We started late next day from Berket, and made only four hours to a well. Here it was necessary to wait for Waled Shafou, and the three extra camels which we have hired to go with us to Aheer. The scenery resembles that of yesterday; but there is not so much herbage, and the palms are absent. Probably the date-palms of Berket are the last trees of this species which we shall see until our return. The olive-district has long ago been left behind; and now the columnar date-palm is also to be among the things that were. They report, however, that there is a diminutive species in Aheer. We shall greet this dwarf-cousin of our old friend with pleasure.

We are on our way to meet the Kailouee Tuaricks, with whom we have arranged in Ghat to conduct us by Aheer to Zinder—a service for which we have already paid a hundred dollars of the money of Ghat. They are a company of merchants returning to their own country, and although they will probably protect us to a certain extent, can scarcely inspire so much confidence as Waled Shafou would have done. We travelled four hours on the 26th. Dr. Barth was again lost this evening, having pushed on in his usual eager way for about half an hour. We were filled with alarm. There were two roads dividing at a certain place, one direct and the other turning off at an angle. Naturally, the Doctor followed the straight road, which proved to be the wrong one. However, knowing he had gone on before, my fears were awakened when we reached the fork; and I immediately fired several guns, and ordered a search to be commenced. The guns not only served as guides to Dr. Barth, but introduced us to the Kailouees, who were close at hand, and came running to meet us. Their appearance, for I scarcely know what reason, sent a thrill of joy through our frames; and the weariness and discouragement we had brought with us from Ghat disappeared. We entertained great hopes of these new companions. The first impression they produced was good; for they greeted us most cheerfully, and began helping to unload the camels. They have several female slaves with them, and muster in all some twenty persons and about thirty camels; so that, altogether, we shall form a very respectable caravan.

We rose early on the 27th, and starting at half-past six, continued moving until noon, when we encamped in a valley a little before the water of Akourou, where there is herbage for the camels in a hollow amidst rocky sandstone hills. The scenery of this part of the desert continues to be very varied. The range of lofty marl hills, over which the sun rises for Ghat, is still seen stretching northwards and southwards. Animals feed about here and there; some quails whirr along the ground; black vultures, white eagles, and numerous crows, perch upon the rocks, or speckle the sky overhead. I went to visit the "Water," as they call a small lake that nestles amidst the rocks. It is of some depth, and filled, they say, merely by rain-water, very palatable to drink. Even when no showers occur for several years it does not become quite empty; and as there is no apparent reason for this, I am led to suppose it may be partly fed by some spring in the rocks that form its bed. This lake imparts an unusually cheerful aspect to the valley in which it lies. It is resorted to by the dwellers of the neighbouring district, who come to water their flocks, and feed them on the herbage that springs round the margin. These pools or collections of water are called ghadeer, which I at first mistook for the name of a particular locality. According to Yusuf, this place gives an exact idea of the Tibboo country, where, he says, there are no wells, but vast clefts in the rock, down which pours the water when it rains, to collect in the hollows at the bottom. Our people speak with great respect of this ghadeer. Everything connected with water is sacred in the desert. They say that for several weeks after a rain-storm there are regular cascades over the rocks.

Next day we advanced in six hours to a wady similar to that we had left; curiously shaped sandstone rocks showed themselves on all sides: no fossils were discovered. Asses in droves were seen feeding about. The Tuaricks possess a good number of these useful animals, brought from Soudan, of a finer breed than those at Mourzuk. All the domestic animals of the country are from the same place—the horses, bullocks used to draw the water from the wells, as well as the sheep and asses. Ghat, indeed, is within the circle of Soudan influence; the people dress in Soudan clothes; eat off Soudan utensils; and mingle a great deal of the Soudan language with their Tuarick dialect. We feel, therefore, as if we were now going towards a centre instead of from a centre. Mourzuk, on the contrary, holds itself in connexion with the Arabs of the coast; and seems to receive no influence from the interior except by means of the Tibboos, who form a kind of connecting link. There is a considerable sprinkling of this curious people in the lower portions of the population of Mourzuk, and there are always some genuine specimens to be met with in the streets. It may be said, however, that both the capital of Fezzan and Ghat itself seem rendezvous from all parts of Africa; and I imagine, that in all the souk (market) cities of the interior the same fact will be observed. However, it will remain true, no doubt, that south of Ghat the influence of Soudan will be far more sensibly marked than on the other side.

The son of Shafou, Mahommed Wataitee, who seems to have made up his mind to shirk the journey to Aheer, left us this morning to go to Aroukeen and meet his father, who is encamped with his flocks and dependants around that well. No doubt it is fashionable in Ghat land to be "out of town" at this season of the year. Our Kailouees have determined to take another and more direct road, avoiding Aroukeen and the Azgher Tuaricks in its neighbourhood. Waled Shafou says, he shall fall in with us somewhere about Falezlez; but this seems somewhat doubtful. When people separate in the desert they must not calculate on meeting again in a hurry. We parted about three hours from the water of Akourou, the road to Aroukeen branching off there. He took the easterly route and we the westerly, and we were soon out of sight. Our way still lay through desert-hills, but with vegetation frequently. There was talk of the small oasis of Janet to our left; and we indulged in some pastoral reflections on the life of contemplative ease and primitive simplicity which would be indulged in in such an out-of-the way place.

We seem to have got into some scrape with the Kailouees. Besides the hundred dollars which Haj Ibrahim paid them to conduct us from Aheer to Zinder, it appears he promised them some burnouses, when we have none for them. They mentioned the subject to-day, very naturally. We must do as well as we can. They seem civil enough; but an incident has just occurred which has much displeased me.

It appears that when these people came to Ghat, a few weeks ago, they left a sick slave with some shepherds among these rocks. To-day they inquired about the slave, whether she was dead, or what had become of the poor thing; but the shepherds refused to give any account,—said, in fact, they knew nothing about the matter. Upon this the Kailouees seized a black boy belonging to these poor people and dragged him along, with a rope round his neck, to terrify him into confessing what had become of the slave. The poor boy, however, had nothing to confess; so at last, after they had dragged him for some distance, they let him go. Such is a specimen of the incidents which almost daily occur, arising out of this horrible traffic. I lectured one of the Kailouees on the subject, and told him that we were in Tuarick territory, and that such an action might bring the genuine Tuaricks upon us.

It would appear that the governor of the town of Aghadez, or rather of the whole Kailouee race, is not known, there having lately been a revolution in this Saharan region. All the country is up in arms. We shall arrive at the interesting crisis of a change of dynasty. The two Sultans of Aheer known, are our friends En-Noor and Lousou.

27th.—We rose at daybreak and soon started, ascending from the valley through a difficult pass to a rocky plateau, over which we pursued our undeviating track for more than nine hours, and pitched our tents in a small and nameless wady, covered with a sprinkling of herbage. This was a trying day for the camels, the ground being rough with loose stones. How different is all this from European notions of a desert, or level expanse of sand! With some few exceptions, the Sahara is a region covered by comparatively low, rocky hills, forming valleys here and there, supplied with trees, and herbage, and water. We are now in a really uninhabited spot; scarcely a bird is seen, or a lizard, or a beetle, or any living thing, save a few flies that still follow the caravan on unwearied wing, and buzz with moderated ferocity about the noses of the camels.

What fantastic forms did the rock assume to-day! Now its pinnacles bristled up like a forest of pines; now there seemed to rise the forms of castles and houses, and even groups of human beings. All this is black sandstone—hideously black, unlovely, unsociable, savage-looking. 'Tis a mere wilderness of rock, thrown in heaps about, with valleys, or trenches, or crevices, through which the caravan slowly winds. This is our first cloudy day. May we have many such! We feel little of the sun's power, although there is little or no wind. We must have reached a considerable elevation.

I begin to find it necessary to keep a tight rein over our servants, otherwise our encampment and party would always be in disorder. Mohammed Tunisee is a very impertinent fellow at times, and is capable of spoiling all the others. This evening I gave the Kailouees and their servants a treat of coffee, which much delighted them. Amongst the rest was En-Noor's servant. We get on very well with them for the present.

30th.—We made five hours of very difficult road, winding nearly all the way through a ravine of the rocky plateau, and finally descended by a precipitous path, among some rocks, to a small lake or pool enclosed within immense cliffs of rock, called the Egheree Water. It is produced solely by rain. Within ten minutes of this, between the cliffs, is another three times the size, and of the same origin. All about, moreover, there are little pools of water sparkling amongst the rocks, left by the recent rain. We encamped in a narrow wady, called Ajunjer, further on; and propose to remain during the rest of the day and to-morrow. It has been cool to-day, with wind; the sky clear, of a deep blue. In the rocky valley we observed a species of hedge-thorn, called jadāree; also many of the fine large-leafed plants, called baranbakh; and the sweet-smelling sheeah, that reminded us of home-lavender.

We have been hitherto going on in a quiet, jog-trot way enough, almost forgetting that the desert has perils, and that we are not in a civilised land. Now comes something to awaken us out of this dream of comfort. A courier has arrived from Ghat, bringing the news that one Sidi Jafel Waled Sakertaf, the great man of the oasis of Janet—on which we have been speculating so pastorally—is preparing to come out and intercept our passage to Soudan, near the well of Tajetterat. This pleasant intelligence came to us in a letter from Hateetah and Jabour, who, however, philosophically add that they are not quite sure it is correct. I rewarded the courier with five reals, and sent him off to Waled Shafou and the Sultan with the news; begging the former to meet us certainly at Falezlez, which is about four days from this, whilst Tajetterat is nearly eight. Janet is now only a day and a-half south-south-west from our encampment. It is a small oasis, inhabited by Moors and Tuaricks. The statistics of the place begin to interest us exceedingly. We are told that there is a good deal of corn grown there, on account of the abundance of water. Sidi Jafel Waled Sakertaf—whose voluminous name we found it quite easy to learn under these circumstances—is cousin of the Sultan Shafou, and a very old man; but we cannot hope that in these frugal regions the gout will interfere in our favour, and put a stop to this unprovoked foray.

The weather has been cool to-day. We are on high ground, although in a wady; and this renders the heat very supportable. The reported attack keeps our minds occupied, and has a little upset us; but no one talks of flinching. Besides, this has not been the first alarm, nor will it be the last. I sent an account of this circumstance so far to Lord Palmerston by the courier; and should have written much more, had not I been occupied with the news and with the Kailouees, who have chosen this occasion to be troublesome. We do not get so much information, by the way, out of these people as we might expect; they do not know the names of the wadys and rocks hereabouts, and so pretend they have none.

The hundred dollars which we brought from Mourzuk are now nearly all gone—I have only eight or ten left. Friend Sidi Jalef Waled Sakertaf—how unmusical the name sounds!—will get little money from us, and must content himself with our baggage, if he will play the robber. For the cousin of a Sultan, fie!

August 1.—We left Ajunjer early, and made five hours only, because to-morrow there is no herbage until late in the evening. How tantalising to be obliged to advance thus by short stages towards an ambuscade! We take things pretty philosophically, however, and make geological observations. Overweg (who begins to show signs of weakness) is delighted that we have at length reached a region of granite. I think I must have passed a great number of rocks of the same kind between Ghadamez and Ghat. To the eye of an ordinary observer, some of them have the same aspect as sandstone, or even limestone. This granite interests us, especially as in the direct Bornou route there appears to be none at all.

Dr. Barth compares the Tuaricks of Ghat and the Haghar to lions and tigers, and the Kailouees to snakes. The comparison well hits off their outward characteristics, but, as Overweg says, we must not judge of these people by the ordinary rules of morality, or apply to them an European standard. I suspect we shall have to put up with still more extraordinary specimens of human nature.

We were proceeding, engaged in noticing the various colours and forms of the granite, when there appeared advancing through the ravine ahead a number of moving figures. At first, of course, we were a little alarmed; but it turned out to be only a slave caravan—about twenty camels and forty slaves. One of the little boys had an immensely large head—quite a phenomenon. We, of course, eagerly questioned the merchants about Sahara news, and especially as to whether the Tuaricks had made their appearance at Falezlez or Tajetterat. They had neither seen nor heard of the hostile party; and perhaps we may hope that all this is a rumour. However, it looked very like truth; and, possibly, Sidi Jafel may know perfectly well that there is no occasion to hurry. The Tanelkums are now about four days in advance of us, and may receive the first brunt of the attack. These slave-dealers tell us, that from Falezlez to the place where we are to be robbed and murdered is four days of dismal desert, without water—suffering before sacrifice. We are getting into the heart of the Sahara at last. Day by day the stations become more difficult. Another caravan is to pass in a few days, which may give us more definite intelligence. I am writing to Government and to my wife; but of camels I am heartily sick. Gagliuffi's camel still sticks in my throat. It was the first to knock up. I have left it at Ghat—thirty-eight mahboubs gone. People want to make a fortune out of my poor expedition.

2d.—We made a long day of twelve hours, at first between granite rocks for four hours, and then over a sandy plain. This plain was at first scattered with pebbles of granite, but finally it became all sand. The granite rocks were mostly conic in form, and on our right rose one peak at least six hundred feet high. Further off on the same side, at a distance, the rocks continued in a range, instead of being scattered about like so many sugar-loaves placed upon a plane, as mountains are represented to children. To-day the granite became stratified, or gneiss; there were also some fine specimens of hornblend.

One of our Kailouee friends amused himself on the road by giving a good beating to his female slave. These people transact their domestic affairs in public with the utmost simplicity. They seem to think they are showing themselves in a favourable light by this brutal conduct, for I detect glances of pride thrown towards us. Whenever these beatings occur—which they do at no distant intervals—there is always another servant, or some one, who attempts to separate the enraged master from the object of his wrath. In the present instance, interference took place in time to prevent any very serious consequences; otherwise, I have no doubt the ruffians would go on exciting themselves, and beating harder and harder, even until death ensued. We noticed the common black bird I have already mentioned, with white head and tail. It is indeed seen everywhere, and may emphatically be called "The Bird of the Desert!"

Next day, the 3d, we started at daybreak, and made another long day of nearly twelve hours. It is necessary to hurry over these inhospitable tracts. After two hours we got among some sand-hills, and continued all day over the same kind of ground—hill and valley alternating, with here and there a huge, isolated, granite, rock rising up like an island. Pebbles strewed the surface of the sandy valleys. I scarcely remember to have beheld so desolate a region. For two days there has been no water, and the camels have stretched out their necks in vain for herbage. A little grass, it is true, was plucked among the sand-hills to-day, and mixed with the dates, which we are compelled to give to the camels. These poor beasts are becoming thin and gaunt, from the effects of heat, fatigue, and especially from the lack of sufficient herbage. Luckily, cool winds from the south supply the place of the gheblee.

This evening one of the Kailouees challenged me to have a run with him; I accepted the challenge, and we ran a short distance, to the great amusement of the people.

Our guides are sociable companions enough. They pointed out to day on the sand the footsteps of the caravan which we met a few days ago going to Ghat; and likewise their own footsteps, left when they passed by that way a month and a half since.



CHAPTER XII.

Reach Falezlez—Dates left in the Desert—Road-marks—Disputes with the Kailouees—News from Tidek—Scarcity of Food in Aheer—Similitudes and Signs of the Tuaricks—Fine Climate—Arrival of Wataitee—His Boasting—Saharan travelling—My Umbrella—Grasping Son of Shafou—Geology of the Desert—The "Person who gives"—Another Caravan—Tuarick Sportsmen—Wady Aroukeen—Fine Scene—New Trees—Kailouee Camels—Fine Nights—Well—New Moon—Passing a Caravan in the Desert—Origin of the Kailouee Tuaricks—Arrive at Tajetterat—No Robbers—An Alarm—Well of Esalan—Senna—Birds—Graves of Slave Children—Our Grievances against the Tuaricks.

4th.—We might have reached the well of Falezlez last night; but as we did not know who might be waiting for us there, preferred halting three-quarters of an hour from it, and advanced only in the morning, in broad daylight.

Here we found our dates, left by the Tanelkums in the side of a mound of sand, with a piece of rotten wood stuck up to mark the place. Had they been, however, exposed by the side of the well, and a hundred caravans had passed, no one would have touched them. It is a point of honour to steal nothing thus confided in the desert. Mutual interest suggests mutual forbearance. The Tanelkums left these dates, because we had only hired the camels to bring them thus far, and they knew we should not probably come up with them. This increase of our provisions turns out to be opportune. Without it, some of our animals might have fallen down.

Round and near Ghat we found the stones which are set up at certain intervals to mark the direction of the roads, frequently arranged in circular heaps. An usual form is pyramidal, but the most common practice of all is to set up one stone end-ways upon one or two others. Sometimes a hundred of these will be seen together.

We have had some trouble in satisfying the Kailouees for the protection they afford us. At Ghat the agreement made was for one hundred reals, half in goods and half in money, and a trifling present when they arrived at their journey's end. This was arranged by Haj Ibrahim and Mohammed Kafa, a merchant of Ghat, and consul or wakeel of the Kailouees, whom I have before mentioned. Immediately that they became a little familiar with us, they began to say that they had not received all the hundred reals; but on hearing that we should write to Ghat about it, they dropped this plea, and asked for another hundred reals as the present promised them, as they pretended, through Haj Ibrahim. When the news came respecting Sidi Jafel—taking advantage of our supposed fears—they boldly demanded a sword, some burnouses, and one hundred reals in money.

All these demands I firmly resisted as long as I could; but at length, when a compromise seemed necessary, we arranged for a hundred reals more in goods. A part we have given here, and the rest we have promised on our arrival at Aheer. Nothing is now said of Zinder, although the first arrangement was from Aheer to Zinder. Such are the people we have to deal with in Africa. But could we not find similar extortion amongst the innkeepers and the conductors of carriages on the highways of Europe?

That all the people are soua soua—"higgledy-piggledy" is our only equivalent phrase—is bad news for a Saharan traveller; for it signifies nothing less than that there is no paramount authority in a country, and that the traveller is exposed to the insolence of every evil-disposed person. Such is represented to be the condition of Tidek, the first province of Aheer upon which we shall enter.

The scarcity of food in Aheer—one of the causes of the disturbances that are taking place—arises, we are told, from the quantity of provisions carried away from the country when the Kailouees made their expedition against the Walad Suleiman. But this expedition is now finished, and there has been time for a revival of prosperity. Sickness and disease are reported in Aheer at the present time. These are unpleasant tidings for a traveller who is braving the fatigues and perils of the Great Sahara, in hopes of some little repose at his journey's end.

To express great numbers, the Arabs and Tuaricks always use the similitudes, "like the dust," or "like flies." When the Tuaricks say we are to give nothing to anybody—speaking, of course, of other people, as Hateetah to me—they take up a little sand between the ends of their fingers and scatter it on the palms of their hands. When they wish to describe roads free from hills and ravines they extend the palm of their hands, adding, "Like this." I cannot say that I admire the Kailouees in any respect. Barth's comparison to snakes is tolerably correct. They have duped us in various ways, and our only consolation is being able to report their conduct to their friends in Ghat and Zinder.

These observations occur to me during our prolonged halt at the well of Falezlez. The whole caravan needs this refreshment, both on account of the fatigues it has already encountered, as of those to which it may look forward on the tract of desert which now stretches wild and inhospitable before us. Yesterday the sky was completely overcast; but during the night and this morning the clouds have been succeeded by wind, and strong blasts have completely cooled us. I do not think that the climate would affect me so much as it does if I had something good to eat; but the Tanelkums have got with them all my soups. The Germans eat hausa like Tuaricks, and do very well. I expected to find the water of Falezlez most unpalatable. This, indeed, is its reputation; but we were all agreeably deceived, and the salt taste was scarcely perceptible.

About ten in the morning, on the 5th, a solitary white camel, with a rider, was reported as trotting rapidly over the hills to the east. The circumstance created some excitement. It was Mohammed Wataitee, son of Shafou, coming riding like the monarch of the desert, as he is, upon his fine maharee. He had been travelling three days and three nights consecutively; and however eager we were to hear his opinion of the dangers that threatened us, it was necessary to allow him to spend the whole day in repose.

When we could get speech of the traveller, he talked boastfully of the value of his protection, and assured us that we had really nothing to fear. He had heard, or would acknowledge to have heard, no rumours of the hostile intentions of his father's cousin; only, he observed, "He is an old man," with a gesture that implied wilfulness. He would have us believe that this terrible enemy who has been pursuing us—at least in our imagination—is nothing but a testy old gentleman, who says these sort of things in a fanciful way just to express his power.

6th.—We were off soon after sunrise, and made a long day of twelve hours. The Kailouees were half an hour more performing the same distance. They started first, and we travel a little faster than they. Scarcely a blade of herbage cheered our sight to day. A sandy, gravelly hamadah, with a few rocks and sand-hills here and there,—such is the nature of the country. The rocks now assume a conic form, ke ras suker, like a sugar-loaf, as the people say. Our course was south-west, and so it will continue to be, nearly as far as Esalan, I was amused by an observation of Dr. Overweg; he said, "I now understand the system of these people" (Saharan travellers). "It is to travel as much as possible without labour—to do all that is necessary, but nothing more. When we left Tripoli, instead of reposing immediately at the camping-ground of the caravan, everybody was running about to climb the hills and rocks; but now we all fall down to rest as soon as we have halted." The Doctor speaks of himself and Barth, certainly not of me; for I always rested as much as possible with the people.

My old broken white umbrella attracts some attention amongst the Kailouees. They all make a trial of it. Strong umbrellas would be very useful during the hot summer months for all Saharan travellers.

I to-day asked the son of Shafou how his father liked the sword. An unfortunate question. He replied, "Ah, he sends his compliments; but says the sword is a little thing, and that you ought to have sent him some money. There were many people waiting to see you at Aroukeen. They were much disappointed at your not coming. They said,—'The Christians must pass this way.'" It appears that a whole tribe of Tuaricks were waiting for us, to beg, and to "eat us up," as the Arabs graphically express it. In this respect we have been fortunate in not finding Tuaricks on our line of route.

7th—We made another long and weary day of twelve hours. The fatigue is killing. Our course was south-west, through heaps and groups of rocks and narrow shallow wadys. In some directions, ridges of small rocks; in others, isolated masses of conic form. The bed of the desert is mostly granite, and some of the rocks are of the same substance. Indeed, the Central Sahara seems to bristle with ridges of granite. Then there are many varieties of this stone, and others springing out of granite, as quartz rocks and felspar, and some sandstone mixed with quartz. Across our path we observed many traces of wild oxen, and a few were seen with their immense horns. Birds and reptiles were rare, and the lizard not so frequent as before. Our camels found scarcely a mouthful of hasheesh; no trees were visible, except a few miserable tholukhs.

The Kailouees have changed in a marked manner since Wataitee has rejoined us, and are much more civil. But I do not talk to them, contenting myself with a civil "Good day. How do you do?" This prevents them from begging of me. They beg of Barth and Overweg, who do not notice them. As I am "the person who gives," I am obliged to be very polite, but distant.

8th.—We started at sunrise, and made a short day of seven hours and a-half, resting at last in a wady surrounded with rocks, where there was some good herbage.

In the course of this march we met another portion of the large Soudan caravan, and consigned to it our letters. They brought the news that the Tanelkums were a day only in advance, having halted to take up water at Aroukeen, where they dug again the old well which had been blocked with stones.

This caravan informed us, besides, that the body of the large caravan was resting at the well of Tajetterat. They had seen no Tuaricks. We begin to hope that we have been disturbed by false alarms.

At about four hours from the encampment of yesterday we descried some mountains to the south-west. Near them is the well of Janet, said to be about seven hours out of the line of route. It is a frequent resort of Tuaricks, who come to the neighbourhood for hunting purposes. All this region is favourable to sport. Along our route to-day were noticed footmarks of wild oxen and wadan.

Wataitee asked me whether he should go to see if there were any Tuaricks at Janet, to get news of them; but I told him that he had better continue with us until we reach Tajetterat. This he has agreed to do; and we all feel that his presence is, to a certain extent, a protection.

In the evening we had a visit from three Tuarick sportsmen, with a couple of dogs. We purchased two carcases of wadan from them. It would have been most amusing to an untravelled European to witness the bartering between us. The principal hunter got hold of the grey calico, and would not let go until he had his full measure. Then how deliberately he measured again with his long arms, with all the appearance of justice, whilst he was filching off inches at once! Two small carcases cost us about a mahboub. Wataitee pretends that these hunters never carry provisions with them, but must catch wadan and oxen or die. I made a tremendous supper of wadan, being as ravenous as a wolf for a little meat and soup. The meat is so strong and nourishing, that it threatened to produce injurious effects. It is necessary to be cautious about indulging in unaccustomed food. Still this meat is far superior to camels' flesh.

9th.—We rose, and, with our accustomed regularity, started before daybreak in search of water, for the Kailouees are without this element essential to life in the desert. Having continued about six hours and a-half, we encamped in Wady Aroukeen. It would not have been necessary to come to this place, had our imprudent Kailouees taken in a sufficient supply of water. This wady lies east and Tajetterat west.

Our course had been over an elevated rocky plain; but I had no idea of the height to which we had arrived. Suddenly the ground broke up on either side of the track into rocky eminences, and we now came to the brow of a sharp descent. The valley of Aroukeen wound as it were like a snake far down at the bottom of an immense hollow, surrounded on all sides by an amphitheatre of savage-looking mountains—great stony swells, made hideous here and there by crags and ravines, and piled away on all sides in shattered magnificence. This is the grandest desert prospect I have yet seen, and must strongly clash with the ordinary notion of the Great Sahara which untravelled geologists have represented as the recently-elevated bed of some ocean. We must now have reached the summit of an inland Atlas, dividing the extreme limits of the Ghat territory from the, to us, mysterious kingdom of Aheer.

In Wady Aroukeen there are some of the finest tholukhs I have seen, reaching the height of thirty or forty feet. There are, besides, two new species of trees, the adwa of Soudan, called, in Aheer, aborah: they have not been observed before, and are natives of Bornou. Their general aspect resembles the tholukh, but they have large prickles and a smooth roundish leaf. There is a good deal of hasheesh in this valley.

We are now, they say, about twelve days from Aheer, exclusive of the stoppages; twelve days, I mean, of twelve hours a-piece. These long stretches are desperately fatiguing, and trying to the health; but there is no remedy. We must make these weary stages on account of the scarcity of water and herbage for the camels. The Kailouees tie their camels by the lower jaw, and fasten the string to the baggage piled on the back of the preceding animal; and the long line moves on well this way. The Tuaricks fasten their bridles, when they ride their maharees, by a round ring in the nose.

We had granite again to-day, and fine beds of felspar, pebbles, and rocks. The geology of this portion of Sahara is very interesting, but no crystals have yet been found. Yesterday and to-day, the wind has been high, moderating greatly the heat. The wind is nearly always south-east. The nights are resplendent. Jupiter and Venus are seen close together in beautiful conjunction. The constellation of the Scorpion rises higher in the south, whilst the Pole-star apparently falls.

I read nothing nowadays but a few verses of the Greek Testament, and write these miserable leaves of journal. I must save my strength. I am very weak as it is. We have still got nearly forty days of actual travelling to make before we enter Soudan, but we hope Providence will allow us a little rest at Aheer.

10th.—We moved on late this morning up Wady Aroukeen, one hour and a-half, to a place where we have better feeding for the camels; but it was scarcely worth the trouble of loading and unloading, as the animals could have been led up here to this portion of the wady.

Wady Aroukeen is in every respect a desirable place for the resting-place of a caravan. It is full of trees and hasheesh, and lined with lofty precipitous rocks, which afford shelter in winter and in summer, and, as say the Scriptures, give "the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." The well dug by the Tanelkums supplies very palatable water. It lies about an hour and a-half from our encampment.

I sent off my Soudanese servant this morning to the Tanelkums, to ask them to wait for us; or at least leave the things behind which I require for our use.

Yesterday evening the new moon (second evening) was seen by our people, telling them that the Ramadhan was finished. They saluted the pale crescent horn with some discharges of their guns.

To-day is a great feast, but they have not the means of keeping it.

I cannot say that at this portion of my journey my mind is visited by much cheerfulness. However agreeable may be the valley of Aroukeen, with its grass patches, its clumps of trees, and the eternal shadow of its rocks, I find my strength begin, to a certain extent, to fail me. For several days I have had some threatening symptoms of ill-health; not very serious, perhaps, to a person surrounded with any of the comforts of civilisation, but much so to one in my position. Besides, despite my endeavours to disbelieve the dangers with which we are said to be menaced from lawless freebooters, it is difficult to disregard them so far as to remain perfectly impassive.

My Kailouee friends do not seem to share our apprehensions. Sometimes this circumstance cheers me; at others it suggests the idea that they may be in league with their brethren. Let us hope not. At any rate I am still displeased with them on account of their shabby conduct, and disposed, perhaps, to look at them more unfavourably than they deserve.

A man came over the hills to our right in the course of the day. He belonged to the Soudan caravan, the great body of which was passing at no great distance by another road. Our presence does not seem to be agreeable to such of these people as derive no profit from it. This individual, in his own name and that of his companions, insists that we Christians must not be allowed to enter the City of Marabouts, the Holy City of Aheer. Many Musulman countries of the interior have their holy cities. Perhaps this worthy man made these observations because he had nothing else to say. At any rate, having expressed his opinion, he went off. I regretted his churlish warning; but his presence, to a certain extent, cheered me. It was pleasant to know that a large body of my fellow-creatures were near at hand in this inhospitable desert, even though they entertained feelings of suspicion against us, and were proceeding on a path which might never again bring us together. Caravans often pass thus in these regions, like ships at sea, which hail each other if within hearing, but, not lying-to, are satisfied by this slight testimony of mutual sympathy.

11th.—We started somewhat late, and made a good day of nine hours and a-half through winding narrow valleys, supplying a fair quantity of hasheesh. The country around was wild and rugged—still the same primitive formation, gneiss being the most common rock. On the way we heard the story of the origin of the Kailouees, as given by the Haghar Tuaricks; it is probably meant as a satire. According to this people, a female slave escaped from their country, and travelling over the desert, reached her native place in Soudan. But she bore within her bosom a pledge that still half bound her to her ancient masters. She brought forth a male child, and loved him and reared him; so that in process of time he took a wife, and from this union sprung the bastard race of Kailouees.

12th.—We had halted the previous evening because we were within an hour of the well of Tajetterat, which had become famous in our caravan as the place where we were to be attacked and despoiled by the freebooter Sidi Jafel Waled Sakertaf. This morning we pursued our way, cautiously sending scouts before. But as the wady opened, the place proved to be desolate, and we advanced joyously, with the confidence that this time at least we had been disturbed by a false alarm. Still, as we descended towards the well we could not now and then refrain from casting our glances about into the gorges of the mountains, to discover whether or not, after all, our enemies were lying in ambush there. Not a living thing stirred upon the hills; and we gathered round the two wells, or rather holes scraped out of the sand, with feelings of delight and confidence. The water proved to be good; it is said to be produced by rain, and to be purgative,—a quality it must derive from the soil through which it trickles. We determined, however, not to stop at this place, lest the men of Janet[7] might after all arrive; and pushing on, in hopes that our track might be confounded with those of the caravans, we reached, after a rapid march of five hours and a-half, the well of Esalan. As we approached, we saw an encampment in its neighbourhood, and camels grazing about. Our vanguard halted; and the whole caravan soon became massed in the entrance of the gorge through which we were about to issue. Our far-sighted guards, however, soon discovered that there was no cause for alarm. We had at length overtaken our Tanelkum friends; and riding forward I greeted them, and, forgetting all idea of danger, anxiously asked for our baggage, and above all for my inestimable supply of potted soups!

[7] This name is sometimes written "Janet," sometimes "Ghanet" by Mr. Richardson, who, moreover, now describes the inhabitants of the place as Haghar and then as Azgher. A more definite account is given further on. It appears, however, that vulgarly in the Sahara all the Tuaricks are called Haghar or Hagar, which seems to have been used rather indiscriminately in the caravan as a term of fear.—ED.

In this part of the country the scenery is far more open than it was before; the mountains are lower, but the wadys are not so wide. Here and there occurred considerable patches of herbage, called sabot, and many large, fine trees. Amongst the smaller ones, for the first time, we came upon the senna plant, some of the leaves of which our people plucked. Higher up, in Aheer, is apparently the native soil of this plant. We had also again the adwa, several trees, and the kaiou or kremka, the only plant we have yet seen with a truly tropical aspect.

The adwa bears a fruit something like the date, and is eaten by the people in Soudan. As to the sabot, above mentioned, it is a kind of herbage, which covers the beds of the valleys in this region of primitive rock: it forms the principal food of our camels. The bou rekabah, however, the best for them, is in small quantities, but when seen is devoured to the sand. The people of Aheer eat its seed as ghaseb.

Yesterday, we saw, for the first time, a bird's nest in the desert, in the side of a rock. It contained no eggs; our people, on a former occasion, brought in some. It is astonishing how few birds' nests are found, though in some places a good number of small flutterers are seen. About the wells of Tajetterat darted half-a-dozen quails. We have not yet observed an ostrich, although many traces have been found on the sand. Around, however, are numbers of the wadan,[8] and our huntsmen are active. Yesterday some flesh of this animal was brought in.

[8] Wadan is the Arabic name of the aoudad of the Berbers. We call the animal "mouflon" (Ovis tragelaphus). It is found in considerable numbers throughout the deserts of Northern Africa, from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. I have seen a beautiful specimen, nearly all milk-white, in Cairo.—ED.

In this part of the route we frequently fell in with small heaps of stones; and if we ask what they mean, are invariably told they are the graves of slave-children who have perished by the way, most probably in the arms of their mothers. What wonderful tales of sorrow and anguish could these rocks give, if they were not compelled to eternal dumbness! What sighs, what shrieks of grief have echoed here! How many tears have watered this track! These thoughts saddened our way; but they seemed at the same time to rouse that enthusiasm which is the only adequate ally to those engaged in such a mission as ours.

The son of Shafou is to leave us at Esalan. I may as well record here, in form, a list of our grievances against the Tuaricks, for the information and warning of future travellers:—

1st. They, the Tuaricks, wished to obtain presents from the Germans, nearly in the same quantity as from myself; or, at least, something considerable.

2d. They wanted us to remain six weeks in Ghat, to wait for an answer from Sultan En-Noor at Aheer.

3d. They refused to conduct us to the frontier of Aheer, according to their agreement at Mourzuk.

4th. They demanded seventy reals for the passage of our free blacks.

5th. They insisted on having the presents for Berka, Khanouhen, and Jabour, before the treaty was signed.

The first two demands I successfully resisted, as also the third at Ghat. The fourth was compromised; we paid twenty-eight reals instead of seventy. The last I yielded, on the condition that I should only give three burnouses.

13th.—The water of Esalan is, likewise, nothing but a deposit of rain. Several holes are scooped out in the sand, down to the rocky bed of the valley.



CHAPTER XIII.

News of Sidi Jafel—Disputes with Wataitee—His violent Conduct and strange Language—The Desert—Scarcity of Money—Proceed through a rocky Country—Soudan Weather—Approach the Frontiers of Aheer—Storm—Hard Day's Travelling—The Seven Wells of Aisou—"The Haghar are coming"—Suspicious Characters—Alarm—The Three Strangers—Our Hospitality—Heat of the Weather—Hard Travelling—Account of the Kailouee Guides—Women of the Caravan—Their Treatment—Youthful Concubines—Another long Day—A Rock-Altar—Demonstrations of the Haghar—Wells of Jeenanee—Marks of Rain—Sprightly Blacks—New Climate—Change in the Vegetation and the Atmosphere.

We have at length heard what appears to be a fair account of the rumour respecting that terrible Sidi Jafel. He did leave Janet as if bound for Tajetterat; but it was for the purpose of giving his camels a feeding of herbage in that direction. He took his family and tents with him, and has been seen with his son by the huntsman of Wady Aroukeen. He is not a sheikh, but a spirited old man; and, from what I can understand, is a Haghar belonging to Ghemama, and not an Azgher of Ghat. They now assure us that he had never any intention of attacking us; but as there is rarely smoke without a fire, it is possible he may have indulged in a little threatening talk, just to impress an idea of his importance on the people of Janet. This is Waled Shafou's view of the case.

We moved on from the well of Esalan in the evening, but only for an hour and a half, to a place in the same wady; where there was abundant herbage for the camels. Here we had another Tuarick dispute. Wataitee pretended to fix at a very high rate his services in answering to our call, and proceeding with us as far as this well. At first I refused to give anything at all, since he had stipulated to conduct us as far as the frontiers of Aheer. I then offered him a burnouse (a small white one), and a shasheeah (or fez), both which he obstinately rejected in my teeth, but did not state what he wanted—except muttering, "Money, money, money!"

Fearing some violence from his threatening manner, I was obliged to load my guns and pistols. Whilst declaring he would not take anything by force, he used very threatening language. He was to have left us at the well, but followed us this evening; and when we decamped I determined, therefore, if possible, to come to some arrangement with him through En-Noor, as he might prove a dangerous enemy.

Whilst speaking to Yusuf on this subject, En-Noor the Kailouee, who, by the bye, must not be confounded with the Sultan of Aheer bearing the same name, came in and told us that he had just seen Wataitee, who was exceedingly exasperated, and who threatened to stop the caravan in the morning if his demands were not complied with. What is to be done? Were we to aim at satisfying all the unjust claims made upon us, we should not only be beggared immediately, but should have whole crowds of fresh suppliants coming in every day. Wataitee seems to expect that I should give him something like a hundred reals in money for his pretended extra services, and goes thundering about, "that the lands, and rocks, and mountains of Ghat do not belong to God, but to the Azgher, to whom the Creator has given them once and for ever, and who are the sovereign and omnipotent rulers of this portion of earth—this large tract of Sahara." There has often been detected in the speeches of African princes a certain degree of blasphemy and resistance to the omnipotent sovereignty of the Deity they adore; and this kind of language was not new to me. The possessors of lawless power seem easily to identify themselves with gods.

To us, naked rocks, and treeless valleys, and bare stony plains, are objects without interest, except in a geological point of view. But it is very different with the Haghar and Azgher. In their eyes, a plain of stones and sand holds the place of a heath of growing bloom; a barren valley is a vale of fertility; rocks and mountains are always objects of beauty; whilst wells are treasured of wealth, as indeed they are verily in the desert. A Tuarick may be said to know every stone of his arid kingdom.

Taking these things into consideration, and making a merit of necessity, we agreed together to offer him thirty reals. He had already come down to fifty, and now accepted the thirty, but said they must be the large ones, or douros (dollars). It was arranged that I should pay the money to En-Noor in Aheer; for all now had become convinced that not one of us three had any dollars worth speaking of left. I believe I have some six or seven, whilst the Germans have none. If we had brought a thousand with us, they would all have been scattered to the wind in these Tuarick countries. Our servants, being persuaded that we have no dollars left, have sworn to the fact; so that my candid declaration, "That if they were to kill me, they could not find ten dollars to pay them for their trouble," is now believed.

14th.—Wataitee came early to my tent, and asked me for a bit of sugar. I gave him half a loaf, with which he was apparently well satisfied; for afterwards he asked if I had any letters to take to Ghat. I consigned to him a letter for Mr. Bidwell and my wife. Wataitee amused Barth by recounting to him numerous dues which he had failed to pay. Amongst the rest, a tax to see the Kasar Janoon; fifty dollars for drinking of the well of Esalan, &c. &c. These matters being at length settled, we proceeded for Aisou, and journeyed a long day of twelve hours and a-half. I was looking out every moment, expecting to clear the rocks, and enter upon the immeasurable stretch of plain reported to us. But all was a rocky granite expanse, with conical-shaped rocks, exactly as before described. We begin to tire of this kind of country, which seemed so picturesque when we first entered upon it.

To-day the weather was misty, and we felt as if entering into the circle of a new climate. Few or no animals were seen. All is dismal and dreary.

15th.—We rose at daybreak, and proceeded steadily on, making a day's journey of thirteen long weary hours. The stony plain opened rather more than yesterday, but there were always rocks on either hand.

To-day we had the first drops of Soudan rain, and a complete Soudan atmosphere. We also observed the vermilion tinge on the clouds, peculiar to Central Africa; and the air was hot and clammy. Every sort of desert phenomenon is seen in these parts in perfection. The mirage often fills up the interstices left between the rocks, and inundates the plain ahead with its fantastic waters.

16th.—We were early in motion this day; and started, cheered by the hope held out to us, that at the termination of two long marches we should at length reach, at the Seven Wells of Aisou, the frontiers of Aheer. It is true that we were promised no town, no village, not even visible landmarks; above all, no custom-house officers to suggest the blessings of civilisation. There was, in truth, some idea that very indefinite dues might be exacted of us during our progress through the northern districts of the Asben territory. Still it was a comfort to get at last within the limits of the influence of a form of polity, however rude.

Whilst we were indulging in these reflections, there came on a regular desert-storm. A vault of clouds, like huge irregular rocks, was soon heaped up overhead. The thunder roared from side to side of the horizon. The lightning flashed, sometimes above, sometimes between, the isolated hills, showing them like long black tents pitched here and there on the plain. Our beasts moved eagerly on; and their drivers, though accustomed to such phenomena, were hushed into awe. The tempest did not last many minutes; but it was accompanied by wind so violent that we could scarcely preserve our seats in the saddles, and finished off with so violent a shower of rain that we got quite wet through almost in an instant. This is a fair warning that we are really within the tropics.

We made fourteen hours that day, and felt dreadfully exhausted on arriving at the place where we expected to encamp for the night. In two hours, however, the Kailouees came and told us that there was no more water in the skins; that the camels were restless, knowing that a well was ahead; and that it was better to move on at once, and make for the well of Aisou, that marks the commencement of the Aheer territory. We started, therefore, again, although I was suffering from illness, and moved on all night, nodding in our saddles in a half-slumber, that to those unaccustomed is almost more fatiguing than watchfulness. Several times I felt inclined to insist on a halt; but the people, who were eager to arrive, cried out that the camels wanted to reach the water; and proceeding accordingly, about seven o'clock the next morning we at length reached the Seven Wells. We found only two open, the others being closed up by sand. Some of them belong to the Kailouees, and the others to the Tuaricks of Ghat. There is no good feeding for the camels, only a few tufts of coarse herbage. The kingdom of Aheer presents itself under grim colours. I did not move about this day, but consecrated it to rest. The rocks of Asben rise above the horizon.

18th.—Bidding adieu to the land of Ghat—if that name can be applied to the desert which we have just traversed—we left the Seven Wells, and once more entered upon the desert. We had scarcely been in motion two hours, when there was an alarm of Haghar coming upon us from behind. I did not at first know how the report originated, and looked anxiously around upon the desert expecting to see a body of enemies charging down some valley. All the people ran for their guns, and I hastily delivered out powder and ball. It was amusing to see the slaves with their bows and arrows, coming forward and trying to look martial. I have no doubt they would have done their best. When the tumult was a little calmed, I learned that two of our people, who had remained behind a short time at the wells of Aisou, saw a Tuarick coming up to the place, and, two others slowly following, all three mounted on tall maharees. They spoke to the one who arrived first, and inquired if many were behind. To this they received a laconic answer, "Yes." One of them accordingly, feigning to retire, left his servant hid behind a rock to watch what took place, and ran after us to communicate the unwelcome intelligence, that we might expect an attack. We marched the whole day with our weapons in hand, keeping a sharp look-out in the rear. Of course there was no other subject of conversation than the robbers, of whose existence our fears made us certain. Were they, after all, led by that Sidi Jafel, of whom rumour had lately become so complimentary? Whence did these encouraging accounts come? Were they circulated by persons interested in putting us off our guard? Discussing these questions, we pushed on through a very arid country, searching for one of those two blessings, which seem to be always separated in this part of the desert,—water and herbage. We had found the former at Aisou; the latter greeted us in plenty at a place called Takeesat, where we encamped, intending to pass the night and the whole of next day. The herbage was of the kind called nasee, which is very strengthening for the camels.

I believed that the Haghar would not follow the Kailouees upon their own territory, but I was mistaken. Just before sunset, to our surprise, we saw rising above the hills around the valley where we are encamped, three mounted men. These mysterious Haghar are then determined, we thought, to pursue us Christians as their natural prey! The men rode coolly up and mingled with us, probably understanding and enjoying the looks of suspicion and terror that greeted them. No one thought proper, at first, to address them a single question; and they were allowed to picket their maharees without molestation. It must be confessed that there was no little agitation in our camp, and everything was done to give any attacking force a warm reception. We made barricades of the boat, and kept watch all night. We also scoured the valley all round to see if there were any other people about.

I must insist, for the credit of our gallantry, that it was not of these three men that we were afraid. Our caravan was composed of sixty individuals capable of bearing arms, besides women and children. Our camels also amounted to one hundred and seven. Had we not, therefore, been tormented for so many days by rumours of intended attacks, we should have laughed at these Haghars, however fierce might have been their looks, and however hostile their intentions. But our guides, who knew the habits of the desert, did not think it beneath their dignity to be alarmed, nor to look anxiously about to the right and to the left, as if every stone concealed an enemy, every ravine an ambush.

By the way, it may be as well to mention here, that the reader may know how to call the enemies we feared, that although vulgarly the whole race that inhabits between the borders of Fezzan and Timbuctoo are called Haghar, the Tuaricks of Ghat are properly distinguished as Azgher; and those located towards Tuat and the Joliba, Haghar. Had they and their party been of generally predatory dispositions, they would have had something to occupy them—the caravan belonging to Haj Ibrahim coming from Soudan. We should, perhaps, be uncharitable enough to hope that precious time might be occupied in plundering these good people, were we not certain that, if we are really to be attacked, it is because of the presence of Christians. Will our guides peril life or limb to preserve from danger people whose tenets they abhor?

19th.—The three men, supposed scouts or spies, remained with us during the night. At first, it was proposed to push on, and get as far as possible away from danger; but as our unbidden guests made a great oath that they did not know that there were foreigners in the caravan, and that they only wanted a supper, having had nothing to eat for fifteen days, we determined to carry out our original intention, both for the sake of our camels and ourselves. That the men might be bound to us by the tie of hospitality, I presented them with some hamsa, to which En-Noor added a little zumeetah, and we determined at all hazards to give our camels and ourselves rest. Our people, in fact, soon discovered that the Tuaricks had brought nothing with them but a single skin of water. They pretend they are going to see their friends and relations in Aheer, and wish to accompany us, which our people have politely declined. But I must see the end of them before I set down an opinion.

I wrote up my journal to-day, and am in good health. My spirits are a little soured, nay, exasperated into activity by these constant troubles. It is very hot now. I have hit upon a happy contrivance for keeping out the sun from my tent. I lay my carpet on the sandy floor of my tent, and with my table and the frame of my bed I make a wooden covering over. On the top I place my mattress and thick blankets, I then lay myself down underneath; and am perfectly protected from the sun above, whilst the cool breeze enters at the bottom of the tent. There is, then, not a person in the caravan who suffers so little from the heat as I do, I recommend the plan to travellers.

These last four days we have made immense progress towards Aheer—I mean, its inhabited districts.

Wednesday 12-1/2 hours 31 miles. Thursday 13 " 32-1/2 " Friday 14 " 35 " Friday night to Saturday morning 9 " 22-1/2 " ———- At 2-1/2 miles an hour 121 miles.

Sometimes, however, the camels went at least three miles an hour. We have come, indeed, about 130 miles, and nearly all south; which has brought us so much more within the influence of the climate of Soudan. On the third day, at noon, the granite region disappeared, and we have now sandstone again.

Some of our servants have begun to feel uneasy, and are becoming troublesome, in consequence of these constant alarms of Haghar. To do the free blacks justice, they behave well. Yusuf is getting out of temper, and somewhat changed in manner. He is annoyed at seeing me not place so much confidence in him as at first; I have reason to be dissatisfied with his carelessness. Mahommed of Tunis is a good servant, but at times impertinent.

I am getting rather more accustomed to our Kailouee companions. They are dressed in most respects like the Tuaricks, but seem to take pride in loading themselves with a luxury of weapons. To see one of them running after a camel is really a ludicrous sight: bow, arrows, sword, gun, pistols, dagger, stick out in all directions, and it is hard to imagine how they would behave in the midst of this arsenal if attacked. The chief of them is En-Noor, a person of mild and good manners—quite a gentleman, in fact. He is a man of light complexion; but his two companions are dark as thorough negroes. These individuals, Dedee and Feraghe by name, are great beggars, and by no means scrupulous in their conduct. I steadily resist their demands. En-Noor manages to preserve his dignity by their side. He tells me he will go along with us as far as Zinder. The Kailouees have some servants with them, very good-humoured black fellows. Of the Tanelkums I know little; but Haj Omer, who will accompany us to Kanou, seems a man of courage and tact. There are two or three venerable old men amongst these Tuaricks, together with some young ones. They all feel the civilising effect of visiting Mourzuk. Certainly this people could do much, if they pleased, for the civilisation of Africa; but at present they are actively engaged in drawing out of the unfortunate central countries the capital requisite to maintain even their existence. Of Boro, the sheikh of Aghadez, I cannot yet venture an opinion. They say, he spoke sharply against Hateetah and Wataitee.

To return to the Kailouees. I imagine they must resemble all the men we shall find in the interior, in one respect—the love of women. They are eloquent in describing the beauties of the cities of Soudan—eloquent, I mean, in their sensual style, of which I cannot venture to give a specimen. The Tanelkums, children of the desert, are, like the Haghars, far less sensual in their imaginations, and indulge less in amorous conversation. There are some comely women-slaves in the caravan, but most of them are very plain. They have in general negro features, but a few are light in complexion. Their clothing is poor, without any attempt at finery; but when they have prepared the food of their masters they take their shares freely. They walk well on the road when necessary, and being light and slightly made, do not appear to suffer from fatigue.

As a rule, all these women are modest and decorous in behaviour, and are treated with considerable respect. No master interferes with the slaves of another, and most of them are permitted in their turn to ride. A poor creature belonging to a Tuatee, however, is forced always to trudge on foot, although its master often takes a lift himself. Two of the women have infants in their arms—little things, as knowing, to all appearance, as those that can run. These mothers, with their children, are treated with great tenderness and care.

Some of the merchants had as many as three female slaves a-piece; but it is to be observed, that they are mere girls. The Africans who can afford to indulge their tastes, abhor women of any age. All their slaves are of tender years. The older these gentlemen get, the younger they require their concubines to be. An aged sinner of Aghadez had a mere child with him. En-Noor is said to have half-a-dozen stout girls running about his house. Really, to satisfy the passions and sensuality of these Africans, women should be like the houris of Paradise, and never grow old. Those that accompanied us were, of course, regarded as mistresses, but were required also to do nearly all the drudgery of the caravan. Their masters must have sold much prettier and finer girls at Ghat.

The name of the place where we are now encamped is, as I have said, Takeesat, and that of the rocky plain we traversed between Esalan and Aisou is [omitted in Journal]. We shall now have great confusion in the denominations of places, the Tuaricks using one name and the Kailouees another.

20th.—We rose early, and at four o'clock were already in motion. It was a long and weary day—fourteen hours of actual travelling; but this, thank Heaven! is, we are told, the last long stretch of that kind we shall have to undertake. The country was nearly similar to that between Falezlez and Aisou; plains or slightly indented valleys. The granite appeared again, with sandstone on the top. No herbage was found to-day, except a few scanty bits here and there.

In the morning our blacks all ran up to a sugar-loaf shaped rock, which they called their altar or temple, Jama. There they performed certain strange incantations, after which they descended and began to indulge in mock-fights, sometimes even simulating an attack upon the caravan. What was the real meaning of their pantomime it was impossible to make out, but they amused us exceedingly by their wild gestures and cries.

The three mysterious Haghars still continued to follow us throughout the day, declaring that they had no evil intentions, but were merely poor wayfarers journeying to Aheer. They have made friends with the Tanelkums, with whom they have more points of resemblance than with the Kailouees. In appearance and manners they are remarkable enough. They wear a shield of bullock or rhinoceros hide hanging down on one side of their camels. During our march, it was evidently their desire to show off; for they moved in order of battle as they called it, in a line, the two who had spears holding them bravely up. It was certainly a pretty sight to see them play off this little exercise. But in the evening, after dark, they returned from feeding their camels somewhere in the mountains, and came and bivouacked close to us and our baggage. This alarmed us, and we sent En-Noor to remonstrate with them. After some wrangling, they promised to leave us if we would give them supper. We did so, and got rid of them for the night.

There was some dispute this evening with the servants about pitching our tent. I always find them ready to escape this trouble when they can. However, it appears that En-Noor recommended us not to pitch our tents that we may not be known during the night, in the event of these three Haghars having comrades skulking after them, seeking an opportunity to attack us.

21st.—We rose an hour before daylight, and journeyed eight hours, passing through a country resembling that of yesterday, and a pleasant valley called Wady Jeenanee, until we arrived at the wells of the same name. They are scooped out of the sand in a stony bed, and amidst rocks. The water is very palatable. It has no natural source, but there is an abundant supply for several months, and even years, after great rains.

To-day we noticed, for the first time on our journey from Tripoli, the recent marks of the fall of a great quantity of rain. It had left after it exactly the same forms on the sandy valley which we see at all times, quite dry, in the more desolated regions of the Sahara. There cannot be a doubt that occasionally an immense quantity of rain falls in every region of this great desert.

The senna plant was picked up again to-day, and the tree called aborah appeared in great numbers in the wady, in a corner of which we encamped.

Although our friends, the three Haghars, promised to leave us for ever if they had a supper, yesterday they appeared again en route to chat with their Tanelkum acquaintances. God knows, they may be honest men—in reality, poor devils obliged to beg their way to Aheer. They wander about here and there. (I have not seen them this evening, five P.M.)

Notwithstanding that the blacks of our caravan (mostly slaves) walked on foot fourteen long, long hours yesterday, they still danced, and sang, and played games in the evening, and kept it up till midnight! How capable are these Africans of bearing up against fatigue and toil! Could we Europeans do as they do? Not even in our own country, and under our own climate.

They afterwards made a collection of small articles of clothing, and other little things. I gave them a handkerchief, with which they were greatly delighted.

We had a perfect Soudan atmosphere to-day. The heavens were surcharged with clouds, and when the sun appeared through them for a few minutes, it was burning, scorching hot. The abundance of herbage and trees in Wady Jeenanee combined with these circumstances to show that we had entered the gates of a new climate.

21st.[9]—We started late, seven A.M., and journeyed about six hours, the camels eating nearly all the way, which gave our Tuarick caravan the appearance of a company of Arabs. To-day the herbage and trees increased, in abundance and variety, and we saw several pretty wild flowers. We observed many Soudan trees, or trees with tropical aspects. Our route lay through rocky valleys, over a bed of fine granite sand. The rocks were all blackened, forming a gloomy landscape, especially as all the morning the heavens were one impenetrable mass of clouds. The atmosphere felt, at first, damp and suffocating; but at length the wind got up, and we breathed more freely.

[9] Here is a day repeated in the journal; but as it is not of much moment, I have made no alteration.—ED.



CHAPTER XIV.

Enter the inhabited Districts of Aheer—Hostile Tuaricks—An impudent Demand—The Merchant Waldee—Prepare for Defence—Threatening Appearances—Making Friends with Presents—March—Leave Waldee—Doubtful Visitors—The Camels stolen—The Troop of Assailants draws nigh—Parley—Their Proposition—We are compelled to a Compromise—Character of our Enemies—Sinister Rumours again—Proceed toward Tidek—Wady of Kaltadak—Picturesque Scenery—A Friend from Seloufeeat—Fresh Mob collects to attack us—Conferences—We are to be let go scot-free if we become Muslims—We repose—Another Compromise for Money—Incidents during the Night—Quarrel over the Booty—Enter the Valley of Seloufeeat—Its Soudan Appearance—Nephew of Sultan En-Noor—Haj Bashaw of Seloufeeat—We are still uneasy.

As we advanced, on the 21st, along the plain between the granite rocks—trees and flowers starting up thicker and thicker from the ground to greet our approach—our guides told us that we were at length entering the inhabited districts of the kingdom of Aheer, or Asben, as it is indifferently called. This announcement at once substituted pleasurable for uneasy sensations. We thought no more at all of pursuing robbers, and gave ourselves up to the delight which always attends upon difficulties vanquished. The name of the first district is Taghajeet. We expected to behold groups of inhabitants coming joyfully to welcome us. Our imaginations had adorned this country almost with the colours of home. It was about one that we crossed the unmarked frontier. Still there were rocks around, their angles softened away by trees; still wild flowers mingled with the herbage on every side; the heavens were clearing overhead, and the sun shed down a warm mantle of rays upon the land; yet there were no signs of life. The silence that reigned, I know not why, introduced ideas of terror into our minds, and we began to gaze anxiously to the right and to the left. We remembered that this region, likewise, was inhabited by Tuaricks, though not of the Haghar tribe. They might be inhospitable, perhaps hostile. All the caravan, by degrees, seemed to join in our uneasiness; and when at length, just before we pitched our tent, the cry arose of "The Tuaricks! the Tuaricks are coming!" it rose as a cry of warning and alarm. Every one snatched up his weapons as a small group approached; and all waited with impatience to learn whether they came as friends or enemies.

Our uneasiness was soon quieted. The newcomers were known to some of our people, the Tanelkums, and soon scraped acquaintance with us. They paid a visit to my tent, and I gave them a number of little things, with which they were very much gratified. There was reason, then, to hope that our first impressions of security were well-founded, and I began writing my journal as if we had really arrived in a land of peace.

Suddenly a man, mounted on a maharee, brought us news, at first in a friendly way, that an immense number of Tuaricks were pursuing us; and then, throwing off the mask, in their name demanded of our escort that they should deliver us up to them. This demand the Kailouees, of course, rejected with indignation; but the circumstance put our people on the qui vive, and we kept up a fire of musketry for two or three hours during the succeeding night.

At sunset, Waldee, the great merchant of Mourzuk, came to the encampment. His caravan was stopping half an hour higher up. He gave us much encouragement, and eloquently recommended us to the care of all our people, the camel-drivers and escort. Waldee has travelled this route fourteen years. He is just the man to do it,—a small spare fellow with an expression of much intelligence, which he really possesses. He is the most respected of all the merchants on this route.

When he left us, he sent us a present of Aheer dates, which were large and exceedingly well tasted.

22d.—We stopped in the valley of Taghajeet all day, waiting for the Haghars, but they did not make their appearance. In the morning early, I distributed powder and shot to about forty of our people. Each had half a cupfull of powder and twelve shots. It was an immense present for them, and they were all greatly rejoiced at the gift. It is extremely difficult for people to obtain powder and shot in these countries. We made a line of barricades with the boat. Amongst our defenders appeared the three Azgher Tuaricks,[10] who followed us from Tajetterat, and overtook us above the well of Aisou. We gave them powder and shot, and they swore they would die for us.

[10] Those people are sometimes called Haghar, and sometimes Azgher, in the journal. The latter appellation is probably the correct one in this case.—ED.

In the evening two mounted men came up, and made the same demand of our escort that the single man had made the night before; namely, that they should give us Christians up to forty or fifty Tuaricks, collected from the various districts around. This impudent demand was again rejected.

The opinion of all the caravan now seemed to be, that this was an idle threat of some dozen bandits, and that the people generally would not turn out inimical.

Merchant Waldee came again this evening, and gave us increased encouragement not to be afraid.

The more we saw of this man the better we liked him. He brought for us, also, the favourable news that the Sheikh of Bornou was on good terms with his neighbours, the people of Wadai and Darfour. I shall endeavour to return via these countries to the Mediterranean, if possible. Our people fired again to-night. In the evening I presented Boro of Aghadez with a fine burnouse, and his son with a shasheeah and a fateh. I gave a fateh also to one of his relations, who is travelling with him. He was highly pleased with the gift, and expressed his pleasure in many compliments. Of giving gifts there is no end; but this is the time, or never, when they will be useful.

23d.—Before we started, another fellow came riding up from the rumoured troop of bandits, and demanded of our escort that they should give us into their hands. Boro remembered his present, and expressed his gratitude by resenting this insolence with a perfect shower of abuse.

We advanced nine hours this day, looking behind us as we moved. Our course lay through a rocky country, and two or three fine valleys, distinguished chiefly by the immense size of the tholukh-trees. In the afternoon a large valley opened, amidst a mountainous region; after traversing which, we pitched tent in a small open space surrounded with hills, with a snug valley of hasheesh near at hand.

When we started in the morning, we bade the merchant Waldee adieu. During the night he had received a courier from Mourzuk, and letters from the Consul and Mustapha Bey to recommend us to him. Waldee said he would write us some letters, and send them after us. He leaves his caravan at Taghajeet, and mounts his maharee for Mourzuk, where he expects to arrive in the course of fourteen days.

I wrote by him to Government, and to my wife.

In the evening, when it was nearly dusk, five mounted men made their appearance, two of them leading six empty camels. We did not like the looks of them, but they gave a tolerable account of themselves.

I treated them to supper—in fact, I am obliged to feed all strangers, as well as a good number of the caravan. Of feeding these people, as of giving them presents, verily there is no end. To travel comfortably in the desert, it would be necessary to possess Fortunatus' purse or Aladdin's lamp.

During the night these strange fellows disappeared, which circumstance naturally aroused our suspicions. About two in the morning the Kailouees, wishing to start early, began to bustle about in the dark, in order to collect their camels. They could not find any of them. Great was the consternation. The Tanelkums instantly ran to their drove, of which three only were missing, and ours also were found to be safe. They have driven the camels off, in order to prevent our progress, and give time to the enemy to come up.

24th.—We naturally passed the remainder of the night in the greatest anxiety of mind, feeling sure that a crisis was now approaching. At about six in the morning, four men, mounted on maharees, came riding towards us, and drawing near, boldly summoned our escort to deliver up the Christians, with all their baggage and camels. The insolence of this small body assured us that they had some force at hand; but we boldly told them to go about their business, as we were resolved to defend ourselves to the last.

Whilst we were parleying with them, a troop of about forty men, mounted on their fleet maharees, and equipped for war with spears, shields, and swords, came trotting rapidly over the hills, hallooing with wild cries, and challenging our caravan to battle. When the first few moments of surprise had subsided, two-thirds of our caravan, armed with matchlocks, pistols, and swords, advanced in a body, and shouted out that they accepted the challenge. This bold movement staggered the assailants, who forthwith began to waver and retire. They had evidently expected to overawe us by boasting. Our people, satisfied with the effect of their manoeuvre, retired slowly towards the encampment. Presently a small body of the enemy advanced as a deputation, demanding to parley, and declaring that they did not come to fight against people of their own faith. The remainder pretended to march and countermarch along the hills on either hand, as if to hem us in completely, but kept at a respectful distance. They saw that we were too strong for them, but called out that they would go and fetch more people.

The conferences were now fairly opened, and we found that the hostile troop was composed of a collection of all the Sheikhs of the neighbouring districts, with their followers, and several regular bandits, countenanced by a Shereef Marabout. Our people understood at once that the affair was far more serious than they had anticipated, and began to be downhearted. They knew that they could not proceed without their camels, and from their expressions and looks I could foresee that the matter at last would have to be ended by a compromise.

The enemy made various propositions, more or less agreeable to our ears. The first was simply that we, as infidels, should be given up to be put to death—an idea which, luckily, nobody seemed to consider proper or feasible. They then insisted that we should pass on no further, but should return by the way we had come—also declined. Next, they demanded that we should become Muslims—a proposition which our people refused even to mention to us. Finally, they coolly asked for half our goods and baggage,—no doubt their ultimate object.

When they found that we would not agree to any of their proposals, but were determined rather to resist by the strong hand, a compromise was agreed upon. We paid them in goods to the value of three hundred and fifty reals, or about fifty pounds sterling, in order to get back our camels and be allowed to proceed. Even then, however, our caravan lost nine animals; so that the Kailouees suffer more even than we do. We were obliged to put up with all this, and were glad enough when the Shereef Marabout at length professed himself satisfied, and volunteered his protection for the future.

A wild and lawless set are these borderers of Aheer. The gathering was evidently a spontaneous one of all the blackguards of the country. Even the marabout complains, that during the expedition he has lost his burnouse, carpet, and fez, whilst he was saying his prayers, pious man! and beseeching for strength to overcome the infidels! He was on his knees, when a fellow of his troop came softly up behind, appropriated his things, mounted his camel, and fled away—"whist," he says, like the wind, and was soon out of sight, and appeared no more. By the way, the three Azghers were frightened, or corrupted, in the morning, and went over to the enemy. They change sides with fortune; and when some shots were fired by the enemy, by way of bravado and to expedite the conferences, one of their muskets was brought into play, and of course my powder! I am happy to reflect, however, that they got none of the booty this time, and have "'filed their minds" for nought.

As soon as we got back our camels we proposed to, move on, our people evincing the greatest anxiety to get away from a place where such disagreeable things had happened. We accordingly marched about two hours, the marabouts accompanying us, and then pitched tent for the night. Sinister rumours, however, were still about, like a flight of ill-omened birds, and it was said that another troop of people were collecting further on to intercept our passage to Soudan. During this halt, grave conferences were held between the Kailouee merchant, En-Noor, and the marabout, on the subject of these fresh reports. It turned out that there were several people in the neighbourhood who were dissatisfied that they had not shared in the booty, and might prove troublesome. About thirty reals' worth of things were accordingly selected for them.

25th.—We started before daylight, and advanced about nine hours, pitching tent in the afternoon at three. Our people are in better spirits, anticipating the termination of the journey. However, we are not yet free from cause of alarm. The Tanelkums, our companions, begin to show symptoms of discontent, and in the evening I was obliged to make presents to the whole of them. They have certainly worked hard for us, and suffered much anxiety on our account.

Our course this day lay towards the mountains of Tidek, which form our southern horizon. The country was a perfect desert. There was nothing now to tell that we were near Soudan, except perhaps a few tholukh-trees of gigantic stature. We did not halt upon the track, but, turning aside, sought a fine valley, where there was abundance of hasheesh. Our camels greedily devour the luxuriant bou rekaba.

26th.—As usual, the caravan was got into marching order before daybreak, and returning to the track we proceeded rapidly. Dawn revealed to us that we were still watched by the hostile population. Three men, mounted on maharees, trotted along the hills, evidently in observation. We soon got out of the desert country, and entered the fine wady of Kaltadak, rich with tropical vegetation. The huge tholukhs were covered with a multitude of parasitical plants, that hung in festoons or trailed down towards the earth. This valley runs winding round about the group of Tidek mountains, which have long been in view. They say that it abounds in lions, and as we advanced we looked down the long glades that opened on either hand, expecting to see some monarch of the forest stopping to gaze at us as we passed. We discovered, however, only three black ostriches moving slowly along in the distance,—the first I have seen wild in Africa. They appeared like dark moving lumps, the heads and necks not being discernible to the naked eye. Our people did not attempt to chase them; and the gazelles that glanced near at hand were likewise suffered to depart in peace. At noon we reached the well of Anamghur, where we drank some good water. It was scooped out of the sandy, rocky bed of the wady. A group of five asses had been driven down to it to drink.