33$ TRAVELS through 



verardays in this fituation. M. de Belle-JJle had 

 taken a young dog from the Ihip, which was 

 very fond of him. His companions were often 

 tempted to kill him ; their hunger was ex- 

 treme : yide Belle-Jfie gave the dog up to them, 

 but would not kill k himfelf ; one of his com- 

 panions feized the dog \ but he was fo weak, 

 that as. he was going to flrike with the knife, 

 the dog efcaped, ran into the woods, and was 

 not feen again. The four unhappy officers died 

 with hunger one after another, in fight of M. 

 de Belle-IJley who did all he could to dig them 

 graves in the earth, or rather in the fand, with 

 his own hands, to preferve their fad ^remains 

 from the voracioufnefs of wild beafts : he paid 

 this tribute to human nature in fighing over its 

 miferies, nothing but the ftrength of his confli- 

 tution could make him furviye them. He was 

 refolute enough, in order to (ublift, to eat the 

 worms' which he found in rotten wood. Some 

 days after the death of his comrades, he faw at 

 a diftance his dog holding fomething in hi^ 

 mouth •, he called , him, the creature came to 

 him fawning, and with great demonftrations of 

 joy, threw at his feet an opojfum ; the dog 

 l>Gwled, as if he would fay, I bring thee fome- 

 thing to fupport life. The opodTums are good. 

 eating, and of the fise of a fucking pig. M. 



dc 



