132 
As we were about fixing our tents, a foolish saint 
paid us a visit. 
Tuesday, 28th February. At two in the morning 
it rained very hard, and we renewed our course at 
half past nine. Our direction shifted every moment, 
on account of the mountains, but in general we kept 
W.N.W. At half past twelve we arrived on the right 
shore of the river Emkes, which is rather of a large 
size, taking its direction to the north. On the other 
side of this river the mountains confine the road to a 
greater degree, and follow the same turning. We 
stopped at a quarter past five. 
The country which we had just now been passing 
was covered with low mountains, and we did not descry 
before half past three in the afternoon a high and steep 
mountain which was to our left, and at a little distance 
from our road. From the information which I obtained 
of it, it is of very considerable extent, and inhabited by 
the invincible tribe of Beni-Omar, who have even hard- 
ly made their submission to the sultan. 
Up to the river the ground is of a vegetable sandy 
nature, and was then barren from the want of rain. On 
the other side of the river I found it to be more mixt 
with clay, and vegetation was better advanced; the fields 
were in a good condition; I began to descry some flow- 
ers, chiefly a number of the ray-kind and crow-foot. 
It is remarkable that several of these mountains are 
composed only of rolled pebbles, or chalky almond-like 
pieces heaped up; of which the biggest were from 
four to six inches in diameter; the whole mass was cov- 
ered with a bed of vegetable clay earth. 
The sky was very cloudy, except a moment before 
sun-set; directly after it the horizon got black, and the 
§ky cloudy again; at eight in the evening a mild rain 
