The flames rushed on, and we already felt the
heat, as volumes of smoke enveloped us; I thought it advisable to
carry the gunpowder (about 20 lbs.), down to the river, together
with the rifles; while my wife and Mahomet dragged the various
articles of luggage to the same place of safety. The fire now
approached within about sixty yards, and dragging out the iron
pins, I let the tent fall to the ground. The Arabs had swept a
line like a highroad perfectly clean, and they were still tearing
away the grass, when they were suddenly obliged to rush back as
the flames arrived.
Almost instantaneously the smoke blew over us, but the fire had
expired upon meeting the cleared ground. I now gave them a little
lecture upon obedience to orders; and from that day, their first
act upon halting for the night was to clear away the grass, lest
I should repeat the entertainment. In countries that are covered
with dry grass, it should be an invariable rule to clear the
ground around the camp before night; hostile natives will
frequently fire the grass to windward of a party, or careless
servants may leave their pipes upon the ground, which fanned by
the wind would quickly create a blaze.
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