TRAVELS IN THE SAHARA. 
this plain, they entered another, where the wind 
had thrown up in furrows the sand, which was of 
a reddish colour. On the tops of the furrows 
grew a few sweet-scented plants, which were de- 
voured by the camels. On quitting this sandy 
plain, they entered a valley surrounded by moun- 
tains, where the soil was white and slimy, and 
where they found water of a noxious smell, co- 
vered with green moss, and soon after discovered 
a horde of the friendly tribe Rousaye. Sicli Sellem, 
one of the chiefs of this horde, and brother-in-law 
to Sidi Mahomet, proposed to Brisson to put him- 
self under his protection, and offered to purchase 
him ; to which Brisson, who expected soon to reach 
either Senegal or Marocco, gave a firm refusal. 
After another journey of sixteen days, they arrived 
at the tents of the Labdesseba horde, to which Sidi 
Mahomet belonged* The tents, pitched among 
thick bushy trees, and the numerous flocks feeding 
along the sides of the hills, presented at a distance 
an aspect of happiness and pastoral simplicity. On 
approaching near, the trees of beautiful green fo- 
liage proved to be only old gummy stumps, almost 
void of branches, so encircled with thorns, that 
their shade was inaccessible. The women approach- 
ed with loud cries and the most fawning servility, 
to welcome their tyrants, to throw stones at the 
Christians, and spit in their faces, while the children 
imitated the example of their mothers. Brisson, 
