298 SERVICE AND SPORT IN THE SUDAN 



flow structure in lava. It was no doubt brought out 

 by fires. There is both sweet and brackish water here, 

 and a number of still young bastard palms {i.e. those 

 grown from date-stones, not from shoots). There is 

 not the slightest doubt that oases exist west, and 

 especially north-west of Terfaui. The map shows a 

 line of them descending south-east from Tripoli. 

 Moreover, the Arabs have a belief that 160 miles from 

 Terfaui exists a real country (Kufra ?) overflowing with 

 milk and honey. I had neither time nor food to 

 venture further, though I longed to do so. Some one 

 will yet prick the Senussi bubble. If Rolphs was, as 

 he describes, attacked by thieves, it was by Senussi that 

 restitution was made him. 



I had now to return to Safsaf. For the first score of 

 miles after leaving the latter oasis we travelled over the 

 same sandy level as before, reaching it on our outward 

 journey. Near the oasis I shot a bird which my men 

 declared was an aquatic one. It was about the size 

 of a duck. Round the well at Safsaf there had been, 

 it is true, a few sorts of small birds. At a tarbul, which 

 we passed, I tried to shoot some gazelle, but they 

 made off at a terrible rate for another in the dim 

 distance, which is said to contain water. When we 

 left the sandy level we entered very rocky undulating 

 country, which lasted much beyond Debbes. It 

 appears, however, that slightly to the west is a loop 

 in the road which avoids them to a great extent. As 

 it was, to the right and left were low ledges of rock 

 and small conical hills. To the east we sighted 

 J. Ahmar, a tall, dark-red, square-topped mountain, 



