In Africa, as well as Asia, there are immense tracts of land called
deserts, which consist of vast plains composed of loose sand. Large
portions of these are utterly destitute of vegetation, and sometimes, in
crossing them, the traveler sees not a hill or mountain, or human
dwelling, or even a tree or shrub, or blade of grass. All around is a
sea of sand; and far as the eye can reach, it is one scene of lifeless
solitude and desolation. These trackless wastes are traversed by
caravans, which are companies of travelers usually mounted upon camels.
Horses travel in these sands with difficulty. Their feet sink in the
soil; they are overcome with heat, and parched with drought. The camel,
on the contrary, has a large, spongy foot, which does not sink in the
sand; he can bear excessive heat, and by a curious contrivance of
nature, is enabled to go without water for five or six days. This
valuable creature is called the ship of the desert, because it enables
the merchants of Asia and Africa to transport their merchandise over the
sea of sand, just as a ship carries goods from one part of the world to
another, across the briny ocean. It seems really as if Providence had
provided this singular animal on purpose to enable mankind to traverse
the great deserts which are spread out upon the eastern continent.
The chief Asiatic deserts are in Persia and Arabia, the former of which
countries contains three of considerable extent and celebrity. The first
of these commences on the east of the Tigris, in latitude thirty-three,
and extends to the north of Shuster. The second reaches from the
vicinity of Korn very nearly to the Zurra, in a line, from east to west,
of about four hundred English miles, and from north to south, of about
two hundred and fifty. In the latter direction it joins the great desert
of Kerman, which, alone, extends over a tract of three hundred and fifty
miles. The two may, therefore, be considered as forming one common
desert, stretching north-west and south-east, over a space of about
seven hundred miles; thus intersecting this wide empire into two nearly
equal portions. This vast region is impregnated with niter and other
salts, which taint the neighboring lakes and rivers, and has, on that
account, been denominated the Great Saline Desert.