Monday, 13th March.—We went onwards at 7.30. over a stony plain until noon, when we came to a broad Wadey of sand, having a few scattered shrubs, and a strong south wind darkening the air with clouds of sand. Came to a well, but found it dry: our water was out, having been distributed without restriction. This caused no little sensation in the Kafflé, as we were said to be two days from any other well; fortunately, however, the Arabs, in wandering about, found one which had been newly made amongst some hillocks, about a mile from our track. Many flocks of large blue pigeons were flying round us. I shot one in very good condition. We travelled north-north-west ten miles.
Tuesday, 14th March.—At 7.30. went on, the weather very fine; had two fruitless chases after partridges and gazelles. The sick Negress rode my horse, and was abused every five minutes by her master for feigning sickness. I yesterday shot an owl of the size of a dove, and having very beautiful plumage; its eyes were marked black and yellow in circles, and it had those bunches of feathers, called horns, on each side the head. This day it became so putrid that I was obliged to give up the idea of stuffing it. At about a mile from our resting-place, was the water I have spoken of. We filled our gerbas there, but it was very bad, and my horse, as in a former case, refused to drink it. At 5.30. we halted, not having made more than fifteen miles, as our camels stopped repeatedly to eat. We went on about north-north-west: passed this day several spots with young corn growing, belonging to the Orfilly Arabs. The wadey we were in is called Sofajeen صوفجين, and is of great extent from east to west.
Wednesday, 15th March.—We found that three of our camels had strayed in the night, two of mine, and one of Lizari’s. We sent Arabs in search of them, and waited until noon, when we loaded the other camels, leaving the loads of the stray ones with two Arabs, together with some water and provisions. As there was no water for the slaves, we were obliged to move on, intending to send camels back from Zleetun, when, fortunately, our wanderers made their appearance.
A fine cold north wind from the sea reminded us that we were once again in its vicinity. At three, clouds rose round us, and very heavy rain fell on the neighbouring hills, accompanied by thunder and lightning: it soon after reached us, and we encamped in a small wadey, having travelled north six miles. The provisions of the whole Kafflé had nearly failed, and many of the Arabs had, during this day, only a handful of dates.
Thursday, 16th March.—Heavy black clouds all round us. At 7.15. we set off, but at eight were obliged to stop again (having gone north one mile and a half). The rain falling in torrents, we put up our tents and goods, as well as the time would admit, on a rising ground near a wadey, which was soon partially flooded. I sheltered twenty-six poor shivering girls and four boys in my tent, and we were of course pretty well crowded. I managed to put dry clothes on some of them, and to make them more comfortable. At noon the rain ceased for a time, and we had occasionally light showers during the rest of the day. Belford and myself sallied out, and, kneeling down, drank sweet water for the first time since leaving Tripoli, with a zest greater than any toper ever felt on tasting the most exquisite wine. I observed that the fresh water caused me very severe pain in the bowels, and occasioned a sensation of fulness in the chest. A snake was killed by the Negroes, nearly seven feet in length, but so much mutilated that it was impossible for me to skin it.
Friday, March 17th.—Last night the poor sick Negress died from fatigue and the united effects of cold and rain. Showers during the night. The morning was fine, and at seven we took our road over a flat of yellow sandy earth, covered with grass and small bushes; in many places the ground bore marks of the plough. At noon we had travelled north 10° west, ten miles, when the sky became much overcast. We lost our road until this period, and now having found it, proceeded north 20° east. At five the rain came on, and we encamped on some small hillocks in the wadey, having made fourteen miles since noon. Total, twenty-four miles. The latter part of our road was hilly and full of wadeys. Our tents were no sooner pitched than very heavy rain came on, in a tremendous storm (called Gherra قرّه by the Arabs): thunder and lightning close to us. The noise was tremendous, and the wadey before us was quickly filled with a roaring torrent, sweeping all before it: happily, the tents were on a rising ground, which prevented them from being washed away. The mountain torrent continued all night. I had often heard these storms spoken of, but always imagined that the accounts given of them were much exaggerated; I now found that the description did not at all come up to this night’s tempest. Sixteen poor Negresses took shelter with me, and remained under the carpet, full of gratitude at being protected from a storm, the noise of which made them tremble.
Saturday, 18th March.—A fine morning; fresh north-east wind blowing. We had a general clothes drying, and the slaves were oiled. At nine went on over high hills covered with stinted bushes. We saw a few Arabs with their cattle and flocks in the wadeys. At noon, having passed over a green plain, came to the gardens and corn-fields of Zleetun زليتن. The country was very flat, and some spots of near a mile in length appeared as if they had been flooded during the night. The ground was so slippery that some of the camels fell with their loads, and were with great difficulty re-loaded and placed upon their legs again. The nature of the foot of a camel is such, that the animal never falls or stumbles when on flat or dry ground; even on rocks it is sure-footed, but on mud it feels its inability to walk, and trembles at every joint, slipping, or rather sliding as it goes. It sometimes happens that a fall on wet ground occasions the death of the animal by splitting open its fore legs. Old Baba Hassein’s camel fell first, with him upon it, which raised a general shout of joy throughout the whole Kafflé. The Arabs most religiously believed that the tempest of yesterday, and the falls of to-day, were owing to his never having given his Bousaferr; and to the same cause was attributed our many delays in coming from Sockna, because “Ma fi el Barca مافي الباركا” there was not the blessing on the Kafflé.
A considerable time elapsed before we succeeded in finding the Gusba, or Castle; at last, to our great delight, we gained an entrance, though not till after we had all been well drenched by two or three heavy showers. My fellow travellers took such rooms as had roofs water proof, while Belford and myself preferred pitching our tent in the yard; by that means avoiding, in some measure, the multitude of fleas found in these buildings. We had travelled this day north 15° east, seven miles.
I think it necessary to mention, that near our last resting-place I found two Roman ruins, one about a mile north-east of the other. In one, the foundations of two or three rooms are perfect, as are the bases of some very large pillars; the other has part of a wall standing, with several square niches in it. The stones which compose these buildings are some of them seven feet in length by three in breadth, and appear to have been mortised into each other.
On our rising the tops of the mountains we observed with great joy the sea, beating on some shoals at a distance from the shore; but we could not see the beach, as it was hidden from us by the sands of Zleetun. To the great astonishment of my fellow travellers, who no doubt thought me mad, I chanted God save the King, and Rule Britannia, as loud as I could roar. The poor slaves looked forward to the mighty river before them with wonder and fear, and I believe at that moment all the stories they had heard of “the people on the great waters who eat the Blacks,” recurred to their imagination. It blew a heavy gale from the north-east, and the white foam added not a little to the imposing appearance of this (to them) terrific water.