“In February 1895, furnished with all the information I could obtain from M. Foureau and natives familiar with the _Erg_, Sir Edmund Loder and I started from Biskra to reach the country between El Oued Souf and Rhadamis. After a week’s journey across the desert by way of the great Chotts we reached the Oued Souf. At El Oued, the last outpost of the French in the direction of Rhadamis, we were stopped till Capitaine de Prandière had obtained instructions from the General of Division permitting us to go on. After a detention, made pleasant by the great kindness and hospitality of the three French officers in command of the native garrison, we had the disappointment of being told that we could not be allowed to proceed southwards. At the time we thought this very hard, for though we were aware that the Touaregs had lately raided the Chambas as near as Mey, we felt that a flying visit to the country east of Bir Beresof would be without danger, as we could be in and out again before our presence was discovered. But a few months later M. Foureau and a strong force were driven back from the south, though he had reached a point far beyond our proposed destination, and I think our hosts were entirely justified in their refusal. Our plan had been to reach Bir Beresof, and then to strike east for Bir Aoueen, where we should in all probability have come up with the Addax, which visits this district in large quantities in favourable years. The Addax country is the Erg, the great region of sand-dunes, covered more or less thickly with vegetation according to situation and rains. This sand-dune country covers hundreds—it may be said thousands—of miles and the Addax follows the rains. In certain districts it is not uncommon for rain not to fall for several years in succession. In one year the Addax are only found far south of Rhadamis and Aïn Taïba (S. of Ouargla), in other years they follow the rain as far north as the southern borders of the Chott Djereed in the east and the neighbourhood of Aïn Taïba in the west. Without the help of the French and a good escort of Chambas it would be vain to attempt to reach the Rhadamis country by way of Bir Beresof; and the wells being sometimes nine days apart, it is a difficult route to follow. “I heard when at Touzer that a M. Cornex had obtained a ‘_Begra el Ouash_’ within a few days of Douz; possibly this was the Bubal, though I was assured that he had got the Addax. M. Cornex (a Swiss) had adopted the religion and dress of the Arabs, and had therefore facilities of reaching places and avoiding dangers that were quite exceptional.