R XL.

WATERING THE CAMELS.

In an incredibly short space of time the tents were down, and the douar
with all its belongings was no longer to be seen; or only in the shape
of sundry packages balanced upon the backs of the animals.

The last operation before striking out upon the desert track, was the
watering of these; the supply for the journey having been already dipped
up out of the pool, and poured into goat-skin sacks.

The watering of the camels appeared to be regarded as the most important
matter of all. In this performance every precaution was taken, and every
attention bestowed, to ensure to the animals a full supply of the
precious fluid,--perhaps from a presentiment on the part of their owners
that they themselves might some day stand in need of, and make use of,
the _same_ water!

Whether this was the motive or not, every camel belonging to the horde
was compelled to drink till its capacious stomach was quite full; and
the quantity consumed by each would be incredible to any other than the
owner of an African dromedary, Only a very large cask could have
contained it.

At the watering of the animals, our adventurers had an opportunity of
observing another incident of the Saaera,--quite as curious and original
as that already described.

It chanced that the pool that furnished the precious fluid, and which
contained the only fresh water to be found within fifty miles, was just
then on the eve of being dried up. A long season of drought--that is to
say, _three or four years_--had reigned over this particular portion of
the desert, and the lagoon, formerly somewhat extensive, had shrunk into
the dimensions of a trifling tank, containing little more than two or
three hundred gallons. This, during the stay of the two tribes united as
wreckers, had been daily diminishing; and had the occupants of the douar
not struck tents at the time they did, in another day or so they would
have been in danger of suffering from thirst. This was in reality the
cause of their projected migration. But for the fear of getting short in
the necessary commodity of fresh water, they would have hugged the
seashore a little longer, in hopes of picking up a few more "waifs" from
the wreck of the English ship.

At the hour of their departure from the encampment, the pool was on the
eve of exhaustion. Only a few score gallons of not very pure water
remained in it--about enough to fill the capacious stomachs of the
camels; whose ow