192 - TRAVELS IN 
prefent circumftances, was to proceed to a dii- 
tria lefs parched ; and having on this point 
interrogated my Houzouanas, they affiired me, 
that, by following the chain of mountains, we 
could not fail to find both water and paftu- 
rage. 
There v/as no longer occafion to hefitate. 
I gave orders, therefore, to face about ; and 
we diredled our courfe along the edge of the 
mountains that bounded us on the eaft. But 
the road we had to travel was fo covered with 
ftones and interfeded by ravines, that we fpent 
the whole day in advancing fix leagues,, and 
without fo much as once halting, notwith- 
ftanding the infupportable heat of a fcorching 
fun, as we could find neither water nor fhelter 
by the way. 
I met with nothing remarkable during this 
day's journey, except the neft of an oftricb, 
in w;hich was the female hatching her young. 
Three eggs, depofited on the bare ground, lay 
before her ; and fhe was fitting upon nine 
others, the young in which were in fo advan- 
ced a ftate as to be ready to burft the fhelh 
The feparation of the eggs in this manner 
into two parcels, near to, but diftant from 
each 
