'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎202] (237/360)

202 THROUGH PERSIA ON A SIDE-SADDLE
On this occasion we were merely crossing the fringe of
the Sahara, but nevertheless my mind had been so stored
with reminiscences of Eastern travel that I was con
siderably surprised to find this portion of the desert at
all events not unlike many other parts of Persia, and, owing
to the recent heavy rainfall, there was a fair amount of
water to be had.
Despite all this, however, our elaborate preparations
were by no means in vain. There was, it is true, water
at most of our halting-places, but of such indifferent
quality, being bitter, brackish or foul, as to be quite un-
drinkable, and when I add that we saw no inhabitants, and
no flocks or herds in this desolate region, it was just as
well that we had laid in supplies of food and forage before
hand. Four horsemen were attached to our party at Regan
to act as guides, a necessary precaution, as the tracks were
by no means clearly defined, the traffic evidently being
small.
We started off on our first march about six o'clock on
a windy morning, the golden full moon sinking slowly in
the purple sky, across which the 'dappled dawn' was
stealing. Masses of clouds low down on the east lay like
couches of rosy foam from which the sun sprang into the
turquoise heavens, a great eye of light, rousing the world to
a fresh day of existence, and reminding us of Omar Khay
yam's lines,—
" Awake, for morning in the bowl of night
Has flung the stone that put the stars to flight."
Our tents had been pitched among sandhills bound
together with the coarsest of grass ; but we soon entered
upon a dreary region, the ground strewn with grey, black.