474 JOURNEY IN THE COLONY. [1813. 
before us and sat down among the bushes till the 
waggons should come up, but these not making their 
appearance soon, they fell fast asleep and slept till 
the morning light roused them. Thermometer at 
noon 92. 
Departed at six, P.M. and went over deep sand 
hills. Passed a boor's place at eleven, P.M. We 
went out of the way, but regained it by pushing 
through bushes : the oxen were so fatigued that they 
could proceed no farther, wherefore we halted at mid- 
night on the road. 
17th. In the morning we found ourselves at the side 
of corn fields, and three of our oxen were among the 
corn. We had to pay half a dollar each for what they 
had eaten, and the same sum for each as a fine. Ther- 
mometer at noon 90. In the evening we went forward 
to a fountain, where we halted at midnight. 
18th. Left the fountain at six in the morning and 
reached widow S 's place at eight, where we halted 
for the day, tired of walking in the sand. Thermo- 
meter at noon 92. 
A poor female slave came secretly to the waggons, 
while her mistress slept, to beg a book. She said she 
had privately learned to read, and had a book in loan 
which she must return, and fell on the ground begging 
one. She said she sometimes was able to read a little, 
when unnoticed, in her mistress's bible, which had 
