STORM OF RAIN. 
319 
CHAPTER XIX. 
Rainstorm — Overtures from En-Noor — Another Interview — Aheer 
Fashions — A great Lady — Hoisting the British Flag — A de- 
voted Slave — Sultan of Asoudee — Attack on a Caravan — 
Purposed Razzia — Desert News — ■ Buying Wives — A peculiar 
Salutation — Oasis of Janet — New Razzias — Costume of the 
Sultan — The Milky Way — Noise at a Wedding — Unquiet 
Nights — Sickness in the Encampment — A captive Scorpion — 
Nuptial Festivities — An insolent Haghar — Prejudice about 
Christians — Movements in Aheer — Bullocks. 
Sept. 24:th. — We had a good deal of wind yesterday, 
but no appearance of rain. This morning was fine, 
clear, and warm; but just after noon a sudden fall 
of rain came, followed, within five minutes, by a 
tempest of thunder, lightning, rain, and hail, which 
broke immediately over our heads, and carried away 
our small tents. Even my Bornou tent, having 
been dried up by the recent weather, admitted the 
rain, and several of our things were wetted. The 
tempest itself did not last more than fifteen or 
twenty minutes; and by the time the moon rose in 
the evening, all clouds had cleared av/ay, and the 
heavens were as pure as in the morning. I may 
observe that the rain is less disagreeable to me than 
