With this change they moved on until about five, when they halted, protected a little by three several ranges of irregular hills, some conical, and some table-topped.

As they had but little wood, their fare was confined to tea, and they hoped to find relieve from their fatigues by a sound sleep.

That, however, was denied them; the tent had been imprudently pitched, and was exposed to the east wind, which blew a hurricane during the night: the tent was blown down, and the whole detachment were employed a full hour in getting it up again; their bedding and everything within it was during that time completely buried, by the constant driving of the sand.

Major Denham was obliged three times during the night, to get up for the purpose of strengthening the pegs, and when he awoke in the morning, two hillocks of sand were formed on each side of his head, some inches high.

On the 7th April, they arrived at a village in the midst of a vast multitude of palm trees, just one day's journey short of Mourzouk.