Baxter. Ten horses carried the packages, and six sheep were made to
follow, that they might be killed one by one for food.
All these poor animals suffered terribly from want of water. Sometimes
they went a hundred miles without a refreshing draught. The horses became
so weak, that the travellers were unwilling to mount their backs; and as
for the sheep, they could scarcely crawl along.
Many ways of getting water were tried. One way was digging up the roots
of trees. A little,--a very little,--water may often be squeezed out of
the end of a root; because the root is the mouth of the tree, and sucks
up water from the ground. Another way of getting water was by gathering
up the dew in a sponge. Enough dew to make a cup of tea might sometimes
be obtained; but not enough for the poor beasts to have any. When the
travellers, by digging, could make a well, then they were glad indeed;
for then the beasts could be refreshed as well as themselves.
The whole party were become so weak from fatigue and thirst, that they
could not get on fast, and they found it necessary to save their food as
much as possible, that it might last to the end of the long journey. They
took a little flour every day out of their bag, and made it into a paste.
Sometimes they caught a fish, or shot a bird or beast, and then they had
a hearty meal. When they killed one of their sheep, then they had plenty
of mutton. At last, all the sheep were killed but one.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250