Page 144 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

VIII.] TRAVELS IN OMAN. 105

possessed with a spirit of devilry. They erect

their tails, run here and there, and against
each other; and generally conclude, as they

did with us this evening, by two or three
scampering away and capsizing their baggage.

After this I thought it better to halt, and our

Bedowins having discovered a hollow, which
they always select in preference to other spots,
because sheltered from the wind and serving

to conceal their fires, we collected our camels

and unloaded them for the night. Fahrenheit’s
thermometer stood this evening at 56°, and
we found a fire not only comfortable but ne­

cessary. The Bedowins have a singular mode

of sleeping; they strip themselves of all their
clothes, and having dug a hole in the sand,

pile these, and whatever they can get in ad­
dition, over them; the sword, shield, and

matchlock are placed by their side, and so
disposed as to be ready for immediate use.

Although equally cool, the atmosphere is
not so clear and pure as that which we have

left. The air of Oman (I use this word in the
restricted sense I have attached to it in the

map) is considered to be proverbially unheal­
thy in the cold season; especially within the