MIRAGE. 41 easterly direction, and kept at it till three hours after sunset, without coming on the promised water. All level, good soil, little or no wood. Mimosas almost vanished; but, on the other hand, much Arrac or Tundo with its bright green, its small red flowers and branches, very similar to our roses, only with longer thorns and thicker more shrub-like stems, growing more closely together, and of greater circumference, but not a leaf ; many Sammer trees also, the leaves of which contain no sap. On the dried grass covered plain, gazelles, antelopes, and hares abound. From the distance, the two hills of Herrerem with their grotesque blocks of rocks still looked after us. At dawn we were again on foot, and marched for two hours, till we struck the Atbara. Over the ground in all directions stretched long runs made by the heavy rains. Nowhere was man or beast to be seen ; all seemed to have hidden themselves; the very flocks of birds visible on our arrival we instantly frightened away. Towards midday, many of the Sheiks who accompanied the camp assembled in our tent, but being Faki they did not smoke ; they could not comprehend that our magnet-needle pointed ever to the north. The Hill of Kassela, now to the east of us, was some two hours distant : this was the end of our journey, at least for a time, as from thence the Pascha intended to carry out his conquests, and spoke of founding a city there.

About noon, when the heat was greatest, off went the great gun, the signal for marching. A mere quarter of an hour's halt, as a rest towards evening, and then on for four hours longer. All were tired out, and not so much by the heat, which was bad enough, but by the hot wind, that threatened, on these immense level lands, to dry us up into mummies ; and here the water-resembling Devil's lakes (Bacher el Scheitan— the mirage) were constantly deceiving us. In these the trees were reflected as in clear water, although the soil is good, and not mere sand and stones, as in the Desert. The frontiers of Taka are very ill defined, but it was said that our camping-place was in that land, which seems to be remarkable for its thick grass overgrown pasturage.

3rd April. — Two hours before sunrise the army was under arms, and in battle order pursued an eastward march, in which direction the hill of Kassela and the blue mountains of Abyssinia were plainly visible ; but, as road there was none, the column of