382 TRAVELS IN 
When our fires were kindled a part of our 
animals joined us; I was extremely uneafy 
for the reft, but we heard them making a 
noife among the buflies which furrounded us, 
and I concluded that they were fearching for 
food. They however arrived all at the break 
of day, except one pair of oxen, which we 
never afterwards faw : my goat alfo ftrayed, 
and did not return till fome time after in the 
courfe of the day. 
"When I awoke in the morning I was very 
much furprifed to find myfelf in a delightful 
country, which the obfcurity of the night had 
prevented me from obferving. The river was 
not broad, but the abundance and depth of its 
waters difFufed throughout the neighbourhood 
a freflinefs fo much the more agreeable, as 
the heat was exceffive : it runs with a hun- 
dred windings through beautiful green fields, 
and I never faw fo agreeable groves as thofe 
with which its banks are crowned. An infinite 
number of partridges and moor-fowl by their 
cries formed a very ftriking contraft with thofe 
of different kinds of ducks, herons, brown 
fwans, and flamingoes, with which the river 
was covered. All my people with out voice 
having begged me to flop here fome days, 
I rea- 
