others took the shortest, without directing us to follow him; so we
marched forwards we knew not whither, through woods and over rocks,
without sleep or any other refreshment: at noon the next day we
discovered that we were near the field of salt. Our affliction and
distress is not to be expressed; we were all fainting with heat and
weariness, and two of the patriarch's servants were upon the point
of dying for want of water. None of us had any but a Moor, who
could not be prevailed upon to part with it at less than the weight
in gold; we got some from him at last, and endeavoured to revive the
two servants, while part of us went to look for a guide that might
put us in the right way. The Moors who had arrived at the well,
rightly guessing that we were lost, sent one of their company to
look for us, whom we heard shouting in the woods, but durst make no
answer for fear of the Galles. At length he found us, and conducted
us to the rest; we instantly forgot our past calamities, and had no
other care than to recover the patriarch's attendants. We did not
give them a full draught at first, but poured in the water by drops,
to moisten their mouths and throats, which were extremely swelled:
by this caution they were soon well. We then fell to eating and
drinking, and though we had nothing but our ordinary repast of honey
and dried flesh, thought we never had regaled more pleasantly in our
lives.

We durst not stay long in this place for fear of the Galles, who lay
their ambushes more particularly near this well, by which all
caravans must necessarily pass. Our apprehensions were very much
increased by our suspicion of the camel-drivers, who, as we
imagined, had advertised the Galles of our arrival. The fatigue we
had already suffered did not prevent our continuing our march all
night: at last we entered a plain, where our drivers told us we