390 AN IKREPARABLE ACCIDENT. 



taste it, and, truly enough, it was "capital." Even the 

 smell had vanished. Every body agreed in praising its ex- 

 cellence. I could not account for so great a marvel, but 

 supposed that under the influence of the sun the water had 

 undergone some chemical change. In the course of twelve 

 hours, four gallons of turbid water had, without any appar- 

 ent cause, been converted into a fluid as bright and sweet as 

 was ever drawn from fresh spring. 



On leaving the pestiferous fountain, I intrusted young 

 Bonfield with my watch, in order that he might ascertain 

 the number of hours they were on the road. On again meet- 

 ing the lad, he told me in a flurried manner that he thought 

 there was something the matter with the "piece," as it would 

 not go properly. The truth at once flashed across me. In 

 winding it up, he had forcibly pushed it the ^vrong way, and 

 thus made it useless. I can not describe my feelings on as- 

 certaining this fact. My chronometer and another watch 

 had some time previously ceased to act. This was my last 

 time-piece. I had no longer the means of going on with my 

 observations. Latitudes I could still manage, but as for 

 longitudes, the most important part, it was out of the ques- 

 tion — at least I thought so at the time. I had indulged in 

 the hope of being able to settle the position of the Lake. 



I was totally unacquainted with the mechanism of a 

 watch ; but necessity has no law, and, as a last chance, I 

 determined to pull it to pieces, in order to ascertain the 

 cause of its stopping. Twice 1 did so, and twice I success- 

 fully put it together, but it would not go properly. I dis- 

 sected it a third time, but was even less fortunate than be- 

 fore, for the chain snapped in two places. Nothing daunted, 

 however, I procured a very fine, well-dried gut, with which 

 I tried to splice it ; but it is easy to imagine the result. I 

 believe at that moment I would have freely given the best 

 half of what I possessed in this world — and that, perhaps, 

 after all, was not much — for a good strong watch. 



