18 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



single note-book, map, drawing and scientific instrument 

 was destroyed, so Rohlfs was unable to attempt much 

 description even of his journey up to Hawawiri. 



In the book which he calls "Kufra" he devotes a 

 chapter to his perils and battles in that inhospitable oasis, 

 but, after his rescue by Korayim, whose son we met at 

 Taj, his narrative becomes veiy disjointed. He was 

 moved to another place before being allowed to leave the 

 oasis. He himself thinks it was Jof, but from his 

 description of the journey this seems impossible. He 

 spent another fortnight under the surveillance of Korayim 

 — he tells us that he was not allowed to move without 

 a guard of twenty rifles — during which he seems to have 

 confronted every form of extortion and threat with calm 

 and intrepidity. On September 27 he left the oasis with 

 Korayim, who took him all the way to Benghazi, where, 

 unfortunately, the sheikh died. Consequently there is a 

 legend that Rohlfs poisoned him. With experience of 

 the greed of our own escort, I came to the conclusion 

 that the grateful German probably gave him too much 

 of his own cherished stores and the Arab over-ate! 



After this ill-fated expedition no alien presence cast 

 a shadow on the sanctity and isolation of Kufara till 

 Sayed Ahmed sent his prisoner there. Many attempts 

 were made from Siwa to pierce the first barrier of dunes, 

 but in vain. The secrets which Rohlfs had so nearly 

 solved remained wrapped in the mirage of the great 

 deserts and Kufara was still a legend more than a fact. 



The amicable relations at present existing between 

 Italy and the Senussi, and the genuine friendship of 

 Senator de Martino and Sayed Idris made it easy for 

 us to reach Jedabia as the guests of the former's most 

 hospitable Government, but thencefoi-th it was left us to 

 fend for ourselves. We could not take our kindly hosts 

 of Benghazi into our confidence, as they would have 



