218 
to pass through it, is surrounded by the silence of death. 
It was not till four in the evening that we began to distin- 
guish some small plants, burnt with the sun, and a tree 
of a thorny nature without blossom or fruit. I had gather- 
ed in the desert two pebbles, a piece of clay, and two 
pieces of ore, but they were all lost. 
In consequence of our catastrophe, my mules and 
horses not only lost their shoes, but they all were be- 
come lame. 
Monday, August 5th. We started at seven in the 
morning, and continued our rout in the same desert, ma- 
king a little circuit by S. and S. W. 
The ground was here of die same nature as that of 
yesterday. I descended at eleven a long slopy part of 
the mountains, and found myself in the province of Sha- 
ouia, and on the right bank of the r^ver Enza. On the 
other side of it only one house was to be seen, which 
was inhabited by the Shek Shaoni, or chief of the pro- 
vince; after having passed this river three times, we en- 
camped at noon on its left side near a douar and a mar- 
ket-place. The minds of my people were so much 
agi-ated, and my horses and mules so much fatigued, 
from the dange s of the preceding d. y, that at the sight 
of the river they all threw themselves into it; the men 
with their clothes, and the beasts with their burthen. 
It required a deal of time, labour, and work to get them 
out again. 
I had a fever- ail the day. It was certainly the effect 
of my sufferings. 
The banks of this river are we 1 ! cultivated; we had 
abundance of water and other melons, and grapes, and 
looked upon these frurs as a gift from heaven in the 
state of irritation which our blood had experienced. 
Y 
