions consisted of casks of biscuit, rice, maccaroni, vermicelli, pasta, dried fruits, coffee; and tobacco, for the Arabs, in abundance; a canteen with plates, dishes, knives, forks, spoons, and cooking vessels, a coffee pot, charcoal for cooking, block tin basons for washing, a large supply of well-seasoned skins for water (new ones being objectionable on account of the rancid taste they are apt to impart to the water), Arab umbrellas, rudely made of green and white cotton stuff, to protect the face against the sun; porous water bottles made of baked earth, to be slung at the saddle, which, by evaporation, keep the water comparatively cool for immediate use; a firm well-constructed PREPARATIONS FOR THE DESERT. 97 tent for ourselves, and another for our servants, with camp stools and a table made to fold up with the tent; segaddehs or prayer-carpets used by the Musselmans-to form part of our beds by night, and saddles by day; mattresses and light coverlids, and nicely constructed framework, made of split branches of the palm tree, to protect our bedding from damp and vermin; Arab lamps, to be suspended in the tents at night, and a good store of wax candles and oil; pistols, sabres, ammunition, and Arab attire, which our friends in Alexandria and Cairo advised us to assume. The costume which I wore was that of a Khowaga, or merchant of Cairo, consisting of white linen trousers of very spacious dimensions, yellow morocco slippers next my feet, and scarlet ones over them; a cassock of rich crimson and yellow Damascus stuff, bound round the waist with a long silk scarf of variegated colours, and over it a flowing robe of olive coloured cloth; a white turban and tarbouch, or crimson-felt skull cap, with a close linen cap within it-affording the most comfortable dress for the head (which was shaved according to the oriental custom), and protecting very effectually against the intense heat of the sun. The next thing was to secure experienced and trustworthy servants; for upon success in this particular, much of the comfort of the traveller depends. The Arab servants bear, in general, a bad character, although most of them contrive somehow to have fair testimonials. We agreed with one as our dragoman, or principal, whose testimonials were many, and highly satisfactory-an active, intelligent, and experienced man, well acquainted not only with the Desert route, but with Syria and Palestine also. In addition to his other qualifications, he spoke very understandable English, and better Italian. He had Bedaween blood in his veins, and a dash of Quixotism in his character. Hassenein certainly prepossessed me much in his favour from the beginning, and never disappointed me. Upon his recommendation we agreed with a second, as cook; and if ever there was a faithful Arab servant, Abd'lawahyed (pronounced Abd'lo-a-heit) was H |