500 
THROUGH ASIA 
upon water at a depth of 2 ^ feet : its temperature was 
49°i Fahr. (9°5 C.), and it had the same brackish flavour 
as the water in the ravine the day before. 
April 1 2th. We travelled nearly fifteen miles, still 
along the edge of the great sandy desert, which sent out 
promontories to the north. Several of these we were 
obliged to cross over. In other respects barren desert 
alternated with narrow belts of steppe, upon which grew 
scanty tussocks of grass, withered and hard as glass, 
and which snapped off with a crackling sound at the 
least touch. The easiest ground to travel over was firm, 
level sand ; but in several places the earth was covered 
with a coating of dust, in which every footmark of the 
flat-footed camels was sharply outlined. The dust was 
as soft as wool, and in two or three places so deep that 
the animals dropped in it up to the knees. Sometimes 
a thin crust of salt, which “ crunched ” under the camels’ 
hoofs, was spread over the horizontal portions of the sand. 
Solemnly and slowly the ungainly beasts strode on one 
after the other, stretching down their long necks to pluck 
the tussocks of grass which grew within their reach, as 
though they had a premonition of the hard times in store 
for them. 
At camp No. 111 . two of the men as usual dug a well ; 
but could not get down lower than six feet. Still there 
was no water. We then left the well to itself for a 
couple of hours, and the water percolated through and 
gathered in a little pool at the bottom of the hole. The 
dogs and poultry were always deeply interested spectators 
of the digging. They knew perfectly well what it was 
for, and were always fearfully thirsty. So far all was 
going well : our precious stores were as yet untouched. 
The stock of camels’ provender was likewise undiminished, 
the animals having to content themselves with kamish 
(reeds) and brackish water. The dogs were fed on bread, 
the poultry on corn and egg-shells. The first day the 
hens laid three eggs, the second day two, the third one. 
However, we had a good supply without that, packed 
away in chaff in a basket. 
