146 
JERBOAHS CENTRAL PLATEAU. 
What a blessing, nevertheless, is the existence of 
the Chidugula, for there is no water for three days 
farther. The boys killed this morning a jerboah, 
or what the Germans call a jumping mouse. I saw 
one yesterday, jumping before my camel's feet. 
There are a great number here. This jerboah is of 
a different colour from those I have seen in Tunis ; 
being white all over the lower part of the body and 
neck, straw-coloured on the top of the head and 
along the back; w r hilst those in Tunis are nearly of 
the same colour as ordinary mice. This species is 
also small, three inches and a-half long, and the 
tail is double the length of the body. The hind legs 
are nearly as long as the body, and the fore legs not 
half an inch. Near the tip of the tail there is an 
inch of black. Many young jerboahs were caught, 
all of the same description. The Haussa people call 
it a mouse, but have besides a special name. 
We are now about the middle of the Sahara, 
including the radii of the western and northern 
coasts, and we here find an immense plateau, stretch- 
ing many days north and south, east and w r est. 
So far Le Brun's conjecture is right, that the central 
parts of Africa are plateaux, or one vast plateau. 
But more of this hereafter. This plateau extends 
to the Bornou route, and how much further east is 
yet to be ascertained. In the west we yet also want 
information. North and south it extends along the 
territory of Aheer some eight days, or about one 
hundred and sixty miles. Overweg reckons the 
