APPENDIX. 253 



we have ? I have never yet seen any 

 stranger here in summer. Whence dost 

 thou come, and whither dost thou intend 

 to go ?" Having tasted nothing for four 

 days past but a httle fresh fish, without 

 any bread, I asked her, seeing a small 

 kettle in her hand, what she could give me 

 to eat. She immediately set about boil- 

 ing a pike which she had brought with her ; 

 but when I w^as going to taste it, I observed 

 heaps of vermin between the gills, which 

 made meloathe it altogether, and rather con- 

 tinue to fast, though my strength suffered 

 much. This woman informed me there was 

 no boat to be had on the next river, and that 

 I had only to return the way I came ; which 

 words were like a stroke of thunder to me. 

 I know not any thing I would less willingly 

 have undertaken than to traverse again 

 these Stygian marshes, which were now 

 not to be avoided. However, this good wo- 

 man conducted us to a side path, whereby 

 we avoided about half a mile of the way 

 we had come. In traversing the forest, wt 



