CHAPTER XII.

Reach Falezlez--Dates left in the Desert--Road-marks--Disputes with the
Kailouees--News from Tidek--Scarcity of Food in Aheer--Similitudes and
Signs of the Tuaricks--Fine Climate--Arrival of Wataitee--His
Boasting--Saharan travelling--My Umbrella--Grasping Son of
Shafou--Geology of the Desert--The "Person who gives"--Another
Caravan--Tuarick Sportsmen--Wady Aroukeen--Fine Scene--New
Trees--Kailouee Camels--Fine Nights--Well--New Moon--Passing a Caravan
in the Desert--Origin of the Kailouee Tuaricks--Arrive at Tajetterat--No
Robbers--An Alarm--Well of Esalan--Senna--Birds--Graves of Slave
Children--Our Grievances against the Tuaricks.


_4th._--We might have reached the well of Falezlez last night; but as we
did not know who might be waiting for us there, preferred halting
three-quarters of an hour from it, and advanced only in the morning, in
broad daylight.

Here we found our dates, left by the Tanelkums in the side of a mound of
sand, with a piece of rotten wood stuck up to mark the place. Had they
been, however, exposed by the side of the well, and a hundred caravans
had passed, no one would have touched them. It is a point of honour to
steal nothing thus confided in the desert. Mutual interest suggests
mutual forbearance. The Tanelkums left these dates, because we had only
hired the camels to bring them thus far, and they knew we should not
probably come up with them. This increase of our provisions turns out to