st. Sad indeed was the poor
man's fate, and we pitied him from our hearts, though we could do little
to comfort him. His once haughty spirit was completely broken down. We
at length aroused him; and calling Ben to our assistance, Halliday and I
conveyed the body of his wife to a distance from the camp, where we dug
a grave and buried her, he attending as the only mourner. He was then
delivered over to his purchaser with the rest of the Spaniards, the
young black alone remaining with us. We could not help pitying the poor
people as we saw them carried away, though their fate might not be worse
than ours; indeed, as they had some prospect of being redeemed, it might
be better.

I must now give a more rapid account than heretofore of my adventures.
Again we struck the tents and proceeded more inland, over hard ground
producing wild bushes, but not a blade of grass or a drop of water. We
then came to a region consisting of hills and valleys of sand, over
which we had to trudge on foot, suffering fearfully from thirst. After
proceeding about ten miles we saw before us a low circular wall of
sunburned bricks, with a few stunted palm-trees. The Arabs pointed
towards it eagerly, and even the camels and other animals lifted up
their heads. It marked the position of a deep well, near which we
encamped; and for the remainder of that day and the greater part of the
next we were employed in drawing up water, not only to furnish ourselves
and the animals, but to fill the water-skins carried by the camels, on
which we were to depend for several days to come. This task
accomplished, we continued our route over the sand. Here we saw a few
deer, of a small size and of a somewhat yellow colour, with black
streaks along their sides, and small straight horns; their legs were
long and slender, and they flew over the sand at a speed which the
fleetest greyhound could not equal. Here and there we met with small
bushes of a palm-like form. When we halted at night we were employed in
getting some roots which ran along the sand, and which were about the
thickness of a man's finger. They were sweet as sugar, and the people
as well as the cattle ate them. Barren as the region appeared, we saw
three or four species of birds, the largest of which were bustards; and
on searching in the sand we frequently came on their eggs, which
afforded us the most satisfactory food we had yet enjoyed. About ten
days we spent in passing through this