The form of the whole camp, when pitched, consisting of about a dozen very large tents, was as follows:—­The Bey’s tent in the centre, which was surrounded at a distance of about forty feet with those of the Bash-Hamba [31] of the Arabs, the Agha of the Arabs, the Sahab-el-Tabah, Haznadar or treasurer, the Bash-Boab, and that of the English tourists; then further off were the tents of the Katibs and Bash-Katib, the Bash-Hamba of the Turks, the doctors, and the domestics of the Bey, with the cookery establishment.  Among the attendants of the Bey were the “guarda-pipa,” guard of the pipe, “guarda-fusile,” guard of the gun, “guarda-cafe,” guard of the coffee, “guarda-scarpe,” guard of the shoes, [32] and “guarda-acqua,” guard of water.  A man followed the Bey about holding in his hand a golden cup, and leading a mule, having two paniers on its back full of water, which was brought from Tunis by camels.  There was also a story-teller, who entertained the Bey every night with the most extraordinary stories, some of them frightfully absurd.  The Bey did not smoke—­a thing extraordinary, as nearly all men smoke in Tunis.  His Highness always dined alone.  None of his ladies ever accompany him in these expeditions.

The tents had in them from twenty to fifty men each.  Our tent consisted of our two selves, a Boab to guard the baggage, two Arabs to tend the horses and camels, and another Moor of all work, besides Captain Balfour’s Maltese, called Michael.  We had three camels for our baggage.  The first night we found very cold; but having abundance of clothing, we slept soundly, in spite of the perpetual wild shoutings of the Arab sentries, stationed round the camp, the roaring and grumbling of the camels, the neighing and coughing of the horses, all doing their utmost to drive away slumber from our eyelids.

We halted on the morrow, which gave us an opportunity of getting a few things from Tunis which we had neglected to bring.  But before returning, we ate some sweetmeats sent us by the guarda-pipa, with a cup of coffee.  The guarda-pipa is also a dragoman interpreter of his Highness, and a Genoese by birth, but now a renegade.  In this country they do not know what a good breakfast is; they take a cup of coffee in the morning early, and wait till twelve or one o’clock, when they take a hearty meal, and then sup in the evening, late or early, according to the season.  Before returning to Tunis, we called upon his Highness, and told him our object.  We afterwards called to see the Bey every morning, to pay our respects to him, as was befitting on these occasions.  His Highness entered into the most familiar conversation with us.

On coming back again from Tunis, it rained hard, which continued all night.  In the evening the welcome news was proclaimed that the tents would not be struck until daylight:  previously, the camp was always struck at 3 o’clock, about three hours before daylight, which gave rise to great confusion, besides being without shelter during the coldest part of the night (three hours before sun-rise) was a very serious trial for the health of the men.  The reason, however, was, to enable the camels to get up to the new encampment; their progress, though regular and continual, is very slow.