of the Old World. 429 



blazing logs of an immense camp-fire, on the side of 

 which two brass kettles, containing our evening 

 repast, were bubbling away merrily. Mine were a 

 motley crew, a rough and reckless lot of desperate 

 men, of different race and creeds, bound by no tie, 

 and heeding no law, yet perfect unanimity existed 

 amongst them. Wild songs were sung, strange 

 tales were told ; and many a hoarse peal of merri- 

 ment rang through the night air, as the jest went 

 round. Loudly they laughed, and little they recked 

 for the morrow. The moon was nearly at the full, 

 and her silver light made the open parts of the forest 

 as clear as day ; but I set the watch early, and bid 

 my followers take what repose they could, as I knew 

 that they would have a hard fag on the morrow. 



The queen of the night was still high in the 

 heavens, when we began to make preparations for a 

 start by packing up our baggage in the smallest space 

 possible, and, after a cup of hot coffee and eau de vie 

 to keep out the night air, we were again en route. 

 We soon left the forest behind, and, after crossing a 

 belt of dwarf pine with an undergrowth of savin and 

 juniper bushes almost waist-high, we came to a wil- 

 derness of rocks and beetling crags ; having every now 

 and then to clamber up steep slopes covered with 

 huge boulders of granite and masses of fallen debris, 

 which were readily set in motion. We were obliged 

 to be very careful and ascend like skirmishers in ex- 



