( IJ' ) 



fell oii" before they were ripe, on account of the exceptional summer heat. Two 

 meals are eaten, one in the morning, mostly consisting of dates, one in the 

 evening, consisting of " conscons " and bread. 



The houses are small and dark, but in the summer they are hardly inhabited 

 at all, all life being spent in the open and on the flat housetops. It is said that 

 probably more than half the houses would tumble down if a heavy rainfall, as in 

 olden times, took place, and therefore the Tidikeltians hate the idea of a heavy 

 rain. 



Of domestic animals the only one of the greatest importance and necessity is 

 the camel. Tidikelt camels are excellent, and especially their mehari (riding- 

 camels) are famous. Sheep and goats are kept, and a very few donkeys. Horses 

 are not reared now, and the few in the hands of French officers and Kaids have 

 been brought there with great cost from the north, and do not seem to propagate.* 

 Fowls are kept in some numbers, but are very small, their eggs hardly larger than 

 pigeons' eggs. I was surprised to notice no dogs, while in the northern desert 

 every household has a dog. 



The question arose for us : Where to go from In-Salah — ■which way to return 

 northwards ? 1 had hoped to make a trip into the mountains of Mouidir, outlying 

 hills of the great zoologically unknown mountain-ranges of the Hoggar or Ahaggar, 

 the stronghold of the Touarogs. There would have been no difficulty from the 

 point of safety, but we decided not to do it. All round In-Salah everything was 

 dry and dead. Where liohlfs, in ISdi, found everj'thing green, and constantly 

 talks of " Dhomran-forests " (a most misleading expression, as Dhomran grows 

 only to a height of two or three feet at the very utmost !), all around and far 

 eastwards of Tidikelt not a single green plant is seen at present. It is certain 

 (from informations of Arabs and French officers) that at present 100 kilometres south 

 and east of In-Salah not a green leaf exists outside the oasis, and that to the south 

 no pasturage to speak of can be found nearer than 150 kilometres. Mouidir itself is 

 very dry, and it cannot be expected that the animal life there differs appreciably 

 from that of the mountains near Ain Gnettara, etc. 



Therefore a hurried trip to Mouidir, at that time, which might have endangered 

 the lives of our camels, seemed to be of very little use at all. It would have 

 been different if we could have gone into the great Hoggar mountains ; but this 

 was not possible, as neither Mr. Hilgert nor 1 could stay away so long. Also 

 the journey to Timbuktu was out of the question, because from Timbuktu it 

 would have taken us a long time to reach Eujope again, and the expenses (the 

 return of our men) would not have been in proportion to the undertaking. 

 The country south of Tidikelt, especially the Tanezrouft, is exceedingly bare and 

 lifeless, and at Timbuktu itself, which must be very interesting, we could not 

 have stayed long enough to do any proper work. We therefore decided, after 

 some excursions in the near neighbourhood and oases, to return to El-Golea, and 

 to go thence to GhardaVa. Thus we avoided the uninviting, toilsome way from 

 El-Golea to Ouargla, and the (in stuumer) very unhealthy oasis of Oiiargla. 



While at In-Salah we had a pleasant surprise through the return of Captain 

 Charlet from Hhat, on the frontier of Triiwlitania. Captain Charlet had made the 

 journey to Khat and back, on mehari, and was received by the kaids and peoi)le 

 of lu-Salah, ami the soldiery. In the evening Camj) Bngeaud was en pte. 



* Formerly liorstrs were iiuineruiiw, and their disiippearance luis probably two causes; the 

 BhiftiDg of the commerce siuco the French occupation, ami the ilrought o£ the last twenty years, 



