And the caravan moves on, untouched, it seems, by fatigue, thirst and sandy winds. Never does the leader lose his way, of which he knows every dune, every bend. But sometimes, consumed by his too great efforts, a camel falls as if struck by lightning. It will not rise again. Often, not only must the animal be abandoned, but also its burden left behind if no replacement camels follow the train. And all along the track, white skeletons, slowly buried by the sand, mark the harsh ordeal of the peaceful "desert ships". - Ténéré - Niger - 1966
