130 PERSONAL NARRATIVE. 



heavy shower fell, and the ravine beside us was suddenly 

 filled with a torrent three or four feet deep. In an hour 

 this had run down again. 



On the 10th August we marched to Kelamet. This 

 had become much greener than before, but stiU the 

 change was great. On the 11th, in a most violent squall 

 of wind and rain, several of our tents were blown down, 

 including my bell tent of course. A bell tent always is 

 the first tent to be blown down. Luckily I had secured 

 my collections in boxes, and only lost a few butterflies. 



In consequence of these frequent showers, floods in 

 the Lebka had become of daily occurrence, and the gorge 

 of Aualid Oret was impracticable and dangerous. In- 

 stead, therefore, of returning by the river-bed as we 

 had ascended, it was necessary to make a detour to the 

 northward, and to go round by Eairo near Af Abed. 

 After the thorough wetting of the day before, I was 

 occupied all the morning in drying my tent, &c. It was 

 consequently afternoon before I started with Jesse, aU 

 our companions having gone on earlier. Leaving the 

 Lebka valley, our route lay across very open country, 

 over wide plains covered with thin bush jungle, and 

 scattered hiUs. The rocks became excessively granitoid, 

 and scattered tors of the usual detached rounded masses 

 were frequent. We had accomplished the greater por- 

 tion of the march, which did not exceed about fifteen 

 miles, when a heavy shower induced us to take shelter 

 under some rocks beside a dry stream-bed, which we had 

 just crossed. Presently there was a rush of water, and 

 the stream-bed was filled with a torrent about four feet 



