out of reach, as they thought, their behaviour was entirely changed; they scarce deigned to speak to us, but smoked their pipes, and kept up a conversation bordering upon ridicule and insolence.
On the side of the Nile, opposite to our boat, a little farther to the south, was a tribe of Arabs encamped.
These are subject to Cairo, or were then at peace with its government. They are called Howadat, being a part of the Atouni, a large tribe that possesses the Isthmus of Suez, and from that go up between the Red Sea and the mountains that bound the east part of the Valley of Egypt. They reach to the length of Cosseir, where they border upon another large tribe called Ababdé, which extends from thence up into Nubia.
Both these are what were anciently called Shepherds, and are now constantly at war with each other.
The Howadat are the same that fell in with Mr Irvine[1] in these very mountains, and conducted him so generously and safely to Cairo. Though little acquainted with the manners, and totally ignorant of the language of his conductors, he imagined them to be, and calls them by no other name, than "the Thieves."
One or two of these straggled down to my boat to seek tobacco and coffee, when I told them, if a few decent menamong
- ↑ See Mr Irvine's Letters.
