FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160  
161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   >>   >|  
ers caused us to make so many different counter-marches, that we were fifteen days in reaching their habitations--a journey, which we could have accomplished in five, had we followed the direct road. After having climbed over mountains of a prodigious height, which are wholly covered with small pebbles of a greyish colour, as sharp as flint-stones, we descended into a sandy plain, overspread with thorns and thistles. There we slackened our pace; the soles of my feet were bleeding so much, that it was not in my power to walk any further. My master then desired me to mount behind him on his camel, but this attention on his part was far from giving any ease to me, but on the contrary proved a source of inexpressible torture. The camel is naturally a very dull animal, with a very hard trot. As I was naked, I could not defend myself from the rubbing of the hair of the animal upon me, in such a manner as quite flead me in a very short time. The blood ran copiously down the flanks of the animal--a spectacle which, so far from exciting the compassion, or moving the pity of these barbarians, only contributed to their diversion. They made game of my sufferings, and to heighten the jest, pushed forward their animals. It would certainly have issued in incurable wounds, if I had not adopted a scheme, very violent though necessary, to slip off and walk on the sand. I received no other damage in dismounting, than my body being universally jagged with the thistles and thorns with which I have already mentioned the ground was covered. As night approached, we observed a very thick smoke. I supposed we were drawing near to some village, where we might procure something to eat, or rather to drink; but was soon convinced it was only some thick bushes, where our guide had taken up lodgings. I therefore stretched myself out behind a bush to wait for death; and had scarcely lain down, when an Arab of our company came to me, ordering me to get up, and assist him in unloading his camel. I was very much enraged at this order, and answered him accordingly without ceremony. He immediately drew from under my head, a little old sailor's hat, which had been given me in place of my own. He spit upon it as a mark of contempt, and, seizing me violently by the arms, he drew me towards the camels. When he thus laid hands on my body, I could no longer command myself. I immediately struck him a blow on the face; then, having disengaged myself from his ha
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160  
161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
animal
 

immediately

 

thorns

 
thistles
 
covered
 
mentioned
 

dismounting

 

violent

 

lodgings

 

ground


universally
 
jagged
 

received

 

supposed

 

procure

 

drawing

 

village

 

stretched

 

damage

 

convinced


approached
 

observed

 

bushes

 
contempt
 

seizing

 
violently
 
struck
 

disengaged

 

command

 

longer


camels

 

sailor

 
company
 
scheme
 

ordering

 
scarcely
 

assist

 

ceremony

 

answered

 

unloading


enraged

 

exciting

 
descended
 

overspread

 
stones
 
pebbles
 

greyish

 

colour

 
slackened
 

master