CHAPTER IV. THE DESERT: FROM MOUNT SINAI TO AKABAH. DEPARTURE FROM MOUNT SINAI-ROUTE TOWARDS AKABAH-THE MEZZENIDESERT FEUD-ADVENTURE WITH THE MEZZENI-WADEY EL AYUN-ARAB SUPERSTITION-WADEY EL AYUN-FOUNTAIN-NIGHT-MARCH-MURDER OF SHEIKH SULEIMAN-THE JOURNEY RESUMED-EL HANEKH-AKABAH MOVEMENTS ENCAMPMENT AT AKABAH SHEIKH HUSSEINFINAL ARRANGEMENTS-PANIC-TERMINATION OF SOJOURN AT AKABAH. IN the mind of the traveller who has once really felt the desolateness of a Desert-route, and experienced somewhat of its privations, many an anxious and foreboding thought mingles itself with his bright pictures of pleasurable anticipation, when setting out for a second stage, amidst scenes all new, strange and venerable. And there is something, too, in the manner of Desert life, which greatly stimulates the awakened imagination. I felt, while sojourning in the quiet convent of Mount Sinai, that so far indeed had the good hand of God conducted us, as surely and safely as if we had beheld him in the pillar of the cloud and in the pillar of fire. And certainly, there is nothing that can brace up the heart for difficulty and danger, more than a simple perception of our filial relation to a God of love. I trust this was the real state of my mind, when again I found myself surrounded by the wild-eyed children of the wilderness, equipped, armed, and ready M 162 DEPARTURE FROM MOUNT SINAI. for the intended expedition to Akabah, the Ezion-geber of scripture. There was something in the very stir of preparation-in the moaning and gurgling of camels, and in the guttural volubility of Arab escorts which carried back my mind, with vivid recollection, to the scenes we had passed; while far in the dim distance, imagination beheld the land of promise, and the Holy City of our God, to which every step was tending. We had given orders to Sheikh Suleiman to conduct us by the ordinary route, described by Lord Lindsay and many others, which would have brought us soon to the shores of the north-eastern arm of the Red, Sea, by way of Wadey Sa'l and Ayun Hudhera, to Ayùn en Nuweibia; but, for reasons which will by and by be apparent, he determined to take us by a more circuitous way, of which we were quite ignorant, until our disappointment at not reaching the Red Sea, led to an enquiry, and morcover, to a confession on the part of Suleiman, that he had disobeyed orders. The truth is, he was aware of danger, and no doubt hoped by a little management to avoid it. On the day of our departure from Mount Sinai, our way lay partly across the plain of El Raha; when, striking off in a north-easterly direction, we entered Wadey Sheikh, which winds round to the west, and joins Wadey Feiran, and from which open off several passes over Debhet er Ramleh and Gebel el Tih, through one of which Suleiman conducted us. Soon after entering Wadey Sheikh, we noticed a Sheikh's tomb, of some antiquity, from which the present name of this pass is derived; and as we started so late in the day, we made but little way, and pitched our tents for the night at a small distance from the tomb. A Sheikh's tomb is always an object of superstitious veneration among the Arabs, as we had several opportunities of observing. On arriving at one, it is 1 Numb. xxxiii. 35, 36. Deut. ii. 8. 1 Kings ix. 26. 2 Chron. viii. 17. ROUTE TOWARDS AKABAH. 163 a common thing for them to gather up handfuls of sand, which they sprinkle upon the heads and into the ears of the camels, as a charm against accident and danger. At six o'clock on the morning of the twenty-sixth of May, we recommenced our journey in good earnest; and, quitting Wadey Sheikh, soon entered upon a dreary and desolate. waste, lifeless and herbless, where we encamped at noon; and during the afternoon march, proceeded through a scene of wild grandeur which deeply affected my mind. I could not distinctly learn its Arab designation, nor can I find it clearly laid down in the maps. It was not the vastness of mountain heights that awed me; but it seemed as if the whole region had once been in a state of volcanic fusion-as if the mountains had flowed down at the presence of Jehovah. The surface was, in most parts, as white as drifted snow. This was, by and by, exchanged for the most remarkable rocky formation, in horizontal strata, having, in some parts, the appearance of architectural remains. of gigantic proportions, somewhat like those we had noticed in Wadey Nassb; and in others, the rocks appeared like Egyptian pyramids, worn down by age and storms. The silence of this mountain solitude was very impressive. As we glided along, it seemed like a city of the dead. While encamped at noon, a sudden squall of wind nearly carried away our tent. I managed, by a strong effort, to grasp it firmly, till our sleeping Bedaween were aroused, who soon reinstated it; but we were sadly annoyed by the clouds of sand which swept around us. At the early part of the day, Sheikh Suleiman fell sick. He asked if I were a Hakim (a physician), and whether I would give him medicine. I suspected he had been living too freely, while having access to the kitchen-tent during the past route, and also while we rested at the convent. When by themselves, the Bedaween live upon the most spare diet; but are ready to partake very freely of European fare when it comes in their way. I prescribed for him accordingly, 164 ROUTE TOWARDS AKABAH. and bade him starve for two days. While halting at noon, he became worse-extremely feverish, and unfit, as I feared, to proceed. But he insisted on mounting his camel, when all was ready. The poor Bedaween seemed greatly to appreciate my attention to their Sheikh-greeted me with hearty Bisalaams, and repeatedly called me "Hakim tayeeb," (good physician.) The Bedaween are amusing people. I was riding, to-day, beside one of them, named Jumar, a nephew of Suleiman, whose beard and mustaches were of rather luxuriant growth. He made many signs about his beard, and pointed at mine; but all I could understand, was, an apparent intention to remark, that Europeans wore beards as well as Bedaween. However, I was mistaken; for when Hassenein came up, I made him interpret; and the secret of all the gesticulary exercise, was, only that my Bedawee friend wished me to bestow on him a pair of scissors, with which to trim his beard into a politer shape. During the following day, our route lay in the waste and dreary region of Debhet er Ramleh. When getting the caravan together, Suleiman presented himself with every indication of improved health. He talked, shouted, and ordered as volubly as ever; and, approaching me as I walked out from the tent-cried "Hakim tayeeb-Hakim tayeeb," and then thrust out his tongue, and made me feel his pulse, to be sure of his amendment. Soon after we had pitched for our noontide rest, in came Suleiman, bringing with him his own jet-black coffee pot; and, with a hearty air of cordiality, invited us to share its contents. He had often partaken of the chibouk and coffee on our invitation; but now, he was, no doubt, anxious to show some token of thankfulness for my sympathy and medical success. We encamped at noon, just within the borders of the territory of the Mezzeni-a powerful tribe, between whom and those of the peninsula of Sinai, was a feud of several THE MEZZENI-DESERT FEUD. 165 years standing, arising out of a long preferred claim of the former, to be the escort of travellers to Akabah (as the route lies through their country), but which had been, time out of mind, monopolized by the Sinaite tribes. Matters had proceeded so far, that war between the tribes had been for some time declared; and the Mezzeni were as determined to assert, as the Sinaite tribes to resist, by force of arms, the offensive claim. A similar spirit is now manifesting itself throughout the Desert, whenever tribes have reason to believe they are numerically strong enough to support their claims. The effect of this, as it spreads, will tend to make the Desert journey vexatious and trying, if not personally dangerous. When making our bargain at Cairo with Suleiman, for safe conduct to Akabah, we were not aware of the existence of any feud that could at all interfere with our movements; nor, indeed, did we know of any such thing, till we were encamped, when Hassenein told us that Suleiman was apprehending an attack from the Mezzeni, through whose territory we were then about to pass. We looked upon this, at first, as one of the tricks resorted to by the Bedaween to enhance the value of their services, so as to lay claim to a larger backsheech, at the end of the journey. Certainly, Suleiman appeared anxious and ill at ease; and far more silent and thoughtful than I had ever seen him before. But this I ascribed more to the brief indisposition he had suffered, and to the rather strong remedies I had applied, than to any other cause. When Hassenein gave us the information above referred to, I recollected that during the afternoon march of the preceding day, a strange Arab, who seemed to spring out of the earth as it were, suddenly joined our caravan, and was in earnest conversation with Suleiman, apart; and I also recalled to mind the fact, that the same Arab (who had the appearance and bearing of a Sheikh) had joined us when we commenced our morning march to-day, and had left us—I knew not where or when. Hassenein discovered that this man really was a |