er this
element had carried its waves to such a height. The rocks, said I to
myself, would then serve for a bed to it. I lost myself in my
conjectures;--besides, I set out at first to report facts, and it is not
my province to make learned dissertations.

After some days journey farther, gradually advancing towards Morocco, we
found other mountains no less elevated than the first, covered with
stones of rose, violet, citron and green colours, and I observed
extensive forests at a distance. I had not seen any before all the
thirteen months I had been in the deserts. I was astonished to see the
trunks of trees coming out of the centre of rocks, and to appearance
hanging down like fruits. I saw with surprise also the roebucks running
after one another, upon these same trees, leaping on the hanging rocks
with incredible velocity, when they perceived any one following them.
The moment one of them took to flight, the rest immediately followed. I
observed, among many other trees, that of which the leaf resembled the
gum-tree, or our parsley, to be the only one of the different kinds
which I had seen, in all these countries, that had suffered from
lightning. The thunder had no influence upon the rest.

We travelled through the forests for three days. We had spent already
four nights, and, during that time, had not heard any thing of the
fierce animals, with which the deserts of Africa are overspread. They
must certainly inhabit the country which lies far to the eastward; but
how do they procure water?

The more we advanced, the more my distress abated. We frequently found
fields of barley ready to be reaped. I sat down and ate, with a degree
of pleasure which I cannot express. The water now also became more
abundant. On every side, we frequently fell in with villages, where we
were well received. In others, where we would not have been so safe,
Sidy Sellem was much respected, as he had formerly made a journey to
Mecca. However, the Arabs of the tribe of Telkoennes exceeded all in
their attention to us.

After having paid Sidy Sellem all the customary honours due to a
stranger, they caused to be set before him, at the usual hour, barley,
meal, and milk. He gave me the remainder of his supper, which I went to
eat apart with my new comrade the baker; for, especially on a journey, a
Christian ought neither to eat nor drink, and far less to sleep, beside
his master. My repast being ended, I dug a hole in the sand, in order to
s