rth, in order to catch more readily the slightest noise that might
occur; but it was all in vain; our search was fruitless.

The fear of losing our way in a dark night in a country, the bearings of
which we had not been able to examine, made us think of retracing our
steps. Judge of our consternation when, on turning round, we perceived,
apparently in the place where we had pitched our tent, a large volume of
flame and smoke rising. We did not doubt for an instant that
Samdadchiemba also had set out in search of the animals, and that in his
absence the tent had caught fire. Oh, how sad and discouraging was that
moment. In the middle of the desert, at two thousand lis' distance from
our christendom, we contemplated without hope those flames consuming our
tent, our sole shelter against the inclemency of the weather. "Alas!" we
said, "the tent is certainly destroyed, and doubtless all that was in it
has also become a prey to the flames."

We mournfully directed our steps to the place of our encampment. Though
anxious to ascertain our misfortune, we advanced slowly, for we were, at
the same time, afraid to approach the fearful spectacle, destructive of
our plans, and plunging us into misery of every description. As we
advanced, we heard loud cries; at last we distinguished the voice of
Samdadchiemba, apparently calling for assistance. Imagining that we
could still save something from the conflagration, we hastened to the
spot, calling out, at the pitch of our voices, that we were coming. When
we at last arrived at the encampment, we stood for an instant quite
stupified upon seeing Samdadchiemba quietly seated beside an immense
fire, and drinking with the greatest satisfaction bumpers of tea. The
tent was untouched, and all our animals lying around it: there had been
no conflagration at all. The Dchiahour, having found the horse and the
mule, had imagined that, having doubtless got to some distance, we should
have a difficulty in finding our way back to the encampment, and
therefore he had made a large fire to direct our steps, and sent forth
vehement cries inviting us to return. We had so fully believed in the
reality of our misfortune that, on beholding our tent again, we seemed to
pass at once from the extreme of misery to the height of happiness.

As the night had already made considerable progress, we hastened to eat,
with excellent appetite, the soup that Samdadchiemba had prepared, and
then laid down upon