411
BOSZEYRA.
and in attempting to carry off the baggage of a French officer
in the Sherkyeh province in Egypt, he was seized, laid under the
stick, and so severely beaten, that his back had from that time
become bent; but notwithstanding this misfortune and his age,
he had lost none of his spirits, and his robust constitution still
enabled him to cross these mountains on foot, and to exert his activity ¬
whenever it was required. These two men partook this evening -
ofmy supper; they of course asked me where I was going, and
shook their heads when I told them I was bound for Akaba. None
of my guides knew what business Thad there, but they supposed that
I had some verbal message to deliver to the Turkish Aga, who was
at the head of the garrison. Ayd es Szaheny (), the old
robber, soon found out that my guide Szaleh knew little of the road,
and still less of the Arab tribes before us. He plainly told him
that he would not be able to ensure either my sasety or his own,
in passing through their districts, and reproached him for having
deluded me with false assurances. There appeared to be so much
good faith and sense in all the old man said, and I found him so
well informed respecting the country, that I soon determined to
engage him to join us; but as we were to descend the next morning
by the same road to the sea-shore, I deferred making him any overtures -
till we should arrive there.
The Wady Boszeyra is enclosed by gray granite rocks, out of
which the Towara Arabs sometimes hew stones for hand mills,
which they dispose of to the northern Arabs, and transport for
sale as far as Khalyl. It is very seldom that any Arabs pasture in
the district we had traversed, from Wady Sal. The Towara find
better pasturage in the southern and south-western parts of the
peninsula, and as its whole population is very small, the more
barren parts of it are abandoned, and especially this side, where
very few wells are found.
3 S
