300 Mr. masson's Botanical travels. 
©xenon account of the fcarcity of water. Late in the after- 
noon we came to a peafant’s houfe, who informed us, he 
had a neighbour about four hours ride from his place, 
by whom, we fhould be kindly received, and who would 
further direct us on our journey. After having put us in 
the road, and given us 1'orne directions, he parted with us, 
and we purfued our journey till fun-fet, but found no 
habitation. We therefore concluded, that we had cer- 
tainly loll our way, and returned lbme miles back, where 
we found a road which branched off another way. In 
this path we continued till one o’clock in the morning, 
having got into a difmal valley, inclofed on each fide with 
rugged precipices: at lalt we found ourfelves in the 
middle of a thicket of thorn trees ( mimofa ?iilotica) 
where w r e unfaddled our horfes and kindled a fire. We 
palied the night with little comfort, having eaten nothing 
all that day ; but to our great fat is faCtion we heard the 
murmuring of a ft ream, which we went in fearch of,, 
and found good water: our concern, however, was hill 
great for our poor horfes that had nothing to eat. We. 
Ipent the night in gathering wood and keeping our fire 
up till day-light, when I climbed up a high precipice, and 
viewed the country. Here I collected feveral curious 
plants, geranium JpinoJum , Jiapelia euphorbioides ; and 
upon my return, we mounted our horfes, and directed 
our courfe towards the high mountains, where we ex- 
pected to find lbme relief, but were difappointed; for 
alter being parched up with iniupportable heat, we 
met not with a drop of water to quench our thirll 
2 . during 
