PEOPLE OF TINTALOUS AHEER. 
283 
courage even to read a little, and went over Jack- 
son's " What to Observe," among other things. But 
my mind is still troubled about our future course of 
proceeding. It is impossible to bring Sultan En- 
Noor to any arrangement. He still shelters himself 
from our importunities under the plea of ill health. 
Almost every morning we have a few visitors from 
the town. The people are not troublesome, except 
that they show a good deal of prying curiosity to see 
the faces, forms, and actions of Christians. We 
learn that scouts are still out after our camels, 
hitherto without success. I am afraid they have 
been driven far away ; and begin to doubt our ever 
setting eyes on them again. 
The morning was clear and dry, with a little 
cool wind breathing up the valley. The country 
was covered with fresh herbage ; trees were budding 
and birds singing, as in spring. Yesterday evening 
we had a visit from a wolf, who was looking out for 
our two or three sheep for a supper, but the watch 
was too well kept. There are n^any wild animals in 
Aheer, but we have hitherto seen but few. Very 
pretty doves fly about our tent; and Dr. Overweg 
shot some small birds to send home. 
Aheer, in general, must be considered as a part 
of the Southern Sahara, or Great Desert. Any 
country not producing periodic crops of grain, 
either by the annual rains or by irrigation, comes 
under this denomination here. Aheer answers the 
description perfectly, although there are some ex- 
