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supply, which of course did not fail

them.

Two donkeys were also purchased at this place, with poles to support a bed, in case of illness. As a further precaution, we had sent to Berber to get a litter, or tack caravan, and abundant provisions in rice, bread, &c.

CHAPTER XII.

Additions to our party-Skeleton guides-Lost in the desert-Surefootedness of the camel-The well-A horrible story-Nubian despotism-An Arab's revenge.

WE started from Aboohamed at ten o'clock on the morning of the 22nd of January, for it was far too cold to have attempted it earlier.

We had some additions to our party. One was a man who had escaped from the jail at Fazokl-at least so said the Governor

of Aboohamed; though he retracted his assertion on being presented with a dollar. There was a suspicious coincidence, however, in the knowledge the man evidently had of the state of felon society in that Botany Bay of a place, which was not to be expected from one who visited it solely for pleasure. Perhaps he was not the most desirable acquaintance we could have selected, but as he made himself extremely handy in pitching tents, we were glad to have assisted in freeing him from his bonds.

Our other acquisition was a fat sheep, who was warranted to walk as well, if not better than a camel. I did not believe a word of this; and was not at all surprised on finding that he did not answer his warranty in the quality of pedestrianism. He was therefore transformed into mutton with as little delay as possible.

The first day our route lay over undulating plains, that were as firm and as smooth as a gravel road. There were twenty paths at least; but had we lost our way, the skeletons of the numerous camels which covered the road and tainted the air, would have shown us the right one.

Then we entered chains of hills among which we wound, often through narrow passes, where the ground was marked by deep water-courses, and covered at this season by plants of three or four kinds, on which the camels fed with great

relish.

After passing these, we came to a long tract of deep sand, where we wandered on for hours, without finding a place sufficiently firm to pitch a tent; and then entered another chain of hills, mostly of a conical shape, and very picturesquely grouped.

Here we were nearly lost; for, after watching our caravan descending the plain beneath us, and apparently entering a defile, we discovered that the distance was much greater than we thought it had been; for it took two hours' riding before we reached the defile, when it was quite dark, and there was no signs of the caravan, which we had ordered to stop at sunset. On we wandered, in some slight anxiety, when suddenly one of our party happening to cast a backward glance, discovered a light. For this we immediately made, and had the gratification to find that it proceeded from our people, who had wandered out of the direct road in search of forage for their camels, which they did not find.

After this adventure, we lingered very little in the rear, and found ourselves obliged to curtail our mid-day rests.

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