44-6 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



fbme bits of paper on which they recognifed 

 Riches hand- writing. The fand too, in this 

 fpot, exhibited the impreflion of a perfon who 

 had lain down. 



We were all returning towards our boats, la- 

 menting the fate of our unfortunate companion, 

 when, being on the point of arriving at the landing- 

 place, and having abfolutely loft all hopes, we 

 law one of thofe who had remained to take care 

 of the boats running to meet us, in order to tell 

 us that Riche was ftill living, and that he had 

 juft come down to the water-fide, exhaufted by 

 hunger and fatigue. He had been upwards of 

 fifty- four hours on fhore, and he had carried with 

 him no other provifions than a few pieces of bif- 

 cuit. The low ftatc to which he was reduced 

 did not permit his friends to fuffer him to in- 

 dulge his appetite, and it was only by trying 

 gradually the digeftive powers of his ftomach 

 that we gave him fome food. His countenance, 

 which was at firft entirely diftorted, brightened 

 up by little and little. When he was recovered 

 from the fiate of flupor into which he had been 

 thrown by fo long a privation of food, he related 

 to us, that at no great diflance from the fire 

 which had been found ftill alight, there was a 

 fmall dream of frefh water where he had 

 quenched his third ; that by dint of fecking 

 among, the plants, analogous to thofe whofe 



fruits 



