my cloak with a view to induce perspiration, and was
asleep, when a party of Moors entered the hut, and
with their usual rudeness pulled the cloak from me.
I made signs to them that I was sick, and wished
much to sleep, but I solicited in vain; my distress
was matter of sport to them, and they endeavoured
to heighten it by every means in their power.
In this perplexity I left my hut, and walked to some
shady trees at a little distance from the camp, where
I lay down. But even here persecution followed
me, and solitude was thought too great an indulgence
for a distressed Christian. Ali’s son,
with a number of horsemen, came galloping to the place,
and ordered me to rise and follow them. I begged
they would allow me to remain where I was, if it was
only for a few hours; but they paid little attention
to what I said, and, after a few threatening words,
one of them pulled out a pistol from a leather bag
that was fastened to the pommel of his saddle, and
presenting it towards me, snapped it twice. He
did this with so much indifference, that I really
doubted whether the pistol was loaded. He cocked
it a third time, and was striking the flint with a
piece of steel, when I begged them to desist, and returned
with them to the camp. When we entered Ali’s
tent we found him much out of humour. He called
for the Moor’s pistol, and amused himself for
some time with opening and shutting the pan; at length
taking up his powder-horn, he fresh primed it, and,
turning round to me with a menacing look, said something
in Arabic which I did not understand. I desired
my boy, who was sitting before the tent, to inquire
what offence I had committed; when I was informed,
that having gone out of the camp without Ali’s
permission, they suspected that I had some design
of making my escape; and that, in future, if I was
seen without the skirts of the camp, orders had been
given that I should be shot by the first person that
observed me.
In the afternoon the horizon to the eastward was thick
and hazy, and the Moors prognosticated a sand wind,
which accordingly commenced on the morning following,
and lasted, with slight intermissions, for two days.
The force of the wind was not in itself very great;
it was what a seaman would have denominated a stiff
breeze; but the quantity of sand and dust carried
before it was such as to darken the whole atmosphere.
About this time all the women of the camp had their
feet and the ends of their fingers stained of a dark
saffron colour. I could never ascertain whether
this was done from motives of religion, or by way
of ornament.
March 28.—This morning a large herd of
cattle arrived from the eastward, and one of the drivers,
to whom Ali had lent my horse, came into my hut with
the leg of an antelope as a present, and told me that
my horse was standing before Ali’s tent.
In a little time Ali sent one of his slaves to inform
me that in the afternoon I must be in readiness to
ride out with him, as he intended to show me to some
of his women.