94 



found in the human character, and what a deviation from the 

 general system does the conduct of these people exhibit! 



" Our depths who fathoms, or our shallows finds, 



" Quick whirls, and shifting eddies of our minds ? 



" On human actions, reason though you can, 



" It may be Reason, but it is not Man ; 



" 'Tis education forms the common mind, 



" Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined." 



Pope. 



The Neriad assessment being at length collected, on the 

 14th of May we left that ill-fated city, and marched towards the 

 river Myhi. During our progress the enemy's advanced cavalry 

 burnt every village on the road, destroyed the forage, and as far 

 as possible exhausted the tanks and wells; their whole army 

 came twice unexpectedly upon us, but were repulsed with loss. 

 It was sometimes reported that they poisoned the wells and tanks, 

 as well as burnt the villages and corn-ricks: the latter we daily wit- 

 nessed, but I do not recollect an instance of the former more than 

 once, and then it appeared doubtful. To our numerous army and 

 camp-followers that step would have been of little consequence, 

 unless they could have produced deleterious effects on an exten- 

 sive lake; since, as already observed, nothing less could satisfy 

 us for more than one night; brooks at this late season were 

 dried up, and we never allowed them time to alter the course of 

 a river, as is sometimes practised. Hezekiah, on the approach 

 of the Assyrian army to Jerusalem, took counsel with his princes 

 and mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were 



