CHAPTER XVI 



THE LAK DERA 



As the first streaks of light were showing in the east 



I climbed on to my mule, and, leading the way, 



marched towards the N.N.W. After half an hour's 



march we crossed some alluvial mud-tiats and then 



reached what was evidently a dry river bed of some 



importance. It was filled with rank grass and reeds 



and was quite dry. Its general course was towards 



the north-east, and the bottom of the bed was some 



15 feet below the level of the surrounding country. 



My first idea was that it was the Lak Dera. But 



I was mistaken, as I found later in the day that it 



was only a tributary. I took some photographs here 



and observations for altitude, and then marched on 



through dense acacia scrub up a slight incline till I 



reached a kind of plateau. There was a quantity 



of surface water everywhere, so filling up the tanks 



I proceeded with a much lighter heart. The bush 



had been and was so thick, that I had to walk all 



the time, riding being out of the question. The 



country was entirely overgrown with a low jungle 



composed of camel thorn and mimosa scrub in full 



leaf. There was no trail of any sort, and the trees 



grew in such close proximity one to another that 



it was often necessary to clear the way for the camels, 



as otherwise the loads would have suffered severely. 



I soon began to go downhill again, and at eleven 



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