_Saturday, April 15._—Examined the wady Kokreb to ascertain whether there was water to be found here, which I suspected, but which the guides denied. Found that there was a well a little way up the wady, which we passed soon after starting. The guides seem to find it easier to tell a barefaced falsehood than to speak the truth. For some reason or other they are determined to deny the existence of water at various points along the route, where we know it is to be found. Left at 6:30 A.M., and followed the wady, which is quite full of trees and rather a pleasant part of the journey. Towards noon we arrived at Kokreb, where there is a well and a station. We spread the fly of our tent over some old posts for a protection from the sun. The sheik of the station kindly (for a consideration) procured us a good drink of milk. Here we met a number of caravans. There were many pilgrims among them returning from Mecca. One woman, who was supposed to be irresistible, was sent among us to beg. We offered her some food, which she indignantly refused. The well here is shallow, and is emptied as fast as it fills. We left at 4:20 P.M., passing through a wild, narrow defile in the mountains. The scenery here is extremely wild and picturesque. We ascended now very rapidly, and the sight of the mountains in the purple glow of sunset was magnificent. As night came on it began to grow intensely cold. We camped at a great height. The cold was extreme. We got out our tent-flies and crawled under them. _Sunday, April 16._—This morning we killed a scorpion that was found under the Consul’s saddlebags. Saw several gazelles. Again we are obliged to travel much against our wishes. There are trees along the wadys all the way, now. Met many long caravans carrying American oil to Berber and Khartoum. Camped at 10:30. At 4:30 we were obliged to start again. The mountain scenery here is grand! Toward night we entered a narrow gorge, running North and South, between two high mountains. Here we had to keep a sharp lookout in the dark, lest we should be left, like Absalom, hanging from a tree. These overhanging thorn trees did, in fact, rather mar Mr. Moussalli’s beauty, but the rest of us dodged and preserved ours. We found several wells in between these two mountains, and here we camped for the night. This is also a dangerous locality, on account of robbers. The nights are very cold in these mountain heights.