506 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



narrow path between the fence 

 and the hollow, so that it was with 

 the utmost difficulty we succeeded 

 in gaining the high road. With 

 hasty steps we then passed be- 

 tween the trees,crossedtheraound, 

 and the cemetery;and in about half 

 an hour, reached the foot of the 

 first hill which we had to ascend. 



Proceeding in our hazardous 

 enterprize, we began, at the 

 distance of about five wersts 

 from the shore, to climb the 

 hills, and endeavoured, wher- 

 ever it was possible, to direct 

 our course towards the north. 

 The stars served to guide us. 

 "Whilst we were ascending the 

 first hill I felt a violent pain in 

 my knee, which, in a short time 

 swelled prodigiously. When we 

 proceeded along places which 

 were level, I could, with the 

 assistance of a stick, walk without 

 much difficulty ; but I experienced 

 severe pain either in ascending 

 or descending, as I was then 

 obliged to tread heavily with the 

 leg which had been hurt. Being 

 thus unable to make an equal 

 use of both feet, I was quickly 

 overcome with fatigue. My com- 

 panions were, therefore, under 

 the necessity of stopping every 

 half hour, in order that I might 

 recover myself, and ease my knee 

 by resting. Our object was to 

 reach, before day-break, some 

 hills, along which a thick forest 

 extended, in order to conceal 

 ourselves from the observation of 

 the enemy ; for we had now reason 

 to regard the Japanese as im- 

 placably hostile to us. During 

 our walks in the vicinity of the 

 town, this forest appeared to us 

 to be at no considerable distance, 

 but we soon found how greatly 

 we had mistaken its situation. 



We could trace no footpath lead- 

 ing directly to the forest, and we 

 therefore advanced straight for- 

 ward. Owing to the darkness of 

 the night we could see no farther 

 than a few paces around us, and 

 we sometimes unexpectedly found 

 ourselves at the foot of a steep 

 precipice which it was impossible 

 to climb. We had then to search 

 for a more practicable road ; 

 which, when found, we continued 

 to ascend until new obstacles 

 presented themselves. 



In this way we spent three 

 anxious hours, and having at last 

 gained the summit, we proceeded 

 northward along the level height. 

 But fate had every where thrown 

 interruptions and' difficulties in 

 our way. At the height we had 

 now reached, the snow lay in 

 some parts extremely thick, and 

 the Japanese might easily have 

 traced our footstepts across it. 

 We were therefore obliged to 

 search for such places as were 

 not covered with snow ; in doing 

 this we crossed from one side to 

 the other, and frequently turned 

 back, by which we were greatly 

 fatigued, and advanced but slowly. 

 About an hour before daybreak, 

 however, we unexpectedly found 

 ourselves proceeding, in a direct 

 line, for the forest, along a good 

 road, which the Japanese had 

 made for the purpose of convey- 

 ing wood to the city on pack- 

 horses. This road was thickly 

 imprinted with the tracks of 

 horses and men ; there was no 

 snow upon it, and therefore the 

 Japanese could not trace our 

 footsteps. It led in a straight 

 northerly direction, and passed 

 over the level summits of the 

 hills. We were not a little de- 

 lighted at the discovery, and 



advanced 



