254 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



becomes terribly fatalistic in the desert. "Allah alone 

 knows" is repeated with complete simplicity by every 

 traveller in the great wilderness. 



By this time I could well understand the carelessness 

 of the Beduins, their lack of forethought and their 

 childlike trust in Providence. After all, what does it 

 really matter on a twelve days' waterless route whether 

 one overloads one's camel with a couple of extra girbas 

 and a spare jarfa of fodder in order to ensure a day 

 or two more of life? A few strong giblis may dry up 

 all the water. It may go bad, or the skins may leak, 

 or a load may be thrown on to sharp stones so that the 

 girbas burst. On the other hand, the guide may lose his 

 memory or his "instinct." Day after day without a 

 landmark, with the ever-present knowledge that one 

 slight mistake means destruction, is sui'ely enough to 

 trouble the most experienced. One day's bad march, 

 owing to a mere trifle such as irregularly balanced loads, 

 sore backs or unaccustomed date feeding, will endanger 

 the whole issue, for the Zakar — Jaghabub or the Zakar — 

 Siwa routes are the longest known stretches without 

 water. The Boema-Farafra route is twelve days with- 

 out water. The camels arrive completely exhausted 

 and if an extra day be added to the march they prob- 

 ably do not arrive at all. The men may get sore feet 

 or fever, but they cannot ride the heavily burdened 

 beasts. The terrible north wind may blow day and 

 night, making every step laborious, yet the daily average 

 has got to be kept up. Therefore, the Beduins smile 

 when one makes pitiful little attempts to arm oneself 

 against nature, to forestall or prevent her rigours. "If 

 Allah wills, we shall arrive," they say gravely and turn 

 the conversation to lighter matter. 



Fired by the example of Mohammed and Mora j a, 

 Yusuf began to wonder whether a wife or two would 



