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THE HEART OF THE DELSERT-OCEAN. 105
encamped, there was an abundance of dry tamarisk and
of kamish, which was in part still green, an indication that
the ground-water was near the surface ; in fact, we found
it at a depth of 44- feet, and it was almost perfectly fresh,
so that here we had almost everything we wanted—water,
fuel and fodder. We kept two huge fires blazing all the
evening in the fierce blast, and they shed a lurid light upon
the crests of the dunes, from which the drift-sand was
raining down in showers over our devoted heads.
As we no longer required to march for dear life, and both
men and animals needed rest after the strenuous toil of
the preceding days, we decided to remain a day beside this
most welcome well, and proceeded to make our camp as
comfortable as circumstances would allow. . Out of the
white felt carpet, on which I usually spread my bed, we
made a makeshift tent, holding it up with branches of
tamarisk ; it afforded at any rate some shelter against the
tempest, which continued to rage all day. On the other
side I had a brazier, which was kept hot ; then, whilst I
lay and read and became gradually smothered with drift-
sand, the men watered the camels, an operation which took
a good long time, for the water only trickled into the bottom
of the well. Meanwhile, the camels stood round in a ring
expectantly waiting. As soon as the bucket was full, it
was hauled up and was emptied in one draught. The
thirsty animals drank not less than nine buckets each ; two
of them even drank eleven, and we could literally see their
sides swelling out as they sucked the water down. This
put new life into them, and they were almost lively as they
turned to and began to tug away at the thin kamish.
The last morning of the 19th century broke quite promi-
sing ; from my sanded-in bed I saw the stars glittering
over our bivouac, round which the tamarisks on their
pedestals of clay appeared like dusky spectres. The camels,
strengthened by the good drink they had had, accomplished
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