CAPTIVITY AMONG THE MODES. 369 
lady seemed to compassionate his situation, and, 
from her, he received the only instances of kind- 
ness which he experienced in Ludamar. The 
country around Bubaker presented only a dreary 
waste of sand, diversified with dwarf trees and 
prickly bushes, scattered at intervals. The insuf- 
ferable heat had destroyed vegetation, and dried 
up almost all the water ; nature seemed sinking 
under its influence, and the stillness of the desert 
prevailed, except at the watering-places, where it 
was interrupted by the constant lowing of the 
cattle, furious with thirst, that contended around 
the wells, while those that were too weak to en- 
dure a struggle, devoured the black mud in their 
vicinity. From this scarcity of water Mr Park 
suffered severely, though he received some sup- 
plies from Fatima ; and, as the Moors at the wells 
were afraid of polluting their vessels by the touch 
of a Christian, he was forced, when he could pro- 
cure water, to drink from the troughs along with 
the cows. The rainy season now approached, 
when the Moors annually retire to the Great De- 
sert, and no opportunity occurred of effecting his 
escape, when he obtained leave, through the in- 
tercession of Fatima, to accompany Ali to Jarra, 
where he went to treat with the fugitive Kaartans, 
who solicited his assistance against Daisy, their 
native prince. From the first watering-place 
which they reached after their departure from 
VOL. I, A a 
