We reached Sharaba at eight, and halted.  This is a sandy valley, with herbage for the camels; the water, not very good, is a few feet from the surface, and issues from some rocks.  There are no date-palms about the well, as reported, but a few stunted ones are found a mile or two higher up.  The surface of the desert is broken into small mounds, crowned with the ethel-tree.

Sunday, the 30th, was a cool day for the desert, yet sufficiently hot for me.  We left Sharaba at a quarter past six in the morning, and made a good day of nine hours.  These confounded Tuaricks will travel in the heat, and encamp in the cool.  At three in the afternoon, just as the weather was becoming quite fresh and pleasant, we halted.  The wind, occasionally strong, blew from the north-east, whilst our course lay south-west, across a broad valley.  The sandy ground is covered with the tholukh-tree, which affords a grateful shade in the season.  This valley is very broad here, only one side being visible at once to the eye.

The Tuaricks are growing civil enough, and companionable.  Luckily Hateetah and the son of Shafou do not drink coffee or tea—­a saving.  Hateetah, however, is always begging; he says he will go to Aheer, and appears to consider his escort indispensable.  According to him, the Germans, who are pushing on ahead, run great danger.  Yusuf tells me that he is, in reality, extremely angry with my companions for proceeding alone.  He wishes, perhaps, to get a present from them too; and swears that he knows nobody but Yak[=o]b (my desert name).  They are not English, he says, but French.  Besides, they have got twenty camel-loads of goods, which he will seize if they do not pay him something.  Of course this is all harmless bluster, and means nothing.  He confesses that, being on Fezzanee ground, he has really no claim upon caravans at all; but he is a greedy old rascal, and would take any advantage he could.  The same gentleman says that Sakonteroua is only a chicken in his own country—­quite powerless; if this be the case, his enmity is not of so much consequence as I feared.

The camels of the Tuaricks usually go well, and make good hours, because they are not allowed to eat on the road.  They all march in strings, one being tied behind the other; each string is led on by servants or slaves.  Thus, when once loaded, there is little difficulty on the way.  When seen at a distance, they resemble a moving mass of troops, especially when the mirage multiplies their long files. Our camels, however, being all Arab camels, cannot be made to go in strings, and are always staring about for something whereon to browse.

I begin to feel better in health.  If we could but encamp for three or four hours during the heat of the day, I have no doubt I should get on well enough.  There was talk of serpents to-day; I saw none on this route, however.  People at Mourzuk are occasionally bitten by lefas and scorpions, and death ensues often.  Ammonia has been tried with success as a cure.