84 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



limity and grandeur no one can fail, but to deny 

 being impressed with our utter insignificance and 

 the power of the great Creator is impossible. 



I have known persons who boasted of their 

 atheism, their contempt of danger, and their disre- 

 gard of death become blanched in the face in one 

 of these storms which I have attempted to describe, 

 from their knowledge of their proximity to destruc- 

 tion, and their whole nervous system disorganized 

 from fear. 



The horses had scarcely moved from where they 

 had been left ; the bullocks, drenched, remained 

 where they had lain down, unwearyingly chewing 

 their cud, while many of the dogs came forth from 

 underneath the waggons and bow-wowed a welcome 

 on our return to them. All were happy now, unless 

 guzzling, over-fed cookey, who never ceased lament- 

 ing that he had not been warned of the danger he 

 had run of being blown to atoms, by seeking shelter 

 under the waggons. Some men would have rejoiced 

 at their escape from such imminent danger ; not so 

 with this fat porpoise, he ever had or made a 

 grievance, and nursed the poor thing till it was 

 threadbare or worn out. 



