Wonders of the tropics; or, Explorations and adventures of Henry M Stanley and other world-renowned travelers, including Livingstone, Baker, Cameron, Speke, Emin Pasha, Du Chaillu, Andersson, etc., etc .. . se times the clouds that have drifted up from the distant IndianOcean may be seen pitching their black tents about the summits of themountain ridges that divide the Nile Valley from the Red Sea. Thenomad Arab tribes, the only inhabitants of these thirsty hills, watch themwith breathless hope. A north wind may blow during the night anddrift them back whence they came. More likely they burst
Wonders of the tropics; or, Explorations and adventures of Henry M Stanley and other world-renowned travelers, including Livingstone, Baker, Cameron, Speke, Emin Pasha, Du Chaillu, Andersson, etc., etc .. . se times the clouds that have drifted up from the distant IndianOcean may be seen pitching their black tents about the summits of themountain ridges that divide the Nile Valley from the Red Sea. Thenomad Arab tribes, the only inhabitants of these thirsty hills, watch themwith breathless hope. A north wind may blow during the night anddrift them back whence they came. More likely they burst in thunder-storm—the whole of the storms of a season compressed into one furiousonslaught of lightning and rain. The dry water-courses of yesterdayare roaring torrents by morning, bearing down to the Nile a tribute ofwater for one day in the year at least. For one day also, or perhaps for some weeks, the earth and air areswept of their impurities, and the face of the desert begins to look freshand verdant, as grass and plants spring up rapidly on every hand; butthen again the drought and the heat return, and nature withers morerapidly than it sprang to life. There are spots, however, well known to. <442) THE FAMOUS VALLEY OF THE NILE. 443 •the Arab shepherd and camel-driver, where there are running water and^reen turf all the year round, or where, sheltered perhaps by the nakedrocks of some deep ravine, a little oasis of palm and tamarisk trees is tobe found. These are the halting-places on the march—the stepping-stones by means of which alone this howling wilderness may be the wells fail, or are poisoned, or a predatory band occupiesthe springs; and then the unfortunate traveller has to face the peril ofdeath from thirst or exhaustion as the fainting caravan is hurried forwardto the next halting-place. In any case he is fervently thankful when theshining waters of the Nile come again into sight at Abu Hammed, andthis doleful stage of his desert wande
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