Dec. 27th. Therm. 5°. At 9.30. A.M. we set out, having taken water for three days in our gerbas. Our road lay over a plain of gravel, bounded by mountains close at hand, to the westward, and a distant range to the eastward. At 10.30. Mejdool bore from a rising ground, N. 44°. E. At 11. the mountains closed in, and our road lay through them. At 12.10. we ascended to a rough stony plain, resembling, in colour and badness of footing, some parts of the Soudah. Indeed, all the mountains here appear composed of nearly the same black irregular masses of basalt. Five or six Tibboo passed us on camels; they were the first I had seen fully armed: every man had his three light darts, and his spear. At 2. we descended to a level plain, by a very precipitous pass. The mountain we descended is the most western of a low black chain, which bounds the view as far as the eye can reach, to the eastward. The rocks here, which are of a clay stone, are, in many places, fantastically streaked with veins of a light pink colour. We stopped to rest ourselves under some Talhh trees, when I was alarmed by seeing my Maherry come towards me, foaming at the mouth, and champing like a mad animal. Besheer soon eased me of my fears, by telling me that he was eating bones, a circumstance I was not before aware of. I now found, however, by observing the camels, that whenever we passed any skeletons, they selected a mouthful of such bones as they could easily break. At 5.30. P.M. we pitched our tent on the plain, the pass bearing from us N. 44°. E. The whole of this flat is covered with beautiful rounded pebbles of the size of a pea, and even smaller. We made 30 miles. Dec. 28th. Therm. at tent door, 4°. 50′. At 7.35. A.M. we went on, still over the plain, until 3.30. when we came to sand, having small shrubs on it, called Omeladam Tafsert, and here met a Tibboo bringing sixteen Negresses from Waday. We found a small well, and having watered our horses, proceeded to another, near which we were to pass the night. At 6.30. we came to it, but found it had fallen in. Whilst cooking, we caught a young Gerboa, which came foraging. During our journey this day, Besheer shot a crow with a single ball, very adroitly. We observed the Kaid seize the bird, and pretend that he was desirous of obtaining the wing feathers; but I discovered that he had pulled off the head, intending to keep it about his person, as a charm against a pain in the elbow. We made, this day, S. 45°. W. 35 miles, slept on the sand, and were much disturbed by the howlings of jackals. This well is called Jufāra.