about the time we were likely to arrive there,, or what good things
were to he had at the place—eating being usually the sunmum
bonum. On pur return to Bengali in June the whole burthen of
our camel-driver’s song for three days was the reward which he
expected to have for driving his camels so fast.
I t was late in the evening when we arrived at Apollonia, with,
out having met with a single human being ; our road led chiefly over
a stony country intersected by deep ravines, which our horses had
the greatest difficulty in, crossing,
We were told at El Hilal, that we should find Arab tents and
plenty of water at Apollonia, but neither of these had we the good
fortune to meet with, after a long and very diligent search
We accordingly began to dig a well in the sand, but the water which
drained into it was too salt to drink, and our labour was wholly
thrown away. The day had been hot, and the exertions which were
necessary in getting our horses safely across the deep and numerous
ravines which obstructed our passage from E l Hiffil to Apollonia,
had tolerably exhausted the strength of our party before we arrived
at our journey’s end; but the circumstances in which we were placed
had the effect of renewing it for a time, and it was midnight before
we discontinued our search for Arab tents, and our efforts to procure
a supply of water. As no, hopes of finding either- appeared to be
left us, we gave over the search, and retired to, our tents; the waterskins
were carefully drained, and afforded us something less than a
pint, which was divided amongst the party, consisting of eight, and
we laid ourselves down to sleep away the inconvenience which we
had not been able to remedy. At daylight on the fifth we rose to
make our way to Cyrene, which we knew could not, at all events, be
more than half a day’s journey to the southward; but ill fortune
still pursued us, for neither our Chaous, nor the camel-driver,
had any knowledge whatever of the road. As we knew, from
our actual position, that we could not well be mistaken in the direction
of Cyrene, we set out upon the chance of finding some track
which might eventually lead to the point required; and after following
several paths, one after the other, all of which only led us into
the wood and left us, a great part of the day was consumed without
effect. I t was too late to think of returning to El Hilal, for it
would not have been safe to cross after dusk the many deep
ravines which interposed in that route, and we determined to make
our way over the mountains which lay between us and Cyrene, since
we could not find a pass leading through them. We knew that on
reaching the summit of the range we should have a view of the place
we Were bound to, which could not, in a straight line, be far from u s ;
but our'project was soon discovered to be more easily projected than
executed: for the sides of the mountain were thickly covered with
wood, among which we were obliged to scramble as we might, and
after dragging our horses for several hours through these impediments,
and over the rough stony ground and slippery parts of the
rock, we fbund, on reaching the top of one hill, that another was
before us, as difficult to pass as the one we had just surmounted;
and that a thickly-wooded valley must be crossed before we could
attain even the foot of.it. By this time the camels which had pur-
3 q s