By the Way 143 



Hamun. 1 So now one advised marching back 



to the water we had left in the morning, another 



stopping for the night where we were, while a 



third counselled trust in Allah and going on. 



We knew the rising ground where our camp was 



to be could not be many miles farther on, so 



the forward policy was adopted, but it was soon 



repented. The animals struggled and floundered, 



and as the intervals between the desperate efforts 



of the sweating, trembling mules became more 



prolonged, our hopes of seeing camp that night 



became dim. It was now dark, nothing to help 



the guides but the stars. We could not stop, 



we could not get on. By the mercy of Allah, 



however, as things were at their blackest, we 



reached more solid ground, and when some time 



later the ray from a fire shot across the gloom, 



the mules set to whinny with delight, while our 



caravan men one after another threw themselves 



on the ground and rolled. As to why they 



should have given relief to their feelings by 



rolling I do not know. To find a reason I 



fancy one would have to look a long way back 



1 The explanation of this apparently unnecessary ignorance lies 

 in the changes that constantly take place in the level of the lake 

 and the gentle slope of the shore ; even small variations in the 

 water-level causing the submersion and emersion of great tracts 

 of land. 



