Yesterday morning I observed the dawn of day, and witnessed a degree of redness and red clouds, or, more poetically, rosy-tinted clouds, which I never before observed in all the Sahara. Probably now the sky will change to a colouring more like England. Sunset and sunrise in the Sahara are essentially different from those of England, the colours in the desert being exceedingly light and bright; and often in the summer time, at daybreak, there is a full, blazing sun in the course of three quarters of an hour; so that, that rich colouring of the summer's dawn in England is never here observed.
I visited the salt-caravan, or that portion of it which belongs to En-Noor. The salt is prepared in Bilma, by the Tibboos, in three different manners. There is, first, the canto, a kind of pillar or pedestal, about 16 inches high, and 3 or 4 broad in its widest part. As to weight, 10 of these are a good camel-load, 8 a load for a small camel, and 6 for a weak camel. Then there are two cakes, one of refined salt and the other coarse. These coarse cakes are about 5 inches in diameter, and the refined ones 7 inches, the former being about 3lbs. and the latter 5lbs. in weight. When a caravan of Tuaricks arrive at Bilma, they find the salt all ready for them, and they pay a barter for it in this way,—a zekka of ghaseb is exchanged against twenty of the coarse cakes; a zekka for six of the refined cakes, and three zekkas of ghaseb for two of the pillars. Ghaseb appears to be the only staple thing which the Tibboos receive for their salt; they may also take now and then turkadias, or black turbans, and on the other side the Tuaricks bring a few dates with them: the fruit, even those of the best quality, are not very good or fine. This commerce of barter is managed almost solely by the women: the men remain in their houses, whilst the women go to the salt-pits or lakes, and transact this important business; but the men do not run away, as is commonly reported. At least, so say the Tuaricks. The supply of salt is inexhaustible. It is, probably, on account of the weight of the salt, and the fatigue of the camels which carry it, with the distance, that this commerce is not very profitable to the Tuaricks; but this can only be ascertained in the markets of Kanou, and other large cities of Soudan. There are only six months to the rainy season, so I have just time to go to Sakkatou and return, without waiting long at any of the intermediate places between Sakkatou and Kuka.
Our encampment is under some rocks, where are seen the dens of lions. At the mouth of these caves or holes are bones of animals and the dung of the lions.
15th.—I rose early, but we did not start till two hours after sunrise. The caravan was a considerable time in loading. We have only with us En-Noor's detachment of the salt-caravan, about 130 camels. We may be quicker in our movements to-morrow. The first morning of starting is always thus slow. We came to-day five hours: passed the picturesque rock Mari, like a camel couchant, and entered after three hours the Asoudee route, or the direct caravan route from Ghât to Damerghou, through Aheer. Another detachment of the salt-caravan passed or crossed us, and took another route to the east. Our course was always southwards, now S.E. now S.W., through wadys filled with trees, mostly tholukh and its varieties; the rocks were all granite. Aheer appears to be a region essentially of granite, although here and there are volcanic cones striking up, composed of basalt, or a variety of this stone. The weather was very cloudy and cold, only a little warm in the middle of the day. We have not come to water or wells for three days, because our journeys are very short. To-day I saw, for the first time, the indigo plant—neela in Arabic, and bala in Soudanese. I was glad to make its acquaintance. It grows amongst the other herbage, and may be easily confounded with it as a common herb. It is now in seed, the pods being small and very hard. This is one of the products capable of working the regeneration of Africa, if Africa is to be civilised by legitimate commerce.
En-Noor asked to-day if, on entering Constantinople, we English made presents. I told him very positively, "No;" but, on the contrary, everything which the English demanded of the Sultan of the Turks he did for us; and because the Sultan was weak, England was obliged to protect him against the encroachments of the other Christian nations.
I was much surprised to hear to-day that En-Noor begged a black burnouse from Barth. The old Sheikh is a Tuarick every inch of him. Nevertheless, it is too bad to beg the things which we wear to protect us from the cold and the heat. Barth, I believe, has not yet made the Sheikh a present, and he is coming Hateetah over my worthy friend. Overweg has given the Sheikh a cloth jacket, which he could ill spare. I feel most determinedly disposed to give nothing more; but in justice I have to add, that his highness sends regularly the milk in the morning, that he gave me a piece of gour-nut on the road, and that he sent me a few dates at my request! These are great things for Tuaricks; so, "patience."
16th.—I rose at daylight; the cold was moderate, morning foggy as yesterday. People say we shall be only nine days from this going to Damerghou, but I will give them twelve. All the old men in this country apply to the Taleb for medicine to restore their powers. They very unwillingly relinquish the exercise of the functions which give them most delight; but nature is stronger than all things, and they must submit to its inevitable course. In a country like Africa, where woman is only thought of for one purpose, it chagrins these old fellows to see all their nice plump slave-girls about them, and to find themselves past and gone, so far as this state of existence is concerned. En-Noor and Hateetah both made this kind of application to the Taleb. When I was alone in my former journey in the desert, I had also the same kind of experience.
We came two hours to-day to the well of Anfesas, before the mountain of Baghzem. Our course was through valleys and rocks, as yesterday, and, indeed, always in this country; for there is very little variation in the landscape. Baghzem, instead of being the high mountain pictured to me by the Ghadamsee merchants, is, at this view of it, only a low range. Two little things observed to-day were, first, a "traveller's sharpening stone," on which every person passing by sharpened his dagger or his sword: next, were heaps of sand scraped together, and sticks or stalks of herbage stuck on the top, as frail marks of the route, corresponding to the heaps of stone which mark in line the routes of the Sahara. There was also a mosque formed of boughs of trees; that is, a low wall of the groundplan of a mosque made of boughs of trees, like the walls of stone in other places. The trees were as before, always those full of thorns, like the tholukh; many of the species bearing what is called the date of this country. No animals of game were seen, except a solitary hare; but there were marks of the foot of the mohur, or large gazelle.
The lading of the camels in the morning takes always an hour and a-half: we have few people, compared with the number of beasts of burden.
However, under the leadership of En-Noor, who has now decked himself in a fine yellow burnouse, a sort of ensign of authority, the caravan marches in great order and tranquillity.