THE EXPLORER’S CAMP IN THE VALLEY OF ERDI
SOUTH OF ERDI
Broken country and rough ground encountered by the party; it was very difficult for the camels’ pads, which were often cut by the sharp stones
I saw two hawks and fresh sleeping-camps of birds on the sands.
Sunday, April 22. We traveled over flat hard sand, with occasional sand hillocks, three to ten meters high, covered with black stones. At 5:30 A.M. we sighted a chain of hills on our left running from north to southwest across our path. At 8 A.M. we entered into broken, hilly country, which continued all day. It was called Wadi El Maraheeg. We came across broken ostrich-eggs.
We had better loading to-day, but the men were tired. Many of them fell out to snatch a half-hour’s sleep, catching up with the caravan when they woke.
Bukara brought me two little eagles, which he had taken from their nest on the top of a gara. I ordered him to put them back and saw that it was done.
The hejin was ill and had to go all the afternoon without load or even saddle.