'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎254] (295/562)

Monday,
May 8.
[ 254 J
we returned. We have no profpe^l: now but of thick fedge on each fide of
the river, which is here about 120 feet wide. At four, got a little out of the
rufhy into a more open and pafture country : here we flopped for our
boat. Several Arab encampments are in fight, pitched on the fmall rifing
fpots, which are fcattered here and there about this overflown, and fiat country.
The prefent Arabs are, like their forefathers, a moveable people; they tra
vel eaft, weft, north and fouth, and pitch their tents, or rufh houfes, as the
foil beft ferves for feeding their cattle, of which they feem to have great
plenty. While here, we were vifited by one of their Sheicks accompanied
by three or four men better drefled than common i we fhewed them our
arms, and gratified the Sheick with five or fix charges of gunpowder, for
his match-lock piftol, and afterwards added a little InufF. Here we un-
drefTed and fwam in the Euphrates. The fame fort of birds were feen by
us to-day as yefterday. This day has been much overcaft, and hot, with
thunder and lightening.
1
We were again terribly perplexed with Mufchetos this evening, but were
relieved about twelve o'clock by a frefh gale : the Turbans, which we all
wear, are the beft defence for our heads againft the fun i and our whifkers,,
that have been growing ever fince we left Bombay, fecure the upper lip
from the vexatious fting of thele infe<5h. We made feventeen miles to-day.
By obfervation at noon we were in the latitude of 31 0 24 north.
At one o'clock in the morning, cloudy weather, with thunder, lightning
and an appearance of rain falling to the northward. At half after one a
mufket was fired from our yacht towards a fmall boat, which, from it's
fufpicious condud, our people believed to be a thief. At two the Chccarda
returned from Semava with the four deferters. At three, the wind changed
from the fouth, to the north, and for a little time, blew very frefh: every
now and then we heard the report of a mufket a little aftern of us, and
upon our left hand. At half pad four, we began to track, as did the lug
gage-boat with the Checarda. About fix, Meffieurs Alms and Pigot faw
two wild hogs not far from our Trackers \ they fired four mufkets with balls,
but the hogs efcaped among the rufhes. At feven, pafifed on the right, a
plantation of cotton trees, in a very fertile foil, and more raifed from the
river, than any we have lately obferved. At nine got again into an over
flown meadow-country, with encampments of Arabs, their families, and
cattle. Birds we faw as laft mentioned, and fome turtle •, the infedt we
call Ladycow every now and then is among us, alio flies, moths, and horfe-
ftingers ^ the fparrow is alfo to be found here, and in every other place that
1 have vifited in Afia.
The greateft part of this day we tracked thro* water, choaked up with
fedge, moft of it breaft high j the bottom, in fome places, was out of a
man's depth. At fix in the evening, we reached the fide of a little ifland,
and not far from it was an Arab camp j we waited there for our luggage-
boat,