Yusuf has been reading an Arabic book, which I at first thought was some
commentary on the Koran; but to-day I was undeceived. He related what he
read; it reminded me of Gulliver's Travels. A tall man walks through the
sea, cooks fish in the sun, and destroys a whole town, whose inhabitants
had insulted him, by the same means that our comparative giant saved the
palace of Lilliput from conflagration.
This evening it was announced as an event that the Zintanah, a servant
of the Germans, was going to Tripoli, having resolved to return home.
Some said one thing about him, some another; but most, "He's afraid of
the fever of Mourzuk." The fellow came afterwards to me, asking for
letters to Tripoli. I told him to go about his business; that he was a
man of words and had no heart, otherwise he would continue with us to
Mourzuk. I wished to discourage such acts of desertion, for they produce
always a bad effect. My German companions seemed glad to get rid of him.
We started again on Sunday morning (the 28th). This was our first day of
sand. We had almost forgotten that there was such a thing as sand in the
desert; but we shall have two days more of the same kind of travelling,
to keep us in mind of this unpleasant truth. However, we were glad
enough to leave Edree. Our marabout, comparing this place with El-Wady,
for which we are now journeying, says, "Edree is like a jackass; El-Wady
is like a camel!" Yusuf calls Edree "the city of camel-bugs.
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