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 conveniencies 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 erratick
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.

CHAP. XXXIX.

THE ADVENTURES OF PEKUAH CONTINUED.

"We wandered about, in this manner, for some weeks, whether, as our
chief pretended, for my gratification, or, as I rather suspected, for
some convenience of his own. I endeavoured to appear contented, where
sullenness and resentment would have been of no use, and that endeavour
conduced much to the calmness of my mind; but my heart was always with
Nekayah, and the troubles of the night much overbalanced the amusements
of the day. My women, who threw all their cares upon their mistress, set
their minds at ease, from the time when they saw me treated with
respect, and gave themselves up to the incidental alleviations of our
fatigue, without solicitude or sorrow. I was pleased with their
pleasure, and animated with their confidence. My condition had lost much
of its terrour, since I found that the Arab ranged the country merely to
get riches. Avarice is an uniform and tractable vice: other intellectual
distempers are different in different constitutions of mind; that which
sooths the pride of one, will offend the pride of another; but to the
favour of the covetous, there is a ready way: bring money, and nothing
is denied.

"At last we came to the dwelling of our chief, a strong and spacious
house, built with stone, in an island of the Nile, which lies, as I was
told, under the tropick. 'Lady,' said the Arab, 'you shall rest, after
your