444 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXXXV. 
him in order to see his wife and children,) with the 
strictest fidelity, while his conduct had proved almost 
unexceptionable ; and of course he was delighted to 
see his family again. Besides a good breakfast and a 
couple of fowls with which he treated me, he made 
me also a present of a bunch of grapes, which caused 
me no little delight as a most unusual treat. How- 
ever, being anxious to get over this desert tract, I 
started a little after noon the same day, and met at the 
village of Bakhil, about six miles beyond, a Tebu cara- 
van, which was accompanied by a courier from Kii- 
kawa, who had found an excuse in the state of the 
country to remain absent on his mission to Murzuk 
nine months, instead of having retraced his steps 
directly to his own country. About four miles 
further on we reached Gatr6n, consisting of narrow 
groups lying closely together, and by the fringe of its 
date grove contrasting very prettily with the sandy 
waste around. 
Here also we were hospitably treated by the rela- 
tives of another servant, who was glad to have 
reached his home ; and we encamped the follow- 
ing day at Dekir, where we had some trouble first in 
finding and then in digging out the well, which was 
entirely filled up with sand. In two very long days' 
stretches from here, the first including a night/s 
march, we reached the well, two miles and a half on 
this side of the village Beddn, when we heard that 
Mr. Warrington was encamped five miles beyond, in 
the village of Yese. 
