uck with a large cannon shot. About noon, they began to
advance with considerable swiftness upon us, the wind being very strong
at north. Eleven of them ranged alongside of us, about the distance of
three miles. The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to me at that
distance as if it would measure ten feet. They retired from us with a
wind at S.E., leaving an impression upon my mind to which I can give no
name, though surely one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable
deal of wonder and astonishment. It was vain to think of flying; the
swiftest horse, or fastest sailing ship, could be of no use to carry us
out of this danger; and the full persuasion of this rivetted me to the
spot where I stood, and let the camels gain on me so much, that, in my
state of lameness, it was with some difficulty I could overtake them.
The effect this stupendous sight had upon Idris was to set him to his
prayers, or rather to his charms; for, except the names of God and
Mahomet, all the rest of his words were mere gibberish and nonsense.
Ismael the Turk violently abused him for not praying in the words of the
Koran, at the same time maintaining, with great apparent wisdom, that
nobody had charms to stop these moving sands but the inhabitants of
Arabia Deserta.

From this day subordination, though it did not entirely cease, rapidly
declined; all was discontent, murmuring, and fear. Our water was greatly
diminished, and that terrible death by thirst began to stare us in the
face, owing, in a great measure, to our own imprudence. Ismael, who had
been left sentinel over the skins of water, had slept so soundly, that
a Turcorory had opened one of the skins that had not been touched, in
order to serve himself out of it at his own discretion. I suppose
that, hearing somebody stir, and fearing detection, the Turcorory had
withdrawn himself as speedily as possible, without tying up the month of
the girba, which we found in the morning with scarce a quart of water in
it.

On the 16th, our men, if not gay, were in better spirits than I had seen
them since we left Gooz. The rugged top of Chiggre was before us, and we
knew that there we would solace ourselves with plenty of good water. As
we were advancing, Idris suddenly cried out, "Fall upon your faces, for
here is the simoom!" I saw from the southeast a haze come, in colour
like the purple part of the rainbow, but not so compressed or thick. It
did not occupy twenty yards in breadth, and