Chap. LXXXV. EL a'hMAR. 439 
in a spot entirely destitute of herbage^ and made 
another stretch of fifteen miles in the afternoon, 
leaving the well-known mound of Faja, along which 
the road leads to Tibesti, at some distance on our 
right. In order to recruit the strength of the camels, 
we gave them a good supper of dates, ground nuts, 
and millet, so that each of the poor animals, accord- 
ing to his habits and national taste, could pick out 
what was most palatable to him. 
A march of about thirteen miles brought 
us to the well " El A'hmar," or " Maddema," 
in an open desert country, bounded on the west by a 
large imposing mountain group, and distinguished by 
a great profusion of khareb, or kaye, the whole ground 
being overgrown with " handal," or colocynth, and 
strewed with bones. Here we passed an excessively 
hot day, the thermometer indicating 114° at two 
o'clock in the afternoon in the best shade I could 
find, and 105° at sunset, it remaining extremely hot 
the whole night, till after midnight, when a heavy 
gale arose. Nature here showed some animation, and 
beetles were in extraordinary numbers ; we also be- 
held here a herd of gazelles, but no beast of prey. 
At a very early hour the following morning, we 
started with a good supply of water, and after pro- 
ceeding for about ten miles, reached a valley toler- 
ably well provided with talha-trees, and overgrown 
with dry herbage. We were obliged to stay here the 
whole day, in order to give the camels a feed, as they 
were reduced to the greatest extremity : we had also 
r r 4 
