LOSE OUR WAY. 281 



sequence. Probably, his view of the utter folly of 

 protracting a useless defence for a few days only 

 was a correct one ; but still it would seem, that as 

 a soldier, he ought not to have set the example of 

 disobeying the orders of his superior, and by an 

 act which certainly looks very like desertion. 



Whilst examining these works, without perhaps 

 thinking, when interested in exploring a strange 

 place which I had heard a great deal of, and 

 been always very desirous to see, that our stay 

 was very limited, I had walked on inadvertently 

 some distance with a Swiss gentleman, with 

 whom I chanced to be in conversation, and had 

 become entirely separated from the rest of the 

 passengers. 



Never shall I forget this unfortunate man's 

 countenance of terror and dismay, when, on our 

 way back, I found I had taken a wrong turn, and 

 that we had fairly lost our way. The steamer was 

 just getting under weigh, and, most probably, 

 would not wait for us, so that we should lose our 

 passage, and be left in that inhospitable spot, with- 

 out money or clothes, for a whole fortnight. It was 

 an awkward predicament, certainly, but he be- 

 came so desperately nervous, that I could not 



