Me back to the
land of thieves and murderers, from which I had just escaped.
I soon became sensible, however, that my situation was very deplorable;
for I had no means of procuring food, nor prospect of finding water.
About ten o'clock, perceiving a herd of goats feeding close to the road,
I took a circuitous route to avoid being seen; and continued travelling
through the wilderness, directing my course, by compass, nearly
east-south-east, in order to reach, as soon as possible, some town or
village of the kingdom of Bambarra.
A little after noon, when the burning heat of the sun was reflected with
double violence from the hot sand, and the distant ridges of the hills,
seen through the ascending vapour, seemed to wave and fluctuate like the
unsettled sea, I became faint with thirst, and climbed a tree in hopes of
seeing distant smoke, or some other appearance of a human habitation; but
in vain, 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.
