516 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



a hollow, and tearing up others 

 from different places, we fixed 

 them into the ground, and crept 

 in beneath them. Unfortunately, 

 there was neither water nor snow 

 upon this hill, and we suffered 

 excessively from thirst. On the 

 other side of the hollow and oppo- 

 site to us, was a path leading to 

 a wood, along which, we fre- 

 quently observed men and pack- 

 horses going backwards and for- 

 wards, and saw them so plainly, 

 that, had the former been our 

 acquaintances, we should have 

 found no difficulty in recognising 

 them. They did not observe us, 

 though a glance directed towards 

 that part of the hollow in which 

 we had taken refuge, would ine- 

 vitably have betrayed us. 



We were busily employed dur- 

 ing the whole of this day. We 

 stitched our shirts together for 

 the purpose of forming two sails, 

 and made all tlie necessary appur- 

 tenances out of the ropes and 

 pieces of woollen cloth which we 

 had carried off with us. There 

 was a village at no great distance 

 from our hiding place, and as 

 • evening approached, we observed 

 that one of the vessels which 

 were sailing along the coast, 

 anchored near it. We resolved, 

 therefore, in case the w^nd should 

 prove favourable to board the 

 vessel that very night. 



At sunset we descended the 

 hill, and proceeded towards the 

 shore ; but as we approached the 

 vessel, we heard a noise and the 

 sound of voices on board. We, 

 therefore, withdrew, intending to 

 wait until the d.*ad of the night 

 before we attempted the execu- 

 tion of our enterprise ; but we 

 eoon discovered that the vessel 



was weighing anchor, and that 

 the noise was occasioned by that 

 labour. Our design was therefore 

 frustrated, and we pursued our 

 course along the shore. 



We had this night many more 

 obstacles to contend with than on 

 the preceding. The hollows were 

 more numerous and deeper, and 

 we frequently found it necessary 

 to wade through streams. To- 

 wards midnight, we arrived at a 

 village of considerable size. We 

 at first wished to pass along the 

 principal street, but we found it 

 extremely long, and we, besides, 

 heard the guards striking the 

 hour with their boards. We then 

 proposed going round the outside 

 of the village, but the kitchen 

 gardens were so large, that we 

 must have made a very consi- 

 derable circuit; we, therefore, 

 proceeded across the gardens, and 

 left traces of our footsteps behind 

 us, which must have been re- 

 markable, on account of their 

 size. On the shore we observed 

 several large fires, and, at first, 

 were at a loss to conjecture what 

 was meant by them. We imagined 

 they were intended as watch-fires 

 for the soldiers, but we soon dis- 

 covered that they were signals for 

 the vessels which were sailing past 

 the coast, for they were lighted 

 up immediately upon lanterns 

 being hoisted on board the ships. 

 On the 29th of April, the morn- 

 ing dawn drove us to the adjoin- 

 ing heights. At sunrise we found 

 ourselves on the summit of a 

 high and barren hill, which af- 

 forded us no place of refuge. 

 We perceived on every side foot- 

 paths, along which the inhabitants 

 passed from the villages to the 

 forests. We, therefore, turned 



to 



