:^.^6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



water was almoft exhauftecl, and what remainpd bad an in^. 

 tol'.rable ftench. However, flocks of Guinea fowls, partrid- 

 ges, and every fort of bird, had crowded thither to drink, 

 from the fcarciry of water elfewhere. I believe, 1 may cer- 

 tainly fay, the number amounted to many thoufands. My 

 Arabs loaded themfelves in a very httle while, killing thera 

 with flicks and Hones ; but they were perfedly ufelefs, 

 being reduced to fkeletons by hunger and thirft. For this 

 rcafon, as well as that I mightJiot alarm any ftrolling banditti 

 within hearing, I did not fulFer a fliot to be fired at them. 



At eight we came to Eradeeba, where is neither village 

 nor water, but only a refting-place about half a mile fquare, 

 which has been cleared from wood, that travellers, who 

 pafs to and from Atbara, might have a fecure fpot whence 

 they could fee around them, and guard themfelves from 

 being attacked unav/ares hy the banditti fometimes reforc- 

 ingto thofe deferts. 



At a quarter paft eleven we arrived at Quaicha, a bed of 

 a torrent where there was now no water; but the wood 

 feemed growing ftill thicker, and to be full of wild bealfs, 

 efpeciaily lions and hycenas. Thefe do not fly froin man, 

 as thofe did that we had -hitherto fecn, but came boldly up, 

 efpeciaily the hyaena, with a refolution to attack us. Upon 

 our firfl lighting a fire they left us for a time ; but towards 

 morning they came in greate'r numbers, than before; a lion 

 carried away one of our afTes from among tlie other beafts of 

 burden, and a hyama attacked one of the men, tore his cloth 

 from lis middle, and wounded him in his back. As we 

 >nowexpe6lcd to be inftantly devoured, the prefent fear over- 

 came the reiolutions we had made, not to ufe our fire arms, 



.a unlcfs 



