The time is 6 a.m. For an hour more we travel in comparative coolness; but by 9 a.m. we are into the full heat of day—that awful, dreaded heat, that constantly torments and sets out, without pity, to subdue and conquer the stoutest. In the desert the sun is master, cruel and remorseless beyond belief, with bleaching blaze that eats up life and kills. For the rest of the day the caravan must pass under the rule of its greatest enemy. Throughout the morning the camels travel well and the spirit of the men is fairly cheerful. Though there is not much talking among them now, as they sit huddled on their camels with their gowns thrown over their heads as covering from the sun. They know well that it is wise to conserve their strength, for long, weary hours lie ahead. I scan the caravan as we plod monotonously along. We have been travelling close on two hundred days, and the ranks are sadly thinned, though the journey is not yet half completed. There were sixteen natives at the start: now there are only six—Elatu, Mohammed, Sili, Gumbo, Sakari, and Ali. Most of the others have gone through fear of the dangers of the journey, lack of heart for the hard, endless work, physical weakness, and incurable sickness. (Two of the latter, left behind in good hands, to recover, when next heard of, had died). There had been forty-four camels at the start; now there are but twenty-one. I have long learned to know them by their native names. Those that are with us still are: “AWENA” =“Wall-eyed, or piebald-eyed.” “BANRI” =“The one-eyed one.” “ALLETAT” =“White Belly.” “ABEROK” =“The dark grey one.” “KADEDE” =“The thin one.” “ADIGNAS” =“The white one.” “TERFURFUS” =“The piebald female.” (A female, because of the T prefixed before the name, which designates sex in the Tamascheq language of the Tuareg nomads of the Sahara). “KORURIMI” =“The earless one” (because ears damaged). “TABZOW” =“The white one, but not quite white.” “EMUSCHA” =“The white-mouthed one.” “OWRAK” =“The pale fawn male.” (A male designated because there is no T.) “TOWRAK” =“The pale fawn female.” (A female designated because of the T that is prefixed.) “EZARIF” =“The pale grey male.” (T omitted denotes sex.) “TEZARIF” =“The pale grey female.” “MIZOBE” =“The broken-nosed one.” (So named because he has a piece out of one nostril where a rein-ring has been torn away.) “BUZAK” =“The white-footed one.” “AJEMELEL” =“The spotted one.” “KELBADO” =“Big Belly.” “DOKI” =“The Horse.” (Because a very diminutive camel, about the size of a horse.) “BAKO” =so named, in hausa, before it came into my possession.