1 the population of; the city. By a strict inquiry, however, if
2 wus ascertained that the gun had bo n fired by the watchman of
3 w garden, to frighten the wild beasts, which resorted to the place
4 for the purpose of devouring the melons. Although the whole
5 affair endid with our fright, we nevertheless desired heartily to
6 depart as soon us possible from that miserable place, where
7 jobbery was the order of the day.
8 At. midday we witnessed the owner of an ass being forcibly
9 deprived of his beast; the deed was effected before the gates of
10 the city, and the ass was driven away into the desert. In feet, the
11 Arabs in general may with justice be looked upon as robbers
12 of the worst description.
13 In the course of a week the Agha was perfectly cured, upon
14 which we requested him to despatch u-, without any further
15 delay to Bagdad, according to bis promise, He replied, that
16 his gratitude towards us for the important services we had
17 rendered him, would not allow him to expose our lives to In’s
18 enemies the \gelis, who had by tins time pitched their camp
19 oil the hanks of the river, and he advised us to Wait for a
20 caravan, and join it when passing. But we so Urged upon him
21 the necessity of tour departure, that he despatched us in a boat,
22 in which we descended the river. We were escorted only by
23 one soldier, so that with tin ow ner of the boat, and his man,
24 out party consisted of five persons.
25 On the evening of our depart ni', we got wet through by a
26 violent shower of rain; ir il owing to that, and to the fear of being
27 attacked by the Arabs, who won supposed to b ■ on the banks
28 of the river, we ebutd not sleep; That night and the ensuing
29 day, which by the bye was a delightful one, we passed down the
30 river through lonely and desert regions, where not a man was
31 to be se.-n ; nor, indeed, bail wo aov great wish to see any one.
32 But on the following evening, when it had become quite <lai k,
33 we were aroused hom our slumbers by hearing from the rigid
34 bank, whore the Agelis (as we were told) had their camp, an
35 imperious voice, crying “jed. m! jedem!” (come on, conic on.)
36 Hero t bey are, thought we, and to prevent their firing on us,
37 "<• obeyed the call, and approached the shore. We could