imed; and indeed there it lay like a vast expanse of calm
ocean. The slopes of the hills upon which we stood appeared like the
shore, and those distant black-gray spots surrounded by a seeming blue,
so wonderfully like islands in the ocean, were the oases of the Ziban,
encircled by the great sea of sand, the desert. It is a view never to be
forgotten--such light! such color! such calm loveliness!

Fatigue, discomfort, difficulties, all alike were forgotten; self seemed
lost in the magic of the scene; and it was with straining eyes and
beating hearts that we rattled down the declivity to Biskra, the
largest, richest and most important of this group of oases. But here
again our troubles commenced. This journey seemed fated to be, like the
journey of life itself, a series of ups and downs, calculated to fully
exercise all our strength and philosophy. It was no joke to find
ourselves in the desert, after a drive of fifteen hours, without a
resting-place for our wearied bodies or a dinner to restore our failing
strength and spirits. One hotel, we found, was indeed shut up, and in
the other they had only two close, wretched-looking rooms to offer
us--one with two, and one with three, beds. We were very reluctant to
accept these; and, after all, how could seven persons, a lady and six
gentlemen, be thus accommodated? Mr. M---- and I determined to lay siege
to the closed hotel and try if we could not find an "open sesame" to
unclose its portals.

[Illustration: BISKRA.]

Monsieur and Madame Bourguignon, the landlord and landlady, were the
sole occupants of the hotel. It was impossible, they said: they dared
not admit us, as in consequence of a quarrel with the authorities their
license had been taken from them. At last our importunity triumphed. On
appealing to their humanity in our most pathetic and touching French,
they said if we could get a written permission from the
_commandant-superieur_ for them to open their hotel, they would do the
best they could for us. We had no resource but to beat up the officer's
quarters, which, under the conduct of an Arab guide, we soon reached.
The servant who answered our summons said, "Monsieur le Commandant was
at dinner." Politeness, however, was at this stage of the proceedings
out of the question; so we coolly replied that he must leave his dinner
and come to speak with a lady. We were not long kept waiting, and were
most kindly and pleasantly received, the commandant giving us at on