112 
LAKE AWANIL. 
number arrived^ and came in front of the tent of my marabout. 
This band was entirely composed of women : they asked to 
see me ; and were refused^ but unfortunately I was not apprised 
of it and went out of my tent. They then surrounded me 
and tormented me worse than ever. 
I would have withdrawn to my tent, to avoid the insults of 
every kind which they offered ; but this they opposed, and it 
was with difficulty that I escaped and hid myself in a neigh- 
bouring tent. They had treated me so ill, that the inhabit- 
ants were indignant at their conduct, and would not allow 
them to stay ; they gave them some millet and dismissed 
them. On the 19th, the men and baggage of the king's 
camp passed us on their way to the banks of the Senegal, 
and on the 21st we removed again, provided with water for 
two days, as we should be that time without finding any on 
our route. 
We traversed a sandy country, where I saw some beau- 
tiful balanites and some mimosas. Our allowance of water 
was not abundant, and the greater part of our stock was 
reserved for the calves, so that we suffered dreadfully from 
thirst during these two days. On the first we travelled 
fifteen miles W. S. W. The cattle remained behind us, and 
we all went without supper. On the 22d we advanced 
twelve miles in the same direction, and arrived at three in 
the afternoon at the place where we were to halt ; we were 
then three miles S. E. of the el-Awanil, a lake to which we 
sent for water. On the 29th to amuse myself, I went to 
visit this lake, following the slaves, who were dispatched 
thither for water; the soil which surrounds it is slightly 
argillaceous, and produces a great quantity of the ziziphus 
lotus, mimosa^ and nauclea. In this excursion, I was pleased 
to see the slaves, for the first time, enjoying themselves a 
little. These poor creatures, so sad and gloomy in the pre- 
sence of their cruel masters, profiting by the first moment of 
freedom from constraint, give themselves up to their natural 
