Chap. XLIX. LEAVING THE RIGHT TRACK. 
357 
must pursue the northern one ; but unluckily, while 
no recent traces were to be seen along this path, the 
southerly track seemed to be well-trodden, and my 
poor servants, who before had silently though sullenly 
followed me, broke out into the most mournful lamen- 
tations when they saw that I wanted to take the path 
which showed no signs of intercourse, saying that I 
was going to destroy their lives as well as my own in 
this desolate wilderness. At length, after having in 
vain remonstrated with them, telling them that they 
were frustrating my projects, I allowed myself to be 
overruled by their piteous supplications, although with 
a sad foreboding, and pursued the southerly track. 
The sun was just setting when we reached another 
hamlet, consisting of large decent-looking huts, and 
filling us with almost confident hope that we might 
there find comfortable quarters ; but we soon con- 
vinced ourselves that here also not a human being was 
left behind. Only a group of five antelopes {oryx), 
called here " tetel," with their erect horns, were fear- 
lessly standing at a little distance, and staring at 
us. It was the first time I had seen this handsome 
animal in a wild state, though I afterwards found it 
to be very frequent in this country, and even fell in 
with it along the komadugu of Bornu. 
Having convinced ourselves that the well was dry, 
and not thinking quarters in a desolate village very 
safe in such a country, we pursued our inarch, en- 
tering again a dense forest where a great deal of 
A A 3 
