88 DEPARTURE FROM TIMBUCTOO. 
agent^ during the stay I should make there before I crossed 
the great desert. In short, he spared no pains to diminish 
the hardships of that undertaking. He also gave me two 
leathern bottles to hold my supply of water for the journey ; 
some dokhnou, wheaten bread, baked in the same way as our 
biscuit, melted butter, and a large quantity of rice. 
It was very warm during the whole of the fortnight that 
I stayed at Timbuctoo ; the wind never ceased to blow from 
the east. 
The caravan destined for el-Arawan, with which I had 
resolved to travel, was to set out on the 4th of May, at sun- 
rise. My host was up so early that morning as to allow me 
time, before my departure, to breakfast with him on tea, 
new bread, and butter. That nothing might diminish the 
agreeable impression which my stay at Timbuctoo had made 
upon me, I met, on departing, the host of Major Laing, who 
made me accept some new clothing for my journey. 
Sidi-Abdallahi accompanied me to some distance from 
his house, and, at parting with me, he affectionately pressed 
my hand and wished me a good journey. This farewell de- 
tained me almost too long. To rejoin the caravan, which 
had already proceeded to a considerable distance, I was 
obliged, as well as three slaves who had also remained be- 
hind, to run a whole mile through the sand. This effort 
fatigued me so much, that, on reaching the caravan, I fell 
down in a state of insensibility ; I was lifted up and placed 
on a loaded camel, where I sat among the packages, and 
though dreadfully shaken I was too glad at being relieved 
from the labour of walking to complain of my beast. 
On the 4th of May, 1828, at eight in the morning, we 
directed our route to the north over a sandy soil, almost 
moving, quite level, and completely barren. However, at 
the distance of two miles from the town, we met with a few 
shrubs resembling junipers, and some rather tall clusters 
