ii4 WITH THE CAMEL CORPS UP THE NILE.

great many recovered sufficiently to travel to various small wells, guided by their marvellous instinct for finding water ; in fact, at one well (El Faar), a long time afterwards, no fewer than seventy-three camels were found, in the last stage of thinness and sore backs of course, but very much alive all the same I The column passed Gebel en Nus at one o'clock, and forthwith the scenery changed. We now entered a broad valley, covered with grass and really decent sized trees, some as much as twenty feet high still no water visible, though I have no doubt there was plenty close under the surface. All round were rocky hills, sometimes forming low ridges across the track, sometimes receding into the distance ; far away ahead could be seen the Gebel es Sergain (Hill of the Saddle), which had been previously selected as our halting-place for the night. At five o'clock we reached it. The ground was cut up into sandy water-channels, making most comfortable I sleeping ground, but very unpleasant for any one to I get over at night. Accordingly, the column was dis-j posed as before, additionally protected by the broken