[8] The Bahr Assal Or Salt Lake, Near Tajurrah, Annually Sends Into The Interior Thousands Of Little Matted Parcels Containing

This necessary. Inland, the Bedouins will rub a piece upon the tongue before eating, or pass about a lump, as

The Dutch did with sugar in the last war; at Harar a donkey-load is the price of a slave; and the Abyssinians say of a _millionaire_ "he eateth salt."

[9] The element found upon the maritime plain is salt or brackish. There is nothing concerning which the African traveller should be so particular as water; bitter with nitre, and full of organic matter, it causes all those dysenteric diseases which have made research in this part of the world a Upas tree to the discoverer. Pocket filters are invaluable. The water of wells should be boiled and passed through charcoal; and even then it might be mixed to a good purpose with a few drops of proof spirit. The Somal generally carry their store in large wickerwork pails. I preferred skins, as more portable and less likely to taint the water.

[10] Here, as in Arabia, boxes should be avoided, the Bedouins always believe them to contain treasures. Day after day I have been obliged to display the contents to crowds of savages, who amused themselves by lifting up the case with loud cries of "hoo! hoo!! hoo!!!" (the popular exclamation of astonishment), and by speculating upon the probable amount of dollars contained therein.

[11] The following list of my expenses may perhaps be useful to future travellers.

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