We determined, however, not to stop at this
place, lest the men of Janet[7] might after all arrive; and pushing on,
in hopes that our track might be confounded with those of the caravans,
we reached, after a rapid march of five hours and a-half, the well of
Esalan. As we approached, we saw an encampment in its neighbourhood, and
camels grazing about. Our vanguard halted; and the whole caravan soon
became massed in the entrance of the gorge through which we were about
to issue. Our far-sighted guards, however, soon discovered that there
was no cause for alarm. We had at length overtaken our Tanelkum friends;
and riding forward I greeted them, and, forgetting all idea of danger,
anxiously asked for our baggage, and above all for my inestimable supply
of potted soups!
[7] This name is sometimes written "Janet," sometimes "Ghanet"
by Mr. Richardson, who, moreover, now describes the
inhabitants of the place as Haghar and then as Azgher. A
more definite account is given further on. It appears,
however, that vulgarly in the Sahara all the Tuaricks are
called Haghar or Hagar, which seems to have been used rather
indiscriminately in the caravan as a term of fear.--ED.
In this part of the country the scenery is far more open than it was
before; the mountains are lower, but the wadys are not so wide. Here and
there occurred considerable patches of herbage, called _sabot_, and many
large, fine trees.
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