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CHAP. V. JOURNEY TO ZUELA. 209 
Dec. 18th. Thermometer 5° at the tent door. Fine clear morn- 
ing, with the wind to the eastward. We had much difficulty in 
catching our horses, which had broken their tethers, and run out 
on the desert ; even the Raid's Rosinante was capering about : my 
horse, however, stopped at the sound of my voice, and by 9. 15. we 
were enabled to proceed. At about three-quarters of a mile south- 
east by east of Zaitoon, is another village of the same description, 
called Touela, aL^L We passed through it, and, I believe, shook 
hands with every male inhabitant in the place. Near this village 
is a large heap of ruins, said to have once been a castle, the walls of 
which are, though roughly built, very curious. Between a rising 
ground a little to the eastward, and the principal well, there are 
twelve others, each about four yards apart, and having arched com- 
munications sufficiently high for a man to walk erect in. Leaving 
Touela, we ascended to a bleak stony plain, running on to the 
desert on the left, and having very irregular sand hills, about the 
distance of two miles to the right. We directed our course north 
65° east. A strong north-east wind was blowing, and I observed, as 
in coming from Tripoh, that in the coldest days the sun has the 
greatest power of burning the skin. Belford and myself were com- 
pletely disfigured about the nose, which became very red, and 
smarted painfully. At eleven the sand hills closed in, and we came 
again to a few palms and a small village called Maghwa, 
We remained to warm ourselves in the sun by a well side, and were 
joined by Besheer el Dthucker, the Ivaid of Traghan's brother, who 
had followed us full speed from Morzouk. At 11. 45. the camel 
having passed, we went on ; and at 1. 30. came again to sand hills. 
At 2. 10. we arrived with the horses atTaleb, i^ll?, (Fox), a village 
with about eighteen palm trees, and four or five mud huts : the Sheikh 
brought us out some dates and very salt water. The mountains 
between us and Hamera, jf^a-, called £1 Gara, ^IsJl, bore north 
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