Page:The Burton Holmes lectures; (IA burtonholmeslect04holm).pdf/178

 VIEUX BISKRA

Beyond us lie regions about which our conceptions are most vague. If we ask whence come these caravans and whence the hardy native soldiers, the answer is, "From Wargla" or, "From Touggourt." Looking in an atlas we may find such names printed far down on the map of Africa, where the yellow ink tells of the presence of the Great Sahara. Wargla and Touggourt are the most important oases yet occupied by France in the extreme south, and the tales we hear of those far-off desert-cities inflame us with an irresistible desire to visit at least one of them. We make inquiries as to the facilities for travel in the desert—the distance to Touggourt, the roads, the means of transport, and