150 NARRATIVEOFAN 



CHAP, every hazard he ruflied through the wood to recover 

 XXII 



his mafter, and by a miracle faw me as I was fitting 

 imder a tree, in the moft deje6led flate of mind that it 

 is poflible to conceive, immerfed in grief and abandoned 

 to defpair. I had this morning thought myfelf perfectly 

 unhappy, but now would have given the world once more 

 to have been in the fame fituation. Good God ! entirely 

 cut off from fociety, in a foreft, furrounded by relentlefs 

 favages! while a deluge of rain poured from the heavens, 

 and tigers, famine, with every woe and every danger, 

 flared me in the face. Farewell, for ever Joanna! — Such 

 was the p^idture of my mind, when on difcovering the 

 boy, I ftarted up from the ground, and a new life in- 

 ftantly diffufed itfelf through my whole frame. Having 

 now ftraggled backwards and forwards together for 

 fome time, I called to the lad that I faw a pool through 

 which the troops feemed to have pafTed, the water being 

 frefli clouded with mud ; but to my utter difappoint- 

 ment, he obferved, that this puddle was only occafioned 

 by a Tapira*, and fhewed me the print of the animal's 

 foot in the furrounding mire. At this time the boy 

 flied tears, crying, " MaJJera^ we deade, we deadel " In the 

 midft, however, of this diftrefs, recolledting that, by the 

 map, the river Pirica was due weft: from us, I determined 

 to lofe no more time, but to fet forwards without delay. 

 Thus having frefh primed my fuzee, I ordered Quaco to 



* By fome called the Hippopotamus of South Americaj which I will defcribe in a 

 proper place. 



follow 



