Year: 1868

|


the well of Moorahd is in an extinct era


precipitous cliffs about 800 feet high The


bottom is dead fat and forms a valley


of sand about $50 yards wide In this


bosom of a crater salt and bitter water is


found at depth of only six feet from the


surface. To this our tired camels frantic


ally rushed. on being unloaded


The valley was :" valley of dry bones y


Innumerable skeletons of camels lay in all


directions; the ships of the desert thus


stranded on their voyage. Withered heaps


of parched skin and bone lay here and


there, in the distinct forms in which the


camels had gasped their last the dry des-


ert air had converted the hide into a coffin


There were no flies here, thus there were


no worms to devour the carcasses, but the


usual sections were the crows, though some


times too few to perform their office. These


were perched upon the overhanging cliffs


but no sooner had our overworked camels


taken their long draught and lain down


upon the sand exhausted, than by common
consent they descended from their high
places, and walked round and round each


tired beast


As many wretched animals simply crawl


to this spot to die, the crows from long ex-
perience and constant practice, can form a
pretty correct diagnosis upon the case of
sick camel they had evidently paid a pro-
fessional visit to my caravan, and were
especially attentive in studying the case of
one particular camel that was in very
weakly condition, and had stretched itself
full length upon the sand, nor would they
leave it until it was driven forward.


The heat of Moorahd was terrific there


was no shade of any kind, and the narrow


valley surrounded by glowing rocks form
ed a natural oven. The intense dryness of
the overheated atmosphere was such that
many Of our waterskins that appeared full
were nearly empty; the precious supply
had evaporated through the porous leather
and the skins were simply distended by the
expanded air within Fortunately l had
taken about los gallons from Korosko, and
| possessed a grand reserve in my two bar
rels which could not waste; these were
invaluable as resource when the supply
in the skins should be exhausted. My Arab
camel men were supposed to be provided
with their own private supply, but as they
had calculated upon stealing from my stock,
in which they were disappointed, they were
on exceedingly short allowance, and were
suffering much from thirst. During our
forced march of three days and half it
had been impossible to perform the usual
toilet therefore, as water was life, wash
ing had been out of the question. Moorahd
had been looked forward to as the spot of
six hours rest, where we could indulge in
the luxury of bath on a limited scale af-
ter the heat and fatigue of the journey ac
cordingly about two quarts of water were
measured into large Turkish copper ba-
sin. The tent, although the heat was un-
was the only dressing room, and
the two quarts of water, with a due pro- /
portion of soap, having washed two people, I
was about to be thrown away, when the /
Arab guide who had been awaiting his +
snatched the basin from the
servant. and in the agony of thirst, drank +
nearly the whole of its contents, handing t
the residue to brother Arab with hear /
tv ejaculation of " FL hand ul Illahr' +
:. Thank God !"


Many years ago when the Egyptian
troops first conquered Nubia, regiment I
was destroyed by thirst in crossing this
desert The men being upon a limited al
Iowance of water, suffered from extreme
thirst, and deceived by the appearance ola
mirage that exactly resembled beautiful T
lake, they insisted on being taken to its
banks by the Arab guide. 1t was in vain
that the guide assured them that the lake
was unreal. and he refused to lose the pre-
cous time by wandering from his course.
Words led to blows, and he was killed by
the soldiers whose lives depended upon mis-
guidance The whole regiment turned
from the track and rushed towards the
welcome waters.


Thirsty and faint, over the burning sand
they hurried; heavier and heavier their /
became, hotter and hotter their
breath as deeper they pushed into the des
ert, farther and farther from the lost track |
where the pilot lay in his blood ; and still |
the mocking spirits of the desert, the afreet
of the mirage led them on and the lake
glistening in the sunshine tempted to bathe !
in its cool waters, close TO their eyes but !
never to their lips. At length the delusion |
vanished, the fatal lake had turned to bur- |
ming sand-raging thirst and horrible de- /,
spair, the pathless desert and the murdered
guide-lost, lost, all lost not a man ever
left the desert, but they were subsequently
discovered parched and withered corpses,
by the Arabs sent upon the search.


Throughout the route from Korosko, the
skeletons of camels number about eight per
mile with the exception of the last march
on either side of the watering place, Moor
ahd, on which there are double that num-
Der, as the animals had become exhausted
as they approached the well. In the steep
pass through the hills, where the heat is In
tense and the sand deep, their mortality is
dreadful, in some places | counted SIX md
eight in heap, and this difficult portion
of the route is a mass of bones, as every
weak animal gives in at the trying place.
So dreadful desert is this between koro-
sko and Abou Hamed that Said Pasha or
dered the route to be closed but it was
re-opened upon the application of foreign
consuls as the most direct road to the Sou
dan. Our Bisha rreen Arabs are first rate
as they have performed the entire
journey on foot ;their water and provisions
were all exhaused yesterday but fortunate
ly l had guaaded the key of my two water
TASKS; thus 1 had a supply when every wa
ter skin was empty, and on the last day L
divided my sacred stockramongst the men,
and the still more thirsty camels. In the |
hot months camel cannot march longer
than three days without drinking. unless at
the cost of great suffering.


AbySSinian Life.