SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 115 



took us across its dry bed, which shortened 

 the journey above a league. This passage 

 brought forcibly to my recollection the ac- 

 counts of journeying over Arabian deserts, 

 excepting that on one side our prospect ter- 

 minated in vegetation, and that on all sides we 

 were surrounded by mountains. It was a level 

 sand, without a blade of grass, or any other 

 vegetable matter, so burnt up and yielding, 

 that our horses could only, and with difficulty, 

 travel at a walking pace. There was not a 

 living object near us, excepting that now and 

 then a group of Indians chanced to cross our 

 path, which still kept up the resemblance to 

 Arabia, as they were not unlike the petty 

 caravans. We arrived at a village, and ob- 

 served the first commencement of verdure, 

 and a few miles farther, through sandy, 

 parched fields, brought us again into a good 

 road ; so that, after a pleasant ride over a 

 country not very fertile, we reached the 



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