So Thick Was The Forest That We
Could Hardly Turn Our Horses, Nor Could The Sun's Rays Penetrate To The
Sandy Desert On Which These Trees Grew.
Without the usual appearances of
a bog, our horses were in an instant up to their bellies, and the
difficulties we had in extricating them would hardly obtain belief.
In
this dilemma, scarcely able to see which way to turn, we traversed the
margin of this extensive quicksand for nearly three miles in a direction
contrary to our course, before we could find firm ground or water for
the horses, which we did not effect till sunset; and then (as for the
last three days) there was nothing for them to eat but prickly grass,
which possesses no nourishing qualities. This fare, after their hard
labour, reduces them daily.
August 19. - After wandering about the whole day without gaining any
thing on our course, for the quicksands kept us revolving as it were in
a circle, the exhaustion of the horses obliged us to stop. It was
painful to behold them, after being disencumbered of their loads, lay
themselves down like dogs about us: it was the fourth day that they had
been without grass, and they preferred the tender branches of shrubs,
etc., to the prickly grass. The backs of the greater part of them were,
notwithstanding every care, dreadfully galled, so that they could, when
first saddled, scarcely stand under their burdens. These quicksands lie
in the hollows between the low irregular hills, which rise on this
otherwise level country:
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