11th.—­We stopped here another day.  We were to have started in the afternoon, but the Tuaricks had some visitors come to see them, and detained us for their own comfort and amusement.  I am not sorry for it, as we have had a tremendous gheblee.  All the day I felt it extremely hot, and so have all the people.  I was obliged to lie down on the floor of my tent nearly all day; but I have so arranged my table that I put my head under it, which gives additional and most important protection from the sun.  All these little expedients must be resorted to in travelling over the desert, and may sometimes save a man’s life.  It is surprising what protection a piece of cloth or linen, or a piece of board, in addition to the tent, will give against the intensity of the sun’s fierce rays.  The Moors and blacks of the coast seem to suffer as much as the Europeans.

There are two ways from this wady to Ghat—­a difficult, and an easy but longer one.  I and the Germans go, with Hateetah and Shafou, the difficult one; and we leave the heavy luggage and the caravan to go the easy route.  This, at least, is the arrangement talked of this evening.  The morrow may bring something new.

The Tuaricks who arrived to-day expected a supper:  Hateetah sent to the Germans to find them one; the Germans referred them to Moknee; and we provided.

We must take care we do not have too many customers of this sort, or we shall never get up to Aheer with the present stock of provisions.

To call the wind under which we are suffering gheblee, is a perfect misnomer; for the hot wind of to-day and yesterday came directly from the north, “Bahree!” As Yusuf said, however, when I told him where the wind was from:  “Where now is the sea?  It is a long way from the sea.”

The thermometer was 106 deg.  Fahrenheit in the shade of the ethel to-day.  We shall rarely have it much hotter than this.  In Bornou there is rarely more than 104 deg. in the shade.

13th.—­Saturday.[5] The morning is advancing and the Tuaricks are not yet moving.  These Azgher are sad lazy dogs.  It appears they have changed their minds, and we are all to go the long and easy way.  The sun is rising in haze with a little wind.  The heavens now are frequently concealed by vapour.  Yesterday we had clouds in abundance, often shrouding the sun—­a wonder for the desert in this season!

  [5] The 12th is missed, and Dr. Richardson notes in his journal
      that the date is to be rectified backwards; but he does not
      say where the rectification is to begin—­ED.

We started rather late, about seven A.M., but made a long day, continuing till sunset, or twelve hours.  Our course was north-north-west for three or four hours, on the plain towards Serdalous, and then entered the pass of Abulaghlagh; which, though represented as plain and smooth as the hand by Hateetah, was sufficiently difficult and rocky for the boat-laden camels.  The beginning of the pass was remarkable for a number of curiously-formed sandstone rocks, several of them swinging or resting on a small base like a pivot, and others cleft asunder, as straightly and clearly as if cut by a knife.  Our course along the pass was west, but when well through it we turned round southwards towards Ghat.