VIEW OVER THE OASIS. 
159 
the name, and one large building used as a general 
lodging-hoiise, rise above the flat roofs of the rest 
of the town. Some few palm-trees bend gracefully 
here and there ; but, in general, the groves of the 
oasis are a little distant from the walls. Tliere is a 
suburb of some fifty houses of stone and mud ; and 
a number of huts, made of straw and palm-branches. 
The whole oasis is not more than three miles in 
extent ; the gardens produce only a little wheat, 
barley, and ghaseb, with some few kinds of fruit. 
Good water is supplied by wells ; but all the palm 
vegeta-tion is stunted. 
Prom the hill that overlooks the town, a fine 
view is to be obtained of the little oasis and the vast 
extent of desert that encircles it on every side. Far 
to the south wave in the air the summits of the 
palm-groves of Berket, on the way to Aheer. To 
the west, hills and ridges succeed one another to 
the horizon ; and to the east, above a line of glitter- 
ing sandhills, rises the unbroken wall of the Wareerat 
range — the rampart thrown up by the demons to 
protect their favourite Tuaricks from the inroads of 
the conqueror. The contrast of the bright green of 
the oasis with the stony waste beyond is striking ; 
and when the sun sheds its bright rays over the 
scene, it may really be called beautiful. 
But these are reminiscences. This day, as soon 
as we saw the town appearing over the trees 
between the rocks, we hailed it with delight ; not, 
however, as the termination, but as the starting- 
