_13th._--Saturday.[5] The morning is advancing and the Tuaricks are not yet moving. These Azgher are sad lazy dogs. It appears they have changed their minds, and we are all to go the long and easy way. The sun is rising in haze with a little wind. The heavens now are frequently concealed by vapour. Yesterday we had clouds in abundance, often shrouding the sun--a wonder for the desert in this season!
[5] The 12th is missed, and Dr. Richardson notes in his journal that the date is to be rectified backwards; but he does not say where the rectification is to begin--ED.
We started rather late, about seven A.M., but made a long day, continuing till sunset, or twelve hours. Our course was north-north-west for three or four hours, on the plain towards Serdalous, and then entered the pass of Abulaghlagh; which, though represented as plain and smooth as the hand by Hateetah, was sufficiently difficult and rocky for the boat-laden camels. The beginning of the pass was remarkable for a number of curiously-formed sandstone rocks, several of them swinging or resting on a small base like a pivot, and others cleft asunder, as straightly and clearly as if cut by a knife. Our course along the pass was west, but when well through it we turned round southwards towards Ghât.
Immediately on clearing the pass we saw the celebrated Kasar Janoon, or Palace of the Demons; of and concerning which the people had been talking all day: we had then the range of hills or mountains to our left, and some sand-hills on our right. Dr. Overweg at once discovered we were in a new region, or zone. The mountains on the left are composed of slate-marl, and not sandstone, as before stated by myself and Dr. Oudney. Overweg considers them of a very peculiar character and is delighted with their castle-like and battlemented shapes. But we shall have much to say of these marl-slate mountains, coloured so beautifully, and looking nobly to the eye.
Before entering the pass of Abulaghlagh, Hateetah hid some of his wheat under the rocks to lighten his camels. I joked him, and told him I knew his hiding-place, and would return and fetch the wheat. All over these hills things are hidden, and often money, which is sometimes lost for ever, the owner dying without pointing out his hiding-place. There was no herbage for camels to-night, but we had brought a little hasheesh with us. A strong wind set in towards evening and continued nearly all night, preventing us from sleeping. We were much exhausted by our day's march, and so were all our animals; they suffer much from these long stretches. We gave them dates, as we give horses corn.