458 PASSAGE OF THE KAFILAH. 



little reach before us, and in. getting some informa- 

 tion relative to the general character and course of 

 the river. Its channel is a mere cut, or canal 

 about fifteen feet deep and thirty yards broad, in 

 the alluvial plane which extends some miles on 

 either side. The water itself, at this period of the 

 year, was only from two to three feet in depth ; 

 and in many places, large stones showed their sum- 

 mits above the surface. A fringe of various kinds 

 of trees hung over from the banks on either side, 

 and each extremity of that portion of the river I 

 saw, seemed to be lost among their drooping, dark 

 green foliage. 



The first camel that came up, made a terrible 

 mess of it, for he tumbled down the short, but steep 

 bank, and occasioned such a dust I thought some 

 explosion must have taken place. After this acci- 

 dent we thought it best to get out of the way, and 

 accordingly forded the stream. My mule, who 

 knew where -she was as well as any of us, came 

 cantering up with the first string of camels, and 

 being a thirsty kind of a body was not long in 

 letting herself carefully down the slope. I caught 

 her easily as she stooped her head to drink, and 

 made her carry me across, for as the ford took a 

 long diagonal direction and the bottom abounded 

 with stones, I did not choose to hazard my bare 

 feet among them. The opposite bank was of exactly 

 the same character as the one we had just before 

 left, and my mule having surmounted it by a few 



