NEW QUARTERS 35 



time I ever saw him use this whistle was in Las 

 Palmas, when we were driving from the harbour to the 

 town, and he certainly made good use of it then, 

 blowing a shrill blast at every vehicle that we passed, 

 until he made us the laughing-stock of the road for the 

 time being. 



Our farewells over we made a start, the black- 

 bearded son accompanying us for a short distance on 

 our way. He still shouted in my ear as he had done on 

 the first night of our arrival, but the process was more 

 bearable out of doors. We dropped him at the first 

 village we came to, some four or five miles from La 

 Oliva, and then pursued our journey with only the 

 camel driver for our guide. 



The country to the south of La Oliva was bare in 

 the extreme, more so I think than any that we had 

 passed through ; we saw a few Coursers, which would 

 now and again run from our path, though they were 

 not always easy to discern ; one or two flocks of Sand 

 Grouse, too, we also saw. I think the ground was too 

 bare for the Houbaras, as no verdure was visible to 

 relieve the arid prospect, not even the ajulaga shrub, 

 which may generally be found growing where there is 

 any vegetation at all, and with its feathery grey-green 

 foliage forms a rather pleasing contrast in colour to the 

 surrounding desert. On many of the stones which 

 covered the ground there was a deposit of red lichen, 

 this colour being especially noticeable towards the 

 tops of the mountains as seen from a distance. 



Six or seven hours travelling brought us to La 

 Antigua, which is perhaps the largest village in Fuerte- 

 ventura, and is more up-to-date than many, inasmuch 



