All the lakes appeared about the same, the bed white and glistening in the sun, which made it very hard for the eyes, and so that a man in passing over it made no visible track.

It looked as if it one time might have been a smooth bed of plastic mortar, and had hardened in the sun.

It looked as if there must have been water there sometime, but we had not seen a drop, or a single cloud; every day was clear and sunny, and very warm, and at night no stars forgot to shine.
Our oxen began to look bad, for they had poor food.

Grass had been very scarce, and now when we unyoked them and turned them out they did not care to look around much for something to eat.

They moved slowly and cropped disdainfully the dry scattering shrubs and bunches of grass from six inches to a foot high.