At Daylight They Resumed Their Journey, And A Little After Sunrise Entered Among The Sand-Hills, Which Were Here Two Or Three Hundred Feet High.

The ascent and descent of these proved very fatiguing to both their camels and themselves.

The precipitous sides obliged them often to make a circuitous route, and rendered it necessary to form with their hands a track, by which the camels might ascend. Beyond this boundary there was an extensive sandy plain, with here and there tufts of grass.

In the afternoon, their track was on the same plain; and near sunset they began ascending high sand-hills, one appearing as if heaped upon the other. The guide ran before, to endeavour to find out the easiest track, with all the agility of a boy. The presence of nothing but deep sandy valleys and high sand-hills strikes the mind most forcibly. There is something of the sublime mixed with the melancholy; who can contemplate without admiration masses of loose sand, fully four hundred feet high, ready to be tossed about by every breeze, and not shudder with horror at the idea of the unfortunate traveller being entombed in a moment by one of those fatal blasts, which sometimes occur. They halted for the night on the top of one of these sand-hills.

For three or four days their course still lay among the sand-hills; their guide, whom they now styled Mahomet Ben Kami, or son of the sand, was almost always on before, endeavouring to find out the best way. They could detect in the sand numerous footmarks of the jackal and the fox, and here and there a solitary antelope. In some of the wadeys there were a great many fragments of the ostrich egg. About mid-day, they halted in a valley, and remained under the shade of some date trees for a few hours. The heat was oppressive, and their travelling was difficult They next came to an extensive level plain, which was some refreshment, for they were completely tired of ascending and descending sand-hills. The servants strayed, proceeding on a track, which was pointed out to them as the right one, and, before they were aware of their error, they went so far that they were not able to send after them. They, as well as themselves, thought the town was near, and they went forwards, with the intention of getting in before the remainder of the party could come up. They felt exceedingly uneasy respecting them, as they might so easily lose themselves in such intricate travelling. They halted in low spirits, and, after a little refreshment, went to sleep with heavy hearts.

During the night, some strong breezes sprang up, by which their trunks and bed-clothes were all covered with sand in the morning. They heard nothing of their servants, and consoled themselves that they had perhaps found some place of shelter or rest. They commenced their journey early, and in a short time the hills of Wadey Shiati were seen stretching east and west, and the date-palms in several groves; but some high sand-hills were seen between them. They wished their old guide to take them a more direct course, but notwithstanding their desire, and even threats, he persevered in having his way; and, to do the old man justice, they afterwards found it would almost have been impossible for the camels to have gone the way they wished. After passing the base of some high sand-hills, they came to a strong pass, of gentle descent, covered with loose fragments of quartz rock, a yellowish feldspar, and iron ore, very similar to the rocks in the Sebah district. From this place the town opened to their view, erected on a hill about three hundred feet high, standing in the middle of the valley, and has the appearance, at a distance, of a hill studded over with basaltic columns. They had no idea that the town was built on the hill, and consequently that the deception was produced by it.

The majority of the inhabitants soon visited them, and all appeared pleased at their arrival. The kadi of the two neighbouring towns paid them many compliments, and pressed them much to spend a few days in his towns. They could not take advantage of this offer, which was no doubt of a selfish nature, for Dr. Oudney had not conversed long with him, before he began to beg a shirt. The doctor told him that his could be of no use to him, as it was very different from those of the country. On being told that, he asked for a dollar to buy one, which Dr. Oudney took care to refuse, saying that he only gave presents of money to the poor. The people made numerous urgent demands for medicines, and in a very short time, their large tent was surrounded with sick, the female part forming the majority. Some beautiful faces and forms were clothed in rags; the plaited hair and necks of these even were loaded with ornaments. The females were rather under the middle stature, strongly built, and possess considerable vivacity, and liveliness. The complexion of those not much exposed to the sun was of a dirty white.

Dr. Oudney was also applied to in a new capacity, that of a charm-writer. A man came and offered him two fowls, if he would give him a charm for a disease of the stomach; he was, however, obliged to decline the office of charm-writer, and confine himself to the cure of diseases by medicine. A buxom widow applied for a medicine to obtain her a husband, but the doctor told her he had no such medicine along with him. The same worthy personage took Lieutenant Clapperton for an old man, on account of his light-coloured beard and mustachios; but although this afforded some amusement to the party, Clapperton felt some chagrin at it, for he had prided himself on the strength and bushiness of his beard, and was not a little hurt that light colour should be taken as a mark of old age.

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