The Saracens upon the neighboring mountains raised the sand with
certain instruments made for the purpose, and the dust was carried by
the wind in burning clouds down upon the plain upon which the
Christians were encamped. At last, dysentery, that fatal malady of
warm climates, began to commit frightful ravages among the troops; and
the plague, which appears to be born of itself upon this burning, arid
sand, spread its dire contagion through the Christian army.
They were obliged to be under arms night and day; not to defend
themselves from an enemy that always fled away from them, but to guard
against surprise. A vast number of the crusaders sunk under fatigue,
famine, and disease.
It became impossible to bury the dead; the ditches of the camp were
filled with carcasses, thrown in in heaps, which added to the
corruption of the air and to the spectacle of the general desolation.
In spite of his sufferings, in spite of his griefs, Louis IX was
constantly engaged in endeavors to alleviate the situation of his
army. He gave orders as long as he had any strength left, dividing his
time between the duties of a Christian and those of a monarch.
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