66 THE WAY OF MOUNT SEIR"-WADEY EL G'SSAIM. 201

For two nights past we had felt it exceedingly cold for such a climate; and, indeed, in the morning we found our clothes and linen damp with the night-dew-a rather unusual circumstance at this season of the year.

2

Our fourth day's journey, from Wadey el Mushehhem through Wadey el Kurciyeh, which cost us ten hours of fatiguing and dreary travelling, quite filled my mind with an idea of "the great and terrible wilderness." We were in the direction of "the way of Mount Scir," which lay directly from Mount Horeb, across the wilderness of Paran, in a northeasterly direction; from whence Moses sent forth to spy out the land of Canaan. During a great part of the day, we were harassed by drifting sands; and when, at noon, we lay down for rest, we awoke almost covered by accumulations which had been driven under the edge of the tent. The night was boisterous-so much as to jeopardize our encampment; but we weathered it; and after upwards of nine hours wearisome toil over sandy plains during the next day, we encamped soon after sunset, in a lovely spot called Wadey el G'ssaim." It is a splendid amphitheatre of beautifully outlined and tinted hills, the colours of which were strikingly brought out by the rich beams of the setting sun. I do not know that I ever felt the effect of colour more than I did on this occasion. Every object in the caravan-the camels-Arabs, &c.—all were bathed in the gorgeous light, as we gathered round the wells which supplied refreshment for the beasts.

On our arrival at

The next day was an eventful one. Wadey el G'ssaim, on the preceding evening, a rumour ran through the encampment, that the Tiyâhah tribe, into whose territory we had then just entered, and who are numerous and powerful, claimed the exclusive right to conduct travellers through their own country towards Dhaheriyeh, and intended to enforce their claim by compelling our escort to return, and by supplying us, on their own terms, with

1 Deut. i. 2.

Numb. xiii. 3-29.

3 Or, "Wadey Es-Ain."

202

ADVENTURE WITH THE TIYAHAH TRIBE.

camels belonging to their tribe. We gave little heed to this-believing that any little difficulty that might arise, would be easily adjusted; the more especially as there was no actual feud, or "blood," between the Sinaite and Tiyâhah tribes. A Sheikh of the latter tribe had accompanied us from Akabah, and given us full assurance of safety; but it afterwards appeared that there are two divisions of the tribe-that he presided over the more distant division, and had no authority over that on whose territory we had entered.

In the morning, soon after daybreak, the latter came down upon us in a large body-perhaps about one hundred strong, and as wild and ferocious a set of savages as one would wish to meet in the Desert-armed to the teeth with their long matchlock guns, and the other usual weapons, Hearing a stir in the encampment, we rose and looked out, and were rather startled at seeing one division of them prepared to discuss the question with our people, while the other occupied the brow of a steep rock, commanding every turn of the pass by which we should have to proceed, with their guns ready, and their matches actually burning and prepared for an attack, in the event of our attempting to march.

The discussion proceeded with noisy violence till about eight o'clock, during all which time we were in the power of these vexatious visitors. We and our servants kept aloof as much as possible, and maintained an air of calm and fearless indifference to the whole scene. While the hopeless wrangling proceeded, three shots were fired from the brow of the rock occupied by one division, but whether as a signal for others of their tribe to join them, or for the purpose of intimidation, it was not easy to determine. The Bedaween are

1 If an Arab of one tribe happens to kill one of another tribe-there is said to be "blood" between the tribes. Blood is to be repaid only by blood; except death is caused by accident, in which case the penalty is commuted for sheep, or camels. This illustrates Exodus xxi. 13. Numbers xxxv. 9, &c. Joshua xx. 1, &c.

Deut. xix. 4, &c.

ADVENTURE WITH THE TIYAHAH TRIBE.

203

great cowards, no doubt; and but for their matchlock guns, with which they take a clever aim from a distance, I believe half a dozen cool and determined Englishmen would put a score of them to flight.

Soon after eight o'clock, our Sheikhs acceded to the terms proposed. At a given signal, the party on the rock vacated their position, and came down into the encampment. The terms, so far as I could understand them, were, that our Sinaite Bedaween should be dismissed, with their camels—that a supply of camels, of equal number, should be furnished by the new tribe, to convey us throughout to Dhaheriyeh; and that the Sheikhs in our caravan should be allowed to accompany us according to their contract. We were most unwilling to part with our Arabs, who had accompanied us all the way from Cairo; but there was no avoiding it. And surely we had no right to complain of Desert. laws and usages.

The place of our encampment was now crowded with camels, which had been brought by the Tiyâhah Arabs; and it was one of the wildest scenes of uproar and clamour I ever witnessed, while each individual possessing a camel, insisted on having it taken into service. Sabres were drawn by men of the same tribe, upon each other; and a slight wound or two inflicted, while cutting off the baggage from one loaded beast, in order to put it, by force, upon another. And there is no doubt, that many a display of desert ferocity would have been made, but for the resolute interference of the less excited actors in the strange, wild drama. There was one disappointed savage, whose flashing eye and fiendish malignity I shall never totally forget. He stalked away like a man bent on mischief. There was a very remarkable difference between the appearance and manner of the Tiyâhah tribe, and those with whom we had long been familiar. They had a gaunt, hungry and sanguinary air, and a recklessness of bearing which proclaimed them to be among the most untamed sons of the Desert. For the most part too, they were taller, more sinewy and attenuated

192

TERMINATION OF SOJOURN AT AKABAH.

A quiet, calm, lovely night terminated our sojourn at Akabah. We went to our repose in that wild spot, with our hearts resting on the renewed mercies of God, and our hopes looking forth to the wilderness of Paran.

CHAPTER V.

THE DESERT;

FROM AKABAH TO DIAHERIYEH.

WILDERNESS OF PARAN-DEPARTURE FROM AKABAH-PLAIN OF DARFUREKH— STRANGERS-THE HAIWAT TRIBE-WADEY EL MUSHEHHEM-"THE WAY OF MOUNT SEIR"-WADEY EL G'SSAIM-ADVENTURE WITH THE TIYAHAH TRIBE ADJUSTMENT OF DIFFERENCES-EBODAH-'ABDEH-WADEY RUHAIBEH-REHOBOTH-WADEY EL KHALUSEI-ELUSA-THE RETEMTHE BORDERS OF CANAAN — BIR-ES-SEDA — BEERSHEBA — DHAHERIYEHAGRICULTURAL PURSUITS-DISMISSAL OF THE BEDAWEEN.

ER

Ir was in the wilderness of Paran that Ishmael dwelt, when from the days of his youth he grew up and became an archer; and God was with the lad.' And it was in this "great and terrible wilderness," also, that for thirty-eight of their forty years, the people of Israel wandered. Hitherto we had trodden much in their footsteps, and perhaps pitched our tents on the very scenes of some of their encampments. A similar source of delightful satisfaction awaited us in the wilderness of Paran. We could not but feel a deepened sense of the reality of scripture narrative while journeying through these venerable localities. Indeed, the very habits of oriental life made me often feel as if I were actually living

1 Genesis xxi. 20, 21.

Deut. ii. 14. The whole of this part of the Desert is called by the Arabs Et Tih-that is "the wandering." The name Et Tîh, as applied to this locality, is found both in Edrisa and Abulfeda, who refer it to the wanderings of the children of Israel.