TRIPOLY TO BENGAZI. 41 when we reached the Wady, and came up with the party who had preceded us in advance with the camels and heavy baggage.

Wady Ramleh, or Rummel (as it is sometimes pronounced, which signifies, in Arabic, sandy river, or sandy valley), is a small, but constant stream of pure water, which finds its way across the desert from the mountains to the southward. The bed of the stream is much below the surface of the soil ; and judging from its width, and the steep banks which confine it, we should conclude that at the periods when the freshes come down from the mountains, W ady liamleh may be swelled into a considerable body of water.

Here our day’s journey finished, and we pitched our tents near the stream, making them as comfortable as a stormy night would allow of for the friends who had accompanied us from Tripoly*. On the following morning the rain fell in torrents ; and as the prospect afforded by the weather was not very inviting, we would not allow our companions to stray farther with us from home ; but took our leave of them, as we flattered ourselves, with mutual regret, and they retraced their steps towards Tripoly, while we continued our journey to the eastward.

The wind had by this time increased to a violent gale, and we were very soon wet to the skin : but although such a state may not appear to be at all times an enviable one, it was in fact very much so on this occasion ; for the clouds of sand which would have been hurled in our faces by the wind, had the surface of the desert been * Lieut. Clapperton, Mr. Carstenson, and some other friends from Tripoly, had rode with us thus far on our journey. 6