village of the kingdom of Bambarra.

A little after noon, when the burning heat of the sun was reflected with
double violence from the hot sand, and the distant ridges of the hills,
seen through the ascending vapour, seemed to wave and fluctuate like the
unsettled sea, I became faint with thirst, and climbed a tree in hopes of
seeing distant smoke, or some other appearance of a human habitation; but
in vain, nothing appeared all around but thick underwood and hillocks of
white sand.

About four o'clock, I came suddenly upon a large herd of goats, and,
pulling my horse into a bush, I watched to observe if, the keepers were
Moors or Negroes. In a little time I perceived two Moorish boys, and with
some difficulty persuaded them to approach me. They informed me that the
herd belonged to Ali, and that they were going to Deena, where the water
was more plentiful, and where they intended to stay until the rain had
filled the pools in the Desert. They showed me their empty water-skins,
and told me that they had seen no water in the woods. This account
afforded me but little consolation; however, it was in vain to repine,
and I pushed on as fast as possible, in hopes of reaching some
watering-place in the course of the night. My thirst was by this time
become insufferable; my mouth was parched and inflamed; a sudden dimness
would frequently come over my eyes, with other symptoms of fainting; and
my horse being very much fatigued, I began seriously to apprehend that I
should perish of thirst. To relieve the burning pain in my mouth and
throat, I chewed the leaves of different shrubs, but found them all
bitter, and of no service.

A little before sunset, having reached the top of a gentle rising, I
climbed a high tree, from the topmost branches of which I cast a