As we could not expect to commence the traject of the dreaded plateau immediately, I resolved to go upon a visit to the village of Western Ghareeah.  The camel-drivers of the caravan, of course, told us that it was at the distance of one hour—­Saha bas! but we found it to be three hours in a north-east direction.  Time is of little consequence in the desert, and no means are possessed or desired of measuring it with exactitude.  It has already been observed by a traveller, that the Bedawin will describe as near an object a hundred yards off, or a well two days’ journey from you.  Western Ghareeah was likewise described as grayeb, but we thought for some time that we had ventured upon an interminable desert.  However, the ground at length dipped, and a green wady disclosed itself.  We could scarcely, at first, find anybody to receive us.  But after waiting some time, the people came unwillingly crawling out one after the other.  We told them our errand—­“To look at the country and buy barley.”  They swore they had none—­not a grain; but when we swore in our turn that we would pay them for what we wanted, they admitted having a little that belonged to some people in Fezzan.  I was amused with the eloquent indignation of our burly chaouch when they professed complete destitution at first.  “You dogs! do you live on stones?” cried he.  This was a settler; and showed them that they had knowing ones to deal with.  Of course their original shyness arose from fear lest we might rob them.  When a bargain was struck they became quite friendly, and brought us out some oil, barley-cakes, and boiled eggs—­all the luxuries of the oasis!

Ghareeah Gharbeeah stands on the brow of a limestone rock, on the western side of a valley, which we had to cross in approaching between date plantations and a few fields of barley.  It was an ancient Roman city; and there remains still an almost perfect bas-relief of a Victoria on one side of the eastern gateway, which is composed of limestone blocks a foot and a half square.  We could trace also the imperfect letters of a Latin inscription, together with some Berber characters.  The houses of the present inhabitants are formed of rough blocks of limestone mixed with mud, and roofed with palm-trunks and palm-trees.  The water resembles that of the well of Tabooneeah, coming “from the same rock,” as the people say:  it is slightly bitter and saltish.

With the exception of the little valley we had crossed, nothing could be seen from Ghareeah but a dreary waste, especially to the south and east.  A tower of modern date rises to the east, on a solitary rock; and we knew that Eastern Ghareeah was concealed among the hills at a distance of six hours.  The inhabitants of these secluded towns are called Waringab, and promise shortly to become extinct.  In this Western Ghareeah there are twenty heads of families, but very few children,—­scarce sixty souls altogether; and the population of the