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Arabians, mounted and equipped, who were to join my 
escort. 
At nine in the morning we arrived at the place 
where the stream ended, and there the thirty oudaias 
took leave of me, and left me to the escort of the armed 
Arabs, under the command of the two officers. When 
I dismissed the sultan's guard, I gave one of the officers 
some gold pieces to be distributed among the soldiers, 
• and continued my way; but hearing some noise behind 
me, I looked round and saw that the oudaias were re- 
volting against their chiefs, and threatening to murder 
them. At the same moment two of these soldiers came 
to me full speed, to complain of the officers, who, 
they thought, had kept some of the money to themselves. 
I rode up to the troop, and, ordering them to lay down 
their arms, which they were on the point of using, I 
succeeded in calming them, and they went quietly away. 
During this dispute, which greatly alarmed us for its 
possible consequences, no one had thought of provi- 
ding us with water, in which we soon became deficient, 
and unfortunately, I did not know that this was the last 
place of finding any. 
We continued marching on in great haste, for fear of 
being overtaken by the four hundred Arabs, whom we 
wished to avoid. For this reason we never kept the 
common road, but passed through the middle of the 
desert, marching through stony places,, over easy hills. 
This country is entirely without water; not a tree is 
to be seen in it; not a rock which can offer a shelter or a 
shade. A transparent atmosphere, an intense sun, dart- 
ing his beams upon our heads, a ground almost white, 
and commonly of a concave form, like a burning glass; 
slight breezes, scorching like aflame. Such is a faith- 
