52 
THE BLACKS — LEAVE EL-HASEE. 
native air, or expectation of a present ? They have 
not mentioned the latter subject yet, but, on the 
contrary, promise me some dates. 
The broad valley of El-Hasee is sandy, like all 
those of Fezzan. It is bounded on the north by the 
perpendicular buttresses of the Hamadah, and on the 
south by sandy swells. The well is not copious, but 
affords a regular supply of slightly brackish water. 
The people descend to the bottom, thirty or forty feet, 
and fill their gerbahs. The blacks are very trou- 
blesome, and require a good deal of patience. This 
morning they would not fetch water from this well, 
although quite close by the tent. I was obliged to 
threaten to leave them before I could get them to 
move. They are, probably, a little broken down by 
the fatigue of the Hamadah. 
We passed through Wady El-Hasee on the 24th, 
and after mid-day began to ascend, and continued 
to do so until we pitched tent at half-past four, at 
a place called Esfar. This is also a species of pla- 
teau, but consists of sand-hills, sandstone rocks, 
and shallow valleys filled with herbage and shrubs. 
I was glad to get rid of the eternal limestone and 
have a change of the sandstone. 
On the 25th we started early, and had a cool 
temperature all day. Our chaoucli went out, and 
by the assistance of the greyhound bitch brought in 
a young gazelle. For about three hours the camels 
had herbage; but afterwards came a desert more 
horrible even than the Hamadah. It consists of 
