Santa Maria left for Ghabs, to which place there is not a correct route laid down in any chart.  There are three routes, but the wells of one are only known to travellers, a knowledge which cannot be dispensed with in these dry regions.  The wells of the other two routes are known to the bordering tribes alone, who, when they have taken a supply of water, cover them up with sand, previously laying a camel-skin over the well-mouth, to prevent the sand falling into the water, so that, while dying with thirst, you might be standing on a well and be none the wiser.  The Frenchman has taken with him an escort of twelve men.  The weather is cooler, with a great deal of wind, raising and darkening the sky with sand; even among the dategroves our eyes and noses were like so many sand-quarries.

Sheikh Tahib has been twice subjected to corporal punishment in the same way as before mentioned, with the addition of fifty, but they cannot make him bleed as they wish.  He declares he has not got the money, and that he cannot pay them, though they cut him to pieces.  As he has collected a great portion of the tribute of the people, one cannot much pity the lying rogue.

We were amused with the snake-charmers.  These gentry are a company under the protection of their great saint Sidi Aysa, who has long gone upwards, but also is now profitably employed in helping the juggling of these snake-mountebanks.  These fellows take their snakes about in small bags or boxes, which are perfectly harmless, their teeth and poison-bags being extracted.  They carry them in their bosoms, put them in their mouths, stuffing a long one in of some feet in length, twist them around their arms, use them as a whip to frighten the people, in the meanwhile screaming out and crying unto their Heavenly protector for help, the bystanders devoutly joining in their prayers.  The snake-charmers usually perform other tricks, such as swallowing nails and sticking an iron bar in their eyes; and they wear their hair long like women, which gives them a very wild maniacal look.

Three of the mamelukes and ourselves went to Wedyen, a town and date-wood about eight miles from Toser, to the left.  The date-grove is extensive, and there are seven villages in it of the same name.  We slept in the house of the Sheikh, who complained that the Frenchman, in passing that way, had allowed his escort to plunder, and actually bound the poor Sheikh, threatening him on his remonstrating.  What conduct for Christians to teach these people!

One morning before daylight, we were on horseback, and en route towards the hills, for the purpose of shooting loted, as they call a species of deer found here.  The ground in the neighbourhood of Wedyen is tossed about like a hay-field, and volcanic looking.  About four miles off we struck into the rocks, on each side of our path, rising perpendicularly in fantastic shapes.  On reaching the highest ground, the view was exceedingly wild.  Much of the rock appeared as if it had only just been cooled from a state of fusion; there was also a quantity of tuffo rock, similar to that in the neighbourhood of Naples.  The first animal we saw was a wolf, which, standing on the sky-line of the opposite hill, looked gigantic.  The deep valley between, however, prevented our nearer approach.