Page 138 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

VII.] GULF OF ’AKABAH. 119

how often 1 had been there. In these remote
districts, I am induced to believe the dis­

tinctions of Mussulman and Christian are
scarcely known, or at all events, not heeded.

Our slumbers were disturbed about mid­
night, by intelligence that the Sheikh had
seized our pilot, and intended, by so doing,
to extort more money, in addition to what had
been already procured, for extending his pro­
tection to us.
We passed the whole of next day in nego­
tiating with the Sheikh. When threatened

with the Pacha’s vengeance, he replied, by
telling us we might go to the “ Sooltan” if we
pleased ; that he feared neither the one nor the
other, and was determined to keep the man
until his demand for two hundred dollars,
which he averred Seroor had promised him,
was complied with. We had reason to be­
lieve that the elders of the tribe opposed this
open violation of his word by every argument
in their power, for they were considerably
excited when he told us we might leave

without him ; and we asked the question if,
under such circumstances, he would have
abandoned a follower; remarking, at the same