Nothing Appeared All
Around But Thick Underwood And Hillocks Of White Sand.
About four o'clock I came suddenly upon a large herd of goats, and
pulling my horse into a bush, I watched to observe if the keepers
were Moors or negroes.
In a little time I perceived two Moorish
boys, and with some difficulty persuaded them to approach me. They
informed me that the herd belonged to Ali, and that they were going
to Deena, where the water was more plentiful, and where they
intended to stay until the rain had filled the pools in the desert.
They showed me their empty water-skins, and told me that they had
seen no water in the woods. This account afforded me but little
consolation; however, it was in vain to repine, and I pushed on as
fast as possible, in hopes of reaching some watering-place in the
course of the night. My thirst was by this time become
insufferable; my mouth was parched and inflamed; a sudden dimness
would frequently come over my eyes, with other symptoms of fainting;
and my horse being very much fatigued, I began seriously to
apprehend that I should perish of thirst. To relieve the burning
pain in my mouth and throat I chewed the leaves of different shrubs,
but found them all bitter, and of no service to me.
A little before sunset, having reached the top of a gentle rising, I
climbed a high tree, from the topmost branches of which I cast a
melancholy look over the barren wilderness, but without discovering
the most distant trace of a human dwelling.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 144 of 167
Words from 39499 to 39767
of 45803
