116 MESSENGERS SENT FOR WATER. 
for this wonderful animal, who could exist for a week without 
food, how could these deserts be traversed ? No mortal 
would dare attempt it, or if any were rash enough to ven- 
ture upon such an undertaking, certain death would be the 
reward of his temerity. These reflections are trite ; but 
they were natural in the situation in which I was placed, 
and I wish to give an account of my thoughts as well as of 
my sensations and sufferings. 
On the 24 th of May, at nine in the morning, we halted 
in as barren a spot as usual. The night had been calm, and 
the heat stifling ; the fatigue we endured was augmented by 
the quantity of sand which fell upon us all the time we were 
travelling. We continued all day in a state of impatient 
expectation mingled with fear ; the Moors, seeing our dejec- 
tion and sufferings, tried to encourage us with the hope of 
the speedy arrival of the messengers who had been sent in 
search of water : vain hope ! none of them returned. De- 
spair was general ; to keep up our spirits, a small quantity of 
water was distributed, and we were told that the delay of 
our messengers was not occasioned by their finding no water, 
but by their finding it in small quantities, so that it took 
longer to fill the skins ; that they would have returned im- 
mediately if they had met with no water. Alas ! this was a 
mistake, as will shortly appear. That we might not lose 
time in uncertain expectation, we continued our journey 
towards the north, at about four o'clock in the afternoon, 
over a firmer soil than we had lately crossed, and equally 
covered with quartz ; we proceeded all night in silence ; 
nobody slept however, for we were all too thirsty. The 
Moors who drove the camels were mute, and relieved one 
another oftener than usual. 
On the 25th, at nine in the morning, we halted in a 
plain of hard sand, producing a few herbs, which were 
speedily devoured by the camels. This plain was inter- 
spersed with hills of coarse red sand mixed with gravel. We 
