Birds from Tripoli. 645 
« 
gebleh/'' and to the absence of water, which was only 
obtainable at places ten to twelve hours march distant from 
each other. " During the ^ gebleh winds/ " Mr. Dodson 
wrote, "^ we had simply to hide in our tents and cover our 
heads with cloths, as it was often quite impossible to travel 
through the blinding, drifting sand, which made oner's nose 
and lips crack and bleed.'' 
Two weeks after leaving Tripoli, the caravan arrived at 
Sofedjin, about 120 miles to the south-east of that town, and 
after a short stay there, continued its march to Bonjem 
Oasis. Between Sofedjin and Bonjem some trouble was 
experienced with the Wafella Arabs, an ambush which 
had been prepared for the Englishmen being fortunately 
discovered by them in time and the treacherous Arabs dis- 
comfited. The country in this neighbourhood was very 
rocky and barren, but intersected by numerous oueds, or 
dry torrent-beds, in some of which large patches of brilliantly- 
coloured flowers were to be seen, which on approach proved 
to be " immortelles j'' or everlasting flowers. On the road to 
Bonjem a halt was called at Easkir Zumzum, where an 
important Roman reservoir exists in a wonderful state of 
preservation, its stonework and cement being as good and 
as water-tight as ever. Few birds of any species were to be 
iret with thereabouts, but gazelles [Gazella dorcas) appeared 
to be numerous, judging from their tracks, and one of these 
animals was shot. At Bonjem, which was reached on the 
21st of April, our travellers hoped to find fresh food, but 
were disappointed, the few inhabitants of the place being them- 
selves on the verge of starvation, and their diet at the time 
consisting almost solely of Yellow Wagtails [Motacilla flava). 
These birds happened just then to be passing on migration, 
and considerable numbers of them were trapped and snared 
by the famished natives. Failing other food, the Arabs of 
these districts often subsist to a great extent upon snails and 
palm-juice. In consequence of the hardships endured during 
the march, and to a want of proper diet, one of the Turkish 
soldiers died about this time. Apparently the poor man had 
been suffering previously from an attack of severe gastritis, 
Otj o 
