gold, which I not only promised him, but told him that I would add
fifty more if I and my maids were honourably treated.

"I never knew the power of gold before. From that time I was the
leader of the troop. The march of every day was longer or shorter
as I commanded, and the tents were pitched where I chose to rest.
We now had camels and other conveniences for travel; my own women
were always at my side, and I amused myself with observing the
manners of the vagrant nations, and with viewing remains of ancient
edifices, with which these deserted countries appear to have been
in some distant age lavishly embellished.

"The chief of the band was a man far from illiterate: he was able
to travel by the stars or the compass, and had marked in his
erratic expeditions such places as are most worthy the notice of a
passenger. He observed to me that buildings are always best
preserved in places little frequented and difficult of access; for
when once a country declines from its primitive splendour, the more
inhabitants are left, the quicker ruin will be made. Walls supply
stones more easily than quarries; and palaces and temples will be
demolished to make stables of granite and cottages of porphyry.'"



CHAPTER XXXIX--THE ADVENTURES OF PEKUAH (continued).



"We wandered about in this manner for some weeks, either, as our
chief pretended, for my gratification, or, as I rather suspected,