188 ESCAPE OF LA CASE. [1696. 



after the manner lie promis'd in his Letter, but this was never 

 confirm'd ; and about two years after, when we were at the 

 Cape of (roofZ^ojjc, a Vessel that came from lsle-Zlfa?mce,assur'd 

 us, there was never anything heard of him. See how our 

 unfortunate Company was reduc'd to four persons, thro' the 

 Tyranny of this hard-hearted Governor. After he came to 

 understand the Escape of the Sieur Tcstarcl, both by our Pur- 

 veyor, and the Letter we sent him, he became never the better, 

 and did not alter a whit of his Severity towards us that 

 reniain'd. On the contrary, he caus'd Irons to be put on the 

 Legs of the Sieur La Ilaijc, altho' he had never accus'd him 

 of any thing, and tho' he was exceeding sick thro' the hard- 

 ships he underwent.^ 



Now as the Sieur La Case perceiv'd that his Malady began 

 to augment upon him, and that he must speedily take to his 

 Bed, he resolv'd whilst he was able, to imitate the Sieur 

 Tesiard in his Enterprize, and go into the Woods in search 

 of Health as he had done. He communicated his design to 

 us, and beg'd of iis not to oppose him, since it would be but in 

 vain, adding, that if we Avould not consent, he would venture 

 to swim over in the Night, rather than undergo any longer 

 that miserable Confinement. We perceiving that he was 

 fully bent on what he said, and that our refusal to comply 

 with him might carry him to some desperate Action,^ con- 

 sented to what he desir'd, and help'd him to make a Float of 

 Weeds and Boughs; and we even repented of not having 

 done the like for the poor Sieur Tcstard. We moreover set 

 up a Mat made of Plantane-Leaves^ on his Eloat, to serve 

 him for a Sail. He waited for a Night when both the Wind 



1 In orig. : " & il traita les autros comme a I'ordiuaire," omitted by 

 translator. 



2 In orig. : " plutot desesjDeree que temeraire." 



3 In orig. : " une natte de toile do Latanier." Perhaps the matting 

 manufactured from pahn-fibre called "-ralKniucs" in Mauritius ; or the 

 vacua mats from which at the present day bags are made for outer 

 packing of the sugar in gunny-bags. 



