Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-10-12

my horse, had Il not been Tor a few oran.
l'ges | had, should hardly have been able
to move next morning. laid myself down
on my bed to sleep; put. could not, teIng
for the FIRST time in my life, almost dead
with thirst. Had possessed thousands,
would have given them for a gill Of wafer.
About daylight little water was found,
worse, il possible, than bilge water but to
me il was more delicious than The most
precious cordial. We moved on the s,h,
aud continued our march, by irregular sta
ges, until the 22d, halting wherever water
was to be procured, and frequently suffer-
ing very much for the want oft; our only
provisions handful of rice and two bis
cults day, and every day perpiexed and
harrassed by the Arabs for money, who
hnding US in their power, erideavored to
extort every thing. from US. The 22d, a.
bout noon, we encamped on spacious
barren plain, where there were about 5000
Bedouin Arabs encamped, all in our inte-
rest, about 10000 camels & 10000 sheep
led. Here we remained FIVE days to re-
fresh our troops.
"The 27th we commenced our march
with reinforcement, Consisting of 81 A.
ras families, with about $50 fighting men.
We might have taken the whole of them.
had we had srficiency of provisions,
which were now reduced to rice only
water was growing more and more scarce
every day, and the Arabs becoming more
troublesome. They seemed determined
not to proceed 10 Bomba until news came
1 oil the arrival of our vessels, never once
surprising they would arrive, but remained
under an idea that we wished TO get pos.
session OF some strong hold in their coun-
Try, and reduce them to christianity. They
SAID was impossible for christian and a
mussulman 10 have The same interest. Our
provisions were drawing to an end, and
our christian soldiers on the point of mutt
iiying. Our prospects were now gloomy
indeed, when on the 10th Of April, at the
time when we had discovered mutiny, a
courier arrived with news of our vessels
being off Bonba. In an instant the face
OF things changed from .pensive gloom to
enthusiastic gladness the soldiers who
had refused to mount guard returned to
their duty. Tie next morning we march.
ed on in. high spirits, being only good
days march from Bomba, although we had
only provisions for the next day. The
18th, our provisions being expended, we
killed camel for subsistence, Which last
ed us the 18TH ON the 10th we arrive at
Homba, having been three days without
mouthfnl of provisions, except little scr.
rel We found now and then, and small
root we dug out of the sand To add To
our distress, no vessel was 10 be seen, and
no water TO be found we remained thai
night without a drop. The Arabs again
began to murmur. Early on the morning
OF tue i7sh was reused by the 10y fuf,
sound OF sail a sail! I went out of INV
tent, and enjoyed the pleasing sight of the
Argus coming down the coast under full
sal. All was now rejoicing and mutual
congratulations. About the Argus dis.
covered Us, and at 10 enjoyed the plea
sure OF embracing my messma:es, and Sit
ting down 10 a comfortable meal, which
had not enjoyed for near 30 days. When
Think on our situation in The desert where
no other christian ever SAT his foot, and
consider what shelves the Arabs ars, who
would shoot man. for the buttons on his
coat, and their religious prejudice, which
would have been sufficient to warrant our
deaths, as christians and enemies to their
religion, l frequently wonder how it was
possible for Nc to succeed in reaching
Bomba. Certainly it was one the most
extraordinary expeditions ever sat on foot.
We were very frequently % hours With
out water, and once ~ hours without
drop Our horses we're sometimes three
days without, aud for the last 20 days mad
nothing 10 eat except what they picked out
Of the sand The country was melan-
choly Desert throughout, and for the space
of $50 miles we saw neither house nor
tree, nor hardly any thing green. and, ex-
eept in one place, not trace Of human
being.
$40 morrow morning we sailagain for
Alexandria. l have but few minutes to
spare from my duty TO finish this. SUI
nee it TO say, thst on the. S7lh of April
Dsrne, the most valuable province Of the
kingdom Of Tripoli, was taken by The uni.
ted forces Of Hamst Bsshaw and MIR. Ea.
ton, and the Argus, Nautilus and sIoop
Hornet; and that about the middle Of June
peace was concluded with the reigning
Bashaw of Tripcli; and the Ex-Bashaw,
With about so Of his followers, obliged to a.
bsndon their country, without knowing
where In GEEK n home or suhaia,ence