DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11638#0046
32 TRAVELS IN UPPER.
Wretched is the situation of those who find them-
selves entangled in the vast sandy deserts with
which Egypt is bordered ; intrepidity is then of no
avail whatever, and the most valiant armies may be
there overwhelmed with clouds of sand which the
wind drives impetuously along, may be stifled to
death, and perish in despair. The atmosphere was
on fire, and at the same time darkened by whirl-
winds of dust. The thermometer of Reaumur
rose to twenty-seven degrees. Both men and ani-
mals inhaled only scorching vapours mingled with
a fine and hot sand. The plants were dried up ;
all animated nature faded away.
This gust of wind still continued on the 27th ; it
seemed even to have augmented in violence. My
boatmen were quite dejected ; it was by dint of
promises alone, that I could prevail on them to put
the lanja in motion once more, still dragging it
with the rope; but the impetuosity of the wind
very soon rendered their efforts useless, and we
were obliged to stop behind a point of sand, which
put our boat under shelter from the current, which
the fury of the gale increased in rapidity and agita-
tion, but which did not secure us from the incon-
veniencies we suffered from the south wind. The
heat was even greater than on the preceding day.
The thermometer had risen to twenty-eight de-
grees. The sweat distilled from every pore, and
the
Wretched is the situation of those who find them-
selves entangled in the vast sandy deserts with
which Egypt is bordered ; intrepidity is then of no
avail whatever, and the most valiant armies may be
there overwhelmed with clouds of sand which the
wind drives impetuously along, may be stifled to
death, and perish in despair. The atmosphere was
on fire, and at the same time darkened by whirl-
winds of dust. The thermometer of Reaumur
rose to twenty-seven degrees. Both men and ani-
mals inhaled only scorching vapours mingled with
a fine and hot sand. The plants were dried up ;
all animated nature faded away.
This gust of wind still continued on the 27th ; it
seemed even to have augmented in violence. My
boatmen were quite dejected ; it was by dint of
promises alone, that I could prevail on them to put
the lanja in motion once more, still dragging it
with the rope; but the impetuosity of the wind
very soon rendered their efforts useless, and we
were obliged to stop behind a point of sand, which
put our boat under shelter from the current, which
the fury of the gale increased in rapidity and agita-
tion, but which did not secure us from the incon-
veniencies we suffered from the south wind. The
heat was even greater than on the preceding day.
The thermometer had risen to twenty-eight de-
grees. The sweat distilled from every pore, and
the