At last we resolved to pass the sandy downs along the sea coast; we afterwards met with a sandy plain almost as low as the ocean.  On this sand there was a little long and hard grass.  We dug a hole three or four feet deep, and found water which was whitish and had a bad smell.  I tasted it and finding it sweet, cried out “we are saved!” These words were repeated by the whole caravan who collected round this water, which everyone devoured with his eyes.  Fire or six holes were soon made and every one took his fill of this muddy beverage.  We remained two hours at this place, and endeavoured to eat a little biscuit in order to keep up our strength.

Towards evening we returned to the sea shore.  The coolness of the night permitted us to walk, but Mr. Picard’s family could not follow us.  The children were carried, the officers setting the example, in order to induce the sailors to carry them by turns.  The situation of Mr. Picard was cruel; his young ladies and his wife displayed great courage; they dressed themselves in mens clothes.  After an hours march Mr. Picard desired that we might stop, he spoke in the tone of a man who would not be refused; we consented, though the least delay might endanger the safety of all.  We stretched ourselves upon the sand, and slept till three o’clock in the morning.

We immediately resumed our march.  It was the 9th of July.  We still proceeded along the sea shore, the wet sand was more easy to walk upon; we rested every half hour on account of the ladies.

About eight o’clock in the morning we went a little from the coast to reconnoitre some Moors who had shewn themselves.  We found two or three wretched tents, in which there were some Mooresses almost all naked, they were as ugly and frightful as the sands they inhabit.  They came to our aid, offering us water, goat’s milk, and millet, which are their only food.  They would have appeared to us handsome, if it had been for the pleasure of obliging us, but these rapacious creatures wanted us to give them every thing we had.  The sailors, who were loaded with what they had pillaged from us, were more fortunate than we, a handkerchief procured them a glass of water or milk, or a handful of millet.  They had more money than we, and gave pieces of five or ten francs for things, for which we offered twenty sous.  These Mooresses, however, did not know the value of money, and delivered more to a person who gave them two or three little pieces of ten sous, than to him who offered them a crown of six livres.  Unhappily we had no small money, and I drank more than one glass of milk at the rate of six livres per glass.

We bought, at a dearer price than we could have bought gold, two goats which we boiled by turns in a little metal kettle belonging to the Mooresses.  We took out the pieces half boiled, and devoured them like savages.  The sailors, for whom we had bought these goats, scarcely left the officers their share, but seized what they could, and still complained of having had too little.  I could not help speaking to them as they deserved.  They consequently had a spite against me and threatened me more than once.