‘What way is this,’ thought the brothers, ’which lies so near our own dwelling, and yet has neither night nor day?’ But as their eyes grew accustomed to the light, they perceived that the travellers on that road were of all ages—­man, woman, and child.  Yet each journeyed in a track cut for himself in the soil, from which it appeared none could stray.  Some of these tracks were wide, and others narrow; some had numerous windings, and some were but slightly curved; many were rough and stony, others of the bare earth, with brambles growing thick at their edges; and some were half covered with grass and wild-flowers.  Christopher and Hubert, however, observed that none of them were perfectly smooth or straight; that dust and rubbish were plentiful in them all; and that every track on that highway crossed some other.  The travellers, too, differed wonderfully in their manner of journeying.  Some moved like mourners at a funeral; some like runners to a goal.  There were those who went steadily forward, with the pace of soldiers on a march; others, who seemed in great fear, looking perpetually behind or before them; and very few who walked at their ease.

As the brothers marvelled at this diversity, they discovered that there was none of all the travellers without a burden, and in that matter there appeared no less variety.  Bundles of every shape and size were on their shoulders:  some looked huge, and were tied up in sackcloth; others were covered with rich cloth, and bound with silken cords.  Some bore theirs concealed under long mantles; but Christopher thought it was mostly weights of iron or lead they carried.  Further particulars astonished the brothers still more.  The greater part appeared to have a strange propensity for increasing the difficulties of their way, by walking in whatever manner was least practicable.  Many augmented the burdens, under which they already staggered, with dust and rubbish, which they collected from all sides; and far more were endeavouring to pile up the scattered stones and thorns on their equally burdened neighbours.  All this time, the air was filled with a clamour of complaints, generally referring to their tracks and burdens; and Christopher and Hubert remarked with amazement, that it was by no means those who had the roughest track, or the heaviest bale to carry, that travelled most laboriously, or seemed least content with the journey.

No traveller, indeed, appeared satisfied, and whenever their tracks crossed, the unruly creatures were sure to jostle each other; but let the accident happen as it would, every man laid the blame loudly on his neighbour.  They had also innumerable disputes concerning the clouds and meteors of the sky; regarding the dust under their feet; and more especially touching some glimpses of an azure heaven, which they caught at times through the western mist.  On that subject, the fierceness of their debates was marvellous, and the clamour occasionally became deafening; but the brothers observed that the noisiest traveller generally came quietly out of the one mist, and disappeared with as little tumult in the other.