FUERTEVENTURA 1 5 



began to stow away the last piece of luggage and to 

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

 he began protesting in a series of bubbling 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 baggage-camel 

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

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

 being otherwise undistinguishable from the rest of the 

 ground. The driver walked behind and urged the 

 beasts on with many and varied cries, the one most 

 often repeated being arrd camello, arrd camel ', 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 



