the battle with the desert must be urged, and morning after morning every man toils with his shovel to throw up the sand which the last few hours have rained in upon his plot. Even their precaution of striking in rows of djereeds on the top and sides of all the embankments, in varying lines, to intercept the drift, would, of itself, be ineffectual. A few days' neglect, and the labour of years would be hopelessly buried in the desert

waste.

So barren is the sand-ocean round that not a serpent, not a lizard, can find sustenance. The scorpion is the only known poisonous creature, while beyond the gardens the roaming jackal, who doubtless depends chiefly on the offal of Souf for existence, and the little omnivorous fennek (Megalotis brucii, Cuv.; Fenneccus brucii, Desm.), not larger than a cat, are the only quadrupeds. Of birds there are many in the gardens; but if I caught a glimpse of one, and descended into the pit after him, a flight of a few yards left me behind, with a toilsome ascent in the dazzling glare and another descent to be made with like ill-success. Besides, I was followed by troops of curious boys and men, though I engaged two retainers with long sticks to beat them off. On looking up from a palm-pit the whole encircling ridge was a line of burnoused figures, shouting and scaring every bird by their yells of wonder at the European monster, and thus I had to give up the chase in despair.

The women within doors are not less industrious with their looms than their husbands outside with their spades; and the spindle and distaff hummed in every cottage from dawn till long after sunset. Yet saints are scarce, as two marabouts complete, with the simple mosque and the kasbah, all the public buildings.

I was soon compelled to desist from all attempts to lionize, as ophthalmia rendered the light intolerable, and I was glad to repose in a dark corner for the afternoon, and during the whole of the next day, when we enjoyed certainly a peaceful though a lonely Sunday, keeping my eyes constantly bathed in solution of sulphate of zinc-a specific which almost magically reduced the inflammation. With sulphate of zinc, quinine, and opium cum cretâ, the African traveller's medicine-chest is complete, unless indeed he desires to add a bottle of croton oil for the satisfaction of the many patients who crowd round a western hakeem.

CHAPTER XIX.

The warrior Sheik of Souf-A desert foray-Tunis and France Commercial politics of the Sahara - Reports of Roman cities in the interior- The prison of Souf - The wild ass of the Sahara Arrival of a horseman from G'hadames - Capitaine Bonnemain Trade Dates- Fabrics - Caravans-Wonderful powers of sight - The Arabs of Souf - Our departure - Taïbeit - A nocturnal intruder-Return to Tuggurt-Evening ride - Camp and villages ---Palm-trees by moonlight-A military mass - A warrior's sermon in a mosqueTact of General Desvaux - Dinner with the Commandant - The fennek or desert fox.

WE had remained three days at El Oued when we received an evening visit from another magnate, the military Sheik of Souf, a fine bronzed-looking warrior, with noble Arab type of feature, and a lustrous black but most good-humoured eye. A scarlet cloth burnous worn under his white one, and thrown back on his left shoulder, marked his rank. Souf combines hereditary with elective dignities. An hereditary khalifat presides as ædile at home; an elective sheik heads the

army in war. He apologized for not having come sooner, but had only this afternoon returned from an expedition against the people of Nefta, two days' journey further on, within the Tunisian territory.

Last week the Nefta folk made a foray on the Souafa camels, which have to go one or two days' journey for pasture, and drove off several herds. All the available horsemen of Souf started in pursuit, and have to-day returned from their bootless errand. The marauders had got the camels safe within the walls of Nefta, where the Souafa cavalry could not attack; so after

reconnoitring their foes out of gunshot they have returned, and can only determine to send a complaint to the French general, who will report to the governor of Constantine, who will communicate with the minister at Tunis, who will make a statement to the Minister of the Interior, who will regret the disorganized state of the Djereed, but will promise redress, which promise in two years may be reported at Souf, unless political motives should induce the French to seize a very reasonable opportunity for visiting Nefta.

This sheik was the man who a year ago brought the submission of Souf to the governor-general at Algiers. It was not a matter of compulsion nor of warfare, but, as he himself tells us, a piece of very good policy. Souf, being weak and comparatively rich, with little assistance from Tuggurt, on which it nominally depended, was exposed to constant forays from Touareg and nomad Bedouin alike. Tunis, to which, geographically and from commercial relations, it should belong, the inhabitants know to be too weak and distant to render any effectual protection, and they naturally turned to France, who has thus extended her suzerainty behind Tunis to the south; and we are now sitting within six days' journey of the Gulf of Cabes and the Tripolitan frontier. The present is the first overt act of hostility since the Souafa joined the French, and the sheik hopes that the tricolor may seize the excuse to plant itself still further. It is, he declares, the wish of most of the oases of the Tunisian Djereed to come under the better and more puissant sway of France, whose taxation, though heavy, is not capricious, and who would ensure protection to their trade. The whole of the nomad Arabs, on the contrary, are bitterly hostile to the Gaul, and could

never be subdued without a reckless expenditure of life and treasure in the desert. Certainly the generals who know the Sahara best are decidedly opposed to any forcible extension of the frontier in this direction: for the present, at least, they are ready to admit a "natural frontier" here.

Finding that I was well acquainted with M. Berbrugger, our only tourist predecessor in these parts, the sheik became most cordial. M. Berbrugger had stayed with him in disguise some thirteen years ago, and he had been his escort from Tunis. He kindly and promptly offered me, if I could only obtain for him a letter of authorization from Marshal Randon, to accompany me by land to Tunis, guaranteeing my security, as he was acquainted with all the petty sheiks of the interior. He moreover promised to introduce me to many Roman cities, barely ruined, and full of "hadjera mactouba" (inscribed stones), but as yet untrodden by any European. Such an offer and such a guide are well worth the acceptance of any enterprising antiquarian who is sufficiently master of Arabic to dispense with an interpreter.

This evening we changed our quarters. Our considerate host, without mentioning the subject to us, had our baggage and furniture removed into an inner court, where in a long narrow chamber we could enjoy complete privacy, as none but the retainers of the privileged few might enter this square at all. In the centre was a deep well of delicious water, where his wives were perpetually drawing for the horses and goats. Round it were various chambers, all doorless and windowless, excepting two. One of these two, occupying one side, we perceived to be the harem. Another, with a grated window and locked door, served as the prison. In it were five