270 
1^0 PROVISIONS FAT WOMEN. 
We have not yet been able to procure any pro- 
visions in TintaloLis. After a journey of two 
months, during which we have been obliged to feed 
the whole caravan, Kailouees and Tanelkums, to 
say nothing of the robbers and bandits, who were 
pleased to levy this kind of tribute upon us, 
we arrive at a friendly town, and can find nothing 
to eat ! This is really too bad. Fortunately, I put 
away three bottles of olive oil in the spirit-boxes. 
With these and my little macaroni I may ma- 
nage, perhaps, to subsist until provisions can be 
found. But my servants have finished their last 
hemsa, and the Germans have nothing left. Our 
last resource is our biscuits, which I am sorry we 
are obliged to eat in this early part of our journey. 
This supply of biscuits has certainly cost us much 
in carriage — many hard dollars ; but nevertheless 
we have found it excellent for our health, and it now 
promises to save us from starvation. We had 
heard contradictory reports on the road ; some 
people saying we should find everything in Aheer, 
and others nothing. The latter prophecy seems 
likely to turn out true. 
There is not much herbage about where we are, 
so we are obliged to send away the camels some 
distance to feed. It appears to be only the be- 
ginning of the rainy season in Tintalous. We 
have passed through much finer districts in Aheer 
than this ; e. ^. that of Taghajeet, where we ob- 
served fat women and fat sheep ! But we have not 
