JOURNEY 111. 307 
that their lheep never ate any grafs, only fucculent plants, 
and all forts of fhrubs; many of which were aromatic , 
and gave their fLelh an excellent flavour. Next day I 
paRed through a large flock of lheep, where I faw them 
devouring the juicy leaves of mefembryantbemum , Jla- 
pella , cotyledon , and even the green feed veffels of euphor- 
bia ; by eating fuch plants they require little water, efpe- 
cially in winter. 
30th, We were employed in unloading our waggons, 
and tranfporting our baggage acrofs the river in a fin all 
boat ; and afterwards drove over our oxen with the empty 
waggons, which were almoif overfet in the middle of 
it. The river is about forty or fifty yards broad, and 
1 
in fome places very deep. The borders are covered with 
the mimofa nilotica , which forms a thick impenetrable 
wood. We were about a day’s journey from the mouth 
of this river, where are hill fome elephants remaining, 
the country being very wild and uninhabited. We had 
now the great Carro to pafs; a delart of three days jour- 
ney, where no frefh water, and only three pits of brackifh 
water, enough to preferve the lives of our cattle, were to 
be found. Thefe pits are at fome diftance from the road, 
which makes it very difficult for ftrangers to find them. 
But while we were ferioufly confidering thefe approach- 
ing difficulties, thinking, if we ffiould mils the pits, we 
fhould probably periffi in this inhofpitable defart, to our 
great joy we were overtaken by a Boor, with his wife and 
children, who were going the fame road ; but he having a 
frefh team of horfes, we could not keep up with him. 
R r 2 However, 
