We soon after came on a loted, who took to his heels, turning round a mass of rock; but, soon after, he almost met as, and we had a view of him within forty yards.  Several shots were fired at him without effect, and he at last made his escape, with a speed which defied all our attempts at following him.  Dismounting, the Sheikh Ali, of the Arab tribe Hammama, who was with us, and who is the greatest deer-stalker in the country, preceded us a little distance to look out for deer, the marks of which were here very numerous.  After a short time, an Arab brought information of a herd of some thirty, with a good many young ones; but our endeavours to have a shot at them were fruitless, though one of the Arabs got near enough to loose the dogs at them, and a greyhound was kicked over for his pains.  We saw no more of them; but our want of success was not surprising, silence not being in the least attended to, and our party was far too large.  The Arabs have such a horrible habit of vociferation, that it is a wonder they ever take any game at all.  About the hills was scattered a great variety of aromatic plants, quantities of shells, and whole oyster-beds, looking almost as fresh as if they had been found by the sea-side.

On our return from Toser, we had an extensive view of the Sahara, an ocean as far as the eye could see, of what one would have taken his oath was water, the shores, inlets, and bays being clearly defined, but, in reality, nothing but salt scattered on the surface.  Several islets were apparently breaking its watery expanse, but these also were only heaps of sand raised from the surrounding flat.  The whole country, hills, plains and deserts, gave us an idea as if the materials had been thrown together for manufacture, and had never been completed.  Nevertheless these savage deserts of boundless extent are as complete in their kind as the smiling meadows and fertile corn-fields of England, each being perfect in itself, necessary to the grand whole of creation, and forming an essential portion of the works of Divine Providence.

The Sheikh Tahib’s gardens were sold for 15,000 piastres, his wife also added to this 1,000, and he was set at liberty.  The dates have been coming in to a great amount.  There are many different kinds.  The principal are:—­Degalah, the most esteemed, which are very sweet and almost transparent.  Captain B. preferred the Trungah, another first-rate sort, which are plum-shaped, and taste something like a plum.  There are also the Monachah, which are larger than the other two, dryer and more mealy, and not so sweet as Degalah, and other sorts.  The dates were very fine, though in no very great abundance, the superior state of ripeness being attributed to there only being a single day of rain during the past year in the Jereed.  Rain is bad for the dates, but the roots of the tree cannot have too much water.