FUERTE VENTURA 



15 



began to stow away the last piece of luggaoe and to 

 tighten up the ropes his pride seemed to give way, and 

 he began protesting in a series of bubbHng grunts and 

 complaining noises which increased in volume until he 

 finally staggered up on to his feet, when he became quiet 

 at once. 



I sent Lorenzo to buy some provisions for himself 

 and then we were soon ready to start. A minute or 

 two sufficed to take us clear of the little town, and we 

 found ourselves out on the desert, skirting the sea shore 

 at first for a considerable time. The baoro-aa-e-camel 



00 o 



was sent on in front, picking its way along the narrow 

 path, worn fiat and smooth by many camels' feet, but 

 being otherwise undistinguishable from the rest of the 

 o-round. The driver walked behind and ureed the 

 beasts on with many and varied cries, the one most 

 often repeated being arrd caniello, ari'^ canieT, with 

 occasionally a tap from his stick, the animals responding 

 with a shambling run for a few paces, which ill accorded 

 with their lofty mien, and was exceedingly uncomfort- 

 able for me, inasmuch as whenever I had a reasonable 

 expectation of being jolted forward I was jogged back- 

 ward, and vice versa. I had a fine view of the country 

 round though, being perched up so high, but unfor- 

 tunately there was little to be seen. The sea on our 

 right, and a desert of stone-covered ground on our left, 

 might truthfully be said to describe what view there 

 was ; this barren ground led up to a range of mountains 

 some little way inland, which appears to extend all round 

 Fuerteventura in an almost continuous chain, enclosing 

 a long stretch of undulating country in the centre of the 

 island. It seemed impossible that any life should be 



