The thermometer was 106° Fahrenheit in the shade of the ethel to-day. We shall rarely have it much hotter than this. In Bornou there is rarely more than 104° in the shade.
13th.—Saturday.[5] The morning is advancing and the Tuaricks are not yet moving. These Azgher are sad lazy dogs. It appears they have changed their minds, and we are all to go the long and easy way. The sun is rising in haze with a little wind. The heavens now are frequently concealed by vapour. Yesterday we had clouds in abundance, often shrouding the sun—a wonder for the desert in this season!
We started rather late, about seven A.M., but made a long day, continuing till sunset, or twelve hours. Our course was north-north-west for three or four hours, on the plain towards Serdalous, and then entered the pass of Abulaghlagh; which, though represented as plain and smooth as the hand by Hateetah, was sufficiently difficult and rocky for the boat-laden camels. The beginning of the pass was remarkable for a number of curiously-formed sandstone rocks, several of them swinging or resting on a small base like a pivot, and others cleft asunder, as straightly and clearly as if cut by a knife. Our course along the pass was west, but when well through it we turned round southwards towards Ghât.
Immediately on clearing the pass we saw the celebrated Kasar Janoon, or Palace of the Demons; of and concerning which the people had been talking all day: we had then the range of hills or mountains to our left, and some sand-hills on our right. Dr. Overweg at once discovered we were in a new region, or zone. The mountains on the left are composed of slate-marl, and not sandstone, as before stated by myself and Dr. Oudney. Overweg considers them of a very peculiar character and is delighted with their castle-like and battlemented shapes. But we shall have much to say of these marl-slate mountains, coloured so beautifully, and looking nobly to the eye.
Before entering the pass of Abulaghlagh, Hateetah hid some of his wheat under the rocks to lighten his camels. I joked him, and told him I knew his hiding-place, and would return and fetch the wheat. All over these hills things are hidden, and often money, which is sometimes lost for ever, the owner dying without pointing out his hiding-place. There was no herbage for camels to-night, but we had brought a little hasheesh with us. A strong wind set in towards evening and continued nearly all night, preventing us from sleeping. We were much exhausted by our day's march, and so were all our animals; they suffer much from these long stretches. We gave them dates, as we give horses corn.
14th.—We rose before daylight, and got off by sunrise, continuing till about two hours after noon. The wind was so exceedingly strong, blowing from the south-east, that we did not feel the heat of the sun. But now and then we had strong gusts of hot wind, like the breath of a furnace. I tied a thin dark cotton handkerchief over my eyes, and found great relief.
Our course is now south, over a high sandy plain. We are at length fairly in the Land of Demons, as the country of the Ghât Tuaricks is called by themselves. All around, the mountains take castellated forms, and high over all rises the Kasar Janoon, Palace or Citadel of the Ginn: a huge square mass of rock, said to be a day in circuit, and bristling with turret-pinnacles, some of which must be seven hundred feet in height. Nothing but its magnitude can convince the eye at a distance that it is not a work raised by human hands, and shattered by time or warfare. Its vast disrupted walls tower gigantically over the plain. Here, as in another Pandemonium, the spirits of the desert collect from places distant thousands of miles, for the purpose of debate or prayer. It is a mosque as well as a hall of council, and a thesaurus to boot, for unimaginable treasures are buried in its caverns. Poor people love to forge wealthy neighbours for themselves. No Tuarick will venture to explore these Titanic dwellings, for, according to old compact, the tribes of all these parts have agreed to abstain from impertinent curiosity, on condition of receiving advice and assistance from the spirit-inhabitants of their country. In my former visit I nearly lost my life in an attempt to explore it and was supposed to have been misled by mocking-spirits: little did I think that this superstition was about to receive another confirmation.
The Kasar Janoon, and all the mountains around, were wrapped this day in haze, but loomed gigantically through. We proceeded, still in sight of this enchanted castle, over the plain, which was perfectly bare and arid, until we arrived at Wady Atoulah, where we found the beneficent ethel and some good pickings for the camels. Not pausing long here, we proceeded another hour, and encamped in Wady Tahala, just in front of the imposing Kasar, and full in view of the mountains of Wareerat to the east.
The camels suffered much during the day's march. The Tuaricks had another knocked up, and we two,—that of the blacks and one which I had purchased of Mr. Gagliuffi. The latter could not bring his load, and we were obliged to relieve him of all his burden; a great disappointment to me, for I bought the animal as a strong one, to go up to Soudan. It was a dear bargain, in comparison with the other camels which I purchased in Mourzuk,—costing thirty-eight mahboubs and a half. I must recover the money, and cannot allow Government to lose it. All our other camels came on well, even those which cost me much less. The other is still behind whilst I write: it is an old, worn-out, black Egyptian camel, and cost only eighteen dollars.
I did not feel so much exhausted to-day as usual. I always take tea and coffee on encamping, which restores my senses at least, and does me much good generally. I dissolve mastic with the water during the hot hours, and to-day drank at least three pints, but ate little.