Veritable thunder
we now heard for the first time in Africa, and a cloud rose with
great rapidity from the horizon. A cloud was a wonder that we had
not enjoyed for months, but as this increased both in size and
density, accompanied by a gust of cool wind, we were led to
expect a still greater wonder--RAIN! Hardly had we halted for the
night, when down it came in torrents, accompanied by a heavy
thunderstorm. On the following morning, we experienced the
disadvantage of rain; the ground was so slippery that the camels
could not march, and we were obliged to defer our start until the
sun had dried the surface.
We had now arrived at the most interesting point to an explorer.
From Cairo to within a few miles south of Gozerajup stretched the
unbroken desert through which we had toiled from Korosko, and
which had so firmly impressed its dreariness upon the mind that
nothing but desert had been expected: we had learned to be
content in a world of hot sand, rocks, and pebbles; but we had
arrived upon the limit; the curious landmark of Gozerajup was an
everlasting beacon that marked the frontier of the Nubian desert;
it was a giant warder, that seemed to guard the living south from
the dreadful skeleton of nature on the north; the desert had
ceased!
It was a curious and happy coincidence that onr arrival upon the
limits of the desert should have been celebrated by the first
shower of rain: we no longer travelled upon sand and stones, but
we stood upon a fertile loam, rendered soapy and adhesive by the
recent shower.
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