the fatigues it has already encountered, as of those to which it may
look forward on the tract of desert which now stretches wild and
inhospitable before us. Yesterday the sky was completely overcast; but
during the night and this morning the clouds have been succeeded by
wind, and strong blasts have completely cooled us. I do not think that
the climate would affect me so much as it does if I had something good
to eat; but the Tanelkums have got with them all my soups. The Germans
eat hausa like Tuaricks, and do very well. I expected to find the water
of Falezlez most unpalatable. This, indeed, is its reputation; but we
were all agreeably deceived, and the salt taste was scarcely
perceptible.

About ten in the morning, on the 5th, a solitary white camel, with a
rider, was reported as trotting rapidly over the hills to the east. The
circumstance created some excitement. It was Mohammed Wataitee, son of
Shafou, coming riding like the monarch of the desert, as he is, upon his
fine maharee. He had been travelling three days and three nights
consecutively; and however eager we were to hear his opinion of the
dangers that threatened us, it was necessary to allow him to spend the
whole day in repose.

When we could get speech of the traveller, he talked boastfully of the
value of his protection, and assured us that we had really nothing to
fear. He had heard, or would acknowledge to have heard, no rumours of
the hostile intentions of his father's cousin; only, he observed, "He is
an old man," with a gesture that implied wilfulness. He would have us
believe that this terrible enemy who has been pursuing us--at least in
our imagination--is nothing but a testy old gentleman, who says these
sort of things in a fanciful way just to express his power.