On all sides were clusters of the tholukh,
which grows prettily up, and has a poetical appearance. The ground at
some places was strewed with branches, cut down for the goats to feed
on. Then we came to a small wady full of _resou_, which our marabout
calls the "meat of the camel;" and all the camels at once stopped, and
for a long time obstinately refused to proceed. This appeared strange to
us, but on inquiry we found that the sagacious brutes remembered
perfectly well that until the evening there would be no herbage so good,
and were determined to have their fill whilst there was an opportunity.
The drivers, after indulging them a few moments, took them in flank, and
their shouts of "_Isa! Isa!_" and some blows, at length got the caravan
out of this elysium of grass into the hungry plain beyond. As we
proceeded, a cold bracing wind began to blow from the east, and
considerably chilled our frames. I had met the same weather four years
previously. Towards evening, however, it became warmer, as it usually
does. The country was bare and level, like an expanse of dull-coloured
water; and the palm-trees that cluster near the village rose slowly
above the horizon as we drew nigh. The sun had gone down, and the plain
stretched dim and shadowy around before we came in sight of the group of
hovels which form the village. As I looked back, the scattered camels
slowly toiling along could be faintly traced against the horizon.
Pages:
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105