They were greatly amused with stories of the great powers of eating of the Tuaricks.  They were told that two men have consumed three sheep at one meal, another eating a kail of bruised dates, and a corresponding quantity of milk, and another eating about a hundred loaves, about the size of an English penny loaf.  They had many inquiries respecting the English females; for a notion prevailed, that they always bore more than one child at a time, and that they went longer than nine calendar months.  On being told that they were the same in that respect as other women, they appeared pleased.  They were also asked, how the women were kept; if they were locked up as the moorish women, or allowed to go freely abroad.  The Tuarick women are allowed great liberties that way, and are not a little pleased at having such an advantage.  The customs and manners of Europe, which they related to their friends, were so similar to some of theirs, that an old Targee exclaimed, in a forcible manner, “that he was sure they had the same origin as us.”  The Tuarick women have full round faces, black curling hair, and, from a negro mixture, inclined to be crispy; eyebrows a little arched, eyes black and large, nose plain and well formed.  The dress a barracan, neatly wrapped round, with a cover of dark blue cloth for the head, sometimes coming over the lower part of the face, as in the men.  They are not very fond of beads, but often have shells suspended to the ears as ear-drops.

Being obliged to postpone their departure for ten days, in consequence of the indisposition of Hateeta, Dr. Oudney determined in the mean time to visit Wady Shiati, whilst Mr. Hillman was sent back to Mourzouk, to send down supplies, and to take charge of the property.  They arranged about the fare for their camels, and made every preparation for their immediate departure.  Before, however, they could set out, a guide for the sands was necessary; and for that purpose they engaged an old Targee, who professed to know every part of the track.  They travelled by moonlight, over a sandy soil, with numerous tufts of grass, and mound hillocks covered with shrubs, the surface in many places hard and crusty, from saline incrustations.  The old men told them, that the mounds of earth were formed by water, as the wadey, at the times of great rains, was covered with water.

At daylight they resumed their journey, and a little after sunrise entered among the sand-hills, which were here two or three hundred feet high.  The ascent and descent of these proved very fatiguing to both their camels and themselves.  The precipitous sides obliged them often to make a circuitous route, and rendered it necessary to form with their hands a track, by which the camels might ascend.  Beyond this boundary there was an extensive sandy plain, with here and there tufts of grass.