CHAP. VIII. 
RETURN TO TRIPOLI. 
307 
Ramie Shraiya, or the small sands. At 4. 15. came to a black stony 
flat. 4. 45. passed a long line of stones facing the east, called 
" Sala el Sultan, or the praying place of the Sultan ;" a former 
Sultan having prayed here while passing the desert with a numerous 
army. At 6. 30. arrived at a spot called Gheranf ata, which is gene- 
rally a resting-place, and is marked by two or three basaltic heaps : 
we had advanced to the pass, north 45° east, twelve miles, and from 
it north 52° east, the same distance. 
Observed this day that the driver of one of the camels, which 
had joined us at Zeghen, was a blind man : he held by the animal's 
tail, and was in the habit of going constantly over this uneven, and, 
in some places, dangerously steep track between Sockna and Mor- 
zouk. I learnt from Khalifa that one of his Khadems had died in 
the morning, and that he had stopped behind to bury her. 
Sunday, 20th February. Thermometer SO' below 0°. — At 7. SO. 
passed over some gravelly plains as the day before. The horizon was 
as perfectly level as that of the sea. We saw a great deal of Shrab 
L-AjJi), or false water. This plain is scattered with the carcasses of 
the numerous animals which have died on it after passing the 
mountains. No ravenous animals are found here, so that it is 
rare to see a skeleton deprived of flesh. At 1. 30. we passed El 
Kamle Kebeer, or the large sands, which is a range of sand hills 
running to a great distance to the east-south-east from our right 
hand. At 6. 30. stopped, having travelled north 35", east 35 miles. 
The slaves were much fatigued, and I placed a couple of little 
children on my horse, whilst I rode on a camel. Belford's Maherry 
was in very poor plight ; but I determined, if possible, to get him 
to Sockna. The hills of El Gaaf, which are placed on the right 
and left of the road before us, bore thus : north-east point of the 
western range north 27° east ; west point of the eastern range north 
66° east. A raw night, much sand blowing over us. 
R R 2 
