ON THE MARCH. 33 unpleasantly soon) we mounted and rode, with only half-an-hour's interval at noon, straight on end for eight or nine hours. Walking like this is most fearfully monotonous, and it's no use hurrying the camel up ; he simply wont hurry. On he goes at his two-and-three-quarter miles an hour pace, with sickening regularity ; and beyond keeping the men in their proper places there is absolutely nothing whatever to do. I tried reading, I tried writing no good ; the only thing in which I met with any success was going to sleep. After a time we all trained ourselves to sleep in the saddle for short periods generally very short, as we fell off at the slightest irregularity of pace. However, any excitement was better than nodding in the hot sun for hours, only rousing yourself to abuse your camel for not going faster, and your men for not keeping together. We adopted all sorts of formation on the march, according to the ground we came to : column of companies, fours, two deep, or even single file over some of the rocky passes.

The word "desert" presented to my mind's eye