THE ROUTE TO ROSEIRES 131 Piercing the tree belt, a broad space opened out at the foot of the liill, which is called Maganou ; here was a large sloping " pan " in the shelving rock, containing what by the Arabs was popularlycalled " water." In no place was the depth more than 2 inches, and it was rapidly drying. From events that I saw, it must have been quite ammoniacal ; the black mud which the drinkers disturbed supported squashy vegetation which covered the main part of the surface. Yet the camels and men rushed down to it, no after ill-effects being experienced.

The gebel was most picturesque ; its rough, precipitous sides were covered with rank vegetation ; in every nook and corner amongst the boulders bushes and baobabs sprang. In the foreground the camels and natives gave the requisite factor of life.

For twenty weary miles of slow travel through all too thin trees and great open plains that seemed never to end, we plodded along.

A track had been made by the Roseires authorities, but of all the travesties encountered in life this was the worst. True, it gave us the way, but, rather than ease the going for camels and mules, this was rendered far worse, and the animals obstinately refused to employ it, preferring the inequalities of the softer soil to the hard-trodden and burning hot track.

The kind night fell on the last stages of our trek ; mile after mile appeared longer ; even the blithe 9—2