In the Heart of Africa | Page 6

sides but one by precipitous cliffs about
three hundred feet high. The bottom is a dead flat, and forms a valley of
sand about two hundred and fifty yards wide. In this bosom of a crater,
salt and bitter water is found at a depth of only six feet from the surface.
To this our tired camels frantically rushed upon being unloaded.
The valley was a "valley of dry bones." Innumerable skeletons of

camels lay in all directions-the ships of the desert thus stranded on their
voyage. Withered heaps of parched skin and bone lay here and there, in
the distinct forms in which the camels had gasped their last. The dry
desert air had converted the hide into a coffin. There were no flies here,
thus there were no worms to devour the carcasses ; but the usual
sextons were the crows, although sometimes too few to perform their
office. These were perched upon the overhanging cliffs ; but no sooner
had our overworked camels taken their long draught and lain down
exhausted on the sand, than by common consent they descended from
their high places and walked round and round each tired beast.
As many wretched animals simply crawl to this spot to die, the crows,
from long experience and constant practice, can form a pretty correct
diagnosis upon the case of a sick camel. They had evidently paid a
professional visit to my caravan, and were especially attentive in
studying the case of one particular camel that was in a very weakly
condition and had stretched itself full length upon the sand; nor would
they leave it until it was driven forward.
Many years ago, when the Egyptian troops first conquered Nubia, a
regiment was destroyed by thirst in crossing this desert. The men, being
upon a limited allowance of water, suffered from extreme thirst, and
deceived by the appearance of a mirage that exactly resembled a
beautiful lake, they insisted on being taken to its banks by the Arab
guide. It was in vain that the guide assured them that the lake was
unreal, and he refused to lose the precious time by wandering from his
course. Words led to blows, and he was killed by the soldiers, whose
lives depended upon his guidance. The whole regiment turned from the
track and rushed toward the welcome waters. Thirsty and faint, over the
burning sands they hurried; heavier and heavier their footsteps became;
hotter and hotter their breath, as deeper they pushed into the desert,
farther and farther from the lost track where the pilot lay in his blood;
and still the mocking spirits of the desert, the afreets of the mirage, led
them on, and the hike glistening in the sunshine tempted them to bathe
in its cool waters, close to their eyes, but never at their lips. At length
the delusion vanished--the fatal lake had turned to burning sand!
Raging thirst and horrible despair! the pathless desert and the murdered

guide! lost! lost! all lost! Not a man ever left the desert, but they were
subsequently discovered, parched and withered corpses, by the Arabs
sent upon the search.
During our march the simoom was fearful, and the heat so intense that
it was impossible to draw the guncases out of their leather covers,
which it was necessary to cut open. All woodwork was warped; ivory
knife-handles were split; paper broke when crunched in the hand, and
the very marrow seemed to he dried out of the bones. The extreme
dryness of the air induced an extraordinary amount of electricity in the
hair and in all woollen materials. A Scotch plaid laid upon a blanket for
a few hours adhered to it, and upon being withdrawn at night a sheet of
flame was produced, accompanied by tolerably loud reports.
We reached Berber on May 31st, and spent a week in resting after our
formidable desert march of fifteen days. From the slight experience I
had gained in the journey, I felt convinced that success in my Nile
expedition would be impossible without a knowledge of Arabic. My
dragoman had me completely in his power, and I resolved to become
independent of all interpreters as soon as possible. I therefore arranged
a plan of exploration for the first year, to embrace the affluents to the
Nile from the Abyssinian range of mountains, intending to follow up
the Atbara River from its junction with the Nile in latitude 17 deg. 37
min. (twenty miles south of Berber), and to examine all the Nile
tributaries from the southeast as far as the Blue Nile, which river I
hoped ultimately to descend to Khartoum. I imagined that twelve
months would be sufficient to complete such an exploration, by which
time I should have gained a sufficient knowledge of the Arabic to
render