92 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



flat desert oasis, and go straight to the country of dark 

 mountains, but about this he was adamant. He would 

 not risk this dangerous route and so we each privately 

 made up our minds to outwit the other. He would take 

 me to Taiserbo with the secret intention of then going 

 to Zieghen and by the main caravan route to Kufara. I 

 agreed to the Taiserbo route, but with the equally firm 

 determination of continuing to our goal by way of 

 Buseima. 



Two other possible ways to the sacred city were 

 mentioned. One due south from Jaghabub, and one 

 west from Farafra in Egj^pt, but both necessitated twelve 

 or thirteen days without water. Nobody seemed to know 

 much about the latter, but the casualties on the former 

 had been appalhng. The last Arab who attempted it 

 had died on the way because his water went bad. Sayed 

 Ahmed, traversing it with an army, had been forced to 

 leave his luggage, stores and horses behind. Another 

 party had lost their way and, after half their number 

 had died, the remainder arrived at Siwa by mistake. 

 "The guides lost their heads," said Abdul Kasim. 

 "One mistake is sufficient and you must die!" We 

 were very anxious to return by this route, but they all 

 dissuaded us. "Return to Jalo," they said. "It is only 

 seven days from there to Jaghabub, but it is all without 

 water. The wells were closed in the War." 



We asked more definitely about the position of 

 Kufara. Five days from Zieghen and seven from Tai- 

 serbo, the oasis generally called Kebabo is really Kufara. 

 It is not one of a group. It lies entirely alone, and it 

 contains five villages. 



AH this was told by grey-bearded sheikhs by the 

 light of two guttering candles in She-ib's humble tent. 

 The atmosphere was very friendly. They sympathised 

 and wanted to help. "Only good can come out of your 



