TRAVELS IN 
of my arrival in the grotto, according to the 
ciiftom of preceding travellers* 
Agreeably to the advice of the fliepherd, I 
fet out at break of day ; and after a very fa- 
tiguing march we perceived towards night, 
from the elevated point on which we then were, 
the Elephants-River winding below us, at the 
diftance of about half a league ; but as I knew 
by experience the danger of defcending moun- 
tains in the night time, I refolved to encamp 
on the eminence, and, notwithftanding the 
extreme fatigue of my cattle, to w^ait for the 
morning, before I fliould proceed to the river. 
On each fide it was bordered with very large 
mimofas, and various kinds of white trees of 
the fpecies of the willow ; but the ground was 
every where fcorched and dry, and the fmalleft 
trace of verdure was not to be perceived even 
under the trees. In vain did I fearch a- 
long the banks in hopes of finding fome lefs 
parched fpot which might afford grafs for my 
cattle: I could not dilcover'a fingle tuft of 
herbage; fo that they w^ere obliged to be fatif- 
fied w^ith a few oily plants, and the leaves of 
fhrubs. 
At a little diftance from the river was a 
houfe 
