NO WATER LEFT 
557 
preserved foods. The greater part of these thing's, 
together with several furs and felts, cushions, books, a 
big bundle of journals, the cooking-stove, and petroleum- 
cask were stowed away in boxes, and covered up with 
carpets, and left in a hollow between two dunes. On 
the summit of the next dune, which was visible for a 
long distance, we planted a staff, and fastened to it a 
number of a Swedish journal, so as to make a flag. It 
was our Intention, if we found water, to come back and 
fetch the things we left. Consequently, during the course 
of the evening we made a score of laths out of the lid 
of a packing-case, and tied a number of the same journal 
round each. These little flags we purposed to stick in 
the tops of the highest dunes we crossed during the 
succeeding days, so that, like buoys in an unfamiliar 
fairway, they might serve to guide us to camp No. XVII., 
where we left our store.s. 
I picked out all the tinned provisions which contained 
anything of a liquid nature, such as mushrooms, lobsters, 
and sardines. My men, having convinced themselves that 
the tins contained no pork or bacon, ate up their contents 
with great delight. What they did not eat were used next 
day. The remainder of the water, scarcely 3J pints, was 
put into two kiingans (iron pitchers). We took with us 
the last tw’o tanks, in case we should discover water. The 
camels had another of the saddle stuffings ; but they did 
not eat it with any appetite, for their throats were parched 
up. I had tea for the last time, and made a thorough good 
meal off moist tinned provisions. 
April 29th. We started at daybreak with the five 
camels which still survived. Just as we were starting, 
Islam Bai came and with a heavy heart told me he had 
found one of the Iron pitchers empty, and that he and 
the other men suspected Yollchl of having drunk the 
water, for they had heard him moving stealthily about 
and fumbling in the dark. However we had no proof 
that he was guilty ; but our suspicions against him were 
strengthened, when he came creeping to my feet, com- 
plaining of pains in the breast and stomach. We believed 
