PARK S FIRST JOURNEY. 87 



Bttid that its direction was always to the place where his 

 mother d^yelt ; whereupon Ali, struck with superstitious 

 dread, desired it to be taken away. 



Amid these insults, Park's sufferings were the more se- 

 vere from the very scanty measure of food with which he 

 was supplied. At midnight only he received a small mess 

 of kouskous, not nearly enough to satisfy nature. He had 

 been invited, indeed, to kill and dress his companion the 

 hog ; but this he considered as a snare laid for him, believ- 

 ing that the Mohammedans, had they seen him feasting on 

 this unpure and hated flesh, would have killed him on the 

 spot. As the dry season advanced, water became scarce 

 and precious, and only a very limited quantity was allowed 

 to reach the infidel, who thus endured the pangs of the most 

 tormenting thirst. On one occasion, a Moor who was 

 drawing water for his cows, yielded to his earnest entreaty 

 that he might put the bucket to his mouth ; then, struck 

 with sudden alarm at such a profanation of the vessel, seized 

 it, and poured the liquid into the trough, desiring him to 

 share with the cattle. Park overcame the risings of pride, 

 plunged his head into the water, and enjoyed a delicious 

 draught. 



During this dreadful period he contrived, nevertheless, 

 to obtain some information. Even the rudest of his tor- 

 mentors took pleasure in teaching him the Arabic charac- 

 ters, by tracing them upon the sand. Two Mohammedan 

 travellers came to Benowm, from whom he obtained routes 

 to Morocco, Walet, and Timbuctoo ; but they gave the most 

 discouraging report as to the prospects of reaching the 

 latter city. He was told it would not do ; the Moors were 

 there entirely masters, and viewed all Christians as chil- 

 dren of the Devil and enemies of the prophet. 



Fatima, the wife of Ali, whose curiosity to see a Chris- 

 tian he had been brought hither to gratify, was absent all 

 this time and not like to arrive, while the rancour of the 

 Moors, by whom Park was surrounded, became always 

 more imbittered. A party even proposed that he should be 

 condemned to death, though Ali's sons only recommended 

 to put out his eyes, alleging that they resembled those of a 

 cat. Hereupon he began seriously to consider the possibi- 

 lity of escape ; but besides his being closely watched, the 

 Desert was now so entirely destitute of water, that he must 



