little, he saw a mounted Tarki passing at some
distance and looking eagerly around. The Tarki had discovered his
footprints in the sandy ground. Crying as loud as his faint strength
would allow, "_aman! aman_!" ("Water! water!") he was rejoiced to see
the Tarki, Musa by name, approaching, and in a few moments he was at his
side, washing and sprinkling his head. His throat was, however, too dry
to enjoy the draught which Musa poured into it. His deliverer then
placed him on his camel, mounted himself in front, and carried him to
the tents.

The strength of a European is soon broken in those climes, if for a
single day he is prevented from taking his usual food. Next day,
however, the doctor was able to continue his journey.

Ghat, well situated in the centre of an oasis, was next reached. It is
surrounded by mud walls, with flat-roofed houses, while outside are
plantations of date-trees.

On the 26th of July the caravan again set out. On the 29th they
commenced their ascent to the greatest elevation of the desert, four
thousand feet above the sea. The path winding along through loose
blocks of stone, the precipitous ascent proved very difficult. Several
loads were thrown off the camels, and the boat frequently came in
contact with the rocks. It is indeed the wildest and most rugged region
of the whole desert. At one place the road meandered in a remarkable
way, sometimes reduced to a narrow crevice between curiously-terraced
buttresses of rocks. Two hours were occupied in descending.

At the bottom was a _wady_ between steep, precipitous cliffs looking
almost like walls erected by the hand of man. They were more than a
thousand feet high, with a pond of rainwater at the bottom. The valley
is called Aegeri.

They had now to pass a region of sand-hills. During their passage the
mirage set before their eyes beautiful sheets of water, which quickly
disappeared as they approached.

Desolate as the country appears, large herds of wild oxen rove over it.
Though the men tried to catch some of them, they were unsuccessful, as
the animal, sluggish as it seems, rapidly climbs the rocks and is soon
lost to sight.

The travellers, having now entered the tropics, expected to reach
pleasanter regions than they had hitherto passed through. Their guides,
however, were leading them further to the west than they wished, their
great desire being to reach Negroland as soon as possible.

On the 18th of August they