262 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



ignore several legs complete with pads in building a 

 zariba, but I hankered after ground less gruesomely 

 reminiscent, so we compromised bj^ turning our backs 

 on the well and its inmiediate surroundings. "The 

 animals always die at the end of this journey," said 

 Suleiman calmly, "unless they are very strong. Then 

 they drink so much water that one must travel very 

 slowly, taking five days or even more to go from here 

 to Hawari." The well, when we arrived, was a big 

 mound of sand, but the guide told us it was properly 

 made with stone walls, so it was only a case of digging. 

 It is necessary to arrive at this well with a reserve of 

 water as, before beginning to dig, one must carefully 

 soak the surrounding sand to make it hold the stones 

 like mortar. Otherwise they all fall in on top of anyone 

 digging and it is most dangerous work. 



Apparently the Zakar well was used in ancient days 

 by Tebus, long before the Jaghabub-Kufara route was 

 opened by the Mahdi. The latter never travelled over 

 it himself, but he sent an exploring party to discover its 

 possibihties and, later, his brother, Sayed Ahmed es 

 Sherif, took a caravan across it. Since then it has been 

 practically reserved for the use of the Senussi family, who 

 make the journey with immense caravans with anything 

 over fifty camels. They carry very large stores of fodder, 

 casting several loads on the way if necessary. Sidi Idris 

 and Saj^ed Rida have so far avoided the route, but Sayed 

 Ahmed es Sherif used it several times. On one occasion 

 some of his water went bad going south and his horse 

 died of thirst four days out. He had to leave most of 

 his stores and luggage behind and return hastily to 

 Jaghabub with as many camels as possible. Three years 

 later his luggage was recovered just as he had left it, 

 which shows how little frequented is the route. 



All afternoon the Beduins laboured at the well. It 



