It appears that when these people came to Ghat, a few weeks ago, they left a sick slave with some shepherds among these rocks.  To-day they inquired about the slave, whether she was dead, or what had become of the poor thing; but the shepherds refused to give any account,—­said, in fact, they knew nothing about the matter.  Upon this the Kailouees seized a black boy belonging to these poor people and dragged him along, with a rope round his neck, to terrify him into confessing what had become of the slave.  The poor boy, however, had nothing to confess; so at last, after they had dragged him for some distance, they let him go.  Such is a specimen of the incidents which almost daily occur, arising out of this horrible traffic.  I lectured one of the Kailouees on the subject, and told him that we were in Tuarick territory, and that such an action might bring the genuine Tuaricks upon us.

It would appear that the governor of the town of Aghadez, or rather of the whole Kailouee race, is not known, there having lately been a revolution in this Saharan region.  All the country is up in arms.  We shall arrive at the interesting crisis of a change of dynasty.  The two Sultans of Aheer known, are our friends En-Noor and Lousou.

27th.—­We rose at daybreak and soon started, ascending from the valley through a difficult pass to a rocky plateau, over which we pursued our undeviating track for more than nine hours, and pitched our tents in a small and nameless wady, covered with a sprinkling of herbage.  This was a trying day for the camels, the ground being rough with loose stones.  How different is all this from European notions of a desert, or level expanse of sand!  With some few exceptions, the Sahara is a region covered by comparatively low, rocky hills, forming valleys here and there, supplied with trees, and herbage, and water.  We are now in a really uninhabited spot; scarcely a bird is seen, or a lizard, or a beetle, or any living thing, save a few flies that still follow the caravan on unwearied wing, and buzz with moderated ferocity about the noses of the camels.

What fantastic forms did the rock assume to-day!  Now its pinnacles bristled up like a forest of pines; now there seemed to rise the forms of castles and houses, and even groups of human beings.  All this is black sandstone—­hideously black, unlovely, unsociable, savage-looking.  ’Tis a mere wilderness of rock, thrown in heaps about, with valleys, or trenches, or crevices, through which the caravan slowly winds.  This is our first cloudy day.  May we have many such!  We feel little of the sun’s power, although there is little or no wind.  We must have reached a considerable elevation.

I begin to find it necessary to keep a tight rein over our servants, otherwise our encampment and party would always be in disorder.  Mohammed Tunisee is a very impertinent fellow at times, and is capable of spoiling all the others.  This evening I gave the Kailouees and their servants a treat of coffee, which much delighted them.  Amongst the rest was En-Noor’s servant.  We get on very well with them for the present.