SUFFERINGS OF LIEUTENANT o'jJKlEN. 113 



light. This precipice was very steep, and dangerous, even to a man in the 

 day-time, broad awake. 1 do not recollect an instance of walking in my 

 sleep prior to this. I hastened into the wood again, and it rained very 

 heavily, and after crossing several mountains covered with trees, I at length 

 discovered a very comfortable cave, full of nice dry leaves, on the declivity 

 of a hill; it appeared to be the lesidence of some animal. I entered, and 

 found it spacious enough to sit upright in ; took my coat off, squeezed the 

 water out, and after refreshing a little with my usual fare, 1 lay down on the 

 earth, covering myself with the leaves, and my coat over all, and went to 

 sleep quite happy and comfortable ; well sheltered from the wind and rain 

 that beat with great violence against the entrance of the cave. 



About dusk, 1 was awakened by the chattering of a jay at the entrance of 

 the cave. 1 crawled out, shook myself, and put my coat on, it had every 

 appearance of a fine night, rather inclining to freeze. 1 calculated at being 

 about three leagues from Strasbourgh ; after descending the hill, 1 discovered 

 a peasant's hut in tlie vale, and 1 determined upon ascertaining at this place, 

 my distance from ihe Rhine ; accordingly entered, found a young man, woman, 

 and infant, by a fire side ; they could speak nothing but German. Just as 1 

 was departing, very much vexed at not understanding their language sulBci- 

 ently to gain any intelligence, an old man came in, who stared at me with 

 wonder in his eyes. " Pray," said he, in French, " are you a Frenchman?" 

 1 answered, " yes," that 1 had missed my way in crossing the adjacent moun- 

 tains, and would be glad if he would direct me on the Strasbourgh road. He 

 accordingly did so, giving me the names of the villages 1 had to pass, and told 

 me 1 was twelve leagues from it. 1 could not account for this distance, 

 unleso 1 had been directed wrong by the former inhospitable wretch. They 

 had nothing to give me to eat, which they appeared sorry for; 1 took a little 

 brandy and water, paid them, and departed. After proceeding about two 

 miles, I met two men with fowling pieces, they saluted me, and passed on. 

 I could not bear my shoes, my feet were so very sore, but kept the stockings 

 on, until the feet were worn out ; even then I found them of great service 

 in the frosty weather. 



November, 1807. I now repassed several villages, that I had gone by the 

 preceding night, which convinced me that I must have taken a circuit, 

 instead of going directly onwards. About eleven, I recognised a village which 

 I had passed through the night before, and here I supposed I had made the 

 deviation, and turned to the left instead of the right ; not being quite certain 

 1 stopped to consider a moment, when 1 saw a woman, whom 1 asked; she 

 had the kindness to direct me, and 1 then perceived that my mistake, the 

 night before, was exactly as 1 had suspected : 1 thanked her, and just as I 

 was leaving her, the door of a small public house on the road side opened ; 

 out came a French military officer ! he passed the woman, and 1 dreaded 

 very much lest he should inquire who 1 was, and what 1 wanted with her; 

 but he did not prove so inquisitive, he also passed me without speaking, 1 

 fortunately had to go a different direction to him, and immediately made the 

 best of my way. 



The pleasing ideas of being at last in a fair way of succeeding, and to my 

 overcoming all difliculties, began now to be cherished by me. 1 found myself 

 on an excellent road ; got a supply of very fine turnips out of an adjoining 

 garden, and discovered regular posts on the road side ; kept running all night, 

 with very little intermission, resolved at all events to gel near the Rhine 

 before morning. The road continued for about four leagues, through a wood ; 

 on leaving this wood 1 was brought to a stand all of a sudden, by the walls of 

 a town, which, according to the names 1 had received from the old man, was 

 Hagenau ; but 1 had never supposed that the road led through it, and that it 



VOL. VII.— 1836. P 



