Near sunset the Berbers collected some small pebbles, which they arranged symmetrically upon the sand, then heated them with a fire of palm-leaves, and, after kneading a little barley-meal, baked a cake of it for our supper upon the stones; to improve it they mixed with the meal some small bits of mutton fat; when baked it was divided among us. Aly gave me a little bit of it which I thought delicious, although badly baked and very heavy, for I had tasted nothing the whole day; my guide, however, though he allowed me so little nourishment, upbraided me with living at his expense, since my own provisions had been long exhausted. Happily for me two Trajacant marabouts had joined our caravan; Aly supplied them with provisions, and allowed them sometimes to ride his camels, not out of humanity, but because he would have utterly forfeited his reputation as a pious Musulman had he acted otherwise. These two men were excellent company to me: they consoled me under the insults to which I was incessantly exposed, and greatly alleviated the hardships of my lot during this long and toilsome journey; for I should probably have encountered still worse usage but for their presence, which imposed some restraint on my guide and his family. The marabouts had even the kindness to give me drink, when, as it frequently happened, water was refused me. On the 14th at three in the morning, we took our departure, slowly directing our course E. N. E., through numerous plantations of dates; the soil was broken by hills of loose sand.