This night we moved at comparatively a rapid pace--nearly three miles an
hour; for there was scarcely any temptation to the camels to linger for
browsing purposes, and the drivers seemed desperately anxious to get
over as much ground as possible at once. At first all went well enough;
and now and then even, the blacks, who were on foot, braved the Hamadah
with a lively ditty--celebrating some Lucy Long of Central Africa. But
by degrees these merry sounds ceased to be heard; and the hastily-moving
crowd of the caravan insensibly stretched out into a longer line. The
poor women were beginning to knock up, and several fell at times from
mere exhaustion. We proceeded, however, without stopping, for eleven
hours, and after a long, dreary night indeed, halted at five in the
morning, having reached the encampment of our German friends.

The dawn soon lighted up the waste, and enabled us to see that it was a
level plain of hard red earth, scattered over with pebbles and loose
pieces of limestone mixed with flint.

The Hamadah was very cold in the night, the wind being from the north.
Dr. Overweg does not think that the plateau is more than fifteen hundred
feet above the level of the sea; but it may be two thousand, and a
little more in some places. By day it is hot enough; and as there is
little to be observed on these vast, elevated stretches of stony desert,
I thought it best to continue my original plan for three whole nights.

To spare one's self is the great secret of Saharan travelling; and there
is, after all, not much to observe in this desolate region.

I should mention, that the second night Ali came up in a penitent state
along with a khafilah from Ghareeah, and so our poor black women had an