THE AUTHOR BEGS WATER. 113 
whether I had paid or not, for as I afterwards found it was 
the custom to do so, and I saw the Moors set off from all parts 
of the caravan for the same purpose. 
My thirst was so intense that I determined, in order to 
appease it, to go into the neighbouring tents, and see if I 
could obtain a few drops of water out of charity. With my 
rosary in my hand, I went from tent to tent, to beg a little 
water for the love of God;" I did not find many charitable 
souls, but it was not a favourable moment for the experi- 
ment, for we were all suffering alike. My useless fatigue, 
and the impatience it occasioned, augmented my torments, 
and when I got back to my tent, I fell on the ground sense- 
less. The Moors who are themselves the most importunate 
beggars in the world, do not like to be asked for any thing. 
Sidi-Aly told me that 1 ought not to ask other people for 
water, that it was troublesome ; I feund out also that he 
boasted amongst his friends of the kindness he showed me, 
and said that he was grieved at the privation I endured. A 
lying hypocrite ! he took no better care of me for that. Many 
of the Moors thought that he had brought me with him out 
of pure compassion, and, far from undeceiving them, he took 
care to confirm them in this error; but when they questioned 
me on the subject, 1 told them the state of the case, and 
they then assured me that I had paid too much to my guide. 
I knew that full well ; but what could I do ? only resign my- 
self to my fate. 
About five o'clock in the afternoon, after having quench- 
ed our thirst, we continued our course to the north, and tra- 
versed a district interspersed with grey quartz rocks streak- 
ed with white : at midnight we ascended some sand-hills. 
On the 23rd, at ten in the morning, we halted on sandy 
ground, but rather more solid than what we had crossed the 
day before, and interspersed with rocks of rose-coloured and 
black granite. Our situation was still the same ; the east 
wind blew with violence ; and far from affording us any re- 
VOL. 11. f 
