2iz TRAVELS IN 
minate and fpring up from the earth* This 
grafs is not perennial : every year it dries even 
to the root, and is re-produced by f^ed ; but it 
has fo little hold of the ground, that oxen, in 
feeding on it, pull up the v^rhole plant ; and 
even the vvind is fufficient to tear it up by the 
roots, and carry it away. 
That my cattle might have the advantage 
of this little frefli grafs on their road, I made 
them travel abreaft,wherever the ground would 
permit. In this way, they could all feed alike 
at the fame time, which they could not have 
done if they had followed one another. Some- 
times they occupied a fpace of half a league 
from one extremity of the line to the other ; 
and w^e drew nearer together only when the 
proximity of the mountains rendered it ne^^ 
ceflary. 
In countries where grafs is fo thin, this me- 
thod has great advantages. Befides, by ena- 
bling us to cover a greater extent of ground, we 
were more likely to meet with fprings, which 
otherwife we might have fought in vain. It 
was thus that, on the iSrft day about noon, after 
travelling five hours, we difcovered a warm 
fpiring. Here I halted to reft our oxen, and 
9 in 
