, called in the country Marigot des
Maringoins. We wished to drink of it, but found it as salt as the sea.
Mr. Carnet desired us to have patience, and we should find some at the
place where our caravan waited. We forded that river knee deep.

At last, having walked about an hour, we rejoined our companions, who
had found several wells of fresh water. It was resolved to pass the
night in this place, which seemed less arid than any we saw near us.
The soldiers, being requested to go and seek wood to light a fire, for
the purpose of frightening the ferocious beasts which were heard
roaring around us, refused; but Mr. Carnet assured us, that the Moors
who were with him knew well how to keep all such intruders from our
camp. In truth, during the whole of the night these good Arabs
promenaded round our caravan, uttering cries at intervals like those
we had heard in the camp of the generous Amet.

We passed a very good night, and at four in the morning continued our
route along the shore, Mr. Carnet left us to endeavor to procure some
provisions. Till then our asses had been quite docile; but, annoyed
with their riders so long upon their backs, they refused to go
forward. A fit took possession of them, and all at the same instant
threw their riders on the ground, or among the bushes. The Moors,
however, who accompanied us, assisted to catch our capricious animals,
who had nearly scampered off, and replaced us on the hard backs of
these headstrong creatures. At noon the heat became so violent, that
even the Moors themselves bore it with difficulty. We then determined
on finding some shade behind the high mounds of sand which appeared in
the interior; but how were we to reach them! The sands could not be
hotter. We had been obliged to leave our asses on the shore, for they
would neither advance nor recede. The greater part of us had neither
shoes nor hats; notwithstanding we were obliged to go forward almost a
long league to find a little shade. The heat reflected by the sands of
the Desert could be compared to nothing but the mouth of an oven at
the moment of drawing out the bread; nevertheless, we endured it; but
not without cursing those who had been the occasion of all our
misfortunes. Arrived behind the heights for which we searched, we
stretched ourselves under the Mimos-gommier, (the acacia of the
Desert), several broke branches of the asclepia (swallow-wort), and
made themselves a shade. But whether from want of air, or