This spot being once selected, the tents were soon pitched; and in a short time, on the summit of the sand-hill, there rose the little encampment of the English expedition, consisting of four tents forming a sort of semi-circle, opening towards the south, the point to which all our arduous efforts were directed,—Mr. Richardson’s tent towards the west, Overweg’s and mine adjoining it towards the east, and each flanked by a smaller tent for the servants. Doubtless this sand-hill will ever be memorable in the annals of the Asbenáwa as the “English Hill,” or the “Hill of the Christians.” But before I proceed to relate the incidents of our daily life while we stayed here, it will be well to introduce the reader to the country and the people with whom we have come in contact. [Illustration: Drawn by J. M. Bernatz, from a Sketch by Dr. Barth. M. & N. Hanhart, lith. et impt. TIN-TÉLLUST. Sepr. 1850.] [Footnote 97: In conformity with the usage of travellers, I call Mehára people mounted upon mehára, or swift camels (in the singular form méheri). This expression has nothing whatever to do with Mehárebín, a name of which I shall speak hereafter.] [Footnote 98: The name has probably some connection with that of the tribe Ímanang.] [Footnote 99: Absen and Asben are used indiscriminately, though a ba- Háushe, or Háusa man, will always say Asben, ba-Asbenchi, Asbenáwa, while the native half-castes will prefer the other form—Absen, Absenáwa.] [Footnote 100: Mr. Richardson calls the pond Anamghur; correctly perhaps, though I did not hear it so called. The name of the valley, however, is Tároï; and, if I am not mistaken, Anamaghúr, or Anemághera, means, in the Southern Berber dialect, in general, “a watering place;” for our halting-place near Tághajít was also called by this name.] [Footnote 101: I think, however, that the more learned among them call it tágait. The palm-tree is called táshdait.] [Footnote 102: “Érazar,” properly “éghazar,” means “the valley,” in general; but nevertheless here it seems to be a proper name.] [Footnote 103: “Aníslim” is the term in the Temáshight language equivalent to the Arabic Merábet; and though it evidently has the most intimate relation to the word “selem” (Islám), meaning properly a man professing Islám, this signification has been entirely lost sight of. I was generally deemed and called by the Western Tawárek an Aníslim, because I wrote and read.] [Footnote 104: Éneli, انلي—dukhn—is a word several times mentioned by the learned traveller Ebn Batúta in his Travels, where it has not been understood by the translators. See Journal Asiatique, 1843, série iv. tom. i. pp. 188. 191. 200. At p. 194. he describes the favourite beverage dakno, made of this corn.] [Footnote 105: In many parts of India, just the contrary seems to occur.]