The terrain proved to be as desolate as it had appeared from the
distance, for the main vegetation was a weakly sprouting grass that was
only a few inches high, though not mowed or chewed down. Every few dozen
yards there was a single stunted shrub or small tree, or in some cases a
group of the same, and the spaces between these was littered with
scattered rocks and occasionally a smaller, flowering plant. The
topography of the land was mostly flat, though not in the sense of a
plain or savanna, instead it was merely a gentle slope, so that the
immediate area seemed flat, but in the distance it was seen to rise
considerably. There were also a few small hills that were no more than
twenty feet high across their whole length, but in the obtuse slopes of
the land, even that seemed to be almost mountainous. Brown was the
prevailing color of it all for as far as my eye could see, though I
cannot say if that condition prevailed inland further, since I had
forgotten the telescope, which would probably have proved a useful tool.
A slight wind blew from seaward, scattering the dry top soil about like
a cloud of gnats, though there were very few actual insects, and no
animals that I could see.
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