son promised no relief to them. This was the
fourth time that drought had destroyed the harvest. This cruel situation
had so much rankled the dispositions of the inhabitants of the different
tribes, that they went to war among themselves. They made it their
business to kill as many of their cattle as they could, and dry their
flesh, as the milk had almost entirely failed. The water was now very
scarce; there was none to be found in any part of the Desert, but in the
neighbourhood of the sea-coast, and it was brackish, black, and noxious.
This wretched drink, together with the scarcity of pasturage, had driven
almost all the Arabs from the coasts. The provisions having failed, no
person durst settle in the country; thus were we circumstanced, when I
had opportunity to observe what necessity could teach man to do. The
camels which we killed, served to supply with water those Arabs who had
least milk. They preserved, with great care, the water which is found
lodged in the stomachs of these animals. They separated it from the
dung; and, by pressing it, they procured a greenish water, in which they
boiled their victuals. That which they took from the bodies of the
goats, tasted like fennel, and had a very agreeable flavour. This water
is far from being disagreeable; that of the camels is much less pleasant
to the taste. But what astonished me most was, that these animals, who
did not taste water oftener than twice or thrice in a year, and who were
fed upon dried plants, should preserve in their stomach a prodigious
quantity of water; the camel in particular.

Providence, which had not wholly forsaken me, continued still watching
over my days, which I seemed inclined to cut short, by exposing myself
to the dangers of a battle. Life was now a burden to me. In the hope of
putting an end to my course, I asked leave of my master to go to the
places where his cattle feed, and to join the inhabitants in defending
themselves against the pillagers. My offer was accepted; he gave me a
beast to ride on, and a pistol, the only fire-arm which he had in his
possession; he then addressed his prayers to obtain from heaven the
preservation of his camel, and the prosperity of the arms of those of
his party. I advanced then, with the pistol in my hand, accompanied by a
relation of my master's. I arrived, with my conductor, in the midst of
the warriors. They fought in the most disorderly manner; I did not know
whether one party fled, or if they