The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-04-06

/ oil the caravan nearest 10 which they
were placed. Behind came trains of
camcls, fastened 10 each other in lone
lines and last Of all, was a party al a.
bout twenty hoscmen, apparently for
the purpose OF keeping the caravan as
compaetly as possible, Willie a rear
guard, at the distance of from Two 10
three miles astefn, brought up thewhole.
The route taken by The caiavan was
4 the central or y .#ucHllv ftralieut-
cd one, being "a 1ne nuthwdrd OF thar
winch had pursued IN former Journey
across the desert ofSne1, andrescublno
1t IN soil, having a firm and hard gravel.
over which artillery and baggage Way
ons might be drawn with ease indeed
beside the held-picce chr, which was
/ drawn IN front, ihcre were several 9th
er wheeled eaniages accompanying the
1 hhem III the present caravan.
Toward sun-sel We had on our left a
long line Of sand-hllls, whose SUBMITS
were pointed aud yare,ated IN "A lhou-
sand forms, and thcir inc Outlines more.
accurately detiued as evening advanced.
/ formed a be1utllul contrast, hv oppnstug
their yellow edges Ia The decp azure of
a serene sky 1t Maggrlb, the houl
when twilight ends, the signal pun was
fired To halt and While the camcls re-
posed or the ground without, being un-
laden, the pilgrims Of the caravan per
formed ,helr ablutons ana eyenino pray-
/ IN nj Al
! supper. As the former was a duty IN
which | did not loin, and tie latter
was entirely omitted for want u inelina-
ton, profued by he interval to thluw
myself along upon ,he sand, and catch
shortfapose bnt to sic :, was lmpossi-
bic. Appetite 10 eat had none to
have drank vine, with the hieh fever
which continued Oh me, would have
been poison and OF water 10 supply
had been lald in, from an expectation
that the chief To whose care and pro-
lection | had been commended. would
afford II to me from his tent, as well as
every otlcr species of provision, 80
that subsequently,, when unable To en-
dafc any longer The parehlng tlirst dat
oppressed me, was OBLIGED 10 aipht,
and walking by tlc side Of the camel,
10 suck from goats skin ihe palrid wa
ter winch our drivers had provided tor
the asses and beasts of hurdens--they
having, Tor their own use, only "A small
KID skin fall, which the impossb!lty Of
replcnlshine IN the desert made them
carefully preserve.
When night advanced, its darkness
vas vefy sensibly iessenod b. the vel
Iowsh whlcness OF the plans around,
as well as by the unclouded sky, which
yielded us clear aud steady lighl from
the brilliant orbs that studded il, whose
Iastre, through the clear transparency oil
a desert atmosphere in southern climates
sapasses IN The highest degree the bril-.
lIancy which they She'd on hose who in
habit beneath TIE humid and cloud,
canopy Of northern sky.
,, The halt Of our caravan being nearly
thfco hours it must have been abo,n
ten O'Clock when the cannon ANNOUNCED
To us the order for romounlinu. lmmr-
dIatcly The camels were raised. the Dor
table table service Of their oriental RI
ders thrown into their bag, and in less
than a quarter oil an hour every one had
resumed his station.
For the supposed sarer direction OF
our midnight march, a considerable
number OF torches had bcca lighted rhe
largest OF them consisting ola long pole.
having on ITS summit a CIRCULAR frame
work Of IRON, after the manner 4 raor.
III winch fire Is borne a.Dlt. and led
VIII wood as occasion requires. These
torches were not onlg dspeIsc amongst
the BODY OF ,hG car ylu ITSELF bur were
carried also before he advanced the
wings, aud the rear Guards who,e6cep-
ung At m0mentary Intervals, when thny
we're hidden by the Inequalities Of the
road, were alwf.. ii eht. Amid all
my suierines from ft.gae, incouyeni-
enee, and severe illness, il was lmDossi-
bic 10 De perfectly prepared for the I'M
4 Press'ons which our situation was so
= wei calculated 10 excite, YET am SIRE
they occasionally lost i0r a moment their
polgnancy, ifthcy we're not altogether
forgotten, in the admiration with which
viewed so great a spectacle as the one
that this hour of midnight presented.
The caravan consisted of more thap five
thousand camcjs, besides mules, asses.
wheeled carriages, &c. and tie number
OF persons who accompanied il mount
cd, aud on foot. were certainly double
The four points Of thc horizon were
intercepted by the seperato groups of
lights, that companed those respect
I've divisions OF our surrounding guards /;
although while the waving movements
of the lights themselves were distinctly
marked, not an individual, either of the
Arabs by whom they were borne, or of
the guard, whose path they were nfen-