134 PERSONAL NARRATIVE. 



the long march from Ain across the desert of Shob. In- 

 stead of keeping near the hills we took the direct road to 

 Massowa, which runs further to the eastward. It was an 

 intensely hot night, and we had a most dreary march, 

 and became one and all intensely thirsty. About two in 

 the morning, to our surprise, we heard the rush of water, 

 and found that a flood had come down one of the 

 streams from the hills called Mai Aualid, and fiUed the 

 watercourse with liquid mud rather than water ; how- 

 ever, thick as it was, it tasted delicious after our long hot 

 march. In the morning Mockler went on, Jesse and I 

 waited, intending to ride forward in the afternoon ; but 

 about one o'clock a sudden puff of wind carried away 

 my bell tent, and we started, and rode about six miles 

 further to the Amba, another watercourse with a few 

 pools of water in the bed, near to which stood Mockler's 

 tent. 



This is a well-known resort for oryx, and Mockler had 

 seen a herd in the morning. Jesse and I resolved to halt 

 there for two or three days, whilst Mockler went on to . 

 Massowa, where we expected a steamer would touch 

 about this time, in which we could all have returned to 

 Aden. The next morning accordingly both of us went 

 out early in separate directions. I went several miles, 

 and saw one or two Soemmering's and Dorcas 

 gazelles, but no oryx, although their tracks were 

 common. I had nearly returned to camp, when, ascend- 

 ing from a small ravine, I at last saw on the plain in 

 front the animal I had longed to catch sight of ever since 

 I had been in Abyssinia. Even at the distance of half a 



