DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0043
34
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
their long pipes, with their long guns, swords, and
pistols hanging above their heads. They rose
and gave me a seat beside them, and the whole of
the little population of the fortress, and the Be-
douins living under the palm-trees outside, gather-
ed around to gaze at the stranger. The great car-
avan of pilgrims for Mecca had left them only three
days before; and, except upon the passing and re-
turn of the caravan, years pass by without a stran-
ger ever appearing at the fortress. They had
heard of my coming, for the sheik had waited two
days after the departure of the caravan, and had
only gone that morning, leaving directions with
the governor to send for him as soon as I arrived.
I was somewhat surprised at his confidence in my
coming, for when I saw him I was very far from
being decided; but in the miserable condition in
which I found myself, I hailed it as a favourable
omen. The governor soon came, and was pro-
fuse in his offers of service, beginning, of course,
with coffee and a pipe, which I was forced to de-
cline, apologizing on the ground of my extreme
indisposition, and begged to be conducted to a
room by myself. The governor rose and con-
ducted me, and every Bedouin present followed
after; and when I came to the room by myself, I
had at least forty of them around me. Once Paul
prevailed on some of them to go out; but they
soon came back again, and I was too ill to urge
the matter.
The very aspect of the room into which I was
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
their long pipes, with their long guns, swords, and
pistols hanging above their heads. They rose
and gave me a seat beside them, and the whole of
the little population of the fortress, and the Be-
douins living under the palm-trees outside, gather-
ed around to gaze at the stranger. The great car-
avan of pilgrims for Mecca had left them only three
days before; and, except upon the passing and re-
turn of the caravan, years pass by without a stran-
ger ever appearing at the fortress. They had
heard of my coming, for the sheik had waited two
days after the departure of the caravan, and had
only gone that morning, leaving directions with
the governor to send for him as soon as I arrived.
I was somewhat surprised at his confidence in my
coming, for when I saw him I was very far from
being decided; but in the miserable condition in
which I found myself, I hailed it as a favourable
omen. The governor soon came, and was pro-
fuse in his offers of service, beginning, of course,
with coffee and a pipe, which I was forced to de-
cline, apologizing on the ground of my extreme
indisposition, and begged to be conducted to a
room by myself. The governor rose and con-
ducted me, and every Bedouin present followed
after; and when I came to the room by myself, I
had at least forty of them around me. Once Paul
prevailed on some of them to go out; but they
soon came back again, and I was too ill to urge
the matter.
The very aspect of the room into which I was