Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 151 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

0151	Among the Celestials : vol.1

CHAP. vi.] MONOTONOUS REGULARITY. 123

and silently moving camel. While it was light

I would read and even write ; but soon the

sun would set before us, the stars would appear

one by one, and through the long dark hours

we would go silently on, often finding our way

by the aid of the stars alone, and marking each

as it sank below the horizon, indicating how

far the night was advanced. At length the

guide would give the signal to halt, and the

camels, with an unmistakable sigh of relief,

would sink to the ground ; their loads would

quickly be taken off ; before long camp would

be pitched, and we would turn in to enjoy a

well-earned sleep, with the satisfaction of

having accomplished one more march on that

long desert journey.

Camp was astir again, however, early in the

morning, and by eight I used to get up, and

after breakfast stroll about to see what was to

be seen, then write up my diary, plot out the

map, have dinner at one or two, and then

prepare for the next march. And so the days

wore on with monotonous regularity for ten

whole weeks.

But though these marches were very mono-

tonous, yet the nights were often extremely

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