Sheikh Ahmed was a splendid man, still young,
but tall and well grown, with peculiarly active
limbs of shining black-brown hue, an expressive
countenance, a piercing, but gentle and slyly-glancing
eye, and an incomparably beautiful and harmonious
pronunciation, so that I liked much to have him
about me, although we were always in a contention
at Korusko, as he was obliged to furnish the camels
and their concomitants, and through circumstances,
could not or would not, procure them. Of his



DESERT MARCH. 139

activity and elasticity of limb he gave us a specimen
in the desert, by taking a tremendous run on the
sandy and most unfavourable soil, and leaping four-
teen feet and a half; I measured it "with his lance,
"Which was somevrhat more than two metres in
length. Ad^r only, our under guide, dared to try
his powers after him, at my suggestion, but did not
reach the same distance by far.
