Document 21; Page 20

Amid the gardens torch lights glimmering gay The roses buds like turquoise gems display With ruby light the opening petals shine As mantles in the cup the rosy wine How softly beams the radiant lamp of night While earths dark Mansion glows with silver light And swiftly though the sky[‘]s pavilion move The airy dancers of the fields above While from the Ocean of octhereal blue Celestial divers bring the starry gems to view In short at sunset the whole caravan went to rest and the half of the night was spent

When I awoke and without saying a word to any body but myself proceeded to reconnoitier our situation. I come without the lines when I was astonished to see the whole caravan surrounded by an immense wall. "What in in the world in (is?) this [“,] said I to myself[, “] When we pitched our tents here no such thing was to be seen[.] What can this be[?”’ I approached it and put my hand on the wall[.] I felt a part of it soft and warm and distinctly perceived the motion of breathing[. “]Lord have mercy[“,] thought I[, "]if this be not a living creature[."] To be more certain I held my hand still for some time and observed at last that it was an immense serpent

which