A SEVERE SAND-STORM. 29

country where there was a greater rainfall : otherwise it wore

much the same aspect, except for occasional rt7/^;^;;/-palms

Cucifcra T/iebaica), a new feature in the landscape. A long halt being made in the middle of the day, darkness

overtook us ; and, losing what there was in the way of a path,

we began to think the night would be spent in the open

without any dinner. Our servants lighted great fires to guide

us to the tents, and fired shots, so that at last camp was

reached, but very late, as we had gone a considerable distance

out of our way, the direct road having left the telegraph-poles

une distance on its right. As a rule, the camel-path and the

V ire kept close together.

In the night a tremendous wind got up ; and all hands

were busy driving in extra tent-pegs, and tightening the

ropes. The sand blew about in all directions, and half smo-

thered us. Sleep was impossible, and I never spent a more

disagreeable night. The name of this enchanting spot w^as

Ellegua.

The following morning Jules complained of a bad attack of

vomiting and diarrhoea. Our men declared that they must

stop until noon to water and feed their camels, so that we did

not feel that we had gained much by the long march of the pre-

vious day. The water was three miles away, in a gorge in the

mountain. In order to hurry their movements, two or three

of us faced the blinding storm, and went with them to the

water ; and, what with, the heat and sand, it was any thing but

a pleasant task. Had this operation, however, not been super-

intended, we should have been at Ellegua all day : as it was, we managed to get eight miles farther on our way, and pitched

our tents near Khor Langeb.

The sand-storm continued, and we had the greatest difficulty

in finding a spot w^here the ground was sufficiently firm to