- During this day's course we repeatedly attempted to gain the
situation where we supposed the river to take its
Course, but were
always disappointed; immense swamps constantly barred our attempts to
travel northerly; these swamps were now covered with several feet of
water, which, from the marks of dwarf trees growing in them, is
sometimes three or four feet deeper. The same dead level of country
still prevailed; and the sandy deserts of Arabia could not boast a
clearer horizon, the low acacia bushes not in any degree interrupting
the view. It was remarkable that there was always water where the dwarf
box-trees grew; we might therefore be said to coast along from woody
point to point, since all attempts to pass through them were uniformly
defeated. The soil the same as yesterday, and most unpleasant to travel
over, from the circular pools or hollows, which covered the whole plain,
and which seem to be formed by whirlpools of water, having a deep hole
in the bottom, through which the water appeared to have gradually
drained off. It is clear that the entire country is at times inundated,
and that as every thing now bears the appearance of long-continued
drought, the swamps and stagnant waters are the residuum.
In the whole we proceeded upwards of fourteen miles, and stopped for the
night upon the edge of one of the swamps, which are now the only places
that afford any timber for firing. Some traces of natives were seen
today, about three or four days old; they appeared to have been a single
family of four or five persons.
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