tle 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 o