440 T Pv A V E L S I N 
huy fen ; tliough I expefled with tins old man, 
governed as he vv^as by his wife, no better fuc- 
cefs than I had found with his brother-in-law. 
His lioufe was at the diftance only of two 
leagues and a half; but 1 had fcarcely advanced 
four hundred paces., when^ going down a- de- 
icent, one of my new oxen, overpowered by 
the weight of the waggon, fell down. 
I had no reafon to be furprifed at this acci- 
dent : it had many times happened, and was 
what every perfon muft expe£l vAm travels 
in countries where there are no roads. On 
thefe occafions it is ufual for the drivers to 
flop the fore-wheel, to prevent the animal from 
being croilied by it : but here they had not 
time ; accordingly it went over the ox, and 
broke his thigh. 
This misfortune being without remedy, I 
ordered the animal to be unyoked, and, leaving 
him on the fpot, had one of my old ones fub- 
ftituted in his place. The other, however, 
miffing his comrade, and feeing a ftranger at 
bis fide, refufed to draw v/ith him. All pof- 
fible means were tried to overcome his repug- 
nance, but to no purpofe. Airtr confiderable 
trouble and much Ipfs of time, v/e were forced 
to 
