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Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa, 1850-51
Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa 185051 Author:James Richardson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: START FROM THE OASIS. 29 CHAPTER III. Leave Mizdali—Gloomy Country — Matrimonial Squabbles in the Caravan—" Playing at Powder"—Desert Geology—A Roman Mauso... more »leum—Sport—A Bully tamed — Fatiguing March — Wady Taghijah—Our old friend the Ethel-Tree—The Waled Bou Seif— Independent Arabs—A splendid Mausoleum—One of the nagahs foals—Division of a Goat—'March over a monotonous country — Valley of Amjam—Two new Trees—Saluting the New Moon — Sight the Plateau oftheHamadah—Wady Tabooneeah—Travelling Flies—The Desert Hour—A secluded Oasis—Buying Barley — Ghareeah—Roman Remains—Oasean Cultivation—Taxation— Sand-Pillar — Arrangements for crossing the Hamadah — An Emevte in the Caravan—Are compelled to discharge the quarrelsome All. We started for Mizdah, at length, towards noon, Sheikh Omer bringing us a little on our way, and begging to be well spoken of in high quarters; and after passing the ruins of two Arab castles that frown over the southern side of Wady Esh-Shrab, got into a gloomy country, exactly resembling that on the other side of the oasis, except that the strata of the limestone rocks, instead of being horizontal are inclined. The whole desert, however, wears a more arid appearance. Yet there were some lote-trees here and there, and a few tholukhs. The traces of the aoudad were noticed ; and the blacks, 30 MORE QUARRELS. picking up its dung, smelt it as musk, saying, " It is very good." As I jogged on upon my camel, the oppressive heat caused me to sleep and dream in the saddle of things that had now become the province of memory. More quarrels ! The chaouches are boiling over again ; they must fight it out between them. No doubt they are both correct in exchanging the epithet of " thief." Scarcely has the grumbling of these two terrible fellows died away, when th...« less