The Sand Continued To Fly In
Amazing Quantities For Nearly An Hour, After Which I Again Set
Forward, And Travelled With Difficulty Until Ten O'clock.
About
this time I was agreeably surprised by some very vivid flashes of
lightning, followed by a few heavy drops of rain.
In a little time
the sand ceased to fly, and I alighted and spread out all my clean
clothes to collect the rain, which at length I saw would certainly
fall. For more than an hour it rained plentifully, and I quenched
my thirst by wringing and sucking my clothes.
There being no moon, it was remarkably dark, so that I was obliged
to lead my horse, and direct my way by the compass, which the
lightning enabled me to observe. In this manner I travelled with
tolerable expedition until past midnight, when the lightning
becoming more distant, I was under the necessity of groping along,
to the no small danger of my hands and eyes. About two o'clock my
horse started at something, and looking round, I was not a little
surprised to see a light at a short distance among the trees; and
supposing it to be a town, I groped along the sand in hopes of
finding corn-stalks, cotton, or other appearances of cultivation,
but found none. As I approached I perceived a number of other
lights in different places, and began to suspect that I had fallen
upon a party of Moors. However, in my present situation, I was
resolved to see who they were, if I could do it with safety. I
accordingly led my horse cautiously towards the light, and heard by
the lowing of the cattle and the clamorous tongues of the herdsmen,
that it was a watering-place, and most likely belonged to the Moors.
Delightful as the sound of the human voice was to me, I resolved
once more to strike into the woods, and rather run the risk of
perishing of hunger than trust myself again in their hands; but
being still thirsty, and dreading the approach of the burning day, I
thought it prudent to search for the wells, which I expected to find
at no great distance.
In this purpose I inadvertently approached so near to one of the
tents as to be perceived by a woman, who immediately screamed out.
Two people came running to her assistance from some of the
neighbouring tents, and passed so very near to me that I thought I
was discovered, and hastened again into the woods.
About a mile from this place I heard a loud and confused noise
somewhere to the right of my course, and in a short time was happy
to find it was the croaking of frogs, which was heavenly music to my
ears. I followed the sound, and at daybreak arrived at some shallow
muddy pools, so full of frogs, that it was difficult to discern the
water. The noise they made frightened my horse, and I was obliged
to keep them quiet, by beating the water with a branch, until he had
drunk.
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