WELLS OF EL-EKSEIF. 
135 
spice ; the meat he had brought from Jenii^^ in which town 
he had lived several years occupied in commerce. I thought, 
by making him a little present, to obtain in return frequent 
invitations to his meals, and therefore gave him a piece of 
twenty sous^ which he accepted^ he considered himself however 
under no engagement in my favour, for he invited me no more. 
On the I3th of June, we remained beside the wells to 
recover from our fatigues, and refresh ourselves with copious 
draughts of the delicious water. The soil on which we were 
encamped was dry, and full of stones, which we were ob- 
liged to clear away from the spot where the camels were to 
lie, lest they should be hurt. In the evening water was so 
abundant here that I was enabled to cool my body with a ca- 
labash of cold water, and I found great benefit from it. 
On the 14th, we set out at five in the morning, still pur- 
suing the same course. Descending into a plain where we 
found a little herbage, we halted about nine o'clock to allow 
the camels to graze. The road had been difficult and we had 
travelled about two miles an hour. At five in the evening, 
judging that the camels were satisfied, we continued our jour- 
ney northwards, but had scarcely proceeded a mile when we 
were obliged to wait for part of our company, who had stayed 
behind ; the ground which we were upon was composed of 
very hard grey sand, covered with fine white gravel. To- 
wards eleven at night, the stragglers, whom their beasts 
had carried to a distance in pursuit of food, arrived, and 
we resumed our route, guided by the pole-star ; we tra- 
velled all night and till eleven in the morning of the 15th. 
On the 1 5th, we met with the same soil as the day be- 
fore, without any vegetation. A strong north wind pre- 
vailed and greatly incommoded us. At half ])ast five P. m., 
after drinking some dokhnou, we again entered upon the 
desert. Travelling northwards all night, we found the air 
unusually cold, but free from fog. 
On the 1 6th of June, at sunrise, we saw a little chain of 
