i6o SBEIK ACHMED'S DUPLICITY.

On the morning of the day that we reached the river, my brother William with Mahomet Salee went up a small hill that we were passing, in order to fix positions for the map he was making, and which accompanies this volume. From the top of the hill, Salee pointed out to him the position of Khor Meheteb and the Settite. Salee recommended our encamping on the former for the night, about two hours from where it joins the river. He told us that there was water in the kJioi', near which he proposed that we should halt, and that animals frequently went there to drink. We decided to act on his advice, as we thought it would shorten what would otherwise be a very long day's journey ; and moreover, the moon being nearly full, it seemed to us that it would be worth while to watch the water on the chance of game.

At about four or five o'clock my brother ascended another small hill, with the same object in. view ; and discovered that we were leaving Khor Meheteb a long way on our left, and bearing west in the direction of the Hamrans.

We saw at once how we were being deceived, and were naturally very angry and disappointed. On taxing Mahomet Salee with his duplicity, he urged in excuse, that at Sogada the cameldrivers and servants generally had deckired they would not go farther east than Khor Meheteb ; and that Sheik Achmed had told him to take us to the Hamrans, and to try and make the best of it to us. There was nothing for it but to go on to the river as quickly as possible, and see what was to be done when we got there, and to accept the situation as one of the inevitable drawbacks of African travel. We did not reach the Settite until ten o'clock, all in the worst of tempers, and having begun to fear that we had lost our way, and should be obliged to spend the night without water.

Our water-barrels having been empty since midday, all were