Saw Also Gazelles.
Halted By The Dry Bed Of A River, Called Furfouwy.
A pool supplied the
camp:
In the mountains, at a distance, there was, however, a delicious
spring, a stream of liquid pearls in these thirsty lands! A bird called
mokha appeared now and then; it is about the size of a nightingale, and
of a white light-brown colour. We seldom heard such sweet notes as this
bird possesses. Its flying is beautifully novel and curious; it runs on
the ground, and now and then stops and rises about fifteen feet from the
surface, giving, as it ascends, two or three short slow whistles, when
it opens its graceful tail and darts down to the ground, uttering
another series of melodious whistles, but much quicker than when it
rises.
We continued our march over nearly the same sort of country, but all was
now flat as far as the eye could see, the hills being left behind us.
About eight miles from Furfouwy, we came to a large patch of date-trees,
watered by many springs, but all of them hot. Under the grateful shade
of the lofty palm were flowers and fruits in commingled sweetness and
beauty. Here was the village of Dra-el-Hammah, surrounded, like all the
towns of the Jereed, with date-groves and gardens. The houses were most
humbly built of mud and bricks. After a scorching march, we encamped
just beyond, having made only ten miles. Saw quantities of bright soft
spar, called talc.
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