NEWS FROM THE FRONT. 37 khor called Belag. Jules was not as much exhausted after the journey as we expected to find him : the dysentery had nearly stopped ; but he was, of course, still very weak from its effects.

The country was most uninteresting and dreary, very sandy, with small hillocks covered with friable rock. We scarcely saw a living thing all day. The next day, the first of the new year, was very cool, with a high wind blowing, but no dust, a most agreeable change after the heat we had lately been experiencing. The country, too, although any thing but beautiful, w'»s rather less monotonous than most of that we had lately traversed. The road wound in and out between low hills, so tht one could not look far ahead. This, when travelling in an unpicturesque country, is far more agreeable than journeying over a level plain where you can see miles and miles before you ; there is always the excitement of a turn in the road, and the traveller can indulge in wonder as to what fresh object that turn may show him, in even the tamest landscape.

The post arrived from the other party, in the shape of a note fastened to a telegraph-pole, telling us where they had encamped the previous night, and that they were all well, which we were glad to hear, particularly as Colvin had been rather indisposed when he started.

We saw a few gazelles, and shot three, to the great delight of our men, who had not been troubled with a plethora of food for some time. We halted while in the middle of the day at a place called Hadaiweb, where there was a palm-grove, and water ; a most agreeable change after the country we had lately passed through. A short distance above the palm-grove, and on a slight eminence, we came upon a deserted village, or rather cluster of huts, which had evidently been inhabited at no distant date.