camel carrying the baggage. At this the beast took fright, wheeled round and stampeded down to the crevice, dragging the two others with it. Ismaʻîn’s camel broke its tether and likewise fled down from the spur. The frightened animals did not come to a halt in the ravine but fled back to the rocky wall on which we had climbed so laboriously through the gap, and did not stop until they reached the very edge of the precipice. My European companions, Rifʻat and Tûmân, held three camels fastened on the spur, while the natives uttered lamentations and curses, exclaiming that they would not move a finger. Paying no heed to them, I ran out on to the spur, unfastened my camel, and brought it down into the crevice again. The guide followed me. Having overtaken the fugitive animals, we chased them back to the path, where we let them rest for a few minutes. In the meanwhile, Tûmân and Rifʻat, having first of all tied up the remaining two camels also by their right forefeet, had collected the scattered baggage and carried it up to the spur. The natives, who were now ashamed, gave aid, so that all our baggage was carried up before long. At last I persuaded my camel to jump up to the steps again. The second one jumped up behind it and followed me as far as the spur. When it had been safely secured there, I returned to the ravine with my camel, to lead up the second and third animals. As I was starting back for the fourth one, my animal began to offer resistance. Jumping out on all fours it lost its balance, rolled over, and began to slip down the rocky slope, dragging me with it. Leaping sliding, we both reached the crevice. The animal was lacerated, my hands and feet were bleeding, and I felt a severe pain in the upper part of my chest, for while falling I had knocked myself against a sharp stone. But I did not lose the camel and finally succeeded in bringing the last animal up to the spur.
TO AN-NAʻEMI
Having secured the luggage, we rode on and at four o’clock reached the summit. We had now completed the worst part of the journey. From four to 4.48 men and animals rested (temperature: 36.5° C). Then, having refreshed ourselves with strong coffee, we set out again. Toward the west we saw the high, black walls of the as-Sîḳ range; to the east were the broken rocks of Ornub; to the southeast there yawned
