on without interruption. We lost all desire of speaking; both the cawas and cook, whose eyes were bad, shared the same misery. We were like a party of Carthusian monks. Even the four Arabs, sons of the country, and the kabir seemed afraid. About seven, we arrived at a beautiful amphitheatre, formed by nature, (there are several of them), the kabir told us, it was the first station, and we must alight to rest a little, and to allow the camels to eat their alic, (the quantity of dora given them for supper.)* The captain and I spread our mats, and lying down, asked for something to eat, which we discussed with appetite. We talked of the Desert, the heat, the sensations, which we had felt, and which we were to feel. Whilst remaining thus quiet, we heard the voices of the kabir and the other Arabs resounding amongst the hills, Tasciak Abdolcader. I, curious to know the meaning of this cry and invocation to Sheik Abdolcader, applied to the kabir, as being the most instructed. He replied that Sheik Abdolcader was the

* When the camels travel through the Desert they eat once in twenty-four hours, and drink once in four days. Their breakfast, dinner, and supper consist of a few handfuls of dora baida (a kind of corn). It is not true that they can travel eight or ten days wlthout drinking. No camel or dromedary can bear the fatigue of the journey more than five days without drinking, either in summer or winter. The Arabs of different tribes assured me of this. They were astonished when I told them the Franks (which means all Europeans) believe that the camel can travel eight or ten days without drinking, and I remember perfectly well what an Arab of the Alauuiin told me. "I think," said he, Iakavagia Josef, "that the camels of their country are able to travel under a load eight or ten days without either eating or drinking. Tell them the camels of the Arabs have no such perfection."

As he was pre

protector of the Desert and camels. paring to load the camels, I thought I would inquire further. On another occasion I asked if we were to travel all night. He smiled and said, we will see. We now mounted our dromedaries and followed the kabir, the moon forsook us in a few days after we left the amphitheatre, in which we had rested. I turned to the captain and said, half in English and half Arabic, we go Alla Bab Allah (to the gates of God)-an Arabic phrase, meaning one knows not where; he laughed and said, Sahih (yes, indeed)! The Arabs broke forth with Iasciak Abdolcader, which re-echoed among the mountains in the silence of the night, stunning every one. I availed myself of the occasion to ask the kabir what was the meaning of this repeated cry. He replied gravely, "There are two reasons, the first is that Sheik Abdolcader, a saint in heaven, is protector of the Desert, and we invoke him to help the camels: the second is, that often merchants and Arabs, travelling in the dark like us, and not being so well acquainted with the stars, mistake the path and go far off from it; but hearing our cries, or those of other Arabs, they reply by echos signifying, that they have lost their road, so we halt to bring them back to the right way." I was persuaded and satisfied with this, but many frightful ideas formed themselves in my mind, should we lose the path-Capperi ! Our kabir, though one of the most valiant, has but one eye; what should we do, if God should send a misfor

tune to the sound eye? We should verify the saying of our Saviour-Caecus si caeco ducatum praestat ambo in foveam cadunt-for we are blind in this country, which way should we go? perhaps the Arabs could direct us? perhaps we should be saved; or perhaps we should die in despair? Such ideas formed a perfect romance in my mind. Then I reflected, Domine dirige gressus nostros in viam salutis. Grant, oh Lord, that we may die amongst the believers, and not in despair, or of hunger and thirst in this Desert. Holy Virgin, obtain us this grace. Guardian angel, faithful companion of Tobias, accompany us and guide us. After confiding myself to God and his servants, I took a little courage, and finding myself sleepy, and fearing to fall from the dromedary, I began to shout with the Arabs, Iasciak Abdolcader. Not from faith in him, but for the second reason, which I thought, was a sure means of recalling the unhappy one, who might have lost his road, and thus I took pleasure in the echo, which repeated our voices several times. The night was certainly fresh in comparison with the day; but the south wind continued to annoy us by its heat. I, overcome by the hot wind, had drawn my feet out of my boots and fastened them to the saddle; but as the night was far advanced, and I was half overpowered with sleep, (not to say near falling several times), I fastened them badly. I was near falling, when one boot fell off, and being rather shaken by the sound, which it made on the rock, I

with

recovered myself. I returned thanks that my boot had fallen in front of me and thus warned me. Happily, one of the Arabs walking near my dromedary, went in search of it, and found it, otherwise I should have had to imitate our guides, who often go one sandal. Although I had girded myself very tightly in order not to feel so much the motion of the dromedary, yet about an hour after midnight, I felt myself so shaken in all parts, that I was tempted to ask, "how much longer shall we go on?" in order to show that I could no longer sit on the dromedary; I continued flattering myself we should not go much longer, but, alas! we never halted till near four in the morning, when we reached another amphitheatre, and the Arabs unloaded; we laid ourselves down by the dromedaries, and attempted to repose for a short time. Thus ended our half day, and our first and most fatiguing night of travelling in the Desert.

CHAPTER VI.

THE FIRST DAY'S JOURNEY TILL EVENING.

HARDLY had our most weary limbs obtained a little of the desired rest, than it was broken by the voice of the kabir, followed by the Arabs shouting out Iasciak Abdolcader. Thus awakened, we arose, and the captain told the cook to make us some coffee, and a fire was soon lighted with two bits of wood, which, by chance, at Corosco, had been thrown into the maccaroni box. I did not care for coffee, but I took a piece of bread and some water. When we had swallowed these morsels, the Arabs helped us mount, and we followed the kabir, whose name was Abdolhamid (praised servant). It was some minutes after five, when we set off; the dawn had not yet broke, and a beautiful scene presented itself, the black mountains towering up on all sides, and the yellowish plain by which we had come. But at the same moment its beauty was shadowed by the melancholy thought, that the mountains and plain were all desert. The sun rose majestic, and with its golden rays gilded the solitude. Beautiful, yes, most beautiful sight, I said