Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 150 (Color Image)

0150	Among the Celestials : vol.1

122 AMONG THE CELESTIALS. [CHAP. VI.

scarcely a living thing seen, as we plodded

along slowly, yet steadily, over those seemingly

interminable plains. Sometimes I would strike

off from the road, and ascend some rising

ground to take a look round. To the right

and left would be ranges of bare hills, very

much resembling those seen in the Gulf of

Suez, with rugged summits and long even

slopes of gravel running down to the plain,

which extended apparently without limit in

front of me. And there beneath was my small

caravan, mere specks on that vast expanse of

desolation, and moving so slowly that it seemed

impossible that it could ever accomplish the

great distance which had to be passed before

H ami could be reached.

Our usual plan was to start at about three

in the afternoon, and travel on till midnight or

sometimes later. This was done partly to

avoid the heat of the day, which is very trying

to the loaded camels, but chiefly to let the

camels feed by daylight, as they cannot be let

loose to feed at night for fear of their wander-

ing too far and being lost. Any one can

imagine the fearful monotony of those long

dreary marches seated on the back of a slow

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books