20th July. Immediately outside Raid, we had to ascend a rather
considerable mountain by a bad and dangerous road, and then came out
upon an extensive elevated plain. We left the high mountains
further behind, the headlands were covered with short grass, but
there was again a great deficiency of trees. We met great numbers
of herds of goats and sheep. The latter were very large, with thick
wool and fat tails; the wool is said to be particularly good and
fine.
My apprehensions on this journey were not quite groundless, as it
was seldom that a day passed in undisturbed quiet. Today, for
instance, a circumstance occurred which frightened me not a little:
our caravan consisted of six men and fourteen pack animals; we were
quietly pursuing our way, when suddenly a troop of mounted men came
dashing down upon us at full gallop. There were seven well-armed,
and five unarmed. The former carried lances, sabres, daggers,
knives, pistols, and shields; they were dressed like the common
people, with the exception of the turban, which was wound round with
a simple Persian shawl.
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