MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 253 



who inflantly came for us. Our horfcs, to the 

 number of about fifty, we fvvam acrofs^and turn- 

 ed them to feed, during the night in a meadow- 

 near the banks ; we ourfelves were compelled to 

 fleep in a forry guard-houfe, occupied by about 

 a dozen militia foldiers. We could meet M'ith 

 no fort of provifions, except forfke badly dried 

 fifh, not even fo much as fan'nha; fortunately, 

 however, in the bottom of a bag, in which wc 

 had carried fome provifions, we found a few 

 handfuls, on which, and a little rum, we had 

 brought from the hut where we had flopped at 

 noon, we made our fupper. Our faddle cloaths 

 were our beds for the night, during which a vaft 

 quantity of rain fell ; the roof was totally ina- 

 dequate to keeping us dry, and we were almoft 

 as completely drenched as if we had remained 

 in the open air. 



Early in the morning we were vifited by a 

 little old Frenchman who lived farther up the 

 river ; he had come into that country as a fol- 

 dier, and had lived there twenty-fix years, dur- 

 ing which time he had never heard his own 

 language fpoken. Through want of pradice 

 he had almoft forgotten it, nor yet could he ex- 

 plain himfelf in Portuguefe ; in fhort, none but 

 his own family could comprehend him. Not 

 being able to make himfelf underllood by 

 words, he attempted to do it by Hgns and geC- 



tyres ; 



