New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-03

apparent water is always precisely that OF the
say and this is a good test 10 distinguish II rom
real water which is invariably OF deeper nue.
II il seen on a gravelly as well p SANDY sur
face, and cften fills with shining pools the
sli,ht depr.ssioDs in the soil at the bases OF the
hills. Where il extends TO the horizon there Is
no apparent line, and 1t then becomes an Inlet
OF the sky, as if the walls Of heaven were melt
ing down and flowing in upon the earth. Some
tines whole mountain. chain is lifted from
the horizon and hung in the air, with its reflect
ed image Joined to it, base to base. have ire
Qusntly seen, during the forenoon, lakes OF
sparkling blue water, apparently not quarter
of mile distant The waves ripple in the wind ,
tall reeds and water-plants grow on the margin
and the desert rocks behind cast their snado"
on thesurface 1t is impossible TO believe IL
delusion. You advance nearer, and suddenly
yo~Inow net how, the lake vanishes. There
II a srayish film over the spot, but before you
have deeided whether the film is in the air or IN
your eyes, that too disappears, and you see only
the naked sand. What you took TO be reeds and
wa,er.plants probably shows itself as streak
of coarse gravel.
found the desert life pot only enduraoie ou'
agreeable. No matter how warm 1t might be at
mid. day. the nights were always fresh and COOL
and the wind blew strong from the northwest
during the greater part of the timer The tenn
uerature varied from $685. at A. M. to sC0-
$50 at2PM. The extremes were 470 and 1902.
So great change of temperature every day was
not so unpleasant as might be supposed In my
case, Nature seemed to make special provis'
ion IN order to keep the balance right During
che hot hours of the day never suffered incon-
yenience from the heat, but up to $50 felt suffi-
eiently cool. seemed to absorb the rays OF the
sun, and as night came on and the temperature
of the air fell, that Of my skin rose till at last
glowed through and through, like live coal. 1t
was peculiar sensation, which never expe-
riencsd before, and perhaps do not inteligloly
describe. My face, however, which is alter
nately exposed to the heat radiated from the
sand, and the keen morning wind, could not ac-
commodate itself to 90 much contraction and
expansion. The skin 10 now peeling of for the
second time, and am obliged to rub it daily
with butter l wish you could see the "shining
morning face" with which | mount my drome
0aIy. Vudb Will oitCiuoev uussCiAb8 oiiu ouih
ing, il u now about the hue and crispness of
well.basted partridge.
The air Of the Desert is incOmparably clear
and pure. | rise at dawn every morning, and
sitter waiting till the camels are laden, walk
ahead for two hours, often so far in advance that
I lose sight and hearing of the caravan. Achmet
always insists on my taking sabre as protec-
tion against the hyenas but have not yet been
90 fortunate as to see more than their tracks,
which cross the path al every step. saw occa.
sionally the footprints of ostriches, but they, as
well as the giraffe, are scarce in this desert.
Towards noon, Achmet and halt IN the shadow
Of rock, or if no rock is at hand, on the bare
Is never sweeter than in the Desert. The rest
Of the day jog along patiently beside the bag
gage camels, and at sunset halt for the night
A divan on the sand, and well-tilled chihouk
give me patience while dinner is preparing, and
afterward ! make the necessary entries in my
journal. have no need to court sleep after be-
ing rocked all day on the dromedary. This is
the regular routine of my travel, and am al
ready so accustomed to it that desert of thrice
The extent of this would not intimidate me-
Toward the close of the fourth day, the mo-
notony of the plain was broken by range Of
several miles in length, the highest |
peak Of which reached an altitude of 900 feet
The sides were precipitous and formed of verti-
cal strata, but the crests were agglomerations of
oose stones, as il shaken out of some enormous
coal .scuttle. The glens and gorges were black
no speck Of any other color relieved the terrible
gloom Of this singular group of hills. Their as
Meet was much more than sterile it was infer.
nal The name given to them By the guide
was D,,,,t . Djindss, or the Fortress of the
Turks. At their foot found few thorny shrubs
the first sign Of vegetation, except the mrar, or
bitter melon of the Desert, which fiourishes In
the dry sand, and which even the camel will not
touch. l passed the night in small valley on
the southern edge of the hills, and the next day
n noon reached Bir-M,4rr hat, the only watering
place between this and Korosko. The wells are
in shallow basin, surrounded by mountains OF
porphyry. They furnish an abundance OF green
bitter, brackish water, which the eamels Dunk,
but which could not MY eight skins of Nile
water were already reduced to two, which rem
dsred strict economy necessary for the rest OF
the journey. The water was always cool and
fre.h. though in color and taste ii resemeled
decoction Of old shoes.
We remained the rest of the day AZ the wells
of Muu-hat, and the next Gay made ierced
march of twelve hours. We left the porphyry
hills early in the morning, and crossed an iaa-
mense plain Of sand, the thermometer rising to
1000 at 2P. NJ, Two hours after sunset we
reached another range, called Kab el-Ghufass'
and there passed the night. This range, further
TO the eastward, is called Djebel Shigre. and Is
noticed in the travels Of Bruce and Burckhardt.
Here the post courier from Korosko, bare head
cd and bare..egged Bisharee, mounted on
.o...A m. On tha dsv wa