I had already visited the place, and was familiar with its
aspect; but must introduce a few words of description for the sake of
the reader of the present narrative. Ghat is situated on the spur of a
lofty hill, which overlooks it from the north. It is surrounded by
miserable walls not more than ten feet high, pierced by six weak gates.
The houses are not whitewashed, like those of Moorish towns, but retain
the dirty hue of the unburnt brick and mud with which they are built. A
single minaret worthy the name, and one large building used as a general
lodging-house, rise above the flat roofs of the rest of the town. Some
few palm-trees bend gracefully here and there; but, in general, the
groves of the oasis are a little distant from the walls. There is a
suburb of some fifty houses of stone and mud; and a number of huts, made
of straw and palm-branches. The whole oasis is not more than three miles
in extent; the gardens produce only a little wheat, barley, and ghaseb,
with some few kinds of fruit. Good water is supplied by wells; but all
the palm vegetation is stunted.
From the hill that overlooks the town, a fine view is to be obtained of
the little oasis and the vast extent of desert that encircles it on
every side. Far to the south wave in the air the summits of the
palm-groves of Berket, on the way to Aheer. To the west, hills and
ridges succeed one another to the horizon; and to the east, above a line
of glittering sand-hills, rises the unbroken wall of the Wareerat
range--the rampart thrown up by the demons to protect their favourite
Tuaricks from the inroads of the conqueror.
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