320 Contributions to Physical Geography. 



there be reeds stuck in the ground to point out the line of di- 

 rection, the way could not be found, because the wind blows 

 up the sand, and covers the footsteps. 



The morning was delightful on our setting out, and pro- 

 iri^sed us a fine day ; but the light airs from the south soon in- 

 creased to a gale, the sun became obscure, and as every hour 

 brought us into a looser sand, it flew around us in such whirl- 

 winds, with the sudden gusts that blew, that it was impossi- 

 ble to proceed. — We halted, therefore, for an hour, and took 

 shelter under the lee of our beasts, who were themselves so 

 terrified as to need fastening by the knees, and uttered, in 

 their wailings, but a melancholy symphony. 



I know not whether it was the novelty of the situation that 

 gave it additional horrors, or whether the habit of magnifying 

 evils to which we are unaccustomed, had increased its effect ; 

 but certain it is, that fifty gales of wind at sea appeared to me 

 more easy to be encountered than one amongst those sands. 

 It is impossible to imagine desolation more complete ; we could 

 see neither sun, earth, or sky ; the plain at ten paces distance 

 was absolutely imperceptible ; our beasts, as well as ourselves, 

 were so covered as to render breathing difficult ; they hid their 

 faces in the ground, and we could only uncover our own for a 

 moment, to behold this chaos or mid-day darkness, and wait 

 impatiently for its abatement. Alexander's journey to the 

 temple of Jupiter Ammon, and the destruction of the Persian 

 armies of Cambyses in the Lybian Desert, rose to my recollec- 

 tion with new impressions, made by the horror of the scene be- 

 fore me ; while Addison's admirable lines, which I also re- 

 membered with peculiar force on this occasion, seemed to pos- 

 sess as much truth as beauty : — 



Lo ! where our wide Numidian wastes extend, 

 Sudden the impetuous hurricanes descend. 

 Which through the air in circHng eddies play. 

 Tear up the sands, and sweep whole plains away. 

 The helpless traveller, with wild surprise. 

 Sees the dry desert all around him rise : 

 And, smothered in the dusky whirlwind, dies. 



The few hours we remained in this situation were passed in 

 unbroken silence ; every one was occupied with his own re- 



