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. 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.
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. The same dismal uniformity of
shrubs and sand every where presented itself, and the horizon was as
level and uninterrupted as that of the sea.
Descending from the tree, I found my horse devouring the stubble and
brushwood with great avidity; and as I was now too faint to attempt
walking, and my horse too much fatigued to carry me, I thought it but an
act of humanity, and perhaps the last I should ever have it in my power
to perform, to take off his bridle and let him shift for himself; in
doing which I was suddenly affected with sickness and giddiness; and
falling upon the sand, felt as if the hour of death was fast approaching.
"Here, then, (thought I,) after a short but ineffectual struggle,
terminate all my hopes of being useful in my day and generation; here
must the short span of my life come to an end." I cast (as I believed) a
last look on the surrounding scene, and whilst I reflected on the awful
change that was about to take place, this world with its enjoyments
seemed to vanish from my recollection. Nature, however, at length resumed
its functions; and on recovering my senses, I found myself stretched upon
the sand, with the bridle still in my hand, and the sun just sinking
behind the trees. I now summoned all my resolution, and determined to
make another effort to prolong my existence. And as the evening was
somewhat cool, I resolved to travel as far as my limbs would carry me, in
hopes of reaching (my only resource) a watering-place. With this view, I
put the bridle on my horse, and driving him before me, went slowly along
for about an hour, when I perceived some lightning from the north-east, a
most delightful sight; for it promised rain. The darkness and lighting
increased very rapidly; and in less than an hour I heard the wind roaring
among the bushes. I had already opened my mouth to receive the refreshing
drops which I expected; but I was instantly covered with a cloud of sand,
driven with such force by the wind, as to give a very disagreeable
sensation to my face and arms; and I was obliged to mount my horse, and
stop under a bush, to prevent being suffocated. The sand continued to fly
in amazing quantities for near 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.
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