( 62 ) 

 till I came back. I had the mofl: dreadful 

 ' journey of it imaginable, through thick 

 woods and fvvariips all the way 5 btit 1 

 * might as well have fpared myfelf thaE 

 trouble, as it was to no manner of puv- 

 pofe ; for they would not give me, nor 

 any one of us that left them, a fmgle 

 ounce of provifions of any kind. I there- 

 fore returned, and after that made a fe- 

 cond attempt j but^all in vain. They 

 even threatened, if we did not return 

 with the barge, they would fetch 

 her by force. It is impoflible to con- 

 ceive the diftreiled fituation we were 

 now in, at the time of the long-boat's 

 departure. I don't mention this event 

 as the occafion of it ; by which, if we 

 who were left on the ifland experienced 

 any alteration at all, it was for the better j 

 and which, in all probability, had it been 

 deferred, might have been fatal to the 

 greateft part of us ; but at this time, the 

 fubfiftence on which we had hitherto de- 

 pended 



