34^ TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
Not a little alarmed at this difcovery that the Arabs were near us, we left Imhanzara at four o'clock in the eve- ning of the 2ift, our journey moftly N. W. ; at eight we loft our way, and were obliged to halt in a wood. Here we were terrified to find, that the water in our girbas was en- tirely gone ; whether by evaporation of the hot wind, or otherwife, I know not ; but the fkin had the appearance of water in it, till its lightnefs in unloading difcovered the contrary. Though all the people were fick, the terror of being without water gave us fomething like alacrity, and defire to pulh on. We fet out at eleven, but ftill wandered in the wood till three o'clock in the morning of the 2 2d,, when we were obliged again to alight. I really then began to think we were loft. I ordered the girbas to be examin- ed : a large one which we had fdled at Rafhid was entirely empty ; and that one which we had partly filled at Imhan- zara on account of the badnefs of the v/ater, had not much more in it than what kept liquid the mud which had been taken up with it. This, however, (bad as it was) was greedily guzzled up in a moment. The people who con- duced the aftes, feeing that we had fkins to contain plen- ty of water for us, had omitted to fill the fmall goat-ftvin which each of them carried. A general murmur of fear and difcontent prevailed through our whole company; for we could have no guefs at the ncarnefs or fituation of the next well, as we had loft our road ; and fome of the ca- ravan even pretended that we had pafled it. But though we had travelled thirteen hours, I cannot compute the- diftance to have been above fourteen miles.
This day, being the fixth from Ras el Feel, at half af- tpr five in the morning, we fet off in great defpondency ;
and>
~\
