themselves down to fleep, without the leaft fufte nance but what their own water afforded them.

Next day brought no alleviation of their miferies. Neceffity impelled them to proceed, though hope fcarce darted a ray through the gloom of their profpects.

The whole party was, at laft, reduced to three perfons, Hynes, Evans, and Wormington; and thofe could only hope to be a few days behind their companions. Their faculties rapidly declined; they could fcarcely hear or fee; and a kind of fatuity feized their minds.

Their mifery, from thirst, became now fo intolerable, that Wormington carneftly importuned his two affociates to determine by lot who fhould die, in order that the others might be preserved by drinking his blood. Though Hynes was almoft become childish, this idea fhocked him; he fhed tears, and declared, that as long as he was able to walk he could not think of cafting lots, but that, fhould he be obliged to drop, they might ufe him as they pleafed. On this, Wormington fhaking hands with Hynes and Evans, left them to proceed without him.

Every hour now seemed to throw a deeper gloom over their fate: nature could fupport no more. Hynes and Evans, however, made another effort to get on, without even hoping that relief was within the poffibility of their reach. This day they faw fomething before them which had the appearance of large birds; but judge their furprise, when, on approaching nearer, they found them to be men. Nearly blind and idiots, they did not, at first, recollect who their new-found companions were; but after fome time they difco

vered that they were four of the steward's party, from which they had been feparated. One of them, a boy, named Price, advanced to meet them, and gave them the pleafing information, that his affociates had fresh water in their poffeffion. This infpired Hynes and Evans with new life; and reciprocal enquiries took place as to the fate of their loft companions. The three men, whom, Hynes and his companion had overtaken, were named Berney, Leary, and De Laffo. These hearing that Wormington was left behind, fet out in fearch of him, charging Hynes and Evans not to drink too freely of water, as feveral had expired from the eagerness with which they fwallowed this fluid after long abftinence. But the torments of thirst rendered them regardless of every other confideration; they were forcibly removed from the water, and the fource clofed with fand, to remove the temptation of excess.

Wormington was recovered by the humanity of those who went to find him, and a painful detail of fufferings took place, while they all refted in a kind of alcove. It appeared that the captain's fteward had been buried in the fand of the laft defert they had paffed, and that the furvivors were reduced to such extremity, that after he had been interred, they fent back two of their companions to cut off part of his flesh; but while they proceeded in this horrid bufinefs, they had the good fortune to difcover a young feal, newly driven on fhore and fresh bleeding, which proved a moft feasonable relief. They farther ftated, that they had obtained fheil-fish in the fand, when none were to be seen above, by obferving the manner in which the birds fcratched for them. Without

Without this discovery, they muft infallibly have perished.

Hynes and Evans, recounting their adventures to the party they had joined, among other circumftances mentioned, that when the fhip's fteward was left, he had decent apparel on. This tempt ed one of them to propofe to Evans, who was pretty well recovered, to go back to the spot and ftrip the body; but the fteward was not to be found; and they concluded that the wild beafts had anticipated their defigns. Thefe beafts of prey were fo numerous, as to be seen in companies of twenty or more; and it was the common and effectual practice of the travellers, to fhout as loud as poflible, to drive thofe formidable animals away.

Being now arrived at a favourable spot for wa ter and fhell-fish, they employed two days in colJecting provifions for their future march; and in refreshing themselves. Reft and food had an aftonishing effect in reftoring, not only the powers of the body, but of the mind; and in a fhort space they thought themselves qualified to encounter new fatigues.

With extreme difficulty and danger they paffed a large river, fuppofed to be the Zon Dags, on a catamarand; and having reached the oppofite fhore, they looked back with terror and amazement on their fortunate efcape from being driven out to fea by the rapidity of the ftream. Here they found the fpecies of thell-fith which buries itself in the fand, and increased their fupplies with them.

The united party pursued their route over a defert country, where neither hut nor native was

to be feen; and in fix days reached the Schwart River, as they afterwards learned, on the banks of which they took up their abode for the night.

At laft the country began to affume a fertile and cultivated afpect, and fome huts appeared at a distance from the fhore. While they were contemplating with pleasure this change of profpects, the grafs, in their vicinity, took fire, and spread with great rapidity.

They were all alert in trying to extinguish it, left this involuntary mischief fhould provoke the refentment of the natives, or the blaze call them to the spot.

Next morning they fwam over the river in fafety, and foon discovered a dead whale lying on the beach. Thus fupplied with plenty of food, they purpofed refting here for a few days, could they have found fresh water; but that neceffary article being wanting, they cut up as much of the whale as they could carry, and proceeded on their route. In a fhort time, however, they came to a thicket where they met with water; and here they halted and reposed.

Next morning four of the party went back to the whale for a larger fupply; De Laffo and the boy Price being left in charge of the fire. As Price was fearching for fuel, he perceived two men with guns, and being intimidated at the fight, retired haftily to the fire, while the agreeable intruders pursued him. These men belonged to a Dutch fettlement in the neighbourhood, and were in fearch of fome ftrayed cattle. One of them, named John Battores, fuppofed to be a Fortuguese, was able to converfe with the Italian, De Laffo, fo as to be understood; a circumftance as fortunate as it was little to be expected. VOL. X. Battores,

P

Battores, having learned the outline of their melancholy ftory, attended them to the whale, where their companions were employed in cutting away the fleth. Affected at the fight of thefe miferable objects, he defired them to throw away what they had been collecting, and promifed them better fare when he reached the habitation to which he belonged.

In vain fhall we attempt to describe the fenfations of the fhipwrecked wanderers, on receiving this intelligence, and that they were now within four hundred miles of the Cape. The extravagant effects of their joy, according as they operated on different fyftems, are scarcely to be conceived every faculty feemed in a ftate of convulfive agitation. One man laughed, another cried, and a third danced with transport.

On reaching the house of Mynheer Christopher Rooftoff, to whom Battores was bailiff, they were treated with the kindeft attention. The master, on being made acquainted with their diftreffes, ordered fome bread and milk to be fet before them; but, acting rather on principles of humanity than prudence, he furnished them fuch a quantity, that their weak ftomachs being overloaded, they had almoft killed themselves. After their meal, facks were spread on the ground for them to repofe on.

It had been fo long fince they had known any thing of the calculation of time, that they were unacquainted even with the name of the month; but the kalendar of mifery was now complete; and they were given to understand, that the day of their deliverance was the 29th of November; fo that one hundred and feventeen days had rolled away their melancholy hours fince they were