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collection of porphyries, of every colour and grain. la 
the horn rocks, every shade of green may be perceived, 
some of which are magnificent. There is also to be 
found schistus of every species. 
We arrived at sun-set between several groups of vol- 
canic mountains, entirely black, which presented vari- 
ous resemblances of very picturesque ruins. 
After sun- set we began to ascend and to traverse 
them. We did not gain their summits until ten at night, 
when we began to descend. All this space is extremely 
confined with wood of thorny bushes, which are very 
inconvenient, particularly when travelling at night; at 
every step we felt ourselves wounded in the face, hands, 
or legs. At night-fall there were frequent flashes of 
lightning towards the east during a whole hour, which 
excited the admiration and enthusiasm of my people, 
who attributed them to the Holy Prophet. 
We passed a village called Hham a ra at midnight, but 
as the night was perfectly dark, I perceived only some 
fires. 
The road began to incline towards the north, and 
conducted us through a narrow sloping valley, near 
another village. At five in the morning I arrived at 
Djideida, worn out with fatigue, and half dead. They 
lifted me from the dromedary, and put me upon my 
mattrass in the open air. 
My Arabs had told me that we should arrive a#Dji- 
deida at midnight, and I had prepared to observe the 
satellite, notwithstanding my bad state of health; but the 
thorny trees upon the way, as also the fatigue of my 
companions, who, however, were incomparably more 
strong and robust than I was, had impeded our pro- 
gress, and delayed our arrival until it was too late to 
make my observations. I was consoled, however, for 
