horny part of their feet to prevent the sharp pebbles
or rock from making them foot-sore. * We killed a
sheep for ourselves, and hit upon an excellent plan of
preserving the meat, by cutting it up into portions the
size of a mutton-chop, and boiling all in grease : when
cooled, it was put into a leathern bag, and being
cooked, it lasted us during the journey. Our caravan
consisted of twenty-nine persons, including two guides,
all mounted on camels. Each camel, besides grain
and baggage, also earned, slung on either side, two
girbas or water-bags. We had three men and a couple
of lads, over and above the experienced guides, for the
purpose of driving on and attending to our camels.
They wished us to hire more carriage, saying, our
water was insufficient, but we found that we were
amply supplied. Setting out soon after noon, we passed
to the right of a hill, called Moogeran. The route
was as firm as a gravelled garden-walk, not a shrub
nor tree upon its whole extent, and grass only where
water had coursed after rains. I had always fancied
a “ desert ” to be drifting sand, as is seen in the Overland
route, but here it was perfectly level, and swept
by the wind. Several doves passed u s ; a jet-black
swift skimmed in front of our troop of camels, and
alighted on the ground without fear, as the Mother
Carey’s Chicken alights on the billows; sand-finches
and sand-grouse, &c., flew about. We had two species
of lizard to interest us while proceeding on our march,
and the ground was riddled with rat-holes. These may
be said to have represented life, and we had skeletons
of camels representing death. The latter were in every
state of decay and position. Few seemed to have died
here (at the close of their journey from Korosko) with-
A DUST-STORM. 437
out a struggle. While crossing to the hill above mentioned,
we saw at its base what seemed a lake with
boats upon i t ; our Seedees at once said, “ Let us go for
water, let us fetch wood.” It was a mirage, the Bahr
Belama, or false sea, seen about two in the afternoon
in the most fantastic shapes, wherever there was a hill
to obstruct the current of air. There was a good deal
of bantering amongst the Seedees after the mirage was
discovered, each trying to dupe his neighbour into
walking over to it. We had been in the saddle from
noon till sunset, when we dismounted for two hours
to allow our camels to eat their com, and then we
proceeded again, sailing over the plain of gravel till
near daylight. This was our first severe night. I felt
as sleepy as if I had been drugged; even walking now
and then at a brisk pace scarcely kept us awake.
6th.—We had rested well at Aboo Inteh Shurrut,
with the glorious, heavens for our canopy, and jumped
up off our blankets light and joyous, and were saddled
by sunrise, having, with the aid of some of our firewood,
got a luxurious cup of coffee. We had two
severe days’ work before us. First, we had to reach
Furoodh, a four hours’ morning ride across a hard
plain, with solitary hills in the distance, and mirage
near them. Then we had an afternoon march to Ta-
boon, or Taban (trouble), where the camels were baited.
Here, the place, true to its cognomen, gave us the
benefit of a dust-storm: the bank of cloud rolled
on from the east—every one lay upon his face; the
camels turned their backs and rested their long necks
on the ground; the lights were blown out, and for a
minute, while we were pelted with sand and gravel,
all was dark. The blast, however, was soon over. We