the reach, or beyond the range of the periodic floods.

_24th._--We were not to come on to-day; but En-Noor changed his mind,
and we journeyed on five hours, up the valley of Unan. The eternal
sameness of the tholukh and doom--for dooms are now in great
numbers--would be wearisome, had we not had so much desert before; but
we are still delighted with the continual occurrence of trees, be they
of what species they may. There is, besides, a great abundance of wild
water-melons, which the people sometimes eat. They are very small, but
hard and sound. The lizard, which almost through the whole desert was
found darting about and around the camels' feet, has now disappeared. It
would be a curious inquiry for a naturalist to endeavour to account for
its disappearance, for the nature of the soil has not so much changed.
The only difference--but perhaps this is great for the lizard--is that
hereabouts occur periodic rains, which deluge the land for a few days in
the year; and during these few days, probably, all the land lizards
found in low places would be destroyed.

This is Christmas-eve; a sorry one for us all! We receive no news but
bad news. For to-day a man came up to us, who said he left Tripoli three
months ago, and that the cholera had been very severe in Tripoli, making
many victims; but he brought no particular news for us. He came by the
way of Ghadamez and Ghat, and yet had heard nothing of our misfortunes
on the frontier. I suppose the people of Ghat had already ceased to talk
about us and our affairs; for here in the desert, as elsewhere, things
are soon forgotten. We saw little of the rest of the caravan _en route_,
but if we ever see the whole of the camels going with us, and the
division of Aghadez, I am quite sure they will never reach the
exaggerated number of 10,000! All numbers are dreadfully exaggerated in
Africa.

_25th._--Christmas-day! My second Christmas day in Africa during this
journey. We have nothing to make a merry day of; but we must try and
cheer ourselves up by the thought that we are still spared, after
passing through so many dangers, and amidst a people naturally hostile
to us, and only softened by fear of the Turks, and by possession of the
goods of the Government, which they have taken one way or other. Yet
some of the people appear of a more kindly nature, and Overweg has
experienced a little hospitality in the huts retired from the road, or
sequestered in the surrounding valleys.