About five o’clock we came in sight of Benowm, the residence of Ali.  It presented to the eye a great number of dirty-looking tents, scattered without order over a large space of ground; and among the tents appeared large herds of camels, cattle, and goats.  We reached the skirts of this camp a little before sunset, and, with much entreaty, procured a little water.  My arrival was no sooner observed than the people who drew water at the wells threw down their buckets; those in the tents mounted their horses, and men, women, and children, came running or galloping towards me.  I soon found myself surrounded by such a crowd that I could scarcely move; one pulled my clothes, another took off my hat, a third stopped me to examine my waistcoat-buttons, and a fourth called out, “La illah el Allah, Mahamet rasowl allahi”—­("There is but one God, and Mohammed is his Prophet")—­and signified, in a threatening manner, that I must repeat those words.  We reached at length the king’s tent, where we found a great number of people, men and women, assembled.  Ali was sitting upon a black leather cushion, clipping a few hairs from his upper lip, a female attendant holding up a looking-glass before him.  He appeared to be an old man of the Arab cast, with a long white beard; and he had a sullen and indignant aspect.  He surveyed me with attention, and inquired of the Moors if I could speak Arabic.  Being answered in the negative, he appeared much surprised, and continued silent.  The surrounding attendants, and especially the ladies, were abundantly more inquisitive:  they asked a thousand questions, inspected every part of my apparel, searched my pockets, and obliged me to unbutton my waistcoat, and display the whiteness of my skin; they even counted my toes and fingers, as if they doubted whether I was in truth a human being.  In a little time the priest announced evening prayers; but before the people departed, the Moor who had acted as interpreter informed me that Ali was about to present me with something to eat; and looking round, I observed some boys bringing a wild hog, which they tied to one of the tent strings, and Ali made signs to me to kill and dress it for supper.  Though I was very hungry, I did not think it prudent to eat any part of an animal so much detested by the Moors, and therefore told him that I never ate such food.  They then untied the hog, in hopes that it would run immediately at me—­for they believe that a great enmity subsists between hogs and Christians—­but in this they were disappointed, for the animal no sooner regained his liberty than he began to attack indiscriminately every person that came in his way, and at last took shelter under the couch upon which the king was sitting.  The assembly being thus dissolved, I was conducted to the tent of Ali’s chief slave, but was not permitted to enter, nor allowed to touch anything belonging to it.  I requested something to eat, and a little boiled corn, with salt and water, was at length sent me in a wooden bowl; and a mat was spread upon the sand before the tent, on which I passed the night, surrounded by the curious multitude.