January 13th. Therm. 2°. 10′.—We left Wudakaire at 7.20. and passed over a desert of sand, without a break in the horizon, N. 10°. W. 35 miles, when at seven we arrived at Mestoota مستوته, a small spot of about two miles in circumference, covered with palm and Attila bushes; and having a low marsh, abounding in rushes, and the favourite shrubs of the camels, viz. Deesa ديسه, Agool عقول, and Dthamaran ظمرعن. There are many wells here, and an old ruined Arab castle. We observed the Ghrazzie to encamp about five miles short of this place. The Jerboas were here in immense quantities, and ran over our heads the whole night: they were even bold enough to attempt stealing a piece of bread from under my head. Friday 14th. Therm. 2°. 30′. below zero.—Water which we had left in a bowl over night, became ice of the thickness of half an inch; and the Gerbas (water skins) were so completely frozen up at the necks, that we were obliged to melt them over a fire. What must the poor naked Negroes, who know no winter, have suffered during the whole of this night, lying out uncovered, on the sand! We had a long chase after our horses, which had broken loose and gone away, until 10.20. when, after much trouble in securing them, we set off, passing as before over a flat plain of sand until 3.20. when we arrived at some dangerously high sand hills; down which I every moment expected the Maherry, which carried myself and two sacks of dates, would tumble. At 7.30. we arrived safely past the hills at Māfen معفن, a small village which I saw from Traghan, when first I went there. We had travelled, when on the plain, N. 35°. E. 15 miles, and over the sand hills, N. 10°. E. 12 miles. Saturday 15th. Therm. 2°. Fine morning.—Started at nine from Māfen, and passed over a most curious plain of salt and earth, so broken by the sun, that it resembled the rough and irregular lava of Vesuvius; large slabs of four or five feet in height, with sharp points, were sticking up in every direction, and as hard as stone. I think it next to an impossibility for a man to walk even a few yards over this ground. A poor path, barely wide enough for a camel, has been cut and worn through it; but many accidents still happen by animals falling on their journey over it. This extraordinary bed extends east and west above twenty miles, and is about three in breadth at this part. I paid it a much longer visit than I could have wished, being attacked so severely by hemma, as to be obliged to dismount and lie in the road, until the afternoon, without water to relieve me, or any thing at hand to assuage the pain in my liver.