“My forebodings were not this time just; a detachment of English soldiers passed near the place where I lay:  my groans were heard by them, and they humanely came to my assistance.  They carried me with them, dressed my wound, and treated me with the utmost tenderness.  Christians though they were, I must acknowledge that I had reason to love them better than any of the followers of Mahomet, my good brother only excepted.

“Under their care I recovered; but scarcely had I regained my strength before I fell into new disasters.  It was hot weather, and my thirst was excessive.  I went out with a party, in hopes of finding a spring of water.  The English soldiers began to dig for a well, in a place pointed out to them by one of their men of science.  I was not inclined to such hard labour, but preferred sauntering on in search of a spring.  I saw at a distance something that looked like a pool of water; and I pointed it out to my companions.  Their man of science warned me by his interpreter not to trust to this deceitful appearance; for that such were common in this country, and that, when I came close to the spot, I should find no water there.  He added, that it was at a greater distance than I imagined; and that I should, in all probability, be lost in the desert if I attempted to follow this phantom.

“I was so unfortunate as not to attend to his advice:  I set out in pursuit of this accursed delusion, which assuredly was the work of evil spirits, who clouded my reason, and allured me into their dominion.  I went on, hour after hour, in expectation continually of reaching the object of my wishes; but it fled faster than I pursued, and I discovered at last that the Englishman, who had doubtless gained his information from the people of the country, was right; and that the shining appearance which I had taken for water was a mere deception.

“I was now exhausted with fatigue:  I looked back in vain after the companions I had left; I could see neither men, animals, nor any trace of vegetation in the sandy desert.  I had no resource but, weary as I was, to measure back my footsteps, which were imprinted in the sand.

“I slowly and sorrowfully traced them as my guides in this unknown land.  Instead of yielding to my indolent inclinations, I ought, however, to have made the best of my way back, before the evening breeze sprang up.  I felt the breeze rising, and, unconscious of my danger, I rejoiced, and opened my bosom to meet it; but what was my dismay when I saw that the wind swept before it all trace of my footsteps in the sand.  I knew not which way to proceed; I was struck with despair, tore my garments, threw off my turban, and cried aloud; but neither human voice nor echo answered me.  The silence was dreadful.  I had tasted no food for many hours, and I now became sick and faint.  I recollected that I had put a supply of opium into the folds of my turban; but, alas! when I took my turban up, I found that the opium had fallen out.  I searched for it in vain on the sand, where I had thrown the turban.